Chapter Two

by: Micci McGuire

Aeris walked inside her home and her mother ran to her.

"Oh, Aeris! Where have you been! I was so worried. I thought the Turks had gotten you!" she exclaimed.

Aeris hugged her mother and shook her head.

"It was close Mother, but I have a guardian angel. And he saved me." she said, smiling.

Ifalna backed up a step to watch her daughter closely.

"What do you mean, guardian angel?" she asked. Aeris sighed.

"Momma, I was so scared when I realized it was dark. When I left, this man grabbed me and was trying to rape me until the Turks showed up and killed him..." She explained when happened next, making Sephiroth out to be a knight in shining armor instead of a killer.

But Ifalna saw right through her stories.

"Aeris, are you crazy? This man does not sound like someone wanting to save you on a daily basis. It sounds like he is trying to trick you into thinking he is good! What have the elders said? That you should run! Exactly! They are always right, my daughter, and soon you will learn to trust them..." Ifalna sighed, seeing the disappointment in her daughters eyes.

"But mother, he was not lying! I saw his soul through his eyes and he means me no harm! The elders just don't see that!" Aeris argued.

Ifalna shook her head. "Aeris, you must listen to me. The elders are always right and they are trying to do what's best for you..." she pleaded.

Aeris set her foot down angrily.

"Mother listen! My senses always tell me when there is danger before the elders. So why when Sephiroth was protecting me didn't my senses go off?" Aeris stopped when she saw her mothers face.

It was full of horror.

"Sephiroth!" she exclaimed.

"Yes mother. Sephiroth protected me." Aeris said.

Ifalna grabbed her daughter's arm forcefully.

"Aeris, have you lost your mind! You are NEVER to go near him again! He is worse than the guy you told of. How could you even think he is good? He will kill you at the first chance! NEVER go near him again Aeris! Do you hear me?" Ifalna said, squeezing her daughters arms tighter and tighter.

Aeris felt the tears come to her eyes, and she yanked her arms back.

"I hate you..." she whispered angrily, before turning and running up the stairs to her room.

Ifalna watched her leave and sighed.

"One day, child, you will see why I am doing this." she said softly.

Aeris ran to her room and slammed the door, collapsed to her bed and started crying. She cursed the planet and all the elders and cried herself to sleep.

When she woke the next morning, Aeris looked out her windows to see the birds flying and chirping happily. The flowers on the ground seemed to be beaming up at her. She smiled at the scene, then remembered last night. She was so mad at her mother. Why couldn't she just understand that for once, she knew what she was doing! Aeris stood and stretched, then took a shower and braided her long honey brown hair and got into a long pink dress and her gardening boots. She went downstairs, and without a word walked out the front door.

Ifalna watched her leave and sighed. Aeris marched to church, and went all day through her work, refusing to think about her mother.

Suddenly, way above her, she heard something crash and she screamed, jumping back. Down came a body, crashing into her flowers. She screamed again and looked at the person. It was a guy, with spikey blonde hair and wearing a dark blue suit. Her first thought was a Turk, but the suit was different. Aeris leaned forward and touched his face.

"Hello?" she called out. What was she thinking? He must've fallen from the plate above. There was no way he was alive. But suddenly he stirred, turning over.

Aeris gasped.

The flowers must've broken his fall!

So the planet wanted him alive... Aeris leaned forward and touched him again.

"Hello?" she called out. The man opened his eyes, which were bright blue, touched with Mako, just like Sephiroth's. Aeris smiled at him.

"Hello." she said cooly, then leaned back and stood up. He sat up and rubbed his head.

"Where am I?" he asked in a deep voice.

Aeris smiled. His voice reminded her of Sephiroth's.

"You are in my church." she answered softly.

He studied her for a moment, then nodded and looked around in wonder.

"Who are you?" he asked. Aeris smiled.

"I am Aeris Gainsborough. Who are you?" she asked.

He closed his eyes, as if trying to remember.

"Cloud Strife." he replied after a moment. Aeris stood.

"Well, Cloud Strife, you are one lucky man." she said. Cloud looked up at her in confusion.

"You must've fallen a long way to end up in my church. But My flowers have broken your fall, and you are alive. The Planet must want you alive for some reason. You are lucky." she said.

Cloud just watched her, trying to make sense of her words. Finally he nodded, and stood up, his senses finally regained. He shook his head to shake off any drowsiness and looked at Aeris.

"Were you in SOLDIER?" Aeris asked. Cloud looked at her in surprise.

"SOLDIER? Yes. I was in SOLDIER First Class. How did you know?" he asked. Aeris shrugged.

"Your eyes." she replied.

Cloud sensed she didn't want to talk about it anymore and was quiet. After a few moments, he grew restless.

"Where are we again?" he asked. Aeris walked over to her flowers and continued about doing her work.

"You are in my church, in the Sector 6 Slums." she said.

"Do you know how to get to Sector 7?" he asked. Aeris nodded.

"Give me a moment to finish working and I will tell you." she said.

He turned towards her, and the door opened noiselessly behind him. Aeris looked up and saw Reno walk in.

Her heart jumped up in her throat. She continued working as if she didn't see him and he sat in one of the pews.

"You said you were in SOLDIER? So you can fight right?" Aeris asked. Cloud nodded.

Aeris stood and clapped her hands together to get the dirt off. "I will get you to Sector 7 if you do me a small favor." she said, fear getting to her.

Cloud sensed her fear and looked at her quizzically.

"What?" he asked.

"I need you to be my bodyguard."

Cloud watched her closely. "For what?" he asked.

"You know, to protect me against things I can't protect myself against." she said, glancing at Reno.

Cloud followed her gaze and when he saw Reno, his eyes narrowed. "What are the Turks doing here?" he asked.

Aeris just gave him a helpless look. Cloud nodded.

"I will be your bodyguard." he said. Aeris nodded.

Reno stood and began walking towards them.

"This way." Aeris said, turning and running through a back door. Cloud watched Reno for a moment, desperately wanting to know what he wanted with Aeris, but instead he turned and ran after Aeris.

"After them!" he heard Reno yell. Cloud followed Aeris through what seemed like a maze. Cloud jumped across a huge gap in a staircase. Aeris lingered behind.

"C'mon Aeris!" Cloud yelled. Aeris turned and saw three Turks, creeping up behind her.

"I can't do it!" she exclaimed. Cloud turned and ran up the stairs without her.

"C'mon Aeris! You can do it!" he exclaimed. Aeris shook her head. She was too scared to fall.

"Cloud!" she called in fear. She turned, giving up on jumping and faced the three Turks. They smiled.

"Come with us and you won't get hurt." one said.

Aeris shook her head. Suddenly a barrel fell from the rafters and landed on it's side between Aeris and the Turks. It then rolled down the staircase, knocking the three Turks off. Aeris looked up and smiled at Cloud, who had knocked the barrel off. Cloud came back down with a broken piece of wood and Aeris walked across. When she reached him, he led the way back up into the rafters and they crawled out through the roof of the church. They jumped across piles of trash until they reached the dirt path and saftey. Aeris bent over to her knees and panted.

"Why do they want you Aeris?" Cloud asked. Aeris looked up at him.

"I guess they want me to join them?" she asked, question in her voice. Cloud shook his head.

"No. You are not fit to be in the Turks. Not by their standards. Besides, the Turks are kind of like a collection agency. Someone else wants you. The Turks are just collecting you for them. Do you know who it might be?" he asked.

Aeris's mind flew to Hojo, but she shook her head.

If Cloud was SOLDIER First Class, she didn't him to know she was an Ancient until she trusted him better. She shrugged.

Cloud sighed and looked at her. "Ok. Where is Sector 7?" he asked.

"This way." she said.

He followed her until they came to an opening, but there were people in the way, all arguing. Aeris sighed.

"They won't leave for awhile. It'll be dark soon, why don't you come to my house with me. Mother will be more then happy to let you sleep in for the night, and in the morning I will take you to Sector 7." she said. Cloud shook his head.

"It's all right. I can take it from here." he said. Aeris shook her head.

"Please." she asked. Cloud knew better than to argue, so he nodded and followed Aeris home. They stepped in the door.

"Mother, I'm back!" Aeris called.

"That was fast. Did the Turks give you...Who are you?" Ifalna came around the corner and stopped short when she saw Cloud.

"Mom, this is Cloud. He saved me from the Turks today." she said.

Ifalna did not smile, or say hello, or give thks for saving her daughter. She stared at his eyes.

"You are in SOLDIER, no?" she asked. Aeris glared at her Mother in anger.

"Mom, he saved my life! The least you can do is be happy and not accuse him right off the bat!" Aeris yelled, then stomped off to the stairs.

"Cloud is staying the night, and in the morning I am taking him to Sector 7! End of story!" Aeris yelled, then ran upstairs. Ifalna sighed.

"Do excuse her. I angered her last night and she has not gotten over it...Cloud...was your name?" she asked.

Cloud nodded uncomfortably.

"Please Cloud. Leave. Right now. Aeris does not need to be drawn in to anything you can offer her. Please leave now, before Aeris is drawn in too far." she said.

Cloud looked at her in amazement. Aeris came down the stairs.

"It's dark now. Cloud, I have readied a room for you. This way." she said. Cloud shrugged to Ifalna, who threw him a threatening glance, then followed Aeris upstairs.

He saw it fit to not tell Aeris of her mothers bidding, but just went into the room Aeris had prepared and fall asleep.

He woke early the next morning and crept downstairs, careful not to wake Aeris and snuck out the door. He walked all the way to the opening Aeris had showed him.

He froze when he saw Aeris standing there, her back to him, admiring something on the wall. She seemed to sense him there and turned.

"Ah! You are here!" she said.

Cloud stared at her in disbelief.

"How did you get here? You are asleep when I left!" he exclaimed. Aeris just laughed.

"Sector 7 is this way." she said.

Cloud sighed, and followed her through a maze of broken walls and trash everywhere. Finally, they reached what looked like a playground. Two huge doors lay ahead.

"There you are. Sector 7." she said. Cloud smiled.

"Thank you Aeris." he said.

Aeris nodded and walked with him to the doors. She sighed. "Now all we have to do is wait for them to open." she said.

She retreated back to the slide and crawled up and sat on top. Cloud followed her and sat beside her. She realized suddenly, that the whole time she was with Cloud, she hadn't thought about Sephiroth once. She sighed and looked at Cloud.

"Why do you want to get to Sector 7 so bad? What is waiting for you there?" she asked. Cloud sighed.

"My friends. Barret and Tifa...Jessie, Wedge, and Biggs. AVALANCHE." he said slowly. Aeris nodded.

They talked for another twenty minutes, until a loud thud was heard and both stood up, staring at the door.

Suddenly, the two huge doors opened.