Final Fantasy - All Series Fan Fiction / Sailor Moon Fan Fiction ❯ A Promise ❯ Chapter 2 ( Chapter 2 )

Disclaimer: Sailor Moon and Final Fantasy VII are owned by their respective creators. This is only a work of fanfiction and is not for profit in any way.

Sharem: Alrighty then. Now that this story has begun to get off the ground, let's clarify a few things. Ami will NOT be paired up with Loz because they will be considering each other as siblings. The ones that I have in mind for Ami are Reno, Vincent or Rufus. I haven't decided on who yet, so there will be a vote now. If there is anyone else that should be considered, vote for him. As for Loz, the only females that I know of are Tifa, Elena and Yuffie. You can vote for them or you can suggest an OC. smiles

A Promise

Chapter 2

“Loz!” Ami yelled out as she exited a small bathroom wearing a thick robe and a towel wrapped around her hair. “How many times do I have to tell you not to turn the hot water on in the sink when I'm taking a shower?”

“Sorry, Sister,” the tall silver haired man replied, his head hanging down in mock shame as he appeared from the kitchen. “It's just that it's fun to hear you scream out.” Loz then smirked as he glanced at the petite woman.

Ami just shook her head and tried to glare at Loz, but found it hard to do so. She gave the clone a slight smile as she headed towards her bedroom. It was rather early in the morning and she was getting ready to go to work. The former senshi managed to get a job working at a clinic in downtown Edge. Since she did not have the proper paperwork to prove that she was a doctor, she managed to get a job as a nurse due to her medical knowledge. She took the towel off of her blue hair, leaving it wet for now, as she entered her bedroom and closed the door.

“Three months,” Ami whispered to herself as she pulled out clothes for the day. They were a set of light blue nursing scrubs that were worn but clean. “I don't know how I could have really lasted that long by myself if it weren't for Loz.” She then smiled softly as she quickly dressed.

A few minutes later, the petite woman left her room and followed her nose to the kitchen. Once inside, she scrunched her nose at the smell of burnt toast and giggled. Before her was Loz trying to make breakfast.

“Ami, I'm sorry,” he sniffled slightly, wiping his mako-green eyes with a dirty hand. “I wanted to make something special for you.”

Ami giggled softly and gave the tall man a kindly smile as she took a paper towel and wiped Loz's face. “Don't cry, Loz.”

“I'm NOT crying,” Loz stated indignantly, a pout staining his handsome features.

Ami giggled some more as she took a piece of burnt toast and delicately chewed on the edible parts. “Of course you aren't,” she replied. “Please clean up when you're done, okay? I have to leave now…I got the early shift at the clinic. And no, you can't go out today by yourself.” The Mercurian closed her eyes to the glare she was now receiving. “You know why! We are out of the black hair dye and you lost those colored contact lenses I got for you.”

Loz sighed. He knew that his adopted sister was right, but he just did not like being cooped up in the tiny apartment that they shared. Ami did not make enough to afford a larger place and people would try to kill him if he went out in his normal silver hair and mako eyes.

“I know, Sister,” he answered quietly. “I know that people would try to kill me…just because of something my brothers and I did. Even if I tried to prove that I changed, they wouldn't have any of it, right? Especially Big Brother.”

The blue haired woman sighed and went up to Loz to give him a big hug. “People can change, Loz, you are proof of that. Back where I'm from, there was this warrior who battled against me and my friends and tried to kill us…until he fell in love with Naru, a good friend of Usagi. So, don't be too hard on yourself, Little Brother. Someday, people will see who you are now.”

The clone of Sephiroth smiled brightly at the petite woman and returned the embrace. “I hope so,” he remarked, a tiny smile appearing. He then glanced at the clock on the wall and began shooing Ami towards the front door. “It's almost seven a.m. You better go now or you'll miss the bus.”

Ami chuckled softly as she grabbed her purse and opened the door. “Don't fix anything for dinner, Loz, I'll get something from the bar that's near the clinic. They have good sandwiches.” At least that way, he won't burn down the apartment building…Loz may mean well, but being in a kitchen is NOT his forte, the former senshi thought to herself as she waved bye to the taller man. She grabbed a tire iron and a light jacket that were near the door and left.

She pulled the jacked on her petite form as she nimbly ran down the stairs to the front of the building. The blue haired woman considered herself lucky that the bus stop was only half a block away while she began to jog over to it. She sighed in relief that she did not have to wait a long time for the bus today since the vehicle was now in sight. When it stopped in front of her, Ami got on and dropped a couple of gil into the slot and went to sit down a few seats back behind the driver.

Ami sat next to the window and began to gaze at the city she now called home. She did not pay any attention to the people who got on and got off the bus; she had become lost in her own thoughts. It had been three months since she arrived in this strange world and she was still adjusting to the many changes she has had experienced. Getting money was one big problem she had to face. Another problem was finding a place to live that wasn't infested with insects and rodents, that wasn't in a bad part of the city, and that wasn't too expensive. At least she got two out of three…she would just carry a can of mace and a tire iron with her if had to work the night shift.

Around 15 minutes later, the bus approached a more civilized area of the city. The buildings were actually nicer and there appeared to be more people around. Ami continued to gaze out the window and did not pay attention to the people entering the vehicle. All she wanted to do was for the bus to hurry along its designated route and take her to her job. She closed her eyes for a moment as someone decided to take the seat next to her.

“I tell you, Rude, I don't see why we have to ride the bus!” Ami's seatmate exclaimed rather loudly. Her eyes snapped open. She recognized that voice. Without moving her head, she shifted her eyes and spied the man now seated beside her.

`Oh boy, it's that redhead guy who tried to arrest me or something back when I found Loz…and I think the bald one is on the bus too…I recognize the name Rude. Must keep quiet…must not make eye contact…'

“You crashed the car on the last mission, Reno. This is our punishment from Tseng until a new one is requisitioned,” Rude replied, his words not holding much emotion.

Reno gave Rude, who was sitting across from him, a sheepish grin. “So? WE are Turks and buses ain't for us, yo.” He then looked at the woman next to him and his grin got even wider. “Well, hello there. I'm Reno, what's your name?”

Ami kept staring straight ahead and did not want to look at the man. She felt relief pour through her petite frame when she saw her stop come up. She reached up and pulled the wire to signal a stop. When the bus came to a halt, she stood up quickly and had to look at Reno.

“Excuse me please, this is my stop,” Ami said in what she thought was a stern voice as she tried to scoot by the redheaded Turk. She then tripped on his foot and would have fallen if a strong hand caught her arm. He pulled her back up to her feet and grinned at her.

“Sorry, I didn't know that my foot was there,” Reno replied cheekily, his turquoise eyes twinkling.

Just as Ami was about to thank her `rescuer', she felt his hand grope her rear. “HENTAI!” she cried out as she raised a hand and slapped Reno as hard as she was able to muster.

With as much dignity as the blue haired woman could gather, she calmly stepped off of the bus. She walked a couple of feet away from the bus stop and watched the vehicle drive away. Just as soon as it was no longer in view, Ami groaned loudly and shivered. She just hoped that was the only bad thing to happen to her that day.

Back on the bus, Reno rubbed his sore cheek. “Man, that girl was strong,” he remarked, glancing at his bald partner. “But boy, she looked real cute with those blue eyes flashing, yo.”

Rude just shook his head at the redhead. He could just tell that Reno was probably going to talk about that blue haired woman all day. The more he thought about it, the more Rude realized that it was strange to see someone with blue hair…and that woman's hair did not look like it was dyed. It actually appeared to be natural. And then she had screamed out a foreign word.

“Rude, what do you think `hentai' means?” Reno asked suddenly. “It almost sounds like a Wutaian word.”

“Ask Tseng when we arrive at work.”

“Yeah, I'll do that.”

&&&&

Ami closed her eyes and rubbed her temples lightly. The headache she now had was really starting to wear her down. It all began when that Turk grabbed her butt like it was a piece of meat. Currently, she was sitting at the receptionist's desk waiting on patients. Tabitha, the current receptionist, had left early to go to Rocket Town due to a family emergency. Being the kind person that she is, Ami volunteered to take the older woman's place.

“You okay, miss?” a kindly female voice asked. The blue haired senshi looked up and smiled at the woman in front of her. She had lovely dark brown hair and wine colored eyes.

Ami smiled at her. “I'll be fine…I just need to get a couple of painkillers for my headache,” she answered kindly. “Do you have an appointment?”

The other woman nodded and pulled a sandy haired boy in front. “Actually, Denzel here has a checkup with Doctor Martin at four. I'm his guardian, Tifa Lockhart.”

Ami gave the boy a gentle smile as she looked up the names on the computer. “Ah, yes, here you are. Just wait in the lobby and a nurse will be out shortly to take you in.”

“Am I getting a shot?” Denzel asked quietly, a little bit of fear lacing his voice.

The petite woman giggled slightly. “I won't lie to you, Denzel. You are getting a total of three immunization shots today. I would have been the one to give you the shots but Tabitha, the receptionist, left earlier this morning.”

The boy just made a face and sat down with a pout in the lobby. Tifa chuckled a little and turned to look at Ami. She recognized the shorter woman from previous visits but never had a chance to talk to her. The only strange thing the martial artist noticed was the color of the nurse's hair…that and despite her features resembling that of a Wutaian woman, her sapphire eyes weren't the normal color of a Wutaian.

“Are you from Wutai?” Tifa asked, having an urge to find out more about this strange nurse.

Ami looked up at Tifa, a little startled by the question. “Uh…no, not really. I don't…I don't know where I am…where I'm from, I mean,” she added hastily. “I've only been in Edge for about three months now. Coming here was rather… an unforeseen event.”

Something about the tone the blue haired woman used made Tifa look at her closely. The tone had sadness laced into it as well as some loneliness. Before she could say anything to the nurse, another nurse came out from behind a door.

“Denzel? Is there a Denzel here?” the stern looking woman called out.

The sandy haired boy grimaced as he stood up from his chair and looked at Tifa that read, `Do I really have to go?'

Tifa chuckled and went over to Denzel and looked at the older nurse. “Here's Denzel and I'm his guardian.”

“Then follow me,” the older nurse stated gruffly before looking around. “Mizuno, are there any more appointments for Doctor Martin?” Ami shook her head. “Then begin closing the office. After that, go ahead and go home. Tabitha left us all in a bind.” At that, she ushered Denzel and Tifa through the door.

Ami sighed and stood up from the desk. She began tidying up the office and lobby when the door to the clinic opened. Again, it was someone she had seen before. It was the blonde spiky haired man she had seen back in that ruined church three months ago. She hoped that he wouldn't recognize her.

“Excuse me, did a woman with long dark hair come in with a boy?” he asked, looking down at the petite nurse.

The former senshi bit her bottom lip for a moment before answering. “Do you mean Miss Lockhart and Denzel?” When the blonde nodded, Ami continued. “Nurse Gilpin took them into the back a few minutes ago. You could wait in the lobby for them if you want.”

The blonde man just shook his head. “That's okay. Please tell them that I will be back at the bar waiting for them.”

As he was about to head out the door, Ami stopped him. “What is your name? That way, I can tell them who left the message.”

“Cloud.” At that, Cloud left the clinic without another word, closing the door behind him quietly.

`He isn't much for words, is he?' Ami thought to herself as she busied herself in cleaning the work area. She became lost in her own thoughts as she also watered the plants in the lobby. The former senshi thought about her life now here in Edge. It was much harder than in her former home of Tokyo. There were too many people who did not have any type of employment and the easiest kind of job a person could get was something that she would refuse to do no matter what.

About fifteen minutes later, Tifa and Denzel came through the door and went over to the receptionist desk. “How much do I owe?” Tifa asked as she went to dig into her pocket to pull out some money.

Ami went over to the computer and typed up a few things. “It will be 150 gil, Miss Lockhart.” When the taller woman handed over the money, the blue haired nurse looked at her. “Oh, there was a man here earlier looking for you and Denzel here. He said his name was Cloud and that he will be at the bar.”

Tifa nodded and began to usher Denzel out of the clinic. She turned to look at the blue haired woman and saw her grab a jacket and what looked like a tire iron. At that moment, the nurse's phone began to ring.

Ami sighed and knew exactly who was calling. “Hello? What is it, Little Brother? What did I TELL you? Oh no, don't start crying…at least the fire is out now, right? What do you want to eat then? Oh, I'm going to get something for dinner tonight. And tomorrow, I'll go to the grocery store and buy some food and that hair dye. Yes, then we will go travel to Kalm. Yes, Doctor Martin gave me a week off starting tomorrow. What? Costa Del Sol? I'd love to go there ever since I saw those pictures Tabitha has on her desk but you know we can't afford that…Okay, I'll see you later.”

Ami sighed as she closed her phone, pulled her jacket on and hid the tire iron inside. Loz was still a child at times. She then heard someone clear a throat and was startled to see Tifa was still inside the clinic.

“I overheard your conversation,” Tifa replied, a little embarrassed. “I already sent Denzel home. We don't live very far from here and I own the bar, 7th Heaven. I offer sandwiches as well as drinks. Do you want to come over? You look like you need a friend.”

Ami smiled gratefully at the taller woman. “That sounds nice. You go on ahead, Miss Lockhart. I'll meet you there.”

“By the way, you can call me Tifa.”

“My name is Ami Mizuno, but you can call me Ami.”

&&&&

Ami left the clinic after getting her wages from the doctor and began walking down the street. This had been full of surprises so far and the Mercurian felt that there would be a few more before the day was out. She took in a deep breath and let it out slowly, savoring the crispness of the evening air. The air quality in Edge was about the same as Tokyo, but there was something else to the air of this world that made it feel altogether more alive. It almost made HER feel more alive.

After walking for a few minutes, the petite woman found herself in front of Tifa's bar, 7th Heaven. It was now around 5:30 in the evening and she knew that she didn't have too much time to waste. The last bus to her apartment would arrive around seven p.m. She was about to go inside when her phone began ringing again.

“Yes Loz? Okay, I'll see if they have roast beef sandwiches. How many? Are you sure? Okay, I should be home around eight. See you later, Little Brother.” At that, Ami closed the PHS and entered the bar, not noticing a red-cloaked figure watching her from a dark alleyway…

When the door closed behind her, Ami's eyes adjusted quickly to the dimness of the establishment. There were a few people already inside, either sitting at the bar or at the tables. Mostly men, they turned to look at the newcomer and some of them obviously leered at the petite woman as she made her way to the bar.

Tifa smiled at the other woman and went up to her. “I'm glad that you made it, Ami. So, what do you want?”

Ami thought for a moment. “I'll just have an orange soda if you got it. Also, if you have it, I'd like to order two roast beef sandwiches and a turkey sandwich, all three of them to go. My brother decided to burn the kitchen again while attempting to cook dinner.”

The brunette giggled as she quickly got the soda. “I take it he isn't a good cook.”

“No…that he isn't,” Ami agreed, giggling as well. “It's nice having my brother around, but I do miss having the companionship of my friends.”

Tifa cocked her head to one side as she heard that odd tone in Ami's voice again. “You'll be able to see them again, right? You look like you need a friend.”

The petite woman shook her head, causing her blue hair to move around freely for a moment. “No. And please, that isn't something I'd like to talk about right now, okay?”

Before the martial artist could say anything else, the door of the bar opened again. Her face scrunched up as she recognized the newcomers. “Of all the nights, why do they have to come in tonight? Well, three of them are okay, but not that Reno…he drinks too much and hits on all of my female customers…”

Ami's body stiffened at the mention of the Turk's name. Slowly, she turned her head and groaned loudly when she saw the redheaded man. His dark navy suit was still rumpled in appearance and the white dress shirt was untucked with the top two buttons were unbuttoned. She noticed that Rude was with him as well as two more. One was a lovely blonde haired woman and the other was a tall man with long black hair and intense eyes. She thought to herself that he almost looked like he was Japanese, but knew that was an impossibility. She also noticed that they were all dressed the same, with the exception of Reno.

“Hey! It's the babe from the bus!” Reno exclaimed when his turquoise eyes met up with Ami's. He quickly went up to the nurse and sat next to her. “I found out what `hentai' means. I am NOT a pervert, yo.”

Ami felt her cheeks grow red for a moment. “You. Grabbed. My. Butt,” she stated slowly as if she was explaining herself to a small child. “Only PERVERTS would do that.”

“Ah, so you're the one Reno was talking about all day,” the blonde woman remarked as she walked closer to Ami and the redhead. “His cheek was bright red most of the day too. Good job with that slap. I'm Elena.” Elena held a hand at Ami.

“Um…” Ami glanced at Reno and then at Tifa. The brunette nodded slightly and so Ami lightly shook Elena's hand. “I'm Ami Mizuno.”

Elena nodded at Ami and smiled a little and then glanced at Tifa. “Nice to see you, Miss Lockhart.”

“The usual for you and the others?” the brunette asked, gesturing to the other Turks. The blonde woman nodded and went over to a far table where Rude and the other Turk were already sitting.

“Give me your number later and we'll go out sometime, Ami,” Reno smirked while he got up and went over to his friends' table.

Ami leaned her elbows on the bar and buried her face in her hands. “By Selene, why me?”

Tifa gave the blue haired nurse a sympathetic glance before getting the drink orders and Ami's order together. She knew how obnoxious the red haired Turk can get when he drinks and wanted to get the nurse's food together before he could hit on the woman again.

While Tifa was busy with getting drink and food orders for customers, the former senshi quickly finished her soda and turned around to get a good look at the place. It looked like any other bar, but there were some differences that not many people would really look for. She saw the odd toy here and there, all out of the way. There were also a couple of drawings on the wall that were obviously drawn by children. To Ami, this bar also felt like a home…

Ami sighed softly when she saw how those Turks were interacting with each other. The bald one with the sunglasses was quiet most of the time, but put in a few remarks every now and then that would either shut Reno up or make him protest loudly. Elena, the only woman in the group, would sometimes grimace with annoyance at a Reno remark or glance at the black haired Turk shyly. That dark haired male would every now and then pinch the bridge of his nose as if he would rather be anywhere but here.

A few minutes later, Ami felt someone tap her on the shoulder. She turned around and groaned inwardly. It was the redheaded man. “What do you want?” she asked sourly, disdain evident on her face.

Reno gave the former senshi a puppy dog look. “Aw…I just want to be friends, yo. You look like ya need one.”

“Like I need a hentai for a friend,” Ami muttered to herself. She started to think that she was like an open book. First Tifa had said something about her needing a friend and now the perverted redhead pretty much stated the same thing.

“Reno, leave the woman alone for now,” another voice rang out, deeper than the redhead's voice. The blue haired senshi turned to see who had spoken. It was the black haired male that came in with the other Turks. His dark eyes had a steely edge to them when he looked directly into her eyes. He then turned his attention back to Reno. “I just got a call. We're needed back at headquarters.”

“Yes sir, Tseng sir!” Reno mock saluted the other man as the Wutaian just shook his head. “Sorry Lockhart, but it seems that you will make do without my wonderful presence.” He then bowed in a ridiculous fashion as he followed Tseng, Rude and Elena out the door, leaving money for the untouched drinks on the table.

Tifa just shook her head as she put a bag in front of Ami. “Here's your food, Ami. I'm sorry for Reno hitting on you.”

Ami just shrugged and took the bag of food in her hand. “That's okay. So, how much do I owe you?” she asked as she pulled out a wallet from a pocket inside her jacket.

The brunette just smiled and shook her head. “For the trouble that Turk gave you, it's on the house and I won't take no for an answer.”

“Thank you, Tifa. Maybe I'll make a more regular visit here from now on.” At that, the petite woman waved at taller woman and left the bar. Just as she let the door close, Ami felt as if someone was watching her.

`It must be my imagination,' she thought to herself when she reached the bus stop. She waited for awhile and when the bus finally came, Ami felt relieved as she stepped into the vehicle and paid her fare. She just couldn't shake the feeling that she was being watched and she did not like it. The last time she felt like this was five years ago when she and her friends were battling Sailor Galaxia.

As the bus sped off and disappeared down the street, the red cloaked man stepped away from the shadows. His red eyes narrowed for a moment before looking down the street at the bar. He decided to follow the bus and see where this woman lived…and see if the name she had said into the phone, the name Loz, is the same one that belonged to one of Sephiroth's clones.

&&&&

AN: Wow…this chapter went on a little long…also, I know, it didn't have any action in it, but it was necessary to set up things that will be coming in later chapters. And I think we all know who `the red cloaked figure' was…:grins:. Now, you can all vote who you would like to see Ami with…I still haven't figured out who it will be. The character who gets the most votes by chapter 7, will be the one. Oh, don't forget to vote for someone for Loz too. If any of you think it should be some sort of OC, then specify the characteristics of the OC…I don't want a Mary-sue…:grimaces:.