The life stream. The ever flowing river of life for the planet. It was home to many who had passed on, from those who wished destruction, to the heroes who died protecting her, and even those who have left the world by natural means had been absorbed into this holy river.
Some like to say the life stream was sentient, having a will of its own. Few know the truth, and those who do are forever lost from time. Yet time would return to one such being, a new life was starting.
A small filed in a bark was bare and empty, as the cool autumn breeze flew passed through the trees and grass causing the colored leaves to fly. Suddenly there was a flash of light within the park, it shot into the sky like a divine beacon.
The light dimmed and the once bare park was now a field of flowers, and laying in the center was a young girl. Segmented brown bangs frame her face tied into a pony tail with a pink ribbon, a small red jacket left open to see a pink dress flow around her. Brown boots covered her feet. Her face was a tiny bit pale, but more in a cute way. Her eyes were closed in an expression of peace.
This was the new life for the flower girl who helped saved the planet.
She slept for thirty minutes before her eyes slowly opened. She blinked rapidly and sat up, looking around curiously.
"What...?" She said softly. "I...I was dead..."
She remembered it all...Sephiroth coming down on her...The pain that exploded through her chest when the sword pierced her... Her body collapsing...And then everything going black...
She looked around at her surroundings. There was soft grass...Flowers surrounded her...The sky was blue and the air was so fresh...
"Is this...the afterlife...?" She said softly. "It's so...beautiful..." Smiling, she closed her eyes and basked in the beauty of the new world...
And was then promptly hit in the face by a child's ball.
She fell back with a thud a soft scream of pain escaping her mouth as the ball bounced off her face and rolled away. Her eyes were spirals as she laid their dazed. The group of kids ran after the ball and grabbed it laughing at the poor girl's misfortune.
Slowly getting her head back together she sat back up while holding her head. "Ow…" she glared over at the children playing ball and blinked at the very strange clothing they were wearing. 'Odd…very odd…'
"Ms…are you…uh…"
A small voice grabbed her attention and she turned her head to see a small boy standing beside her. He was a tiny thing with black messy hair, large emerald green eyes, an adorable face, and wearing a large oversized shirt.
Harry Potter did not really know why he had just broken one of his uncle's major rules. Don't let anyone notice you. Yet for some strange reason he felt a pull towered this girl and he wanted to help her. So he decided to ignore that little voice in his head that sounded like his uncle and go and see if she needed help.
As she stared at him however he was starting to have second thoughts. 'What if she hates me too? What if she hits me?'
Aerith tilted her head and frowned at the child. "Are you okay...?" He squeaked before hiding his face. He expected her to scoff him off. She giggled and he thought she was laughing at him for being stupid...
"Aw, you're sweet." He slowly peeked out at her to see her smiling face. "Yes, dear, I think I'm just fine." She replied. Harry sighed in relief and sat down.
"I-It's okay if I sit, right...?" The woman nodded.
"Of course. I won't stop you." She replied with a warm smile, patting the ground near her. Smiling, the little boy sat down.
"M-Miss...?" He said softly.
"Yes, dear?"
"Wh-Where'd the flowers come from...?"
Aerith blinked and looked around at the flower filed before turning back to him confused. "Weren't they always here?" she asked.
Harry shook his head slightly. "No…there was a bright light…then…flowers." He mumbled messing with the hem of his shirt nervously.
The flower girl looked around the filed with wide eyed confusion. 'Bright light?' "Could it be.."
"HEY FREAK!"
Harry tensed and Aertith looked over at him with concern before turning to see the same group of kids, a big kid was in the lead with a scowl on his face. "WHAT DID DAD TELL YOU ABOUT TALKING!"
Aerith blinked brightly, then her eyes narrowed. "Excuse me, but who is your father to dictate whether this boy gets to speak or not?" The fat boy looked surprised, then angry.
"Shut up!" Aerith's eyes widened.
"Oh my!" She exclaimed. "What manners has your father been teaching you? It's not okay to disrespect your elders like that!"
"I said shut up!" Aerith crossed her arms.
"I will not shut up." She replied sternly. "And I won't let this boy be bullied." She pulled Harry into her arms protectively.
"Hey, you can't pick up the freak! You'll get his freak germs!" One of the boys exclaimed.
Aerith glared at the boy causing him to take a step back slightly. "There is no such thing, and stop calling him that!" she spoke and held the child close noticing he was trembling.
"You aren't the boss of us!" the fat boy yelled out.
"It doesn't matter. It's rude and insensitive!"
"Who cares! He's a freak of nature! He deserves all the beatings we give him!"
"Dudley!" one of his friends said wide eyed surprised.
"What?" Dudley asked.
"Why'd you tell her that?! Now she'll tell our parents and get us in trouble!" Dudley frowned.
"Oh...Sorry, guys..."
Aerith tightened her hold on the boy and narrowed her eyes. "Beatings?" She spat. "Now, you little terrors had better leave right this instant, or I WILL tell your parents! Do you understand?!"
"Yes ma'am!" The fat boy's friends chorused before running away, relieved she let them off with a threat. But the fat boy stayed.
"Aren't you going to join your friends?" Aerith asked sternly.
"Why should I?" Dudley showed just how stupid he was with his next sentence. "My parents won't care. They do it too!"
Aerith froze her eyes going wide shocked, before they narrowed into a heated glare. "Is that so?" she asked coldly.
Dudley did not seem bothered by her tone. "That's right! They beat up the little freak, make him do out chores, and make him sleep in a cupboard under the stairs!" He screamed out not realizing what he just reviled.
The flower girl's world froze as she stared down at the trembling child in her arms. She closed her eyes briefly then she snapped her glare to the boy who took a step back in slight fear. The look she had in her eyes was not pleasant in fact they looked down right murderous.
"Leave…leave now…" she spoke low and cold that sent a chill down the boy's spine as he gulped and took a few more steps back.
"YOU WAIT TILL I TELL DAD FREAK!"
That one sentence caused the little boy to enter a panic attack.
"No, no, no! Not Uncle Vernon, not him! Please no, I have to go, let me go..."
"Shhh..." That sound calmed him down the second he heard it. Looking up slowly, he saw the woman looking down at him with a sad smile. "Don't worry. I'll protect you."
"I...I...have to hide..."
"You don't have to do that." She replied. "I'm here to keep him away."
"B-But how...?"
Aerith smirked lightly, "I have my ways." She said running a hand through his hair causing him to relax more and lean into her touch.
Harry gave her a small smile. He…actually wanted to believe her…he didn't know why…but she just had this way of calming him down.
Aerith smiled down at the little boy. He was a cute little thing, and so snuggly! She held him a little tighter. She did wonder how her friends were doing, yet at the moment she had an adorable situation to deal with. "What's your name sweetie?"
"Harry…Harry Potter." He said with a small nervous grin.
"Hello Harry." She giggled as she ran a hand through his hair. "My name is Aerith Gainsborough. But you can just call me Aerith." She said poking his little nose.
Harry giggled lightly and moved back from her finger. "Okay, Ms. Aeris"
Aerith giggled lightly, "No honey, Aerith."
"Sorry…"
"It's okay…it happens a lot actually." She said starting to realize just how much that did happen.
The boy snuggled into her with a smile and the flower girl held him close in the flower filed just enjoying their time till they were rudely interrupted.
"BOOOOOOOOOOY!"
'I knew something like this would happen soon.' Aerith thought with narrowed eyes as she looked in the direction the yell came from. She would admit...She didn't expect to see a man quite so...fat. She knew it was rude to think such a thing...but it was also hard NOT to think such a thing because...well, he was fat!
"Can I help you?" She said, giving him a stern glance.
"Yes. Hand me the boy and no one gets hurt." The man replied angrily.
"No." Aerith replied. "You won't hurt this boy anymore."
"What?!"
"Your rude son told me everything."
Vernon paled slightly before he returned his glare. "Don't you blame my son!" he shouted at her.
Aerith slowly rose to her feet holding the child close to herself protectively. "When he calls this little one mean names, and confess that you harm him. I will blame him and you!" she said coldly.
"YOU B***!" He shouted at her and charged at her.
Aerith narrowed her eyes and took a step back. She held the child with one arm and reached behind herself, she pulled out her trusty staff and wacked the fat man over the head with it.
"OWW!" the man shouted holding his hurting head.
Aerith's eyes were narrowed as she held the staff and the scared wide eyed boy in her other arm. "Think twice before charging again." She warned.
"What are you going to do!" he shouted as he charged again.
Aerith rolled her eyes then noticed the glimmering light in her staff and a sinister smirk grew on her face. She leaned down to the child and whispered. "Watch this." She leaned back up and closed her eyes before shouted out one word.
"FIRE!"
The man yelped as he was launched backwards by a powerful force. He sat up with a groan, and looked down...And he screamed when he saw his shirt was on fire. "BLOODY HELL!"
"See? I have my ways of getting you away from us." Aerith said with a smile.
"YOU'RE ONE OF THOSE BLOODY WITCHES!" Vernon threw off his shirt and tried to stomp out the flames. Aerith frowned.
"Witch? That's insulting..."
"GOOD!"
"You don't want another one, do you?"
Harry just stared wide eyed at the staff then up at the girl who was holding him. 'She's…she's like me…'
"I'LL HAVE YOU HUNG!" he shouted charging at her again.
"What does that even mean?" She asked sarcastically and smirked as she fired another blast of fire at the man sending him staggering back. "Now will you stop charging like a bull!" she shouted at him. "You have hurt him enough!"
"YOU FREAKS DON'T GET IT!" he shouted at her. "I need to hurt him more, to beat the freak out of him. I am doing my civic duty to beat it out of him, now if you please, DROP MY PROPERTY!"
Aerith's eyes narrowed darkly. "You will NEVER get your greasy fingers on him as long as I live." She hissed. "Leave. NOW."
"I'LL HAVE THE POLICE ON YOU!"
"Well I'm sure they'll be glad to hear what happened from this little one." She gestured to Harry. "I'm more morally in the right than you are."
'You stupid, egotistical b***!" Vernon roared. "PUT HIM DOWN RIGHT NOW OR SO HELP ME I WILL RIP YOUR HEAD OFF!"
"I'll burn you alive before you can even try."
"GRAAAAAGH!"
He charged again fist held high but was pushed back into a tree with a loud thud.
Aerith blinked confused before looking down at the little boy in her arms who had his eyes closed yet his little arm was out pointing at his uncle. "Harry…?"
"YOU…HOW DARE YOU!" the big man shouted only to be hit from behind. His eyes rolled into the back of his head and he collapsed onto the ground. The figure behind him was a thin older woman with a classic witch's hat holding a stick in front of her aimed at where the big man once stood.
Aerith gave the woman a wide eyed look, and the woman stared at her, soon the woman started to walk away.
"Wait!"
The woman paused and turned to the smiling girl. "Thank you."
The woman stared at her before looking down at the wide eyed Harry, her expression softened before giving a stern nod and walking away.
"Who…was that?" Harry asked.
"I don't know…but you were amazing!" she said with praise lifting him up so she could smile at him.
"I was…?"
"Yes! You're so little, yet your magic...It's so strong!" She praised. "I'm VERY impressed with your performance!"
"I...I didn't do it on purpose..."
"Even more impressive! If you can learn to control it, you can be all-powerful in no time!" Aerith praised. The boy blushed.
"I...I don't wanna be all-powerful though..."
"Oh. Well good. Because I wouldn't know the first thing about teaching you." Aerith admitted sheepishly.
"But...Now what am I gonna do...?" Harry asked.
Aerthe smiled warmly at him. "Well…I am going to need a little help getting to know the place…so can you be my little tour guide?" she asked with a warm smile.
Harry stared at her wide eyed before he gave her a soft nod.
"Great! Now let's find a place to rest! I bet your all tuckered out." She said and poked his little nose causing him to giggle lightly. They walked away from the flower bed unaware of a small light that had slipped into the girl's pockets.
A surprise for the future.