Final Fantasy - All Series Fan Fiction / Sailor Moon Fan Fiction ❯ A Promise ❯ Chapter 3 ( Chapter 3 )

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: Okay…this will be the last time I put some sort of author's note in the beginning. From now on, it will be at the end of the chapter unless it's something important… .:smiles:.

 

Warning: Crude language courtesy of Reno.

 

 

A Promise

Chapter 3

 

 

It was a long bus ride back to the apartment she shared with Loz and Ami felt extremely tired. It started out a good day until that Turk grabbed her rear on the bus and then was hit on by the same man in Tifa's bar. She shook her head and sighed as the bus finally reached her destination. When she got off of the vehicle, she had that feeling of being watched again. She looked around and shook her head, dismissing it as a figment of her imagination.

 

As she was walking down the street, she saw that the local convenience store was still open. Ami decided to go in and get a couple of items, like the hair dye for Loz. That way, he would be able to come with her to the grocery store in the morning before they left for Kalm.

 

Around fifteen minutes later, she walked out of the store and crossed the street to the apartment building. The petite woman was happy that they carried the hair dye that she needed. It was close enough to her own natural color so Loz could look a little more like a real brother to her. Just as she opened the door to the building, Ami had the feeling once more.

 

I really think I'm being watched, Ami thought to her self as her sapphire eyes scanned the surrounding area. She thought she saw something in the shadows of a nearby alleyway, but couldn't be sure if it was a person or one of the creatures that would find its way into Edge every now and then. Keeping that in mind, she kept her senses alert to anything that may be perceived as a threat to her. Ever since her arrival to this world, she had noticed that she was able to access her senshi abilities without having to transform into Sailor Mercury. She was thankful for that.

 

Ami just couldn't shake the feeling of being watched as she trudged up the stairs to the apartment she shared with Loz. She kept looking behind her, but did not see anyone behind her. She shook her head for a moment as she put the key into the lock and opened the door. She wrinkled her nose as the smell of burnt food reached her nostrils. The petite woman giggled slightly as she put the bag of sandwiches and the purchases she made at the convenience store down on the small dining table.

 

The young woman spied her silver-haired adoptive brother in the kitchen, cleaning up the mess he had made when he tried to make dinner. “I'm home, Loz,” Ami said quietly, smiling at her tall brother.

 

Loz turned around and gave Ami a big hug and then had a sad expression on his face. “I'm sorry, Ami…I tried to make dinner when you told me to not to,” he apologized, his eyes downcast. “Please don't be mad at me, Sister.”

 

Ami made the tall man look into her sapphire blue eyes, smiling gently at him. “I'm not mad at you, Brother, but please listen to what I say next time, okay?” She giggled softly as he nodded emphatically, his mako eyes lighting up with happiness. She then led him out of the kitchen and handed him the two roast beef sandwiches and made Loz sit down at the table. She then showed him the hair dye she purchased at the small convenience store and the young clone brightened up considerably.

 

“Can we color my hair tonight?” Loz asked eagerly, making Ami laugh softly as she nodded in acquiescence.

 

“Yes, we can do that. I mean, we will need a few things from the grocery store before we go to Kalm. Oh! That reminds me, I need to make sure about the bus schedule and confirm the hotel reservation.” Ami got up and ruffled Loz's hair, laughing as he grumbled in annoyance.

 

A couple of hours later, Ami colored Loz's hair and now they looked more like a real brother and sister. She smiled at her handiwork and made him go to bed so they could get up early in the morning. The former senshi cleaned up the mess and made a couple of calls confirming the reservations in Kalm and then started the calculation of the amount of money that they will be needing for the trip and for spending. That was when she felt that tingling sensation again…the one where she just knew that someone was watching her…so with that in mind, she walked over to the sliding door that led to a rather small balcony made of iron bars…

 

&&&&&

 

Red eyes were trained on the petite figure as she left the bus and headed to a rather small convenience store. The red-cloaked man noticed that the young woman spent just a few minutes and came out with a small bag and was still carrying the bag from Tifa's bar. So far, he saw that there was nothing about this woman that said that she was an enemy. But he of all people knew that looks can be deceiving.

 

He followed the blue haired woman in to an apartment building that has obviously seen better days. Interesting, he thought. From the looks of this building, the apartments are probably small. There were only about five floors in the building, but finding out which one the young woman lived in was not going to be easy. He jumped up on the iron escape ladders on the buildings next to the target building, trying to see if he could get a glimpse inside. It took a few minutes before he found an apartment with a small iron balcony and the windows open. His eyes opened in shock with what he saw inside.

 

Loz. It was Loz, one of the clones of Sephiroth. The red eyes of the spying man narrowed slightly as he silently got closer to hear what was being said. He was surprised to see how gently the silver haired man hugged the much smaller woman and even more surprised to note that this man actually appeared sane. Loz did not look like he was under the influence of Jenova. But as he had thought to himself earlier, looks can be deceiving.

 

When he overheard the conversation about the two making a trip to Kalm, he knew that he had to act and get some much-needed answers from the blue haired woman. He had to know why that man was still alive and why she was helping a murderer. After the woman dyed Loz's hair, he soundlessly jumped onto the small balcony. But as he was about to open the sliding door, the woman walked over to the door and opened it herself.

 

Her sapphire eyes widened with surprise and she was about to scream when the red-cloaked man put his right hand over to mouth and pulled her towards him. He then closed the door and looked at her deeply with his red eyes.

 

Ami trembled as the strange man stared into her eyes; his right hand on her mouth and a golden claw-like left hand held her in a tight grip. She realized that her feeling of being followed was correct and the sensation she got was coming from this man. He was tall and wore a red, ragged cloak that covered much of his face and black leather-like clothing underneath it. Wrapped around his dark hair was a material that matched the color of his cloak.

 

“I will remove my hand from your mouth if you promise not to scream,” the man commanded, his voice smooth and rich. Ami nodded, feeling like this man could probably break her in half before she uttered a sound. When his hand left her mouth, she took in a few shaky breaths and closed her eyes. She did not like how his eyes were just piercing her with such intensity.

 

“Now you will answer some of my questions,” the mysterious man remarked, not leaving any room for argument. When Ami nodded, he began speaking once again. “You are obviously not from Edge. Your features seem to say that you are from Wutai, but the color of your eyes and hair suggests otherwise. Who are you and why do you have that man Loz in your care?”

 

Ami closed her eyes tightly for a moment and took in a deep breath. “My name is Ami Mizuno and you are right, I am not from Edge. I am from elsewhere. I found Loz in the wreckage where I had witnessed a battle between a man that looked much like my adoptive brother and a blonde haired man.”

 

The strange man seemed to think for a moment and loosened his grip on the petite woman, but still tight enough to let her know that she still could not escape. “If you witnessed that battle, why did you take in a man who is a murderer?”

 

“Loz is not a murderer anymore!” Ami vehemently exclaimed in a quiet voice. “He repents what he has done EVERY day! He has a gentle soul and he wants to try and make amends for what he and his brothers have done. And I made a promise to watch out for him and care for him. He is my brother in every sense of the word, even we are not related by blood.”

 

The man did not feel as if that was a good enough explanation but then he heard the word promise. “What promise? Who made you promise to take care of someone who has the strength to snap every bone in your body?”

 

It was at this time that Ami's sapphire eyes turned cold and glared into the taller man's red eyes. “As I said, I promised to help him redeem himself, promised to care for him. And to whom I made the promise to is someone who watches all people on this planet.” Her eyes narrowed, the blue in her eyes now becoming icy. “Are you going to hurt my new brother?” she asked, her voice becoming icy as well. “If so, may I inquire the name of the person who will be beaten to hell and back if he dares lay a hand on my brother?”

 

The red-cloaked man felt the air become very cold and wondered what was going on when he realized that there was some snowflakes in the air. Edge was just entering the summer season…this was getting more curious by the second. However, he did not think that a small woman like Ami could possibly hurt him, but he decided to humor her for the moment.

 

“I am Vincent Valentine,” he answered as he released his hold on the former senshi. He noticed that as he let her go, she had gone into a defensive posture. That was when he knew that she was a trained fighter. “Tell me who you made the promise to.”

 

Ami thought for a moment and did not think that anything would happen if she told Vincent. “Aerith. A beautiful woman named Aerith made me promise to care for Loz.”

 

Vincent's eyes widened for a moment before resuming his normal stoic gaze. “That's impossible,” he replied softly. “Aerith was a good friend to me and my companions. She is dead.”

 

The former senshi tilted her head to one side. “Where I am from, nothing is impossible, Mr. Valentine. Aerith told me that she was a part of this planet and the Lifestream. Her body may be gone, but her spirit still lives on. Because of her, I am here. Because of her, I have a new purpose in life. Because of her, I have a brother I care for deeply.”

 

The ex-Turk listened to Ami's words and could not detect any falsehood coming from her. “If Aerith is behind this…” he closed his eyes for a moment and gazed at the young woman. “But that still does not mean I trust you or that remnant of Sephiroth. I will keep this information to myself for now, but be warned. If I hear that either you or that clone has destroyed lives, I will not hesitate in telling my friends and killing the both of you.”

 

Ami closed her eyes and clenched her hands tightly. She knew that she could not let loose her anger at this man and reveal her existence as a former senshi at this time. She took a few calming breaths before opening her eyes once again.

 

“I understand your worries and why you made that threat, Mr. Valentine. Believe me when I say that Loz is a good man and I am not here to destroy anything. In fact, I was once a guardian of my home.” Ami visibly calmed down even more. “Where I am from, I was also a doctor. Here, I cannot prove my skills as one so I took on the job of a nurse. Why would I destroy lives if I save lives?”

 

Vincent couldn't answer that question of Ami's. He could tell that she was telling the truth, but his past with Sephiroth and the brothers of Loz was clouding his mind. The woman in front of him had an aura about her that was similar to the one he felt when Aerith was still alive. There was a purity about her that he could not describe…

 

“Please, don't tell anyone that Loz is alive,” he heard Ami plead. He looked at the petite woman once again and was surprised that her demeanor changed from being protective to being scared. “Loz had told me everything that has happened and I know what would happen to him if people knew that he was here. Give my brother a chance…”

 

“I will not tell anyone for now,” the former Turk answered. “I will keep an eye out just in case something does happen, Miss Mizuno. You will be seeing me from time to time.”

 

Ami nodded in relief and gave Vincent a shy smile. “Thank you, Mr. Valentine.”

 

Vincent just nodded and jumped off of the balcony and disappeared into the night. Once he was gone, Ami breathed out a sigh of relief. She was able to sense how dangerous that man was and she knew that she probably would not have been able to truly best him in a battle. At least she knew that she and her brother was safe for now. Deep within the recesses of her mind, the former senshi knew that things would be changing…

 

&&&&&

 

The next morning, both Ami and Loz woke up early. They had some clothing packed away in a couple suitcases and a couple of backpacks. The tall man was excited about leaving the city on his first trip that did not include terrorizing the countryside. When he said that to the blue haired woman, she laughed and smiled warmly at her brother.

 

“That's good then, brother,” she remarked as she made sure that everything in the place was safe and locked the door to the apartment as they descended down the stairs. She looked up at her brother and smiled as she took in the dyed hair, which was now a color almost exactly like her hair, and the dark sunglasses on his face. His features were completely disguised now and could safely walk outside without fear of reprisal.

 

With their baggage, they made their way down a few blocks to the grocery store where Ami purchased some snacks for her and Loz to eat while on the bus trip to Kalm. It didn't take too long to do and they soon found themselves on city transit to the Edge Bus Depot. Loz was nearly bouncing off the walls when Ami went to the ticket booth and purchased bus tickets for both of them. The person in the booth informed the two that the bus to Kalm would be leaving in ten minutes from Gate 3.

 

They followed the signs to Gate 3 and Ami was relieved to find that there weren't many people waiting to get on their bus. They showed the driver their tickets and he instructed the two to leave the suitcases with him so they could be stored away in baggage compartments under the vehicle. As they got on the bus and went to their seats, Ami's eyes widened for a moment. Sitting in the seat across the aisle from them was none other than Vincent Valentine. Why was that man there?

 

Vincent turned his head and nodded at Ami and then turned his attention to the front of the bus. Ami sat down next to Loz and was shaking a little on the inside. She wondered why he was there…did he somehow overhear her conversation with Loz last night about going to Kalm? She turned to make sure that her brother was settled into his seat and was thankful that his was right by the window. Before she could try and get Vincent's attention and ask why he was there, she heard a loud and familiar voice and felt like she should bang her head against a wall.

 

“I don't believe this, yo! We get a little R&R in Kalm and the boss won't let us use one of the choppers to get there!”

 

Ami wanted to curl up and hide when suddenly she felt Loz's hand on hers. The silver haired man knew that loud voice and did not want to confront him. He felt scared that he would be found out and he did not want to lose his new sister.

 

“Everything will be fine, Loz, you'll see,” Ami whispered to him, sounding more confident than she actually felt. She smiled softly as she felt the tall man relax in his seat. She took a glance at the clothes he was wearing and nodded unconsciously in approval. Her brother was wearing a pair of jeans, a simple white t-shirt and a nondescript gray jacket. It was an outfit that would not gather any notice.

 

Just as she began to relax, Ami felt a presence next to her. She looked up and bit back a curse when the owner of that loud voice from just a few seconds ago was looking down at her.

 

“Yo Rude, it's that chick from the bus. This has GOT to be my lucky day,” Reno exclaimed happily, his turquoise eyes glinting with amusement.

 

“It most certainly isn't mine,” Ami muttered as she bit back a curse.

 

“Aww, why not Ami?” the redheaded Turk persisted. “You're headed for Kalm. Me and my buddy Rude are headed for Kalm. I think it's Fate throwing us together.” As he was about to say something else, Reno felt someone jerking his arm.

 

“Reno, sit down. The bus is getting ready to leave,” Rude stated as he noticed the petite woman he saw on the bus and in Tifa's bar yesterday. He tilted his head in acknowledgement towards the young woman and pulled his friend and partner to their seats. Ami was thankful that Reno was sitting far in the back behind her and was not close at all.

 

Ami turned her head to glance over at Vincent. She couldn't tell if he was smirking or not because of the high collar on his cloak. Knowing that it was childish of her, she made a face at the former Turk and turned her attention back to Loz and making sure that he was okay.

 

A few hours later, the bus made a stop in a small village in order to refuel and let the passengers grab a bite to eat at the local eatery. Both Ami and Loz did not get anything to eat in there and just snacked on the items that they brought with them from Edge. When it came time for the bus to leave, the passengers came back onto the bus but there was no sign of the bus driver.

 

“AAUUGGGHH!”

 

The loud scream scared many of the people on the bus and then the strange roar that followed the scream made everyone's hair stand up on end. Ami's eyes went wide. She recognized the roar and she knew that it wasn't from one of the creatures native to this area.

 

“Loz, stay here,” she whispered to the clone. “I need to check this out.”

 

When Loz started to disagree, Ami shook her head. “No, little brother. I recognized that roar and I know that you can't handle it if I am right to what it is.”

 

The silver haired man had an angry look on his face, but pouted as he nodded his acceptance. Ami was grateful for that and gave him a quick hug before she darted out of her seat and off the bus. Once outside, she closed her eyes for a moment and then opened them as she reached into her jacket and pulled out what appeared to be a small rectangular shaped compact. She opened it up and revealed her mini-computer. She pressed a few buttons on it and the information it displayed did not give her good news. When the roar was heard again, the former senshi began running in its direction, not realizing that there were a couple of people following her.

 

As Ami rounded a corner, she skidded to a halt and her eyes widened with fear. There was the bus driver and he was in the clutches of a creature she thought that she would never see again.

 

“Youma,” she whispered as she unconsciously took a step backwards. Unfortunately, the creature heard her steps and turned to face her. It was a hideous thing with saliva dripping out of its mouth, which was open and showing many rows of pointed teeth. It was a sickly shade of green and it looked like it was drawing out the poor bus driver's soul.

 

“A Sailor Senshi…I did not think that I would find one here. My mistress will be pleased when I drink your soul,” the youma said in an evil, raspy voice. It dropped the unconscious driver and lunged at Ami. Instinctively, she dodged the creature's attack and twisted around to see the thing lunge at her again. She kept dodging the youma's attack and did not see who was watching the fight.

 

Vincent and Reno immediately followed Ami off of the bus; Rude opted to stay behind and protect the bus passengers. The three of them noticed each other but did not say anything as they followed the petite woman. What they finally saw and heard was unbelievable. Ami was avoiding the creature with practiced grace, as if this was something she did everyday. And then the mention of a Sailor Senshi was confusing.

 

Reno glanced at the red-cloaked man for a moment and then stared at Ami as she kept dodging the youma. “Shit, I didn't know that Ami could move like that,” he exclaimed, his eyes never leaving her form. “I know she has a hot body, her firm ass proves that.” A mild glare from Vincent made Reno grin sheepishly. “I grabbed her ass yesterday morning on the city bus.”

 

Vincent resisted the urge to roll his eyes and took out Cerberus, loading it quickly with bullets. He took aim at the youma a fired a couple of shots into it, causing the creature to scream. He was mildly surprised to see the thing still attack the blue haired woman. Both he and Reno had to move swiftly as the youma turned to attack them.

 

Ami's eyes widened as she realized that she could not really show her powers in front of these two men. Reno already knew of one, but he did not know that it came from her. Hoping that the red headed Turk would not realize that was her, she cried out.

 

“Shabon Spray!”

 

Suddenly, the area was covered in an icy fog, the air close to freezing. Reno shivered in the fog and vaguely remembered that this was very similar to what he and Rude experienced back in the ruins of Midgar. He kept running and ran into something. Hoping that it wasn't the monster, he quickly took out his magrod and was about to use it when something took a hold of it and ripped it out of his hands.

 

“Don't be foolish, Turk,” Vincent hissed. “The power of that thing would electrocute us all in this fog.” He handed the rod back to Reno, who kept it out anyway.

 

Hoping that both Reno and Vincent couldn't see through the dense freezing fog she created, Ami closed her eyes and a shining blue crystal appeared in front of her. “By the powers of Mercury and Water, I will defeat you,” Ami said in a quiet, determined voice.

 

The youma laughed evilly as it turned around in the fog, trying to discern the location of its foe. “So this pathetic little girl is the Senshi of Mercury? You are just a weak little thing that Mistress will be happy to have dead! And the Protector of the Lifestream and will be unable to help you and that one you protect will help Mistress bring chaos and death to this pitiful planet as She makes it into Her image!”

 

Ami's eyes opened and her sapphire eyes were glowing slightly. Her power was coursing through her petite frame as the blue crystal lengthened and took on the shape of a crystal sword. “Never underestimate your opponents, youma,” she said loud enough for only the monster to hear and then launched her own attack…

 

Reno and Vincent heard the deafening shriek of the creature and both knew that it was a sound of death. Slowly the fog started to dissipate and they both saw the bus driver regain consciousness, wondering what happened. Reno decided to help the man up and back to the bus while Vincent looked around for Ami. He didn't see any signs of her and became slightly worried for the small female as he made his way back to the bus. Once inside, he saw that Ami was already in her seat and sleeping, her head leaning on Loz's shoulder.

 

When the driver was able to start driving again, Reno saw Ami and wondered how she made it back to the vehicle without either him or the vampire (that's what he calls Vincent) seeing. He was about to speak to her when he saw her sleeping against a man's shoulder. The man looked vaguely familiar but he couldn't quite place where he saw that man before. He turned to ask Vincent who that was.

 

“He is her brother,” was the only reply the redheaded Turk from the dark haired man before turning his attention elsewhere.

 

You are an interesting woman, Ami, and I'm gonna have fun trying to figure you out, Reno thought to himself as he went back to his seat next to Rude. The rest of the trip to Kalm was thankfully uneventful…

 

But it was only the beginning that will change their lives forever…

 

&&&&&

 

Sharem: I am SO sorry that it took so long to update this story! A lot happened this past year and I did lose my interest in this and many of my stories. I wasn't sure that I was going to write again. However, I got the writing groove back, sort of, and I hope that I'll be able to update this one and my other ones more frequently. Oh yeah! Please don't forget to vote for who Ami should be with. And also who Loz should be with too…I am open to the idea of an OC for him, but definitely not a Mary Sue. .:sweatdrops:.