The sound of sobbing and coughing broke through the silence of the night; interrupting her dreams and making her bright green eyes shoot open, concern and fear immediately replacing the fog of sleep.
Aerith quickly rose from her bed and ran to the door, the sound her pounding feet made on the wood flooring echoing the beat of her racing heart.
She wrenched upon the door and raced into her younger brother's room, hearing the rest of her family waking behind her.
"What's going on?" Her younger sister mumbled from the doorway, holding her favored teddy bear and rubbing the sleep from her young eyes.
Aerith knelt by her brother, Denzel's bed and whispered soothing words to him while brushing the sweat-soaked brown locks from his eyes.
She looked over her shoulder at her sister.
"Everything's okay, Marlene," Aerith reassured her with a gentle smile. "Go and get mommy for me please."
Marlene nodded quietly and Aerith watched as the younger girl raced off towards their mother's bedroom.
"It hurts…so much…" Denzel choked out, shaking violently. His forehead was hot to the touch and his skin pale and clammy.
"Shh…I know baby, I know." She gently pulled him into her arms and rocked him back and forth, wishing she knew what to do.
She pulled away her hand away from his forehead and grimaced. Black puss coated her fingertips, running down her hand and down Denzel's head.
It was called Geostigma, a relatively new disease that was traveling like wildfire around the slums of Midgar.
The disease had appeared only about a month ago but already hundreds of people had died. If you were unfortunate enough to catch it, the chances of death were extremely high, few, if any, survived.
This had gone on for three weeks already and there was nothing they could do but watch, comfort him as best they could, and clean him up after each attack.
It had been tiring and stressful for the whole family, their nerves were worn thin from nights without sleep and the haunting knowledge that he might not live through this.
She was determined to do something, to help him and everyone else with the disease, but wasn't sure she could do anything at all. After all, she was only human…and what this needed was a miracle.
She quickly wiped the black substance on her dress and pushed the thoughts from her head.
It wouldn't do him any good if she just sat there in her own thoughts, doubting that he would live and that she would be able to help him.
She looked up when her mother, Elmyra, entered the room, Marlene looking at over at Denzel with wide, scared eyes.
Dark bags dropped under her mother's eyes, wrinkles lined her face, her hair was a mess and her shoulders were slightly slumped. It hurt Aerith to see the once proud lady resulting to this.
This was what happened when you know the one you love will die.
Elmyra walked over towards the bed silently and took her son in her arms, rocking him back and forth.
Aerith knelt quietly beside the bed, watching as he slowly fell asleep, while her mother dabbed at his forehead with a rag.
When his breathing had calmed and he was out cold, Elmyra stood up and motioned for Aerith to follow her.
Her mother led her to the kitchen and grabbed her coat from the closet, shrugging it on.
"Mother? Where are you-"Aerith started to ask, her eyes narrowed in confusion and concern.
"Stay here and watch your brother and sister, I'm going to the store to get more bandages and hopefully some medicine for Denzel. Be good and don't leave the house –"
"Mother, let me go and get it! You stay here and rest! You've been up with Denzel all week!"
Elymra's eyes widened in surprise but were quickly replaced by worry and fear.
"No! I can't let you go out at this time of night! It's dangerous!"
Aerith quickly shook her head.
"But momma, I can take care of myself! I'm fifteen now! I'm not a baby!" She wasn't aware that she had raised her voice until her mother hushed her quietly.
So in a quieter tone she continued, "Please, I want to feel like I can help…" She lowered her eyes, her fist clenching at her side.
She hated feeling helpless and she hoped her mother would let her go.
Elmyra sighed and slid into a seat at the kitchen table, putting her head in her hands. She sat like that for a long minute, the air around them tense and uncomfortable before she looked up with a sigh.
"Alright…I'll let you go but-but-" She added upon seeing Aerith's excited face and smile. "If you don't come back in one hour I'm coming to look for you! So hurry…"
Aerith felt like jumping up and down with joy, but she settled for a large grin instead, knowing her mother would dissaprove of the action. Normally Elmyra would have never let her do such a thing, especially without company.
She quickly hugged her mother.
"I'll be back in an hour, I promise!" She cried before grabbing her coat and rushing out the door.
Hello :D I decided that I needed a break from all my other stories for a little bit - little bit, like a day or two, don't worry - so I started writing this. I hope you all like it! Please review and tell me what you think, and any ideas you have! It'll be a great help!
NOTE: This story does not always follow the plot line of Crisis Core, if you havn't noticed, there are only a few parts that do. For example: Cloud is not a grunt. He is the man we see him as in Advent Children, only he doesn't know Aerith. He was once a SOLDIER First-Class, but deserted alongside Genesis Rhapsodos and Sephiroth. He works as a part-time mercanary. Tifa runs a bar in Sector 7 with her boyfriend, Cloud. She's pretty much the same Tifa as in Advent Children, only that she doesn't know Aerith or Zack. Zack is still mentored by Angeal, only in this story - or atleast in the opening chapters - he is a newly appointed SOLDIER First Class. He does not carry around the Buster Sword in the beggining. Aerith: She looks the same as she does in Final Fantasy 7, though without the bow in her hair because she doesn't know Zack. She is an Ancient, but does not know this yet. She lives with her mother, Elymra, and with her younger siblings, Marlene and Denzel. Angeal was once a SOLDIER First-Class, but was relived from his post due to a tramatic injury during the war with Wutai. He now runs a store in Sector 7. Reno is also the same as he was in Advent Children, only he deserted from ShinRa and the Turks around the same time Cloud, Genesis and Sephiroth did.
More information will be added about all the main characters as the story progresses. Aaaand...I think that's it! Thanks for listening to me blabble XP