Final Fantasy VII: Reflections - Book 1: Descent

EIGHTEEN

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

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

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

"We?" I wondered.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

"Lead the way," I chuckled.

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

Flowers were everywhere.

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

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

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

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