"Damn it all ta hell! Why in the seven hells did Une send me on this mission?" Duo Maxwell muttered as he picked his way through the rubble of an old Mariemeia's Army base. "S'not like she had enough rookies ta take carea such a simple mission. Or even the rest of the guys… But no, they were ta busy with outside stuff an' didn't wanna reschedule. Feh." He knelt down and picked up a sign. "Authorized Personal Only" Reading out loud, he scoffed. "Yeah right…" Duo tossed the piece of metal away and looked at his surroundings. The sunlight glinting off something caught his eyes and he stood up, making his way towards it. He knelt again and picked it up. "Huh? The hell're two marbles doin' way out here?" Duo held up the two spherical glass-like objects to the sun and peered through them. Both were red but one held what looked to be suspended snowflakes, while the other held flames. 'Beautiful.' He went to put them in his pocket, but before he could, the marbles started to glow. "What-?" The glow enveloped him and when it faded, there was no sign of Duo at all.

When Duo opened his eyes, he had to shut them again because it was so bright.

"Wake up little soldier."

"What?" He, after learning his lesson, opened his eyes more slowly. They widened when all he could see was an expanse of white.

"Oh good, you're awake. You know, you're the only one who thought we were beautiful."

"Speak for yourself Shiva. Men aren't supposed to be beautiful."

"Oh quit your bitching, Ifrit. He didn't know." He felt someone run a hand through his bangs and he glanced up… and immediately looked down again, face a nice cheery red. "Oh and modest too!" He heard a rustling and the female voice spoke again. "You can look again." Duo cautiously looked up again and sighed in relief when the blue lady's chest was covered up. He looked over to where the male voice originated and cocked his head. The voice belonged to a… man? with horns wearing nothing but a loincloth. He looked back to the blue lady.

"So who're ya an' why am I here? Where is here anyway?" He looked around. The landscape was a world of pure white and the blue lady smiled.

"My name is Shiva, and the lump of muscle over there is Ifrit. We are known as the objects called Materia." She held up a hand to forestall the coming questions. "I know you have many questions but first I would like to ask you something. Are you willing to help us?

Duo looked at her and cocked his head. "Tell me why an' I just might."

Shiva sighed and weaved a hand through her also blue hair. "In our dimension, as you now know, we are what are called Materia. Materia is crystalized energy, Mako, from the Planet's Lifestream. Metaphysically, Materia calls upon Lifestream's wisdom in order to manipulate nature itself. This manifests as the phenomenon of magic for most Materia, although other Materia pieces enhance the user's abilities. Unless one is descended from the Cetra, Materia is the only way normal humans can use magic. Cetra, also known as the ancients, have the ability to communicate with Gaia and cultivate the Lifestream in the earth. But now, there is only one Ancient left, a young girl by the name of Aerith, daughter of ShinRa scientist Professor Gast and the Ancient Iflana. Professor Gast was the one who found the Calamity, Jenova. Jenova was the one who who wiped out most of the Cetra and so the remainders locked her away. She was forgotten for ages until, Professor Gast dug her up, thinking she was an Ancient."

Here Shiva sighed and looked away for a moment before continuing, "Another scientist by the name of Hojo had Gast killed and stole his life works, taking them as his own. He took Jenova and started to experiment with her. He started Project S, where he injected Jenova cells into the unborn child of another professor, Lucrecia Crescent. That was the most successful branch of the Jenova Project. The on before that, the G Project, was created by Hojo's rival, Hollander, who injected a women with Jenova cells with the intent of whoever got the woman's cells would get Jenova's traits."

Shiva looked directly at Duo, "The reason that we (Ifrit: you) need your help is to stop Jenova from destroying Gaia through her son Sephiroth, the one born from the S Project, and to stop Genesis Rhapsodos and Angeal Hewley, born from the G project, from degradation, which would start Sephiroth's reign of terror. If you do choose to help us you will be de-aged to a new born, but you will be keeping your memories, and stay here in the Summon Realm. When you reach your tenth year, you will be dropped onto Gaia, then you must enter ShinRa's cadet program. Then when you reach your twenty-second year, you must sneak into Hojo's lab and steal Sephiroth's blood, which you then must transfuse the blood into both Genesis and Angeal in order to stop the degradation." Shiva stared into Duo's eyes, "So, what will it be?"

Duo looked down at his hands as he thought about his options. 'Well, if I went back, then I would still havta git through ta bein' ignored by my so-called friends, but if I accepted, I wouldn't see Heero again. But then again, he doesn't talk ta me either. So the choice is ta either be ignored or git a new chance at life…' He nodded to himself, having made his decision. Duo looked up and nodded, "I choose a new life, Shiva. I'll help ya." Shiva nodded and stood up from where she sat Indian style and nodded to Ifrit.

"Then stand Duo Maxwell, and be reborn!" The last thing Duo saw before the darkness overtook him was a bright light.