Promises, Promises, Promises

Author's Notes: I just had to update because I didn't want the first chapter to be as short as it was so I thought that I should make it up to you guys by updating quickly with a rather long chapter. Now this has been the fastest update I've ever made between chapters so feel lucky! Anyways, REVIEW!

Disclaimer: I do not own the characters, SOME of the storyline belongs to the makers of Final Fantasy VII and to myself.

Summary: Still hasn't changed yet guys.

Notes: Italics are thoughts.

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He woke up staring at a blank white ceiling. He blinked once, twice, and slowly sat up. He felt rather light and a hand reached to feel his back. His sword was gone and alarmed, he looked around. In the corner of a room where the walls were painted beige yellow, between the small arm chair and a desk, rested his sword.

"Cloud, you're awake!" A childish feminine voice suddenly sliced the silent air. Cloud turned his head and saw Marlene running towards him. She jumped into bed with him and hugged his neck with thin short arms. (footnotes #1) Cloud's fingers ran his fingers through his light blonde unruly spiky hair. He offered a tiny ghost smile towards the two-year old girl.

"Hey Marlene." He replied. (footnote #2) Pushing the thick blankets away from him, he sat on the side of the bed. The scent of lilacs mixed with alcohol, Tifa's unique and comforting smell filled the room. Marlene placed the tray down on the nightstand and Cloud glanced at it.

Soft footsteps followed up in a few minutes up the stairs. The new presence in the room alerted him of who it was but it did not disturb him. "Marlene, may you please go play with some of your toys in the other room?" She asked the child and after the child had left the room, the female closed the doors softly behind her.

Neither of them spoke for a long while, they simply remained where they were as if frozen in time. Something in his arm twitched and he groaned. "The only reason why you crashed down, half dead into the snow, is because of that." Tifa told him. He looked at his arm, it was marked with several black spots, as if his arm had been burnt. "It's some sort of sickness that has been affecting a lot of people, especially children. It's called Geostigma." (footnote #3)

When Cloud said nothing in response, Tifa continued. "There's no cure for it yet…that's been found. And the whole city has been snowed in…so you'll have to stay here for a while. The snow's too thick for you to ride out of here…so don't even try."

With that, they fell back into silence. After a few minutes, Tifa went and started to wrap Cloud's arm. As Tifa cleaned up, they were still quiet. Than she just simply left leaving him to himself in her room. He didn't know what to say to her.

I guess she's use to me always walking in and out of her life. He frowned at the thought. I mean since we were little, I've always done that. I guess she just got use to the pain I caused her. I mean we…I made so many promises to her. And so far…I've never completed any of them. I've always broken my word.

He sighed. He tried desperately to stop himself from thinking. But with her…I always kept my word. I don't get why I can't keep my word to Tifa! Damn it!

His hands clutched at the sheets of the bed tightly and he growled. He willed himself to stop thinking. When he managed to calm himself down a little, Cloud went to brush his teeth and change into some clothes. (footnote #4) Leaving his sword in Tifa's room, Cloud walked down the stairs, taking two steps at a time. Down at the bar, he heard water rushing and a clank of glasses. His hands found their way to his pockets and he watched as Tifa washed some glasses.

As Tifa was drying the last glass, something caught his eye. Something sparkly, shiny, something that was VERY familiar. "You're still wearing it…" He suddenly spoke out.

She couldn't make out the tone of his voice when he said that statement. Cloud couldn't either. He wanted to say it as a question but somewhere along the way, his voice just simply flat out stated it.

Tifa stared at her finger that was accessorized with the ring. Setting the glass she was drying, she placed her arms at her side. Adjusting her weight to her left foot, she bore down at the ring that winked at her.

It symbolized a lot of things. A lot of broken promises and the memories she didn't like to remember. Yet the ring comforted her in some ironic ways. Told her that a lot of the things that made her life horrible to live in were in the past. She had received it from Cloud on her nineteenth birthday. It became her favorite piece of jewelry, though she had very little.

Before that time, Cloud made many promises to her. Very small things, things that just weren't worth breaking. Promises like hanging out one day, or training in the morning with her, or stopping by for a while. After she received the ring, and the chaos that happened at her birthday, like fighting the meteor (footnote #5) their promises to each other became bigger. And each one became broken.

Promises like that Cloud would come and save her every time she was in danger (footnote #6) or promises that Cloud would take her away from their home and they would live together in an apartment far away from the horrible life they previously lived in.

Than when Cloud simply disappeared, the ring kept her tied to him. Reminding her of the bad and good times they shared. The broken promises, the emotions at bay, the tears, the wounds in her heart, and the salt that burnt them.

"It reminds me of a lot of things." Tifa told him.

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End of Chapter 2

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Footnote #1: Yes the three (Cloud, Tifa, and Marlene) do all know each other.

Footnote #2: It's just that when Cloud crashed into the door, Marlene might not recognize him being only 2.

Footnote #3: Geostigma comes from the Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children movie.

Footnote #4: Like in the Advent Children movie, Cloud did or does live with them.

Footnote #5: I've only heard of that fight in other stories but because I'm not sure when it was, I simply made it so it happened on the date of Tifa's birthday so it would fit MY storyline.

Footnote #6: That promise I've heard from pictures and I liked it that I placed it into my story.

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Author's Notes: If ANYONE knows how Cloud and Tifa gets into the AVALANCHE, please inform me because this information would come in handy for my next chapter. So REVIEW!