POV: Aerith Gainsborough
That morning, Aerith knelt on the soft, loose earth, her hands stained with soil as she gently touched the petals of the yellow lilies. The morning sunlight filtered through the newly installed glass roof, bathing the bed of flowers in a golden warmth.
She had arrived early that Sunday, as she always did. She was waiting—always waiting—for the sound of those heavy, familiar footsteps.
Beside her lay her Guard Stick, its polished metal gleaming. At the tip of the staff sat the Materia Johnny had given her, glowing in a kaleidoscope of colors. Aerith traced the surface of the magic stones with her index finger.
"He was proposing to you, you know... Aerith," a tiny voice chirped from her shoulder.
Aerith's face instantly flushed a deep crimson, as red as the ripe tomatoes in her garden back home.
"Ivalera! Don't be ridiculous," Aerith protested, though she couldn't hide the shy smile tugging at her lips. "What kind of silly person gives explosive and lightning Materia as a wedding dowry?"
"The kind of person who wants to protect you from everything," Ivalera replied, kicking her tiny legs in the air.
Aerith fell silent. She lifted her gaze, taking in the interior of the church.
Her eyes traced the pillars that had once been cracked and crumbling, now standing sturdy and smooth, freshly plastered. The walls, once riddled with holes, were neatly sealed. The long wooden pews were arranged with precision; not a single one wobbled. Even the roof, which used to be a gaping maw, had been repaired with salvaged steel frames and clear glass, letting the light in while keeping the rain off her flowers.
All of this had been done by one person. One man with broad shoulders who carried the weight of the world. Johnny.
Aerith's smile slowly faded, replaced by a melancholic gaze.
"Ivalera..."
"Yes, Princess?"
Aerith looked down at her own hands. "I feel... useless."
Ivalera flew in front of Aerith's face, hands on her hips. "Useless how, Princess? You tend the flowers, you look after this place, you..."
"That's not it," Aerith cut in softly. "Johnny is always out there fighting. He comes home smelling of blood, sweat, and with fresh wounds every week. And me? I just sit here, safe inside the fortress he built. I want to fight alongside him, Ivalera. I don't want to just be the one waiting."
Ivalera's expression turned serious. The little fairy landed on Aerith's knee, staring intently into the girl's green eyes.
"Princess, don't you ever say that. You know Johnny's past, don't you? You saw it yourself when we connected to the Life Spring that time... You saw 'Guts'."
Aerith nodded slowly. The image still haunted her. The shadow of a one-eyed man living in a hell on earth, surrounded by demons, blood, and endless despair.
"I know, Ivalera," Aerith whispered.
"If you know his past... even we fairies want to weep, Princess," Ivalera's voice began to tremble. "In his old life, there was no place for him to rest. His sleep was always haunted by nightmares. His waking hours were greeted by death."
Tears began to pool in Ivalera's tiny eyes.
"Puck told me once... back then, every morning when the sun rose, Guts would just sit there, staring blankly at the sky. He cried in silence, Princess. His soul was shattered. He pretended to be strong for his comrades, but inside... he was already numb."
Ivalera placed her tiny hand on Aerith's.
"But look at him now. When he's with you... he laughs. He makes silly jokes about marriage. He fixed the church roof not for war, but so your flowers wouldn't get rained on."
"Princess, you aren't a burden," Ivalera sobbed softly. "You are the cure. By being at your side, Johnny heals. His trauma is fading. His old past has no cure, Princess... but you are giving him a future."
Aerith's defenses crumbled. Warm tears trickled down her cheeks. She had never realized how deep her role was for the warrior's soul. She thought she was only being protected, when in reality, she was saving Johnny's life every day just by smiling and welcoming him home.
"Ivalera..." Aerith wiped her eyes, overwhelmed. "Thank you."
A quiet, serene silence enveloped the church. There was only the sound of the girl and her fairy softly weeping.
However, fate had a unique way of ruining a moment.
Suddenly, a rumbling sound came from above.
CREAAAK...
Aerith and Ivalera jumped, looking up.
The roof glass that Johnny had just repaired—glass that was supposed to be solid—cracked into a thousand pieces. A dark shadow falling at high speed smashed through it.
CRASH! THUD!
Shards of glass rained down like diamonds. A human body fell freely from the sky, slamming into the bed of lilies in the center of the church with a heavy impact. Dust and flower petals flew into the air.
"KYAAA!" Aerith shrieked, stumbling back.
Ivalera, in a panic, darted behind Aerith's red hair ribbon, peeking out in terror.
"W-what was that?! An enemy attack?!"
In the middle of the crushed flower bed lay a young man with spiky black hair, wearing a dark purple SOLDIER uniform, with a massive sword on his back.