I guess how I got in this situation with the kid is easier to explain than how the hell the kid and I ended up meeting each other. Believe me, this is not my idea of a good time. I'm a pilot, not a damn mountain climber. Hell, this isn't even mountain climbing, more like, trying not to get killed, but doing a damn poor job at it.

"Damnit kid, you sure are heavy, what the Hell are they feeding you?"

"Hot Dogs, old timer," he said.

"Don't shouldn't you try something a little healthier?" I asked.

" I'm not an old man like you, so I don't have to worry about it, besides, that's all they serve."

Young punks don't have any respect any more. " I told you my name is Cid, remember that or I'll find a way to drop you." All I wanted was a nice quiet picnic with Shera, but instead, I am hanging from the side of a cliff, Venus Gospel the only thing holding me and this kid from falling to our deaths.

I suppose it started when Shera and I took the Bronco out and went to look for a nice spot for a picnic. We found a nice place in the mountains and after I found I nice spot to land, we began our picnic.

After having some tea and Shera basically making a nuisance of herself we heard a noise that bothered me. Felt like we were being watched, so like the big genius I am, I left Shera alone. God knows she always gets into trouble. So I go a little ways and run into a little outcropping that we couldn't see from the air. Something feels weird about it, like a real bad feeling.

It was about that time, I heard Shera scream, so needless to say I came running, with the Gospel ready to go. Shera was struggling with some sort of machine, like a big robot. Before I could use a lightening materia on it, these two other "things" jumped me. I can't tell you what they were, but they looked and smelled like Hell. One came from the front, the other from behind.

Now I'm no dummy, so I used the butt end of the Gospel to smack the one behind me on its face, then I used the sharp end to swipe at the other one. I didn't hit the one in front of me straight on, he dodged enough so I only got his arm, and I took that off at the elbow, but he just kept coming. I ducked a right cross from this guy, but the one behind me came up and hit me in the back so hard I tripped over.

It was at this point that Shera screamed again, " Cid, do something!!!!"

Like its so damn easy to save her from that big machine and fight off these two guys who don't seem to mind that I just cut off an arm. As I rolled over to get up I was greeted with a swift kick to the face by my one-armed friend. This time I landed flat on my back. My lip was bleeding and everything started to get blurry. Had to do something quick before these guys finished me off. So I grabbed some fire materia and hoped that they didn't absorb it.

Can you say barbeque?? I hit the guy with two arms first, and boy did he light up. My one armed buddy soon followed, but my problems weren't over just yet. Those two were lit up like a bonfire, but they still were coming at me. But since they seemed to be moving a lot slower, I turned and went after the big guy. By now that big bucket of bolts had Shera pretty much under control and had slung her across its shoulder. Obviously, I couldn't use materia because I might hit Shera. So I had to go for the direct approach.

Instead of saying something witty, all I could muster up was, " Stop right there."

The machine turned towards me, now I could get a better look at it. I say it was about 8 feet tall. It was made with blue colored metal, and, on its shoulders it had to round cylinders that I took to be weapons of some sort, looks like a streamlined version of Barret's arm cannon. Instead of using these two guns on me, the thing pointed its right arm at me and out of its forearm popped two small missles. I knew I was in trouble then. As fast as I could I jumped and rolled out of the way. I remember hearing the missles go off, then I was airborne again. The last thing I heard was Shera crying out my name.