Harry Potter and the Planet ~ Harry Potter/Final Fantasy VII

"You gotta be kidding. Why do
you want to put yourself in danger
again?" Cloud asked, trying not to sound too concerned.

 

"I'm used to it." Aerith smiled.

 

Cloud pouted and tried to come up with an excuse. It was best to keep her out of danger.
"Used to it!?
....Well, don't know... getting
help from a girl..."

 

Aerith made an amusedly angry gesture, she said, "A girl!! What do you mean by that!? You expect me to just sit by and listen, after hearing you say something like that!?" She called upstairs, "Mom! I'm taking Cloud to Sector 7. I'll be back in a while."

Elmyra came downstairs, she said, "But dear... I give up. You never listen once you've made up your mind. But if you must go, why don't you go tomorrow? It's getting late now."

"Yeah, you're right, mom."

"Aerith, please go and make the bed." Elmyra said, Aerith went upstairs. Looking at Cloud, she asked, "That glow in your eyes... you're from SOLDIER, right?"

 

"Yeah. Rather I used to be..." Cloud answered, in his more usual monotone.

 

".... I don't know how to say this, but... Would you please leave here, tonight?" Without telling Aerith." Elymra said. She turned to the stand behind her and handed him a cloth covered item. "Also, if you see a boy with black hair, green eyes with a lighting shaped scar, give him this."

 

Cloud nodded to her. That boy... the one from before?
He went upstairs where Aerith greeted him.

 

"You need to go through Sector 6 to get to Sector 7. Sector 6 is a little dangerous so you'd better get some rest tonight." Aerith told him, just before he headed to the bedroom, she said, "Cloud...."

 

Cloud turned to her, to see what she wanted.

 

"Good night." Aerith said with a simple smile, then she went downstairs.

 

"Oh, man..."

Cloud rested his sword against a wall, carefully and then went to bed.

...seem pretty tired......


".......!?"

"I haven't slept in a bed like this ....in a long time."


"....Oh, yeah."

"Ever since that time."

The scene changes and Cloud is lying on a bed in a one-room house. A woman
is in the room, working in the kitchen area. She stopped and walked toward
him.

"My, how you've grown."
"I'll bet the girls never leave you alone."


"...Not really."

She paced for a bit.

"...I'm worried about you.
There are a lot of temptations in
the city...
I'd feel a lot better if you just
settled down and had a nice girlfriend."


"...I'm all right."

"You should have...
an older girlfriend, one that'll take care of you.
I think that would be the perfect type for you."


"I'm not interested."

The scene changes back in. Cloud was on the bed on the second floor of
Aerith's house. Aerith was in the next room.


"...I must've fallen asleep." he muttered quietly.

He got up and slowly and carefully picked up his sword so as not to make a noise and alert Aerith.


"Sector 7's past Sector 6... I should be all right by myself..."

He sneaked past Aerith's room as quietly as possible making sure he had the package Aerith's mum had given him for the boy and he went downstairs. He exited the house,
leaving Aerith behind.

 

On Cloud's way out of the city, he ran into Aerith. As he looked startled, Aerith smiled. "You're up bright and early."

 

"How could I ask you to go along when I knew it would be dangerous?" Cloud said, stating the obvious... to him at least.

 

"Are you done?" Aerith asked, she watched Cloud smooth his hair, she told him, "You have to go through the slum in Sector 6 to get to Tifa's 7th Heaven. I'll take you there. Come on!"

Aerith ran out, and Cloud followed. They crossed a highway that has been more or less demolished until they reach an old playground, Aerith said, "The gate to Sector 7's in there."

 

"Thanks. I guess this is goodbye. You gonna be all right going home?" Cloud asked, trying to get rid of her.
He wasn't trying to be mean, it's just that he had promised her mum... and that had already failed so far.

 

"Oh no! 'Whatever will I do!?' ...isn't that what you want me to say?" Aerith said, pretending to be sad.

 

Cloud had to make a decision...
he could see her home...
or he could take her with him.
He was confident in his skill, so he was sure that she would be safe either way...
And she had come this far... it really was like she wasn't going to give up on going with him anyway.
He sighed... "...I guess you can come with me if you want."

 

"I could do that. But won't I be in your way?" Aerith asked.

 

"What do you mean in the way?" Cloud asked with a raised eyebrow, noticing that she had just tripped up and said something she probably hadn't meant to say.

 

"Nothing!" Aerith said, putting her hands behind her back and looked up at Cloud. "Can we take a break?" She walked to a large, moogle-shaped children's slide, she smiled, "I can't believe it's still here." She climbed to the top, she shouted, "Cloud, get over here!" As he climbed up and sat beside her, Aerith asked, "What rank were you?"