The Shortcut

"I'm sorry to disturb you this late," says Aerith as she entered the house.

"You and your mother are always welcome," says John as he puts his hand on Aerith's shoulder.

"I'm happy to see you up. Many crazy things happened while you were out," says Aerith as she showed the staff she got from Jack.

"I new staff from who did you get that?" asks John as he didn't know how Aerith got it.

"It was from Jack. He came by to destroy the harmony," says Nesiara as she told him about what Jack did.

"So you know. I hope you can understand why we didn't tell you," says John as Aerith gave a nod when John says, "*sighs* Good. We will try to keep you safe. I can't promise you that you will survive this journey but we will try everything so it doesn't happen even if we have to bring you back from the dead."

John then takes some hairs from Aerith without her noticing as he puts them away. Then sounds came from upstairs.

"It seems our guest woke up. Aerith, I hope you can lead this group well while I and Nesiara will buy you time somewhere else," says John as Aerith nods giving John one of her most determined faces making John smile.

"Did I do it wrong," says Aerith as she sees John smile when she stopped doing that face.

The others had a smile as well when John says, "No, you did nothing wrong. It's just that it looked quite cute coming from you."

They heard steps as Cloud could be seen on the stairs as he was walking down seeing the family as he gives a slight now before saying, "Thank you for helping me but I need to leave. People are waiting for me."

"Yes, but you won't be able to find your way back alone right," says John as Cloud didn't want to admit it but John knew it.

"How about this Aerith and my children will accompany you back to the slums of Sector 7," says John when Cloud wanted to refuse help when Aerith takes his hand.

"It will be fun," says Aerith with her innocence when Cloud sighs.

"Fine," says Cloud as Aerith smiled at him before turning to the others.

"Now everyone let us be friends and bring Cloud to the slums of Sector 7," says Aerith as she looks at Kieron who had a fight with Cloud before.

"Fine but only because of you," says Kieron as he walks over towards Cloud and stretches his hand towards him for a handshake when he says, "I'm Kieron Crownguard. The smaller one is my older twin sister Nora and the bigger one is ky oldest sister Yui. We will keep Aerith safe while escorting you to Sector 7."

"Thanks all of you," says Cloud as he shakes Kieron's hand.

"Good now that we are all friend let us go bring Cloud back," says Aerith as she smiled at them.

"I will tell your mother about it so she doesn't worry more than she already does," says Nesiara as Aerith nods before John opens the door.

"Time for you to leave. Godspeed until we meet again," says John as they nod before leaving the house.

"Now it's our turn," says Nesiara as she was ready to leave with John when she continues, "But before that, let me talk with Elmyra."

"We should so she doesn't worry about Aerith after the bomb Jack dropped over her," says John as both left the house a little bit later.

John and Nesiara knocked on the door as Elmyra opened it and sees them when she says, "She left, didn't she."

"For now but don't worry the others are with her," says Nesiara as Elmyra sighs looking even more exhausted than before meeting the family.

"Come in and let's talk," says Elmyra as she invited them inside.

Both enter as they sit beside each other when Elmyra says, "I knew that something would have happened to Aerith sooner or later but not that she would die before I would bite into the dust."

"Don't worry we will keep her alive," says John as Elmyra wasn't really convinced.

"That Jack must be someone quite powerful right. For him to know when and how someone dies," says Elmyra as John nods.

"My grandfather is a being that sits on the same level as the Godking. He has the same powers but is only his shadow because his brother is the Godking. If they wanted they could just *snap* and everything would be over. For them, we are pieces on a board that is changing with every decision we make," says John as Elmyra was now pale when Nesiara hits John in the ribcage.

"What he means to say is that they could do it but won't. Most of the time they arrive to help us instead of putting us in danger," says Nesiara as Elmyra looked at her confused.

"If you talk about Jack I might believe you but what about that Godking," says Elmyra as John was hiding his smile while looking at Nesiara who was quite nervous about how to explain to Elmyra who Logan is.

"He is someone from my family," says Nesiara as John couldn't hold it anymore.

"What's so funny?" asks Elmyra as she didn't found that topic not funny at all.

"It's because the Godking is her Great-Grandfather. She also hasn't explained that we were chosen to become their successors that is also a reason why they won't snap us out of existence," says John as he explained their bloodline to Elmyra so she would understand that he and Nesiara aren't related by blood.

"*sighs* That is too much for me but that explains why you have powers unseen before on Gaia," says Elmyra as her complexity changed for better when she looks at both and says, "Please keep my girl save."

"We will," says Nesiara with a smile.

In the meantime, the little group led by Aerith was leaving the slums of Sector 5 when they were walking down the street they could see the light from the slums of Sector 6 when Aerith says, "A know a shortcut. I used to take it when I would sell flowers in the slums of Sector 7 before."

"Then let's take it," says Cloud as Aerith took the lead and they entered the side street.

The group follows Aerith as monsters appeared. Aerith still not used to her new staff saw that as an opportunity to use it when she suddenly killed one monster with just a swing as the light that touched the monster just disintegrated the monster.

Cloud jumped at the other monsters followed by Kieron that suddenly had a spear in his hand. Cloud takes one down when he turns to swing his sword to take the next one out only to find out that Kieron already dealt with them.

"You really are strong," says Cloud as he puts his sword back on his back.

"I had good teachers after all," says Kieron as he looked at the ground.

"Is something wrong?" asks Nora as Kieron nods.

"Yes, I think we aren't the only humans here," says Kieron as now everyone except for Aerith was on guard.

"Maybe they are stuck let us help them," says Aerith as she rushes in front of them when Kieron takes her hand stopping her.

"Are you dumb. You could run into a trap," says Kieron angry and worried when Aerith smiles at him as if she knew nothing would happen if she ran in front of them.

This makes Kieron sigh worried when Aerith says, "Don't worry didn't Jack say this staff would protect me."

"Yes, but still it's dangerous what if the staff runs out or doesn't work because it was made for just that one moment it should protect you," says Kieron when Aerith smiles.

"That's why I have you all with me that I don't have to worry about the danger," says Aerith as now even Nora and Yui sigh worried about Aerith.

"Come on or we won't be able to return before my mother realizes that I left," says Aerith as she was on her imagined timer.

They follow her while Kieron took the lead nit wanting Aerith to run into danger. The first hurdle they had to master was quite easy as Nora flew up to let a ladder down so they all could climb up without anyone's help.

They would encounter monsters once in a while before Nora would let the next ladder down for them until they arrived at a narrow passage.

"I will go first then Cloud. Aerith will be in the middle followed by Yui and at last Nora," says Kieron when Nora already entered the passage before him.

"What are you doing?" asks Kieron when Nora looked back.

"I want to have fun too. You will take the rear. I'm already too deep inside," says Nora not realizing how the sentences she just said had double-meaning making not only Kieron go red but also Cloud.

Aerith smiled about it while Yui was already old enough to not blush from what Nora said as she says, "Let your older sisters have some fun will you," says Yui as she followed Nora as second when Aerith followed Yui then Cloud and the last was Kieron.

Nora could see that someone made a base of the area she entered. She takes her sword out as she says, "We should await company once you enter the area."

And true to her word suddenly three men entered from the opposite side. They see Nora and wanted to say something when Nora just took them out not killing them as Aerith was strictly against killing.

"All clear," says Nora as Yui came out of the passage.

"You could have left some for me," says Yui as she wanted to show off too.

"Next time older sister," says Nora as Yui sighs disappointed because she hasn't done anything the whole trip.

They continued and the exit was almost in sight when Aerith says, "We are almost there."

She begins to pick up pace as the other follow when they were outside. They find themselves on an old playground with a giant wall seperating Sector 6 with Sector 7.