Chapter 3: Cosmo Canyon at last

Josh saw a rural village come into view, it was an amazing sight. The village itself was carved into the canyon and on top he could see an observatory. He reached the canyon and let out a howl of joy. He parked his bike out towards the entrance and sprinted up the tall set of stairs that led to the town. He was stopped by the guard posted at the front.

"Do you know much about the planet?" The guard said as he stopped Josh from entering. "This canyon is a holy place only few people can come here to study the planet."

"I don't know much about the planet, but I do know that if I'm going to survive I'm going to need to eat something. I won't stay long, so can I please get supplies so I can continue my journey to Wutai." Josh pleaded as he tried quiet his stomach's growling.

"I see that you speak the truth." The guard said with a smile. "Come; feel free to explore the town.

"Thank you so much!" Josh exclaimed in joy. He walked passed the guard and towards the eatery in the middle of the town. He walked over the rocky surface of the canyon and discovered an awesome sight. In the middle of the town in front of the eatery was a giant bond fire. He gazed at the flame as it danced across the sky. He was so absorbed with the flame that he lost track of time.

"I see that you are interested in the Cosmo Candle." An old man with a grizzly beard said.

"Huh?" Josh's eyes finally turned away from the flame and settled on the old man. He was a site. He wore a green robe, and wore a peculiar pair of spectacles. What really surprised Josh however was the fact that the old man was floating. "Wow how are you doing that?" Josh said curiously.

"Ho ho, I see that you're unaccustomed with Materia." The old man chuckled.

"Materia, what's that?" Josh asked eyeing the old man suspiciously.

"How should I explain it? Maybe I should just show you." The old man said as he pulled out a shiny orb from his robe. "This is Materia."

"I've seen one of those before!" Josh shouted. "This one guy I met had one, it healed my brother!"

"Ho ho, I see you have witnessed the power of the life stream." He said with a smile.

"Life stream? Ok now you have lost me." Josh put his hand across his face; a frown began to grow.

"Ho ho, do not worry young one. Go to the observatory tonight after you get something to eat and I will explain everything to you."

"Wait a sec! What is your name?" Josh shouted as the old man floated away.

"My name is Bugenhagen." The old man said calmly. "Go and eat I will answer your questions soon enough." And with that the old man floated off towards the observatory at the top of the canyon.

Josh's stomach let out another growl. "Ok I know." He said with a smile as he turned towards the eatery. He pushed the cloth door open and looked inside. The room was dimly lit; it appeared that closing time was drawing near. He fumbled through the dark room and stumbled into a man with shaggy grey hair. "Hey can I get some food from you?"

"We're about to close, but I'll stay open for a while longer." The man said stroking his grey mustache. "I'll give you the specialty…The Cosmo Canyon stew."

"Anything is fine with me! I am starving." Josh said as he sat down at an old wooden table. After waiting about ten minutes the man reappeared with the stew. It was full of many different kinds of vegetables and had a thick but rich taste to it. Josh gulped it down greedily. "Thank you so much! I know it's not much but I want to give you a little something." He said as he tossed fifteen Gil on the table.

"Thank you young man, feel free to come back anytime." The man said as he escorted Josh out the door. Josh looked all around him. The sky was black and the torches around town were being lit.

"I've never seen anything quite like this, maybe I'll stick around for a while." He said as he slowly walked towards the stairs that led to the weapons shop. "First I'll need to get a weapon or something." He walked into a room that was full of many candles, and on the wall he saw an advertisement for a pub called Turtle's Paradise. He examined it for a few moments. "Wow that place is in Wutai, I'm definitely going to check that out."

"Can I help you?" A woman behind the counter said. She had long black hair that stretched down over her shoulders, a few strands dangled in front of her brown eyes.

"Oh, yah, I need to buy a weapon. Do you have any weapons worth one hundred gil?" He replied. "That's about all the money I have left, plus I'm on a long journey and I need to have a way to protect myself against monsters.

"I see." She said with a cold shrill in her voice. "The only weapon we've got in your range would be this." She put a wooden set of nunchaku onto the counter. "Will this be good enough for you?"

"Yah, anything is better then nothing. Thanks." Josh paid her the rest of his funds and grabbed a hold of the nunchaku. "Hey these are pretty cool." He thought. Just before he was about to leave he asked "Can you tell me where I should go to get to the observatory?"

"Sure." The lady said with a smile, "You just need to follow these steps." She said pointing out the window to her left.

"Thanks again." Josh said as he dashed out the door. I wonder if the old guy would mind if I'm a little late. Josh bounded up the stairs. Though it was pitch black out the torches along the stairs made it quite easy to traverse them. He looked up and saw a ladder. This must lead to the observatory. Josh slowly began to climb the old ladder. The ladder began to wobble. "Uh oh..."He moaned as the ladder began to thrash around. He had made it halfway up the latter. This isn't good; my only option is to try to jump it. Josh prepared himself to leap. The ladder snapped, as soon as he had leapt. Josh flew through the air and managed catch a hold of the canyon top. Josh slowly pulled himself up and looked down.

That could have hurt a little; I don't think I'll take that way again.

He walked towards the observatory and stared at it in awe. It was massive, it stood about thirty meters high and a big telescope protruded out the side. "That is huge, wow, I wonder if the old guy is there." He said as turned to open the door.

"Ho ho ho, right on time!" Bugenhagen said as he jerked the door open.

"Are you ready to learn? There is much I must teach you before you continue your journey to Wutai."

"How did you know about that?" Josh asked as he walked into the observatory. As soon as he stepped into the building he saw the kitchen at the far side of the house, and by that he saw another ladder. That probably goes up to the telescope. Josh saw a table in the kitchen and sitting on top of it were several shiny orbs. "You have a lot of Materia."

"Ho ho I knew since the moment I saw you, I could feel your desire emanating from you spirit." Bugenhagen said with a laugh. "Ho ho, over the years I have amassed quite a collection, can you pick those up and meet me in the room to the right." Bugenhagen said as he opened the door to the right and floated inside.

"Ok." After Josh grabbed all the Materia he walked into the next room. What lay before Josh's eyes were unbelievable, the room was full of many different kinds of technology he had never seen before. The big thing that caught his eye was in the center of the room, there was an elevator platform. The room was well lit by three massive lamps.

"Step onto the platform." Bugenhagen said calmly. Josh obeyed and Bugenhagen pulled a lever raising the platform to the ceiling. Bugenhagen somehow managed to get onto the platform before it rose into something like another room.

"Wow is this space?" Josh said in wonderment as he watched a shooting star streak across the horizon. "This is amazing, we're inside but I can see all the stars, and even the planets. Why couldn't they teach us like this in school?

"Ho ho, this is where I come to do my research, now it's time for me to teach you about the life stream." Bugenhagen said as he slowly pointed at a planet. The life stream is the life force that keeps the planet intact. When a life form dies its soul returns to the planet and becomes a part of the life stream." As he spoke the room began to visually narrate his teachings. A green stream of light flowed around the planet. Josh also saw a single man standing on the planet, and then they turned into the same green stream of light.

"Wow, that's pretty cool, but can you tell me about Materia?" Josh asked trying to change the subject. Bugenhagen nodded his head and began to stroke his grey beard.

"Where to start…Ho ho I know!" Bugenhagen exclaimed with glee. "In each Materia orb there flows through it the life stream. You see a Materia orb is created when the life stream forms itself into a fountain, and over time Materia is created; however man foolishly discovered how to use the life stream to create Materia at will." He continued to speak in a very jovial tone. "When you equip a Materia to yourself you are able to channel the knowledge of the Ancients through your body and thus you are able to cast spells."

"What's an Ancient?" Josh asked, his forehead wrinkled and his eyebrows knitted themselves together.

"Ho ho, I jumped a head didn't I?" Bugenhagen said with a laugh. "The Ancients were a race of humans from long ago who could communicate with the planet and thus cast spells; however humans began to grow lazy and rely on the planet as a resource, and soon the Ancients were hunted down and killed, there are very few survivors these days." Bugenhagen said grimly.

"Oh… Can you teach me how to use Materia?" Josh asked trying to change the subject once again.

"Yes, that was next on my list." Bugenhagen said as he pulled out a Materia orb. "This is the Time Materia; I will teach you everything I know in less then five minutes with this." The orb shot out a yellow light and the world around them slowed down.

Josh looked around in wonderment; he saw a clock and noticed that the second hand was no longer moving. "This is amazing!"

"Now it is time to teach you. First you equip the Materia, then you call upon its power, channeling the knowledge through you, and thus you are able to use the many different spells. For an example I will give you a fire Materia." Bugenhagen said as he tossed a Materia to Josh. "Now I want you to hold onto it in your hand and focus your mind on it."

Josh caught the Materia and did as he was told. The Materia felt warm, it felt as if it had become part of him. "I can feel it!" Josh shouted in glee.

"Good, now channel the knowledge through your body. Your target will be the planet to your right." Bugenhagen said. Josh's body became surrounded by a red aura.

Josh turned his head towards the planet and began to move his arms and hands in quick gestures. Bugenhagen watched in wonderment at Josh's movements. In between Josh's hands where the Materia had once been had been replace with a ball of flame, the ball continued to grow bigger and bigger.

What's this? This is the boy's first time with Materia and he is drawing out the powerful Firaga spell. Bugenhagen watched the ball grow bigger and bigger. Finally Josh hurled the ball of flame at the planet; it was engulfed by the flames and was destroyed by the massive explosion. "Great work, you have great potential, like none I have ever seen."

"Really, thank you, but I really think I should get going. Wutai is still very far away. "Josh said with a sigh. Bugenhagen nodded his head, and handed Josh a sack full of Materia. Josh looked in disbelief, "Why are you giving these to me?"

"In my old age I have little use for them, take care young one, until we meet again." Bugenhagen said as he slowly vanished from sight.

Josh smiled and walked out of the observatory. Looking down Josh saw the canyon below blanketed by darkness. Josh picked out an orb out of the bag. The knowledge flowed through him. "This is the one I've been looking for." He said as he began to channel the knowledge through his body. Soon he began to float in the air. "Alright time to continue my journey." Josh dove towards the ground but stopped two feet before impact. "Wow, I'm starting to get the hang of this." He said as he walked towards where he had left his bike. Putting the Materia inside of his saddle bag, and prepping the engine he was ready to leave. "Next stop Costa Del Sol."