Aerith sat alone in a church, tending a garden. The rain outside was picking up, causing a soothing ambient noise in the background. Aerith's ears perked up as she thought she heard yelling outside. She shook her head. Suddenly, the brunette heard footsteps on her roof! She shook her head again. There's no one up there, I would've heard them coming up the fire escape she thought to herself. She heard shouting-for sure this time. Aerith glared above her. She stood up and was about to check the roof when suddenly someone gave a shriek, and a hole opened up in her roof. A man fell through, bursting through one of the rafters and landing on her flowers.
Cloud awoke, and the first thing he saw was a face of a girl with brown hair and emerald-green eyes. He blinked, thinking he was hallucinating.
Minutes later, the brunette peered at Cloud with curious emerald eyes as she poured the tea into the glasses in front of them. The blond sat straight up in his chair, stretching his back. They sat in the back of an abandoned church. Cloud brushed some leaves off of his shoulder.
"I guess that I owe you an explanation," Cloud said to break the silence. Aerith nodded.
"Yes, I want to hear how you put a hole through the church's roof," replied the brunette.
"Okay, where do I begin? I'll give you some background information first. I was a member of SOLDIER, during the war. After the war ended I was honorably discharged and put out onto the streets. That's when I received a call from a childhood friend, talking about a job she had for me, said they pay well," started Cloud. Aerith sipped her tea slowly as he talked.
"It was raining, if I recall correctly. I wandered out onto the streets, late at night-cold, tired, and hungry. I was too prideful at the time to beg for money and food, and as such I only did odd jobs, livin' on the street between paydays. I did a lot of work for gangs like the Turks, but I'll get back to them later. The wet street was unpleasant, and I was splashed several times by the damn cars passing by. My phone-one of the few possessions I was allowed to keep after leaving the military-started ringing, and I saw it was my friend Tifa from my hometown, Niblheim. We had talked in the past, but I refused to accept her charity more than anyone else's.
As I answered the phone, Tifa started talking excitedly about a group called AVALANCHE, some mercenary group who had a spot… opened up. She never explained what happened to the guy, but you can probably guess my theory. I signed up, glad to have a job. We're a small group, but we got our jobs done with professional skill. We didn't take jobs from criminals-that was Barret's-the group's leader-only discretion on finding jobs. We decided to take on jobs from SOLDIER, who have been diminished to a police force by now. We became… private eyes of sorts. Finding missing people, stopping gang wars… it was a nasty business, but it payed well like Tifa said.
Business went on like this for weeks, and before ya knew it, months had passed. I bought an apartment in third district. Nice area, though a bit of a walk from where AVALANCHE is located. We made a reputation for ourselves, and criminals started to fear and loathe us. Eventually we got a call-the police wanted to bust a materia joint. Only SOLDIERs are allowed to have materia, other than people like AVALANCHE, hospitals, people who need it. We're special exceptions, but the license to forever to get despite our proof of effectiveness. Anyways, back to the story-The materia joint was owned by the Turks, a mafia group prevalent in areas like Wall Market and Sector Six. The materia joint was holed up a few blocks from this church, and the cops wanted us to do the dirty work. They even said we could keep the materia we found, which was an added bonus in addition to the 5,000 Gil reward for cracking the materia joint. In addition there was a 10,000 Gil bounty on Reno's head. Reno is a higher-up in the Turks, and the head of the materia dealers.
The night after we signed up for the contract we headed off. I used my pistol, Buster, to take out the guards as the rest of AVALANCHE snuck into the den. They had a brief shootout, but by the time I got there they had taken care of the last of the resistance. The job was a piece of cake until I almost took an electric pole to the face. Reno had snuck up behind me with more of those Turks, and they had their guns pointed at us. We decided not to fake surrendering-we kicked down the tables and shot them down. I had a brief exchange with Reno at close range-I always carry a sword to deal with jackasses like him-but he started to run for it. I chased him up a steam pipe onto the roof of the buildings, and continued to chase him. He tried to lose me, but if SOLDIER had taught me anything it was how to chase someone. We ran for about half an hour, until he stopped from exhaustion. He glared at me, pointing his stick towards my face. I took out my sword, and we started to fight across the rooftops. We travelled onto your rooftop when Reno kicked me. I fell through the roof, onto your flowers. You know the rest of what happened,"
Cloud leaned back, his story finished. Aerith nodded, pondering the ex-SOLDIER's words. Suddenly, she smiled.
"Heh, you're lucky you landed on those. If you had hit the floor you would've died for certain, mister…?" It suddenly occurred to her that she didn't know the blond's name. Cloud grinned, realizing he hadn't had a proper introduction.
"Sorry. The name's Cloud-Cloud Strife. And you are?"
"I'm Aerith Gainsborough. Nice to meet you, mister Strife-"
"Just Cloud, please and thank you."
Aerith tried not to roll her eyes in annoyance. "...nice to meet you, Cloud."
The two looked at each other from across the table for a second, until Aerith broke the silence.
"Are your friends looking for you? They must be worried sick!" Aerith exclaimed, suddenly concerned. Cloud shrugged as if to say I dunno. He's not sweating it apparently, Aerith thought with greater annoyance. Aerith decided to pry more into the matter.
"So, shouldn't you report back to your base?" asked Aerith. Cloud sat up, nodding in agreement. Suddenly he remembered something.
"Do you know how to get to Sector 3 from here? I'm a bit lost." Cloud said sheepishly. Aerith grinned, happy to help. Suddenly the door slid open. Cloud scowled as he heard a familiar voice.
Reno was having a really, really bad day. First the cops found his little hideout, next AVALANCHE busted the joint. To drive it into the ground, he had been chased by that skinny kid with spiky hair-and the jackass had almost killed him! HIM! Reno, co-founder of the Turks! He sighed, then shouted "Gainsborough! Where are you? I'm here for the materia!"
Cloud turned to Aerith alarmed. She shrugged, then pulled out a card and showed it to Cloud. The card read: "Materia License: Aerith Gainsborough for one Holy materia, class: extremely rare. Reason: Family Heirloom" Aerith then pointed to a small white-green ball in her hair.
"Oh. Why are you dealing with the Turks? And how are you going to scare him away?" Cloud asked. Aerith grinned again as she pulled a sturdy-looking rifle from under her bed. Cloud grinned back, pulling his pistol Buster out of its holster, and loaded the gun's clip.
"Gainsbo-" Reno shouted again, but he was interrupted by the door in the back of the church was kicked open. Aerith and Cloud burst through the door, both guns pointing at Reno. Cloud fired first, causing Reno to duck with a yelp. The bullet hit a pew behind the red-haired man, causing a shower of shattered wood.
"Okay, you're good. Geez, spiky! I came for the girl, I'm not holdin' a grudge against you. You ain' nothing special anyways! So why don't you leave while-AH!"
Aerith shot at Reno, but Reno dodged of the way. Reno's head peeked back up as Aerith loaded another bullet into the gun's cartridge. Reno grinned.
"Oh, Aerith, that wasn't a very good idea…" Reno said as ten or so soldiers burst into the church. Reno turned to the soldiers and Aerith's eyes widened as Cloud gulped. Suddenly Aerith turned to Cloud, and smiled.
"Hey mister Cloud, have ya ever been a bodyguard?" Aerith said. Cloud nodded, raising his eyebrows.
"Once or twice. It usually comes with a fee, though," said Cloud. Aerith thought for a second, then grinned as if hit by a sudden revelation.
"How about I go on… one date with you?" she said, then blushed and covered her mouth as she realized the absurdity of what she said. Reno was still ordering the Turk soldiers around, while a few of the soldiers were glancing suspiciously in the couple's direction. Cloud grinned.
"Sure. I'll hold you to it, cutie," Cloud said teasingly, causing Aerith's face to grow redder. Suddenly she looked up.
"Well then, bodyguard… get me out of here." Cloud nodded, as the two took off towards the exit to the roof, Aerith grabbing a coat and umbrella as the two passed them. Reno turned at the sound of their footsteps.
"H-hey, where're ya- dammit guys, chase them!" Reno shouted. The guards took off with Reno on their heels, the crackling sound of his baton singing through the air. Cloud turned his head and saw the pursuers. "SHIT!"
Aerith turned and saw them, and muttered something that sounded suspiciously like a curse as well. Cloud grabbed her hand and dragged her along up the stairs. The two reached the roof, and ran for the fire escape scaffolding. The soldiers burst onto the roof, panting heavily.
"Where'd they go?!" shouted the troop's commander. Reno snorted.
"On the fire escape, dumbass." replied Reno. The commander scratched the back of his head sheepishly. Meanwhile, Cloud and Aerith reached the ground, their boots splashing on the wet ground. Aerith was glad she risked grabbing her coat, the rain was cold and dreadful. She opened the umbrella, sheltering Cloud and herself as they started to walk briskly down the streets of Midgar.
The architecture of the buildings resembled a 1950's New York with dark, thin alleys between the buildings. The lower districts of Midgar weren't a pleasant area. While they weren't actually below anything, the richer areas of the sprawling city were elevated on a natural plateau and surrounded by high walls, stopping crime from entering the city. Only groups like the Turks could interact up there, given their power and strength in numbers. Between each district there were walls as well, and ID checking posts to keep track of civilians, but the wall guards were lazy and almost never actually checked the cards. This allowed for crime to prosper in the lower districts. Midgar's weather was usually rainy, cold, and dark. Few people living in areas like District Six were glad to be there, but they couldn't afford to live anywhere else.
The Turks seemed to have lost Aerith and Cloud, and as such the two slowed their pace. Aerith turned to Cloud.
"So, where are you off to now?" she said. Cloud turned towards her.
"I dunno, probably off to 7th Heaven. D'ya know the place?"
"Nope. You said it's in District Seven?"
"Yeah. Would you perhaps be interested in tagging along?" Cloud crossed his fingers behind his back, thinking please say yes… He barely knew his female companion, but for some reason he really wanted to get to know her better. Aerith thought about it for a second.
"Jeez, buy a girl a drink first," Aerith said teasingly as she winked at him. Cloud grinned back.
"It's a bar, best one in the lower districts. So in a way, I could," replied Cloud. Aerith nodded, accepting his offer. The two neared the gate to Seventh District, and they pulled out their . After passing through the checkpoint Cloud gave a small sigh of relief for being in familiar territory. Even though he lived in Third District, Cloud felt just as comfortable in Seventh District. The area was definitely not devoid of crime, but it was very civil compared to the other lower districts. The area was fairly illuminated by street lamps, which added to the feeling of comfort. Aerith and Cloud continued down the main street, then crossed the street and continued down a road labeled "24th Street". They walked until cloud directed Aerith into a building on their right. The building was nicer than the others on the streets, but not noticeably so. A sign in the window read "7th Heaven".
As Cloud walked into the bar, the first thing he heard was a woman yell "Cloud! You're alive after all!" It was Tifa, the owner of 7th Heaven. Tifa noticed Aerith, and then back to Cloud. She winked knowingly at him, causing Cloud to roll his eyes. Aerith didn't notice the gesture, she was too busy taking in the surroundings. The bar was nicer on the inside, with polished floors and pleasant lighting. The bar was nearly empty, save for a few guys in a booth in the back. In the back right corner there were two men, one in a red cape and the other in a blue T-Shirt, the second of which was smoking a cigarette. They were silently playing a game of cards, in contrast to the other men who were talking loud and were probably drunk.
The couple sat down at the bar after shedding their coats. Tifa walked over to them after a moment of struggling frustratedly at a stain in the counter, which didn't seem to go away. She greeted the two, then turned to Cloud.
"Barret and the gang are out looking for you, I'll call him and tell him you're here," the raven-haired lady told Cloud. Cloud nodded. Tifa walked over to the phone, and after a few words she hung up. She walked back over to the couple, and leaned on the counter.
"So, what can I get you two?" asked the bartender. Cloud piped up, ordering a light beer. Aerith ordered a cider after a moment of thought. Tifa served the drinks, then leaned against the bar again on one arm.
"I already know you, Cloud, but who's your friend?" Tifa said. Aerith looked at Tifa and smiled.
"I'm Aerith. I'm guessing you're Tifa?" Tifa nodded. "Cloud had a lot of good things to say about you," Aerith added. Tifa suddenly turned to Cloud, looking angry. She smiled apologetically towards Aerith and said,
"Sorry, can I talk to Cloud real quick? I just… remembered something," Tifa said. Aerith nodded in consent, looking concerned. Was it something I said? Aerith thought as Tifa pulled Cloud away by his collar.
Tifa pulled Cloud into a back room and smacked him.
"Ow! What did I do?!" said Cloud. Tifa glared for a second before slapping him again.
"How many time have I told you to go get a girlfriend?!" said Tifa
"A lot of times. And now I'm-" Cloud stopped when Tifa glared extra-hard at him.
"And how many times did your mother tell you to?"
Cloud groaned. "Many more times," he admitted.
Tifa glared again. "And just when you get close, you distance yourself?"
"Huh?"
"Don't be stupid, Cloud. If you're trying to ask a girl out, you don't start-"
Cloud chuckled, then said, "Tifa, you don't understand. She asked for my backstory, and I mentioned you being a childhood friend. She was only being polite."
Tifa grinned sheepishly. "Oh. Sorry 'bout that."
They waited a second before Tifa turned Cloud around and pushed him out the door.
"Go on then, Spiky" she said, following him out the door. Cloud sat back down next to Aerith, and Tifa walked over to tend to the two men in the corner. Aerith turned to Cloud, looking concerned.
"I'm sorry-" she began, but Cloud waved her apology away as he brought his goes to his lips.
"There's no reason, it was all a simple misunder-" Cloud was cut off mid-sentence as Barrett and the rest of AVALANCHE burst into the room.
"DAMMIT, CLOUD! YA HAD ME WORRIED, AND YA KNOW HOW MUCH I HATE-" Barrett stopped when he noticed the girl in a pink dress. He chuckled, causing Cloud to glare at him. Barrett grabbed cloud suddenly, pulling him into back room again, while Cloud shrugged at Aerith. She laughed softly, before turning to talk to Tifa.
Barrett turned to Cloud, and smirked.
"Soooo, what's goin' on here, eh? Did ya use any of those lines I told you about?"
Cloud rubbed the back of his head uncomfortably. "No, and thank god for that. I wouldn't have come this far if I had!"
Barrett's smirk grew wider.
"So then… how long have you two been gettin' together? And…"-Barrett raised his eyebrows-"how far've you two gone?"
Cloud grinned, starting to catch onto Barrett's humor. "First off, I met her tonight, thanks to Reno." Cloud's face turned a tad red when he thought about the second question.
"We haven't really… done anything? If I'm understanding your… intruding question… correctly."
Barrett snorted out a laugh. Without another word the gun-armed man picked Cloud up under his arm, walked over next to Aerith, and placed a wincing Cloud down on the sea next to Aerith. Aerith discretely peered at Barrett as Cloud checked his ribs for breakage. After a few awkward moments it became clear that the large man had no intention in leaving the two alone. Cloud tried to ignore Barrett.
"So, um…" the blond began, feeling Barrett's eyes boring holes in the back of his head. Barrett started breathing heavily into Cloud's spiky hair. This caused Cloud to snap.
"Do you mind?! Geez…" he said, causing Barrett to walk away laughing. Aerith started laughing as well, causing Cloud to redden yet again, looking down at his drink.
About an hour later Cloud and Aerith walked out of the bar. Cloud insisted on walking Aerith home, despite her unwillingness to inconvenience him. He insisted that it was no trouble, so the two set off down the street. The rain had stopped, leaving a muggy atmosphere outside in the streets of Midgar.
Cloud and Aerith continued down the road towards the gate to sector 6. Suddenly Aerith gasped. Cloud looked up to where she pointed, gaping as well. Smoke plumed from behind the wall, and the sounds of gunfire rang through the air.
Information on Midgar pt. I:
The Midgar in this story is a bit different from the city in the original Final Fantasy VII. For one thing, the city is bit built on two separate plates. Instead the richer areas are elevated by a plateau in the center of the city. The lower districts consist of districts 1-8, while the upper districts consist of 9-12 and the central Capital District.
Locations:
Cloud's apartment: 3rd district.
Aerith's church: 6th district
7th heaven: 7th District
More info to come in chapter 2