Tip Toeing Through the Rooftops

"What are they?" Cloud asked, referring to the ghosts. He had never seen them until he met Aerith, back at Sector 8, on the plate. Surely she knew.

"I think… Actually… I don't know. Let's just go," Aerith murmured unconvincingly. Sector 5 was a shantytown, a series of rusted metal structures built onto one another like a house of cards "Okay. Up for crossing the rooftops? See that pillar over there? There’s a station right by it. Shall we mosey on over?"

"Sure," Cloud said, mildly perturbed that she was holding out on him. "That suit from earlier. He was one of Shinra's Turks. What's a Turk want with you?"

"Dunno. Hey, don't Turks keep an eye out for potential SOLDIERS and stuff?" she was gaslighting him again, but her spunky spirit allowed her to get away with it.

"They do more than just scout for candidates. Turks get called in to handle al kinds of situations. With **** prejudice." He growled, climbing a ladder. "Just ... forget it."

"Hey, I'd make a good SOLDIER. I'm not some princess who needs to be coddled," Aerith said, climbing behind Cloud. On cue the ladder started to fall. Aerith hastily grabbed the edge. "Shit."

Cloud chuckled despite himself, reaching down to easily lift her up. Aerith rubbed her hands, looking at the massive steel wall separating Midgar from the wider world.

"Whew, that was unexpected! Thank you, Cloud. Ah, there it is. The wall. You know, I thought about leaving once… But… in the end, I couldn't."

"Too dangerous?"

"Too much. A whole world, bursting with life… Maybe more than I can handle, I think sometimes… Even now. People hate the steel sky, the slums… but I don't. How could I? All that passion, all those dreams… Flowing and blending together into something greater…"

They walked on, Aerith teasing Cloud and Cloud trying to focus on the cleanest route back to the heart of Sector 5. Then he'd just need a quick jaunt to Sector 7 and he'd be back balls deep in Jessie.

They made their way through the trash heap that was most over Sector 5 without difficulty. Aerith was skilled with materia, Cloud had to concede that, but then again, it was mostly hedgehog pies down here. Barely a step up from the rats of Sector 7.

As they got closer to civilization, the word on the street was only about the destruction of the Mako reactor. The announcers were blaming AVALANCHE. Controlling the media had always been a smart move by Shinra, Cloud thought.

"You hungry?" Aerith asked. "You're in for a treat when we make it back."

"Don't have time for that," Cloud said. "Need to get back to Sector 7."

"Well, you'll wanna make time for my mom's cooking. And that's the final word on it! We'll get home quick and eat ourselves stupid!" She winked as they approached the heart of Sector 5.