Final Fantasy

Promises

Chapter One

The Promised Land was the Ancient's dream and the Cetra's wish. The Promise Land was what Sephiroth wanted to take and we fought together to stop him. You and I together went against the greatest evil in hopes that the world would be saved. Inside I pretended not to care about the planet, Avalanche or anything but myself; I lied to myself. You had taught me I should care, and that I should fight for the greater good. A sword is not to just kill but to save. I am going to step up to realize your wish and wash away all the sins that have plagued me all these years. Hopefully, in the end, you will be able to forgive me.

The journey of the planet started because of Shinra. The dangerous poison of Mako was slowly wounding the planet. Shinra even made soldiers using the Mako as a drug to make them stronger, to make them ultimate weapons. Sephiroth was the first one of Shinra's greatest accomplishments, but also a great disaster. Because of Sephiroth, President Shinra was destroyed along with the business building itself leaving his son Rufus in charge. The old Shinra building lays in the ruins of Midgar clouded in thick smoke, and a stench of death. Blood had been spilled their of many, the floors are painted red with spilled innocence, and the data of all Shinra lays buried in the heaps of stone and metal. Sephiroth was born here as the greatest warrior, it was his home, and he destroyed it for one so reason, to collect Jenova's head. Jenova was called "Mother" and with Jenova Sephiroth would travel to the Promise Land. Although, there is one this he needed first.

The feeling of losing something is horrible. It tugs at your heart and causes such an ache it is unbearable and only death seems to be your necessary answer. These are feelings that well inside when you lose someone you love. When one thing that feels so enormous you just burst. The feeling of a love lost than found. A feeling of regret and guilt of knowing you couldn't have done anything to stop it.

Cloud. The voice was barely a whisper as a small cry came from the soft lips. Blood spilled out through the cracks of the teeth as the sound almost of a squish came as the blade pushed further through bone and flesh. The cracking and breaking came as it passed through the ribs and then a rip came as it cut through the front of the fabric that covered the outside of the stomach. The crimson blood came down in waves painting the ground beneath with tiny droplets. I am so sorry it wasn't supposed to happen this way. We were supposed to have a happy ending. Through all the pain the brightness of a smile could show through. I don't blame you Cloud. Not once. Thank you for everything you have done.

The body was pushed down with the pressure of a leg pressing the body towards the floor and blood squirted out from the back as the sword was released from the casket it had been stuck through. The body that once had been filled with life and a beating heart was now a lifeless corpse the soul gone from it. Still even in death she was beautiful. Her brown mocha colored hair was pulled from its tie letting the curls swarm around the face in little streams, the eyes were staring forward gone out from focus the green orbs gone almost colorless, and the pink virginal dress was now stained red with sin of the kill. She didn't deserve this, but it was what he had to do to get what he wanted.

Have I taken something dear to you Cloud? The voice was deep as a rolling thunder taunting and poking at the deepest depths beneath him. Is your heart bursting and breaking; is everything you loved taken away once more? Have I soiled your life just I did when I killed your home and your mother? Does life once again seem meaningless? Those eyes filled with Mako stared right through the shadows the jade gaze piercing right through the heart making everything seem almost miniscule. Tell me what else is dear to you Cloud. Give me the pleasure of taking it away.

Give me the pleasure of taking it away. The phrase repeated over and over again until Cloud just couldn't bear it. Sephiroth's face kept beaming into his mind the smirk on his face tore at Cloud. Again and again he said the same thing until finally he snapped. "Shut up!" His body sat up and his hand gripped at his sword the heavy still blade lifted up and pointed forward. "You don't understand… there isn't one thing that isn't dear to me anymore…" Cloud still could not forget that night of Aerith's death in Coral. Cloud just blamed himself countless times not letting himself let go of that night when his beloved had died and passed away. Aerith I am sorry.

"Cloud is everything all right? You have been in your room for days since-"

"Tifa, I don't want to talk about it." Cloud kept staring forward his blue eyes staring hard at his hands as the clutched the bed sheets. A frown was tight on his lips as he kept thinking about that split moment when Aerith was impaled by the Masamune's strength.

"Cloud how come you don't ask for our help. You think you have it so damn hard!" the bed seemed to dip as Tifa sat down setting her hand on his the cool, long, slender fingers weaving along with his own. "You need to take everything in, here and now and realize you have friends. I know what Aerith meant to you, but staying locked up in here won't solve anything. If that memory is still haunting you something must be up. Maybe he is… back."

His eyes flashed towards her pulling his hand away. "No he can't be back. Sephiroth was destroyed… we killed him in the life stream. He can't come back… once your dead your dead." Cloud refused to let the thought of Sephiroth being alive settle within him. "Dead, he is dead and gone!"

"I know! Still we need to think about if he is really gone! Maybe he isn't! Cloud if he isn't dead innocent people will die!" Tifa put a hand to her heart squeezing at it almost. "We can't let that happen!"

"We there is no 'we' anymore Tifa! Aerith is dead! With out her we can't do it… I can't do it."

Tifa bit down on her bottom lip and she just turned away her chocolate dark hair pooling around her as she squeezed her hands in tight balls until the knuckles went white. They shook slightly wiggling back and forth the nails dug into the leather of the gloves. "You are such an idiot Cloud. Once one bad thing happens you just forget about everything else. What about our promise Cloud? Does that mean anything to you?"

"Tifa I am not a hero, I cannot protect anyone. Not you, not me, not anyone; you should know that. I don't have any strength left so go find someone else." He whispered turning his face away from hers. Cloud just couldn't take another loss, not like Aerith. All he wanted to do was hide away from the world in hopes that nothing would happen like that again. If he weren't there he wouldn't be the cause. At least that is what he hoped to be true.

"Fine Cloud." Tifa's voice seemed to shake as crystalline tears came down her doll like face. "You stay here locked up within yourself because even I can't save you now. When all of us are gone I hope you remember what he had fought so hard for… then maybe you can finish it at when we are dead."

"Yo, Tifa, where is that spiky ass anyway?" Barret was sitting in the far corner of the bar shining his gun arm with a stained white cloth. "Is he still in there down in the dumps? We are all angry and beaten up about what happened, but come on, one can only sulk for so long!"

"Barret he doesn't care anymore… this time we are going with out Cloud." Tifa's voice was shallow and cool as she walked behind the bar. She bent down pulling out an old bottle covered in dust. "All he cares about and is concerned with is Aerith… he loved her." She blew the dust off with a soft breath reading the label "Myers Whisky". It was good enough, so popping the cork she poured some of the mixture in a glass. "He is going to stay in this state tell he can wake up and see what's around him before he loses someone else."

"Tifa, don't you think that is a little rough?"

"Ya, ouch. I wouldn't want to get on the bad side of you." The small almost child like voice came from the far corner of the room. A small from wriggled around bent over as if she were looking for something as she rummaged around through some cupboards.

"Yuffie I don't hide it there either."

"Oh… heh…heh…" Yuffie stood straight itching the back of her skull looking over to Barret. "So should we go gather the rest of the team. I can find Vincent and Reeve along with Cait Sith."

"Good Idea, I will look for Cid and Red."

"Okay then I will get everything together here. Our only clue is Cloud's dreams and they all have to deal where Aerith has died and the Shinra building. When he told me this he said he could smell flames and blood… that could also mean we will need to go to my hometown. If you find Cid have him bring the new model of the Highwind we will need it." Tifa flicked her hair back leaning against the bar sipping her drink. "We have a lot of work cut out for us you know this right?"

"Yup, of course we do! Though it's no problem for a ninja of Wutai!" she said jumping up lifting a fist to the air. "Well I am heading out, see you in a week or so!" Tifa just smiled and waved as Yuffie ran from the building.

"I am heading to Tifa. You get the truck and things set up… get Cloud's ride up and running just incase… I have a feeling we will need the spiky ass soon." Barret turned then walked off leaving Tifa there alone with her drink.

It looks like the battle against Sephiroth is starting all over again. I have a feeling though this is going to be a lot worse.