A long time ago, there was a large crisis threatening the planet. A madman named Sephiroth, under the delusion of believing he was the son of an evil alien being, summoned a giant meteor to "injure" the planet for his own purposes, by use of the Black Materia. He was halted by a band of do-gooders, led by Cloud Strife, a young man who had been infused with cells of the alien being. They used the power of the White Materia to stop him, an item recovered from their fallen ally, Aeris Gainsborough.
Slightly more than 500 years later, the land had changed much from the days of Cloud and Aeris. Mako stopped being a major resource, once the world knew what Mako was made of. Nobody cared to light a lamp with the soul of a relative. Red feline beasts, now known as the Rashions, lived side by side, wisdom by wisdom with humans, an achievement the scholar Bugenhagen would have been proud of. And the once semi-proud city known as Midgar, with its power-hungry rulers, the Shinra, is now the unexplored Midgar Jungle. Unexplored, that is, until today.........
"Slow down, Tion!" Charles cried out to his Rashion friend. "If you keep tearing down the vines that fast, they'll grow back again before we can reach you!"
Tion skidded. "Ha! What's the matter, Chuck? Eat too many scrambled eggs this morning?"
Charles caught up and put his hand on Tion's shoulder. "No, that was Captain Vixor's order. I think you're the one who ate too much! What do you see in that kids' cereal anyway?"
Tion grinned at him. "Where is it your place to ask? It's my sugar high- Whoa!" He lifted his paw quickly before he stepped on the poisonous back of the Toxic Frog. Charles grabbed a gun and shot it as it was rearing back its spit.
Tion smiled. "Thanks, bud. So, where is Vixor?" They continued through the vines.
"Oh, he's behind somewhere, giving hell to the slackers."
As they cleared two more vines, they saw a footpath. Tion gasped. Charles muttered, "This isn't possible......"
He knelt and examined the prints. "These are human tracks, alright. But they're old."
Tion replied, "How old?"
"I'd say a month old."
"But that can't be! If somebody had already explored this place, they would have announced it! There would have been a humongous media blitz, long before we planned our expedition!"
Charles nodded. "That's why it worries me so...." Then he was tapped on the back. Under reflex, he turned and aimed. At Captain Vixor.
Charles laughed pathetically and put the gun away. Vixor said, "What's going on, gentlemen?"
Tion spoke up. "Sir, there's a foot path here. About a month old."
Vixor's face turned grim. "Very well. Let's follow it." They nodded and started down the trail.
Soon, they stumbled across a cave. Vixor whispered, "I suggest you boys go check it out."
Tion and Charles flashed Vixor two thumbs up, then proceeded.
The cave was dark and musty, like it had been there for a long time. It also smelled like very bad body odor, like somebody had been sweating without deodorant for awhile. It made Tion's nose cringe. He buried his nose into the dirt to avoid it.
Charles, with his shirt over his nose, shone his flashlight around the room. He found the remains of animals that had been eaten. Checking the age of the carcasses, he found them to be a little under two weeks old.
Then, Tion looked up, with a cake of dirt covering his nostrils. His dark vision being highly advanced, he stumbled across something big. "Chuck, you gotta see this."
Charles swung the light to where Tion was. A blond, young man was laying there, in tattered clothing. He rushed to the young man, but was sidetracked when he saw what else was there.
"Oh, my lord..." Charles said. "Two scraps of fossilized paper. With the text intact!"
Tion rushed over. "What do they say?" "One has a logo on it. It says Shinra." Charles examined further. "It also says, down in the bottom corner....Cid."
Tion nudged Charles to look at the other one. "Okay, Tion. This one says......Gainsborough."
Tion shrugged and came back to the man. "So, what do we call this guy?"
"Cid Gainsborough." Charles said to Vixor. "We've named him after the fossils. The carcasses in the cave show that he hasn't eaten for about two weeks. He probably collapsed of malnourished fatigue."
"So I see....." Vixor said. "It's best we take this boy to Rocket City. We'll find a place for him."
Rocket City. Once it was known unaffectionately as Shinra No. 26, but latter years after "the great event", not to mention the launch of the rocket, caused the city's population to boom.
The metropolis grew larger than Midgar would have ever dared, but the government of Rocket City learned a lesson from the former glory of the Shinra pet project. This city was bursting at the seams with nature and beauty, making it a wildly popular tourist spot. It had beaches, world-acclaimed parks, and ski resorts (man-made).
When Cid barely awoke in the truck, it was the first thing he saw. He tried to make a sound of protest, but collapsed again.
Bright light. Blinding bright light. This is what Cid first saw when he opened his eyes. Squinting, he saw that color was returning.
The room was a metallic gray, but pieces of art hung from the wall, and potted plants adorned the corners of the room. Then, he saw whom to thank for waking him. As he began to make the person out, he smiled at what he saw.
First came the eyes. Big, shining, brown eyes. Then, the hair. Long, straight, and as brown as the eyes. She certainly was beautiful.
Speaking, she said, "Hey there. Looks like you're in the land of the living."
A voice from behind her said, "Now, wait a second, sweetie. We're not sure if he even speaks a language."
She replied, "I know what I'm doing. Even if he doesn't talk, friendly sounds are universal. And keep your 'sweeties' to yourself."
Cid sat up and said, "But I do talk."
The woman smiled warmly. "Ah, good. What's your name?"
Cid stared blankly for a couple of seconds. "I..... don't have a name."
The man who spoke earlier grinned. "Alright!"
He walked over and shook Cid's hand. "Hi, I'm Charles Kaufman. I'm one of the two guys who found you. Since you don't have a name, then the one I've given you should do. You are now known as Cid Gainsborough."
Cid, confused, scratched his head. "Cid Gainsborough?"
The woman shook his hand. "And I'm Amanda Wright. You're quite an odd case. You come in from the Midgar Jungle, and you can speak, yet you have amnesia."
Cid shook his head. "No, it's not amnesia. I just never had a name."
"Don't you have parents?" Charles asked.
"Not that I know of." Cid replied. "Where am I?"
"At Tiny Bronco University, in Rocket Town." Amanda answered. "You were found by Charles and his fellow explorers, who were on a grant from the university. Therefore, it's the school's duty to do something with you."
"Are you a professor who can help me?" Cid inquired.
"Oh, no! I'm a student in the field of psychology. The dean wants to talk with you, however." Amanda said as she opened the door. A stately man walked in and shook Cid's hand.
"Gee," Cid said, "everybody's treating me like some sort of astronaut. Everybody wants to shake my hand."
The dean was taken aback by this, then whispered to Amanda, "Amazing. He's knows of things like space travel, and he looks like he never left the jungle."
Then he turned back to Cid. "Young man, we have set up a cozy position for you as a farmhand on a nearby family farm. They've been needing an extra set of limbs to help around, and you're in quite good physical condition, as this printout tells me." He read off the paper. "22 years old, no major diseases, no evidence of any past physical harm. Quite a nice way to live, I'd say. I'm impressed that you didn't get hurt in the jungle. I live in the city and recently got a sprain."
Charles, leaning on a wall, muttered, "It's a jungle out there."
The dean looked at the explorer. "Yes....." Turning back to Cid, he continued, "Also, you could use some family life. It's relaxing. We would also like for you to meet with Amanda here every week. She's doing a project on how situations affect us, and she would like to hear all about your life in the jungle, and how it feels to be living in civilization."
Cid shrugged. "Sure."
"Ronald Rappaport?" Charles asked as he saw the person at the door of the house.
"Yes, that's me. What is it?" Ronald answered.
Charles smiled. "Hi, I'm just delivering your new foster farmhand, Cid."
"Ah!" Ronald peered into the truck they came in, and saw Cid, shrouded in darkness. "Come out here, boy! Let's get a look at you!" he shouted to the vehicle.
Cid got out of the truck. He was wearing a Tiny Bronco U. t-shirt and jeans, which highlighted his general slimness and good shape. He had muscles, but nothing humongous. His large blue eyes were very striking, which looked interesting with his short, blond, straight hair. Overall, he had a curious, intelligent manner about him.
"Well, looks like you'll fit right in," Ronald said. "Let's get you inside and fix you a room."
Cid started into the house, then turned to Charles. "You wanna come in and have a drink or something?"
Charles shook his head. "Naah, I'm off to plan our next expedition to Mt. Nibel. The world calls me, you see. I may not see you again, Cid, so I'll say my fond farewells." He got in the truck and started the engine. "Good luck with farm life. By the way, Amanda told me that somebody will pick you up in six days for the first interview."
Cid furrowed his brow. "How many of these interviews am I going to have?"
"Don't ask me: it's HER graduate thesis. Ain't she a looker?"
Cid sneered at him. "You like her or something?"
"Oh, no! She's too.... Well.... College for me. You know what I mean?"
"Sure."
Charles waved as he drove off.
Six days later, at Tiny U.........
Amanda sat down in her chair at her dorm room, then invited Cid to sit. Cid took a seat in the yuppie-like chair, which was more like a hollowed-out halfsphere sitting on a cylinder.
"Nice furniture." Cid commented as he tried to get comfy.
She noticed his struggling. "You get used to it. Anyway, are you ready to answer questions?"
He nodded. She pulled out a pen and held it to the stationary. "What is your name?"
"You know my name."
"For the record."
Cid shrugged. "Cid Gainsborough."
"Is this your parent-given name?"
"Nope. I don't have parents. I don't remember ever having parents."
Amanda inquired, "You lived in the jungle for how long?"
"As long as I can remember."
"And yet, you know of things like language, parents, and furniture. Where did you learn of them?"
Cid thought. "I don't know. I just happen to know what they are and what context they are used in."
She scribbled furiously. "How is it on a farm?"
"Well, the breaks should be longer, and it's hard work harvesting wheat. All-in-all, though, it's nice to be living with others for once."
"How are your table manners?"
"Fine, thank you."
Amanda furrowed her brow at the remark, then wrote more.
This cycle of events went on for several weeks. Cid, once a week, would go to Tiny U. and get grilled. Otherwise, he would simply work on the farm.
One day, while he was exiting the school, he stopped at a vending machine for a candy bar. Then he heard a voice that was quite familiar.
"Okay, students, Tion and I are gonna tell you about our amazing find in the Nibel Mountains," came a voice from a nearby classroom.
Cid went to the door. Advanced Archaeology, read the door. He peeped in, to see a full class, all stadium-seated and staring and Charles and Tion, who were at the front of the class, making large gestures. The whole ridiculousness of Charles trying to teach made Cid snicker.
Tion heard this and nudged Charles. "Hey, Chuck, someone's laughing at you..."
Charles's face turned red. "Who thinks I'm funny?!"
Cid said, "Oops..." Everybody stared at the barely open door.
Charles gestured for whoever was behind the door to step forward. His eyes widened when he saw whom it was. "HEY! Cid! C'mon down here!"
As Cid descended, Charles joked, "And this happens to be another one of our finds. Not every day you see a 22-year-old in a cave."
Tion sniffed into a bag and clamped his sterilized mouth around something, and brought it to the table.
Charles saw what Tion did. "This, class, is our latest. An odd, green orb. It gives off no radiation, yet glows on its own. It also ma~"
"I know what it is," Cid interrupted, like he was saying that the sky is blue.
Tion's jaw dropped. "Wow, you do? What is it?"
Cid patted Tion's furry head. "Calm down. It's just a Materia."
A student blurted out, "Materia?! That's mythology!"
Another said in reaction, "Hey, haven't you ever been to Wutai?! They've got Materia!"
The first said, "Naw, that stuff's just a hoax. They don't even say it's Materia."
Charles silenced the class, then turned to Cid. "You know this thing?"
Cid smiled. "I can use it, too."
Tion said, "Do it, man!"
Cid looked at the orb closely, then stated, "Not in here. That'd be dangerous."
Outside, with Charles, Tion, the dean, Rappaport, Cpt. Vixor, and Amanda watching, Cid held the Materia in his hand. He closed his eyes and concentrated hard on the effect he desired. The orb began to grow more fiercely.......fiercer.......fiercer.......
BOOM! was the sound as large orbs of red flew out and exploded, demolishing a tree. The crowd was sufficiently stunned.
Cid looked down at it. "It's old. That's why it took so long to use. It hasn't done this in awhile."
Charles walked up to Cid and shook his hand. "Man, that was INCREDIBLE! Materia can do that?!"
Cid replied, "Only when they're this strong."
Charles stared blankly. "Huh?"
"This particular Fire materia is a mastered materia. It can get no stronger."
Amanda gasped. "Mastered?! Then that means...."
Cid nodded. "This was the Fire materia of the great Cloud himself."
Amanda pouted as she sat in the transport unit that was moving the diggers through the mountain's new trees to the site of the materia. Cid sat next to her and said, "What's wrong?"
"That darn John! Why'd he even bother?!"
"Oh, John. Why the problem with him?"
Amanda sighed. "When he found out that I was coming along on this trip to continue my research with you, he flaunted his status as the nephew of the dean and demanded to come, too. He's in the other vehicle. Did you meet him?"
Cid rolled his eyes. "He introduced himself to me. He's really snooty, isn't he?"
"ALL THE TIME."
Cid grinned. "Obviously he likes you."
"No duh." She smiled a little. "In fact, that reminds me. Do you want to hear my thesis on the report about you?"
He nodded. She continued, "It's about your level of intelligence. How can you, who was raised in the jungle without any parents or teacher, be so smart while some people in civilization can be so stupid?"
Cid shrugged. "Maybe some people just don't get it." Then they heard a noise from outside. Amanda rolled down the window to see John hanging out the window.
"Yoo-hoo, sugarlips!" John called out. "Why didn't you come into this unit?"
"It's about my nonviolence stance," Amanda shot back. "If I was breathing the same air as you, I'd drop the ideal immediately."
John stared blankly for a couple of seconds, then laughed. "Oh, you tease!"
"That's one of those people who don't get it," Cid whispered. Suddenly, John wore the hat of a new Needle Kiss dropping.
Charles, standing behind the two, said, "Serves him right for sticking his head out the window. Could've been headless from a close encounter with a tree trunk." Cid couldn't help smiling a little.
The mountain had eroded somewhat since Cloud last walked its rocky paths. The reactor no longer existed there, and a small cave took its place. Captain Vixor, once more, headed the expedition in, along with the "guest expert" on the findings, Cid.
Charles and Tion, walked beside Cid, flashed their lights around the dark cave to see if anything could be found. "Nothin'." Tion muttered.
Vixor walked over to Cid and pointed at a spot on the ground in the back of the cave. "This is where the materia was found. There was nothing else in here."
Cid nodded and began to search. He looked extensively around the area, searching for something. Tion and Charles joined in the examination. After a while, Cid said to Charles, "Boost me up. I'm going to see if the ceiling holds any answers."
Cid stood on Charles's shoulders and examined the area. Then, his hands, pushing against the roof of the cavern, went upwards quickly.
"Ah-ha," Cid said. "Hand me a flashlight." Tion, clamping his in his mouth, tossed it up to Cid. Cid shone it in the area where his hands went up. A hole.
Vixor grinned. "Good job. Tion, get up there and examine it."
"I'll go, too," said Cid. "I want to see this as well."
Charles looked at both Tion and Cid, then said, "Oh, no, you don't! You're not just gonna leave me here with no one to talk to while you go off exploring! I'm coming, too!"
Cid shrugged and Tion laughed at his friend. Some flunkies got a ladder and the trio climbed up into the hole. They then began to crawl into a cramped tunnel.
Tion had the easiest time of it, while Cid and Charles stayed on hands and knees. Suddenly, a quiet glow up ahead got Cid moving faster.
"It's a command materia! This one is Deathblow. Also mastered," Cid said thoughtfully.
"So, what are you saying?" said Charles. "That's also one of Cloud's materias?!"
"Takes a lot to master Deathblow. I'd say that your assumption is right, Charles," Cid replied, gazing into the orb's light.
Tion nudged Charles. "Whaddya know, Chuck?! You might be a scientist!" Charles messed up Tion's mane for the remark.
Cid then said, "Ohmigod! C'mere!" The two came as fast as they could, to see another hole, but overflowing with materia.
Tion gasped. "Whoa! Look at all that!" Charles nodded. "Those materia must be Cloud's materia."
Cid grabbed at the orbs and concentrated, feeling them. "Most definitely mastered." Then, he kicked the pile down, leaving room for the three to climb down. They all descended and saw the most magnificent sight of their lives.
Charles whispered, "Incredible...."
Cid walked up to the green, blue, yellow, and purple orbs. Then, like he remembered something, started to dig through the materia. "Odd......"
Charles was about to ask Cid what was missing, when the corner of his eye caught Tion, shaking uncontrollably and eyes widened to a humongous degree.
Cid, unaware, grabbed two red orbs. "All this and only two summons. Very odd indeed......"
Charles started to back away from his friend. "Tion...."
Tion let out an earth-shattering roar and plunged into the materia. Cid jumped away from it when he saw this. Then, two gravity shots erupted from the pile of spheres and sent Cid and Charles through the wall, destroying it and leaving them at the feet of Vixor.
Vixor picked them up quickly. "What happened to you two? Where's Tion?!"
Suddenly, a burst of light sent them all outside the cave. Tion walked out, with all the spheres behind him, and pounced on Vixor, tearing him to pieces. During this, Cid ran to the transport unit and saw Amanda in an argument with John. Cid didn't have a chance to hear it, since he grabbed the two of them and hauled butt out of it.
They could have protested, but then Tion cast Flare on the units, reducing them to ashes. Charles joined the three, and watched for a second as Tion began to slaughter all the workers. Then they ran.