He did not know her real name, but referred to her as the 'Moogle girl' because of the stuffed moogles she always carried around with her. Of course, he would never say this to her for fear of hurting her feelings. She would cry, and he could not stand crying children. Marlene and Denzel were different. They were good kids. Marlene grew up strong because that is the way her father taught her. She was lucky to have such a dedicated father as Barret, and a mother figure in Tifa. That is probably why the girl seemed so strong for such a small size. Although, Marlene also had a softer side as well and that is what he liked most about her.
Moogle girl was different. She was very sensitive about these things. He noticed she was carrying a pink moogle today and it looked suspiciously like the one he won for her the last time he was at the Golden Saucer. He also noticed that there was a young boy with her today. He didn't look a day over four years. He was wandering around the church and looking at all the flowers as his head bobbed up and down buzzing with amazement. At that age everything is exciting and wondrous, but it should be even more so in a place like this. All of Midgar was gray and cold but in here, the light shined and the flowers grew strong.
He finished planting the tulip bulbs he bought from a seller outside Junon. It was early spring and he had to get them in ground or they would not bloom when the weather became warmer. He covered a layer of earthy soil over the last bulb and looked up at Moogle girl as she approached him. She looked excited today. He hoped she would not talk his ear off like last time.
She giggled, holding the pink moogle closer to her chest. "Cloud guess what?" Her mood sounded super chipper.
He sighed and dusted the earth from his gloves onto his pants. "Hmm," he acknowledged her. He wanted to ask one of the other children her name but he was afraid they would tell her. Even if she was a sensitive little girl she still had a mouth on her. He would never hear the end of it.
"I saw her!" Moogle girl said. "The flower lady, she was here!"
The little boy showed interest when he heard a name he recognized. "Tha fower laadie!"
Cloud swallowed a lump forming in his throat. He pretended to dust off more earth from his hands but they kind of missed his lap and ended up hanging down by his side. He looked away to the back of the church at something imaginary on the altar. "Oh, really." His voice sounded softer than he was trying to make it. "What did she … say?"
Moogle girl giggled. "She said Cloud used to ride chocobos with her."
Cloud grinned, "Yeah, those were the days before Fenrir."
The little boy was now playing by the pool of water that amazingly always stayed fresh, ever since that one day. He dipped his hands into the water singing a song to himself which just sounded like "flower lady" repeated over and over again into a makeshift chorus.
"Was there anything else?" he asked her politely.
"Well," the girl thought about it for a little while.
"You forgot to tell him to move the violets to the side of the pews. They need indirect light to grow, that is why they are dying."
Cloud froze; he could feel her walking behind him. He always got chills when he felt her near him. Not in an anxious or worried state but more like the feeling you get when your deepest wishes come true, even though all odds are stacked against it.
"Fower laadie!" the little boy ran up to her, hugging her by the knees. Aerith leaned down smoothing a long strand of ash brown hair from his face. The little boy just beamed at the show of affection. He was an orphan like most children who would show up in the church from time to time. They seemed to find solace in the place.
Moogle girl looked embarrassed. "I'm sorry. I forgot to tell him that."
"No worries. I'm here now." She smiled at Cloud who had stood up and was facing her.
She walked over to the violets, which were turning brown and withered. They had all followed her. The children loved watching the flower lady's magic. "This won't do," she said. "But sunflowers love the light. Let us plant them here instead." She looked behind at them and winked. The children were excited about new flowers in their garden. They scampered in front to get a good view of her 'magic.' Cloud followed leaning against a pew with his arms crossed and a slight smile on his face. It had been a while since he had seen her magic too. He was almost as excited as they were.
Aerith put her hands forward and her Princess Guard materialized before them. She checked to make sure they were looking and seeing them enthralled she decided to go all out and give them a show. She brought the staff to the ground with a wave of her tiny wrist. Lifestream seeped up from the earth in flowing green and white tendrils. She heard many ohhs and ahhs from the children. The lifestream enveloped the dead flowers turning them over back into the earth. When the mists cleared all that remained was a healthy, thick, dark brown soil. Sunflowers grow in fields in the sun. She closed her eyes and imagined a field of sunflowers baking in the warm glow from the sun. Tiny green shoots sprouted from the earth, growing taller by the second until they turned into large green stalks. All they needed now was water to grow. She thrust her hand out towards the pool and a ball of water lifted from on its own. She guided the ball with careful precision by her hand movements until it rested above the green stalks. She flicked her wrist slightly and the ball let loose a gentle rain onto the flowers. Immediately after the shower pods grew on the stalks and opened up into large sunflowers that seemed to smile at them as they were born into the world.
The children ran over to the flowers talking in excited chatter. "Don't be afraid to touch them," she said to them. "They are a hardy plant."
Cloud stood where he was as she walked slowly and deliberately towards him. "All they need is a little tender care," she said in a hushed voice, almost as if just to him.
He smiled; he couldn't help it. She never ceased to amaze him in everyway. She was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen inside and out. Their hands met. He stared into her eyes. Those eyes he could never forget. They stood like that for a while. She then looked away. "I have to go," she said after a bit of hesitation.
Cloud felt a sinking feeling in his chest. He cherished every moment he got to spend with her, even if today he had to share that moment with the children. "Ok," he answered calmly. Aerith smiled at him. He clenched her hand one last time before she parted from him as if to let her know not to worry about him.
The children were distraught but Aerith reassured them that she would return. The little boy had tears in his eyes. "Don't worry," she told them before the white void behind her beckoned her return. "I'll always return here. All you have to do is remember me, and this place." She gave one last smile to Cloud before she was gone.
The children turned to him once she left. He saw the boy was crying, but it did not bother him. They were bittersweet tears. "Do you think," Moogle girl asked softly, as if afraid she would get an answer she didn't like. "Do you think she'll return?"
Cloud drew the children closer to him. "Yes, I am sure of it." He then smiled, "in the mean time lets plant those violets."