A year would pass before Sephiroth saw the black haired-Shinra Soldier again. The only reason he saw her now, was because she pushed him aside cold-heartedly, as she did with the next few people before he grabbed her arm. The hiss of steel was heard and he managed to bring his sword up just in time to block the oncoming attack.

"Let me go," her all to familiar voice hissed vehemently forcing her blade down upon his.

"No, I want an apology." his voice was gentle, but unyielding in his demand. The red eyes that had been glaring at him shut as she wrenched her arm from his grasp. She then spun around and walked away from him with absolute indifference.

"Damn," a voice beside him said after a moment, "she's pissed today." he turned to stare at Cloud, who was just staring off in Mecha's direction.

"And what makes you think that?" he said sarcastically.

"Shut up Sephiroth…"

Sephiroth glared. "Alright then. Why is she pissed so to say…"

He crossed his arms as another voice rang out be hind him, "She was demoted."

Sephiroth faced the voice who was Zack. "And why was she demoted?"

"Ask her when you see her. Oh here," the black-haired man said nonchalantly as he flipped a small stack of papers in his hand out towards the silver-haired bishounen, who snatched them and looked them over.

"Humph, Mission papers and I just got back…"

Sometime later found Sephiroth in Nibelheim looking at a bunch of rowdy troops, being yelled at by a testy female. The only one in the group. "If any of you touch me like that again you'll be singing high notes for the rest of your life!" she was wearing her helmet so he couldn't tell who she was. Sephiroth shook his head and walked behind the agitated girl and tapped her shoulder.

"There will be no violence in my squadron! Do you hear me cadet!"

The reply was grumbled.

"What! I can't hear you cadet!"

"Yes sir," came the low reply.

"Good. Now get out of my sight. All of you!"

All of the troops walked off snickering that the lowest of their group got chewed out. The female on the other hand shook her head as she walked to the Shinra mansion.

"Cadet! To the Inn! Now!" the girl just turned, looked at him, then walked into the mansion without a word. Sephiroth grumbled as he walked into the Inn. "Man that girl is going to be trouble."

The next morning Sephiroth found the female cadet ready and waiting as he exited the building after yelling at all of the troops to 'get their lazy asses up'.

"And the defiant one awakens first," he growled in annoyance.

The female cadet crossed her arms as she stared at the bishounen, who stared within his paperwork. While Sephiroth stared into his paperwork, the female cadet removed her helmet and her black hair tumbled down her back. Sephiroth happened to look up as her hair finished falling across her back and shoulders.

Sephiroth stared for a moment until the pair of red eyes opened. 'She's kind of cute,' he thought, but then he spoke harshly. "You need to cut that hair of yours cadet."

The red eyes glanced him over as she thought, 'Sephiroth…. Why did I see that old soft gleam in your eyes…' before answering defiantly, "I wouldn't cut my hair for Shinra and that means you can't make me do it either… So stop looking at me…" she pulled her hair back up into the helmet as she placed it back on.

"Hey! Cadet! Come here and clean my sword!" the mouth that was visible set itself into a hard line of anger as she walked towards the man that had yelled at her. Sephiroth watched as her sword hissed through the air and turned before whacking the man on the head, so that the flat of the blade sent the man sprawling into the dirt.

"Clean it yourself maggot. Demoted or not, I do not bend to your will." her words were seething with what seemed to be venomous affliction. The man got up and cursed the cadet under his breath. She readied to cast a spell upon the man, but Sephiroth grabbed her left arm and spun her around to face him.

"Cadet!" she blinked under the helmet, "you and I will speak about this incident tonight." it was then that the troops lined up before the inn. The female Cadet soon joined them in line standing the very way a First Class SOLDIER would.

As Sephiroth told them the mission parameters she stood stone still, staring strait ahead, even when Sephiroth stood before her and yelled down at her.

"MOVE OUT!" the Shinra troops began walking up the path with the cadet behind, scowling.

"I should be up there were First Class shold be, but no. I'm on a probationary demotion.. If I screw up this time I'm permanently demoted to Cadet…" she muttered to herself. She hardly noticed the other near her.

"Hey Valentine… you know your not supposed to talk to yourself silly girl.." she looked up at the brown-haired man next to her and sighed.

"Yeah I know…." she rubbed her arm where it had been forcefully grabbed earlier. "but you know it keeps my thoughts from being lost within my head.." the man nodded.

"Well be glad Sephiroth is too far away to hear that. Only SOLDIER are allowed to do what they want. Right now you are nothing to him. Just as we are…"

"Yeah yeah, I know that J'Meriko." J'Meriko nodded and joined those of his rank before Sephiroth could turn to scold him for talking to a lowly cadet.