.:: Chapter 4: Runaway ::.
"Aeris, your awake." I sat up. "You collapsed on the floor. Honey, what's wrong?" My mother was standing there. No, not my mother. For the first time, I saw her in a different light. This wasn't my mother. Hojo killed my mother. My mother was a Cetra like me. She'd be able to help me. Not this woman.
"No--Nothing." I lied. I had to leave this place. Get away from everyone. If I was to return to my friends I had to return alone. Cloud could not help me. My mother could not either. Only me. "I.. I just need some rest. Please, please let me sleep." My mother, face full of worry and confusion, nodded and left the room. Down below me I could hear the muffled conversation of Cloud and my mother, ending with the sound of the front door shutting. I jumped up and looked out my window. Cloud was leaving, he suddenly stopped and looked up at the stars.
"I... Don't get it." he said aloud, then walked off, back to the Slums.
It was late, my every sense was on edge. I slowly tiptoed outside, and looked back at my house. My window. My garden. All of which I would quite possibly never come back too. "What difference does it make?! I'm dead if I go, dead if I stay!" I sighed, I shouldn't yell like that.. I slipped over next to some of my flowers growing in my garden. "What's this...?" Something shiny was behind a small patch of flowers. something red. "Materia..." I snatched it up and slowly began to walk into the Slums.
I fearfully looked around, my eyes widening, everywhere I turned drunks were staggering out of bars, prostitutes were swarming to Corneo's, and hobos were whistling to me on the side of the road. "This is horrible.." I uttered as a very grubby, hobo-ish person began to 'dance' for me. Although it was more like a hobble, drunken stagger, and twirl mixed together. I gave him a piece of 'Chocobo Sage's Gum'. "Do you know where I can find an Auto Rental?"
"Yep.. I've been tryin' ter get myself them big lotto winnin's fer some time now. Try goin' ter 'Tifa's Seventh Heaven' she likes ter supply people like us with them lotto cards whenever Shinra taxes go down." He slumped down onto the road curb and began to smack the gum noisily in his mouth. I could tell I wasn't going to get anywhere with this guy, and as I began to turn away someone called my name.
"Aeris! Hey, Aeris!! Wait up!" It was Timothy, my neighbor. "Huff... He-...Hey Aeris... Huff.. Where-...Where are you going?"
"Tim.. Do you know where I can rent a bike?" I looked at Tim.. He was my age and a nice guy, always helpful, but mostly because of the crush he had on me. "I need to go to Chocobo Sage's.. I er.. Left a blue racing Chocobo there, and I'm thinking about going to the Golden Saucer to get some cash for my Mom's birthday. It's coming up ya' know."
"Oh.. Didn't I tell you, Aeris?? I bought a bike a couple of weeks ago. I was coming to pick it up from Shinra, and saw you. Heh.." He put his left arm up behind his head and scratched his neck, "Would you like to come and pick it up with me? It's got two seats, we can both go to the Chocobo Stable. I'd like to buy some greens and catch myself a nice, strong Chocobo next time I go to the Crater."
I smiled, of course, this was the perfect way to get a bike. I could ditch Tim at the stable, that way he'd be able to catch a Chocobo and ride back here in Midgar. "That'd be great, Tim. Thanks a lot!" He smiled and we both walked up towards Shinra Inc.
"Here it is!" He smiled and turned on the motorcycle's engine, after entering the Shinra building. It was the same bike we stole the night Sephiroth murdered the Shinra President and Rufus took control. Something was odd here.. The Shinra building was empty, except for a Cleaning-Bot. They could only see dirt. All humans were considered un-hostile, unless their weapon was drawn, so the bot took no notice to the two of us.
"Shouldn't there be someone here?? Ya' know.. To make sure you took the right bike?" This didn't feel right.. Something was wrong.
"Naw... They told me to come by during after hours, said they had a very important meeting with the officials of other regions. The biggest, they said, were the High Priestess of Mideel, the Dojo of Wutai." He smiled, but I was still unsure, but tried to smile and make myself feel more calm.
"Haha. Dojo of Wutai? That's Yuffie's dad!" I pretended to laugh at the thought of Yuffie being important in the world, but that just make a ball grow inside my chest. "Err... Well, be better get going... Ok?" I got onto the back of the motorcycle, and slipped a jet-black helmet over my head.
"Ready?!" he called over his shoulder. I gave him a thumbs-up and then wrapped my arms tightly around his stomach. The engine roared and we sped off into the night.
"Aeris, your awake." I sat up. "You collapsed on the floor. Honey, what's wrong?" My mother was standing there. No, not my mother. For the first time, I saw her in a different light. This wasn't my mother. Hojo killed my mother. My mother was a Cetra like me. She'd be able to help me. Not this woman.
"No--Nothing." I lied. I had to leave this place. Get away from everyone. If I was to return to my friends I had to return alone. Cloud could not help me. My mother could not either. Only me. "I.. I just need some rest. Please, please let me sleep." My mother, face full of worry and confusion, nodded and left the room. Down below me I could hear the muffled conversation of Cloud and my mother, ending with the sound of the front door shutting. I jumped up and looked out my window. Cloud was leaving, he suddenly stopped and looked up at the stars.
"I... Don't get it." he said aloud, then walked off, back to the Slums.
It was late, my every sense was on edge. I slowly tiptoed outside, and looked back at my house. My window. My garden. All of which I would quite possibly never come back too. "What difference does it make?! I'm dead if I go, dead if I stay!" I sighed, I shouldn't yell like that.. I slipped over next to some of my flowers growing in my garden. "What's this...?" Something shiny was behind a small patch of flowers. something red. "Materia..." I snatched it up and slowly began to walk into the Slums.
I fearfully looked around, my eyes widening, everywhere I turned drunks were staggering out of bars, prostitutes were swarming to Corneo's, and hobos were whistling to me on the side of the road. "This is horrible.." I uttered as a very grubby, hobo-ish person began to 'dance' for me. Although it was more like a hobble, drunken stagger, and twirl mixed together. I gave him a piece of 'Chocobo Sage's Gum'. "Do you know where I can find an Auto Rental?"
"Yep.. I've been tryin' ter get myself them big lotto winnin's fer some time now. Try goin' ter 'Tifa's Seventh Heaven' she likes ter supply people like us with them lotto cards whenever Shinra taxes go down." He slumped down onto the road curb and began to smack the gum noisily in his mouth. I could tell I wasn't going to get anywhere with this guy, and as I began to turn away someone called my name.
"Aeris! Hey, Aeris!! Wait up!" It was Timothy, my neighbor. "Huff... He-...Hey Aeris... Huff.. Where-...Where are you going?"
"Tim.. Do you know where I can rent a bike?" I looked at Tim.. He was my age and a nice guy, always helpful, but mostly because of the crush he had on me. "I need to go to Chocobo Sage's.. I er.. Left a blue racing Chocobo there, and I'm thinking about going to the Golden Saucer to get some cash for my Mom's birthday. It's coming up ya' know."
"Oh.. Didn't I tell you, Aeris?? I bought a bike a couple of weeks ago. I was coming to pick it up from Shinra, and saw you. Heh.." He put his left arm up behind his head and scratched his neck, "Would you like to come and pick it up with me? It's got two seats, we can both go to the Chocobo Stable. I'd like to buy some greens and catch myself a nice, strong Chocobo next time I go to the Crater."
I smiled, of course, this was the perfect way to get a bike. I could ditch Tim at the stable, that way he'd be able to catch a Chocobo and ride back here in Midgar. "That'd be great, Tim. Thanks a lot!" He smiled and we both walked up towards Shinra Inc.
"Here it is!" He smiled and turned on the motorcycle's engine, after entering the Shinra building. It was the same bike we stole the night Sephiroth murdered the Shinra President and Rufus took control. Something was odd here.. The Shinra building was empty, except for a Cleaning-Bot. They could only see dirt. All humans were considered un-hostile, unless their weapon was drawn, so the bot took no notice to the two of us.
"Shouldn't there be someone here?? Ya' know.. To make sure you took the right bike?" This didn't feel right.. Something was wrong.
"Naw... They told me to come by during after hours, said they had a very important meeting with the officials of other regions. The biggest, they said, were the High Priestess of Mideel, the Dojo of Wutai." He smiled, but I was still unsure, but tried to smile and make myself feel more calm.
"Haha. Dojo of Wutai? That's Yuffie's dad!" I pretended to laugh at the thought of Yuffie being important in the world, but that just make a ball grow inside my chest. "Err... Well, be better get going... Ok?" I got onto the back of the motorcycle, and slipped a jet-black helmet over my head.
"Ready?!" he called over his shoulder. I gave him a thumbs-up and then wrapped my arms tightly around his stomach. The engine roared and we sped off into the night.