Cloud first runs into Aeris while she is selling flowers near the reactor AVALANCHE destroyed. Afterwards, during the destruction of another reactor, Cloud falls from the reactor to the slums below. As fate may have it, he crashes (literally) through the roof of a church in Sector 5. And that church just happens to belong to the Flower Girl, whom he had previously met.

After talking for a few minutes, they introduce themselves and Cloud agrees to be Aeris' bodyguard. And it's just in the nick of time, too! He saves her from Reno of the Turks and then ends up sneaking into Shinra's HQ to rescue her from being part of Hojo's twisted experiments. After escaping from the Shinra (for now, anyway) the whole team departs from Midgar, searching for Sephiroth. After this, Cloud and Aeris' bond gets stronger and stronger..

Back.