"FINALLY DONE!"
Solon slams his expensive laptop shut, bursts out of his room, and rushes down the stairs of his new home.
"Grandpa, I'm all done with today's school tasks! It's so easy but so tedious! Let's go to the workshop!!"
I want to learn more about Mako, and I need to improve my carving technique. Oh, and I also need to learn more about basic forging… so much to do! I can't waste time! Is this boring computer stuff even useful? I don't care much about history, math, art, and all these boring things.
"It's important to learn a variety of things, Solon. You need a well-rounded education. An hour or two a day won't hurt. Trust me, since we don't have a proper school here, the computer and books are your best tools for learning," Mason says, his voice filled with pride. His grandson is already tackling school courses far beyond his age, a result of his father's harsh upbringing that forced him to mature quickly.
"Solon, wash your hands first, then we'll eat. After that, you can train with your grandfather," Mina calls out from the kitchen.
"Okay!!" Solon replies cheerfully, darting to the bathroom.
Mina turns to Mason, her expression softening. "Mas… no, Father. It's only been a few weeks, but this change in Solon is almost too much to believe. His whole personality has shifted. He's so much more lively, so optimistic. I should be happy, but it's almost… scary."
"Mina, calm down. It's a good thing. Sometimes, you have to flush the garbage in your life down the toilet. Radical changes can lead to radical improvements. I've never seen a more promising boy than Solon. Besides, you're the closest thing he has to a parental figure now. You're not his maid anymore—you're his aunt, my adoptive daughter. Remember that. Let me handle his education; you just be there for him. He's even made a few friends already. And Mallory… she seems calmer too. Sometimes, I think she's regaining a bit of clarity."
"Mas—Father! I've thought the same thing! But can that even be possible? She was exposed to so much Mako. I've heard people usually fall into a coma after something like that."
As Solon returns, he catches the tail end of their conversation.
So that's what happened to Mom.
"Is that what happened to Mom? Can she recover?" Solon asks, his voice tinged with a little bit of hope.
Mason sighs, choosing his words carefully. "Solon, your mother is fighting hard, even if you can't see it. There's always a small chance, but it's best not to expect too much. The only person who might be able to cure her is the one partly responsible for her condition. Sadly, the likelihood of him lifting a finger is practically zero. People like Hojo don't care about lives—only their research. Give your mother time. In the meantime, be someone she can be proud of when she gets better."
"Okay!" Solon says, sitting down at the table.
The person responsible… Hojo. I'll remember that name.
— [Scene Break] —
Solon stands in front of the forge, melting down a pile of scrap metal. He carefully pours the molten metal into a mold, forming an ingot.
"Looking good. Always pour slow and steady. You need to respect the forge and the heat. That small burn from last week still hurts, huh? Those are reminders of your mistakes," Mason says, a hint of pride in his voice as he watches his six-year-old grandson work at the tiny forge he built just for him.
"It hurts, but it was my own stupid mistake to touch the ingot too early to check if it was hardened. I was so excited… I'll never do that again!" Solon says, his cheeks flushing with embarrassment.
"Good! I see you've already poured your tenth ingot—all on your own. I'm so proud of you. Keep it up. Now that you can melt scrap and create ingots, we'll focus on your hammer technique. Watch closely as I show you the basics again."
— [Scene Break] —
"Now, Solon, let's talk about bracelets. We've been focusing on weapons because you love them so much, but bracelets are just as important. Tell me what you've learned. I know you've been reading not just your own books but the ones I recommended too. You little brat, even sneaking them into bed to read secretly. I love it—your enthusiasm reminds me of myself back in the day!"
Is he scolding me or praising me? Grandpa can be so weird sometimes!
"Bracelets, like weapons, are specifically made to slot various Materia… that's all I know. I always wonder why people only wear one. Can't they wear four or five? That way, they could use more Materia. More Materia means more strength! Also, why not slot Materia into armor? And…"
"Solon, Solon, slow down! Let's tackle these things one by one, okay? First, bracelets don't have to contain slots for Materia. Bracelets are designed to significantly improve the wearer's defenses. They're not just simple metal bands—they're highly complex, Mako-infused pieces of equipment that link directly to your body, infusing it with unnatural resilience. A high-quality bracelet can drastically boost your defenses, not just against physical attacks but magical ones too, and it can enable the use of Materia. This kind of defensive boost isn't unique to bracelets—it could theoretically be applied to armor as well. But bracelets became the standard a long time ago because of their perfect size and ease of use. Nowadays, everyone accepts bracelets as the go-to defensive equipment. Sure, regular armor still works, but I'd rather wear a single high-quality bracelet than a full suit of combat armor. This kind of equipment is absolutely vital."
"So these little bracelets are that amazing? I get it now. When you showed me that Bronze Bangle and I didn't see any Materia slots, I thought it was useless! So it still makes me tougher, huh?" Solon says, a hint of regret in his voice.
I should've asked Grandpa to let me keep it!
As if reading his grandson's thoughts, Mason responds with a grin and presents him the very same Bronze Bangle: "Wear the Bronze Bangle, Solon. I modified it so it fits your tiny arms. You can keep it! But pay attention to how it affects your body—you'll notice a difference."
COOL!
Solon hugs his grandfather tightly and immediately straps the oversized Bronze Bangle onto his left arm. It's almost thicker than his stomach and quite heavy, but he doesn't complain. He's determined to wear it no matter what.
Time to use my secret weapon!
"Grandpa… can I have Materia too?" Solon asks, his gray eyes softening, almost teary, as he looks hopefully at Mason.
"You little rascal, trying to exploit my weakness!" Mason chuckles. "Solon, Materia is incredibly rare these days. It's mostly restricted to Shinra and the wealthy. A single orb of Materia could buy you an entire house in a town like Nibelheim. People think you can buy Materia anywhere for a few hundred Gil, but that couldn't be further from the truth. Even the most basic Materia is worth 20,000 Gil—that's years of savings for an average worker. I'm not giving something that valuable to a six-year-old who can't even use it properly."
Too bad… well, I'll accept what Grandpa says. It makes sense. He'll probably give me one sooner or later anyway.
"Solon, I'm not doing this so punish you—it's mostly worry on my part. Materia can be dangerous. In a few years, I'll let you try one of the few Materia I've kept—if you keep up your studies," Mason says, unable to outright refuse his grandson.
No way! Grandpa is the best! YIPPIE!
— [Scene Break] —
"Solon, we've been at this for hours. Go out and play with the other kids, okay? Grandpa needs to rest, too."
I don't want to… but Grandpa looks tired. I should do this for him, so he'll be happy.
"Yes, Grandpa!"
The weather is cloudy today, but it doesn't look like it'll rain.
Let's see if anyone wants to play with me. The only kid my age in town who doesn't have friends is that weird Cloud kid. Despite being a few years older, he reminds me of how I used to be before coming to Nibelheim—all sad and pessimistic.
Then there's Tifa and her three 'slaves,' the Four Fiends… maybe I'll just do some training! I need to get stronger, and I want to test this bracelet!
Solon looks at his new Bronze Bangle with a smile and rushes outside.
Nibelheim is such a small place. There's not much to do, and Grandpa has forbidden me from going into the mountains or leaving town. I also need to stay away from the abandoned mansion.
Solon walks toward the small city center of Nibelheim. The only points of interest are the abandoned Shinra mansion and the well tower, which the other kids often use as a meeting spot.
As he approaches the well tower, he sees Cloud sitting on it, staring at the sky.
"Hi, Cloud. What are you doing?"
"Solon… not much. Not hanging out with Tifa and her three goons today?" Cloud responds, trying to sound cool.
"I don't have time for that! My Grandpa's teaching me all day. He's taking a break now, so I'm outside. I want to go back to learning about Materia, bracelets, and weapons! My Grandpa is so cool!" Solon brags, his face lighting up.
"I'd rather use those weapons than learn about them," Cloud says, clearly unimpressed.
"Wanna see something cool? A Bronze Bangle!" Solon holds up his arm, showing off the bracelet.
"Way too big for you. And what's the point of that silly thing?" Cloud replies, his tone dismissive.
…What does he even like? I think this is pretty cool! It's a real piece of equipment, after all! It's worth hundreds of Gil—more than he'll ever get in spending money, I bet! He's always in a bad mood and acts all cool, that's so embarrassing!
Suddenly, Solon notices Tifa and her three friends approaching the well.
"Solon! Why are you hanging out with that weird blonde kid? Come hang out with us or you catch his disease!" one of the boys behind Tifa, Emilio, calls out to him.
Is this what they call a bully, I thought Emilio was kinda nice, but is Cloud getting bullied by him and his friends? He's always alone, I don't like this.