Disclaimer: I don't own Final Fantasy VII, that's Square Enix's. BUT I do own I Promise :)

I Promise is a property of sportiegrl/Justine Tran

Please enjoy!

Prologue

Since the beginning, Nibelheim was seen as a utopian and tranquil kingdom, but who would have thought that in just one day, a great terror would strike. Nibelheim, famous for its peaceful and warmness, is ruled by the Great King Pallos Lockhart. Many travel across the world just to form a peaceful lifestyle for themselves. Although the kingdom was a peaceful one, the citizens of this kingdom were ignorant to the outside world and the chaos that would soon come.

Chapter 1: The Beginning

"ALL HAIL THE GREAT KING PALLOS!!" cheered the citizens of Nibelheim, as the king finished his speech. Today was the harvest festival and they were receiving the gratitude from their king for their hard work throughout the year. In this crowd, we meet our hero, ten-year-old Cloud Strife. The child had spiky, blond hair and blue eyes. He had light skin, which was slightly tanned, and he wore dirtied clothes, which luckily, had no holes. The poor child was an orphan that was eschewed from all the other citizens. Cloud, being the curious child he was, tried running and shoving through the crowd to obtain a glimpse of the king. Cloud looked up to the man in front of him, tapped him on the shoulder, and suppliantly asked the man if he could lift him up, so that he could have just one glance at the king. But unfortunately, the man just shoved to the back of the crowd. 'Forget it. It's impossible for me to see him.' he thought as he walked back with his head down. And then suddenly…

BUMP!

---Somewhere else---

Little nine-year-old Tifa Lockhart disguised herself and tried to blend in with the crowd as much as she could. Tifa was a child with waist long hazel colored hair, wine red colored eyes, pale skin, and she worse some decent clothes, but nobody would really tell since she wore a cloak around her shoulders. As she was walking through the crowd, she heard some shouting and made her way to the thundering voice through the banal and the crowd to the propinquity scene. When she reached her destination, she saw a feckless looking kid on the ground as an overtly furious man was yelling at the child as if the child stole something from him.

"WATCH WHERE YOU'RE GOING KID!! Well, if it isn't the little rat! Out of here boy! Why don't you just leave? You're unwanted here anyways! Now move! You're in the way!" shouted the man as he shoved Cloud back to the ground while he was trying to stand.

"Hey! Mister! Apologize to that boy right now!" a voice said. Cloud looked around surprisingly and searched for the owner of the child-like voice. He was surprised that someone actually stood up for him! He wondered if that person knew that he or she would be hated by everyone?

"Who said that?!" the man looked around furiously.

"I did." A nine-year-old girl with a cute look, but stern eyes accosted the man. Even with just a cloak around her, she held a dignified air. "I said apologize to the boy you old man!" she shouted with fury in her eyes.

"What did you say!? Kids should know their pace!" the man grew more furious "Besides, what are you going to do about it brat?" the man looked down and smirked at Tifa

"Stop being so mean and apologize!" Tifa was slowly losing her temper.

"Shut it you twerp!"

"That's it! As the heir to the throne of Nibelheim, after my father, King Pallos Lockhart, I, Tifa Lockhart, hereby order you to apologize to the boy for your wrong doing a few moments ago!" shouted Tifa as she held up a medallion that contained her family's royal emblem. The royal emblem was of a phoenix and dragon across from one another and looking at each other. In between the phoenix and dragon was a yin and yang symbol. At the top of the medallion, it said 'TIFA' and at the bottom, it said 'LOCKHART'.

Murmurs went through the crowd as everyone stared at Tifa. The man before her looked baffled, he went completely white and looked as if he was about to faint. Cloud was still on the ground, but this time with his mouth wide open and with wide eyes.

Tifa, uncomfortable with the stares, wanting to get this over with already, said "Well? Are you going to apologize or not?" The man finally snapped out of it and went to the boy. Cloud, afraid that he would get hit, scooted back further away from the man.

"I'm not gonna hurt you boy, so just come here." Said the man in an irritated voice. Cloud slowly crept to the man and when he got to him, the man helped him up and dusted off the dirt. "There good as new. Sorry. I've done my part, your Highness, so I will be leaving now." the man bowed and walked away.

Tifa, still uncomfortable from the stares of the crowd shouted, "OKAY ITS OVER! Can you leave me alone now??!" As soon as they heard that, the crowd dispersed quickly dispersed and apologies could be heard coming out of the townsmen's mouths. "Thank you…" Cloud said as Tifa turned back to face him.

"No worries! Us kids should be helping one another out!" She gave him a wink "So what's your name? Hm?" She looked at him with a wide smile.

"Cloud"

"Cloud huh? I like it! Clooouuudddd. Clouuu~dddd~. Cloud." Tifa repeatedly said as she was testing out the name rolling off her tongue. "I like that name! I'm Tifa by the way!" she grabbed his hand and shook it rapidly.

"Nice to meet you…" Cloud replied meekly.

"Oh come on! Don't be so shy! Speak louder!" Tifa said to Cloud. But all he did was nodded his head and mutter and apology. "You know what? You're gonna spend the whole day with me! We'll work on your confidence and everything today! All right??" Tifa looked at him with that wide smile of hers.

Close by to the two kids, the castle guard's shouts of "PRINCESS TIFA!! WHERE ARE YOU?!" could be heard.

"Uh oh! Come on! We gotta run!" Tifa put the hood of the cloak over her head and grabbed Cloud's arm and ran.

The two ended up playing and running away from the castle guards the whole day. Then, time flew by too quick for them, as the sun was quickly setting from the sky.

"Aw man. I gotta go now." Tifa paused and a new idea came to her "Oh! Here! This is for you!" Tifa took off her necklace and handed it to Cloud.

The necklace had an oval shape on it with the Chinese character for phoenix on one half and the Chinese character for dragon on the other half, with a small yin and yang sign in the middle and 'TIFA' written on the top.

"I can't take this, it's your necklace!" Cloud tried to give back the necklace.

"No. It's yours now! It's proof that we're best friends! So when I need help you'll come to my rescue alright? Promise? And think of it as a talisman!" She paused once more and heard the sounds of the castle guards calling for her again. "Oh! I have to go now. I hear them calling again, they must be crazy worried." Tifa quickly gave Cloud a hug good bye and started sprinting back to the castle.

"THANK YOU! I PROMISE TIFA!" Cloud quickly shouted as he saw her sprinting away, at first he thought she didn't hear him, but when he saw her turn her head back and wave, he knew his voice reached her.

This day, marked the start of something new; the beginning of a new friendship, an unbreakable bond, a new adventure, and a terrible incident that will lead to chaos.

----Somewhere in the outskirts of the kingdom-----

"When are we going to do it?" the first voice whispered.

"Soon. Just wait a few more days. We'll do it soon. When we get the signal. So be patient." Replied a second voice.


Alright, so that's the prologue + first chapter :)

I don't know when my next update will be, but hopefully it'll be soon!

Reviews would be nice, you can tell me what you liked, hated, and what you suggest I do next. Who knows, I might incorporate your ideas into one of my chapters ;] I will say that it was your idea of course ^^

Also, pm me or whatever it's all good.

So stay tuned until next time!

sportiegrl out~