The Promise is a story I've written for my friend Alex. He was dead set on me writing a story for our characters so here you go, hope you're happy!

P.S.: Yeah, I named your horse after Cloud in Final Fantasy Alex. Deal with it hoe.

Disclaimers: Yeah yeah, WoW, blah blah blah... Blizzard... yada yada... Dokito not mine... Blah. :3 Aerith is my paladin though!

Rating: Meh.

Dokito stared blankly out the window, condensation starting to form from the heat of the kitchen area against the cold glass. His adopted mother was cooking baked seasoned wolf and stewed potatoes. His father, who was also his adopted guardian, was currently wrestling with his younger siblings in the den. Eleven years ago this young man had been in the Stormwind orphanage.

He vaguely remembered anything before that. His life before the orphanage was merely a blur that could not been seen. All he could really remember was that his parents had died sometime after the second War at the hand of orcs that raided his home city and none of his other family members were willing to take him in. He was sent off to live at the orphanage in Stormwind.

That's where he met her. Thinking about it now at the age of nineteen, she had been the single most beautiful girl he'd ever laid his chestnut eyes on. She was at least a year younger then him. She had soft blonde locks and outstanding sapphire irises. From the moment he set his eyes on her he knew then and there that he wanted to know more about her.

And he did just that.

Dokito learned that she had been at this orphanage all her life and that her name was Aerith. The poor girl never knew her father, who was perhaps still alive. Matron Willow had told him that her mother died two months after her birth due to a rare disease the priests couldn't cure. Every time he looked at the girl it always flabbergasted him as to how such a carefree and kind spirit could possibly have had such tragedy in her past life.

As time went on the two had gotten closer to each other. They became inseparable, quickly finding a best friend in one another. Slowly all the other children got adopted except those two, which was fine with them as long as they were together. New children came in, all around the age of five to seven. Aerith became like a mother to them, she was only thirteen mind you. He would watch as she played with the children and helped Matron Willow feed them or tuck them in at night. It was during this time that she realized she loved to help people in need and wanted to become a priest. Dokito himself was dead set on becoming a warrior, a family tradition for any son born.

Everything was going swimmingly between the two and by every passing day they grew closer, even if they didn't know it themselves. That is until that day. The day that changed his life for the better and worse. Sometimes he wondered if it had affected her the way it had him.

It was about six months from his fifteenth birthday. Dokito and Aerith had been outside in the Cathedral Square sitting on a bench around a beautiful statue of a paladin that sat in the middle of a fountain. They were watching the children play with one another, Aerith was currently playing with a young girls hair, making it in a french braid. It was basically a normal day until five people came along. A man and a woman with three sons. They were talking with the Matron, eyeballing Dokito out of the rest of the children.

He couldn't ignore the feeling in his stomach any longer and got up, Aerith giving him a questioning glance but thought nothing of it a moment later. The dreaming warrior to be walked over to the Matron and the family, asking what was going on. The news of his adoption filled his heart with hope, yet shattered it at the thought of leaving the girl he'd been best friends with since he got here behind. Dokito sulked away into the orphanage and when he returned with his bags packed, Aerith was by his side instantly.

"Where are you going...?" She mumbled, lightly pulling on his arm. She looked at him, then his bag, and finally at his awaiting new family. Tears prickled her eyes as she settled them back on him. "You're leaving?..." The first tear fell without warning and the boy felt his heart's remaining shattered pieces be crushed to dust with a mace at the sight.

"Y-Yeah I guess I am..." He hangs his head dejectedly and before he can turn to leave she's around his neck in the tightest of hugs. He returns it without question and squeezed for reassurance. They weren't sure how long they had been like that, but the Matron had finally pulled Aerith away from him and had to hold her as more tears fell. His new mother tugged at his free hand and just before he was out of sight he called out to her. "I'll come back Aerith! I promise I'll come back for you!"

It was his mother's voice who broke through his thoughts. He turned his head and she threw a towel over her shoulder, glaring at him with disapproval. "Ma'am?" He mumbled and removed his elbows from the table. He knew she hated that...

"I said... can you help me serve dinner, silly Moo." She smiled at him and he returned it halfheartedly. Moo was a nickname he had gotten from his younger siblings since his adopted parents owned a farm and well, more times then none, Dokito was the one milking the heifers. He nodded and stood, helping her cut the wolf meat and put them on platters with a good bit of potatoes on every six plates. He set them down on the rounded table and called for his family. They prayed to the Light, as per usual, and began to have their supper.

His father was the first to speak up. "Son... I know you have to leave tomorrow..." Dokito glanced up at him with saddened eyes. His father's green orbs bore into his chestnut ones. "Pandaria... what a strange name for a place..." He mumbled, trying to lighten the mood. It was his mother's turn to muse in.

"Well you forget, Richard. This was an island that was hidden by mists! I wouldn't expect anything less." She drank away at her water and gracefully set it back down. "We are very proud of you Doki. Following your dreams..." She smiled at him, all of her pearls showing. "You've become a great warrior... especially for your age. Even the king himself wanted you to be apart of this rescue mission. Oh! And can you believe his son is missing? Heavens me... I don't know what I would do if any of my babies were on a missing board..."

Dokito just tuned her out after awhile. She just talked and rambled without a single care in the world. He loved her, of course, as if she was his real mother, but sometimes she could be so... damn loud. All he really wanted to do was just think. He nibbled on his food but soon found that he wasn't hungry like he should have been. He mashed up some potatoes and shanked at his meat to make it look like he had eaten a little, putting the remains in the scrap bucket.

He slugged to his room and flopped on his bed. Dokito only stared at his closet. One door had been open, revealing his armor and sword. He would be leaving tomorrow. He sighed heavily and rolled onto his back to stare at the ceiling. Now he could think more without being interrupted. He closed his eyes and let his mind run wild.

And of course the first thing that came to said mind was the blonde girl from five years ago. He wondered what she looked like now, or if she had became a priest like she had wanted. Was she still the same sweet and loving girl? He thought about her smile, her eyes, hell. She was just all he thought about. Always had been.

He groaned loudly and stuffed a pillow onto his head in defeat. Why hadn't he stopped loving her? He hadn't seen her in five years for Light's sake! Yet she constantly plagued his mind, his dreams. He thought back once again to the last day he seen her. She had been crying and the look of a broken girl was all that was fading into the distance as he was dragged off by his new family. The promise haunted him and he felt like he had broken it. He had one day. One day to return and search for her until the Skyfire left for Pandaria.

He didn't sleep much that night. It was hard for him to even slug the hell out of bed, much less put on that heavy plate gear. The poor sap was practically dragging his sword down the hall and soon had to rest it against the wall. His mother was hunching over the burning fire, most likely cooking something for breakfast. "Well, good morning my big, strong warrior! Hungry?" She beamed at him.

He shook his head to tell her no and she frowned. "Sit. Eat. Now." Before he could even retort an excuse she sat him at the table and a plate full of eggs and boar bacon had been set in front of him. "My oldest son is not leaving on a big trip to some strange island without eating breakfast. You need the strength... I really don't want to see a soldier coming up to the house telling me you've been killed in battle." Her voice quivered a little just thinking about it and it made Doki smile. Worrisome, yes, but he couldn't ask for a better mother. He ate until his stomach was satisfied and stood ready to leave.

It was a sad departure for him. Before he could even open the front door his three little brothers came running down the hall and leaped into his arms crying. They understood he had to go into battle but that didn't mean it sat well with them. Or anyone for that matter. His mother had started to cry as well and she kissed his forehead. "Return safe Doki..." She whimpered and hugged her son once more.

It was his father's turn to say his goodbye. The man patted him on the back hard enough to make him stumble. Richard couldn't resist though and pulled his son into a tight embrace. "Listen..." Dokito pulled back enough to stop him from talking and only smiled at his father. Richard returned the smile sadly, nodding knowingly, and scuffled his hair. If the warrior hadn't looked back, he would have missed the few tears that fell from his father's eyes.

He went to their stables and quietly put the reins and saddle on his mustang, Cloud. He took one last glance at the house he'd lived in for five years, but felt like forever, and pushed forward on his vanilla colored horse. He was dead set on finding Aerith before the Skyfire left. He'd take her with him, or stay behind. He didn't care. As long as he was with her, he absolutely would tell the King himself to piss off if he had to leave without the girl.

He lived a little ways from Goldshire, which was about five minutes from Stormwind. Cloud was known to be the fastest horse they had bred yet, so hopefully it wouldn't even take ten minutes. Thankfully the Light was with him. It took seven minutes. Not like he was counting or whatever.

Once the gates of the great human capital came into view he slowed his steed down to a weak trot. There was only one place he knew to really look. Cathedral Square. Aertih was seventeen now, so of course there was the possibility that she had been adopted as well but he didn't have the heart to think like that.

Before he knew it he was crossing the bridge that led to the small tunnel into the Square. He descended from Cloud and tied his reins around a light post tightly. Old childhood memories came in like a tsunami as he looked around. Nothing had really changed and he rather liked it that way. He stared at the orphanage and hesitantly walked over. He held his breath and knocked on the door. Really, it was a nice day. Why weren't the kids outside playing?

A woman, around mid forties, slowly opened the door. She eyed the young man before her and her eyes grew wide with astonishment. "Dokito? Is that you?" She blinked and a smile brightened up on her face. She ushered him inside and sat him at a table. She fumbled with some tea, still quite in shock.

"Hello Matron Willow." He nodded. He couldn't help the smile that grew even more so on his face as he looked around. Again, nothing changed. He noticed her making tea and butt in. "No thank you... I actually didn't really come for a chat..." He stood and pushed the chair under the table. She turned and looked at him curiously. "I'm leaving soon... to Pandaria and well-"

"Oh my." She cut in and her eyes narrowed to the floor. "Yes I noticed you've become a warrior." She raised her gaze back to him with a soft smile. "You always wanted that..." She nodded. "Don't you have to leave soon? The soldiers are already forming around inside the Cathedral for a blessing from the priests in hopes of a safe trip." She poured herself a cup anyway and sat across from where he was once sitting.

"Well that's why I came here." Willow raised an eyebrow and sipped her tea, clearly indicating that he keep going. "I wanted to..." He trailed off, not really knowing how to say it. "You remember how I was best friends with someone right...?" He chanced a glance at her and caught her smirking.

"You want to find Aerith, don't you?" Dokito returned his gaze back to the floor and she knew she was right. "She still comes around here often, actually." She continued to sip her tea. "Helps around... the children love her. Poor girl never got adopted." She shakes her head. "On the bright side, she found her father recently. From what I've heard, after her mother's death he went into a depressed state and was unable to function correctly. That only left him unable to care for his daughter. He almost died from heart break... how sad..." She mumbled, sitting her cup down and tracing the tip with her index finger. "As soon as he snapped out of it, he had already missed seventeen years of his child's life. He came to find her to make up for it." She smiled at this. "Go to the Cathedral Doki..."

He wasted no time in rushing out the orphanage after that. The Cathedral was right there! He ran and almost tripped going up the front steps. He was out of breath by the time he was inside but didn't stop. His eyes searched over each priest. Some had blonde hair, but never blue eyes. Some had blue eyes, but never blonde hair. This was like finding a needle in a hay stack to him. He searched desperately. It didn't help that it was full of paladin and soldiers ready to leave for Pandaria either.

That's when he heard it. Someone was talking, and honestly it seemed to overpower every other voice in the Cathedral. Such a sweet, innocent tone. One full of nothing but love and care. He turned his attention to a small room. He walked over, his plated boots making a 'clank' with each step. He peeked his head around the corner and there in that room were three people. Two of them were paladin's, the other was a soldier.

He cautiously walked in and halted as soon as he spotted the softest looking blonde hair. The older looking paladin's smile faded slightly as he noticed the warrior's entrance. The female holy paladin had her back turned to him and as she noticed that her father's eyes were no longer on her anymore she turned around to see what was wrong. Her eyes grew wide with shock. "D-Dokito?"

She hadn't changed much, he decided then. Her face was still soft with her expressions, her hair was still blonde but tied into a messy pony tail, and her eyes still held that wonderful sapphire shine. Dokito noticed the girl to be in plate gear, rather then priest gear and wondered what made her change her mind about being a priest. One look at her father and he instantly knew. She wanted to be like him. Although Leorric was a protection paladin and Aerith holy, she still followed his path as a warrior of righteous words. He wasn't sure what to say. He honestly had thought he'd never see her again. Before he knew it, she lunged herself at him and he wrapped his arms around her instinctively. Quickly, he noticed that they were now the only two in the room.

"Y-You came back?" She whispered against his ear. He only hugged the girl tighter and buried his head in her hair. He took a few deep breaths to calm his nerves and to make sure this was in fact real life. Her scent seemed to do the trick, because now his heartbeat was back to normal. He pulled back enough to look at her face. She was crying and her eyes were still wide with disbelief.

"I promised, didn't I?" He smiled and brushed her tears away. He gazed at her adoringly. Her eyes searched over his entire face and before he could even so much as blink she was up on her tiptoes kissing him. It was his turn for his eyes to grow wide in disbelief. It took him a full five second to realize what was happened. He soon fluttered his eyes shut and returned the kiss. It was light and sweet, not needy and messy.

When they pulled away due to lack of air, he only latched himself to her once again in a warm embrace and refused to let go. "I promise to never... ever... leave you again..." He nuzzled his head between her neck and whispered softly into her ear. He could feel the smile she was radiating and kissed her neck lightly.

"And I never break a promise."

Fin~