EIGHTEEN

It took us about twenty minutes or so to reach the main settlement in the Sector 5 slums. It was a collection of ramshackle buildings made of wood, corrugated steel sheets, and assorted bits of scrap metal. They were bolted together to make homes, shops, and other places. Even late as it was, there was still some activity and a few people on the dirt trails that passed for streets down here.

Aerith led me through the place, down one road and then another, until we got close to the northern edge of town. But when we got there, she stopped for a moment. We stood near a long two-story building in the middle of a small field. There was actually some grass here, which I had to blink to make sure it was really there. No doubt Aerith had been involved in helping it grow, just like her flowers.

"This is the Leaf House," she explained. "It's an orphanage. A lot of kids lost their parents during the war with Wutai. So this is their home now. We do what we can for them."

"We?" I wondered.

Aerith smiled. "Well, it's more the house staff than me. I just come by sometimes and bring flowers to make the place look pretty. It makes the kids smile, and I do, too!"

I saw the flower gardens lining the building. "Yeah. It always made me happy whenever Kunsel gave them to me."

"I know," she murmured, taking my shoulder.

The memories were still hard to think about right now, so I pushed them aside with a sigh. "Aerith, I noticed that the air here smells a little cleaner. Not as much mako. The flowers?"

"Yeah. They help keep it away. Another reason I bring them here. I don't want the kids getting sick."

"Shinra's never done anything about the fumes?" I asked.

She shook her head. "No. I doubt they will."

"They won't," I agreed, thinking then about the years that I'd spent in that terrible place. "They don't care."

"It's sad, but that's how it is down here, I'm afraid."

I nodded. "I can see that. And I'm sorry."

Aerith slid an arm around my shoulder. "Thanks, but it's okay. You don't have anything to apologize for. Just because you lived on the plate doesn't mean you're to blame, Jessie. Now what do you say we go home and eat ourselves stupid? Mom's cooking's the best!"

"Lead the way," I chuckled.

There was a narrow dirt road that led past the orphanage and away from town. We took it, Aerith ahead of me, and followed it as it curved toward the central pillar. As we went on, the mounds of discarded junk eventually gave way to dusty slopes as the road climbed slightly higher, and when we finally reached the clearing where her house was, I had to stop and stare, my mouth falling open.

Flowers were everywhere.

I gazed at the place in stunned amazement. The low hill leading up to the house was blanketed with them, all kinds and colors, growing in deep green grass amidst the rocky bluffs. A pair of wooden bridges led across a stream of water that flowed peacefully through the area, and at the back of the little clearing stood Aerith's home.

It was a real house, not like the other buildings I'd seen here in the slums. Roughly six-sided, with a patio, shingled roof, and a balcony up above the second floor. Pots of flowers were hung from the sides of the patio, and a clean cobblestone path led to the front door. Nearby, a real waterfall spilled down the side of the cliff wall and into the stream. The sound of the water splashing off the rocks was incredibly soothing, and I just stood there for a minute to take it all in.

"This is amazing…" I breathed. "You did all this?"

Aerith nodded. "Yep! Well, me and Mom. We work on it every day. She can tell you more about it."

I followed her down the path and into the house. It was clean, very cozy, and warm. Paintings and pictures hung on the dark wooden walls while pots of flowers stood on shelves underneath. In the middle of the main room stood a round oak table with a vase of flowers in the center. Four chairs sat around it, and a set of stairs wound up along the wall to the second floor. On one side of the room was a small kitchen, modest but as neat and tidy as everything else.

An older woman, maybe in her early forties, looked up from where she'd been tending to some of the flowers with a small watering can. As we walked in, she set it on the table, smoothed out the folds of her dark green cotton dress, and glanced curiously at me. The sleeves were long, but she'd pushed them up to her elbows, and over her dress she wore a plain white apron. Her dark blond hair was pulled back into a bun, and she had a pair of soft brown boots on her feet.

"There you are, Aerith," she said, her blue eyes shifting over to her. "I was wondering when you'd be home."

"Had a little trouble on the plate, but I'm okay," Aerith replied.

The woman looked her over. "You're alright?"

Aerith grinned. "I'm fine, Mom. No need to worry. And this here's Jessie. She's my friend. Jessie Jae."

"The actress?" her mom raised an eyebrow.

"Yes, ma'am," I said. "Well, at least I used to be. That life… it's gone now. I guess that name has to go, too. It would only complicate things. So instead, just call me… Jessie Rasberry."

Aerith giggled. "Like the fruit?"

"Sort of," I smiled. "It's my mom's maiden name."

Her mom nodded. "I see. It's nice to meet you, Jessie Rasberry. I'm Elmyra Gainsborough."

I shook her hand. "Thanks, Mrs. Gainsborough."

"Please, just call me Elmyra," she smiled. "No need to be so formal. Anyway, what brings you here?"

"Well, um…" I began. I wasn't quite sure what to say.

Fortunately, Aerith took over without missing a beat. "She's gonna be staying with us for a little while."

Elmyra's hands went to her hips. "Is she now?"

"Yeah. Jessie's new to the slums, Mom. She needs our help."

"Don't you have anywhere to go back to?" she asked me. She wasn't angry, though. I'd been afraid she would be, but instead, she was simply concerned and puzzled, and I didn't blame her.

I sighed. "No, not anymore. Like I said, it… it's all gone."

"I see," Elmyra replied. Then she smiled again. "In that case, make yourself at home, Jessie."

"Um, I will. Thank you again," I said.

Aerith laughed as she motioned to the stairs. "I'll show you to your room, Jessie. Come on!"

After putting her basket down on a nearby shelf, she started up the steps. I followed her, our shoes creaking on the wood as we went up to the second floor. There were more flowers here, in little pots resting on a few small end tables here and there. I took in their pleasant fragrance and allowed it to distract me from the pain for a while.

There was another set of stairs, shorter than the first, that led up to a door that led out onto the balcony. I thought I'd go up there later. But for now, I let Aerith guide me over to the bedrooms. There were three, side by side. The first one, the room nearest the steps, was hers. She let me peek inside for a moment. Floral wallpaper, a dresser with a mirror above it, and a bed with a pink and white comforter.

Then she led me to the next one. "Here's yours. It's the guest room, but you can use it while you're here."

It was a lot like Aerith's room. There was floral wallpaper here, too, but the design was different. The bed looked soft and very comfortable with its white blanket and sheets. It was a twin, smaller than what I was used to—I'd had a nice queen-sized one back home on the plate—but I didn't mind. I was so grateful to Aerith for all she'd done for me, all she was still doing. I looked at her.

"I like it, Aerith," I said, setting my backpack on the floor. "Thanks. I really appreciate, well… everything."

She clapped me on the shoulder. "No problem!"

I sat down on the bed. "So, what now?"

"Hmm…" Aerith joined me, sniffing as she did. "Mmm, smells like Mom's started cooking. So we'll go downstairs and eat in a bit. But you should know that even here in the slums, people have heard of you. I'm not the only one that goes plateside. Lots of people do."

"I'd better change myself up a bit then," I said, thinking aloud. "My hair's a little longer than it used to be. Might as well let it grow out. You know, I had it almost as long as yours once."

She giggled. "Really? It must've been pretty."

I nodded. "Yeah. Before I got back into acting. Had to cut it when I did that, though. So as you can see, I've done this kinda thing before. It isn't easy, but I know what I've gotta do."

"Right. But it'll still take a little while to grow, so why don't you use some hair extensions until it does? It's right at your shoulders now, but it might take a few months for it to get close to where I'm at. You might want to wash out that dye, too."

"Sounds good," I agreed. "If look just different enough from how I do on the LOVELESS posters, I should be able to get by without being recognized. It would take a bit of looking back and forth for anyone to know it's me if we do it right, and most people are too busy doing their own thing to pay attention to stuff like that."

Aerith grinned. "Right. This is gonna be fun! So, any idea how you want it? Styled, I mean. I can help with that if you want. Been braiding my own hair for years, after all."

I thought for a minute. "A ponytail, I think. My mom used to wear it like that sometimes. High up, you know. I always liked it, so I want to try it out myself. I can fake it with extensions until my hair grows long enough for me to have it for real."

"Sounds like a plan!" she agreed. "We'll head on into town early in the morning and hit the shops. Won't be a lot of people out yet, so you shouldn't have to worry about being spotted. Then, after you have what you need, we'll come back here and get you fixed up in your new style. It'll be a whole new you!"

I thought then about the day I'd gone to the Honeybee Lounge and gotten my makeover from Andrea. Once again, I was having to change who I was and become someone else. I wondered if I even knew who I really was anymore. The nerdy computer tech? The famous actress? Or the weapons specialist responsible for so much death? I had never once forgotten what had happened at Shinra, how my work had been abused and twisted to cause so much pain. And I wondered if there was a way I could somehow make up for it.

Maybe it was time I found another path.

I spent the next few days helping Aerith with the flowers. It wasn't really my best skill, but it was something to keep me busy for now, and it was the least I could do after all she and Elmyra had done for me. I'd washed the dye out of my hair that first night after I'd eaten, and Aerith had gone shopping with me the next morning just as we'd planned. We had found some extensions to match my natural auburn, and with her help, I had fitted them on.

Now I had myself a nice long ponytail. Well, sort of. I'd have to use the extensions for a few months until my own hair was long enough to do the real thing, but it would work well enough in the meantime. And I had also bought a few more outfits as well, clothes like the ones Reeve had given me. When I had gone to bed that first night at Aerith's place, I had decided to go through my backpack before going to sleep and do a little inventory of what I had in there.

When I did, I had found a small leather bag filled with coins. And I had known then before I'd even counted them how much there would be. When Reeve had first helped me get set up on my own after I'd left Shinra, he had asked me to set aside a certain amount of the money I'd been able to get out of my old bank account and let him put it away for safekeeping for me. I had done it, not knowing why at the time. Now I did, though. And I was so glad I had listened to him.

It wasn't a large amount, only eight hundred gil, but it was enough to help me get started. I'd still need to find some kind of work to bring in more money and sustain myself. Acting was out, and I hadn't seen a theater down here anyway. So that left my other skills, although I didn't know yet how I'd find a way to use them in the slums.

That changed today, however.

Aerith and I were delivering some flowers to the Leaf House when Tess, one of the teachers there, let out an exasperated sigh from behind the main desk. She was working on the old computer they had there, a Shinra ZX-41 by the look of it. A little beat up, but I'd seen already that most things down here were. I could tell she was having trouble with it, so after I had finished planting the flowers outside like Aerith had been teaching me, I went in to see what was the matter.

"Something wrong?" I asked.

Tess looked up at me. "Oh, it's just this old piece of junk. It's locked up again, the silly thing. We use it for our records, scheduling activities for the kids, that sort of thing. Goes down about once a week. It's a real pain, but it's all we've got."

I nodded. "Mind if I take a look? I'm pretty good at this stuff, and I might be able to fix it for you."

"Really?" she said. "Be my guest."

After she stood up, I sat down in her seat and got to work. It didn't take too long, just had to run a few diagnostics and dig into the system files to make some changes. Aerith came in while I was busy repairing Tess' computer, and after I'd finished my adjustments, I rebooted it and we all waited for it to come back up. When it finally did, it was running just as smooth as could be, not a glitch anywhere.

"You did it!" Tess exclaimed.

I shrugged. "It wasn't much. Just had to fix a few bugs in the OS. It shouldn't go down anymore now that I've patched it up. The ZX series was kinda infamous because of how unstable they could be. So don't go thinking it was anything you did. It wasn't."

Tess smiled. "Well, that's a relief. I don't know the first thing about computers and tech stuff. I just type things in and turn the machine on and off. Seems like you do, though."

"Yeah, I know a few things," I said, standing up. "Like I said before, it shouldn't wig out on you again. But if for some reason it does or you have any other problems, just let me know, okay?"

She sat back down and laughed. "Oh, I will! Thanks!"

After Aerith and I went outside again, she gave me a playful punch on the shoulder. "You never told me you were such a tech whiz, Jessie! Seems you're a girl of many talents."

"I guess so," I said. "I'm just glad I could help her."

"Felt good, didn't it?" she prodded gently.

It had, actually. "Yeah. Using what I know to do some good."

"Exactly!" Aerith agreed. "I think we just found you a new calling, Jessie. What do ya say?"

"About what?" I blinked.

She explained as we walked slowly along the streets of Sector 5. "A lot of folks around here could use someone like you. Someone who's an expert at technology and fixing things but who won't overcharge them, either. You could make some good money and build a solid reputation at the same time. Service with a smile!"

I found myself liking the idea. I liked it a lot. "Yeah, Aerith. I think you're right! But how do I get people to know about me? I'm still pretty new to this place, after all."

"Just leave it to me!" Aerith giggled. "I'll spread the word about the new Miss Fix-It in town. I'm sure Tess will, too. And once you've made yourself a few satisfied customers, they'll do the rest."

"Hmm… Rasberry Repair Services? How's that sound?"

She grinned. "Perfect!"

And that's how my tech service and repair business began. At first, it was slow since not very many people had heard of me yet. But Aerith was, as it turned out, right yet again. After a few weeks, word about me started to spread all around Sector 5. And before long, I had more than enough work to keep me busy.

I was fixing computers, cash registers, cameras, printers—anything electronic and broken, I patched it up and got it working again. And I'd found that people here had a surprising number of gadgets considering how much a lot of them were struggling. I even got the town's outdoor TV working again. I really enjoyed what I did and being able to use my skills to help people and make their lives a little easier. It made me feel a little better about myself and let me forget for a while about what had brought me to the slums in the first place.

Although I wasn't crying myself to sleep every night anymore—I'd stopped sometime during my second week down here—I still gazed up at the plate a lot, thinking of Kunsel. I missed him so much. Sometimes at night, I'd go out onto the upstairs balcony of Aerith's house and look at the steel sky, my engagement ring in my hands. She came out to join me one evening, standing next to me as she rested her hands lightly on the polished wooden railing.

"Thinking about Kunsel?" she asked softly.

I nodded. "Yeah. Do you think I'll ever see him again?"

Aerith sighed. "I don't know. But even if you do, it might not be the same. Time changes a lot of things."

"Have you… seen him? When you're selling your flowers."

"No," she said. "I don't think he goes to the theater anymore. Can't say as I blame him, though. It wouldn't be the same without you. I miss seeing you guys together up there myself."

I did, too. "It was fun. I always liked stopping by to chat."

"Yeah. Things change, though. Always do. It's not easy, but the best thing we can do is carry on and make the best of it. Not get twisted up inside pining over what's gone by."

"It's just hard to let him go," I blinked away sudden tears.

Aerith smiled and slid an arm around my shoulder. "I know, Jessie. Believe me. I still miss Zack, you know. Even wrote him a whole bunch of letters for a while. But he'd want me to be happy, and I know Kunsel would want the same for you."

He would, of course. "I know. I guess… it'll just take time."

"It will. But you'll be okay. Like I told you the night you came here, this is where you're meant to be. I don't know if it's Sector 5 specifically, but definitely the slums. Just a feeling I have."

"You know, I've heard lots of rumors and stories about the slums," I said. "Most of them bad. People on the plate don't seem to like to think about this part of the city much, if at all. But now that I'm here, I see it's not so bad. Just people trying to get by."

Aerith laughed softly. "For the most part. But there are some places in the slums where you'll definitely want to watch your step. And your back. It's not the safest neighborhood to live in."

Reeve had told me the same thing a long time ago. I hadn't left the town yet since I'd first come to Sector 5, but I didn't doubt what he and Aerith had said. They'd both grown up down here, after all. They knew all about the dangers of this place. And although I didn't know it yet, it wouldn't be long before I saw it for myself.

"Hi!" I held out my hand. "Name's Jessie. And yours?"

The girl shook it. "Lena. Good to meet you."

She was a couple years younger than me, probably seventeen or so, with hazel eyes and short brown hair that hung just under her ears. We were at the Leaf House, where several kids sat at a long wooden bench nearby doing activities in the front lawn while Lena and Tess watched. Aerith was at her church tending to her flowers.

"So how can I help, Lena?" I asked.

She folded her arms in front of her. "I hear you're the one to go to if you've got something that needs fixing."

I smiled. "That's me. What can I do for ya?"

Before she answered, Lena pulled me aside, leading me around the corner from the kids and the table. Then she took a small handgun out of her pocket and showed it to me, laying the barrel across her palm. A Shinra .45. Good condition, too.

"Know anything about weapons?" Lena said.

I looked away at first, the sight of the gun bringing back a bunch of bad memories from my time at Shinra. What was this girl planning on doing with it? And why have it around an orphanage full of kids? Lena hadn't struck me as a dangerous person, and I'd seen how attentive and caring she was with the boys and girls here, like a big sister. Maybe she had a good reason for having the gun.

"I might…" I finally admitted, looking back at her. "Why?"

She went on. "I bought this a little while back, and my big brother's been teaching me how to use it. Well, he was until he up and moved to Sector 7 a few months ago."

I was curious in spite of myself. "Why'd you want it?"

"To keep this place safe, Jessie. My brother, when he was still here, he'd been part of the watch. Sometimes he'd take me on his rounds with him. We'd do some target practice on hedgehog pies and wererats, that sort of thing. I've never gone out on my own, though."

"I think I understand. But aren't you a little young to be part of the neighborhood watch?"

Lena smirked. "Only by a year. I won't tell if you won't."

I raised an eyebrow. "What about your brother?"

"Biggs? He'd kill me if he knew, but he doesn't. He's quite a worrier, you know. Does it all the time."

"I take it something's wrong with the gun," I said.

She shook her head. "Not really. I was wondering if you knew how to enhance it, make it pack more of a punch. With all the monsters that roam around these parts, I figure the more firepower I've got on me to deal with them, the better."

I looked at Lena for a long moment. This wasn't Scarlet snarling at me to get to work on some new tool of destruction. I saw then in Lena a little of myself, once upon a time. The young girl whose dream was to create the biggest and best weapons she could to protect the people she cared about and keep them safe.

"I do," I said. "Just promise me you'll only use it for defense."

Lena nodded. "I will, Jessie. I promise."

I knew she would. "Alright, Lena. I'll see—"

"Help!" A young boy's panicked voice suddenly cut through the air behind us. "Somebody, please!"

Lena and I whirled around and ran back to the orphanage at once. When we got back to the front yard with the bench, we saw a boy with sandy hair and brown eyes clutching his bleeding arm while the others gathered around him. While Tess tended to him, Lena rushed over, her eyes wide as she knelt in front of him.

"Oates!" she gasped. "What happened?"

"Maddy and I were in the outskirts doing a bit of exploring to find some new stuff for the hideout when something sprang out and nearly blew us to pieces! We tried to get away from it, but that thing's so fast. I saw Maddy running one way and I went another. I hoped she'd make it back to town, but I haven't seen her."

Lena and I shared a worried glance. "Where did this happen?"

"Over by the abandoned expressway," Oates said.

"Should've known," she sighed. "That place is full of strange things. What attacked you?"

He shuddered. "A house. Something that looked like one."

"What did you say?" I stared at him.

"It was a house. Or a big shed. That's why we were so surprised. We didn't see any monsters around, so we thought it was safe. I know how it sounds, but it's true!"

My blood turned to ice in my veins. I knew exactly what Oates was talking about. A hell house. Had to be. My creation. I remembered we'd had dozens of them built and deployed all throughout the slums when I'd still been at Shinra. And they'd all been redesigned into tools of pain and death without my knowledge.

Now I was seeing the results firsthand.

"I believe you," I said, gazing firmly at him, knowing what I had to do. There was no doubt, no hesitation. "Which way did Maddy go? Do you remember, Oates?"

"North, but I don't know if she made it very far."

That was all I needed to know. Leaving Lena and the others, I went down the street to the weapon shop as fast as I could. They didn't have much, but it would do for now. Grenades, a small handgun like Lena's, and some ammo. I hadn't fired a weapon since I'd left Shinra and their indoor targeting range behind, but fortunately the hell house made for a pretty easy target. I'd never had to take one down before, though, and I didn't know for sure how much firepower I'd need.

But one way or another, I was going to destroy that thing.