here is cid's entrance and the chase scenes. it's not much, but it hey...enjoy it.

Chapter 3: No Matter What

Rikku ran as fast as she could towards the large pillar of smoke. She was already out of town when she saw her father coughing and brushing soot off his clothes.

"Pops! What happened? Are you alright?" She asked.

"I'm okay. I don't understand why that happened though." He said, glaring at the machina. "If it isn't the stubborn..."

He expressed himself by kicking on the machina, only to hurt his foot.

"Pops, calm down." Rikku said.

"I'm about to give up on this hunk of junk." He complained.

"Don't give up. I'm sure you'll fix it. And be a great inventor." She commented. But he just rolled his hands, wanting more. "And be the winner of this years contest."

"Thanks, Rikku." He said, a little pleased. He rubbed his hands together. "Now, let's get back to work. This thing ain't gonna fix itself. Now...where did I put that...clutch." He grumbled, looking around the contraption.

"Pops, is this it?" Rikku said, holding out an old tool.

"Yes. Thank you." He went behind the machina and started to fix the engine. "So, what did you do in town?"

"I got a new machina part." She said, pulling out the tube.

"Still working on making a machina kitchen." Cid joked.

"A dream hut, maybe. Machina can make anything happened. So many possiblities..." Rikku thought of the people in town gossiping behind her back. "Pops...do you think I'm odd?"

"My daughter, odd? Where'd you get a crazy idea like that?" He came around, wearing the most strangest hat with spectacles that made his eyes twice the normal size.

"It's just...the people in the town talk about me. They think I'm weird." Rikku said.

"They talk about me too." He said, showing sympathy. "We are just as sane, just a little unique."

"I know. I should just accept who I am. I'm not like them." Rikku said. "Oh gosh, I'm rhyming aren't I?" Cid laughed.

"Just listen here, Rikku. No matter what you do, I'm always on your side."

"And I'm proud of you too, Pops. I like it how you stand out of the crowd." She said.

"I intented to do that. I make my inventions so I can show them what I've got." He said, with determination.

"I guess you're right, Pops." She said, feeling a little better.

"Just remember," He said, placing his hand on her shoulder. "You're never strange..."

"You're all I've got." They both said. And the laughed.

"Now, why don't we give that old machina a go, eh?" He said. He ran around to the back and turned on the machina.

Immediately, the machina blow steam out of the tubes, and the gears started to turn. Cid and Rikku watched in awe as a basket full of spheres were quickly being developed. The purpose of the machina was fast productions of spheres and be driven, which was a demanding thing in the world.

"Pops, you did it!" Rikku said. "You'll win first place no problem."

"Well, then." He said, riding the machina. "I'd best be off to Zanarkand, where the contest is begin held."

"Oh, wait." She said, and reached into her bag. "I made this scarf for you. You're going through Mount Gagazet after all. It's going to be cold."

"Thank you, Rikku." He said, wrapping the soft, red scarf around his neck. "Well, I'm off!"

Rikku waved goodbye and watched her father drove away into the mountains. She hoped he would be alright in the there with so many fiends.

"No matter what, huh?" Rikku said.

Cid was riding in the dark mountains. The road started to fade away. But he just whistled and sang to keep him from getting scared.

"First place will be mine." He sang. "My best invention yet. So simple and yet so complex."

He slowed down the machina and stopped it. He got off and looked around. The road died away long ago. The sky looked dark, and it was cold as ever.

"That is if I can find the fair." He still whistled. "I must have missed a sign. I should have paid attention instead of singing."

Then, not to far off, Cid heard a howl. And then it became a roar. He couldn't help but let his humor get to him.

"That's not a chocobo..." Cid was scared. Then, he saw a pack of glowing yellow eyes just over a nearby hilltop. "Ronsos!"

He ran. He didn't care about his invention, his life was in danger. He heard more howls and roars of Ronsos as he tried to run in the snow. He pulled out his gun, and shot blindly behind him, but the Ronsos were too fast and he ran out of bullets.

Suddenly, he fell off a small ledge. He rolled and rolled, until he finally landed on his back. He rubbed his head, and quickly looked up. He saw the pack of Ronsos glaring down at him, but they turned around and left him alone. Cid sighed heavily, but then shivered. He lost his scarf a long time ago during the chase. He stood up and turned around.

"Whoa." Was all he could say.

He saw a dark, massive mansion near the edge of Mount Gagazet.

i think i'll stop there. sorry that i won't make him enter the castle yet. but he will in the next chapter.

heehee. has anyone heard of the song No Matter What? it's nice. i tried not to copy the lyrics word for word. also, i don't want this to be a song fic or anything. just the song titles are borrowed. but, i tried to make some similarities.

tell me what you think