A/N: I do not own Final Fantasy: Crisis Core. I only own my OC, Minerva. She does share the same name of the Goddess Minerva from the Final Fantasy universe. I use her nickname,"Mine" (MEE-neh) most often throughout the story instead of her full name.

The Beginning of LOVELESS

A caramel haired girl held a book in her right hand, and lifted her left towards the night sky, as if she were preaching to the gods. The moon was no where to be seen; leaving the sky peppered with an endless stretch of silver stars.

She spoke softly.

"Infinite in mystery is the gift of the Goddess,
we seek it thus, and take to the sky-"

She paused for a moment and asked into the air sweetly,"What are you doing here, Genesis?"

A teen peeked out from the trunk of a dumbapple tree. She knew he was hiding there all along.

"It's dangerous to be out here at this hour." She turned away from the pasture of green fields and faced him with a smile barely noticeable in the darkness of the night,"You understand, yes?"

The brunette headed boy stepped beside her and looked out towards the fields,"Just because you're slightly older, doesn't mean you can lecture me."

He sounded jealous.

She covered her small mouth with her hands and giggled.

"I was heading to Angeal's." Genesis crossed his arms with irritation,"And then I couldn't help but notice some girl talking to herself."

After another fit of giggles, she let her arms fall back to her side and allowed the midnight breeze hit her face softly for a few moments. She reveled the touch of the light gusts that shifted her bangs to the side; caressing her forehead. She pondered the boy's statements for a few moments before responding.

Ah yes, he was hilarious.

"You're going to Angeal's house at this hour? Are you running away from home?" Mine asked as she folded the corner of her book. She closed it softly before tucking it under her arm, "Again?"

"It's not running away if I come back later." He glared at her challengingly.

The older girl took the book back from under her arm and bonked the boy's head with its spine.

Her sea green orbs shifted from Genesis to the night sky once more. She was Minerva Ephearia. The Ephearia family lived beside the Hewley residence and met Angeal at the age of seven. Genesis, who was already a close friend of Angeal's at the time, also became one of her closest companions to Mine. She was also an only child. Being two years older, she'd like to think of herself as the sister of the two boys.

Genesis walked beside her as they returned back to the town.

She studied him in the darkness as they walked on the path. Despite being eleven already, he was almost her height.

Almost.

Mine was already a good five and two inches.

"Hey." The smaller boy drew her attention again as they stepped into the center of Banora and started towards the Hewley house.

"I understand that I'm becoming a handsome man, but don't you know it's rude to stare?" The youngest of the latter gave a smirk,"Don't prey on me now."

Mine began to feel her face flush up in embarrassment and replied too hurriedly,"Hate to disappoint you, but I'm not into younger men."

She thanked the Goddess for the current darkness that obscured her state, but she knew Genesis could sense it. Well, she couldn't deny it, Genesis was growing into a handsome teen, even if his head looked like an abandoned bird nest.

Her crimson coated nails dug into the book from under her arm.

For the second time she sheathed her book and hit him lightly on the back of his head.

"Anyway, quit being childish, and get inside Angeal's house. " Mine heaved a heavy sigh and waved Genesis off. "Make sure Gillian gives the okay before you barge in."

Mine first heard a light tapping on her bedroom window and she knew it wasn't same, trolling birds that peck at her window relentlessly in the middle of the night; because as each minute passed, the tapping intensified to a sort of heavy banging. Mine folded the corner page of her book and set it down on her end table. She cursed quietly to herself as she fixed her fine locks of hair into a quick bun. The thirteen year old sat up on her sheets, drew the navy curtains of her bedside window and mustered up the most unpleasing expression she could manage.

"Oh. And what do I owe this visit at this..." The poor girl looked back at the clock sitting on her bedside table before finally hissing back,"Ungodly hour. I said I'm tired, go back home! Genesis, explain yourself."

Just because he was at Angeal's doesn't mean he could disturb her whenever he liked.

"Tired?" Genesis lifted a brow,"Says the one who's light has been on throughout the entire night."

He had such a smart mouth. Mine knew he required something from her.

"I'm coming in from the front. Open the door for me." The needy teen said before turning the corner to the front of her home.

Mine shut her window and stepped off her bed lightly. She made her way to the living room. It wasn't much of a living room, however. It looked more like a doctor's office. The walls were lined with hanging, dried herbs and shelves of potions, elixirs and dusty books. Her family ran the town pharmacy. Her parents also came from a line of White Mages, which strengthened their desire to run "Banora's Apothecary". She twisted the handle of the front door and swung it wide. Wordlessly, Genesis walked in and walked towards her bedroom. Sighing, she followed in after him. Upon reaching her quarters, he drew a chair from the corner of her room and set it beside her bed. Mine spread herself out on the bed and turned to her side to face the sitting Genesis beside her.

"You could've came in through the window." Mine pointed out.

"Windows were made to bring air and light in, not people."

"You must have come here for another reason, other than to make me look like a fool."

Genesis took up the aged, rose colored book from her bedside table and placed it in front of her. Mine sat up on her bottom and touched the hard cover with her fingers.

"Finish the story you were reading aloud earlier."

It wasn't a difficult request, but she decided to poke some fun at him,"Can't sleep without a bedtime story?"

Apparently, he wasn't in the mood for jokes at the moment and didn't play along.

"I can't sleep without quenching my curiosity of Loveless."

Genesis was always a bookworm. There would be some days he would hole himself into his room to finish a single book. There were days Angeal and Mine attempted to bring him out of his room, upon request of Genesis's mother, but always returned unsuccessful. At rare occasions, he would come out willingly but, not without a book in hand. Mine wasn't stupid and knew that his new literary interest was Loveless; her all time favorite epic. Loveless was not an easy read, especially for those her age. Reading it is one thing, but understanding the tale is another. There is no true interpretation of the story; in fact there are countless interpretations and Mine had yet to find her own.

Perhaps Genesis would understand this story's greatness as well.

"Very well then." She was smiling now.

Mine criss crossed her legs and took the book up into her lap. She thumbed through the pages delicately and searched for the recent page with the folded corner.

"Oh, that's right, I've started rereading it." Dumbly, she flipped through the first few pages and smoothed the folded corner back,"I've made it to Act I again, but I'll start at the prologue for you."

"Please do." Genesis said, studying her features intently as she read slowly and softly. He watched as she took a brief glance at the inked page and closed her eyes. It reminded him of how peaceful she had looked when he had first listened to her recite those passages.

"When the war of the beasts brings about the world's end
The goddess descends from the sky."

He too, closed his eyes and listened to the soothing words that eased his mind.

"Wings of light and dark spread afar,
She guides us to bliss, her gift everlasting."

Sweet dreams, my darling.

A/N: HEY GUYS. LONG TIME NO SEE. I come back with a Genesis x OC x Sephiroth FanFiction. It's been over a year, I believe? Life has been been pretty busy, haha. I hope to finish all my FanFiction next year, but you know, a lot of things could happen in between... like laziness and writer's block, bwahahaha. Thanks for reading the first chapter! Wish me luck and see you all again soon. - Maki