The roar of the sidecar motorcycle's engine shattered the silence of the asphalt cutting across the mountain ridge. The toll route to Junon was truly a test of nerve. Initially, they passed through a pitch-black cave, then suddenly emerged into an open area directly flanked by a steep rocky cliff on the right side and a bottomless, gaping ravine on the left.
In the sidecar seat—which was positioned jutting right toward the ravine—Aerith's face was already as pale as paper.
"Johnny, Honey! WATCH OUT!" Aerith screamed in panic, tightly gripping the edge of the seat.
"Calm down, Aerith. If you move around too much, we might actually fall into the ravine," Johnny replied.
"T-then I'll just sit behind you!" Aerith whined, getting ready to climb out of the sidecar even though the motorcycle was speeding.
"Sit there and trust me," Johnny stopped her quickly, one hand holding the handlebar to keep the motorcycle stable.
From inside Johnny's armor pocket, Puck popped out, proudly resting his hands on his hips. "Take it easy, Princess! Leave it all to Johnny. In the past, Guts even managed to beat Serpico on a narrow cliff crazier than thi—"
"Don't just talk nonsense, Puck!" Aerith cut in hysterically, her eyes bulging as she stared ahead. "JOHNNY, WATCH OUT! THERE'S A BIRD APPROACHING! OH SHIT! SHIT!"
Suddenly, the sky above them darkened. Four giant winged shadows covered the road.
"Puck, Ivalera! Put up a Barrier now! This is crazy, what kind of toll road doesn't have a guardrail?!" Johnny cursed, annoyed at seeing the life-threatening Shinra infrastructure.
"YES, BOSS!" the two Faires answered in unison, instantly projecting a thin magic shield around the sidecar.
"No wonder no soldiers or citizens recommended passing through here! I could lose my life!" Aerith complained, covering her head with both hands.
An ear-piercing, shrill screech echoed from the direction of the cliff. From behind the clouds, four Fleetwings swooped down—mountain bird monsters with stiff feathers as sharp as sword blades. Their green eyes stared hungrily at Aerith, treating the girl in the pink dress as an afternoon snack served on the sidecar basket.
"Johnny—!" Aerith shrieked.
"Hold on," Johnny cut in quietly, yet his voice was heard clearly over the roar of the wind. Instead of pulling the brake, Johnny's large fingers twisted the throttle to the max. Their motorcycle roared fiercely, speeding even more wildly along the edge of the ravine.
The first Fleetwing swooped down from the right side, extending its claws straight at Aerith's face. When the distance was only a handspan away, Johnny's left hand reached for his back as fast as lightning, while his right hand remained relaxed, maintaining the steering balance.
SWOOSH—CRASSH!
Without bothering to look back, Johnny swung the Dragon Slayer horizontally with one hand. The slash created a shockwave of wind, cleaving the giant bird into two neat pieces in an instant. Blood and feathers scattered to the bottom of the ravine.
However, the remaining three birds were still chasing them. Johnny's eyes narrowed sharply.
"ASSESS!" he shouted, triggering his observation skill.
A flash of data crossed his mind. Fleetwing: Weakness - WIND.
"Aerith, help me!" Johnny shouted.
"Y-yes, Honey!" Aerith replied haltingly. Her hands were shaking violently because the bottomless ravine was right on her left side.
"Use Aero magic on them! Calm down, Aerith! Focus on just one of them. Your Magnify Materia effect will definitely bounce and hit all three of them! Concentrate!" Johnny commanded.
Swallowing hard, Aerith closed her eyes, trying to gather what was left of her sanity. Just as the three birds opened their beaks, ready to strike...
"AERO!"
WOOOSHHH! A green tornado vortex was created with a loud explosion, hitting the monster in the middle. Thanks to the Magnify effect, the deadly wind power jumped wildly to the monsters on its right and left.
KRAAAK! All three Fleetwings were immediately hit by the Stagger status. They lost their balance in the air, collided with each other, and finally tumbled down to the bottom of the ravine.
The atmosphere fell quiet again, leaving only the roar of the motorcycle engine.
"Look at me, Johnny! I-I... did it... b-but..." Aerith raised both her hands, which were still shaking violently.
Hearing the cute complaint, Johnny snorted softly with a faint smile. The sound of heavy metal clanking was heard as he sheathed his sword. The motorcycle's speed did not slow down at all.
"Reducing our speed at the edge of the ravine will only give them room to move. Besides..." Johnny glanced briefly over his shoulder. "...you were amazing, Aerith."
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The sun had set, forcing Johnny's plan to reach Junon that day to a halt. The journey through the mountain route turned out to be far more troublesome than expected. The battle with the Fleetwings on the toll road earlier was merely the opening; throughout the rest of the cliff path, they had to repeatedly face ambushes from flying monsters.
After hours of riding down the mountain ridge, the landscape finally changed. The road flattened out again, flanked by a vast expanse of grassland and forest trees that were beginning to darken.
For the sake of safety, Johnny steered his motorcycle off the path, entering a hidden rocky cliff recess. He parked his sidecar right at the mouth of the recess as a barricade, then swept the inside to ensure no monsters or wild animals were hiding.
Before long, a small campfire began to crackle at the base of the recess, sending sparks into the air that were slowly replaced by a blanket of stars.
Johnny was busy squatting, checking the condition of the motorcycle's tires and the remaining claw scratch marks on the protective iron from the fights earlier, when a savory aroma wafted out, filling the narrow space. He turned his head.
Aerith could be seen kneeling near the fireplace, trying to calm herself after the nerve-wracking journey. She opened several cans of cold military rations, transferred them into a small pot from the supply bag, and then seasoned them with dry spices she had brought from her home kitchen.
With deft movements, Aerith stirred the soup. "Canned food is indeed practical, Johnny. But we have to warm it up. We need full energy for Junon tomorrow," she said with a smile. She ladled the hot soup into a steel bowl and handed it to Johnny.
Johnny got up from his motorcycle and accepted the bowl. "Thank you."
While enjoying the warm food prepared by Aerith, the atmosphere slowly became quiet and peaceful. Near them, Puck and Ivalera seemed to have run out of energy; the two Fairies were sleeping curled up, leaning against each other inside Johnny's upside-down helmet, emitting a faint glow of light.
After finishing the meal, Aerith took out her PHS from her bag. She took a deep breath before dialing her home number. After a few ringing tones, Mother Elmyra's voice was heard, sounding anxious but immediately relieved the moment she heard her daughter's voice.
"Mom? Yes, it's me... We are out of the Midgar area. We're safe," Aerith said softly, her eyes gazing at the campfire flames. "Johnny is taking great care of me. There was a little problem earlier with a monster... uh, a big bird, but we managed to handle it. Don't worry about me, Mom... sleep well. I will call again tomorrow."
After hanging up the phone, Aerith went silent for a moment. She hugged her knees, staring into the dark night outside the recess. Johnny stepped closer, then sat beside the girl. And draped his warm black cloak over her.
"Is your mother doing well?" Johnny asked quietly.
"She misses us both, even though it's only been a day," Aerith answered, sporting a faint smile. She shifted her seat closer, then leaned her head against Johnny's broad shoulder. Her breath formed a thin cloud of white vapor in the night air that was starting to cool down.
"Johnny..." Aerith whispered, her eyes now looking straight up. "Those mountain monsters earlier were truly crazy. It feels like my hands haven't stopped shaking since then. But now... it feels much calmer. The sky is so beautiful, isn't it. So full of stars."
The girl sighed in relief once again. "There are no giant steel plates, no pollution, no Mako dust."
Hearing that, Johnny also looked up. It had been a very long time since he had seen a night sky this clear without the shadows of the God Hand or an eclipse. He had been in this world for three years, and tonight, the sky felt... just like a sky. Ordinary, but soothing. However, as per his habit, he just remained silent, enjoying the view.
"Come on, don't just stay silent," Aerith coaxed softly, nudging Johnny's arm.
"Hmm." Johnny only replied with his signature quiet grunt.
Aerith began twirling the end of her braided hair. Her eyes glanced at the man beside her with a probing, slightly playful look, yet harboring a curiosity natural for a woman.
"Johnny..." she called again, her voice softer. "That woman from your past... Casca. Is she prettier than me?"
The question slipped out suddenly. Johnny went silent for a moment. But strangely, there was no pain or dark memory that immediately choked him like before.
Slowly, his large, rough hand moved, cupping the side of Aerith's face. The girl startled slightly at the sudden touch, but her cheeks immediately flushed warm.
"You," Johnny answered without hesitation.
Johnny gazed intently into Aerith's green eyes. "Casca, hmm... she was a warrior. She was beautiful because of her resilience in a world filled only with blood, war and death. But you... you are different, Aerith."
Johnny's calloused thumb gently stroked Aerith's cheek. "In the past, everyone's eyes looked dim. They were filled with only fear, anger, or despair. Far worse than the citizens of Midgar."
"But your eyes..." Johnny paused for a second, as if searching for the right words inside his head that wasn't used to composing poetry. "...your eyes are alive. Green, calm, and unbroken by the darkness of this world."
Johnny's gaze lowered, tracing the face of the girl before him. "The way you smile after fighting monsters... the way you can still think about flowers and warm meals in the middle of a journey... that is a beauty that never existed in my old life."
"You're the sweetest, Aerith… not just beautiful—you're like an angel"
"You're a year too late—Zack already said that first." Aerith giggled softly.
Johnny chuckled too, than he leaned his face in slightly, erasing the distance between them. "My past is dead, Aerith. And in my world right now... there is nothing more precious to look at than You. Even though for other precious things, there are still my parents and your mother."
Aerith's smile bloomed wide. She immediately wrapped both her arms around Johnny's neck, hugging the man tightly while hiding her tomato-red face against the swordsman's broad chest.
"No fair..." Aerith mumbled with a muffled voice from behind Johnny's armor. "It's so rare for you to be so good with words tonight, my Knight."
Johnny didn't answer. He returned the hug with one hand, while their faces slowly drew closer to each other.
As their lips met in a kiss, they closed their eyes, letting the warmth of the night and the campfire envelop them both.
Meanwhile, inside the helmet lying near their feet, Puck quietly covered Ivalera's eyes with his two tiny hands while holding back a giggling chuckle, feeling that the scene in front of them was too sweet to be watched by minors.