Aerith did open her eyes when her mother Ifalna shake her. This was unusually, her mother did not usually wake her up this way.
"Aerith, my dear we have to go." There were urgency in her voice that Aerith has never before heard. She looked at her mother, she was already fully dressed.
Then Ifalna took Aerith's blue dress and dress her quickly, Aerith did not understand what was going on, but she did understand that now was not time for questions.
Her mother looked at the clock, Aerith saw it was after two at night. They sit on the bed towards door, her mother hold he tightly. Aerith started to worry that her mother would be taken away again, she had nightmares that one day they would not bring her mother back.
Then they both looked at the door, it did open. For a moment Aerith waited that somebody would step in or the door would close. But doorway stayed open and nobody came in.
Ifalna grap Aerith's hand and pulled her daughter after her.
Then Aerith was out of the room, she took quick glance back, she never had got out of that room. Her entire life had been that room. Until now…
Her mother pulled her again, Aerith turn her attention back to present. When they went through dark corridors and stairs Aerith tried to look around.
They went pass guard, but this guard was lying on the floor. Aerith looked man as they went pass, guard did not move.
Ifalna took her around dark corridors determinedly, not once she did stop or hesitate.
Rooms were dimly lit and there where big glass cylinders around walls. When they went pass one cylinder Aerith thought he saw something inside it, something that moved…
Aerith gasp at shock, that moment Ifalna took Aerith at her arms and carry her, like always presence of her mother calmed Aerith down.
Soon they went some kind of elevator.
"Aerith, I want you to close your eyes for moment." Ifalna say quietly.
"Keep them close until I say that you can open them."
Aerith did nod and closed her eyes.
Ifalna kissed her at forehead.
Aerith feel how elevator stopped and hear that her mother opened the door. Then she smelled something strange, but Aerith keep her eyes shot when her mother walked across the big room and did go up stairs, holding Aerith on her arms. After a while, several turns and stairs later, Aerith hear that door did open.
"Alright, honey you can open your eyes." Her mother said and put her down. Aerith looked around they seem to be some kind hall and near escalators. Her mother looked little pale and a little out of breath.
After a moment she did straighten up and took Aerith's hand.
Next moment they were at the escalator, Aerith had seen pictures about them in her books. This was first time she had been in it. Stairs rolled down, they did not have to do nothing, her mother helped her jump when stairs did end.
They walked pass big glass windows and that moment Aerith did see city of Midgar. They were so high, for moment Aerith could see the stars at the sky, then she saw one of the great mako reactor at the distant when top of it start glow green.
Greatest city of the world, that her books did say.
Then they passed the window and Aerith had to turn her attention back to her mother. They come front of elevators doors.
Her mother use some kind of card and doors of the elevator did open. Ifalna let out sigh of relief. They went on the elevator and Ifalna bushed some button at the side. Aerith felt how elevator started to move down. She looked at her mother, she looked so tensed. Then Ifalna turn to look at her and did give her small smile, Aerith did return the smile. It's seem to give courage to her mother.
When doors open they were on the move again and walking a cross dimly lit corridor. There were heavy looking door in front of them. But when they approach door, it did open.
Then they were at big hall, there where lot of cars and trucks there. Things that Aerith had only seen in her books. There were some people and guards on the halls but they were far away and they did not look at towards them.
Aerith did have not much time to look at them, because soon car stopped front of them.
Her mother open back seat door, pushed her in and then come to seat next to her. Car left almost instantly. Aerith could sense how tensed her mother was, so was the driver, thought he hide it better.
"Aerith, you need to go down and be quiet." Ifalna said and pushed her down at foot space. Then she took blanket and covered her. Aerith make herself as small as she could, even it was uncomfortably she stayed quiet.
So much has happen in sort time, her young mind tried to get grip of everything.
Her mother had waked her and they have left from the room where Aerith had spent her entire life. Outside of her room were something dangerous and scary, that her mother had asked to not to look. She had looked outside of the window of the Shinra building she had seen the stars and city.
They were running away, they were escaping. That would mean her mother would not be taken away at every morning.
Then Aerith felt how car did slow down and stopped, Aerith hold her breath and stayed completely still. She hear that car driver talked with someone, possible with guard.
But after a moment car were moving again, Aerith felt how car did go uphill. Soon car did take turn and accelerated.
Her mother took blanket off and helped her back up. Then she hugged Aerith tightly for a moment.
Aerith looked out of the window, she could see other cars on the road and so many buildings around and how many lights were around. Then Aerith noticed that her mother looked back.
Aerith followed her mothers look. She could see Shinra building what stand there. It was so huge that it filled entire window, she looked at wonder, first time of her life she could see it her own eyes. There she had spend her entire life.
There were some other cars at the road and few trucks. Aerith looked them as they went pass.
Soon the driver take turn to right and Aerith noticed sign that read STATION and had picture of train. Then driver did slow down and stopped the car.
Driver did hand her mother something.
"Thank you." Ifalna said to the driver.
Driver at did nod silently.
"Professor Gast was my friend." Driver did say quietly.
"Good luck." He added, when they left the car. Car did leave almost distantly and leave them there.
Then they were front of the train-station.
There were lot of people there, Aerith had never seen that much people in one place. But still there were lot of room at the station.
Aerith looked at the big locomotive, it looked same kind what had been in her books what she had in they room at Shinra building. But seeing it at real was something else, she could hear it voice like some kind steel beast, it did hiss and Aerith did imaged it did wanted to get moving. Behind it were several train carriages, Aerith could see that people were stepping into them. Her mother walked pass them and they went the carriage near the end.
Her mother took her carriage that was empty, they sit on the chairs and waited. After a while the train started to move, Aerith looked outside of the window slowly at first but accelerating they started to move faster. Then the train did leave station and Aerith could see plate of Midgar.
It did fill up whole window, Aerith could see great mako reactors at the distant, one of them was on, top of it glow at green. There were great houses and lots of lights on the plate were people did live. So much people did life there, Aerith looked it at just just awe.
She almost did miss conductor that did show up. Her mother give tickets to conductor, who checked it. He did not give them a second look. Aerith looked her mother concerned, she looked so tired.
Aerith looked outside of the train, soon they went into tunnel, for a moment it quite exiting, then they come out. Lights of the Midgar could be seen outside of the window.
Aerith looked up, steel sky of Midgar could be seen. Thought there were some openings great steel plates had start to form. Looking down she could houses and light, thought there fewer light down there. The slums where there and the train started to go downwards.
It took long time and several tunnels but soon they had come ground level. After a while train started to slow down. Soon it started to brake more strongly and train did stopped.
Then they step outside of the station. Few people did step out the train, it was still night, not much people where on the move.
Her mother looked around worriedly, when they went down the stairs.
Then to Aerith's horror, her mother did fell, she managed to get grip of the railing and not fall down the stairs. Aerith grip her mother and tried to help her best as she could. They managed to get down the stairs and her mother just fell against the wall while gasping air. Then she just sit down on the ground her back against wall completely exhausted.
After a moment she turn to looked Aerith.
"Aerith I want you to listen very carefully."
Aerith nodded.
Then Ifalna show her small green materia.
"I give you this my daughter, like my mother give it to me."
"Don't ever lose it, it is our salvation."
Then she open Aerith hair and braided it. She put materia in her hair.
"I'm sorry that you have to carry this burden this young and alone, but we don't have a choice." Ifalna said her voice full of sorrow.
Aerith looked worriedly at her mother, she looked so tired, like wounded bird who tried to fly but could not.
"I… just rest for a moment dear, wake me later." Ifalna did say and smiled her daughter, then she closed her eyes.
Aerith took old blanket from the nearby chair that nobody seem to use and spread the blanket over her mother legs. Hopefully giving her little comfort.
Aerith just sit there next to her mother and people just walked past them, nobody did not stop to help or ask could they help them.
Aerith move carefully not to wake her mother. She did fight down her tears, it hurt her heart to see her mother like that. Hopefully sleep would make her better.
Aerith did go next to her mother and curled up beside her and closed her eyes.
Aerith did startled in her bed, she did rise up from bed and did sit up. Cold walls where once again around her. Great painting were on wall same as she remember it. She was once again back where she had spent her childhood. Place that had been death to her mother Ifalna.
Aerith took deep breath, it took all Aerith's determination to hold back her tears. Coldness started to tight around her heart like iron wire.
Now her mother Ifalna was gone, she had sacrificed so much to get her out of here. Was it all in vain, she was back here. Now there would be no one that could save her.
Aerith raised her head and looked at the door like so many years before.
No, there is one who could come to save me.