Notes: No I don't own FF7. No I don't make money from this. It's all in good fun. It should go without saying but I don't want anyone to sue me ;)

Summary: A retelling of Sephiroth's story. What if he'd had someone there to help him? Could they save him from his horrible fate or be drawn into one of their own? Altering events. Seph x OC.

Chapter One: On the Surface

If there is a single quality that is shared by all great men, it is vanity. But I mean by "vanity" only that they appreciate their own worth. Without this kind of vanity they would not be great. And with vanity alone, of course, a man is nothing.

-Yousef Karsh

The place was deceptively clean and tidy, everything having an exact order and place. Shinra headquarters was the perfect example of the company; the surface was beautiful but beneath there was always a hidden depravity. Even most of the workers wandering the lovely halls of the main building had no idea the corruption that had worked itself into the very core of the association.

As magnificent as the surface were the appearances of most of the higher level workers within the SOLDIER sub-sect of the military. The first class tier at least seemed composed of unique and gifted individuals.

Sephiroth was settled against one of the walls his bodies position an image of classical aloofness. Long silver hair mostly behind him but with bangs framing his face and reflecting the slight teal glow of his eyes. His tall but thin frame wouldn't normally cast a grand warrior but he remained the hero of Midgar and it's people.

Much to the chagrin of the red clad Genesis nearby. The beautiful man also didn't follow the general thought of a warrior, more a actor or playboy. Coffee colored hair settled about his face but had a roguish quality to both his face and hair neither of his fellow 1st class SOLDIER's possessed. He was sitting on one of the desks with the book for LOVELESS settled in his lap as he continued to re-read the play for what had to have been one of thousands of times.

The final of the three main fighters for the specialist group of the military; Angeal, actually managed to look the part with wider shoulders and a general appearance that was more masculine. A wide buster blade was on his back and he was standing with his arms crossed watching the approaching Director of Operations with a measuring gaze.

Even the would-be leader was handsome in his own nerdy sort of way. Glasses settled on his childish face helping to make him seem older and more the intellectual. He glanced between them as he made his walk to his desk and took a seat. "I realize that you all have a few days off and there isn't a current threat we need to address. However, with a new 1st class being seated I thought it would be best if you met her."

"Her?" Genesis was the first to actually be curious, his attention perking temporarily from his favorite literary work.

"Indeed. Her name is Evelyn Demilune and I expect you'll take some care when you first begin to work with her. She's only recently attained the new rank and has been working with another sub-group of Shinra until her promotion." Lazard explained without looking at the group, pulling up whatever general work he had to do. "She'll be waiting in the training room. I want you to all test her over the next few days and give me your thoughts on her general level of expertise."

"When the war of the beasts brings about the world's end. The goddess descends from the sky." Genesis commented as he headed toward the door.

Angeal followed without comment, Sephiroth eyed Lazard a moment longer than the other two before falling in line behind his friends.

"So much for a vacation eh?" Angeal joked as the three moved down the hall from the office toward the training room.

Sephiroth smiled a little at his friends comment, offering a slight shrug and Genesis was leading the way as they moved into the training room. No image was in session but a girl was sitting on the floor in the middle of the room. Giving them all a chance to look at her.

She was a dirty blond, her hair a little darker than the golden hues of the president or his son, but still obviously a bit more yellow than brown. She was wearing the uniform of a 1st class SOLDIER albeit the female version, though she was tiny in comparison to the taller men entering the room there was a smile that broke onto her young features when they headed inside. Her eyes were a pale robin egg blue with the gentle glow that tended to accompany those whose bodies had been infused with mako.

She got up and moved toward them with the same cheery look on her face, failing to compliment any of her fellow co-workers at all. "I was wondering when Lazard would get around to asking you to see me. I didn't think he'd send all of you at once."

"You are Evelyn then?" Angeal spoke up as the other two still seemed to be measuring her up.

"Yes." She offered a slightly wry smile as she held a hand out to shake Angeal's much larger one. She had to have been at least a foot and half shorter than any of the men but she didn't seem taken aback or nervous. Unlike most of them and in difference to much of the uniforms of Shinra her hands were free of gloves. "It is good to meet you Angeal, Genesis, and...Sephiroth."

It took her a moment of pause on the 'hero' of the city, eyes lingering on the silver haired warrior as if he was curious.

"We have another one." Genesis commented. "She's already a fan I think."

Angeal smiled a bit as Sephiroth sighed at the implication and her attention turned back to Genesis.

"Forgive Genesis. He's a little bitter that his fan club isn't as big." Angeal commented, holding back the impish grin at the glare his childhood friend sent him. "Lazard asked us to work with you for a while."

"Testing me out huh?" She said it more like it was a statement than a question. Winking at Angeal given his help mediating the social aspect of the situation. "I guess it makes sense. He seemed a little skeptical when I was speaking with him. Who first then?"

"Why not let the lady decide." Genesis offered a winning smile once he'd finished tossing daggers at Angeal's back.

"How gentlemanly of you." She sent him back a smile and glanced between the three curiously.

"Nothing personal but you are a bit small." Angeal commented. "I usually deal with the newer recruits so I'd say I'm best at holding back."
"That's very unkind of you." She chuckled and stepped back rolling her shoulders. "What makes you think I'd need you to hold back? But if you insist then, I'll spar with you first."

Sephiroth was still watching and walked a few paces to the side with Genesis.

"You think he'll be easy on her?" The red clad poet asked as he settled to watch with his friend.

"Only as much as needed." Sephiroth answered honestly. "No point in beating her up when she works for the same side."

"Just because she's one of your many fans." Genesis held a hand over his heart dramatically.

"I can hear you." Evelyn pointed out with a smirk, nodding toward Angeal. "On your count fellow 1st class SOLDIER."

Angeal sighed and drew the smaller of his blades. He was never one for fighting women, even trained females, something about it seemed wrong...even just training was something he still tended to push off on other members most of the time. In this case it seemed more honorable to get involved himself than ask her to fail to take on Sephiroth or Genesis.

She pulled paired curled knives and the way she carried them along her arm he read as a good sign, she had a good stance and was trained beyond most of the people he had to work with. He circled her for a while but she seemed unwilling to start out offensively, just circling him in return.

"Bit boring isn't it?" Genesis commented, egging on his friend.

Angeal sucked it up and moved forward. He was about to feint and then she moved opposite completely of what he'd originally planned, her blade settled gently on the back of his neck and he frowned.

"One." She commented lightly. "I thought you'd be a more difficult read."

She was gone again as he turned to continue the duel, dancing several steps away and smiling like a cheshire cat before she tapped her blades together. "Nothing personal Angeal...I'd like to try Genesis now."

"How quickly the tides will turn." Genesis observed, drawing his red sword and motioning Angeal away. "Come now Angeal, lets not allow her to get too full of herself eh?"

Angeal sighed and put his sword away, seeming like a old man nervous about school children playing with weapons. "Just don't kill her Genesis."

Genesis was on her without a moment of notice, and she was being pushed back, though offering parry's and defensive reactions as needed. While she didn't give an offensive in return, nor was she getting hit. Sparks erupted where steel met steel and she smiled back at a surprised looking Genesis.

"Fine." Genesis jumped back, pulling fire into his hand and holding it toward her. A moment before he released the Fire spell she finished one of her own.

"Reflect." She called out, dancing toward him with her first offense as the fire rebounded off her magical barrier and he was forced to dodge his own attack.

He gritted his teeth as he heard Angeal snicker then paused as he felt his sword pulled from his grasp, the girl spinning it in one of her curved blades with a grin on her face. "You aren't too difficult a read either you know."

Angeal grabbed Genesis before he started after her in earnest.

"You seem rather good at all of this...but I wonder." Sephiroth commented, drawing Masumune and leveling the absurdly long sword next to him. It seemed his turn had arrived after all.

Evelyn looked nervous for the first time and she called another defensive spell as she moved away from the silver haired warrior. She barely managed to block his first attack and the second grazed her side as her reflexes seemed to come to a snails pace compared to how they had been against the previous two opponents.

Sephiroth almost didn't stop short of stabbing her on his third thrust, the battles not lasting more than thirty seconds between the three of them and not even a few for the 'heroes' assault. She'd paused his offhand with one of hers and it had gotten him to stop before shiskabobing her. The blade settled near her lower back in between a thin line of the armor.

He'd heard her gasp after she touched him and the initial thought that he hadn't stopped in time had him glancing over her body for signs of a deeper injury. She hadn't made a sound when he'd grazed her leg - it was still bleeding. Her eyes though, they didn't have the slight edge of playfulness they did moments before, instead they seemed drenched in sadness, tears were close to the surface he was certain, then she feinted and he had to drop Masumane to both catch her and avoid doing further damage.

He watched her face a moment, it still seemed amazingly sad even in the slumber and then glanced back up to where Angeal and Genesis had ceased to argue and Genesis moved almost instantly away, heading to get a medical team. Angeal moved forward to help Sephiroth check for any deeper injuries they couldn't see.

End Chapter

Okay, I want to explain I'm generally against OC's that seem way too powerful but for my concept to work I needed to have the events of this chapter. Her power is part of what makes her capable of doing what I want to do with this fiction. Create someone for Sephiroth that has the possibility of saving him from his horrible fate. I hope folks like this and there will be more explained as to what Evelyn can do (and did) in the following chapters.

-Aura

P.S. Reviews make me feel warm and fuzzy.

Preview Chapter Two:

"I didn't mean to!" I repeated it again and again. A personal mantra keeping me from going mad then and there.

The red was so much more vivid than the rest of the colors...as if the blood was the only thing I would ever be capable of making out. The rest of the screams were somehow muted and pushed to the back of my mind. A sea of white noise coming from the sidelines.

It had been so easy. So incredibly yielding...

The blade slid through the flesh as easily as butter.