6. Unsettling Thoughts

1

After the train had finally arrived at the station – otherwise known as the 'Train Graveyard' – Aeris Gainsborough quickly exited and made her way to the entrance of Sector 6. She knew it would take her a while to get back to Sector 5, and that her mother would be worrying about her.

She's probably been worrying since the moment I left the house, Aeris thought. Let alone how she must have felt after hearing that explosion earlier.

Behind her she heard some commotion, and turned around to see a large brown-skinned man with some kind of gun apparently grafted into his arm hollering at a small group of people.

She turned back in the direction she was going and found that her pace had quickened.

Making her way through the broken and shambled pathways of Sector 6 she continuously checked her vicinity for the many gangs of the slums. She knew that she could protect herself, but that by doing so she would ultimately be revealing herself to the Shinra.

She had spent too many years avoiding them to get caught now.

The dull, hazy lights all around her were quite useless in determining what time it was. Because of the plate's superb job of hiding the sky it always looked as if the slums were stuck in a constant state of dusk.

"It's late," she whispered to herself, knowing that she hadn't risked being out this late in roughly five years.

Since Zack . . .

It was also always so warm down in the slums, so humid.

She set the basket of flowers down on the solid dirt and removed her cherry-red jacket, casually tying it around her waist.

She picked up the basket and continued to plod on, the view in her peripherals filled with towers of refuse.

A split-second flash of her ex-boyfriend's face flickered in her mind, and she was surprised to feel that same tug in her chest. Five years was too long to still be dwelling on the past.

But it's not just coincidence, she thought.

Glancing down at the basket of flowers she had been carrying all day she counted the eleven pieces of coppery gil she had received in exchange for eleven flowers.

One of those transactions was stuck firmly in her mind.

That's why I'm thinking of Zack.

It was true. The boy with the blonde, spiky hair had acted just like her old flame. He had the same mannerisms, seemed to speak the same, and he even wore a SOLDIER uniform over his slightly built body. He had even appeared to be the same exact height as Zack.

But it was his eyes that had been more startling than anything else. The boy had gazed at her in the same way that Zack had. He had gazed at her with those same greenish-blue, Mako-infused eyes.

She felt her heart flutter, even as she passed a family of four sleeping under a few issues of the 'Shinra Times'.

She was not uncaring; she was simply oblivious to everything else at the moment. Those eyes – and that boy – were consuming her every thought.

2

Continuing through Sector 6 she saw that she was finally approaching an end to the dizzying maze of rubbish.

If she were not so sure that her own sanity was intact, she might have been able to convince herself that the explosion of the Mako reactor had unknowingly jarred her in some way or another. She could convince herself that what she had seen in the blonde-haired boy had been an illusion, and that her mind had been playing tricks on her.

But she felt fine.

That is . . . if you consider running into a boy who reminds you so much of someone else that it hurt, fine.

She touched the white orb tied within her ribbon again, remembering that the boy had asked about it. He'd known right away that it was materia, but had quickly convinced himself that it couldn't have been, simply because of its pallid color.

This was understandable, for Aeris herself had yet to see an orb of materia the same white hue as hers.

Not that she saw much materia these days since Zack had been out of the picture. He used to love showing off for her, sending fire, ice, and lightning this way and that when others weren't around, the glowing orbs concealed within his fists during the frenzied performance.

He too had asked about Aeris' single orb of materia, but having known Zack – and let's face facts, loved him - she had told him where it had come from.

I probably would've told this other boy if things hadn't been so chaotic up there tonight.

She found that she had stopped short in her walk, now just past the arch in the vast, concrete wall that separated Sector 6 from Sector 5.

It was a scary thought.

Would she have really told the boy anything . . . simply because he reminded her of Zack?

She'd been so cautious for so long that she wanted to hope that this wasn't true.

But she may have . . . and that didn't make her feel well at all.

The Shinra had been searching for her as far back as she could remember, and because of the circumstances of her arrival to Midgar in the first place, she supposed they'd been trying to acquire her since the day she'd been born.

She had a vague idea what they wanted from her. But she wasn't about to let them make her a specimen somewhere inside of the massive tower that housed the president of Shinra himself.

Thinking of the boy from on top of the plate she again felt the soft tug within her chest.

Was it possible to love someone she didn't know?

It would be for all the wrong reasons, she thought, feeling a substantial proportion of truth in that. And besides, it was just a strange encounter, during a strange situation, involving some strange coincidences. Nothing more.

She closed her eyes, and then said a few words – secret words that had kept her house hidden for so long. That power she felt within her had begun to feel so natural these days, and she knew it was something that she was just going to have to get used to.

This is why they want me, she thought, feeling the warmth that had flood through her body slowly dissipate.

She knew it was late, but she wasn't the least bit surprised to see the kitchen light still on. Her mother was looking at her through the window. She waved, and then made her way to the front door.

3

"Aeris Gainsborough!" her mother, Elmyra, exclaimed. "Do you know how late it is?" A pink flush had entered her pale cheeks.

Aeris nodded. "Sorry, Ma. There was a bit of a mess up on the plate. I barely even got onto the last train of the night."

With her hands on her hips, Elmyra said, "Scared me half to death. You know I don't like you going out for such long periods of time. I don't like you going out at all."

Staring back at Elmyra, Aeris felt herself start to grin. "We both know that'll never happen."

Elmyra shook her head, and Aeris could tell she was trying not to smile. Walking over and hugging Aeris, she said, "I know. I know. Once you make up your mind about something . . ."

"Right," said Aeris cheerfully, "so since that's settled . . ."

"Wait just a minute," Elmyra said. She was still smiling but the look of concern had yet to leave her eyes. "So where have you been, and what was that horrible sound I heard a couple of hours ago?"

Aeris sat down on one of the four kitchen chairs. "I was just doing my part."

"Selling flowers again?"

"Yes," Aeris replied, her tone level. "I told you before that I wasn't going to let you pay for everything the rest of my life."

"But Aeris, darling," Elmyra said, "your father – rest his soul – left us with enough money to last three or four lifetimes."

Aeris shrugged. "I still want to do my part. And it's not like I can be cooped up in here all day anyways."

"But Aeris, what about . . .?"

"I can handle myself," Aeris cut in. "If it came to that . . . I could."

Elmyra joined her at the table. "I know you could, honey, but I'd rather you not have to."

Aeris rolled her eyes and looked around her cozy house. Her mother and her had had this same conversation dozens of times lately it seemed. They got along great, and she loved the woman with all her heart, but Elmyra worried about her more than Aeris thought possible.

It was sweet, she understood that, and five years ago when Zack had been coming around more often it had been even worse. But Aeris knew she couldn't hide here her entire life.

She tried a new defense. One that had worked when she was little.

"I love you, Mom."

Elmyra shook her head again. This time the smile was more like a grin. "Good try, Aeris. But that won't excuse how late you were tonight."

Aeris smiled again. "I had to try."

"So what did I hear earlier?" Elmyra asked.

"Oh," Aeris said. "One of the reactors blew up."

"Really?"

Aeris nodded. "I saw it with my own eyes." She paused for a second, the blonde-haired boy in her mind once more. "I think maybe SOLDIER had something to do with it."

"SOLDIER?" Elmyra stammered. "Why in the world would they be involved in the destruction of one of their own Mako reactors?"

"I don't know," Aeris answered. "It was just . . . this boy I talked to."

Elmyra was quickly to her feet. "You talked to one of the SOLDIER's that you think blew up a reactor? Aeris . . ."

Aeris was about to say 'no', but then couldn't be so sure that that wasn't exactly what she had done.

Elmyra continued, "I thought you were done with that lot anyways . . . you know . . . SOLDIER."

"Ma," Aeris said. "Just because I talked with someone doesn't mean I've fallen in love with them."

She then remembered the pull in her chest she had felt walking through Sector 6, thinking of the boy they were currently discussing.

"Fine then," Elmyra said, taking a breath. "Then what did you two talk about?"

Aeris rubbed her chin. "Nothing really . . . just mentioned the reactor." She paused. "Oh, and he bought a flower!"

"Well then . . . what makes you think he had something to do with the explosion?" her mother asked.

Aeris again shook her head. "I don't know . . . I just had this feeling. It was a little . . ." she paused, trying to think of the right word to use in front of her mother. After a moment she finished, "Unsettling . . . it was a little unsettling seeing that strange glow in his eyes."

Elmyra looked as if she wanted to question Aeris more about the events of the night, but ultimately decided against it. "You look tired, honey. Why don't you head upstairs and get ready for bed. I'll bring you some tea in a few minutes."

Realizing that she was very tired indeed, Aeris got to her feet. She also realized that there would be little sleep tonight if her mind continued on the way it had been.

Firmly hugging her mom, she said, "No tea tonight, Ma. I'm just going to head straight to bed." She paused, yawning as she did so. "It's been a long day."

Elmyra nodded. "Alright, honey. Have a good night . . . I'm glad you're home safe."

Kissing her on the cheek Aeris turned and headed up the winding stairs to her room.

A long day, huh? More like an interesting day.

She opened the door to her room and without turning on the light quietly made her way to her bed.

Maybe interesting doesn't fit either, she thought. I think I was right earlier when I said 'unsettling'.

She sat down on her bed and closed her eyes.

Yes . . . unsettling fits best.