AN: Hello everyone! Welcome back to chapter five. So, to bluntly say this, I really need to do this fast because I'm losing le inspiration, and you know that I wouldn't want to have that. I'm already banging my head on the wall because of this cancer. DX Type 3 Writer's Block is a serious thing too, you know! Oh, and Happy Holidays, everyone~ Oh yeah, before I forget...There is also another reason why I'm late for this. T/T Something went wrong with the Manage Stories Section so I had to delete the cover photo of the story...

Disclaimer: I don't own Final Fantasy VII. Just me, myself, and I.

To Lethum: I'm back with a vengeance! Or rather, just motivation...*sigh* Thanks for your reviewer!

To anon: Hai! I swear I won't give up on this! ^O^ Thank you for your reviewer!

To EmperorPalamecia: I'm so so so sorry for the late chapter! T.T And this too...I hope it's okay! Thanks for your review!

To artorias19: Aww...thank you for your review! And here is the next chapter, I hope it's okay for you!

Please read and review, thanks!

Enjoy Save File No. 5

~Rivai

Save File Five

...

{You all right?}

Huh… it's you again…

{Haha… yeah, me again…}

Your voice is funny though; not anything like Aeris…

{You like that girl, am I right?}

Mhm…dunno…

{So, can you get up?} I felt my fingers moving by their own accord, as I tried to reach out for the voice.

I'll try.

"Oh! It moved!"

{There, how about that? Just take it slow, little by little…} My head's starting to clear up while my vision is going steady.

"Hello, hello?"

Aren't you ever going to tell me who you are..?

"Hello, hello!"

{Soon, dude, soon…}

I slowly forced my eyes to open, my eyelashes fluttering gently. It was bright, no; it's sunlight, seeping from the hole at the ceiling. The air smelled strongly and yet at the same time faintly, of flowers and tilled soil. Adjusting my head a little to gaze at my body, my eyes caught the sight of beautiful, emerald green orbs staring back at me. I blinked to myself. "Wow…I'm alive…" I muttered to myself as Aeris gasped at me in surprise.

"N-Noel..?" She leaned forward to get a better look at me while I quickly inched back, my face as red as a rose. Damn, Aeris looks so cute… "Yeah, haha, we see each other a lot more often, my flower lady." I gave her a small grin when she beamed at me warmly.

"You okay?" The flower girl gingerly took my hand and carefully hoisted me up on my feet. My body ached as I secretly winced. "This is a church in the Sector Five slums. You suddenly fell on top of me. You really gave me a quite a scare." She placed a hand to her chest and breathed a sigh of relief while I looked around. I remembered that time when I was playing Crisis Core, the Church scene was the best, because the place looked as beautiful as the flowers and the lady. Sunlight coursed from the hole above, while a few were able to shine a light on the pews, making them seem uncharacteristically holy. The altar and the wall behind it has cracks, but still remained strong. The flower bed, however, is the most wonderful thing I have seen so far. In the game, it only showed a different angle of the bed, but now, I realized how big it is, and I'm amazed that Aeris can handle this all too well…

"Flowers…" I knelt down to touch their silken petals while Aeris sat beside me. "They say grass and flowers can't grow in Midgar, but for some reason, they have no trouble growing here…" She then began to arrange the little ones into place. "I love it here…" She nodded to herself while tending to the flowers. I helped her to it, even though I'm clumsy when it comes to gardening. The flower lady laughed at my actions and guided me to it.

"So, we meet, once again." There was a playful smile at her face while I, too, smiled wanly. "I'm always famous when it comes to the ladies~" I winked at her when she blushed, earning myself some self-rewarding points. The pink clad girl rubbed the dirt from her dress and stood up as she clasped her hands together. "Say, do you have any Materia?" I shrugged at her, all the while flicking up my Ice orb between my thumb and my index finger.

"Nowadays, you can find Materia anywhere." Calmly saying while creating a small ice crystal on my palm. It was shaped into a somewhat jagged form of a star, but Aeris seemed amazed by this. "Amazing…but, mine is special. It's good for absolutely nothing." My gaze landed on top of her head, at her ribbon, which housed the famous White Materia. If only it didn't fell off from her hair that time when she…

I shook my head at the thought. Can't think about that now… "Nah, you probably don't know how to use it." Quoting Cloud's line seemed easy enough as she slowly quavered her pretty head. "No, I do. It's just that it doesn't do anything…" She turned away and looked up to the ceiling, where the precious light is coming from. "I feel safe just having it…it was my mother's." I quieted at this one, because I already knew what happened to Ifalna.

Aeris… "Say, I feel like talking. You up for it?" Aeris turned back to me with a radiant smile, almost making my nose bleed. Damn… "After all, we're always meeting and seeing each other, we should get to know each other this time." I shrugged again at her with my smug face. "I don't mind..!" The girl smiled once again at me when she knelt back down to check her flowers, asking me to wait for a bit. I chuckled at how cute she looked, ah, how I wish I could hug her. Gah, fan boy alert, code red! Code red!

"Oh, now that you mention it, Noel?"Aeris motioned at me as I inclined my head at hers.

"Yeah?"

"Did you find some work already?" Hm…should I say that I'm now working for AVALANCHE, Shinra's most notorious terrorist group?

I bobbed my shoulders in reply, "Eh, I'm a freelance mercenary now, but I just did a bit of everything."

"Oh! A jack of all trades..!" I nodded at her and smirked cheerfully.

"Yeah, I do whatever's needed…" Aeris giggled at me while I slyly pretended to look hurt and pouted, "What's so funny?" She stopped laughing and wiped her eyes, "Sorry, I just…" Suddenly, before Aeris can continue speaking, there was a loud creak at the door while I whipped my head to the source, instinctively starting a battle stance with a hand positioning over my gun. The figure at the door was hard to make out, since the angle here is so different, but with that wild red hair, I could tell that bastard of a Turk, that that is Reno. I could hear Aeris inching towards me, and held the edge of my windbreaker, her face scrunched up in anxiousness.

"Say, Noel, have you ever been a bodyguard?" I turned to her and gave her a serious yet calm look.

"I haven't been one, but I can fight." That was practically true for I'm not Cloud yet I have the power to protect her even.

{Oh really?}

The flower lady nodded at me and said seriously, "Then, get me out of here. Take me home." I tilted my head to the side while Reno began to walk towards us.

"Sure, but that'll cost ya." I grinned at this. No way can she refuse this part.

"Hmm…" The girl pondered a bit and replied with a gracious smile, "then I'll give you one date." I smirked happily and turned to face the red head, an enthusiastic nod given to her.

"Deal."

Finally, Reno spoke. "Hey, Aeri, who's the weirdo?" Aeri? Weirdo? What the..? I growled at the Turk all the while taking my revolver from its holster and pointed it at him, earning myself some glares from the Shinra guards coming in and a cool stare from the other. "Shut up, Shinra spy..!" Grabbing Aeris's hand from behind, we slowly backed away into the center of the church, Reno and his lackeys following us.

"Want him taken out, Reno?" One guard said as he bashed a fist against his palm, ready to attack. Reno, however, lazily waved his hand and cocked his mag-rod. "Hold your drawers, yo. I haven't decided yet." His red eyebrows were slanted a bit as he raked a hand through his hair, watching me and the girl with his cobalt eyes. I protectively squeezed her hand and signaled her to run.

"Don't fight here!" She exclaimed, still tense with the turn of events. "You'll ruin the flowers!" Together, we ran out of the place and to the ruined door leading to the backroom, leaving Reno to gaze at our backs.

The red headed Turk stepped forward, onto the flower bed and thought of something. He already knew about AVALANCHE's background, but this guy… He shook his head and pondered again. "They were Materia-infused eyes…" There was no file about this one, the one with the fierce green eyes that glowed like the power of the Ancients. There was something off and yet at the same time, mysterious about him.

Reno took out a cigarette, hoping that at least he bought them some time to escape. In all honesty, he does not want to mess with Shinra, nor does he want to ruin innocent lives. So far, he's done nothing but that, especially when it comes to either interrogations and/or mercy killing. He heard enough cries and pleas of pity.

Oddly enough, it's hard to hunt someone who has saved your life, and gave you a home too. Reno looked away from that memory, almost hearing that voice, that sweet and kind voice who at least showed him that kind of happiness here in the slums.

The cloud of nicotine relaxed his thoughts and merely ignored the guards' protests of looking for them. He's only doing his boss a favor, that's all. 'Alright, if this mission's done, I'd want some free rounds with Tseng and Rude.' Figuring that it would be that time already, Reno put out the cigarette and stomped his shoe over it, snuffing it out completely between the grass and the flowers. 'Tch, flowers and smoke ain't my thing,' He gestured for the guards to get ready. 'But if it'll help save sis's life, then I'll do it for him, and especially for her.'

Once again, he waved his mag-rod and ordered, "Yeah, all right, back to work, back to work..." He walked over the flowers and towards the backroom, when he suddenly forgot something and came running back, not letting his shoes touch the flower bed.

"Don't step on the flowers." The Shinra guys sweat dropped.

"Hey! You just stepped on them!"

"They're all ruined!"

"You're gonna catch holy hell!"

'Best to not let Tseng knew about this too.' He shrugged at their outbursts and continued on.

"Damn, I was wondering where they went." I gritted my teeth as I heaved and helped Aeris onto the roof of the church, carefully minding to watch my step or all else I will fall to my death. The flower girl timidly sighed and rubbed her elbows, "Ha…ha…They're looking for me again…" I stared at her incredulously and sighed. I don't really like quoting Cloud's lines in here, but it'll have to do.

"This isn't the first time they tried to get you, is that right?" I saw Aeris flinch at this, but nodded nonetheless. I continued, "They are the Turks, they scout out for possible candidates for SOLDIER. And they're also involved in some dirty cases like assassinations and kidnappings. I wonder why they're after you…" I stood up and stretched my arms, taking in my surroundings. The slums are practically a dump, just like Sector Seven, but that place's is even cleaner than this. I held out my hand for Aeris to hold as I placed my gun back on its holster.

"Maybe…maybe I'm a possible candidate for SOLDIER!" She brightly exclaimed to lighten up the mood as I simply smiled at her. She is certainly a delight to be with… "Alright, let's go!" I grabbed her hand again as we jumped off the roof of the church and into the cluttered houses of the slums. The adrenaline rush was enough to make her squeal in excitement as we passed houses and chimneys, avoiding from slipping and falling from the rusty metals, finally at last, we reached something that we can climb down to. I jumped down first, since I was a little unsure if it's either safe or not. But seeing though as I didn't die from the collision, Aeris followed me suit as we stepped back to catch our breaths.

"Gah…that…that was fun…" I breathed noisily while the flower girl clutched to her chest. I looked over at her and grinned, "Funny, and I thought that you're cut out for SOLDIER." She gazed back up at me with a cute pout.

"Oh! You're mean..!"

Damn, Zack, you lucky bastard… I stretched and cracked my joints into place while I surveyed the place. The ground is kinda muddy, probably because of the rain, and it stunk like wet metal. Placing a hand to cover my nose, I only dared to think that this place is so nostalgic to my memories as a boy who once lived in the squatters and went through all this junk and mess. Just as I was about to throw up, Aeris comfortingly placed a hand on my shoulder and gently shook me from my thoughts. "Thanks, Aeris." I smiled once again as I walked her home, one hand perched on my holster in defense against Vices and Hooligans who knew more than one ways to steal my hard earned Gil, while the other holding ever so tightly yet snug onto her own.

"My house is just around the corner here…" We passed by the Slum stores, which was as hectic and noisy as Sector Seven, but livelier and even has kinda of a homey atmosphere here. There are children in raggedy clothes playing tag, as well as older patrons out at their doorstep, drinking and laughing. Aeris waved at one of the kids running near us while they giggled as the elderly cheerfully teased us being young lovers. At this, we hastily stood a small distance between us, both of our faces as red as tomatoes while they chuckled at our actions. God, awkward…

Once we stepped out of the small environment of the place, we reached that aura of light coming from the corner. I shielded my eyes from the bright light, and was awed by the magnificent sight that waited for me. The young woman moved forward and clapped her hands together, "This is my house, Noel, make yourself at home..!" I looked almost like an idiot with my mouth hanged open. The area's large, not too much, about the size of a small field, but big enough to describe its beauty. There was gushing water, a waterfall, coming from the back, as well as huge garden occupying much of the area. The flowers are in bloom, and a wafting, fragrant smell was emitting from it. Aeris's cottage looked quaint and fitting for this place. A small, two story building with a tiled roof and European designs. The door creaked as we marched in, an older woman in a green dress and white apron met us halfway. She looked panic-stricken.

"Aeris?" She peered through her shoulder as she stared at us. The flower girl stepped up with a hand waving.

"I'm home, mom." She simply said while turning to me, "And this is Noel, my bodyguard." I gave her an idle salute as Elmyra rushed towards the girl and hugged her tightly.

"Bodyguard?! Were you followed again..? Are you alright?! You're not hurt, aren't you?" She gazed at the both of us, especially me, complete with a scan from head to toe. Aeris gently shook her head and embraced her mother back. "It's okay, mom, I had Noel with me." Elmyra nodded at Aeris while I struck out my hand, glove off, for her adopted mother to shake hands with.

"The name's Noel, ma'am." The woman gingerly shook it as I did so back. "Don't worry, your daughter's in good hands while I'm around." I puffed out my chest in pride, grinning in spite of myself, "I'll make sure she doesn't get into too much trouble." I can hear the girl giggling behind me as the mother sighed and gently smiled. Woot! It seems that she likes me now, huh?!

"Thank you, Noel." Elmyra placed a hand on her chest and bowed at me before taking her leave upstairs, maybe to get something. Leaving the two of us to ourselves, Aeris tapped me on the shoulder to acquire my attention, "So, what are you going to do now?" She asked me questionably as I placed a hand to balance my chin.

"Hmm, I needed to be getting to Sector Seven and meet up with my friends there." I replied, moving to look around the interior of the house. Even in here, it still smelled like flowers… "Cloud, Barret, Tifa and the others might be worried." I said absentmindedly and turned back to look at Aeris, who had a dubious at her face.

"…What?"

"Is Tifa…a girl…?"

"Well, yeah…(?)"

"A girl…friend?"

I quickly snapped my face back at her incredulously, my face turning pink. "W-wha..? G-g-girlfriend..? N-no! No way!" I exclaimed just as she giggled at my actions and stepped forward. Damn, I can't stop staring into her forest green eyes… "Hehe, you don't have to be THAT upset…" She said happily while placing a hand on my shoulder.

"Well, that's nice…" She muttered with a rose tinge covering her cheeks, hiding them from view. I tilted my head at one side and smiled at her comfortingly. "Let's see…Sector Seven? I'll show you the way, again." I chuckled at her, remembering the last time she showed me around Midgar on my first day. It was exhilarating…

"Yeah, right. Getting help from a girl, AGAIN, is pretty much overrated, Aeris. Sorry." I crossed my arms in a feigning, proud air as the girl stomped her feet in accordance to tell me that she's pissed.

"A girl? What do you mean by that? Besides, I doubt you know the ways of the slums here, Noel. You might get mugged, even worse, lost!"

"Alright, alright…sheesh, you don't have to go by pulling my hair!"

"You deserved it!" We laughed heartily as Elmyra climbed back down the stairs. It seems that she heard our conversation and decided to intervene. Protective, much? "Dear, if you're going now, you should get some rest and go tomorrow. It's already late." The three of us gazed at the window, towards the setting sun. Aeris nodded timidly at her mom and went upstairs to fix the beddings, leaving me to her mother (Cough.) alright, adopted mother. I gazed at Elmyra's face and then I realized that she was scowling at me.

"Er…"

"Are you from SOLDIER?" Seriously, why is everyone asking me that?! Oh, wait, I think it was just her. I sifted a small cough and shook my head at her, "No, ma'am. I'm just a wandering traveler looking for adventure." Insert random Dragon Fable quote line here..! I also did a Cloud pose to convince her enough.

"I see…well, if you're going, please do me a favor-"

"To leave without Aeris knowing? I could do that ma'am." Elmyra stared at me in shock as I looked back at her calmly. "How did you know?" She slumped her whole frame to sit on one of the chairs as I raked a hand through my hair again, my green eyes never leaving her normal brown ones.

"Because I want her safe too. She's a precious friend to me now." And it's not like I don't want Aeris to come with us on our adventure. Rather, I'd like to protect her even from Don Corneo. And I swear to Gaea, Aeris's gonna sneak out as well in either way. I turned my back from the woman and strode upstairs to see the flower girl anxiously waiting for me. "Your room's that way, Noel…" She pointed at the farthest door as I nodded at her.

"You need to go through Sector Six to get to Sector Seven. Sector Six is a little dangerous so you'd better get some rest tonight." She explained and I felt a smile curving at my face. She almost sounded like Tifa…

"Yeah… Good night, Aeris."

"Good night, Noel…"

Closing the door behind me, I let out a pent up sigh, wishing to go get some action once in a while. I surveyed the room for a bit and then proceeded to sit on the bed. It was clean but a little stuffy. There are boxes on the sides to create a makeshift sofa while on top of it consisted of vases of flowers that looked radiant. I stood up once again to open the window for a bit, letting in cool air of the night. Lights flickered on and off the streets as the patrons and the children went back to their respective homes, maybe to eat dinner or be with their families. I looked up to the moon that was half hidden from the ceiling and wished to come back home and be with my family. I love being inside Final Fantasy, but I get homesick too much.

It was too hot, so I sat on the windowsill and took off my windbreaker. My Nativus gloves hung on my waist along with my holster and gun. I also stripped off the red band tied at my forehead and used it to wipe the sweat from my brow. "Damn…it's hot…" I fanned myself using my gloves when I noticed something out of the corner of my eye. It was a redhead, darting to and fro from the mess and junk of the place. I widened my eyes at this. What the hell is Reno doing at this hour..?

Silently, I crept off the window and onto the tiled roof, carefully making my way down the cottage and to the ground. I could still see Reno off from the distance, seeing that his red hair looked almost in fire with the way he lurked around. I think it's better to follow him for the moment, and I'll just come back before the sun rises. Keeping my distance from him, I ran and made way to his figure, which seemed to be slowing down when he arrived at a familiar playground. I could almost tell that he's off to Sector Six Marketplace. Whatever he's doing, I have to keep an eye on him.

"Hey, welcome! Take a seat anywhere…" I could hear someone greet cheerfully while another grunted. Seems that Turk went for a drink and I'm just standing in the shadows, looking like an idiot. Shaking my head, I casually walked to the bar, keeping my head down as several older looking men stared down at me with tobacco sticks at their mouths. The smoky atmosphere did little to ease the tension already surrounding me, even the fact that it quieted down once they saw Reno came in. The barkeeper raised an eyebrow at me but I didn't pay attention as I slowed down into a stop behind the red head and took the seat next to him.

"I'll have what he's having." I slapped down fifty Gil on the counter as the bar resumed back to whatever they're doing. Others turned back to their poker while some continued their own crappy gossip. Tsk, how much I missed the Seventh Heaven, where everyone is welcomed to by a hot bar lady and cheery people. Reno lazily looked at me and narrowed his eyes. "What are you doing here?" He slurred, downing a glass of scotch. The barman returned with my change and drink while I clinked my glass to his. "No reason, I gotta have my day off too, you know?" I said in reply as I drank it wholeheartedly. Ah, that hit the spot..! I happily sighed while the other snorted.

"You let your guard down that fast, yo? Gotta give props to that, you have some balls!" Reno cackled while I joined in, calling in another round. Hey, I'm feeling generous okay?! "Dude, my balls ain't gonna be the size of your pints." I countered back as we bellowed in laughter. Man, how Reno gets drunk makes me want to get wasted too.

"Nother' round, chief!" I roared, as the Turk gave a thumbs up and giggled with glee, damn he sounded like a high schoolgirl… "Hey, what's your name, yo?" Hmm, introductions already? So much for keeping a close cover from him. I got the bottle of brandy ready and poured him another drink.

"It's Noel, don't you forget it, red head." I said it as a matter-of-factly, swirling the liquid around, lost in thought. Reno sat up a little properly, but not proper enough to call it, er, 'proper'. "Oh yeah? Why're you in Midgar, anyway?" Damn, gotta think of a way…oh, right!

"Eh, looking for a job. They say Shinra's making good with openings."

"Haven't seen you around…you from backwater?" What is with the questions?

"Yeah, you could say that. Came from Gongaga…" I drank my shot and as I was about to pour another one, Reno said the strangest thing.

"Huh, I knew one person from that place. Shit managed to get your town blown up by that Reactor, huh? Heh," The Turk smirked and I could see a glint from his eye. "that guy's dead anyway, hope his parents there are alright." If you're talking about Zack now, I'm not gonna let you mock him, you jerk.

"Oh yeah? I think I know him, his name's Zack, right?"

"Bullshit, you read my mind!" Reno looked at me with a crazed grin as smacked my back due to drunkenness. Ouch… "You his friend or something? Never mind that," He pointed a thumb to his chest and proudly announced, "You can call me, Reno by the way! Leader of the famous Turks!" He exclaimed loudly, gaining attention from the other people in the bar. Meanwhile, I couldn't keep my fit of laughter from getting out. Oh my god, Reno, you're such a fun guy to be with.

Well unfortunately for Reno, it seems that the Turks aren't welcome in the slums, with the way they're now looking at him with distaste. I already laid out my pay, which so happens to be 2,000 Gil since that idiot can't keep his liquor well and he kept on ordering them using my pay. I quietly snuck out of the place as I heard him getting beat up and thrashed about by the customers there with all the crashes and noises coming on in full throttle. I glanced back at him and evilly smiled, a small wallet clutched into one hand and the other holding up a petite bag full of Potions. Heh, I could now be called a Vice in here with my extra stealing skills..!

I dived back into the mess of buildings and alleyways, making sure that no one is following me. The last thing I need is a Shinra operative out to get my ass. As I ducked out a low archway, I finally found the house and snuck up back at my room. The lights are out, meaning the whole household is asleep, I took one last glance at Aeris's window, half-wishing she'll look out and beckon me to get insider her room.

…

I mentally facepalmed, attempting to hide my face as much as I can while climbing up the vine to my room. But in all sense, and I mean it, that the girls here, are hot. Not sexy hot enough, (cough, Tifa, cough) but cute, innocent hot stuff…(cough, Aeris, cough, Marlene, cough, I'll stop talking now…) I crept inside the room and walked to bed, sitting on it while going through Reno's wallet. Tch, not much to say about his paycheck, I bet he used most of it in liquor and pizza. Although I could consider this a waste, the Shinra cards and his ID will prove themselves worthy when I sneak into their headquarters later. I grinned at my findings and lay on the bed, my eyes closing sleepily as soon as my head hit the pillow.

So…so soft…

{It's been a while, since I had a proper bed…}

You again…Listen, man, who the hell are you?

{You're not ready for that yet…}

Truth is evasive, like it really matters. Anyway, what were you saying..?

I heard him chuckle, almost as if he heard of a good joke. {You always slept anywhere, that right?}

So?

{Your mother is constantly worried about you…}

Mom…I hope she's okay…

{You really don't get it, huh..? That's good, for now.}

…What are you getting at…?

{Nothing, good night, sweet dreams…}

The next day…

I pulled on the blanket to cover up my face, but it's no use, seeing as though a nightmare corrupted my mind with a female Cloud trying to molest me and a Barret in a dress, making tea. I sweat dropped and checked the clock on the wall, telling me that it's already five o' clock in the morning. I threw the covers away and quietly arranged myself for the next part of the adventure. Just as I was about to tie my shoelaces together, there was a slight knock on the door and a hushed whisper, "Noel..?"

"Aeris? What are you doing here..?" I opened up the door and I saw her standing on the doorway, all dressed up with a staff carefully tied to her back. She was smiling brightly at me while holding up a brown paper bag, I suggest they're supplies. "Good morning..! Are you ready?" She said in tranquil, sing song voice while I groaned, trying to mask my morning glory breath, "Aeris, I promised your mom I'd leave without you knowing." I pointed out, but she doesn't seem to hear me. All in all, she just dragged me outside, holding that brown bag with that knowing smile of hers. I refused to show her how damn tired I am, especially this impending head ache coming at me. The girl however, turned back to me with a curious face.

"Last night I heard something, like a gunshot…" I sweat dropped again and waved my hand at her.

"E-eh, it's nothing. Alright..! We'll have to grab some breakfast first." I grumbled, my stomach following my mind's command. Aeris giggled as she threw that brown bag, which I caught it while stumbling. "We have breakfast already, silly! We just have to keep going while eating that." She added teasingly while I scarfed down on a sandwich, which tasted pretty good. We left the area and headed off to the hole on the wall, leading to Sector Six. We walked in silence, slightly chatting at times while eating sandwiches stuffed with bacon, lettuce, and tomatoes. You know, it's kinda weird to say that Aeris is older than me when I'm twice taller than her. Although when I told her my real age, she was shocked and at the same time, delighted to hear as well.

"Oh, wow..! You're perfect for a bodyguard!" She lightly punched my arm as I laughed at her. "Hehe, I bet Cloud's a better one than me." I flexed my arm to show her how skinny I am. "He has the muscles and I'm more of a sprinter." I stated softly, chewing a small piece of lettuce. The flower girl gazed at me with wide eyes.

"Cloud..?"

"You met him once; he was with me when I bought flowers from you."

"Oh, I see..! He's a quiet fellow though, he reminded me of someone…" Tch, why is Zack needed to be mentioned too much in this world?!

"Yeah? Well, he's a weird one alright. First he'll be this badass guy, the next he'll go all emo on us." I sighed while she giggled. Just as I was able to see the sign of the Sector, suddenly, a pack of bandits surrounded us. I quickly grabbed Aeris's arm and pushed her behind me, cocking my gun. "Lookie what we got here, boss. Another day dreamer and a girl." I snarled at the one who said that. Who the hell said I'm some daydreamer bitch!?

"If you don't have anything nice to say, I suggest you leave us the hell alone." I said darkly, mentally wanting to kick myself for not sensing them earlier. Aeris gripped onto my hand as her face creased to a frown and pretended not to look offended from the way the thugs are looking at her.

A large one stepped up, a raggedy cape lamely tied to his neck as he pointed a pipe towards us, "Don't tell us what to do, brat. Now be good, and give us your money and weapons." How nice if I could kick his face for calling me a brat. I rolled my eyes and pointed my pistol on one of them. The others chuckled at me, thinking of how naïve I could be.

"Sorry, pops. But the only thing I could give you," My right glove began to glow a blue haze as I readied the weapon. "is a world of pain!" I grinned sadistically as I fired off several, ice blue salvos, straight to the leader of this so called gang. Everyone looked at me in horror, especially that gang leader and Aeris. Though in my normal self, I should be panicking shitless, but now, that doesn't seem to matter anymore.

Last night…

"Shit, I'm out of bullets..!" I cursed under my breath, eyeing my empty barrel with annoyance. I should have gotten to the weapon's shop when I still had the chance, but if I go now, the store's probably closed. Dammnit, it's almost dawn, I paced around the room, thinking of some ideas. As much as I wanted to fight with my Nativus, I have to be at close range with Aeris in case of emergencies. Sure my spells would be more useful in a fight like that, but I'm not so sure how can I handle that when I'm going to have a major hangover when I wake up.

I sighed as I furiously shook my hair to spring out more thoughts. If I could have some sort of spare ammunition, I should've been to bed by now! I groaned, feeling a dead end in my path. I picked up the gun again, and as stupid as I think, I checked out the hidden areas for some surprise ammo. Of course there are none. "Dammnit, if only some miracle would work in here." I muttered with a curse, examining the gun again. It was then I realized…

"Huh? There are no Materia slots in here…" It's true. I know there are weapons that have no Materia slots, such as normal weapons like Cloud's Nail Bat and Cid's Mop, but this is surprising. I turned it over and over when I noticed again that there is a small hole just by the butt of the gun, almost a perfect cylinder for something to be inserted inside. I held it in firm place, thinking that the god in here is trying to give me some clues in this stupid problem.

"Meow."

"Whoa!" I yelped in surprise and in instinct, I cocked the gun in my hand to the window, where the intruder sat and ruined my night of peace, and pulled the trigger. Immediately, I felt a surge of energy flowing in me, as it was channeled into a current and into the weapon.

"BANG!" All of a sudden, a red blast came out from the weapon, and hit the thing (I now realized it was just a stray cat.) in flames. It's like, a red fireball… "Whoa…" I stared back at my gun in amazement, having found my new found source of power and ammunition.

"This rocks!"

"Aeris, run!" I yelled for her to run as she hesitantly nodded at me while I fired another volley of shots, aiming for the members. The leader called out for retreat as they scampered away like rats. But I couldn't have that and used my remaining Mana to create a powerful shot of ice, which ricocheted from the iron scraps and hit everyone out cold at once. I proceeded to run back to the scared flower girl and placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Aeris! You okay?!" I asked, trying to see some signs if she's hurt somewhere, but she timidly shook her head, slightly shaking from the adrenaline. I sighed as I patted her head, contented to see her safe. I looked up ahead and recognized that we are in the playground already. I turned back to her and smiled wanly, "Hey, want to have some rest over there?" She followed her gaze at my finger, which is pointed to the top of that fat, moogle's slide. Aeris smiled back at me and cheerfully nodded.

"Okay! See you there~" She laughed as she made way to the slide while I followed carefully, straining my ears for any movement coming from looming danger. That was a fatal blow to my book, letting an enemy take advantage of us even if it's not really that bad. I hoisted myself up on the slide and sat down next to Aeris, who was laying out our food on small plates, coming from god-knows-where.

"Whoa, is this a picnic?" I lightly teased at her as she hid her laugh and jabbed me gently on the shoulder. "Not really, I'm just in the mood to pack some of these." She said, pouring out orange juice for me from a canteen and into a plastic cup. We ate and conversed in silence, sometimes laughing at a few jokes I made up. When it was nearly enough time to pack up already, Aeris tugged on my sleeve, "Hey, Noel..?"

"Hmm? Yeah, Aeris?"

"You were great back there…" She said happily, her face flushed with pink. Me, however, blushed as red as the sandwich's ketchup. "Oh..! Uh…yeah, n-no problem…" I glanced away from her, trying so very hard to make my face go back to normal. Just then, there was a loud noise, and the gate to Sector Seven opened. Surprised, I stood up on my own accord and gazed at the carriage coming out. Is it me, or is that blond driver look a lot like someone I knew..?

"Hey, isn't that your friend..?" Aeris also stood up as we both watched that carriage stop for a moment. Huh, seems I was right. The driver looked up at us as he pulled down his fake beard and top hat. "Noel? Is that you?" If Cloud wasn't such an emotional bastard, his eye's would've bugged out. I quickly jumped down the slide and walked up to the carriage, already seeing Tifa coming out to see what's going on.

"Hey, Cloud, what's going on…?" Her voice trailed off when her gaze landed on me. I smiled up at her and produced a small salute.

"Yo, Tif." I grinned at their reactions while Tifa jumped down their ride and hugged me at once, her grip on me tightened. I returned the hug. It clearly shows to me how much these guys missed me. "Noel! Are you all right?! Were you hurt? Never mind, what are you doing here?" Tifa questioned, her face turning to look at Aeris behind me. Cloud was also staring at her too, while the flower girl fidgeted on her spot.

"Oh, her name is Aeris, guys. She saved me when I fell from the plate above." I said while smiling, holding out my hand for her to hold. She shyly came to me and held it gently; while something about her tinted cheeks is making me uneasy about the situation too. "Aeris, these are my friends. This is Cloud," I gestured for the blond swordsman, who nodded mutely at her.

"And this young lady right here is," I turned my attention back to Tifa, when I finally noticed her clothes. It made my nose bleed a waterfall..! It looked like she's not even wearing underwear! It was a violet, although bluish, dress with a deep v-neck line and it only ended up on her thighs. The way I was looking at her made Tifa grasp what I was thinking.

"PERVERT!" And at that, Tifa threw a skull cracking upper-cut at me, causing white hot pain at my jaw and sent me soaring into the air. Landing on the ground with a sickening thud, my arms flailed around to point at her, "A-and that's…that's T-Tifa…" I said weakly, my voice was muffled from the dirt that entered my mouth. Tifa covered her chest in embarrassment as Aeris went into a fit of giggles. Cloud, meanwhile, rolled his eyes and helped me up to my feet, mumbling something about being lucky and unlucky at the same time. When I raised both eyebrows at him, he gave me this look that I understood completely.

'That' time of the month already, huh..?

"You sure pack so much pain in that punch of yours, huh, Tifa..?" I wiped my jaw and snapped it back in place, feeling the bones pacing together. The bar lady fumed at me and looked away with a pout, "Idiot, we were worried about you…" Tifa and Cloud went back to their ride and motioned for us, the flower girl included, to get on with them. Tifa drew up some chairs for her and Aeris to sit on the back near the front while I sat with Cloud and handled the Chocobo reins.

"You've picked the perfect time to do that…" I said sarcastically but she ignored me. "Huh, where you guys going?" I asked, peeking into the carriage, while Cloud replied, "We're off to see Don Corneo. Well, actually," The Ex-SOLDIER sighed again and rubbed his spiky blond locks.

"Tifa forced me into this. Barret's suspecting some trouble coming from him, and intelligence says that something's definitely going on without us knowing. Worse," He shifted his eyes to Aeris, who squinted under his gaze. "Some say that Corneo is a willy old man, so bringing in more women will leave more danger than we could count on." I placed a hand to rest on my lap to pretend I was thinking. The only answer here is that I still need to go with these guys..!

"You're right. But guys, I'm sorry to say this," My grip on the reins loosen as I turned to gaze at her. "I can't leave Aeris out of this. As far as I know, she's already part of my plan." Now the three of them are staring at me in confusion, Cloud especially.

"What do you mean, Noel?"

"Having more women actually counts as the biggest advantage in this stage." There was strange glint at my eyes, and everyone flinched at it. "Think about it. The more women, the more easily we can get inside without arousing suspicion." Tifa gaped at me in surprise.

"Oh, I see..! I've heard about the Don, who picks a girl out of three to be his bride for the night." That unsteady shiver did not quaver her voice. "In any case, I'm part of those girls, and Noel's suggesting that Aeris should be part of this as well..?"

"Honestly, I have reservations for this. I can't have Aeris in danger, but what you guys said about the Don is a more serious matter. However, with me and Cloud combined, and also Tifa if only she'd stop hitting me every once in a while," I recoiled at the memory. "I'm sure we'll be able to protect her well enough." Cloud pondered for a minute, then went back to Aeris.

"Is this alright for you?" I was surprised and glad that she nodded firmly.

"Yes, I'm used to the ways of the slums already."

"Although, as much as that plan seemed okay, we only have two girls with us, Noel. How are we going to do for the third one?" Now, I open the floor to you, my flower lady.

"Hmm…seems that we have no choice then…" Aeris smiled cheerfully while Tifa joined into the idea as well. I gazed over my shoulder to see their devious little smirks. "And what do you mean?" The Ex-Soldier scratched his head, still confused. It's not like I have any choice in here as well. If either Tifa or Aeris gets picked, I'll be there to kick their fat asses.

"…One of us has to dress up as a girl, correct, Tif, Aeri?" Cloud's head snapped to me in horror.

"Wh-what?!"

"Yep..!"

"Hai!" The two girls clasped their hands together with those smiles while Cloud vigorously shook his head. "I'm against this! Noel, you should do it." He ordered when I calmly smirked at him.

"What, you scared, Cloud-o~?" Oooh…BURN..!

"…"

"Oh, don't give me the silent treatment..! You do know there's only one way to decide over this, once and for all, right~?" I grinned at him in a goofy way just as he glared and laid a hand over the grip of his buster sword. I, on the other hand, clenched my gloved hands, as if daring him to continue. Our eyes glinted at each other, while Tifa and Aeris stood at the back, afraid and anxious at what may happen.

"Rock! Paper! Scissors!"

"Shoot!" Aha..! Paper wins over rock, people! I whooped in victory while Cloud's soul is practically leaving his body. The raven haired brawler yelped in surprise while she tried to catch his soul back as Aeris leaned back and giggled loudly to herself. "Oh, Cloud! It'll be wonderful to dress you up as a girl! They have a nice selection of dresses; I think they'll fit you just fine..!" That doesn't seem to be the case here, Aeri, but oh well. It's payback for what they did to me at the Reactor…

AN: Am I really that late..? Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry! *bows* I hope this clears up some parts of the story, it's still a long, long, long way to go…

Please don't forget to review! If I'm going to be inspired, it will be coming from you, dear reader/reviewer. That will be just fifteen seconds of your life I promise!

Thank you for reading 'Through the Worlds To You'

~Rivai