Disclaimer- I do not own Final Fantasy VII or Kingdom Hearts

The Promise Rings

Chapter 9

This Heart of Mine

Aerith tucked her sons into their beds, both boys clutching their plush toys their father had given them. As Aerith leaned over Sora's bed, tucking him in, he made his little bird, which he dubbed Boko, snatched one of the brown curls cradling her face.

"Om nom nom," Sora made Boko say.

"Sora let go of my hair," Aerith asked sweetly.

"Boko hungry mom," Sora explained. "Maybe if you give him a cookie he'll stop eating your hair."

Aerith arched an eyebrow. "Or how about Boko goes to sleep because he already had enough sweets and junk food today."

Sora groaned and let go of his mother's hair. Aerith kissed his forehead. Sora in return kissed his mommy's cheek. Aerith then turned to her second son. She covered him up and leaned over to kiss him as well. Roxas returned the kiss.

"Now you two get to sleep, I don't want to hear any talking." Aerith said in a mock stern voice.

She knew her sons would stay up and talk until they grew tired. They were kids after all and it was not as if they were up all night. She began to reach from the light switch when Roxas sat straight up.

"Mommy!" he called, getting her attention.

"Yes?" she replied.

"Is Daddy going to live with us now?"

The mother stiffened. She never expected her son to ask such a question and yet she should have. She breathed.

"No, sweetie, Daddy isn't going to live with us."

"But why?" he asked.

Sora piped up, "Yeah, why?"

The brunette turned away and gave them the most pathetic answer she ever gave her sons, "because, now go to sleep."

Aerith closed the bedroom door behind her after turning the lights off. She hugged herself, feeling disturbed by her sons' innocence questions. Could she even explain her complicated feelings to them? The boys were young and simple. They didn't understand how much pain she went through and the promise she made to herself, the night they were born.

Aerith sobbed as a wave of pain hit her. No one was around the only phone was in the kitchen of her tiny apartment. She wanted to get up but the pain was immense. The babies, her twins, were coming and she could not do anything about it. She needed to get to the hospital but there was no one to drive her, no one here to even help her. Her parents had refused to move to Midgar and instead opted to move to another city. Aerith never said anything to anyone but assumed her parents left their old home out of embarrassment that their daughter could be so careless.

Another shocking wave of pain hit her, erupting from her midsection and spreading throughout her. She let out a cry, praying for babies to give her more time. They were coming two weeks earlier than she anticipated. She felt so unprepared and yet foolish for being unprepared. When the pain subsided, the young girl lifted herself from her bed, sweating and breathing heavily. She held onto walls or old furniture for support. She needed to reach the phone before another wave hit her.

It was then she realized, just how alone she was. No one was here for her. No family members, none of her old friends, and certainly not the father of her children.

Stumbling into the kitchen, she knocked the phone off the hook and it landed with a loud clank on the floor. Aerith slid down carefully, sitting on the floor as she punched in the numbers for emergency assistance. When the operator's voice sounded, Aerith was hit with another painful wave. She cried out for help, sobbing hysterically to the person on the other line. The person, a woman, tried her best to assure Aerith that help was on the way.

She did not know how long it took until an ambulance arrived or how long it took until she got to the hospital. She did not even know how long it took until her babies were delivered. After both her newborn babies were out of the womb, they were taken away to make sure all vital signs were normal and to be cleaned.

Not too long after, the doctor, followed by a nurse carried the twins to Aerith. Aerith took both baby boys in her arms. They were sleeping peacefully but she could see the soft baby hair on each of their heads. One was brunette and the other was blonde. The doctor and nurse left the mother with her two sons alone. As Aerith lay in her bed with her babies in each arm, she began thinking of names for them. One of the babies made a cooing noise before opening his bright blue eyes. His eyes were just like his. Aerith smiled and kissed him on the head.

"Why hello," she whispered gently. The baby cooed again.

"You're so beautiful and your eyes remind me of how beautiful the blue sky is," she explained. "I'm going to call you... Sora."

The baby smiled, causing Aerith to smile. She assumed that he liked the name. Then she looked at her second son. He had awakened as well. His eyes were just the same as his brother's eyes. His curious little eyes were searching the entire room before finding his mother's loving gaze. He, of course, needed a name too. She thought long and hard before she thought of a name that seemed to suit him.

"Your name is Roxas," she whispered.

Roxas's little hand reached up toward his mother. Aerith brought her lips to his tiny fist and kissed it. Roxas touched her before cooing and happily laughing.

Aerith held her boys closely to her, sending her warmth to them and receiving their love back. Already the three were bonding, and it made her lonely heart fill up.

"I'm not alone anymore. I have you two now. I promise to never leave you two, okay? I won't abandon you like everyone else has abandoned me. I'm no longer going to live in my past. You two are my future now."

Aerith smiled and kissed each boy on the forehead, sealing her promise.

"You two are my family now."

When the babies were put in their cribs next to her bed after being fed, Aerith stared at her hand, noting the promise ring on her finger. She looked at both babies before looking back at the ring. With a heavy heart, she grasped the ring on her left hand and pulled it off. She could no long be tied down with a promise, a promise that did not seem to matter anymore.

Inside her own room, she sat at her small vanity and undid her braid. She brushed her long brown locks as she stared at her reflection. It felt odd to her. She was still so young and yet she felt so old after having her children. Then again, once they were born Aerith had much more responsibilities. She did it all alone. No one helped her, well except Tifa when the twins were older but before then, it was all her. How could she expect Cloud to even manage the kids for more than a couple of hours? She could easily see by the worn look on his face that he was in no shape or form to handle two twin boys.

How could Cloud even be reliable? He was here now and he only had a sample about what parent life is like. Yet, he never changed the boys' diapers, watched over them when they were sick, cleaned them, spent long hours helping them with homework, and much more. All he did was spend a day with them. Aerith sighed shaking her head. If he could not keep a promise from before then what made her think he could now?

Aerith set her brush down and opened her jewelry box. She browsed the pieces until she found one in particular. She stared at it for a long time before shaking her head.

He couldn't.

Aerith closed her jewelry box and headed for her bed.

X, X, X,

Cloud stared out the window; the dark sky was shrouded in overcast, making the area outside pitch black. He was not use to this type of place, even when he was in the military with Zack the two were stationed in areas where at night you could see the stars in the sky.

Cloud sighed heavily; he could still hear Zack and Tifa chatting down in the bar as they cleaned up from the night's events. He wondered just how those two could stay up so late and still get up so early in the morning. Yet, he remembered doing just that in the military. Standing for hours making sure never to leave his post, although Zack made patrol and guard duty tolerable. However, on those particular evenings when Zack would not be his partner and he got one of those "stick-in-the-mud" recruits, he would often think about Aerith. He wondered when he looked up at the stars in the sky if she too was looking up at them and thinking of him as well.

It was almost a divine joke how he has been reunited with his former girlfriend. It was still hard to believe Sora and Roxas were his children. It was hard to believe of all places, she was in a place that seemed less suited for her personality. He was even more shocked that she could easily discard him after everything they had been through, after what they shared.

Cloud draped his long jacket over Aerith, before settling her in his lap. Aerith snuggled against his warm slick body. His normal spiky hair that seemed to defy gravity drooped from the sweat he garnered after his and his girlfriend's "vigorous activity." His hand slipped into her undone hair, his fingers running through the silky mass before resting on the back of her head. He placed sweet kisses on her forehead, hoping to soothe her.

"I love you," she whispers.

"I love you too," he replies back.

Aerith's eyes open, half lidded. She slips her arms around Cloud's neck. Yet, she trembles.

"What's wrong?" he asks.

"Don't leave me alone tonight." She cries. "I don't want to be alone. I feel like if you leave me you'll never come back."

"I said I would come back for you." He tries his best to reassure her.

"I'm worried you might get hurt or you might not come back. I want you to stay and be with me. I'm really afraid for you Cloud. I feel like I could lose you."

The two do not talk at all but continue holding one another. At some point the two drift off into slumber. Cloud is the one who awakens his girlfriend in his arms. He refuses to wake her from her peaceful dream and opts to carry her home. He does with ease, picking her up and walking out of the now deserted park to Aerith's home. As he walks down the sidewalks alone with his girl in his arms, Cloud ponders many things.

How long until they are reunited? Will she be overjoyed to see him? Will she even want to be with him still? More questions moved through his head and jumbled around. He did not worry about them anymore. He made a promise to her after all.

Once he arrived at her home, he quietly opened the back door to the house. It was not a bad neighborhood nor was there any need to worry about crime in this small town. Everyone knew everyone and everyone was good to everyone else. Cloud moved through the house like a cat, being quiet and not awakening Aerith's parents who would scold him for keeping Aerith out late. Not to mention if the saw how much in disarray he looked, would definitely opt suspicion that he did not want to arouse. He lay Aerith down in her bed and covered her with her blanket.

He brushed her hair aside to view her beautiful face before kissing her on the forehead. The girl made a noise, a pleasant one, before turning over onto her side. Cloud smiled.

"I promise you, I'll come back and we can get married and have a family together."

Yet, he was too late. Aerith had started a family without him. A family he should be part of. Sora and Roxas adored him. However, the years were not kind to Aerith and Cloud could see it whether or not she would admit it. He remembered their younger days and the sparkle in Aerith's eyes that now seemed to have disappeared. Physically, Aerith looked the same albeit older. Mentally, she was no longer a child but a woman who had taken on hardships that no one should have to go through alone. If he had been there, she would not have.

Cloud curses silently to himself.

Those emerald eyes used to shine with such brilliance now seemed jaded. However, he did catch glimpses of the same Aerith he once knew. The only time he saw it was whenever she looked at their children, her eyes shined so beautifully. He only hoped that one day they would shine just as brilliantly for him as they once did.

"Aerith," he whispered to himself. "Please let me be with you."

Suddenly, there was a knock on the door. Cloud looked toward the door and saw Zack standing in the doorway.

"Why are you up so late?" Zack asked.

Cloud replied, "Thinking."

"Coming from you, I'm not surprised." Zack smirked. "What's on your mind?"

"A lot."

"Must you always give one word answers? Why can't you just say what's wrong or do I have to put you in a headlock like I did back in SOLDIER?"

Cloud grimaced. "First, "a lot" is two words and second, if you try I'll break your arm."

"Someone is grumpy."

"It's Aerith."

Zack did not seem at all phased, "Figures."

Cloud gave Zack a small glare which his friend ignored.

"She doesn't want to be with me. I don't understand why she won't give me a chance. It's not as if I left her on purpose. She knew my mother could not afford to take care of the two of us and it's not as if I purposely impregnated her and left her to take care of our children. Had I known I would have dropped out and came back to her. I'm not some cold hearted bastard, am I Zack?"

Zack sighed, "Listen, I'm not saying you are but whatever happened between those years has made Aerith who she was. Honestly, and I'm not saying this to be a downer, she never mentioned you not once. Granted, I never asked her about whom the twins' dad was but it never phased her. She was and still is this strong independent woman Cloud who built a life for herself and you being her is throwing that all off."

"I'm not trying to destroy her life. I want to be apart of it. I want to be a part of her life just as much as I want to be a part of Sora's and Roxas's life as well. Zack I still love her. I never stopped."

Zack did not even seemed surprised by this either. "Then maybe you should tell her that?"

"I did and she outright refused me."

Zack sighed, "Then talk to Aerith about it. She's not unreasonable. Communication is key in relationships… unless it comes to me and Tifa then it's if I don't listen I get to meet her fists."

Zack covered his mouth quickly. "Uh, pretend I never said that ha, ha!"

X, X, X,

Aerith sighed as she watched Tifa slide into her wedding dress for the final fitting. She looked gorgeous, of course, and the dress fit her like a glove. Zack would positively drool at the sight of her walking down the aisle. Aerith envied her friend. She remembered the days she dreamed of a white wedding with all the trimmings. She would be in an elegant ball gown, with white roses as her bouquet, and a veil that had intricate details all along it. All her friends would be there as she walked down the aisle to her groom...

What groom? There would be no groom. Aerith had not dated someone since she got pregnant. Her main focus for the past years has been solely her children. They were everything to her now and the most important thing to her. What else mattered?

Speaking of which, the two boys were busy playing on the floor with their toys that Cloud had given to them. Sora was making Boko attack Roxas's own chocobo who was called Fenrir now. Aerith smiled at their cute little game. She then looked up; noticing Tifa was fully fitted into her white dress.

Tifa spun around so her friend could view every angle of her. Aerith smiled.

"You look amazing, as always," the brunette complimented. "The dress is a perfect fit."

"Wow Tifa!" Sora exclaimed. "You're very pretty!"

Tifa gushed. Sora's innocence was so adorable.

"You know Auntie Tifa, Roxas said if Zack won't marry you he'll marry you!"

Roxas's face turned bright red before shaking his head vigorously. "I didn't say that! I said you looked really really pretty!"

Tifa grinned as a small blush crept on her face. She could not wait for her wedding day. It would be amazing. The boys were squabbling until Aerith separated them.

"So, how does your dress fit?" Tifa asked Aerith.

"Fine," Aerith said.

She did not want Tifa to make any more altercations to the dress. It was already too short and tight as Tifa would say, "In all the right places" but to Aerith it made her look like she was a teenager again. Well, before she became pregnant. Before she became a mother she was a bit more daring in her clothing choices but when she became a mother she grew up and chose more modest clothing.

"Aren't you going to let me see you in it?" Tifa questioned disappointment in her voice.

"Tifa, I have to get back to work. I still have to finish all the flower arrangements for your wedding, remember?"

Tifa scoffed, "I'm sure they'll be gorgeous."

Of course they would be. Aerith was a perfectionist when it came to her flowers. Regardless, Aerith and Tifa bid each other farewell. Tifa took the twins with her, so Aerith would be able to finish her work without having to worry about the twins getting into something they were not supposed to.

Aerith arrived at her shop and fished her keys out to unlock the front door. Once inside, she threw off her red jacket, which landed on her chair behind her front desk, and headed into the back to check on the flowers. After examining the needs of all the flowers, she began to pick out the centerpiece vases, ribbons, and such for Tifa's wedding. Before she could even start, the door to the shop opened and closed.

Aerith walked out front and to her surprise found Cloud. Cloud glanced at her before averting his eyes to the ground. She knew he was nervous. It was how Cloud acted.

"Did you need something?" she asked.

Cloud shifted, "We… I need to talk to you."

Aerith moved behind the desk and sat down in the chair. "What about?"

Cloud's eyes remained on the floor.

"You, me, I mean I want to talk about us."

Aerith arched an eyebrow. "What about us? There is no "us", Cloud."

Cloud looked up at her. His blue eyes looked as if they were in so much pain. It reminded her of Sora and Roxas when they were sad. She cursed mentally at those beautiful eyes. It tugged at her heartstrings.

"Why, why can't there be an us?"

"I already told you," Aerith said, annoyed. "I have my own life and it doesn't involved you!"

"Why," Cloud snapped. "You tell me I can be with Sora and Roxas but you never give me a reason why I can't be with you also."

Aerith sighed, frustration rising. "Roxas and Sora have the right to know who you are and can choose to accept you into their lives but that doesn't mean I have to let you back into mine. If you haven't noticed Cloud that I have done perfectly fine since you left me. I don't need you or your help."

Cloud stared. "Why?"

"Why are you keep asking me why? I told you the reason!"

"No, you tell me excuses. Tell me the real reason that you can so easily dismiss me from your life!"

Aerith grabbed her coat and keys. She would be too frustrated to work and last thing she wanted was a customer to walk in and see her arguing with someone. She rounded the counter and headed for the door.

"What answer are you looking for Cloud? What did you expect after so many years that I would just run into your waiting arms?"

Cloud was not sure if he expected her to just fling herself onto him but he did expect at least honesty to the girl he loved.

"No," he continued. "But I at least expect an honest answer out of you!"

Aerith pushed open the door to her shop, locking it behind her. Cloud followed.

"I gave you an honest answer." Aerith was beyond irritated.

"What have I done to you that have made you hate me so much? Answer me that!" Cloud's voice rose from its normal calmness

Aerith ignored him, her hands clenching.

"Answer me!"

She rounded on him and yelled at him, "You never came back!"

Tears threatened to fall from her eyes. Cloud looked stunned. Aerith glared at him through the tears glazing over her eyes.

"I waited for you," she sobbed. "I waited by the phone for you, I wrote you so many letters, I waited for you to come back and you never did. You never contacted me. I told you in those letters I was pregnant and I needed your help. I told you I moved to Midgar because my parents were so angry at me; they left me to fend for myself! I hoped and prayed that you would come find me but you never did. I grew out of that fantasy when I realized in the real world there is no knight in shining armor who would rescue me. I grew up Cloud and I did it without you! I don't need you!"

Cloud looked confused, "Letters? I never got a single letter from you! You never contacted me!"

Aerith glared. "Don't you dare accuse me of lying! I sent almost a hundred letters to you and not once did you even reply. I don't need to feel that emptiness again."

"But I'm here now and I want to make amends!" he said honestly.

Aerith turned away from him. Cloud reached out to touch her but Aerith pushed his hand away.

"I don't need broken promises Cloud Strife." She said sternly. "Just leave me alone."

With that Aerith ran off. She did not want to cry in front of him. Cloud watched her go, his chest tightening in pain. He took off in the other direction, back to Tifa's bar and home. He could not be here any longer. He could no longer stay here and look at Aerith and pretend he was all right with not being with her.

Once back in his room, he packed again, throwing everything in his suitcase as fast as he could. He needed to get away from this place and find somewhere to go where he no longer thought about his ex-girlfriend. As soon as he finished packing he grabbed his suitcase and headed out the door. Down the steps, he neared the front door when he heard the back door open.

"Hey Cloud," Zack's overly cheery voice called. "Where are you going?"

"I'm leaving!" Cloud stated with no room for debate.

Zack looked appalled. "But, but the wedding. You're my best man."

"I guess I'm the wrong person for the job." Cloud snapped.

"Wait, did you get in another argument with Aerith?" Zack guessed.

"What was your first clue?" Cloud asked dryly.

"What happened this time?"

Cloud opened the front door. Zack lunged at him, grabbing his suitcase in an attempt to keep him from leaving.

"Talk to me Cloud!"

"Aerith refuses to be with me. She thinks I left her on purpose. You think I would have left her had I known this would have happened to her. She doesn't care about me anymore so why should I?"

"What about the twin?" Zack exasperated. "You are their father."

"Well, I guess Aerith was right. Apparently I can't keep promises!"

The coldness in Cloud's voice startled Zack. Cloud dropped his suitcase and ripped off the glove off his left hand. Zack looked at his friend's hand and saw an old plastic ring in the shape of a wolf on his ring finger.

"Isn't that the…"

"The promise ring I kept covered up during SOLDIER because everyone kept picking on me? Yeah, I never took it off even after all these damn years!"

Cloud was now attempting to take the ring off. He remembered how hard it was to get on to begin with and was now struggling to get it off.

"Why are still wearing that thing for anyway?"

"Because!" Cloud huffed. "This was the ring Aerith gave me when we made a promise before I left for SOLDIER. She promised…ugh" Cloud felt like he was about to rip his finger off, "ugh, to wait for me."

Finally, the ring became loose. Cloud then flung the ring across the room. It landed with a loud clank as is it skidded across the floor before hitting a wall.

"Broken promises…" Cloud snapped. "She accuses me of breaking my promise and yet I'm the one who is here and trying. She's full of it! She claimed to write me letters and I never received one! She tries so hard to make herself so innocent and the victim. That is a load of…"

"Cloud, wait calm down." Zack begged. "This is all a misunderstanding!"

"Shut up!" Cloud snapped again. "I'm tired of this. I'm done. I'm going back home. I'm catching the next train back."

Cloud grabbed his suit case and walked out of the place.

"Cloud!" Zack yelled after him. "CLOUD COME BACK!"

"Zack?"

Zack turned around to see Tifa. Sora and Roxas were next to her.

"What's with all the shouting?"

"Why is daddy leaving?" Sora asked innocently.

Zack looked at Tifa, the expression on his face made Tifa fear the worst.

"They got into a fight," Zack deliberately avoided using Aerith's name. Tifa understood.

"Where is he going?"

"He's leaving!" Zack quickly explained to Tifa what had occurred. Sora and Roxas began playing a game, becoming bored of the grown up talk.

"You have to stop him!" Tifa said.

"He won't listen to me! He is so angry and hurt. He won't listen to reason."

"Then explain it to Aerith. We can't let them end things like this."

Zack looked down. "How can I even get Aerith to listen to me? She made it clear to Cloud she didn't want anything to do with him. She thinks he broke a promise and… I'm not even sure what is going on. Cloud said Aerith sent him letters but he never got a single one."

Tifa gasped. "But… didn't you once tell me that…"

"That those enrolled in SOLDIER are not allowed contact during training…"

"Zack you have to tell Aerith this. If she doesn't stop Cloud now she'll regret it."

Zack looked down, "But…"

"She loves him."

Zack looked stunned, "Wait what?"

"Zack you and Cloud may be oblivious but I'm not. Aerith wants to be with him and gives herself every reason not to be because she's afraid of being abandoned. Aerith had no one to help her for so long until she met me. Zack, please you have to explain to Aerith."

"Will she even listen to me?" Zack asked.

Suddenly, Zack felt a hand tug on the corner of his shirt. He looked down at Roxas.

"Uncle Zack," he said. "Look what I found."

The blonde twin held up the ring Cloud threw earlier in his rage.

"Can I have it?"

Zack snatched the ring out of the boy's hand, causing a annoyed "hey, that's mine," to be said.

"I think… if this is what Cloud says it is… I think Aerith might just listen."

Zack dashed out of the place, Tifa ran to the door. "What is it?"

"A promise!"

Aerith sat at her vanity. Her eyes were puffy and her hair was hanging loose. She did not want to fight with Cloud anymore. She just wanted him to understand how she moved on. She figured she got her point across.

Yet, why did it have to hurt so much. Aerith held her head in her hand, her fingers tightening around her brown locks. She tugged at her hair in frustration.

Only a moment later there was a pounding on her door. It startled the girl, she wiped the tears from her face and headed for the door. She expected the person at the door was Cloud, ready to yell at her for some reason but when she opened the door and saw Zack at her doorstep, she was surprised.

"Zack, what are you doing here?" she asked but then began to panic. "Oh my god, are the twins all right?"

"They're fine and with Tifa," Zack explained quickly. "I'm not here for them. I'm here to talk about Cloud."

Aerith let out a frustrated noise. "I don't need to explain myself. I told Cloud I don't need him and he needs to accept that and not tell you to come here and talk on his behalf."

"I'm not here on his behalf. I'm here to tell you that you are making a huge mistake."

"Don't start telling me that I should be with him because I don't."

"He's leaving."

Aerith eyes widened slightly but then she turned away. "Figures, now I have to explain to Sora and Roxas why their father abandoned them, just like he abandoned me."

"Cut the crap Aerith." Zack said, surprising the girl. "Stop feeling sorry for yourself because of something that happened years ago. Move on already!"

"Don't tell me to move on," Aerith fumed. "Cloud broke his promise to me!"

"You broke your promise to him!"

"You don't even know what I'm talking about."

"Or do I?" Zack said pulling out the wolf ring. He held it out to Aerith. Aerith froze, eyes fixated on the ring. She felt her heart stop for moment. Slowly she reached out and took the ring, examining it.

"Where did you get this…?"

"Cloud," Zack answered.

Aerith voice wavered, "He still had…"

"He was still wearing it," Zack confirmed. "He never took it off."

Aerith heart slammed into her chest. Cloud was still wearing it, even after all these years?

"But… it's been so long… what… why?"

"He loves you." Zack answered the obvious reason. "He never stopped loving you."

Aerith shut her hand around the ring. "But… but…"

"The letters" Zack guessed.

"How do you…?"

"Cloud never received them because when someone is recruited into SOLDIER they are not allowed any form of contact from friends of family until basic training is done and they pass to 3rd class. Cloud took a lot longer to make it into 3rd class, which is why by the time he made it the letters you were writing stopped coming."

"Why would they do that?"

"Because, Cloud would have left SOLDIER. Once you make it to 3rd class you are signed into finish out your services."

The news was shaking Aerith.

"Aerith, Cloud never intentially meant to hurt you."

"But…"

"Don't make excuses you love him and if you don't go after him now then you are going to lose your chance forever. Aerith go after him, please!"

Aerith clutched the ring to her, crying. She then bolted from her spot and into her bedroom. Zack looked dumbfounded and ran into her room. He found the girl digging through her jewelry box, scattering all sorts of things until she came to the one piece of jewelry she was looking for.

"Where is he?" she asked.

"The train station, he's going back home. Come on let's hurry. We might make it in time to catch him."

Zack grabbed Aerith's hand and dragged her out of the room after him. The two ran down to where Zack's motorcycle was. The two climbed on and Zack quickly bolted from his spot after he started. Aerith clutched onto Zack with one hand, while her other hand clutched to the two objects in her hand. She took a brief glimpse at them and then clutched back onto Zack, making sure she would not fall off.

Cloud, please don't leave me.

X, X, X,

Author Note- I'm sure many of you thought I was never going to update again. Yes, I know I took forever but after my old computer crashed and lost everything, I was so upset that I found it nearly impossible to write. I was also under a lot of stress but now everything is better. Thanks for reading.