The Pink Materia

By: Makio

Disclaimer: I don't much care for legalities.

Yuffie sighed as she looked at her materia collection, it was just so… so small; 3 rooms full of materia was nothing compared to some of the people from her village who had spare houses simply filled with materia from all over the world, she hung her head in shame.

She thought for a moment, Cloud had a nice set of materia he kept with him in case of emergency, but he would never let her have them… but Cloud could help her find some more! She jumped from her meditative state excitedly. She would get everybody together for a good old fashion materia hunt, quickly Yuffie ran over and grabbed her Phone and started jamming in numbers.

Unfortunately, as quickly as her excitement began it faded. Red XIII was busy with tribal issues, Shinra was giving some children a 'puppet' show for the kids down at the local pre-school, Vincent was off in god knows where, Poor Cid was in the hospital apparently Cigarettes had gotten the best of him; While flying he stumbled with a pack and lost control of the ship, fortunately nobody was seriously injured but Cid did have a fractured leg and a broken arm.

Yuffie simply shook her head, the team had become more than separated with their own lives now that evil wasn't afoot. Tifa was on speed dial but Yuffie didn't have much faith in her, she has been very busy with the bar and Orphans as of late.

"Hey Tifa! Its Yuffie!"

Tifa moaned just load enough for Yuffie to hear "I know Yuffie, my phone does have caller I.D."

Yuffie retreated in her personality when she heard Tifa's mood "I'm Sorry is this a bad time?"

Tifa shook her head, as if Yuffie could see "No, I'm just exhausted from all this work, I need a break."

Yuffie's grin became so wide that it was a surprise that it fit on her face "Well then I have just the solution!" Her bubbly self had returned "We can go on a nature hike and hunt down some more materia for my collection. Whad'dya say?"

Tifa Rolled her eyes with amusement "You know that sounds great, I'll have Barret watch the bar for me and –" She was cut off as Cloud entered the room setting down a few packages. Tifa grinned "and I'll bring Cloud with me as well."

Cloud simply looked up in confusion; However Cloud knew Tifa's grin very well and had'nt seen this one since his cross-dressing escapades. He still had nightmares about that.

Tifa ignored Cloud for the moment and shouted through the building "Barret! I'm going out! Your in charge while I'm gone!"

Barret was sleeping in his 'secret' area of the bar when the shouting cause him to stumble off the couch.

Before Cloud could say anything Tifa was dragging out the door "Don't be fussy, we are going to help Yuffie materia hunt for the day, besides I need a break."

Cloud couldn't even get out a peep before the door slammed and he found himself on his trusty cycle.

Yuffie was already waiting at the designated spot as Cloud and Tifa pulled up, it was a very remote part of the world, the forest was so thick up ahead that not even daylight was getting through.

"What was the hold up you guys!" Yuffie said in angst "We are wasting so much time!"

Cloud groaned slightly "Yuffie how long will this take, I have people I'd like to be ignoring right now."

Cloud received a dangerous Glare from Tifa and he quickly backed away and cracked a smile, he knew how stressed Tifa was lately and knew not to test her "Actually this sounds like just the thing I needed!"

Yuffie and Tifa grinned "Great" They said in unison one a bit more threatening than the other.

As they wandered deeper into the forest, the more unsettled Cloud became as he took out one of his many trusty swords. Critters of all nature scampered around from small mice to Lizards that could easily swallow the trio, the entire forest seemed at rest however and the only agitation was the cracked of twigs as the three proceeded forward.

"Yuffie, do you know where you are going?" Cloud said uncertain of the young ninja's navigational capabilities.

"Well… Legend has it that in this forest somewhere is a fountain of concentrated Liquid Materia, and that the animals around it often carry Materia with them."

"So is that a no…" Tifa said rather bluntly

Yuffie simply stuck out her tongue in a childish way and pressed on.

Seemingly hours later Yuffie spotted the fabled fountain "There it is! We found it!" She jumped around ecstatically come on guys hurry up.

Tifa and Cloud trailed behind her in mild exhaustion "Yuffie now that we found the place can we take a break?"

Yuffie rolled her eyes "I suppose you wimps can" as she ran up to the fountain and looked in it. It looked a lot like water, except for the fact that it is multi colored and bubbling, it was more of a hot bath that a fountain." Yuffie gleefully dipped her hand into he water and pulled out a pair of materia "Jackpot!" She squealed in ecstasy.

Cloud and Tifa rolled their eyes as they unraveled a blanket and sat down Tifa began taking out some food she packed as cloud looked around, Yuffie was busy plucking any spare materia she could find, but that wasn't the interesting part, the most fascinating thing about this spot was the animals. The average critter was now transformed thanks to the materia, Mice were running around with their tail on fire and bugs were leaving trails of ice. Cloud shivered as he thought of the consequences of some of the bigger monsters getting there hands on some of the more powerful materia.

It was roughly half way through the meal when a small squirrel like creature approached them. It was disgustingly cute, its fur was pink and fluffy its eyes wide and adorable, among many other things. Nobody saw it as a real threat, just an annoyance. As Cloud shooed it from his meal, moments later it came back.

"Aw it likes you" Tifa teased as it rubbed up against Cloud

"Yeah well I can't say the feeling is mutual" He snorted as he pushed it away, but yet again the creature came right back. Tifa and Yuffie both giggled this time, the look on Clouds face was Timeless.

Cloud was getting agitated now and let the creature crawl up into his hand, teasing it with a bite from his food. After it was fully stationed on him he tossed the poor pink fluff away, to his dismay it hit a tree, and let out a small peep and hit the ground hard.

Tifa and Yuffie gasped at Clouds uncaring position, "Cloud your so heartless!" Yuffie said "Yeah that was pretty low" Tifa could only add to the guilt, Cloud didn't mean for it to hit the tree he just wanted it gone. Sensing himself in the dog house he stood up and walked over to the Creature. When he looked at it, it was no longer pink and fluffy, it looked like any other monster in these woods it shook its head and hissed at Cloud and scurried off into the forest, Cloud was in utter confusion. However when Cloud looked down he saw a small Light Pink orb rolling from where the creature fled. He bent down and grabbed it, looking over at Yuffie "Hey I found another one you can use Yuffie!"

Yuffie who had her mouth stuffed with bread stood up quickly and an over to him and looked down at the materia, it was unlike anything she ever saw. "This one must be very rare, maybe even one of a kind!" She reached to grab it but Cloud teasingly pulled away "If its so rare maybe I should keep it." He sneered as he rolled the materia around on his fingers skillfully.

Yuffie gave Cloud a pleading look until he caved "Fine… I didn't want the stupid thing anyways" He positioned it on the top of his hand and held it out for Yuffie to grab it, as the young ninja reached for it it sank into Clouds hand.

Yuffie got angry and yelled "Cloud that's not fair! Give it!"

Cloud looked at it in panic "I didn't do it! It went in by itself!" He struggled to pull it out "It won't come out!"

Tifa looked over at the commotion "Cloud stop joking around and just give it to her" she sighed "I'm ready to get going again"

Cloud looked over at her "I'm not joking it really won't come out!" he looked down at it in astonishment as the glow from the materia became unexplainably bright and seemed to exploded under Clouds skin. Yuffies eyes were now wide and watching intently as Tifa got up and rushed over to see what was going on. The Materia had become almost liquidized and started pulsing through Clouds skin, Tifa and Yuffie watched as they could see clouds veins being filled with the Pale pink materia.

Its when it started to coat Clouds face that it started to worry the others, but soon after the veins in Clouds neck had been reached the glow ceased. Cloud quickly looked down at his body, it was unchanged. "That was weird…." He said shaking his head and checking his hands.

Yuffie nodded "I think you better see the Elder for this…." Tifa looked over after snapping out of her hypnotistic gaze on Cloud. "The Elder?"

Yuffie nodded "He is the expert on materia in our village, and probably has the largest collection of Materia in the world."

Cloud was speechless until now "Pfft, how large could it be"

Yuffie looked over at him in annoyance "Lets just say that on of the mountains behind my village is hollow." She said with a smirk "But in any case he should know what has happened."

Tifa and Cloud nodded as they made there way back from the forest.

They hovered over Yuffies home village, apparently Cid had let Yuffie test out a new model of his that was suppose to be a one man Airship, made for quick transportation back and forth.

"So where is this Elder of yours?" Tifa asked in quizzically

"He is in that little hut there on that island." Yuffie pointed out, Cloud look closely "That island is so far from the village"

Yuffie grimaced "Well he is MY elder, but the rest of the village thinks he is a bit of a joke"

"You mean to say he has been exiled?" Tifa asked bluntly

"Eeh yeah" Yuffie exclaimed scratching her nose a bit "But he is still very knowledgeable."

Cloud rolled his eyes "Well lets go find out what happened to the materia, and if I'm going to be ok"

"Righto" Yuffie said excitedly it had been awhile since she visited him, as the airship pulled up to the small dock and placed itself safely in the water and the three hopped off.

Yuffie ran up to the door and knocked happily "Elder I'm back! Its Yuffie!"

Shuffling could be heard from inside, pots and pans were crashing as a old man opened the door, he was tiny and entirely dependent on the cane that was supporting him. "Ah Yuffie its good to see you again, I get so lonel--" The old man looked up at Tifa and Cloud "I see you brought company, how rude of me. Please come in" The old man ushered the trio inside "What brings you here?" he asked as Yuffie and Tifa sat down, Cloud stood in the corner eyeing everything suspiciously.

Yuffie got the ball rolling "Well we found the Materia fountain.."

There was a sudden stop in the old mans movement before he continued again "So you found it, get a good haul did you?"

Yuffie nodded "Quite a lot! I had to leave a few behind because I couldn't carry it all, but that's not why we are here. Its my friend Cloud" She pointed towards him "A materia acted very strange towards him, it involuntarily bonded with him, then seemingly burst and liquefied with him.. its hard to explain really"

The old man sat down in a chair across from Tifa and Yuffie and looked at Cloud "That's the thing about the materia found near that fountain. When in orb form they act almost like water balloons they simply hold the liquid but when fused with the person they burst, and become one with the person. But you said something else; It merged involuntarily?"

Yuffie nodded "Yeah, he was going to give it to me but it just sank into his hand."

The old man nodded and turned to Cloud in deep thought "Let me see your hand" Hesitantly Cloud outstretched his arm as the old man removed his glove and looked at where the materia merged, there sat a strange symbol glowing in the same pale pink color.

The old man shook his head "Just as I thought, the materia you found was very rare, infact there are only five known, it's a materia that has a will of its own and it won't leave you until you master it."

Cloud's mood changed quickly "How am I suppose to master it if I don't know what kind of materia it is!"

The old man snickered "It will reveal itself in time. And over time it will take affect until it is completely in your system."

Cloud grimaced, he wanted to blow something up he was so upset. "So what do I do?"

"You wait" The old man sighed "You wait and see"

"But elder!" Yuffie exclaimed but was cut off by the old man "But nothing Yuffie now leave, I need to be alone for a bit"

"But.."

"I said leave.."

The trio left silently Yuffie had a hurt look on her face, the old man turned to a window and looked out of it solemnly and looked down at his hand, a symbol began to glow on it, in a ocean blue tint "Three have been found, two more."

Cloud sank on a stool at Tifa's bar "Why is it always me…" a drink was shoved in front of his face "I don't need you becoming a hermit again, try and cheer up" Tifa said forcefully

Cloud Groaned inwardly but took the drink "So what do you think it is?"

"Think what is?" Tifa asked there was a silence for a few seconds before it finally clicked "Oh you mean the Materia.. I'm not sure I'm actually very curious to find out myself!" She said giddily.

Cloud groaned and sat the drink down, "I'm going to bed"

The next morning brought nothing but anguish for Cloud, he woke up fearing the worst, as he rushed to the nearest mirror and looked in it, nothing had changed nothing to noticeable at least. His face looked a bit rounder and his clothes didn't fit as well as he remembered but he waved all those off. He was just being paranoid.

As he walked down to the bar Tifa greeted him with the same warm smile as always but he could tell she was examining him as well. We have a few deliveries today but nothing big, she ushered to the packages on the table Cloud happily took them. It was a huge relief knowing he wasn't becoming some Freak that emanated fire from his eyes or something like that.

It was only after Cloud delivered the packages that he noticed his hair was constantly in his eyes, which was strange simply because it takes at least 9-10 inches for gravity to take effect on his hair. He bent down and looked in the side mirror from his cycle, It still retained some spike to it.. however it was about mid neck and protruded into his eyes he took out a small knife and began at least trimming away at the bangs so he could see in the least… but some strange happened as soon as he cut the hair it grew back, longer this time he figured he should probably see Tifa about this she was the one who cut his hair anyways.

Upon entering the bar Tifa looked at him rather strangely "Cloud whats up with your hair? When is the last time you had it cut!"

Cloud shot Tifa a look that could kill "I did cut it, but it just grew back"

Tifa looked at him like he was dumbfounded "That's why you cut it again idiot"

Cloud moaned and took out a knife "Watch" He grabbed the Mid Neck length hair that had grown and cut it nearly in half, causing it to regrow instantly to roughly shoulder length.

Tifa looked in aw as she slowly approached Cloud, she gently tugged on the hair and ran her hands through it… Suddenly everything clicked for her.

"Cloud, I know what the materia is turning you into, and I don't think your going to like it…"

Fin

Authors notes; For the record I haven't played FF7 for almost 7 years so I'm going to be a bit spacey on the details. And I may or may not update this story, depends on my mood.