Zygfryd

Zygfryd grew up living on a chocobo ranch near Banora with his parents, paul and diana, and his uncle tom who lived with them. As a child, zygfryd would help around the ranch with various tasks, often assisting with taking care of the chicks. It was a good life, he had dreams of becoming a rancher like his father and breed the fastest chocobo around. Those dreams were shattered when the ranch was attacked. Zygfryd never knew who had done it nor why, all he remembers is waking up to the smell of smoke and hearing screams. He ran downstairs to find his parents being slaughtered by men in strange clothing he couldn’t recognize. His mother screamed in horror as his father was sliced in twang. The body collapsed to the bloodsoaked wooden floor, a horrifying look of fear frozen on pauls pale face. Diana picked up a kitchen knife, desperate to defend her child. She understood full well she wouldn’t survive … but at least she could allow her son to leave. With all the strength she had in her body she lunged at the strange men “Run zygfryd! Run to Midgard! Go!” she shouted in hopes he would remember what they had told him many times before ‘if something happens to us, go to Midgard and get to shinra. They’ll help you’. Zygfryd ran back upstairs as fast as his legs would take him, the bloodcurdling cry of pain from his mother behind him, and leapt out his bedroom window in order to escape. The ranch was ignited in flames, everything around him was burning as the ranch was brought to ruin. Only the stales of the chocobos remained. He could only watch as the chocobo were stolen from their pens along with whatever food stores they had. He ran and ran to get out of there as fast as he could in order to survive. That day haunts his mind even today… he can never forget the sight of his father split in half… his home in flames… the day that his life changed forever.
When he fled to midgar he had no idea what to do, he was an orphaned 6-year-old child with nowhere to go and no one to turn to. He had to learn quickly that no one would even so much as bat an eye at a homeless child, he would get no help from them. Zygfryd’s only solace was a young flower girl named Aerith. She was the kindest person he’d ever known, she allowed him to stay with her until he found a place to live.
A year passed, one day he overheard some people in uniform talking about a project called SOLDIER. A project to make an elite force of fighters. Where the people would be provided uniforms and supplies so long as they did as they were told, they’d have barracks to live in. to a homeless child, like zygfryd, it was just the blessing he was looking for. He’d come to terms with the fact he’d never be a rancher, but now he no longer wanted to be. He wanted to become stronger, protect whatever he held dear and make sure what happened that day on the ranch would never happen to him again.
Though only 7 years old he was brought into the SOLDIER program. At first, they scoffed at the idea of such a young child joining, he would hardly survive the Mako treatment let alone the training. However, something changed. He was forced to get his blood drawn and checked, told that it was part of the test to see if he could be SOLDIER. It was only after the results came back that they accepted him into the program. Shinra bestowed upon Zygfryd the last name Rhapsodos, saying that as a SOLDIER he required a last name. The boy knew nothing of the significance of this name…. not until he met who he would later come to call ‘big brother’, Genesis Rhapsodos