IV
CHAPTER IV
ENCOUNTERS OF FATE
'You alright? Can you hear me?'
"Yeah," mumbled Cloud.
'That time…' the voice continued, like a whisper deep within his head. 'Back then you couldn't even get by with just skinned knees.'
"What do you mean 'back then'?"
'What about now? Can you get up?'
"What do you mean by 'that time'? What about now?"
'Don't worry about me. Just worry about yourself now.'
"I'll give it a try."
'Take it slow, now. Little by little…'
"…I know," he said. "Hey…who are you? Hello? Hello…?"
"Hello?"
Cloud wearily opened his eyes, the great weight that had been set upon them finally lifting. All was white, blinding him, his pupils straining to focus. He felt strangely at peace, as if his physical body had been drained of its senses. He inhaled, effortlessly drawing in a mouthful of refreshing and revitalising air. The white became a haze of gold. He blinked, shapes beginning to form amidst the brilliant rays of sunlight.
Sunlight…?
"You okay?" came the sweet voice again.
He glanced behind him, carefully turning his neck. There, gazing down at him though large, pale green eyes, knelt a young woman. Her expression was one of relief, a calming smile spreading across her angelic features. He relaxed, letting his head sink into the soft earth beneath him. He lay among a bed of white and yellow lilies, the scent of the flowers drifting over him. The girl stood, casually brushing dirt from her dress. After a moment, Cloud propped himself up, leaning heavily on his elbows.
"Where…am I?" he asked.
"This is a church in the outer district of Sector5."
Of course, he thought, the sun…we're not very far from the edge of the city…
Through the stained-glass windows before him, he could see the burning sphere in the east, yet to arc above the Plate. It illuminated an array of colours and shapes, the insignia on each pane recounting various legends of the Gods. The body of the chapel was short in length but very broad, two rows of wooden pews lining the building to the high, arched doorway at its front. One of the tall oak doors had been left slightly ajar, allowing more sunlight to sneak in across the floor. Bulbous columns of ashen marble were located orderly throughout the vast structure like sentinels, holding aloft the sloping pinewood roof.
Behind him, the old alter stood alone on a wide stone podium, a red carpet running up the steps to its base. A single candle had been set on a cloth cover bearing the ancient religious symbol of the elements, the flame flickering gently, a chain of lilies placed carefully around it. Beyond the raised stage, a small doorway could be seen, leading to another room at the rear of the church. As he moved his eyes over the floor, Cloud saw several broken shards of timber strewn randomly around him.
"You suddenly fell on top of me," explained the girl, as if reading his mind, and pointed to the ceiling. "It really gave me quite a scare."
Cloud followed her finger, studying the gaping hole directly above him. The wooden beams that had formed the apex of the roof were now snapped completely, a few hanging loosely over the pews. The space was nothing short of ten feet, the jagged pattern like an enormous wound. He could see the underside of the Plate, the image somewhat blurred by traces of smoke, and the tiny shape of an emergency response helicopter circling beneath. Suddenly, he remembered all that had happened; Barret…Tifa…the Reactor…
"I came crashing down?" he stammered, his mind racing.
"Strangely, you're not the first," she sighed, pausing for a moment as if to reflect. "The roof and the flower bed must have broken your fall. You're very lucky. It should have been enough to kill you."
"What about the Reactor?" he asked. "I fell after the explosion."
"I'm not sure," she frowned, looking up. "I haven't left your side since you landed here."
"Well…uh…thanks…"
"You were thrown quite a distance from the Reactor," she said thoughtfully, shifting her gaze between him and the hole. "It's amazing you landed where you did."
"You mean the flower bed?" mumbled Cloud, slowly sitting up. His back ached slightly, and his arms bore a small number of scratches, but he had escaped from the plunge mostly unscathed. He looked around the small patch, the lily petals glinting in the mesmeric light, their long stems buried deep into the rich brown soil. "Is it yours?"
"It belongs to everyone," she answered, smiling softly, glancing at the flattened area where he had fallen.
"Sorry about that," he apologised, scrambling to his feet, and watched as the flowers he had lain upon slowly began to spring up again. He turned to the girl, astounded by their strength.
"The flowers here are quite resilient," she said, examining the bed, "because this is a sacred place."
"A sacred place, huh?"
"They say you can't grow grass or flowers in Midgar," the girl replied, her voice filled with wonder. "But, for some reason, they have no trouble blooming inside the church. I love it here."
She knelt by the side of the patch, carefully surveying the individual flowers. Before her, a young lily had wilted, unable to rise again under the weight of Cloud. She paused, offering up a silent prayer, and began to gently stroke the stem with her fingertips. Cloud gaped in awe as the flower trembled, and gradually grew into the air, erect above all others, as if a new breath of life had been passed through it by her touch. The girl stood, studying the lily. After a few seconds, her focus returned to Cloud.
"So, we meet again," she grinned. "Do you remember me?"
"You were selling the flowers on the Plate," Cloud nodded.
He had recognised her immediately, and succumbed to the same unusual sensation of familiarity as before. He pictured her as he had seen her at Fountain Plaza the previous week, the night of the Mako Reactor1 bombing. The recollection of her pink dress, covered in dust, flickered in his mind. She was clad in the same outfit now, her red jacket tight across her curved chest. Her brown hair was long and smooth, tied back in a silken pink ribbon, and her fringe was parted, thick strands falling on either side of her perfect face. The girl radiated beauty and affability in abundance, beaming warmly in appreciation of his memory.
"Thank you again."
"Huh?" grunted Cloud. "For what?"
"For buying one of my flowers," she replied. "It was very kind of you…although you didn't really say much after that."
"I had other things on my mind," murmured Cloud.
"I feel like talking now, though," she said heartily. "Do you feel up to it?"
"I've got nothing to talk about," shrugged Cloud. "I don't even know your name."
"Oh, you're right," laughed the girl, slapping her forehead playfully. "I'm Aerith, the flower girl. Nice to meet you."
"The name's Cloud. Me…I do a bit of everything."
"Oh, a jack of all trades," she giggled.
"Yeah, I do whatever's needed."
"Well, now that we know each other's name, we have to find something to talk about. So…um…do you have any Materia?"
"Not really," he answered, surprised by the question. He had not thought of it in a while. "It's pretty difficult to come by outside the military. My sword is powerful enough on its own without having to combine magic anyway. I haven't used Materia in a long time."
Not since then…
"I have some," said Aerith, reaching under the bows of the ribbon on the crown of her head. Easily finding what she was searching for, she held out her hand, inviting him to take a look. In the centre of her palm sat a small orb, no more than two inches in diameter. It had a glazed surface, a thin white mist swirling inside. Cloud had seen many Materia spheres before, but none similar to that which Aerith possessed.
"White Materia?"
"Yup. Odd isn't it?"
"I've only ever used Materia for casting basic spells," he frowned, intrigued, "but most of those were all Magic or Support Materia. What type is yours?"
"It's special," she chuckled. "It's good for absolutely nothing."
"Good for nothing? You probably just don't know how to use it."
"No, I do!" she insisted. "It just doesn't do anything. I feel safe having it; it was my mother's…"
Her voice trailed off, her eyes wandering to the front of the chapel. Cloud glanced up to see a man standing at the end of the pews. He seemed to have passed without sound through the doorway, the shadow of his lean form creeping over the benches like a ghost. He wore an unkempt black suit over a scruffy, unbuttoned white shirt, his bony chest visible even from a distance. His spiky red hair had been tied in a short ponytail behind his neck, a pair of thick-rimmed goggles keeping the thin locks from his sharp features.
"Don't worry about me, Slick," the agent called cockily, his gaze meeting Cloud's. Cloud felt his muscles tense at the very sound of his nasal voice.
"Cloud, have you ever been a bodyguard?" whispered Aerith, her voice shrill. "You do do everything, right?"
"That's right."
"Then, get me out of here," she pleaded, clutching his arm. Cloud looked at her, analysing the fearful expression. The intruder's presence had clearly sparked a growing anxiety within Aerith. "Take me home."
He nodded, slowly beginning towards the pews. The man grinned menacingly, taking a few steps forward. Cloud came to a halt less than ten feet from him, his fists tightly clenched. He stared into his smirking blue eyes, a past hatred swirling inside of him. Aerith appeared by his side, pressing her body against his for protection. Silence fell over the church, the sounds of the morning drifting from afar. At last, Cloud spoke.
"I know you," he snarled. The agent snorted with amusement, rolling his eyes as he turned towards Aerith.
"Hey, sis," he mocked, "this one's a little weird, yo."
"Yeah, I know you," Cloud repeated, his voice fierce. "That uniform…you're a Shinra spy."
He started towards the man, but stopped dead as the sanctuary doors crashed open, two infantrymen bursting inside. They trained their rifles on Cloud's chest as they advanced down the aisle, forcing him to retreat. He grabbed Aerith's wrist, pulling her behind him as the soldiers drew alongside the spy, their weapons unflinching. Not taking his eyes from the rifles, he began to edge backwards, careful to prevent any sudden movement.
"Reno, you want him taken out?" asked one of the privates.
"I haven't decided yet," replied the man, tapping his chin thoughtfully with his fingers.
"Let's get out of here," Aerith whimpered, dragging him towards the alter. "We can escape through the back."
"Stop!" demanded Reno. "Stop or we'll shoot."
"We can't fight here," gasped the other soldier. "Not in the church."
"Our orders are to retrieve the girl, yo."
"You're gonna catch holy hell, Reno."
"Orders are orders," the agent sneered. "And grab him, too…I want to know what the hell he's doing here…"
"Sir, they're getting away," reported the first infantryman, his rifle tracking them around the flower bed.
"Then, follow them! Don't let them escape!"
Cloud and Aerith had almost arrived at the doorway at the rear of the church as the soldiers began forward, a long red banner hiding the corridor beyond. The reluctance of the men to use their weapons in the place of worship was, much to the frustration of their superior, an advantage to the two. With the knowledge that they would not be fired upon, Cloud spun and sprinted through the low doorway, forcing the banner to the side, Aerith at his heels.
The passage brought them to a small bell tower, a single ray of concentrated sunlight blazing through the window at the summit of the sweeping wooden stairwell. Short planks of dry pine rested against one of the circular stone walls, waiting to be added to the scaffolding structure that climbed the interior. At the height of the scaffolding, Cloud could see a golden bell hanging from the rafters, the timber beams linking to form a grid wide enough for them to cross. From behind, the angry shouts grew nearer as the soldiers approached the tower.
"Which way?" said Cloud, frantically scanning the ground for any sign of a trapdoor.
"The window up there," replied Aerith. "We can get to the roof from it."
"Are you sure?"
"This isn't the first time I've had to do this," she answered flatly, making for the steps. "I just hope they don't step on the flowers this time."
They raced up the stairs two at a time, scaling the circumference of the tower with the incline. Below, the privates and Reno charged into the room, immediately spotting their escape. Pushing one of the soldiers aside, the spy snatched his gun and fired. The bullets whizzed inches past Cloud's face, embedding themselves in the thick plaster behind him. Ducking his head as he ran, Cloud lurched up the remaining steps. As he dove onto the scaffolding for cover, he turned, expecting to feel Aerith land at his side.
"Don't let the Ancient get away," roared Reno.
To his horror, Cloud saw Aerith struggling to climb the last bend of the staircase, one of the Shinra soldiers steadily gaining on her. Without thinking, he grabbed the weighted barrel next to him, the load of the liquid inside proving difficult to manoeuvre. Drawing strength from every muscle in his body, he waited for Aerith to pass beneath before hurling the drum over the edge of the scaffolding. It landed hard on the stairwell, shaking it at its foundations, and began to roll. The barrel quickly gathered speed, catching the surprised infantryman with a heavy blow to his stomach, thrusting him backwards.
Aerith joined Cloud moments later, her eyes filled with gratitude. Opening the window to its maximum width, he helped her pull herself onto the metal frame on the outside wall, and up onto the red slated roof. He watched as the defeated Reno called hopelessly out for their surrender once more before marching dejectedly out of the tower, the two soldiers limping behind. Taking his time to make sure the men had vacated the church, Cloud followed Aerith onto the roof.
He found her staring out towards the city limits that lay only a few miles from the chapel, glimpsing the barren plains and jagged mountains beyond the southern entrance to Midgar. The shadow of the Plate was growing ever closer from the west, the sun less than an hour from disappearing over the great disc for the day. Cloud found it odd to see a significant portion of the Plate missing overhead, occupied instead by bare framework, Sector4 remaining several years from completion.
"Do you think we're safe now?" Aerith asked eventually.
"Don't worry," confirmed Cloud, stirred from his thoughts of returning to Sector7, "he won't come after us. I know his type; he'll just go back to his boss and tell him that we got away."
"I hope so," she said quietly, forcing a laugh.
"What's so funny?"
"Nothing," she sighed. "It's just…they're looking for me again."
"You mean this isn't the first time the Shinra've been after you?"
"Like I said…I've had to escape this place before," Aerith said distractedly. "I should really start carrying a guard stick or an umbrella or something."
"Have you any idea who that was?"
"No, why?"
"He was one of the Turks," answered Cloud, his words growing serious.
"What are the Turks?" she asked, frowning. "I've encountered them a number of times, but I've never known who they really are."
"They're a special organisation within Shinra that scout for possible candidates for SOLDIER."
"This violently? They seemed as if they were trying to kidnap me."
"Well, they're involved in lot of dirty stuff on the side," Cloud muttered. "Y'know, spying…murder…that sort of thing…basically anything that the Shinra want kept secret."
"That guy Reno definitely looked like it," she nodded. "Have you met him before?"
"No, but I know that uniform…"
"Cloud," Aerith cleared her throat, shifting uncomfortably, "can I ask you something?"
"What?"
"Have you worked for Shinra before?"
"Yeah," he replied, lowering his head.
"Were you ever in SOLDIER?"
"I used to be," he said, glancing up at her in puzzlement. "How did you guess?"
"Your eyes…" she smiled, "they have a strange glow. It's as if I can see the sky in them."
"That's the sign of those who have been infused with Mako," explained Cloud. "It's a mark of SOLDIER. But…how did you know about that?"
"Nothing…it doesn't matter…"
"Aerith," Cloud pried, his gaze reaching hers, "why are they after you? There must be a reason, right?"
"Maybe they believe I have what it takes to be in SOLDIER," she shrugged.
"I doubt it. It's really difficult to get into, even from the military, and from what I've seen…you're not cut out for it at all."
"Then, I don't know what it is," she said softly, looking down at her small laced boots.
"Okay," Cloud exhaled, not wishing to interrogate her. Taking a firm grip of the slates, he slid down the side of the roof until he came to its edge. Slowly, he peered over at the old road that passed in front of the church. Piles of deserted scrap and abandoned materials lined both sides of the narrow path, the putrid air that rose from the heaps of waste infectious to breathe. "There's a bundle of trash below us. I think we can jump down."
Without waiting for a reply, he swung his legs around and dropped into the garbage. Seconds later, Aerith appeared at the ledge. Shielding his eyes from the falling debris of the roof, he held out his arms to catch her. She jumped, landing against Cloud, and together they tumbled from the refuse onto the road. Cloud quickly clambered to his feet, coughing as he swallowed the swirling dust.
"Sorry," giggled Aerith, allowing him to help her up.
"What now?"
"You said you'd take me home, right?"
"Fine, but it'll cost you."
"Well, then let's see," she said, thinking for a moment. "How about I go out with you once?"
"That's it?" he grunted. "That's your offer?"
"Is something wrong?"
"Look, I usually only deal in gil," he responded, assessing the situation, "but I really need to get back to Sector7, so I'd appreciate it if you could show me the way."
"It's a deal. But, I still get to go on a date with you, right?"
"We'll see."
"Then c'mon, bodyguard," chirped Aerith, beginning along the path, the limits of the city at her back. "My house is this way."
The journey through the Sector5 Slums had taken a great deal longer than Cloud had expected. Aerith had described the village in which she lived to be the last in the residential district before the gateway to Sector6. However, unlike the frail but distinguished paths of Sector7, the two had spent most of their time clambering over the unending mounds of junk under Aerith's insistence that it was a short cut. It had proven a difficult task as the day wore on, the guiding natural light fading as they ventured farther beneath the Plate, replaced only with the distant glow of street lamps and houses.
On more than one occasion, the duo had found themselves accosted by packs of small monsters that lived within the waste. Boundfats – stout, aggressive creatures with rubbery red skin and swollen bellies which had numerous purple spikes protruding from their backs – had sprung from amongst the garbage, their sharp jaws gnashing as they bade for blood. Without the Buster Sword, Cloud had relied on a rusted rod as a weapon as he defended Aerith without difficulty. The sight of the boundfats seemed to upset Aerith, who recalled stories of children that had been attacked while searching for scrap metal to sell, getting too close to the monsters they had mistakenly come to know affectionately as 'hedgehog pies'.
After a few hours of trekking over the piles of filth, the two stumbled upon a wide trail that appeared to be the main road, dissecting the waste by almost fifteen feet. The worn street bore a series of footprints, some evidently more recent than others. They followed the path due west, the vast view of the upper-city's Central Complex looming before them. Cloud could see the lights of a train as it made its ascent to the Plate, appearing briefly before vanishing as quickly as it had come into a section of tunnels over the Sector4 domain.
At last, the street brought them to a residential area in Central Slums. Dozens of shanty homes and shacks similar to those of Sector7 started to spread out along the road, their makeshift walls sagging wearily as if they were on the brink of collapse. Kids ran to and fro about the path, many clothed in rags and torn garments, mockingly fighting each other with wooden sticks. Stray mongrels joined them in their chorus of playful rowdiness, only to be scolded by the passing drunk.
The main road eventually broadened as it approached the bordering Wall between Sector5 and Sector6, offering room for larger and less-neglected houses to mark its perimeter. Under the shadow of the Wall, a side street led towards the sector's marketplace and the entrance to Aerith's village. The marketplace itself resembled nothing more than a junk yard, made up by a number of item, tool and medicine stalls among others, and no longer acted as a route to the Plate as it once had. Now closed off to the public, a gateway had existed here as a passage to the upper-city, with access limited to the Midgar Transit.
With a pleasant wave to the store owners, Aerith led Cloud from the small piazza, guiding him along a small trail towards the village that lay below the Central Complex. A handful of wooden shacks formed the centre of the derelict community, their exteriors dry and rotting, their roofs strengthened somewhat by rigid sheets of rough steel and iron. The area was enclosed by a collection of weathered caravans, most of which were without wheels or window panes.
Many of the villagers had withdrawn to their homes at this late hour, leaving only a few children to play amongst the garbage. Cloud could see a lonely beggar beneath a blanket of cardboard and newspapers sitting against the old well, his only friend the scrawny cat by his side, neither in an apparent state of good health. As they passed, the beggar groaned, hoarsely mumbling something under his breath.
Cloud followed Aerith to the rear of the village, beyond the caravans where the evening news could be heard from the crackling televisions inside. At the boundary of the site, a thin pathway wound for a short distance to the north. It brought them to a large house overlooking a sickly stream, a thick polluting scum sitting atop the still brown water. The building seemed out of place in the Slums, its size and design unique to any other Cloud had witnessed. It was a picturesque home, one without poverty and deprivation. Its walls were of thick sandstone, its clear glass windows and low pinewood door a novelty to its surroundings. Flower pots decorated the window ledges and high redbrick rooftop, the white lilies from the church a spectacular sight amidst the gloom of the lower-city.
Aerith opened the front door and entered, beckoning Cloud to join her. He was met with the thick aroma of baking as he stepped inside, the smell reminding him that he had not eaten all day. The ground floor of the house was an open-plan space, stretching from the doorway to the staircase at the rear of the homestead. The walls were of the same cream colour as the carpet, adorned with framed photographs and paintings. Two long cabinets grew the length of the room, one containing heavy books and encyclopaedias, the other bearing ornaments of varying shapes and sizes. A dining table sat upon a brown hexagonal rug in the centre of the area, with a single vase of flowers placed on the white tablecloth.
"I'm home, mum," Aerith called, taking off her jacket and tossing it over one of the chairs at the table.
"Aerith?" came a voice to their right. A short, dark-haired woman appeared from the kitchen, her eyes filled with relief. Wiping her hands on her white apron, she hurried over to her daughter and embraced her warmly. "I was getting worried about you. You've been gone for days."
"I'm fine, mum."
"And, who is this?" asked the woman, an air of caution in her voice.
"This is Cloud," replied Aerith, letting go of her mother. "He's my bodyguard."
"Bodyguard?" she glowered. "You mean you were followed again?"
"It's not like that."
"Are you okay? You're not hurt are you?"
"I told you, I'm fine."
"I'm sorry, dear," she sighed. "With the terrorist attack at the Mako Reactor and the power being out most of the day…I just wasn't sure…"
"I'm okay," Aerith reassured her. "I had Cloud with me."
"Well, thank you, Cloud," the woman offered a brief bow, her voice less than convincing, not taking her eyes from him. "As you no doubt have guessed, I am Aerith's mother, Elmyra. I'm very grateful to you for helping her get back here safely. I'm cooking supper right now, so you're welcome to stay for something to eat. If you'll excuse me, I'd better get back to it."
"Okay, mum," Aerith chuckled, hugging Elmyra again. Cloud watched as the woman gave him a quick smile, and disappeared into the adjoining kitchen area.
"I think it'd be best if I go," he said quietly.
"What?" gasped Aerith. "Why?"
"I don't think your mum's comfortable with me being here."
"Oh, don't worry about her," laughed Aerith dismissively. "She's just very protective of me."
"I suppose…"
"So, what are you going to do now?"
"Is Sector7 far from here?" asked Cloud. "I need to get to the Seventh Heaven bar."
"Oh yeah, I promised I'd show you the way, didn't I?"
"You've gotta be kidding," spluttered Cloud. "Just give me directions. By going with me, you'd be putting yourself in danger again."
"I'm used to it."
"Used to it?"
"Mum?" called Aerith.
"Yes, dear?" replied Elmyra.
"I'm taking Cloud to Sector7," she said. "I'll be back in a few hours."
"But, dear…"
"I'm going to show him the way."
"Okay, I give up," Elmyra groaned in defeat, appearing at the entrance of the kitchen. "You never listen once you've made up your mind. But, if you must go, why don't you leave it until tomorrow? It's getting late now, and dinner is almost ready."
"Yeah, you're right," agreed Aerith, glancing at Cloud for his approval. He shrugged indifferently. "We'll stay here tonight."
"Then, it's settled," said Elmyra. "Aerith, please go and make the bed in the guestroom. Cloud can sleep in there."
Mumbling something under her breath, Aerith crossed the room and climbed the staircase, the floorboards above creaking as she wandered around. There came a whistling sound of a kettle from the kitchen and Elmyra rushed to lower the heat of the stove. Moments later, she rejoined Cloud at the dining table. Nervously fixing the tight bun she had tied her hair into, she bit her lip, raising her gaze to the ceiling.
"That glow in your eyes…" she said eventually, "you're from SOLDIER, right?"
"Yeah. Rather, I used to be…"
"I'm very sorry about my behaviour," she apologised.
"Oh, it's…uh…it's alright…"
"I shouldn't have acted like that," continued Elmyra. "I really don't know how to say this, but…would you please leave here tonight? Without telling Aerith?"
"Excuse me?"
"It's just…I fear for her safety. I wouldn't like her going with you and putting herself at risk again. Not if the Company are monitoring her."
"So, it's true?" he frowned, keen to avoid being unnecessarily recognised himself.
"Not officially."
"I understand, but I'm not sure how to get to Sector7 alone."
"You need to go through Sector6," explained Elmyra. "There's a gap in the Wall west of here, beyond the marketplace. From there, head north until you reach the gateway to Sector7. Sector6 is a little dangerous, though. There are bandits that hunt in that area, not to mention the security robots the Shinra sometimes test down here…so be careful. I'd suggest you get a few hours rest before you set off."
"Okay," nodded Cloud.
"I'm sorry to have to ask this of you," Elmyra said with saddened words, "but you're not the first boy from SOLDIER she's met…"
"Cloud, can you come up here for a second?" shouted Aerith, her voice muffled as it travelled from the floor above.
"Don't worry," he said, making his way towards the stairs. "I'll make sure she doesn't know."
"Cloud?" sniffed Elmyra. He stopped at the foot of the steps, turning to see a tear roll silently down her pale cheek. "It's just…the last thing Aerith needs is to get her heart broken again…"
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