AN: Sorry it took awhile. I know it may have not seemed like awhile to you guys compared to most stories hardly ever updated on FanFiction, it seems like it to me. I made a vow to myself that I'd finish this story and work at a constant pace, so a week or more is too long for me. Anyway, enjoy. Review, too!

Disclaimer: Yeahyeah, you get the drift. SquareEnix owns FF7, not I.

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- Chapter Three -

Seventh Heaven

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Reluctantly, everyone nodded and followed the determined and energetic Barret. As always, Cloud strayed behind.

He never planned to stay with AVALANCHE. His only plan was to join, get the mission completed and over with, receive his money, and leave them for another quest of his own. It sometimes agitated him that Barret kept including him as a part of AVALANCHE, which made him wonder what Barret would think once Cloud leaves the group.

Suddenly, a series of loud gunshots were heard in one of the buildings within the slums, immediately snapping Cloud back to reality with a quick skip of a heartbeat. He scanned his surroundings

"Awright, everybody out! Out, out, out!" The most recognized heard voice yelled from the same building within.

What the hell-? Cloud thought to himself, approaching the building as everyone ran out screaming, scattering the slums before stopping. Some of them were holding their chest, where their heart would be, in fear. But alas, some just stood around like nothing went wrong, as if it were part of their day's routine. Cloud walked up to the small house-like building, very old looking, and stopped at the base of the few steps leading to the doorway, of which Barret appeared at. He held his gun arm.

"What's going on?" Cloud simply asked.

"What? You've never seen an open fire? It's what I always do, it's an easy way to clear everyone out of Seventh Heaven." He said with an obviously guilty smile. Cloud sighed with relief, and shook his head. "Get yer spiky butt in here! We've got some business to take care of." He demanded, and then retreated inside.

Oh, right… There's an AVALANCHE meeting. So, this is the place… real run-down…

"Papa!" A small girl's voice broke out excitedly. "You're home!" Cloud walked in, and shut the door behind him. A small girl, with lightly-colored brown hair ran up to Barret and jumped up into his bear-like arms. Cloud also noticed Tifa, a young adult in her early twenties stood behind the bar counter, cleaning out some glasses with a rag. She has a hair band fastened to the tip of her long black hair, wore earrings, fingerless gloves, a short white sleeveless shirt, short black skirt and black leather boots.

With a simple smile she put down the glass and rag, and walked over to the others.

"Welcome, Cloud. Looks like everything went well." Then there came the question she would be expected to ask, "Did you fight with Barret?"

Cloud nodded with a shrug. "I guess you could say so."

"So you did. I should've known. He's always pushing people around, and you've always been in fights ever since you were young. I was worried..." She sighed softly, bringing up a moment of silence.

Hmm… I nearly forgot… these flowers I got from that flower girl back in the slums…

Cloud scratched the back of his head and cleared his throat. "Well, I can make up for it." He then carefully pulled out the flower he had been saving, bought for a mere 1 gil. He handed it to Tifa. "Here," he smiled, "these are for you."

"Flowers?" She smiled, "How nice… You almost never see flowers anymore in Midgar anymore." She smiled, and then looked up at him, "But, a flower for me? Cloud, you shouldn't have."

He again scratched the back of his head, then nodded simply. "Yeah… I figured you'd like them. Got them from a flower girl back in the slums up north. Don't know why she was there…"

"Thank you, Cloud. They smell wonderful… Maybe I should fill the store with flowers." Tifa turned her attention to Barret, who put Marlene down. "You all right, Barret?"

"Couldn't be better!"

He seems really energetic… must be the big accomplishment AVALANCHE has done. Now he can't wait to get on with the next mako reactor to blow up, and I still haven't gotten my pay… Without me, they'd be toast right now. Cloud sighed to himself.

"Get in here, fools! We're startin' the meeting!" Barret hollered which nearly knocked Biggs and Wedge off of their seats. Earlier, they were isolated in the corner, playing cards and having a few drinks on a round, wooden table.

"Fine, fine, we're comin'…" Biggs mumbled, and got up to reluctantly follow Barret.

The elevator for this bar was rather odd looking. It wasn't any elevator you might be familiar with. Rather, it was built to be an arcade machine. The ground it was built on was connected to the wall, which a system was built into the wall to form an elevation function. It was plenty more convenient than a regular elevator.

Biggs, Wedge and Cloud followed Barret, one or two at a time, going down the elevation machine to downstairs. This area was particularly made for hiding out, which is why the elevator was made out of an arcade machine. No one would notice its difference from other arcade machines, and its capabilities.

Down in the hideout, it was a decently sized room containing many things. This included a large flat-screen television set in the corner, with a computer next to it. Jessie had been down here working on the computer all along, and watching the news on the television also. In the opposite corner of the room, another round table to sit at, while in the top left corner, beside the television, was a punching bag.

Barret concentrated on beating the dark red bag up, mumbling to himself some words about Shinra with a few curse words in front of them, and phrases such as "I'll show you!" "Have a taste of this!" and it went on, right before he noticed Cloud's entrance. He stopped and turned to Cloud.

"Yo, Cloud! There's somethin' I wanna ask ya…" He wondered.

"Yeah?"

"Was there anyone from SOLDIER fighting us today?" Barret asked, folding his arms.

"None. I'm positive." Cloud nodded once with a firm look on his face. Barret scratched his sandpaper-like chin.

"Hmm… You sound pretty sure."

"If there were anyone from SOLDIER, you wouldn't be standing here right now." Cloud simply replied, though in more of a firm voice stating it as a true fact.

"Don't go thinkin' you so bad jes 'cause you was in SOLDIER." Barret responded with a raised tone of voice, but hardly yelling. Either way, it was enough to make the room go silent. Cloud sighed and remained silent.

Man… he has much to learn about SOLDIER. I don't think he knows tha—.. Sigh, nevermind. It's not important. Barret will learn the true strength of SOLDIER eventually, I just don't want him to learn the hard way. Yet, either way, I was in SOLDIER, thus he's got me in his group to protect AVALANCHE.

…For now.

"Yeah, you're strong. Probably all them guys in SOLDIER are," Barret broke the awkward silence, but this time his voice was softer. "But don't forget that your spiky butt's workin' for AVALANCHE now! Don't get no ideas 'bout hangin' with Shinra!" He raised his gun arm in frustration, in attempt to get his point across. Cloud kept his usual expression, always calm and serious. Cloud simply shrugged.

"Stayin' with Shinra? You asked me a question and I answered it, that's all. I'm going upstairs, I want to talk about my money." With his last word, he turned around back to the arcade machine. Before he could press the button to bring the elevator back down, it came down by itself. Tifa stood upon it.

"Wait, Cloud!" She stepped off the elevator, and let it go back up, standing in front of Cloud's way.

"Tifa! Let him go, looks like he still misses the Shinra!" Barret butted in.

"Shut up!" Cloud finally burst, a first sight for Barret, Biggs, Jessie and Wedge. "I don't care about either Shinra or SOLDIER!" He proceeded, the room now awkwardly quiet, all but Cloud, "I don't care about AVALANCHE or the planet for that matter!"

Everyone was silent, they had nothing more to say. Barret on the other hand began punching the bag he was concentrating on earlier in rage, but he refused to stir up a verbal argument. Instead of proceeding any further, Cloud headed back upstairs, and walked towards the door.

"Cloud…"

He blinked, and stopped. Followed behind him was Tifa, coming up on the elevation machine.

"Now what?"

"Listen, Cloud. I'm asking you, please join us."

"Sorry, Tifa…"

Tifa merely sighed for a moment, but spoke up in defense. "The planet is dying! Slowly but surely, it's dying… Someone has to do something, Cloud."

"So let Barret and his buddies save the world. The job just isn't for me. I'm no hero." He sighed, and turned back to the door, his gaze meeting the ground blankly, and his fingers softly wrapped around the door handle of the door. But he did not open it. Instead, he silently stood there and waited for what Tifa had to say.

"So, you're really leaving? You're just going to walk out that door, and forget all about your childhood friend?" Her look was saddened, but frustrated at the same time.

This caused a moment of silence to Cloud. Slowly, he turned around, and looked at her.

"…No." A soft tone was heard from him.

"Cloud, tell me this…" She cleared her throat, then looked at him, her eyes softening somewhat in a concerned look, "…do you remember our promise seven years ago?"

"Promise?"

"So, you did forget. I should've figured." Tifa sighed softly, and sat down on the nearby chair. Cloud turned around so he would now be facing Tifa, and pressed his back softly against the door in listening mode.

"What… promise? Tell me."

"Do you remember the well…?" Tifa pointed out. Cloud tried to think for a moment, the memories sinking back into him.

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Flashback
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It occurred late at night. The small specks of little white dots were scattered across the deep midnight indigo sky, the air giving the sense of cool freshness throughout the quiet night. Cloud, a very young boy, sat at the well along the outskirts of Nibelheim, all alone.

At this age, he didn't look much different than he does now, other than his hair was grown out in the back, and tied into a pony tail. Yet of course, he's always had his blond trademark spikes sticking out of the front half of his head in all sorts of directions.

Although suddenly, a young girl resembling Tifa walked up to Cloud, and sat down beside him.

"Sorry I'm late." She apologized, gazing up at the night sky above. That night she wore a green dress, although it was oddly cold that night. "You said you wanted to talk about something?"

Cloud lifted his head, also looking up at the sky. "Come this spring, I'm leaving this town Midgar."

"…All boys are leaving our town."

"But… I'm different from all of them. I'm not just leaving to look for a job." He paused for a moment, and then sighed heavily. A good sigh. A sigh labeling the thought of a strong decision someone desired to make. "I'm going to join SOLDIER. I'm going to be the best there is, just like Sephiroth!"

There was yet another moment of silence, Tifa being not too sure what to think. The breeze gently swayed the grass back and forth, as if performing some type of slow dance, while in the background it rustled the foliage of the trees surrounding them outside Nibelheim. Behind them were nearby houses, dimly lit lights brightening the window, but not by much.

"Sephiroth…" Tifa broke the silence, but with a soft, quiet voice, "The Great Sephiroth… Isn't it hard to join SOLDIER?"

"…I probably won't be able to come back to this town for awhile." Cloud mentioned while Tifa looked over at him.

"Will you be in the newspapers if you do well?"

"I'll try."

Tifa thought for a moment, then gave Cloud a pondering look. He gave her a questioning look, only remained silent, awaiting her next words.

"Hey… Why don't we make a promise with each other?"

"A promise?" Cloud blinked. This he was curious about.

"Yeah! Umm, like… If you get really famous and I'm ever in a bind… you'll come to save me!"

"What?"

"See, whenever I'm in trouble, my hero will come and rescue me." She smiled, "I've always wanted to experience that at least once."

What is she talking about…? Cloud thought. He gave here a mere questioning look.

"Come on—! Promise me—!"

"Alright, alright, I promise…"

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Flashback End
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"Do you remember now, Cloud…?" Tifa asked.

Cloud gave a sigh from the memories over-washing him. SOLDIER really took over a lot of his life, that he nearly forgot most of his childhood prior to SOLDIER. There was too many missions, stress, and concentration for improvement to be thinking about anything else.

"…Yeah." He looked up at her, "But…"

"But what?"

"I'm not a hero and I'm not famous. I can't… keep the promise…" There was a hint of hesitation in his voice, and a bit of guilt. Should he have stayed in SOLDIER?

"Cloud. Listen." Tifa began, "You got your childhood dream, didn't you? You joined SOLDIER! You've got to keep your promise…"

Before Cloud could have a chance at responding, a large figure was found climbing up the pole attached to the wall that raised and lowered the arcade elevator. He then jumped to the ground, near where Cloud and Tifa stood.

"Wait a second, big-time SOLDIER! A promise is a promise!" Barret instantly threw a small, closed purple bag at Cloud. He guessed it was his mission pay, because he heard small jingles within it. Coins.

"This is my pay?" Cloud shook his head, "Don't make me laugh."

"What? Then you'll…!" Tifa began, but Cloud interrupted, even though he basically answered her question.

"You got the next mission lined up?" He asked Barret. "I'll do it for 3,000gil."

"What?" Barret blew. But Tifa nodded to Barret and whispered.

"It's okay, it's okay. We're really hurting for help, right…?"

"Grrr, that money's for Marlene's schoolin'…" Barret shook his fist, but then turned back to Cloud and raised his gun arm in the air. "2,000!"

"Deal."

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AN: Agh, I'm sorry I couldn't put more action into this chapter. But I promise there'll be more in the next chapter. But I hope you enjoyed chapter 3. Find out what happens the next morning, after they leave Tifa's Seventh Heaven bar. Who's going and who's staying? What'll happen on the train? Also note, the more you review, the quicker I'll update. So it's up to you to see this story completely finished! I can't do it alone, y'know. Feedback, I love every ounce of it. Thank you for reading.