A young woman, looking about the age of 25, stood outside a dingy bar. The street was deserted save for a few orphan children that hardly paid her a glance. Her long black leather coat swayed around her ankles in the light breeze as well as her hair. A faint smile graced her lips as she remembered the person who gave her the coat. It stretched long, down to her ankles, the body hugged her torso and the sleeves to her wrists, her hands were also encased in leather gloves that protected her long slim and pale fingers. Her hair, a deep midnight black, fell to just below her shoulders and she reached up to brush away a strand that tickled her cheek. Her unseeing eyes fell again on the door of the bar when a man, obviously drunk, stumbled out onto the street. Seeing her, he giggled happily then swayed as he walked and sang horribly down the sidewalk.

A faint smirk came to her lips and she took a step to the door just as she heard the lock click. She stared at the sign above for a moment, Seventh Heaven, and lifted a hand to knock firmly a few times on the hard wood. A reply came almost instantly.

"We're closed for the night," said a feminine voice from the other side. From the sounds of it, Tifa, the owner of the bar, was just on the other side of the threshold, most likely annoyed at the presence of a late night costumer. The woman smirked again and raised her hand to knock again just as she heard footsteps move away from the door. She couldn't deny that she found a bit of amusement in irritating the girl.

She heard a huff from the other side and the lock click. Her posture, if possible, straightened as the door flung open and the other raven-haired woman appeared, a look of pure annoyance on her face. As soon as the woman caught sight of her, though, a look of shock replaced it. The woman outside grinned slightly at the expression.

"Hello, Tifa. Is now a bad time?" Her voice was as smooth and soft as running water and she tilted her head to the side curiously, her grin never faltering.

Tifa's mouth flapped open and closed in disbelief as her eyes scanned the woman from top to bottom. "Who are you? How do you know my name?" she asked suspiciously, finally. The woman merely smiled and crossed her slender arms before her chest.

"I would like to speak to Cloud, if he's home," she said, ignoring her questions. Annoyed, Tifa narrowed her eyes and opened her mouth to speak again when a man with blonde spiked hair appeared behind her several feet away.

"Tifa, what is it?" he asked. Tifa turned to look at him then back at the woman outside whose smile turned back into an easy grin. She huffed and stepped aside to let Cloud see the person at the door. He narrowed his eyes in confusion and came to the door, his eyes never leaving Tifa as he approached.

"Apparently, she wants to talk to you," she explained and Cloud finally let his gaze wander to the stranger. He paused in confusion and let his eyes wander over her before he froze, his gaze suddenly glued to her face in shock. His lips parted in astonishment and her grin widened.

"Hello, Cloud. Long time no see." She inclined her head in greeting her arms uncrossing to hang lazily at her sides. "How long has it been? Eight years?"

"Lunara…?" he breathed. Tifa looked between the two in confusion and frowned as the woman, now known as Lunara, chuckled softly.

"Yes. Didn't think you'd see me again did you?"

"You're supposed to be dead," he replied softly, his eyes still transfixed on the woman before him.

Ignoring him, she tilted her head to the side. "Are you going to be rude and stare at me all night or are you going to invite me in? And you should know better than anyone that the dead aren't always dead."

Cloud paused. He wasn't sure if he could trust his old friend and comrade, after all that had happened. After everything with Sephiroth… After everything he now knew. But the woman smiled, she showed no signs of being a threat to him or anyone else, so after a few moments of silence he nodded to her and moved to the side to allow her in. She passed the two with a smile and a 'thank you' then gracefully slid into a seat at one of the tables after removing her sword from her back and onto the table. Cloud shut and locked the door softly, his eyes glued to her, but Tifa stopped him by placing a hand to his chest before he could follow Lunara.

"Cloud, who is she?" she whispered quietly and the ex-SOLDIER turned his gaze to his childhood friend.

"Someone I used to know," he replied just as quietly. From the table they heard Lunara let out a short laugh.

"Come now, you two. Just because you're whispering it doesn't mean I can't hear you. And Cloud, you hurt my feelings to say such things. I haven't changed, so you still know me," she said while leaning back against the hard chair comfortably. The two at the door became silent and after a glance at one another, made their way to the table Lunara sat at. An awkward silence filled the room where the two AVALANCH members stared at the woman. They couldn't know if Lunara was actually looking at them due to the black blindfold covering her eyes, but guessed she was by the angle of her head and the ever-present grin upon her lips.

Finally, Cloud cleared his throat. "What happened to your eyes?" he asked. Her grin faltered slightly to a soft smile and she shrugged nonchalantly.

"A casualty of my fight for freedom from Shinra. I lost my sight, but luckily I am able to see perfectly with certain help, even with obstructions and a few differences," she said vaguely as she tapped the side of her face where the blindfold rested. "Hence, the blindfold."

Cloud nodded and watched her some more. When she made no indications of speaking he tried again. "What are you doing here?"

"I dropped by for a visit. Isn't it obvious?"

His eyes narrowed. "A person believed to be dead doesn't just 'drop by for a visit', Lunara."

The woman sighed and straightened as she rested her forearms on the table and brushed the blade of her sword with her fingertips. "You're right, Cloud. I always forget that you aren't as easy to fool as Zack was," she said sadly though tried to put in a hint of humor.

The man and woman across from her tensed at the name. "Zack's dead," Cloud said sharply, but lowly.

Another sigh escaped her. "I know." She bit her lip and lowered her head for a moment before lifting it to face them again. "I'm here on a personal matter. I'm sure that now you know that I'm alive, you have some questions." She tilted her head slightly, the feeling of her invisible gaze boring into him.

"Where have you been?"

"Before we get to that I have to tell you the whole story. The truth," she said slowly. "I warn you this may take some time."

"The whole story…" he mused quietly, ignoring her last statement. He nodded. "I'd like to hear it. My memory is vague, but I'd like to hear your side of it."

Lunara chuckled. "You're in luck, because I remember everything, but this is my story. The way my life was before everything happened, during and up to this moment. You're bound to find a few shocks."

Cloud nodded again. "I'd still like to hear it."

"Good," she grinned. "It all started on my first day at SOLDIER…"

Lunara stood at the age of fifteen in the training room with Professor Hojo. It was empty of life besides the two and the President and his son who stood not too far away examining her. Rufus had to be around sixteen or seventeen about that time, but already he had the attitude of a pampered spoiled brat. Every few moments he lifted a hand to brush a stray hair out of his face in a smug manner as he eyed the girl up and down who had no expression and showed no signs of being nervous in front of one of the most powerful men in the world. Back then she still had her sight and her unnaturally mako infused eyes shone in the small dim light of the training room. Her back was straight and tense as she knew what the professor was asking of the President.

"So, you want this… this girl to join SOLDIER?" the fat balding man asked with a small sneer as he too examined the girl. She didn't look like much with a slight athletic build and a little too muscular arms, not to mention her chest that would make a wall jealous.

"Yes. She has shown great skills in the arts over the years and I wish to see how my dear girl would handle SOLDIER," the professor replied with a small smile as he patted the girl's shoulder.

No, the scientist was not her father, heaven forbid if he was, the monster. For as long as she could remember she had seen no more than three rooms until this very day. Her room, the lab and the makeshift training room in the basement. Yes, she was an experiment, though she didn't know why and she didn't question it. All she knew was that growing up, Gast and Hojo, who was his assistant until Gast's death, used to tell her that she was special and that they needed to run tests on her frequently so that they would be able to help other special people like her. At such a young and naïve age, she didn't question his word, but even now that she was slightly older she didn't really care to know.

Again, the President looked her over before nodding. "Alright. She starts in the morning with the new recruits. Rufus, take the cadet to her room," he huffed then waddled away with the scientist, leaving the two teenagers behind.

Rufus looked her over in much the same manner his father had before turning on his heal and striding towards the SOLDIER's quarters. Obediently, Lunara followed. She hated to feel like some pet chasing it's master, but she didn't know where to find anything and Rufus, no matter how annoyingly snobbish he was, was her only guide.

Reaching the quarters Rufus led her through the halls before standing beside a door in a more lavish part of the building. He grinned to her after glancing at the door. "This will be your new roommate since there are no other rooms available at the moment and we're not about to give you special treatment just because you're a girl," he said.

"I wouldn't expect you to," she replied.

"Excellent," he grinned then knocked on the door loudly. After a few moments the door opened slowly to reveal a young man only a few years older than themselves. He was tall, already passed the 6 foot area, and had long silver hair that reached down to his knees with bangs that spiked then gracefully fell about his face. His expression was calm though a tinge of annoyance flickered in his glistening green eyes as he spotted Rufus then changed to slight curiosity as he saw Lunara beside him.

"What is it?" he asked slowly, his voice deep and rumbling yet calm and controlled. Lunara was certain that were it any other female at his door she would swoon at the beauty of this man.

"Sephiroth, this is your new roommate, Lunara. Your room is the only one left with extra space. Please don't scare this one off, we have nowhere else to put her," the boy chuckled and stepped away from the door when the man, Sephiroth, raised a silver brow.

"Don't worry. I don't scare that easily," she said, turning her head to look at Rufus with a small smile. The boy arched his brows disbelievingly, but nodded as he turned to go back down the hall.

"Right. Have fun, you two," he laughed and continued down the hall then turned the corner. Lunara raised a delicate brow then turned back to Sephiroth whose gaze had now turned to her curiously.

After a few moments of silence she tilted her head to the side and blinked in a manner that some would consider 'cute', but was merely questioning. "So, are you going to let me in or am I going to have to sleep in the hallway?" she asked. The man in front of her grunted slightly before moving to the side to allow her in. She strode in with her bag in tow and tossed it in an empty corner before sitting in a chair in the same corner.

"Don't expect a warm welcome from me, girl. I don't speak much and I certainly don't want to take a picture with you," he said lowly as if he'd said it plenty of times with the exact opposite happening. Lunara merely shrugged her shoulders and propped her legs up using her bag as a footrest.

"Right now, you seem to be the more talkative one and since we'll be roommates, the least you can do is remember my name," she replied calmly while carefully slipping her coat off and resting it on the back of the chair revealing a leather tank top that cut off above her belly button. She leaned back lazily and examined the room that was practically bare save for the bunk bed in one corner and two dressers in another. A desk sat with another chair in the last corner that was covered in papers and the chair was pushed out as if that's where the SOLDIER had been sitting before the intrusion.

Sephiroth grunted again slightly and moved to that very desk to complete his paperwork in silence while Lunara stayed silent in the corner. Neither of them spoke for the rest of the night, but both turned into bed when the call for curfew came, Lunara's bag left still packed in the corner.

"He was merely a first class SOLDIER back then. He hadn't been promoted to General yet," Lunara said while brushing a stray strand of hair from her face. "He didn't have his own penthouse or quarters, so he had to bunk with whoever put up with him, which weren't that many. In fact I was the only one that lasted longer than a few months, but by the time I made it into first class he had been promoted and moved out. We had established a sort of friendship by then and he had even introduced me to a few of his other first class friends, Angeal and Genesis. They took to me quite well and the four of us became almost inseparable."

"Wait, everyone believed you were a male, last I remember. How did you make it through SOLDIER?" asked Cloud suddenly. Lunara smiled.

"Ah, yes, Zack told you about that, did he? Well, I'll get to that in a moment, just be patient, Cloud. I told you this would be a long story," she chuckled and the blonde nodded while the other woman blinked curiously.

"Why would everyone think you're a man?"

"Again, I'll get to that soon enough," replied the blind woman.

"Listen up, Noobies. I am not here to be your friend. I am not here to be nice to you. And I sure as hell am not here to listen to you whine and complain," started Genesis as he smirked at all the new recruits. Some were sweating nervously already, others shaking, but Lunara stayed straight and calm at the end of the line while the redheaded SOLDIER barked at them. The man, Genesis, was to be the beginning instructor until farther notice and it seemed he liked making them quiver in their SOLDIER uniforms.

"Now, are you ready for the hardest training you'll ever get?" he roared. Shy murmurs answered him back. He didn't like that too much. "I said, are you ready for the hardest training you'll ever get?"

The answer this time was immediate. "Yes, sir!"

"Good," he grinned and waved his arm in the direction of the obstacle course set up. "You have ten minutes starting… now."

Instantly, the recruits shot off in a group of bumbling idiots, but the one from the end of the line beat them all to the punch. Lunara sped past her soon-to-be comrades and climbed the web made of rope with ease while the others struggled. She leaped from post to post gracefully and swung from ropes like a natural. She climbed the wall without a sweat and jumped the makeshift pond that had to be at least ten feet long without the help of the rope hanging overhead. Hurtling obstructions she dodged cages of rabid fiends and dove under swinging logs while the men behind her were beaten, bruised and left unconscious. At the end there was a surprise attack by Angeal, a large muscled man with short black spiked hair. They were expected to dodge the attack, but Lunara bent forward onto her hands and caught the large buster sword he used between her feet.

In a slight shock, Angeal loosened his grip on the handle, allowing her to fling it from his grasp and do a back flip to stand upright again. Then without warning they attacked each other in a series of flying fists and kicks. Angeal, realizing that this recruit had a bit more experience, upped his game until he gained the upper hand, but not without a few surprises by the young recruit. By then, Lunara finally got a good punch to his ribs and followed it with a kick, sending him stumbling back.

She got into another stance, expecting the first class SOLDIER to attack her again, but he merely straightened with a smile and clapped his hands. "Well done, cadet. You're fit for SOLDIER, that's for sure," he praised. Realizing he wasn't about to attack, she straightened and stood at attention as Genesis approached with a smile.

"You cleared that obstacle in less than five minutes, cadet. No one has been able to do that since Angeal, Sephiroth and myself joined the ranks. What's your name, kid?" he asked.

"Lunara, sir," she replied and she noticed the shock pass over the two SOLDIER's faces as they looked to each other. She fought to hold her grin of satisfaction when they both leaned to the side to look past her to find all the other recruits fallen on the floor unconscious from one obstacle or another.

"A girl?" mused Genesis then nodded and made a face of approval. "Never would have thought it." He looked back to Lunara with a smile. "Well done. But I think we should keep the female thing to us. I don't think those guys would be very happy to see a girl beat them at what's supposed to be their game." He chuckled good naturedly and she saw Angeal twitch his lips into a slight smile as well.

"Whatever you think best, sir," she responded with a shrug.

"Great! Then from now on, you're cadet Lu. I think we'll get along just fine." His grin spread and he laughed again before he and Angeal ordered her to do it again.

"That was the first time I met them, but after that first class I only saw them in the hallways with Sephiroth and they always left when visiting our room before I came back from training. It wasn't until I was in second class and Sephiroth and I became friends did he reintroduce us. That reunion was an entertaining one."

"So, that's how you got the reputation as a man," Cloud concluded. Lunara nodded with a fond smile at the memory.

"Yes. Genesis wasn't a caring man. In fact he'd rather burn his Loveless book than train new recruits, but that day he saw something in me that he liked. I guess he didn't want me to be hated and actually make it to where I eventually did."

Cloud nodded again. "Please, continue."

She nodded and continued with her story.