It had been eight months since Claire was made a SOLDIER member and she had started seeing Sephiroth less and less. It was because he was the greatest of the SOLDIER operatives and regularly being sent into the war zone to command the troops. Claire had heard through Sephiroth that Angeal had taken a student and that Angeal would continue her training when Sephiroth was not available, which would be most of the time now.
One of the days Sephiroth had been around to train her, Director Lazard had called a meeting for them. Sephiroth and Claire made their way over to the briefing room and saw that Genesis and Angeal were already there. Angeal though did not have his student with him.
"Where's the puppy?" Sephiroth asked Angeal with a small smile.
"Off being a puppy," Angeal replied with a chuckle. Claire did not understand the joke but assumed she would if she ever met Angeal's student.
"Now that we're all here," Lazard began as he made eye contact with each of them "I can give you all the news. First of all, Claire, since you are Sephiroth's student you have been made a level four second class. You are now authorized to use materia."
"There hasn't been a jump like that since Sephiroth went from third to first," Angeal thought aloud.
"Second, Genesis and Angeal, you two have been promoted. Genesis, you are now Lieutenant General. Angeal, Major General," They both snapped a salute and said their thanks as Lazard handed them medals. Claire looked at Sephiroth and saw that he had a look of confusion "Don't worry Sephiroth, I haven't forgotten you. The president told me to make you a five star General," Lazard handed a medal to Sephiroth and Sephiroth snapped a salute and said his thanks "You four are dismissed. Oh, Angeal, when you see him again, could you tell Zack he's been made a second for me?"
"Yes sir," Angeal replied before the group left the room.
The group split up outside the briefing room. Angeal went to go do his rounds, Genesis went towards the training room and Sephiroth and Claire went towards the Farron's room. Claire had one question on her mind at the moment and decided to voice it.
"How do I become a first?" She asked Sephiroth.
"It is very hard to become a first class, Claire," Sephiroth replied "But when you become a first I'll buy you something. How's that?" Claire nodded with a large smile on her face "Now, spend some time with your sister until your tutor arrives. I have to go pick up a package that came in."
The Next Day
"Damn Sef," Angeal stated loudly when Sephiroth showed the group his new sword "Long enough?"
"And I suppose there is nothing wrong with your iron surfboard?" Sephiroth replied sarcastically. Claire giggled about how immature the three 'legends' were when 'no one' was around
"Hey don't insult the Buster Sword. It didn't do anything to you," Angeal said back with a fake hurt tone.
"Then don't insult the Masamune," Sephiroth said.
"Sephiroth?" Genesis said as he grabbed the other item from Sephiroth's package "About this coat . . ."
"What about the coat?" Sephiroth asked as he grabbed it and turned it around "Oh, what the f- I did say I wanted the buckles to end at half way but I thought they would at least start at the top," Angeal had started laughing.
"Just try it out," Genesis said flatly. Sephiroth put the black leather coat on over his SOLDIER uniform and did the top buckle, which was even with his waist.
"As weird as it sounds, I don't think you should wear a shirt under that," Angeal said to his silver haired friend.
"So what, be bare chested? No thank you," Sephiroth replied to Angeal.
"Hey you'll make all your fan girls crazy," Genesis said in his monotone way.
"That is true," Sephiroth replied in a thoughtful tone and put up an expression of consideration "Okay I'll try out the look. But I am going to be miserable if its cold."
"Understandable," Both Angeal and Genesis said.
"Where's Puppy, by the way?" Sephiroth asked Angeal.
"I gave him a test," Angeal replied "I told him to go get me a left handed knife so I could sharpen the Buster Sword."
"And he believed you?" Sephiroth said in bewilderment "Claire, if I told you to go do that would you believe me?" Claire shook her head "Why is that?"
"Our knives are meant for both hands, Angeal is right handed, and he never uses the Buster Sword so why would it need to be sharpened?" Sephiroth gave Angeal a look of victory.
"Mines better than yours," Sephiroth said in a mocking tone.
"Zack does have a lot of potential," Angeal defended.
"And he is using it to find a left handed knife," Sephiroth mocked.
"Well I better go find Zack before he makes me look bad," Angeal said after pretending to look at his watch. He looked down at his wrist.
"So why did you get such a long sword?" Genesis asked Sephiroth.
"Well, I liked the Wutian swords and I thought it would be nice to have some extra reach," Sephiroth replied as he examined the Masamune.
"Why did you call it the Masamune?" Claire asked.
"It is a Cetra word that loosely translates to slayer of gods," Sephiroth replied to his adopted daughter. Claire nodded her understanding.
Silence fell on the group moments after Sephiroth's reply. Genesis took Loveless out of the pocket of his red leather trench coat and started reading it, again. Claire saw Sephiroth send a glare at his coat every few seconds then go back to intensely examining the white steel wall. The three sat in the lounge area for a quarter of an hour before one of them spoke.
"Claire's tutor will be here in twenty minutes," Genesis stated without even looking away from Loveless.
"What?" Sephiroth asked in a confused tone as he pulled out his cell phone to check the time "What d'ya know, your right," Claire got up and went back to her room.
"What does Serah do all day?" Genesis asked without looking at Sephiroth.
"She helps out in any way she can."
"You trust her alone in the building?"
"I got her a special ID card that gets her into all the places I can get into," Genesis huffed at the statement. Sephiroth wished he knew why Genesis disliked the Farron girls.
Twenty-Two Months Later
It had been about two and a half years since the Farron girls had first met Sephiroth. Claire was now fourteen and Serah was twelve. They had been well taught by the tutors Sephiroth had hired for them and Claire had learned much from Sephiroth's training.
Sephiroth had started calling Claire, Lightning for several reasons. She was getting to be almost as fast as him, she favoured thunder magic, and whenever they sparred she would never attack the same place twice in a row. Claire had liked the title and insisted on having everyone call her Lightning until the director actually changed the name on her registry.
Claire went to her room after her independent training session and saw Serah packing bags with Sephiroth's help.
"Whats going on?" Claire asked, trying to sound calm.
"Serah's going to a real school now. A boarding school in Bodhum," Sephiroth replied to Claire.
"Why can't she go to a school in Midgar?" Claire sounded close to tears.
"Midgar is becoming dangerous. And I want Serah to see land that hasn't been killed by reactors," Sephiroth's words made Claire realize that Serah had never been outside the city, and barely even outside the Shinra building in the last two years.
"Then I'll protect her," Claire said with a firm voice.
"I have already decided on this, Claire, nothing is going to change my mind," Sephiroth said in a calm and kind tone "Now, Serah I have to tell you somethings," Serah nodded and sat on the bed "You can't tell anyone that you know me, or that your sister is in SOLDIER, understand?"
"Why?" Serah asked with an innocent tone. Sephiroth went to one knee before continuing.
"There are people that would want to hurt Claire and myself, just because we are SOLDIER members. And they will hurt you, or worse, to hurt us. If either of you were to get hurt I would stop at nothing to punish whoever was responsible."
"So what can I say, if someone asks?" Serah asked.
"You can say that your sister lives in Midgar, she is twenty-two, and she sells clothes, okay?" Sephiroth said, providing a decent cover story "I'm going to miss you Serah," Sephiroth said with a small smile.
Claire went to her sister and pulled her into a hug, which was returned "I will always be there if you need me," Claire whispered to Serah.
"Be strong Lightning," Serah said back with a giggle. Claire laughed slightly at Serah using her alias "Look, Sephiroth is crying too," Serah whispered. Claire saw that Sephiroth had shed one tear.
"Well, Serah," Sephiroth said as he wiped the tear away "You have a train to catch, so we need to go."
Claire walked with them until they met Serah's escort. The escort was a red haired woman in casual clothing but Claire knew that the woman was most likely a Turk or some other kind of elite fighter. Sephiroth and Claire said their final goodbyes to Serah and watched her leave.
Claire was surprised to know that this was the first time that they have been apart for more than a day. She was also surprised to know that Serah was the only one to not shed a tear the whole time. Claire knew that Serah would be crying and wanting to come back before too long though.
Six Weeks Later
Genesis had been on a mission to Wutai for the last three days, Sephiroth was being a Shinra diplomat to Palumpolum, and Angeal was given time to train Zack and Claire.
Claire was on her way to the elevator to meet Angeal for some off-base training. She was curious as to why he had wanted to go off base instead of just using the training simulator like always, but then remembered that the simulator had been broken. As she got closer to the elevator she saw Angeal and someone who was almost the same height.
When Claire was beside Angeal she snapped a salute to him and quickly examined the other. He had black spiky hair, the same dark blue uniform as her and a standard SOLDIER longsword on his back. Claire assumed that the boy was Zack and thought that he was four years older than her.
"Right on time, as usual," Angeal said when he saw Claire "This is the first time you two have met, isn't it?" Both students nodded. Claire saw the energy in the boy's eyes "This is the Puppy, my student."
"Zack Fair, SOLDIER, Second class," Zack introduced himself. Zack examined the only girl in SOLDIER. She had pink hair, the usual glowing blue eyes, an arm band with two materia, and a small sword at her left hip.
"Lightning Farron," Claire replied to Zack.
"This is Sephiroth's student, Zack," Angeal said, making Zack double take and his jaw drop.
"Why are we going off base for training?" Claire asked the first.
"The training room is still being repaired," Claire had tried to figure out who was even able to break the training simulator but Angeal had just shrugged and said he didn't know. She also found it strange that Genesis had been injured in some accident at nearly the same time the simulator broke.
During the training Zack had asked Claire the strangest thing. He asked if they could be friends for the rest of their careers. Claire had expected him to ask if she would be his girlfriend because she had already had many people ask that. But Zack had just wanted to be friends, he had openly said that she was not his type, which confused her but she did not press the topic.
When they arrived back at the SOLDIER floor in the Shinra building Zack asked another strange thing.
"Hey Light, do you think that I will be as heroic as Sephiroth?" Zack asked with a large smile and his fists on his hips.
"Maybe if you talk less," Claire said with a sideways glance as she walked by him "And stop trying to show off."
"Thanks, I guess," Zack said with mock depression.
Next chapter is when Crisis Core begins.
Special Thanks to Elizander for inspiration for the title.
Please review.
