Summary: What if someone had helped Sephiroth when he was at the verge of losing his sanity? What would happen then?

Setting: Before and During Crisis Core..

Warning: Spoilers Contained for those who have not played the game.

Disclaimer: I don't own FFVII.. none of us here do.

A/N: This is the very first FFVII story I've uploaded here so please bear with me. What may seem as a "turn-off" here is that, I know, most of us fans dislike a customized character to play the lead. But, I assure you people that this is a good story! Many facts of FFVII are revealed here. So, for those who are interested to learn more about the game, read this fic... I apologize for any mistake you might find here.

Off Limits

Chapter One: My First Day!

How I got here seemed nothing but a faint recollection now. It was fierce, challenging... just the way how I liked and expected it to be. This day was something I would not dare forget, yes, but what lay ahead was what I was eagerly awaiting. All the hard work I exerted, all the pain I endured... they were all coming to fruition. My hopes, my dreams... they were within arm's reach and I could barely contain myself. I made it. I am here. Nothing and/or no one could possibly stop me now...

"Jeanne?" I heard a voice. It sounded awfully like Zack. "Hey Jeanne" I abruptly felt someone or something poking me in the arm. It was annoying but it certainly snapped me out of my thoughts.

"Huh?" I felt disoriented all of a sudden. My eyes blinked at his hand which he waved in front of my face. Where was I again? Why am I here? What's happening?

"You alright?" asked Zack, concern evidently etched on his features. Wow. How long was I spaced out? He looked really worried. And it wasn't a very good look if I may add. I, along with everyone else in the Planet, was used to Zack's flirtatious, happy-go-lucky personality. Don't get me wrong though. He had a good heart, one of the kindest people anyone would ever meet!

Zack, Zack, Zack... my "bestest" friend ever! We have been inseparable since childhood, so much so that we both decided to work together and share the same goals. Not even the lifestream can render the bond we have long shared asunder.

"I'm fine" I told him, shaking my head. I really got to stop daydreaming, honestly. It could possibly be the death of me one day... I had to be alert at all times, starting now most especially.

"Jeanne, let's go!" Zack said excitedly. He grabbed my arm and led me downstairs to where everyone was assembled.

Zack and I had just been accepted into SOLDIER and we were practically over the moon! We couldn't wait for our first mission. Today, we were officially a member of SOLDIER, the paramilitary branch of the famous – or should I say infamous – company that is Shin-Ra. And, according to how-things-work, every newbie should have a mentor of the 1st Class. Each said mentor is to help and guide their trainees into becoming better warriors, and to teach them the dos and don'ts of the corporation and whatnot.

I wondered who my mentor would be, and prayed to the heavens that it would NOT be him. I may not know the man very well but I do know (or in any case heard) that he's one royal pain in the ass! I "met" him once. Actually, I really bumped into him, and quite hard too – accidentally of course! I was still a trainee, working as an infantryman that time. Well, it wasn't the best of memories, that's for sure!

– Flashback –

Oh dear. I was so late for work! There I was running around like a buffoon. My uniform wasn't properly put on; my hair stuck out in all places underneath my helmet; heck, my shoe laces were even untied! That was the first and last time I'd entrust Zack with setting my alarm! Who the hell wakes up 30 minutes before work starts?!

Darn, I used to have an award for punctuality. I was supposed to get another this month too. But now, Zack just had to come into picture and ruin it! I sighed inwardly... that would go on my (now tainted) permanent record.

Anyways, I was still running like mad, the Shin-Ra Building finally coming into my line of sight. As soon as I entered, I ran up the stairs like mad. I had no time to wait for the elevators. They were way too slow! Taking a quick glance at my wrist watch, I realized that I was already 20 minutes late! I tried to run faster, if that was possible, and made an attempt to fix my headgear. 'Only one floor left' I thought, until...

"Oomph!"

Everything went black in an instant and I felt like I was falling backwards. My body hurt in random places, hitting numerous bumps I couldn't see, each resulting to what sounded like muffled thuds. Then there was this, which I supposed as, not so graceful landing.

Another thud, then... Clang!

Holy, metal against metal! "Ugh!" The sound echoed within my aching head, the ringing so unbearable to the ears. I really thought I was going to be deaf after that.

There was light again. Had my eyes been shut the whole time? Anyhow, I found myself against the steel wall with my sore butt to the cold floor. It turns out I rolled down the long carpeted staircase. But what I bumped into was...

Ooh... Emerald! I was staring into the nicest pair of marbles. They were cat's eyes too – my favourite!

And then there was a river of silver... it flowed gently in one direction, manipulated by the gentle breeze.

Black... all I saw was black with gray tints after that. What was I looking at?

"Watch where you're going" someone ordered. My, my...what a lovely voice that was! Gruff, yes, but it was also... what was that word? Sexy...yeah! It was gruff AND sexy. Oh, speak again por favor...

"Respond!" he spoke again, a bit louder this time.

My head, oh my throbbing head! I had to shake it off or else I'd be later for... "Work!" Did I just voice that thought out loud? Holy, what's wrong with me?

"What is wrong with you?" Hey, wasn't I just thinking that just now? Oh yeah... I had almost forgotten about that voice. I shook my head hurriedly and gazed into probably the most gorgeous face I've ever seen. But why does this angelic visage look so familiar? Hmmm... I narrowed my eyes in thought.

'General..?' Oh my... realization suddenly hit me like a big chunk of blizzaga to the head! The man stood there, apparently unfazed with our little "run-in" awhile ago. He looked irritated though...

Gulp. Well that's not good...

"I'm sorry, sir" I said, getting to my feet, trying to sound as manly as I could. My legs were shaky, but I bowed to him in respect. It was the first time I've actually seen him in person. Not many were "blessed" to actually meet the General. He was either away on a mission, which was often, or kept himself secluded in his office. He rarely roamed the halls of Shin-Ra.

The silver-haired man approached me slowly, eyes seemingly scrutinizing my form up and down. It felt like he was looking into my very soul... and, I was uncomfortable, to say the least. Thank Holy I had my helmet on! Phew...

We were only but a few inches apart when he said, "Be more careful next time, trainee" He particularly emphasized the word "trainee". Ooh, I hate him! How arrogant!

When he was already several feet away from me, I dashed for my work station, hoping to never see him again...

– End of Flashback –

Where were we? Oh yes, downstairs... Everybody gathered around, waiting for the ceremony to begin. There were only about 25 of us present, I've noticed.

If this brain o' mine serves me correctly, 200 men "auditioned" for this... We had encountered a lot of battles. And for every battle, there were losses. A great number have died trying to make it in. I'm glad I'm here today, still alive and kicking... I guess it just goes to show how hard it was to enter SOLDIER. It will be a lot tougher from here on, I assume. But I wasn't going to give up. I will survive. I have to survive.

Besides, I think it was about time to show these jerks what women were made of. That's right; I am the first female, ever, to make it into Shin-Ra's elite military group!

"It's starting, it's starting!" piped Zack. He got hold of my arm once more and pulled me heading for the front lines. He stood beside me, to my right. Ugh. I really didn't want any sort of attraction on my first day. Way to get attention Zack! I know I could always count on you...

How was I able to disguise myself? For starters, I tied my long black hair into a neat bun. Thanks to my helmet, it's well-covered. Next, my uniform was way too big for me. All uniforms available were men's sizes; obviously... which was good because it managed to cover-up my ample bosom. I'd be getting my "customized" outfit some time later. As for my lady hands, I borrowed a pair of Zack's gloves. They were big, yes, but comfy.

In short, I looked like shit.

And my voice...I practiced long and hard to get it right. No superior of mine would like to hear a girlie "yes sir!" now, right? I asked Zack to help me. I've been speaking with such a voice ever since I started working for Shin-Ra. Thankfully, no one suspected a thing.

Oh well... now I have to make a big revelation. They knew there was a "she" among us; they just didn't know it was me...yet.

A somewhat grand entrance, accompanied by whistles and such, was made by the President. Wow. I wasn't expecting to meet him on my first day. He was big and was friendly as can be. He sort of reminded me of the jolly old Saint Nick for some reason. I don't why, he just did... It turns out he wanted to welcome us newcomers himself. How nice.

With a "ahem, ahem..." he spoke with the aid of the mic in his hand.

Oh no... A speech! This was going to take forever...

"Let me start this little ceremony with a story..."

I decided to dwell in my thoughts for awhile, until this small talk of his was over. I still heard him though, still aware of the things he mentioned... I wouldn't want to miss any important information, just in case he was going to bring something up.

Hmm... Let me tell you a bit about SOLDIER. Well, in a nutshell, SOLDIER's the elite fighting force of Shin-Ra. All of its soldiers are injected with Mako, the condensed form of the lifestream. It was supposed to enhance our abilities I think... that's what I was told anyway. Therefore, we would become the ultimate warriors. We are to be given powers far beyond those of a normal combatant. Pretty cool, huh? And that's all going to happen tomorrow!

"As for the..."

Right now, all of us wore a light blue outfit (with headgear) – the standard uniform of every 3rd Class. We were prearranged to wield the classic broadsword of SOLDIER with the aid of a Sleepel materia, and a level 2 Bolt and Ice materia. We can acquire more materia and equipment through missions and from the company itself.

"It has come to my attention that..."

As for Shin-Ra Corp... It's an influential, powerful company which holds political, social, and military power in most parts of the Planet. It supplies electrical power, protection, and some stability to the world, all the while holding a somewhat totalitarian rule.

It started out as a small weapons company. When Mako was discovered, they exploded in supremacy. Because of its energy, we were able to live comfortable lives. They took over almost every aspect of the Planet, setting up Mako reactors all over Midgar (that's where we are now), where it housed the headquarters of all their actions. With people becoming more and more dependent on Shin-Ra's power and provision, President Shinra, company owner and leader, pretty much became the unofficial President of the world – or most of it anyway.

With their ever-increasing finances, they expanded into various areas...

The Space Exploration Department (led by Palmer) planned on using rockets to launch men into space. It's chiefly a work-in-progress at the moment. I do hope it becomes successful. It would be magnificent to explore the wonders of space.

The Weapons Development Department (led by Scarlet) developed most of Shin-Ra's weapons of war. Scarlet, by the way, was the first and only female that I am aware of, to actually head a department. What an honour it must be for her. Now that's what I call girl power!

Then there's the Public Safety Department (led by Heidegger) and the Urban Development Department (led by Reeve Tuesti), nothing much to be said here.

The Science Department is the main manufacturer of the army's materia, and well, do experiments and stuff. It's not headed by anyone as of now. There's still a debate whether Professor Hojo or Hollander get the job.

Last that I know of is the Investigative Division of General Affairs Department. Fancy name, ne? But they are popularly known as the Turks. Their leader is a man named Veld. These Turks perform black ops on behalf of the company. They are under the direct command of Heidegger. Sadly, I have heard that these men were paid higher than us SOLDIERs. Damn it all.

"That'll be all for now..."

I sure did my homework... Pats for Jeanne! It's a must that I know all these things, now most especially.

Snap. Snap... Snap.

"What?" I broke out of my reverie for what seemed like the umpteenth time that day. Zack was snapping his fingers in front of face.

"This is it!" he whispered aloud. He sure was excited. Zack was like a kid sometimes, never failing to amuse me with his infantile gestures.

President's Shinra's speech was already over, much to my delight. It was the usual "blah, blah, blah"! See..? Being too occupied in your own thoughts does help, specifically in circumstances such as these.

"And without further ado, we shall begin!"

It finally came down to everyone's most awaited moment. Man, was I nervous! I held onto my uniform tight, my heart pounding so hard as if it would burst out of my chest any minute. I silently prayed that it would NOT be him.

"Please let it be him... Please let it be him..." a man to my left said over and over. He was obviously nervous too and seemed to be speaking as if it were some sort of magical chant.

I smiled to myself despite the edgy situation I was in. Each person looked like they were doing the exact same thing like that man did. All had their idols in mind.

As far as I knew, I didn't have anyone of the 1st Class in particular that I idolize. They were all great of course, no doubt about that. It's just that I didn't revere to them as much as the others did. I'm not greedy or selfish... But is it so wrong of me to say that I want to be the one who was admired, and not the admirer? Well, that and maybe it's just because I didn't like men that much. I was no man-hater though. Just because I dislike them, doesn't mean I hate them. There's a BIG difference.

And there they were...

On stage now stood the SOLDIERs of the 1st Class - Genesis, Angeal, and him. Yes, they were only three. To reach that rank is extremely difficult. Most SOLDIERs have died trying to make 1st or just simply gave up. Save for Zack and me. We made a promise that we'd make it 1st no matter what. After that, our dream would soon come true – to become heroes!

We were informed that the honourable General was to get a single student. The other two 1st Classes were to have 12 students each. Was that fair? Yes he was the General, but...

I looked around. Was it just me or did almost everyone in the hall suddenly became disappointed? Did they really want some arrogant jerk to order them around that badly? 

Well... It would most definitely lower my chances of having to be paired with him. I smirked triumphantly. Lady luck was unquestionably on my side. I already felt that I'd have a fantastic day!

I wonder... were 1st Classes really devoid of emotion? Those three remained still, impassive as ever. They barely gave any recognition to what was taking place. Did they not care? Had they not undergone the same thing, or had power and arrogance seeped through their brains completely?

The computers behind them started to act up. Our names were arbitrarily arranged on screen (with pictures!). Oh wait! Holy. Now everyone's going to know I'm a girl! Oh crap. Oh shit.

Some were already aware I was. But, I really didn't want to be the centre of attention today, not on my first day!

I let out a sigh. This wasn't a good day after all... I hope it doesn't get worse.

The computer was the one that chose who our mentor would be, randomly of course. Everyone eagerly awaited their turn... everyone but me. I kept my head down low, desperate to keep a low profile.

A picture of a dude with "prickly" black hair showed up. He was jovial indeed. He even had his thumb up. All present chuckled when they saw this (except for those three). Wait a minute, that's...

"Zack Fair," the computer beamed, "your mentor is..."

Pictures of the three 1st Classes were shuffled beside Zack's photo. I secretly hoped that we'd be placed under the same teacher (though I would never openly admit that to him). That way, we could always be together and I could keep an eye on him. You never know what crazy scheme he had in that spiky head of his. And, he was my best friend... did I need another reason?

The scuffle ended with...

"Angeal Hewley"

"Woo-hoo!" Zack cheered. Everyone just stared at him. "Oh yeah, oh yeah..." He was singing now which made some of us laugh. At least he was happy. And I was happy for him as well. But the tension wasn't over yet for me...

"See you Jeanne! I hope you get Angeal too" Zack yelled, parting with me.

All those who got Angeal were to assemble to the right, with Genesis' students to the left. Like me, who were still "pending", waited in the middle. And whoever that unlucky person will be to get him, will step forward.

Minutes later, my mind was surprisingly blank. Chances of me being under him were growing. There were only 2 vacant spots left for Angeal and 5 for Genesis. There were still eight of us left. I could still beat the odds, right?

Kunsel and Luxiere were also placed under Angeal. With those three under him, no doubt Angeal's "team" would be as fun as ever! I could only hope I'd be under his supervision too... then all four of us will knock the house (or in this case building) down! We'd be indivisible...

Before I knew it, only three of us stood in the middle...me, Yishay, and Sebastian. And guess what... There was one vacant spot remaining for each of the 1st Classes. Gulp. Oh goddess. Oh Cetra. Oh Meteor. Oh Holy. I prayed to all who I could pray to. Oh please, please, please... heed my prayers just this once!

In this kind of situation, I was always told to think positively... and just, breathe. That was probably the best and the only two things I could do at the moment.

Inhale... Exhale. Inhale... Exhale.

I was doing just that for 10 seconds when...

"Jeanne Garland," Holy... that's me.

I held my breath.

"Your mentor is..."

A/N: Nothing like a good suspense, ne? Please do review. I hope you enjoyed the first chapter! And by the way, if I did any spelling or grammatical errors (which I'm sure I did), please message them to me. Reviews are solely for your comments and suggestions, even questions...

Note: Kunsel and Luxiere are really members of SOLDIER (Crisis Core)... Yishay and Sebastian were too (Before Crisis). I am avoiding, as much as I can, to create made-up characters. I wanted Tifa Lockhart for Jeanne's role but, we all know that would just mess up the facts...

Reminder: I will not upload the next chapter until I receive at least 10 reviews.. I know how it feels when you get so many hits with so little reviews.. it hurts! And no flames please.. Also, check my profile once in awhile for any updates and stuff.

Take care everyone!