Author's Note: I do not own Final Fantasy VII, or geostigma or anythign of that nature. When Tysonkaiexperiment gave me the prompt, Flowers, my brain immediately went to Aerith and this is what occurred. Not beta-ed completely and I'm just wanting to share this so I'mn going to post it as is.

Warnings: AU/AR, infected!Neku (makes me think zombie but not quite), helpful!invisible!Aerith, kind!flowerlover!Joshua

31. Flowers

When the a person became infected by geostigma, there was always a constant throbbing pain in the area. Discoloration, bruising and in severe cases even oozing a black, gelatin-like substance could occur. Neku had the infection all along his right leg, and as days went by without treatment, because treatment didn't exist, the more it darkened and grew up his leg. Neku had to wrap his leg in towels when he slept, otherwise the horrible goo would seep into his makeshift bed. And sometimes it even reeked of decaying flesh. Everyone else Neku had met with geostigma didn't have the decaying flesh smell, so he wondered if his was even the same, or on a different level.

Neku found himself rummaging through the remains of Sector Seven, which had been destroyed back when he wasn't old enough to know Shin-Ra Electric Power wasn't exactly helpful. Back when his father worked for the company, and his mother was home every day cooking meals and keeping him focused on what schooling he could attend. Now those days were gone, as was the makeshift house they used to live in. Sometimes Neku thought he could smell his mother's kitchen, or hear his father would be calling him inside because hanging around Seventh Heaven wasn't the best for a kid his age.

He missed his mother's cooking, his father's meaningless lectures, the odd noises and yelling that would come from the Seventh Heaven bar. He missed playing in the street and coloring on the concrete walls. He missed looking for everything and trying to find a spot of color in the dreary sector. But what he missed the most was that freedom that came with his family, that came without having to think and fend for one's self.

Sighing, Neku estimated the time of day and continued to rummage, hoping to find something he could pawn off for food. Because of the geostigma, no one anywhere near Midgar (or the ruins thereof) wanted to hire him. No one could predict when the ooze would begin, and couldn't stand the smell of dying flesh. Surrounded by the wreckage, Neku was able to forget the smell or wouldn't take notice of how the limb throbbed or if it was oozing at that moment in time.

"Hey," the voice came from behind him, and Neku whirled around on his knees (having been on all fours while searching). It was a boy, maybe around Neku's age, but he was much more well kept. His hair was a shade of gray, maybe a few shades from the legendary Sephiroth's hair, and it curled around his face. Purple eyes peered at him down a pointed nose and arms were crossed in front of his chest. However what drew most of Neku's attention was the fact he was wearing a bright pink shirt and jeans. How in the world did such a bright shade survive in the Slums?

"What?" Neku finally asked, wincing as he climbed to his feet. Already he could feel the substance wishing to climb out of his skin. The leg was even more tender, and Neku had to practically stand on his left leg alone to remove the stabbing pain from his attention.

The boy stepped closer, almost stumbling over a large piece of steel just jutting out of the uneven remains. "You have the stigma?"

Neku didn't bother nodding. It wasn't like he hid it from the world like the rest of the younger children. He walked around in dirtied shorts, his stigma available for the world to see.

Pink stepped even closer, a hand rising to his chin in thought as he took in Neku's form. "We've found a cure for the stigma."

"What?"

"Yeah, a few days ago." Pink managed a small smile, hands dropping back down to his sides. "Would you like me to take you there? Get rid of the stigma?"

Neku crossed his arms, aware of how stupid his positioning was. He wouldn't be able to hold it for much longer before he'd have to use his infected leg, which would eventually just crumble from beneath him for an hour or two before he could move again. "Does it cost money?"

Pink shook his head and held out a hand. "Most of the people infected are homeless orphans. We couldn't stand it if you were charged even though we know you cannot afford it." He glanced down at the hovering leg, eyes narrowing at the goo the dropped to the wreckage. "I doubt you could get a job with how far along your stigma is."

Neku had to admit the idea was very tempting. A cure? For the stigma? He'd have an easier life, not having to wrap his leg every night and able to scavenge much quicker, or even able to get away from Midgar in general. Wouldn't that be nice, to get away from the technological graveyard.

Before he could answer, he felt his left leg weakening. Neku gently placed his right leg down to act as a balance, but the pain was just too much. The red-head collapsed into a heap, gritting his teeth as the black substance forced its way out of the skin. He faintly heard the clicking of a tongue before a hand ran through his messy hair. "Come on, sit up. If you can do that, I can take you to the pool no problem."

"Pool?" Neku questioned, forcing himself up.

Pink nodded and hefted Neku onto his back, carrying him with ease. "No worries, the church isn't that far from here, and if you need a place to stay there's plenty of room." A purple eye glanced at him over a shoulder. " The guy who used to stay there has left it open for us to come and leave as we please. I've taken it upon myself to organize and help find others like you," Neku's grip on Pink's shoulders tightened as the substance beneath the skin once again began to fight its way out.

Neku felt Pink tense slightly, and he couldn't help but apologize, "I don't have control over it. It just does whatever it wants."

"No worries," he placated, a smile apparent in his tone. "I had the same problem with my arm not even three days ago. I'm used to it." He paused as they entered the sector with the church in it. The whole area was filled with homeless children, but instead of the sad, disappointed, hopeless faces Neku was used to seeing, many of them had grins and some were even playing in the more open areas.

A couple of the younger kids flocked to Pink's side, asking if he needed help carrying Neku, or if he wanted anything that they could grab for him. Pink shook his head, but the kids continued to walk alongside him until he entered the church. Neku peered over Pink's shoulder as he was led to a large pool of water. It didn't look any different than any other puddle or the like (other than the fact it was bigger) and maybe the water was a bit clearer, but it looked... normal.

Was that really going to cure him?

Without even lowering Neku off his back, Pink just walked into the pool, until the water was waist high. Neku's legs were already covered in the water, and he could feel a faint bit of tingling, but nothing was different. He was lowered onto a small pew that apparently been put in the pool for something like this. Pink turned around, once he was sure that Neku was able to sit on his own.

"I know it's a little late but," Pink gave a large grin, "I'm Joshua."

"Neku."

Joshua motioned to the infected leg, "Feel any different?"

"It tingles."

Joshua almost laughed at the comment, nodding. "Yes, it is quite an odd sensation isn't it?" He sat beside Neku, apparently totally at ease with the liquid now being about chest height. "You'll probably have to do a few sessions in the pool, considering how infected your leg really is. It took two two-hour sessions for my arm to get working again."

"And the smell?" Neku questioned hesitantly. "Will the smell ever go away?"

"Smell?"

Neku gripped the edge of the pew, his legs just dangling in the water, and he began to sway them from side to side, noticing that even though the liquid appeared to be water, it seemed thicker some how. "No one would hire me because of my geostigma, but also because of the smell of rotting flesh that seems to follow me everywhere."

"Ah," Joshua hummed, waving at a few of the kids who peeked their heads inside the church. "I hadn't noticed." He leaned back, closing his eyes, leaving Neku to stare at him incredulously. "I remember someone mentioning how I smelled a few weeks ago, but I just ignored their comments. People still hired me, so I guess maybe mine wasn't as bad?"

"Or you had a different type of stigma than me."

"Quite possible." Neku found himself scooting closer to the other boy, tugging on a pink sleeve with a soaked hand. The stigma in his leg was flaring, the pain becoming intense.

"What happens if the stigma decides to ooze while I'm in the pool? "

Joshua peered at the infected leg, delicate eyebrows raising. "We're about to find out." The stigma seemed to lash out at its host, Neku's body tensing in pain. If Joshua hadn't been sitting right beside him, Neku probably would have fallen into the pool. Neku hissed as the secretion seemed to burn its way out of his leg, and through the hazy pain he could faintly hear Joshua's voice calling for something before he passed out.

When Neku awoke, he was laying in a flowerbed and a faint tingling still remaining in his leg. Light was flooding in the room from the broken roof, and a faint humming of some song echoing in the banisters. Neku rubbed his eyes and forced himself to sit up. He couldn't remember resting so well as he had, nor could he remember his bed being so comfortable. He glanced at his leg and saw it wrapped in gauze, a faint purple tinge to the bandages, hinting that the stigma wasn't gone.

He sighed and glanced around for the humming voice, spotting Joshua sitting only a few feet away , weaving the flowers into some sort of crown. When Neku shifted in the flower bed, Joshua looked up and gave a smile. "About damn time you woke up, Nekky. I was getting worried."

"The stigma?"

Joshua sighed, placing the almost finished crown to the side. "It appears yours is just as bad, if not worse than what mine was. I've come to the conclusion that you're better off staying here, especially if your geostigma is as rebellious as it seemed." He crawled over to Neku's side, beginning to unwrap the infected leg. "After you passed out, it was as if the stigma was actually alive, and was trying to speed up the process of infection. Luckily, being in the pool was more detrimental to the stigma than anything. " When the gauze was pulled away, the infectino was visibly smaller than before. "Also, I asked a few of the kids nearby to 'smell' you, for lack of a better word, and the stench you said was attributed to the geostigma has lessened in intensity." Joshua threw the used bandages outside the circle of flowers and picked the flower crown back up.

Neku pulled the infected leg towards his chest, running his fingers over the discoloration that only covered from his ankle up to just below his knee. The skin no longer felt as tender and the misshapened bumps that would occasionally form below the skin were missing. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, noticing that as Joshua declared, he no longer stunk as much. "Thank you," he murmured. "I would have never known had you not found me that day."

Joshua shook his head, tying in one last flower and placed it on his head. It just seemed to belong there. "Nonsense, I wouldn't have found you if Aerith hadn't taken me to you."

"Aerith?"

"She was a woman who took care of all the flowers in the church, and would sell them on the streets occasionally." Joshua adjusted the flowers in his hair before grinning widely and starting a second crown. "When she passed away, her spirit sometimes is seen in the church, being helpful and jsut a great listener. She found me, led me here and got me healed. I seemed to be one of the few kids who actually could /hear/ her, so I stayed so I could help her out." Neku watched as Joshua skillfully grabbed flowers and arranged them quickly and easily. "The day I found you, she told me I needed to go for a walk through the remains of sector seven. Otherwise I was going to stay with the kids outside and play some games until someone showed up needing help."

Neku decided to take this in stride. He didn't believe in the dead wandering amongst the living, but he couldn't help but want to believe Joshua. The guy had been nothing but honest with him right from the beginning, why would he be lying now? "I see. So I should thank this Aerith?"

"No worries, she understands if you don't say anything." Joshua reached on the other side of Neku for an abnormally bright pink flower before weaving it into the second crown. "Not even the kids who see her usually say anything."

Neku nodded, and shifted until he was sitting crosslegged. "Know of anywhere I can find a job? Some food?"

"Scavenging seems to be the best bet at this moment, unfortunately traders won't be venturing in the remains of Midgar for another couple days. What food we do have is usually brought to us by Tifa," Joshua's purple eyes gazed at him from over the curve of a crown, "you remember Tifa? She owned Seventh Heaven?" He didn't wait for a response. "She's become the unofficial mother for the children in these parts, so it's really nice when all I have to worry about is myself."

Neku watched as Joshua continued to weave crown after crown, and even though he seemed to be using so many different flowers, when he plucked one three seemed to appear in its place. And he never pulled from the same area twice. His hands were constantly searching out flowers in different ranges from his body, as if guided by some other force. Some of the little girls would wander in and steal the crowns for their own playtime, and Joshua never said a word. Laying back down in the flowers, Neku felt himself slip into sleep until the gentle humming that really couldn't be coming from Joshua seemed to come from everywhere.

After three more treatments and a sound lecture from Joshua on how to be careful on the recovering leg, Neku managed to find himself a job on the very outskirts of Midgar. It was just cleaning and polishing the random bits of materials the store would buy from scavengers in order to make them visible for resell, but it was a job. It was nicer than having to go and dig through only Gaia knew what was in the remains of sector seven, and he was earning money for it. There wasn't anywhere nearby that he could really use it for, but it would help when Neku decided to finally leave.

And every day after work, after sundown, Neku would wander back to the church, back to the flower bed and healing water pool and would sit on a pew near the front and talk with Joshua. Sometimes Joshua would talk about the few people who came in to heal, or about the stories he'd overhear from other travellers. Sometimes he even would talk about Aerith, and what the gentle, loving spirit was up to. And every day, after their long, almost worthless conversations, Joshua would slip a dainty flower into Neku's natural spikes.

Neku usually would ignore the flower until he returned to his horrible half-destroyed home with ripped blankets for a bed and his own hand for a pillow, where he'd pull it out and place it on the ground beside him while he slept. Sometimes he would pull it out before he was even out of the church. And very rarely would Neku bring the flower to his nose and smell it.

But every day after work, he'd return to Joshua's church and spend time with the boy (and possibly Aerith?).

And when it came time for Neku to leave Midgar, with all the money he had saved for the trip, and the skills necessary to stay alive in his wanderings, Joshua was no where to be found. Neku searched all throughout the church, calling out for Joshua, even asking Aerith to please help him find his friend. But Aerith never responded, and Joshua never showed up. Neku closed his eyes and gave himself a hug, knowing that somehow if Joshua was in the church, he would have wanted to give him a hug goodbye. With a soft "farewell" Neku grabbed what items he did own and trekked to the edge of Midgar, in the direction of one of the port cities in hope to go to the other continent.

At the edge of Midgar, where the sun had begun to rise, stood Joshua in his bright pink shirt and jeans, a flower entangled in his hair, and a small pack of supplies on his back. "You didn't think I'd let you leave without me, right?" Neku pulled Joshua into a one-armed hug, delighting in the smell of flowers the boy gave. And as he closed his eyes, relishing in the small hug, he felt one of Joshua's hands rise up and slip somethign into his hair.

And Neku grinned.