The House beside the Flower Beads

They stayed for two more days before returning to Tokyo. Once there Logan/Alfred was awaiting them.

"You are finally back," says Logan/Alfred as he was sitting beside Jack.

"Is it already time?" asks Nesiara as Logan/Alfred nods.

"It is," says Logan/Alfred as he stood up and continues, "You will arrive in the Midgar Slums in Sector 5. You will be there a month before the first reactor explodes. You will need those IDs or you won't get far."

Logan/Alfred takes 5 IDs out of nowhere and hands them over to them. Then Jack takes out five pouches that looked quite small and says, "You will need some money. Now it's time to pay you back for the time in Aincrad."

They were pouches that could store only money explained Jack to them as Gils were already in it.

"Now that you have everything it's time to go," says Logan/Alfred as suddenly a dark circle appears under the family that began to shallow them.

"I wish you luck," says Jack as the heads were about to disappear in the dark circle.

The family began to fall in the darkness when suddenly they see light at the end of the tunnel and see a roof over their heads when suddenly a female voice says, "Finally awake, are we?"

John and Nesiara looked around to find the children when the woman says softly, "If you are looking for the other three they are quite awake and alive."

John stands up as he now towered over the woman while Nesiara was a head taller than her as the woman says with a smile, "No doubt that you are family members of the other three."

They take a closer look at their surrounding as Nesiara and John see the flowers inside the building and the hole in the roof making it quite clear to them where they were and who the woman with long brown hair that is tied on the back with a ribbon into a ponytail that was braided and green eyes.

"Is something wrong?" asks the woman worried about them as they had a sad face when Nesiara just hugs her.

"We will protect you," whispers Nesiara into her ears making Aerith open her eyes wide open at first before calming down when she sees Nesiara's and John's determined expression.

"Does that mean I have now some bodyguards?" asks Aerith as both John and Nesiara nod.

"Yes, all five will keep you safe, trust us. But first, we will need to get a house around the slums," says John as Aerith began thinking.

"How about you first come to my family house and tomorrow we will find a house for you to live in. It might be hard because of your height, but we should find a place," says Aerith as Nesiara lets go of Aerith.

"But first let us present ourselves. I'm Nesiara Crownguard and this is my husband John Crownguard. I hope the children have already presented each other to you," says Nesiara as Aerith nods.

"Yes, but are you sure they are your children?" asks Aerith as she saw how young both John and Nesiara looked for someone with children that already grew up.

"Good now we only need one more name," says Nesiara as Aerith had a warm smile.

"My name is Aerith Gainsborough. Nice to meet you," says Aerith happy as she made new friends.

"Just one question are you a SOLDIER?" asks Aerith looking at John as she looked at gis eyes seeing the Mako in his eyes resonate.

"Not really. I was infused with Mako but not to become a SOLDIER but because I wanted to protect my family. You can see me as a Mercenary if you want," says John as Aerith nods sadly since she thought that John might have known the SOLDIER she was looking for.

"Don't worry about the time you sooner or later find what you are looking for," says Nesiara as she pets Aerith's head cheering her up.

"Thank you," says Aerith as she begins to move towards the entrance.

"We are lucky that we left the others in Tokyo for now," says John as Nesiara nods.

When they hear Aerith ask, "Are you coming?"

"Right away," says Nesiara as both take one step and were beside Aerith surprising her.

"You really are fast ones," says Aerith as both smiled at her.

They leave the Church and the children waiting for them sitting on the steps of it.

When they see them coming out Yui says, "You are fine."

John pets her head while saying, "We always will."

"Now follow me we might encounter some monsters on the way. So be careful as I can see that you don't have a weapon to defend yourself," says Aerith as she had her staff on her back while carrying a basket with flowers that grew in the church.

And true to Aerith words they did but to her surprise Kieron alone dealt with them with just his fists.

She walks over and takes Kieron's hand making Kieron blush as she examined his fist for some wounds when Aerith says, "Your skin must be really tough to not even have a scratch on it after killing them. Maybe the Slums of Sector 5 can use you as an exterminator against monsters."

"I'm not really a fist fighter but someone that uses a spear normally," says Kieron as he took his hand back making Aerith smile at him innocently.

"She could be a good daughter-in-law," whispers Nesiara to John who only nods.

"Yes, but I think that she has already someone else in her heart," whispers John back as he remembered the sad face in the church when he denied being a SOLDIER.

They continued to follow her as they arrived at the train station and Aerith says, "This is the train station of the Slum from Sector 5. Almost every Slum has a train station that leads up to the city. I take the train to sell flowers to the people upstairs."

"So you aren't going today?" asks Yui worried that they got in her way.

"Oh, I will but first let me bring you to my home and present you to my mother," says Aerith with an exciting smile as she went in front when John looked up.

"The plate is blocking much light at night right," says John as Aerith nods.

"Yes, but only if you live under it. Our home isn't that much under the plate but still near enough to call itself part of the Slums," says Aerith as she explained how they lived around the slums trying to survive from day to day.

The passed through many interesting locations as Nesiara says, "Maybe Yui and Nora could help with the children in the Leaf House as a teacher or in the Fifth Cafe as a waitress. Or they could help you upstairs in selling your flowers while keeping you safe at the same time."

"That would be nice," says Aerith as she felt happy hearing that when they almost arrived at her home.

The family suddenly stood still as they were surprised by the fields of different flowers before them when Aerith says, "Surprising, right. It's the only place in Midgar that still is green as you could verify by our travel from the Church to my home."

"It has a nice aura like our home in Alfheim," says Nesiara when John nods while Aerith looked at them confused.

"You mean Nibelheim?" asks Aerith as Nesiara shakes her head as she reveals her pointy ears.

"Alfheim is one of the places we would call home. You must have felt already that we aren't from around here," says Nesiara as Aerith hesitated at first but nods.

"Yes, I was there when you appeared in the church out of nowhere," says Aerith as she saw the ears of Nesiara.

She wanted to touch the ears when Nesiara says, "I know you want to touch them. Come here."

Aerith touches them and finds out that they were real when she asks, "What are you? You aren't a Cetra."

"I'm an elf well to a quarter that's it...," says Nesiara as she began to explain her heritage to Aerith who was quite interested in it since she was a mix too.

As they began to talk when a woman came out of the house and sees them. She walks towards them as Nesiara hides her ears again.

"Aerith are they molesting you?" asks the woman that had a green dress on with a white apron over it. She has short brown hair with some gray streaks in it.

She seemed worried as she tried to put herself in front of Aerith to make them leave when Aerith smiles at her protective mother and says, "They are my bodyguards and need to stay a day at our home until they find a house for themselves."

The woman looked at them suspiciously until she looked closer and saw that they were a family that might be really people that needed their help.

"Fine, but everyone needs to help until you all find a house for yourselves," says the woman as she stretches her hand towards Nesiara who seemed to be the most normal one between the five and says, "My name is Elmyra Gainsborough. You surely already know my daughter's name. I would be reassured if you could really protect her."

"Don't worry my son and daughters can take care of everything while I will help you with the housework," says Nesiara as Elmyra looked confused at her while Aerith had a smile on her face from seeing her mother's confusion.

"Nesiara is the mother of Kieron, Yui, and Nora while the friendly giant is Nesiara's husband John," says Aerith as she pointed at everyone respectively making Elmyra take a second look at John and Nesiara.

"I can now see why you are the shortest they must have inherited the size from their father," says Elmyra as she also pointed out more things when she stops and says, "Right, Aerith you will miss the train if you don't hurry."

"I can go tomorrow," says Aerith as she was really enjoying the moment.

"Nothing like that, the flowers won't last until tomorrow. How about you take Nora and Yui with you as well as Kieron as your bodyguard. Even if he isn't strong he can scare the evildoers away just with his size," says Elmyra as the family and Aerith had a smile on their face while Kieron was sad to be underestimated by her.

They help the two in collecting the flowers as the group of four then leaves for the train station as the three women had one basket with flowers.

Then Elmyra looked at them and says, "You really aren't from here are you."

"How did you know?" asks Nesiara as she pointed at the flowers.

"It's hard for someone from the slums to know how to cut a flower without damaging them. Even more so like you did. It seemed like you had pretty much a lifetime of experience with them," says Elmyra as she walked to the house and says with a warm smile, "Now come in. It's better to talk about this with a flower tea in hand."

This made John and Nesiara smile as they followed Elmyra into the house to talk about it.