A Past Long Forgotten, Chapter 3: Connections
Cloud Strife sat at the edge of a barstool in Kalm. Since the destruction of Meteor and Sephiroth, the world's heroes had drifted farther and farther away. Of course there was the occasional chance meeting or reunion, but it wasn't expected or regular. He and Tifa lived together in Kalm, being the only two members of the party without anywhere else to go. Once Reeve had begun to rebuild Midgar, the two had no desire to remain there.
The two rebuilt the 7th Heaven in Kalm and had started a successful business. The two had gotten a lot closer; one may even call them a couple. The local copy of the newspaper in front of him, Cloud wasn't surprised to see yet another article about Aeris and Sephiroth. They were both celebrities for the most part; rumors of them still being alive were not uncommon. He looked down at the bottom of the article, finding a picture of the author. A young shorthaired brunette with a pair of black framed glasses smiled brightly. She claimed that Aeris and Sephiroth were still alive, and living in Midgar. Cloud rolled his eyes.
"Hey Teef." He called. Tifa stopped wiping off the bar counter and walked over.
"Yeah?"
"Check out this article, apparently someone else thinks Aeris and Sephiroth are still alive." Although he sometimes dwelt on Aeris, and hoped that she could somehow be alive, Cloud had stopped blaming himself some time ago. He realized she wouldn't have wanted him to waste his life in that way. Tifa's eyes scanned the page and she shook her head. "Probably some cult worshippers dressing up as them or something." Cloud shrugged, "I guess so."
Something didn't feel quite right.
Aeris walked through the streets of Midgar; she had been here for nearly a week, walking the same streets with the same basket of flowers. Something about brightening people's days with a bright pink blossom brought her joy. Although she made a little money, that didn't seem that important. She had enough money to get by.It didn't matter how many gils she had so long as she could make someone's day a little happier.
She looked up at a giant scrolling marquee, the play Loveless endlessly rolling across the screen. Her thoughts drifted to Sephiroth. Besides occasionally seeing him in the streets, Aeris still hadn't talked with him.Without watching where she was going, she bumped into someone or something, falling backwards and scattering her flowers.
"I'm so sorry. I wasn't watching-" She looked up to find the source of her reverie right in front of her. Sephiroth started at her intently for a moment before beginning to pick up her flowers. Aeris blushed at her clumsiness, scowling at herself.
"It's not a problem." Sephiroth began, "What are you doing with all of these flowers?"
"I sell them." She began, "Would you like one? They're only a gil." Sephiroth fingered a delicate blossom, the smooth petals feeling like silk against his callused hands. He wasn't happy to find that she had been selling flowers, it was unsafe in such a place as Midgar, where many a man would find that she could offer much more than a simple flower.
He stood up and handed Aeris her basket, minus the flower he had been holding. "Well?" She asked, putting one hand to her hip, the other holding the small basket. She smiled at him, waiting for his answer. Without speaking, he pressed a gil into her palm and held onto the flower in his hand.
"Thanks Sephiroth." She pocketed the gil and smiled. "Walk me home?"
He nodded, "To the church?"
"No, I found a nicer house. it's abandoned, it reminds me of something, but I'm not sure what." She shrugged, obviously strugglingwith her amnesia. Sephiroth stared at her for a moment, before sighing. She was so honest and sincere, he decided to tell her about his own problem when they reached her new house in the slums.
It was a short walk made longer by Aeris' constant stopping to chat and offer flowers. Sephiroth patiently walked alongside her, giving any suspicious characters looks that scared them off without another glance.
Aeris took Sephiroth by the hand, startling him. She blushed at his expression and grinned. "Hurry up! Wait till you see it!"
She led him to a house, one where sunlight leaked through the upper plate. It was a bright spot in the dark and dreary city. It was Aeris' old home; of course Elmyra had gone, she lived near Barrett and Marlene in Corel, having adopted the little girl almost as a child of her own. Suprisingly, it had survived all the time they were on their adventure, although a few things were missing, it still remained unoccupied. Aeris had fallen in love with it the moment she saw it; she had spent the greater part of a week cleaning it and making small repairs. The bright blossoms that seemed to bloom with no effort around it made it all the more attractive to her.
Sephiroth looked it over with satisfaction. It certainly fit her character. The bright house was perfect for one so pure as she was. The more he examined it the more he liked it. Mentally he took a picture of it, if he were to visit Aeris, he would have to remember exactly what it looked like and where it was.
He let her pull him inside and usher him to the table. She fumbled around the kitchen, trying to remember where she had found the coffeepot the past day. Before she had time to ask Sephiroth what he liked, there was a knock at the door.
Aeris looked to Sephiroth and shrugged, then went to answer it. Sephiroth was about to protest, knowing very well what kinds of people could've followed her home, but the door opened to reveal a young lady with short brown hair, black framed glasses, and a precariously balanced pile of papers and pens in her arms. She was the reporter from Cloud's newspaper, there to inquire about Aeris and Sephiroth.
Author: Hi Guys! Glad you're still reading. I apologize for the delay and the short chapter. I know where things are going, but I'm just trying to work and make sure they aren't going too fast. Feel free to send me and email or review if you have any comments or suggestions. Thanks for Reading!