Promise by Aridea Moons

Chapter 6

Tifas POV
Its been months since that day. Cloud had still been taking deliveries to different areas, he even started doing business over seas with Cid. They both got paid well to buy the things they needed. I was still tending the bar and sometimes Marlene and Denzel would have arguments. I had to keep an eye on Denzel because I found out he would leave unnoticed but I would always make sure he wouldn't get into trouble with outsiders. Barret would come visit on the weekends to see Marlene and talk to her about his adventures. Marlene made friends with other girls her age and sometimes visits the Church on her own to take care of the flowers that needed water. Yuffie and the others were unknown but she did visit around the area to see Cloud about something.
~
Cloud was fixing his bike and making adjustments in the garage.
Tifa: "Hey Cloud.."
Cloud: "Yes?"
Cloud looks back to see Tifa standing with her hands behind her back. Tifa looked at him curiously wondering about his work and mostly why Yuffie came to visit him because it wasn't like her.
T: "Hows work?"
C: "I got lot more calls with heavier loads to deliver" he said as he looked back to fix his engine parts.
T: "I heard Yuffie stopped by"
C: "Ya"
T: "Did she need anything?"
C: "Not really"
T: "Oh"
Tifa looked back and started to walk to the kitchen to wash the dishes. Cloud looked back to see Tifa leaving and wondered a bit about her question.
Sector 5
Marlene: "Tag your it!"
She played with the other kids outside and starts running away from the brown haired girl.
"Caw caw"
Marlene stopped running as soon as she saw no one after her. She heard a crow and looked over to see a raven over the Church. Marlene walks in to see the flowers, she bends down to touch them but sees the reflection of the water. She gasps and sees a bunch of ravens everywhere standing on the woods holding the Church.
~
Girl: "Hey... you wanna play?"
Denzel looks up to see a girl
D: "huh? Aren't you Marlenes friend?"
Girl: "yep"
D: "so...weren't you playing with her?"
Girl: "I was but I don't know where she went"
D: "mm She's probably at the Church"
~
A scream fills the Church causing the ravens to fly away. The yell echoed and Denzel was near by, he stopped walking for a second.
D: "?!"
He started running towards the church. When he got there he walked over and looks around to see a hole in the floor that wasn't there before. He walks over and hears a noise around the Church. He looks around to see ravens everywhere...suddenly he had a shiver and started to have a pain coming from his head. He puts his hands on his head as he looks down, the pain starts to become worse and then he hears ringing. He passes out on the floor next to the hole.
Seventh heaven
Tifa finishes washing the dishes and hears a loud thud as well as metal clanking on the floor.
T: "Cloud?"
She starts to walk towards the garage and finds Cloud on the floor. She rushes by his side and sees he's unconscious, she tries to wake him up.
T: "Cloud?...Cloud wake up!"
—-2 hours later
"Denzel?"
"Denzel wake up are you okay?"
He opens his eyes to see Marlene with worried eyes.
M: "Should I call Tifa?"
Denzel gets up and sees Marlenes arm is bleeding.
D: "what happened?"
M: "I fell"
D: "what do you mean?"
M: "There was these ravens attacking me and i tripped, I scraped my arm on the pillar"
D: "Lets take you home"
Denzel was puzzled at what he had just seen. M: "are you okay?"
D: "huh?...ya come on lets go"
Denzel grabs Marlenes hand and takes her home.
M: "Does your head hurt again?"
Denzel doesnt answer he keeps walking but Marlene pulls away from his hand and stops.
M: "Its your head again isn't it?"
D: "Its nothing...Im used to it by now"
Marlene looks down in concern and saddens her eyes.
D: "Marlene lets just go home come on"
M: "What did you see?"
D: "huh?"
M: "The flower girl told me"
D: "what are you talking about?"
M: "You have to tell me what happened Denzel!"
Denzel is left confused and starts telling her what happened. They finally arrived home and they see the bar is empty.
M: "Tifa?"
Marlene goes upstairs and opens the door to see Tifa sitting next to an unconscious Cloud on the bed.
M: "What happened?"
T: "Marlene?" She gasps to see Marlene bleeding from her arm.
T: "who did this to you?"
M: "mm I fell and hurt myself"
T: "you need to be more careful Marlene"
M: "I know...but when I was there I saw Denzel on the floor."
Tifa was confused and worried at what had happened to them.
T: "what are you talking about?"
M: "He collapsed on the floor in the Church and I can tell it has something to do with his geostigma he had"
D: "I went to the Church to look for her and randomly I had a head pain"
T: "You two need to be more careful. Denzel go get the health supplies and don't go off on your own anymore okay?"
~
Cloud wakes up to see Tifa bandaging Marlenes arm.
T: "Don't go to the Church alone anymore okay? Go with Denzel from now on"
M: "alright..is Cloud going to be okay?"
T: "Ya he's just been working very hard is all"
Marlene leaves Tifa to herself.
C: "What happened to Marlene?"
T: "She's okay...she had an accident at the Church."
Cloud sits up and remembers the visions he's had about a fire and Sephiroth. He wasn't certain if he wanted to tell Tifa about it, he didn't want to make her worry. Tifa sees Cloud troubled by his thoughts and wonders if everything is alright.
T: "You should rest..."
C: "Ya.."
In the distance they hear Barrets voice downstairs calling Marlene like a happy father.
M: "DAD!"
Barret raises Marlene in the air.
B: "Hows my cookie?"
M: "Are you going to stay longer this time?"
B: "Of course my whole day is just for you sweetie but wait what happened to your arm there honey?"
M: " I fell in the Church"
Barret looks at Marlene with a fatherly face.
B: "Your a big girl now you can't be having accidents like this or you'll make me worry okay darlin?"
Tifa walks down and greets Barret with some water.
B: "So hows everything going?"
T: "Alright...are you almost done with your "adventures"
B: "heh just about actually. I'll be taking Marlene home with me after tomorrow. Hopefully I'll be able to get a stable job by then."
Tifa nods and smiles at the thought of Marlene being able to go home after so long. Cloud walks down the stairs holding his head.
B: "Hey spikey! Did you just wake up?"
C: "heh I wish"
B: "works been that difficult is it?"
C: "something like that"
Cloud looks over at Tifa and Tifa looks away from him as she starts cooking for Barret as a welcome parting gift. Barret knowing what's happening starts to move his eyes around making it less awkward.
C: "Barret stop thinking whatever your thinking"
B: "what? I don't know what your talking about. Im going to take Marlene to the playground and tell her about the amazing adventures of her awesome strong father hehehe". Barret walks over looking like he's leaving. He puts his hand on Clouds shoulder and whispers to him before leaving. "You go ahead and fix this spikey" then winks before leaving. Cloud left puzzled and sees Tifa cooking, then realizes what he meant.
Cloud sits by the counter and tries to make conversation.
C: "Tifa"
T: "ya?"
C: "I uh...How have you been lately?"
T: "alright you?"
C: "I haven't been around for a while so...you wanna maybe...go somewhere?"
Cloud felt a little flushed, he never asked someone on a date before. Tifa was left curious at how he asked such a question.
T: "hmm where?"
Tifa sounded cheerfully
C: "Anywhere..I have money to spare"
T: "hmm"
Tifa looks up at the ceiling thinking to herself. Cloud found it adorable at how she makes her thinking face.
T: "how about...the ferries wheel. I heard they just opened a park with one...Ive never been in one before, also its huge!" She says as she extends her arms in the air like a child. Cloud laughs a little at her reaction, and Tifa looks at Cloud seeing he's staring at her with caring eyes. They both laughed and Cloud kept smiling at her.
C: "How about tomorrow morning?"
T: "uh but tomorrow you have to deliver-"
C: "Ill let Cid do it...he can take my pay"
Tifa was startled at how Cloud is taking the day off tomorrow just for her. Shes never seen Cloud like this before, but she was happy that he's comfortable to show this side of himself to her.
T: "alright then.." she smiles
Tifa finishes cooking and wraps it up with Barrets name on it.