Disclaimer: I Don't own the Final Fantasy characters or the world.

A Promise Kept

Tifa and her companions headed out in the morning as they had said they would. Tifa was in the lead and she had been nominated to be the leader of their little expedition. They traveled through the mountains picking their way carefully over boulders and loose skree. The last thing that they wanted to do now was fall to their deaths.

Tifa looked over her shoulder many times hoping that Cloud would be alright and knowing that if they failed he would die. Tifa didn't want that to happen. She still loved him but as time went by she started to wonder if it was the love for a brother or for something more.

Tifa wanted to believe that she loved him as more than a brother but she was truly starting to doubt her love. It was more like he was protective of her and she in turn was protective of him. She shrugged her shoulders mentally as she reached up and pulled herself up onto a outcropping of rock. Only time would tell she figured and it didn't do her any good to worry about it.

Tifa reached down and pulled Yuffie up next and together they pulled up Cassandra and Marlene. As Marlene was pulled up they turned as one and saw the cave. Instantly they knew that was where they had to go. It had taken them a little over half a day to get there.

"Ok we are here so who has the light," Yuffie said as she started forward. As she stepped into the cave it lit up. She stepped back hurriedly and the cave dimmed to darkness again.

"Well ain't that just nice," Tifa said smiling at Yuffie who looked a bit nervous.

"Nice yeah right," Yuffie said as she glared at Tifa. Marlene was just trying not to laugh.

"Don't even think it little girl," Yuffie growled at Marlene as she saw Marlene with her hand over her mouth trying to stifle a laugh.

"Oh come on Yuffie if you had seen the look on your face you would have laughed too," Marlene said trying to sound sincere.

"Let's just get going," Tifa said ruefully.

The group of women headed into the cavern and once again it lit up to light their way. After they were into the cave about fifty feet the back of them darkened and the only light was ahead of them almost as if it was leading them to their destination.

Tifa took the lead then and she headed down the tunnel. They came to a place in the tunnel where it was slit into two directions and a third tunnel lead into it from their left. "Well which way," Tifa said as she turned back to her friends.

Just then they heard a noise coming towards them from the left tunnel. They all turned to the sound and each prepared themselves for battle. The first thing they saw was a bright flash of light. Then as their eyes cleared and the spots quit dancing in front of their eyes they saw two creatures standing there that none of them had ever seen before.

They were humanoid standing just under six foot tall. They had grey skin with muscles that rippled as they moved forward. They had razor sharp teeth that protruded slightly from their mouths along with a long lizard tongue. They lifted their hands and they had long claws where their fingernails should have been.

"What are those," Cassandra cried out nervously. She had been in a couple of fights before but not one without Cloud and she knew that she was going to have to start pulling her own weight.

"I don't know but I feel that we are about to get acquainted real quick," Yuffie said as she pulled out a couple of her throwing stars.

"Well let's get this over with. Cloud needs the antidote," Tifa said as she pulled her razor's glove on tighter. She looked at the three blades protruding from the back of the glove and winced at the metal they were made of. She had asked the man to make her a better pair of gloves though and he said that he would. These would just have to do until then.

"You are right Tifa," Marlene said as she took her own fighting stance next to Tifa. They would together and so would Cassandra and Yuffie. The creatures charged then and let out a piercing wail one that hurt everyone's ears.

* * * * *

Cloud was laying on the stone outcropping where he was used to meeting Aeris. Once again she came to him only this time he was so weak he couldn't move to stand up. "Oh Cloud," she said as a tear slid down her cheek.

"Don't cry," Cloud croaked out through his parched throat.

He turned his head then and looked out across the water as he felt a tremor go through his spirit body. "You can feel it can't you," Aeris said then as she sat down next to him and her face was dry.

"I felt something," he whispered which was all he could get out.

"You felt the danger that Tifa and the others are in. You realize Cloud that unless you go to them they will die. There is no way around it. They will fight a creature that none of them can beat because none of them have what it takes," Aeris said quietly and sadly.

"And what is that," Cloud asked.

"No fear of death. You Cloud don't fear death. In fact you look forward to it even though you think that you want to live," Aeris said as sad as she had ever been.

Cloud looked at her then and forced himself up to a sitting position. He looked into her eyes and nearly shrank back from the hurt he saw there. "I'm sorry Aeris but I know that I am looking forward to the day that I die. You see that way I can be with you then."

"Oh but Cloud you have much to live for. And think of everyone who would be sad to see you die. You have too many friends to want to die at such a young age," Aeris said as she threw her arms around him.

Cloud fell back onto the stone for his strength was nearly spent. He held her close though and said, "Aeris just tell me what I have to do."

"You must go and aid them Cloud. The creature that they will fight feeds off of fear. Cassandra and Marlene will be terrified and so it will be nearly unstoppable if they fight it. Yuffie will be frightened because she will be scared that she will die and not see her children again. Tifa will be afraid that she will fail you," Aeris said as she stood up.

"Now go Cloud," she said as she started to walk away.

"Farewell Aeris. I will survive like I always have," Cloud said as he started to fade away.

* * * * *

Tifa leapt back as the claws raked the air where she had been just seconds before. She looked over and saw that Marlene was sneaking up behind the creature. Tifa sidestepped another slash at her and punched up with her left hand glove. The claws tore into the flesh of the beast and as it screamed Marlene charged in and punched the creature in the lower back.

The beast bit down at Tifa who couldn't move fast enough and the teeth tore into her shoulder. As she screamed in pain she punched up with her other hand and the claws on that glove tore into the back of the creature's head. As it slumped forward dying Marlene grabbed it by the head and twisted savagely killing the beast instantly.

Tifa cast cure on herself and looked over to where Cassandra and Yuffie had the other dead. There were many stars protruding from the beast which said that it was mostly dead before it even neared Cassandra who finished it with a cut to the throat like she had seen Cloud use before.

"Well we got them so let's get going," Tifa said as she turned and headed down the passage that the creatures had come from.

"Why are we heading this way," Cassandra asked having no clue why they would be heading down the tunnel where the creatures had come from.

"We are going this way because they are probably the guardians of this fountain that we need," Yuffie said answering for Tifa.

"And you think that this will lead to the fountain," Cassandra reasoned. She couldn't believe that she had killed that beast. It had nearly gotten her but she had managed to get her blade in front of it's mouth which made it move it's head to the side. She had then just thrust forward with the blade and it had caught the creature along the neck killing it. She hadn't even attempted to kill it she had just been trying to stay alive.

They walked down the tunnel and noticed that there was nothing along the walls which were perfectly formed. There was no dust on the floor and nothing on the ceiling. It was starting to make Tifa wonder what the deal was when she stepped down on something that crushed under her weight.

* * * * *

Cloud awoke and was reminded of just how he felt. His whole body was on fire from the poison coursing through his veins. He was shaking from the chills though and he was really not in a very good mood. He had just been told that he was going to have to save his friends because otherwise they would die. He didn't have any idea how he was going to do that when he couldn't hardly walk.

He looked around and saw a woman sitting next to him. "How am I doing," he whispered.

She looked up and inhaled sharply. "You're awake," she exclaimed as she moved closer to him. "I thought that you would be unconscious from the poison until your friends brought back the antidote."

Cloud looked away from her then and took a deep breath. He knew that he had to help his friends and so he moved his legs and they fell off the bed. He put his weight on them as best he could while still laying down.

"What are you doing," the girl yelled at him as she tried to put his legs back on the bed.

That only made Cloud mad. He knew that he had to get out of here. He sat up and shoved her away. "I am sorry but I have to go and help my friends. They will die if I don't," Cloud growled though his voice was no louder than a whisper. He stood there on wobbly legs and took a hesitant step. When he didn't collapse he took another and another.

"What are you talking about," said the girl Crystal, he thought her name was.

"I can't explain but I need to know how long ago it was that they left. Please tell me and please get me a sword. They forgot to leave mine," Cloud said as gently as he could when he fell against the wall. He pushed himself away from it and hated himself for his weakness.

"They left only about an hour ago. If you are going then I am going with you," the girl said savagely. She wouldn't let one of the world's hero's die because he was too stubborn to listen.

"Granddaughter go get the sword down from the loft. I need to speak to him," a man said.

"Yes grandfather," the girl said as she left the room but not without a last glance at Cloud to make sure that he was still there.

"You are certain that you want to do this," the man asked Cloud who just nodded his head.

"All I need is a sword and directions to the fountain that you were talking about," Cloud said as his body shivered and sweat fell off his hair.

"You will kill yourself you know if you continue with this course of action," the man said like a teacher lecturing a student.

"That may be but I promise I won't die without saving my friends. I need to do it so that they can continue the quest we had set out on," Cloud said.

"I think that you may just live with a will like that Cloud. You are one of a kind and there will never be another like you to walk this world I don't think," the man said as Crystal ran into the room with a sword in a scabbard.

"Here it is," she exclaimed glad to see that Cloud was still there.

"Thank you," Cloud said as he walked over on shaky legs to get the sword. He took it in his hands and it felt good to have a sword there. It just felt right. The sword was good with a nice edge to it. It wasn't too heavy nor to light but somewhere in the middle.

"Go with him Crystal and lead the way for him," the old man said.

"No I can't let her go. She will be put in danger and I won't allow that. Too many people get put into danger because of me and I won't allow it anymore," Cloud said fiercely.

"Fine Cloud we will respect your wishes," the old man said a bit too easily Cloud thought but he wasn't in the mood to think about it. He turned and walked from the room. He set himself in a state of mind where pain didn't reach him and neither did anything else. He didn't notice as he left the small town that a woman followed him. He didn't see her leave the house and follow along behind him much as if to see if he was going to be ok. He stumbled many times but he still made good time and all the while the poison pumped through his body at an accelerated rate bringing him closer to death with each minute that passed.

* * * * *

"Grandfather how could you just concede like that when you know the condition that he is in," Crystal said as she whirled with fury blazing in her eyes to face her grandfather.

"I did it because he would never have agreed to let you go. Though if you follow him at a distance in the condition that he is in he will never know that you are there Crystal," her grandfather reasoned and she had to admit it made sense.

"Very well grandfather I will follow him then. I won't say that I will just follow him. If I feel that he needs my help in any way then I will help him," Crystal said with a hint of steel in her voice.

"I know, but you must realize that he is not accustomed to having help. He is used to being a loner and he doesn't know how to act when he can't do things for himself," he said gently.

"I understand. I will do what is necessary," she said.

"I know that you will granddaughter, I know that you will," her grandfather said as she started to walk away.

* * * * *

Tifa looked down to see what she had stepped on and nearly shuddered when she noticed that the ground was littered with bones. Bones of every type were scattered around where before there had been nothing. There were human remains as well as the remains of other creatures that she didn't know.

"What is the deal here," Tifa said keeping her voice from shaking with the mounting fear that she felt.

"I don't know," Yuffie said and she too was starting to feel uneasy.

"I think that it was a illusion or something that masked the bones until you stepped on one," Cassandra said but she didn't know how she could know such a thing.

"How do you know," Tifa asked as she frowned.

"I don't know but it is like the knowledge was just there in my head," Cassandra as she shook her head. "I just don't know."

"Well let's be on the look out alright people," Tifa said as she headed down the hall.

They traveled for over an hour moving slowly so as not to move into any traps and in all that time they never saw anything else that posed a threat to them. Up ahead of them in the cave there was a turn which had golden light spilling out into the hall that they were in at the moment.

"Careful there may be someone up ahead," Tifa said as she pulled her gloves on tighter and moved forward slowly with the others in tow.

They rounded the corner and there were four indrawn breaths. For there in front of them was the object that they had come in search of. There before them was the fountain. The fountain that held the water that would cure Cloud so that they could continue on their journey.

The fountain was huge being more than seventy feet around the base. There were bricks that looked as if they had been made out of obsidian and were being held together with blood. The fountain had three tiers and the second one was made of white marble and the third was made from pink limestone. The second tier was also in the shape of a large creature that resembled a phoenix with it's head tilted back in order to hold up the third tier which was in the shape of a man weeping. The water came from his eyes and ran down the sides of the fountain. Where the water touched the stone changed colors to that of gold. There was also a golden light emanating from the ceiling of the cave. They didn't know where the light came from but it was there nontheless.

Tifa looked around and saw that there was nothing there and so she went forward slowly and as she moved she unstoppered her canteen that held Cloud's blood. She stopped next to the fountain and looked back to her friends. "Well it seems that we have made it huh. I guess this was easier than we had thought."

"It seems that way doesn't it," Yuffie said as she stretched like she used to. It was reflex and it loosened her muscles.

"Is that such a bad thing," Marlene asked with a smile. She was really glad that she had come with her friends on this mission.

"Of course not but it just feels wrong somehow. Nothing is easy when it comes to something that you need," Tifa said.

"Well I say we just get the water and get out of here. This place gives me the creeps," Cassandra said as she hugged herself as if to keep herself warm from a cold that only she could feel.

"Ok," Tifa said as she raised her eyes skyward as if to ask why she had to deal with certain people though it was more in jest than anything else.

Tifa lowered the canteen to the water and just as she was about to fill it with water a clawed hand snaked out of the shadows at the base of the fountain and slashed her across the hand making her drop the canteen to the floor where the blood, Cloud's blood, spilled out onto the floor.

"Nooo damnit. Damnit anyway. How are we supposed to help Cloud now," Tifa yelled as she clutched her hand and moved back to stand with the rest of the group.

"I would say that we have to kill that thing and hope that there is still some of his blood in the canteen," Yuffie said though her voice shook with fear as the thing came into view.

It was a creature our of a nightmare. It stood seven feet tall and was completely black as if it had been made from shadow, or it's mother was shadow. It had blood red eyes that seemed to suck a person's hopes away as it gazed at you. Those eyes inspired fear and hopelessness and indeed they all felt it. It had arms that were longer than a human's should be and it's hands were long and thin. Those hands ended in claws that were hooked so that they could tear flesh much easier and leave a person in the most severe agony. The creature had muscular legs that looked as if they could propel the creature forward at great speeds in short bursts. They also saw that it had claws at the end of it's toes and those claws were tinted red as if permanently stained with the blood of it's victims. As they looked closer it's claws on it's hands were the same way. The creature had teeth that were easily four inches long which meant that they were long enough to kill a person if it bit them. What was worse though was that it's teeth dripped a venom that hissed as it hit the ground and it had a long forked tongue that it used to taste the air in case of blindness.

They were almost frozen with utter terror at the sight of the thing and the wail it made. The wail sounded as if it held more pain and suffering than anything had a right to endure. It slowly moved it's head from side to side like a snake as it moved forward. It growled lightly as it's eyes moved this way and that.

"We have to fight this thing in order to get the canteen," Tifa said in a voice much calmer than she felt. She had fully expected her voice to shake she was so scared of the thing which started to make her wonder. She had never been this afraid of anything in her life. She hated the feeling and she knew that the creature itself was radiating something that was making her that way.

"I know," Yuffie said thinking that is she said anymore her voice would tremble. The other two didn't say a word as they fanned out and got ready for battle.

Yuffie threw a throwing star at it and it hit the creature in the head which should have killed it but the wound just healed after the creature pulled the weapon from it's head. "Th . . .That's not good," Yuffie stammered.

At that time Cassandra hit the ground holding her arms around her head as if to protect herself from something. "Don't hurt me anymore please," she pleaded as her eyes were full of fear.

Marlene couldn't move she was so terrified of the thing. She knew that she should be fighting it but she just couldn't move. She had never been so scared in her life and she wondered where the fear was coming from. She took a slow step forward finally and swung her fist at the creature who took the blow on the chin and didn't even flinch. She was backhanded across the room then by the creature.

Yuffie and Tifa were the last two. Tifa charged and hit the creature in every vital area that she could reach and the thing didn't even move. Tifa was terrified now because the thing just wouldn't even be hurt. Everything that they threw at it didn't hurt it. That and the creature was just enough to evoke fear in anyone. It was as if when they saw it all the fears that they had just came at them at once.

The creature clawed Tifa across the shoulder as she was thinking and she fell to the ground trembling in utter terror of the thing. She was seeing again and again her loved ones being killed before her very eyes. She was trembling with the fear of seeing this and not being able to help them while knowing that she was to be next in line for the torture and eventual death.

Yuffie ran in to pull Tifa back when the creature loomed above her. "Your lives are at an end. Your fear is so tassssty," the creature hissed at Yuffie. Yuffie didn't know what to do. She couldn't hurt it and she was scared for her friends. She didn't want them to die and yet she knew that they were done for if she didn't come up with something in order to help them.

* * * * *

"Damn why did they have to go in there," Cloud said as he stood at the bottom of the mountain and looked up at the entrance to the cave that he had been told his friends had went into. He was leaning heavily upon the borrowed sword and his breathing was ragged. He knew that he was near death now but he didn't really care. He had to save his friends, after that he could die he didn't care anymore.

Cloud started up the mountain slowly being careful to pick his way so that he didn't fall back down. "I am never going to make it in time." Cloud looked back up to the entrance and started up the slope again. Some loose rocks beneath his feet shifted and Cloud fell back and rolled down the mountain some fifty feet. He was cut in many places and he had hit his head upon a large rock but he slowly pulled himself to his feet.

"You should be more careful," Cloud heard a woman say and he turned around to see Crystal standing there.

"Yeah and you need to learn to listen a little better," Cloud said sarcastically.

"Perhaps but I will help you get up there whether you like it or not. I have something that will increase your strength if you want it," she said a bit shyly. She really didn't want to give it to him for fear it would kill him.

"Then give it to me and go home. IF that thing up there is as dangerous as I think then you will just be another person that I will have to protect," Cloud said.

"Just a second if you take this potion I must warn you. It increases your blood flow and other body functions. In other words the poison in your veins will move faster and your end will come all the quicker," Crystal said fearful.

"Just give it to me. Death is just another stage in life so don't worry about me," Cloud said as he took the potion from her and downed it in one quick swallow.

Immediately Cloud perked up and he felt stronger. He stretched since he hadn't been able to do that for a day or more. His muscles stretched and bunched when he flexed. "Alright let's go then if you won't stay behind," Cloud said feeling better. He felt almost as good as new.

Cloud turned and threw the sword into it's sheath. He wouldn't be needing it until he made up to the cave. He started to climb and he went fast. He had wasted time by being ill and he needed to make it up.

Crystal hung back a second or two and whispered, "I hope you were right about giving him that potion grandfather. I don't want to see him die." She too then started the climb to the cave.

* * * *

Yuffie looked up into the things eyes and saw herself reflected in their depths. She saw the fear on her face and felt the sweat roll down her face. The creature opened up it's mouth as if to bite down on her and she turned her head away. She didn't want to see the throat that she was about to be in.

"Leave them alone creature. I am here to kill you," a man yelled at the top of his lungs.

Yuffie turned back and saw that the creature was looking the other way. She turned her head and peered around the creature. What she saw stunned her. Standing there in the entrance to this place was Cloud. Next to him was that girl Crystal. How could Cloud be here and how could he be standing? Yuffie had no idea but she was glad that he was there.

"Sssssso you are the one. The one who brings death with him yessssss?" the creature hissed.

"That's right. Let's get this done with shall we," Cloud said as he charged forward.

The creature swung it's claws for Cloud who rolled under it's reach and came to his feet behind it. "Get out of here Yuffie," Cloud yelled to her as he shoved her towards the wall that would lead her out.

"Cloud?" she asked still dumbfounded.

The creature turned and kicked out with it's clawed foot which Cloud just leaped back in time to avoid. He whipped his sword out of it's sheath and slashed at the leg of the creature before it had time to draw it back. The sword hit the leg at the ankle and the creature pulled it's leg back but the wound didn't heal Yuffie noticed.

"Ssssso you hold no fear inside you. That isss interessssting," the creature hissed angrily.

"The only fear I have is happening at the moment so you can't feed off of it," Cloud retorted.

The two started to circle each other as Yuffie gathered up Tifa and carried her to the Crystal. "I have to get the other two," Yuffie said.

"I shall help you. It will go faster and be better for Cloud," Crystal said as she followed Yuffie back into the room.

The creature hunched it's legs and propelled itself forward. Cloud was taken by surprise at how fast it moved and didn't get out of the way completely as the creature raked it's claws across his chest. He felt the blood start to flow and he grunted with the pain. He backed off and watched the creature hoping to spot a weakness.

There were none that he could see so he crept forward. The creature kicked out with it's left leg as Cloud neared and he rolled underneath it. Cloud came to his feet right in front of the creature. He knelt down quickly and placed himself in between the creatures legs and put his shoulders under the outstretched leg. He heaved upward then and knocked the creature off it's feet.

He swung down with the sword and sliced the creature on the leg as it tried to rise. As it got to it's knees he brought the sword down in cross cut that sliced the creature across the chest.

It pulled itself to it's feet then and reached out with lightning quick speed. It knocked Cloud's sword from his grasp and clamped down on his hurt shoulder with it's massive clawed hand. The claws bit deep into Cloud's flesh and he winced with the pain. "You die now," it said as it pulled Cloud in close.

Cloud could feel it's fetid breath on his face and smell the stench of carrion. He knew that the only thing he could do was try and stop it. He reached up and put a hand on top and on the bottom of the things open mouth. As he moved his hurt shoulder trembled and the creatures claws dug deeper into his flesh but he had a hold of the things mouth in both hands.

He felt it's salvia burning his hands and then it spit the stuff and it landed on his face. He felt it burning the flesh off his face but he knew that he was the only one who had a chance of killing this thing. He started to pry its mouth open. His muscles bulged and he winced in pain but he continued to pry.

The creature knew what Cloud was trying to do and it was amazed at the strength that Cloud possessed. The thing knew that the only thing that it could hope for was to keep its mouth shut. It flexed its muscles in its neck and tried to keep its mouth shut but it was failing.

The muscles in it's neck were too strained under the pressure that Cloud was applying and it relaxed for a second but that was too long. Cloud tore its jaws apart and used such force that he tore the things head apart at the jaws. One went high and the other went low. Cloud was sprayed with the things blood but he didn't care. He had won and at about that time he collapsed to the ground and curled into a ball.

He face was a twisted mass of flesh from the things salvia. His hands were missing most of the skin and he was bleeding profusely from many wounds. His shoulder hurt like hell as did the rest of his body. The potion wore off and he knew that he was only a little ways from dead. The poison had rushed through his veins at a enhanced speed due to the potion and its effects on his body. He closed his eyes then and waited for death to claim him.