Chapter 26 Reunion

Even inside the city. There were still many monsters. It was big rats and something like slime. They were not strong, but the number was high. Fortunately, Jaune and the girls were used to dealing with a large number of monsters, so they could wipe them out easily.

"I felt her. She is close... That way!"

Ifalna pointed in the direction where an abandoned church was. Jaune and everyone didn't waste their time and went straight to where the abandoned church was. It was very tricky to go there because the terrain was old buildings that might collapse if they were not careful enough. It was like a giant man-made trap.

Chocobos were really smart and knew how to move on unstable terrain. It was like they knew where they could move and where they shouldn't put their claws.

They reached the abandoned church very quickly. And Ifalna began to tear up because she felt that there was a life stream passing here. It felt like she had come home for the first time in a very long time.

"Aerith! Where are you?"

Ifalna jumped off Chocobo's back and started to call out for her daughter. She thought that her daughter might hear her and call her back, but she heard someone inside the church move away in a hurry, like someone who was afraid of being caught.

"No! Don't run away, please!"

Ifalna started to run inside the church. She knew that the one who ran away was her daughter. She could feel her, but it seemed like Aerith didn't know it was her mother who came to meet her.

Jaune and everyone saw that they jumped off Chocobos' back and followed Ifalna.

"Ifalna used haste so we could catch up with your daughter!"

Ifalna couldn't think straight, so she forgot to use magic.

"Haste!"

Ifalna used haste on everyone, and they began to move faster. Aerith was also using haste, but she couldn't move faster than them. She wasn't proficient in using materia yet.

"Aerith! It's me, your mother! Stop running this instant, or Mother is going to spank you!"

The young woman, or Aerith, was startled by the voice calling out to her. She momentarily stunted and stopped for a second. And that was enough for Ifalna to catch up to her and grab her arm tightly.

"You bad girl, why are you running away from your mother? Don't you know how worried I was? If you fall and hurt yourself. What am I going to do?!"

She forgot that she could use Heal, but whatever. That was just a mother who worried for her child.

"Mom... Is that really you...? B-But I saw you..."

Aerith was confused. She thought that her mother was dead because she saw her get many wounds while trying to escape the Shinra soldier.

Aerith's voice trembled. The memories of that traumatic day flooded back, making her question everything she thought she knew.

"It's okay now, Aerith. Mother is here."

Ifalna hugged Aerith and explained to her what had happened that day. The planet had helped her and brought her to the people who could help her.

Aerith looked at the people who came with her mother. They were the same age as her, but she could tell that they were strong.

She didn't know what to do right now. She thought her mother was dead, and now she appeared before her. Should she bring her to her current mother?

Seeing her struggle. Ifalna was sad but understood her. If she were her, she would be the same.

And as the mother and daughter struggled internally with their emotions. Jaune spoke to them as gently as possible.

"Um, I don't want to interrupt the mother-daughter reunion, but I think we are surrounded. Sorry"

Jaune smiled awkwardly. He wanted to deal with them on his own, but even then they would still be disturbed by it. So it was better to inform them.

"They come again. Those black suits meany."

Aerith sighed. So this wasn't the first time she had been surrounded. She had been through similar situations before.

"Well, follow me, mom, and everyone. I will lead you to escape! Even though they are meany. But they never use weapons, so it's okay. We just play a game of mouse and rat."

Aerith smiled. And she sounded like it was just a game. She then led everyone to her escape route.

"Who are they, and why are they trying to catch you?"

Jaune asked Aerith curiously. It wasn't normal for a young woman like her to be targeted by those mean-looking men. They were like gang members in the remnant world.

"Um, I don't know. They just came here and tried to catch me. Fortunately, Zack had helped me that time."

"Zack?"

Jaune heard that name and couldn't help but think of Zack, whom he had fought on the battlefield. He shook his head. It shouldn't be him, right?

"Yeah! He is a good friend of mine. Unfortunately, he had gone to war. I hope nothing happened to him."

Jaune blinked. It might be him, but does it matter? No, he and him just fought out of duty. He, as a soldier of Shinra, and He, as a leader of his group.

They didn't fight out of a grudge or out of their own personal feelings.

Aerith led them out of the escape route. And what awaited them was a beautiful water stream with much vegetation and flowers. It was a contrast to the area around them, which was full of dusty old buildings.

"This way. Let's go to my house!"

Jaune and everyone else looked at each other. The girl was cautious at first, but when she knew that they weren't meant to do her harm, and there was her mother, She let her guard down completely and became such a beautiful and energetic girl.

She was clingy to her mother, and she never let her go for a second. The girl's eyes sparkled with joy as she led Jaune and the others through the vibrant surroundings.

"I think we saw them with our target. Should we ask for reinforcement?"

A young woman in a black suit asked a man in a black suit. The young woman's name was Elena, and she was the youngest member of the organization called Turks.

As for the man, his name was Tseng. He was the vice leader of the organization. They were now trying to catch their targer. Aerith Gainsborough. The higher-ups told them that they could not harm her or do anything that might hurt her. So it was hard for them to catch her, who could move like wind in her own domain.

And to make it worse, they detected that a group of people had suddenly appeared, seemingly related to Aerith. as she stopped running and let them get close to her.

They then sent their picture to the headquarters and got an unexpected result. They were suspected to be a group of people who had helped Wutai reclaim their base and make Shinra pay a huge price. The leader of the group was as strong as a first-class soldier. And the others in the group were as strong as the second-class soldier.

"We don't need to ask. Because they already sent them. Call everyone off. This is not our fight."

Tseng, even though he looked cold from the outside but he really cared for his subordinate. He knew that sending his team to confront the group would only result in unnecessary casualties. Tseng quickly made the decision to prioritize the safety of his team and avoid any further involvement in the conflict.

Elena could only nod. If they were as strong as those monsters, then they couldn't do anything.

...

Aerith led them to her house, which is surrounded by a garden of flowers. There's even a little waterfall beside the house.

The serene atmosphere of the garden and the soothing sound of the waterfall provided a much-needed change of scenery for the exhausted team. They travel non-stop, and this place would be a good vacation place for them.

As they entered the house, Aerith offered them a warm cup of tea, allowing them to relax and unwind from their long journey.

"Please make yourself at home. Mom isn't here yet. She works near the train station and might be back soon."

The team settled into the cozy living room, thankful for the hospitality. They admired the family photos adorning the walls, noticing the love and warmth that radiated from each captured moment. And there were photos of little Aerith with her adoptive mother.

Ifalna looked at them in envy, but she knew that it was because of her. Aerith might have had a bad experience and thought she had abandoned her. Ifalna couldn't help but feel a pang of guilt, knowing that her absence might have caused Aerith's pain. She vowed to make it up to her daughter if she ever accepted her.

She might look energetic and carefree right now, but she could tell that she was feeling conflicted on the inside.

Aerith secretly gazes at Ifalna from time to time. Not know what to do from there. And it was Jaune's duty to make things easier for them.

"Hey, Are you curious as to why your mother looks so young? I knew that you were curious, right? I saw you secretly look at her from time to time. I will tell you the secret. It was because she used this! Do you want one as well, Aerith!"

Jaune became a salesman to break the ice.

Aerith was embarrassed, but now she has a topic that she could use to talk with her biological mother. The first step was always hard, but after that, it became smoother and smoother.

As Aerith spent time with her biological mother. Someone came inside the house with a glossary bag. She was surprised that so many people were inside her house.

The woman was Elmyra Gainsborough, the adoptive mother of Aerith.

"You... how can you still be alive?"

Elmyra immediately recognized Ifalna, as she hadn't changed a little. She was still young and beautiful, like when she saw her at the train station. She was on the brink of death. And had asked her to take care of her daughter.

She accepted and hurriedly brought little Aerith home because she heard that Shinra soldiers were nearby. She recognized the wounds on Ifalna's body. It was a gunshot wound, which confirmed her suspicions that Ifalna had been targeted by Shinra.

Elmyra hated Shinra with all her heart because of them. She lost her husband forever. He had been taken away by Shinra as a soldier, never to return.

The pain of losing him was still fresh in her heart, fueling her deep-seated hatred towards the corporation.

Elmyra vowed to protect Aerith from the same fate, determined to shield her from the clutches of Shinra at all costs.

"Thank you for taking care of Aerith. And I am still alive thanks to these people."

Ifalna smiled, then introduced herself formally. Jaune and his group also introduce themselves. Elmyra nodded. Anything was good if it had nothing to do with Shinra.

"So... have you come to bring Aerith with you?"

"No!"

Aerith, even though she missed her biological mother very much, But she couldn't think of abandoning her adoptive mother. She also loved her very much.

Ifalna looked at Aerith with bitterness in her eyes. She understood the dilemma her daughter was facing, torn between two mothers. But she also knew that Elmyra had given Aerith a safe and loving home.

Ifalna couldn't bear to take that away from her. Instead, she decided to offer something.

"I won't take her back with me, but she must learn how to control her power as Cetra. You know about that, right?"

Elmyra knew about Aerith being Cetra, but she refused to believe that she could converse with the planet because she once said that her husband had returned to the planet. That meant he was really dead.

Elmyra's refusal to believe in Aerith's ability to communicate with the planet was a way for her to cope with the loss of her husband.

But now many years have passed. The times had healed her, so she nodded her head.

"Do whatever you want and make yourself at home. I still have something to do, so excuse me."

Elmyra had many things to think about right now. So she excused herself before walking to the stove. She will prepare lunch for everyone. Fortunately, she brought enough food for everyone.