Chapter 3: Oath on the Well

Cloud went over to Barret and asks him, "Is there any weapons shop around here? I need to upgrade my equipment."

Barret looks at him and growled, "The weapon shop is over there, but you better be quick about it. The meeting will start in ten minutes so hurry up." Cloud nodded and Cloud went over into a weapon store. There was a sign on front of the store.

It said, "We have everything, so bring your gil and buy weapons, material, (running low) and items."

Cloud went in the shop and was instantly yelled at by an old man. "WELCOME NEW CUSTOMER! We have everything you need!" Cloud look strangely at the old man but he shrugged it off.

Cloud asks, "Have you got any new blades like this?" Cloud took out his Buster Blade and showed it to the old man. The old man thought over the items and finally he shook his head.

"No, we haven't got any these kinds of blades. Sorry, but do you want to buy items?" asked the shopkeeper.

Cloud sigh but he said, "I will have three potions and one fire materia please."

The old man nodded and said, "That come to 750 gil." Cloud took out three 200 notes, one 100 note and one 50 note and gave it to the old man. The old man nodded and gave Cloud three potions and one fire materia. "Thank you and come again."

Cloud went out and went over to Barret. "OK, you are just in time. Go ahead." Barret move out for Cloud to get through.

Cloud went inside the Seventh Heaven and he saw Biggs drinking, Wedge eating all food on the table.

Cloud saw a little girl and he thought, "What a little girl doing in this pub?" Then he saw Tifa and went over the bar.

Tifa spotted him and said, "Welcome back. How are you?"

"I'll be fine when Barret stopped pissing me off. So why is that little girl in this bar?" wondered Cloud.

"You mean Marlene? She is Barret's daughter so she sorta lives here. Here, I'll introduce you to Marlene. Marlene, come here and meet Cloud." Marlene came over and saw Cloud which she flinched at the coldness in Cloud's eyes and she ran behind Tifa.

"What wrong, Marlene? Aren't you going to say something?" Marlene shook her head and Tifa sighs and went back to the bar. "So did everything go well? I hope you didn't fight with Barret?"

"Yeah we did, but only because he was pissing me off with that planet crap. I don't care. All I care about is my payment then I am going." Tifa look bit sad but she saw the flower sticking out of Cloud's top and she gasps.

"That flower is beautiful! You don't see flowers growing around here anymore." Cloud took out the flower and gave it to Tifa. "For me? Thank you! Maybe I should decorate the pub with flowers?"

Barret came in at that moment and Marlene yell happily, "PAPA! Welcome home papa!" "Welcome home Barret. Did it go well?" Barret picked Marlene and put her at his shoulder before saying, "Hey Tifa. It went well considering Cloud put ten minutes timer on the bomb. We almost didn't make it out." Cloud smirks but otherwise kept quiet. Barret saw this and became angry.

He shouted, "CLOUD, IT IS NOT FUNNY! Anyway, everyone get downstairs! We're starting the meeting!" Barret went over to the out of order pinball and press a button and it went down like an elevator. Everyone followed after Barret.

When Cloud went downstairs, he saw Barret punching a punch bag, Jesse on her computer and finally, Biggs and Wedge talking.

Cloud went over to Barret to ask about the money but Barret beat him to it. "Hey Cloud, was there any SOLDIER fighting us today?"

Cloud looked surprised at the question but he told him, "None. I'm positive. Otherwise you lots won't be here then. SOLDIER is stronger than what you think. I can defend against them but I'm pretty sure you won't be."

Barret was fuming by that time and yelled at him, "DON'T THINK YOUR HARD BECAUSE YOU WAS IN SOLDIER! THAT IT! YOU'RE GOING DOWN!" Barret ran at Cloud but Biggs ran forward and gripped him, pulling him back. Cloud stood silent, watching Barret. Barret kept shaking Biggs until Barret took control over his anger and threw Biggs away. "Yeah, you're strong but don't forget you are working for us now. Don't get any ideas hanging around for Shinra! Otherwise I will kill you right now! So watch it!"

Cloud coldly replied, "Me staying with Shinra? You asked me a question and I answered it for you. I quit my job at Shinra and I don't care what you think about me. All I care is my payment. I will be waiting upstairs for my money." Then Cloud went over to the pinball machine and jumped out of the way when Tifa jumped down.

She said, "Wait, Cloud. I know Barret didn't mean that…"

"Let him go, look like he still misses Shinra!" sneers Barret.

Cloud got angry and he turns. Cloud yelled at him, "I don't fucking care about Shinra or SOLDIER! And don't think I care about AVALANCHE and the planet for that matter! Now I want my payment upstairs!" Cloud went up the elevator.

Ten minutes later…

Cloud was waiting for Barret. He thought about his life until he heard the elevator going up. He was surprised when he saw Tifa instead of Barret. Cloud growled and went toward the door. "Wait, Cloud! Please join us. The planet is dying. Slowly but surely it is dying. So I'm begging you to join us." Cloud shook his head and opened the door. "So! You're really leaving us? You're just going to walk out on your childhood friend? Fine then, see if I care!"

Cloud stopped and immediately regretted his actions. He turns and said, "…I'm sorry. I didn't mean to."

Tifa had tears in her eyes and asked, "Have you forgotten your promise?"

Cloud said, "Promise? What promise?"

Tifa was now crying and she said, "So you did forgot…Remember the oath you made seven years ago?" Cloud went back to his memories and he remembered…

On the well was a young Cloud waiting for someone. Then Cloud heard footsteps from behind so he turns and saw Tifa, his best friend. Tifa look at Cloud and instantly knew it was something serious because Cloud usually has playful expression but this time, his face was in deep thinker mode.

Tifa said, "Sorry I'm late. So did you want to talk to me?"

Cloud nodded and said, "In spring, I'm leaving for Midgar. I know all boys are leaving this town but I'm different from them. I want to go in SOLDIER and become strong just like Sephiroth!"

Tifa looks thoughtful and said, "The Great Sephiroth… But isn't it hard to join in SOLDIER?"

Cloud nodded and said, "I won't be back in this town for a while… Tifa… Huh? Where are you?" Then Cloud saw Tifa on the top of the well.

Tifa was thinking. "Hey Cloud, if you ever become famous, you will be in the newspaper right?"

Cloud nodded and said, "Maybe. I will try through."

"Then if I am ever in bind, I want you to rescue me like a hero. Please, I want to at least experience that once. Please promise me," plea Tifa.

Cloud said, "All right, I promise. I swear on my life that I will rescue you. Now Tifa it time for us to go home…"

Cloud remember the memory and said, "Yeah, I remember, but I'm not famous or a hero. I can't keep that promise. Sorry…"

But Tifa yelled at him, "But you did join SOLDIER. That was your dream. So you have to keep that promise!" Suddenly Barret climbed up and appeared.

Barret said, "Wait a sec, big time SOLDIER. A promise is a promise, so here your pay. Everyone have to keep their promise no matter what." Then Barret threw a bag at Cloud which he caught.

Cloud look in the bag and snorts. "This is my pay? Don't make me laugh. Have you got next mission lined? I'll help ya for 3000 gil."

Barret look crestfallen and Tifa went over to Barret and whispers, "It's ok, It's ok… (We're hurting for help, aren't we? So we need him)"

Barret replied, "Uh…ugh… (That money is for Marlene schoolin')" Then Barret yelled at Cloud, "2000 gil then"

Cloud said, "OK then." Barret look happy before climbing down.

Tifa said, "Thank you Cloud…"

Next Morning

Cloud was having a dream. Suddenly, an alarm went off which woke Cloud violently. "What the fuck!" Cloud shrugged himself then he went over to the elevator and clicked the button which took him upstairs. He saw Tifa at the bar and feeling thirsty went over.

Tifa saw him and said, "Good morning Cloud. How was your sleep?"

Cloud replied back with, "Barret's snoring kept me awoke half of the night. I swear that fat man can cause an earthquake." Grumbling he asked for a hard drink which Tifa brought over.

Barret came in through the door and said, "Right everyone, listen up and I only going to say this once. Our next target's the Sector 5 Reactor. Head for the station first. I'll fill you in on the train. Yo! Cloud! Before the next mission, I got somethin' I wanna ask you! I, uh …I don't really know how to use Materia! I'll give you that Materia I've found. Just teach me how to use it!"

Cloud sighs and asks him, "Have you got a bangle or a slot in your weapon?" Barret look confused but nodded. "Then when you get a materia, you put it the slot on your weapon or bangle." Then Cloud gave him a fire materia he brought. Barret took it and put it in the slot. "Now, can you feel some energy in the materia? If you can't, then put your mind into that materia. When you can feel the energy, try to imagine a fire that you can hold in your hand." Barret became focused, contracting his mind into the materia and he felt some energy. So he started to imagine a fire in his hand.

He was surprised when he saw a fireball on his hand. "That it? I would have thought it would be harder than this. Well here you go with this materia I found." Barret took out a materia and gave it to Cloud. Then Cloud focused in the materia and discovers it was healing materia.

"So this materia is a cure materia. Well I have no use for it. At least for now. Hey Tifa, you can have this," says Cloud. Cloud gave the healing materia to Tifa which she put it in her fighting gloves slot. Tifa nodded meaning she knew how to use materia. Tifa turns and told Marlene to look after the bar.

Marlene nodded and said, "Good luck everyone. Hope you can do it." Everyone nodded and went out of the pub. Little did they know that a man was snooping around nearby…?