The sewers

Aerith landed with a thud on the murky sewer floor. She groaned. That hadn't gone well.

She'd leave things to Cloud and Tifa. Tifa had planned to go in alone after all, she had to be ready, and Cloud might even find a way to help them. Aerith couldn't do much to help them just yet.

She got to her feet, screwing up her nose at the dampness of the stone she stood on. She brushed herself down. She'd given up the towel before coming down here too.

"Come on!" Aerith shouted to the sewers at large, not really expecting much.

Something roared back. Aerith immediately regretted her decision.

She looked around in a panic, taking in her surroundings. She was still naked, that hadn't changed, though now a little dirt marked her legs from where she'd fallen. She felt just as exposed, the air in the sewer unpleasant but raising goosebumps when she moved and it brushed against her skin.

Behind her, something huge crashed through the wall. Aerith ran.

She'd heard the Don kept a fierce 'pet' in the sewers, called Abzu. Apparently that was it. She had no hope of fighting it, especially not alone, naked and without her staff and materia, so she did the only thing she could think of and ran away from it as fast as she could.

It bounded after her. She didn't risk looking back. For a worrying second it was close enough that she could feel its heated breath against her ass, but then she was able to turn out from the huge chamber, ending up in a thinner channel through the sewers. She only looked back then. It looked as though it couldn't follow her so easily.

She didn't stop though.

Her priority had to be getting out of this place. She hoped she'd find some way back. Then she could worry about Cloud and Tifa.