Morning sunlight streamed through the bedroom window, illuminating Johnny's face.
He was asleep in a sitting position on the floor, his back resting against the bed frame, his head lolling onto the edge of Aerith's mattress. His right hand—rough, large, and calloused—was still gripping Aerith's small hand tightly as she slept, as if he were afraid she would vanish into thin air if he let go.
"Ahem."
A loud, deliberate throat-clearing shattered the silence.
Johnny's eyes snapped open. His combat instincts flared instantly. His right hand released Aerith and snatched the hilt of the Dragon Slayer.
But the enemy wasn't a monster, and it wasn't Shinra.
In the doorway stood Elmyra Gainsborough, arms crossed, wielding a wooden spatula like a weapon. Her gaze was sharp, drilling straight into the hand Johnny had just used to hold her daughter's.
"U-uh..."
Johnny—monster slayer, Colosseum champion, destroyer of Shinra prototypes—suddenly stammered. His face went pale, far more terrified of this adoptive mother than any beast he had faced.
He scrambled to stand at attention, straightening his back so fast his head nearly smashed into the hanging light fixture.
"G-good morning, Mother Elmyra! I... uh... last night was an emergency... I was just guarding..."
"I know," Elmyra cut him off flatly.
She narrowed her eyes. "I heard that beat-up bike of yours at two in the morning. I saw you climb through the window. And I saw my daughter's injuries."
Aerith stirred, stretching her arms and yawning with absolute innocence.
"Morning, Mom! Morning, Johnny! Wow, I slept so well. My battery feels 100% full!"
Elmyra sighed, her stern expression softening slightly as she saw how healthy her daughter looked.
"Breakfast is ready," Elmyra said, then shot a sharp look back at Johnny. "And you, Mister Giant. Wash your face. You look like you just crawled out of a smokestack."
"Yes, Ma'am!"
Breakfast was a warm affair, though Johnny still felt awkward under Elmyra's watchful eye. He ate ravenously—enough for three people—his energy completely drained from the night before. Aerith kept piling extra side dishes onto Johnny's plate with a smile, causing Elmyra to simply shake her head.
In the living room, the old CRT television was broadcasting the Shinra Morning News.
"...Latest report from Sector 7. A sabotage attempt by the terrorist group Avalanche at the Logistics Warehouse was successfully thwarted last night."
Johnny stopped chewing, his eyes glued to the screen.
On the display, the face of Heidegger—Shinra's Head of Public Security—appeared, laughing uproariously in front of reporters.
"Gyahahaha! Of course! Our Public Security Forces work with the utmost efficiency! Our Turks unit successfully neutralized the threat before any severe damage could occur to the Pillar!"
Then, the screen cut to grainy CCTV footage from the burning warehouse.
It showed a massive silhouette wielding a gigantic sword, batting a grenade out of the air like a tennis ball. Due to the smoke and the poor camera quality, Johnny's face was obscured. There was only a terrifying black shape.
Reporter: "Eyewitnesses mentioned the involvement of an 'Experimental SOLDIER Unit' wielding a massive sword. Shinra has refused to comment, but residents of Sector 7 have begun calling this mysterious figure... The Iron Ghost."
"Iron Ghost?" Aerith giggled softly. "That's a cool name."
"Tch, I have so many nicknames I've lost count," Johnny snorted, setting down his glass of milk. "They're taking all the credit. Good. I don't need my face plastered on a wanted poster."
"At least you're safe, Johnny," Elmyra said seriously. "If Shinra knew who you really were, our lives would become very difficult. Stay a ghost."
After saying his goodbyes (and promising Elmyra he wouldn't climb through the window again), Aerith walked Johnny to the front gate.
Johnny straddled his large bike, the engine idling with a low rumble. Just then, two small creatures emerged from a pocket and from behind hair.
Puck flew out of Johnny's jacket pocket, stretching his tiny body. "Whew... I'm exhausted. Good work by me last night."
Ivalera, sitting elegantly on Aerith's shoulder, looked at Puck with utter disgust. "Good work? You snored the entire night. You even drooled on Aerith's hair, you know!"
"It wasn't sleep!" Puck protested, his face turning red. "That was 'Long-Range Mana Recovery Meditation'! I was sending spiritual energy to aid Johnny and Aerith!"
Ivalera rolled her eyes. "What kind of excuse is that? You're just a lazy fairy stuffed full of biscuit crumbs."
"What did you say?!" Puck glared, flying right up to Ivalera's face. "Listen here, Miss Chatterbox. Without my aura of luck, Johnny would have slipped on a banana peel fighting that robot!"
"Oh really?" Ivalera crossed her arms. "And without my prayers, you would have been squashed by Johnny's butt when he sat on the floor!"
Johnny and Aerith laughed aloud at the fairies' routine bickering.
"Alright, alright," Johnny intervened, lightly flicking Puck's forehead. "Get in the cage, Puck. We're going home."
"You just wait!" Puck threatened Ivalera as he slipped back into Johnny's pocket.
"See you next week, Iron Ghost," Aerith called out, her smile as bright as the morning sun.
"See you, Flower Girl," Johnny replied.
He waved his hand, then twisted the throttle. The bike sped off, leaving the flower-filled yard behind.
The ride home took him through the dark concrete tunnels leading to Sector 7. The streetlights flickered dimly overhead.
Johnny rode at a moderate speed, letting the wind slap against his face. His thoughts drifted.
Right now, life felt... good. He had money. He had the power and the Dragon Slayer to protect the people he loved. He had a purpose—guarding Aerith, her family, and his own parents. And most importantly, he had managed to protect them without becoming the mindless slaughterer he was in his past life.
He looked at the skyline of Midgar towering arrogantly in the distance. The city of steel plates sucking the life out of the Planet.
Johnny didn't realize that this peace was merely the Eye of the Storm. A fleeting calm before the true devastation arrived.
The wheel of fate, which had been turning slowly, began to grind faster.
Somewhere in the village of Gongaga, a spiky black-haired youth with fiery spirit was packing his bags, preparing for a promotion to SOLDIER 1st Class that would change history.
In the Shinra Tower, a legendary hero with long silver hair begins to feel doubt creep into his soul. He begins to search for the truth of his existence due to the Genesis and Angeal projects.
And Johnny... The Black Swordsman of Midgar... he didn't know what was waiting for him. But deep down in his gut, His instincts whispered softly to always ready.
"and the next chapter is the most exciting for me, the battle between Johnny (Guts) and Zack Fair in the church."