Flashback 10 years ago...

On the east side outside of Midgar lies a town called Kalm. In the town square are a fountain and a water wall. The rest of the buildings, which include an inn, bar, shops, and various residences, surround the town square, which is overlooked by a tall watch tower built into the stone walls.

Running in the middle of the square was a small black-haired girl. She kept looking back only to find three boys chasing her and throwing small rocks at her. She dashes to a nearby alley only to find a dead end. She looks back and sees the three boys staring at her with menacing grins.

"Ha! Freak, go back where you came from!"

"Yeah, we don't want your kind here, so scram!"

"Nobody wants a snake-eyed monster like you!"

The boys were bullying was none other than Sara. Though back then, she would usually introduce herself as Saraphina, her full name. Ever since she could remember, Sara was always picked on by the local children because of her eyes. The way her eyes glowed and looked, it was easy for children to pick on. After all, kids never understood the reason why Sara's eyes were weird.

Sara bit her bottom lip and begged, "P-Please, just leave me alone!"

The boys snickered, "Okay, then take this!"

They began to throw rocks at her, and Sara ducked down, covering her head with her tiny arms. As the stones hit her skin, making minor scrapes and bruises. Once the boys were satisfied with their fun, they left Sara alone.

Sara got up as soon as they were gone. Looking at her arms, she had minor cuts and bruises. Sara looked up at the sky and sighed another day of being bullied. Sara wondered how long she was going to take this?

She walked out of the alley cautiously and saw that the boys were nowhere to be seen. She quickly ran out of the town's square and went near the edge of the village. She then stood in front of a small cozy house. She walked in and smelled the fragrance of roasted chicken and spotted a woman in her mid-twenties cooking.

Sara called out, "Mom, I'm home!"

The woman turned around, who had long black hair, wearing a blue shirt with brown pants smiled at Sara. The woman was Sara's mother named Emily Griffin. Emily noticed the minor cuts on her daughter's arms and narrowed her eyes, then asked, "Saraphina, were you picked on again?"

Sara gulped, then nodded in reply. She knew that her mom would find out even if she lied. Yet, it was better, to be honest than tell a lie. Emily sighed, then reached to a drawer nearby and pulled out a healing materia. After equipping the materia, Emily began to heal Sara. Her mom was one of the best magic casters in all of the town, and her mom would use her knowledge and skill to heal those in need.

As her mom began to heal her, Sara spoke curiously, "Mom, when is Dad coming home?"

Emily sighed, "I don't think he'll be home today, sweetheart. He's been swamped with work and hasn't been able to take time off."

Sara looked down at the floor in disappointment. Sara's dad is a scientist and the top assistant for Professor Hojo. Sara knew that her dad had an important job and knew that his money provided her and her mother everything they needed. Yet, in Sara's heart, she longed to spend time with her father.

Emily finished healing Sara's wounds and smiled, "All done, now sweetheart, I've got soup on the stove ready for you. Mommy has a night out with her friends. So be a good girl when I'm gone. I'll be home late."

Sara nodded, "Okay!"

Emily left the house after she said her goodbyes. Every Friday, Emily would go out with her girlfriends, leaving Sara alone to attend the house. Sara didn't mind it, but she felt an emptiness in her heart. At this point, Sara realized that she'd longed for a friend—someone to comfort this pain of loneliness in her heart. Yet, she was also afraid that no one would accept her for her unusual eyes. Having green cat-eyes doesn't seem normal to anyone. Sara never bothered to ask her mom why she was born with cat-eyes? Afraid that her mom might not have the answer. She thought about asking her dad whenever he came to visit, yet it never happened because he never came, not once for as long as she could remember.

After eating the soup, Sara put up the leftovers and cleaned the dishes. It was already dusk outside, and Sara decided to go outside and watch the stars. She left a note on the table for her mom in case if Emily came home early. Then, Sara went out of the town and found her spot where it was perfect for stargazing. She climbed up on a large boulder and watched the sky turning from dusk to dark. Sara found that looking at the stars seemed to calm her, make her forget about her troubles. She knew that looking at the sky; made her realize that all of her problems and worries are small and are nothing compared to the big sky.

Suddenly she heard a beastly growl behind her. Sara felt a knot tighten in her stomach as she slowly turned around. A hellhound was right behind her, staring at her with killing intent.

Sara felt scared that she didn't have anything to defend herself. She tried to walk away slowly, but the hellhound lunged at her.

She covered her face with her arms and screamed, "Help!"

Swoosh!

A sound that seemed like something was cutting through the wind, followed by something falling on the ground. Sara slowly dropped her arms and saw that the hellhound was dead in front of her.

"Are you okay?" A calm voice spoke.

Sara looked up and saw a young man with a long black coat zipped up in the front with silver pauldrons, black boots, and black pants. He had long silver hair that bellowed with the night breeze. What made him attractive to Sara were his glowing green eyes. She noticed that he was carrying a katana in his hand that had some blood on the blade. She realized that this mysterious boy saved her from the hellhound.

Sara managed to speak, "Um, yeah, I'm fine. Thank you for saving me."

The mystery boy narrowed his eyes and asked, "Your eyes, why are they like that?"

Sara replied, defending herself, "I don't know, I was born this way!"

Sara never liked talking about her eyes; it made her feel horrible. Because she knew that eyes like hers were not normal, she expected the mystery boy to make fun of her, just like the other kids. Yet what came next took her by surprise.

The mystery boy said, "You're just like me."

Xera looked at him, confused, "Huh?"

The mystery boy replied, "You and me, we both have the same eyes." Sara got a better look at the boy's eyes and was shocked. He wasn't wrong; both he and Sara had the same unusual eyes. For the first time, Sara felt a bit of comfort to know that she wasn't alone.

The mystery boy looked towards the town, then back to her and asked.

"Is your home over there?" Sara nodded.

He grabbed her wrist gently, "Let's go back to town. It's dangerous for you to be here."

Sara was a bit startled at the boy's actions. She couldn't help but nod, "O-Okay."

The two of them walked together until they reached Sara's house. Sara walked to the front door of her home and turned around, then smiled at the mystery boy, "Thank you again for saving me and escorting me home."

The mystery boy said nothing but only nodded before leaving. Sara remembered something and called out, "Hey, wait!"

The mystery boy stopped and looked at her curiously. She asked, "Can I ask you what your name is? I'm Saraphina!"

The mystery boy turned around then replied, "Sephiroth."

The mysterious boy Sephiroth left Sara. After that, she never forgot him. She felt happy because she knew that she wasn't the only one who had eyes like her. She noticed that Sephiroth seemed rather lonely or distant.

The next day, Emily had to leave town because a friend needed her healing knowledge, so Sara was left to watch the house. She had a few errands to run in town, and so she went back out of the safety of her home.

Sara walked over to the local bakery to deliver several loaves of bread to deliver to the inn. She carried the loaves in a wicker basket while humming to herself. Yet, something smacked on her head, followed by a moist feeling on the side of her face. Sara wiped whatever was on the side of her face, and it was remnants of a tomato. She heard a bunch of laughter and looked around, seeing the bullies laughing at her while some were holding tomatoes.

"Freak!"

"Monster!"

"Go back where you came from; this town doesn't need a freak like you!"

Sara clenched her jaw and glared at the bullies, and shouted, "Stop throwing stuff at me! I've done nothing wrong!"

One of the boys chuckled as they walked closer, "Oh? Then why are you carrying a basket around? Is that your dinner?"

One of the boys shoved her down, while another picked up the basket looking through it. Sara started to panic and quickly begged.

"Please! I have to deliver those to the inn!"

"The inn? The inn doesn't need food made by a monster." The leader of the boys sneered; he then threw the basket to the ground.

"Now, I think we should teach you a lesson, monster." The leader smirked.

The other two boys grab Sara and dragging her to a nearby alley. Sara is shoved to the ground while still being pinned down by the shoulders. Though she struggled to break free, for some reason, she couldn't. The bully leader holds a lighter in his hands and stares at her with an evil grin. Sara's eyes widened as she stared at that lighter.

"I think we should make a burn mark on you. That way you'll remember to stay out of this town. Hold her down, guys."

Sara struggled as she felt her shirt being lifted, and she could feel a little heat on her back. She quickly screamed through the top of her lungs and cried out.

"Help!!!!"

"Ack!"

"Argh!"

"Wah!"

Sara felt that she was no longer pinned down, and she noticed that the bullies were on the ground, rubbing their necks. Sara looked back and saw Sephiroth glaring at the bullies.

"Why are you harming her?" Sephiroth questioned the bullies.

The bullies got up, and when they saw him, they gasped. Sephiroth was still holding his katana, yet the way he looked at the bullies. He could quickly kill them with that weapon.

The bully leader stuttered, "W-we w-were n-not h-harming her! Just teaching her a lesson."

"A lesson?" Sephiroth raised a brow, "What for?"

"Cuz she's a monster, she's got those weird eyes, y-you know." The leader stammered.

"Oh? I suppose I'm weird too since she is the same as me," Sephiroth let out a sinister smile that made the bullies broke in sweat.

Sephiroth grabbed the bully leader by the collar and spoke coldly, "If I see or hear that you hurt that girl again, I will kill you. Got it?"

The leader nodded viciously, and Sephiroth tossed him to the ground. The bullies immediately leave the scene while Sephiroth walks over to Sara. Sara had tears in her eyes, while Sephiroth looked at her confused.

"Are you okay? Did they hurt you?" Sephiroth asked.

Sara shook her head, "No, I'm glad you came."

"Why did they try to hurt you?" Sephiroth questioned.

Sara stood up and wiped the dust off her pants and explained, "Well, for starters, that was a first. They usually will call me a monster or throw stones or vegetables at me. They never try to harm me, so it's good that you came and saved me."

"Do they always bully you?" Sephiroth continued to ask.

Sara nodded, "It's not like I can change my eyes. I wish I could, but I was born like this. I don't even know why because my parents have brown eyes. I guess I was born unlucky."

Though she spoke casually about it, her heart ached with sadness. She didn't know why she was telling Sephiroth this even though they met yesterday. Maybe because he has the same eyes as her, it didn't matter, but talking about it felt good.

"Those idiots don't know what they are talking about," Sephiroth said with a frown.

Sara looked at him confused; Sephiroth got up and extended his hand to her. She took it as he helped her to her feet. He stared at her with those eyes, they seemed more menacing, but there was a hint of gentleness to them. The two of them walked out of the ally, and Sara saw the basket on the ground. She rushed over and let out a sigh of relief; the cloth still wrapped the bread, and none were damaged. She picked the basket up and smiled at Sephiroth.

"Thanks again for saving me," Sara smiled.

"It's nothing," Sephiroth replied while looking away.

"Um, are you going to be staying in Kalm for a while?" Sara asked.

She hoped that she would invite Sephiroth for dinner as a way of saying thank you and introducing him to her mother.

Sephiroth shook his head, "I'll be leaving in a few hours, and I don't know when I'll be back."

"Oh?" Sara lowered her head, feeling sad that she won't be seeing Sephiroth for who-knows-when.

Sephiroth walks over to her and pats her on the shoulder with a small smile. He leaves before saying.

"We'll meet again, one day."

Sara looks back, watching Sephiroth walking out of town. Somehow, she felt that they would meet again and when that happens, she wanted to befriend him.

Little did Sara knew her whole life was about to change forever when her mom received a visit from someone the next day.

Sara was in her room, reading one of her favorite books. She heard her mom downstairs talking to someone that made her curious to know. Sara closed her book, then quietly sneaked out of her room and walked to the edge of the stairs that led to the kitchen. She sat down and began to listen to her mom, who sounded distressed. A man's voice talked back to her mom.

"I don't want her to go!" Emily exclaimed with a sorrowful voice.

The man spoke to her in reason, "Honey, I know the concerns you have for our daughter. But, we cannot disobey Professor Hojo and certainly not the President."

Emily hissed, "Don't you dare call me, Honey! You have lost that right ever since you've been working for that lunatic Hojo and helped him with that goddamn project! While I've been raising our daughter, teaching her all the things I know, and praying that she won't be going to that company and that she will grow up to be a normal person!"

The man sighed whom Sara figured out that it was her father. He spoke, "She was never meant to live like that. Emily, you knew that this day would come. I'd just wish Hojo would wait a few more years, at least until she's eighteen. With the war between Wutai, the company is calling for more reinforcements. We can't afford to wait any longer. If there is one thing that I am grateful for, you gave Saraphina a normal childhood and gave her beautiful memories. She is lucky to have that believe me. Now it is time for her to go. After the war is over, she'll come back and visit you."

Sara heard enough and rushed back to her room with tears running down her face. She didn't know what her mom and dad were talking about, and she didn't care. But she never thought of moving away from home. Just the thought of it scares her. What confused her is what does Shinra want with her? Do they want her to join the army against the war that's happening with Wutai? No way! She's just a kid; imagining her going to war sent shivers. And what does Professor Hojo want with her? So many questions ran through her head that made her emotions filled with frustration and confusion.

Her bedroom door was knocked several times, followed by a gentle voice, "Sweetheart, can I come in?"

Sara said nothing; she stared at her bedroom window. The door opened and closed behind her. She sensed her mom right behind her as she turned around. Sara felt her eyes becoming watery as her mom wiped them away with her thumb.

Sara spoke with a slight snob, "Mom, where will I be going?"

Emily pulled Sara closed to her and embraced her. Emily spoke in a gentle voice, "You'll be going to Midgar with your father."

Sara asked, "Why?"

Emily, "I cannot tell you because I do not know what awaits you there."

Sara pulled away, looking at her mom with pleading eyes, "But, we will see each other again, right?"

Emily squatted down to be at eye level with her daughter and placed her hands on Sara's shoulders. She spoke with a calm look, "We will, sweetheart, but you must remember this. This place will always be your home, and I will always be right here waiting for you. Don't forget all of the things I've taught you, and always remember, do not let others decide who you are supposed to be. You get to decide the person you are going to be."

Sara looked at her mother, confused, "I do not understand what you are trying to tell me."

Emily smiled, "One day, you will. Now it is time for you to go."

Sara still did not understand why her mother would tell her such things. She was still scared and confused about what was going to happen now. Sara could only hope that whatever happened, she would come home.

After packing her things, Sara went downstairs carrying a small backpack with her mom. She looked at the kitchen and found a man in a business suit with dark brown hair and brown eyes. Sara looked at the man who happened to be her father, Darius.

Darius smiles at seeing his daughter, "Hello, Saraphina, would you like to give your dad a hug?"

Even though his voice sounded nice, but Sara had no desire to hug her father. Though she did long to spend time with him, after hearing Emily arguing with him. Sara had some doubts.

Noticing that his daughter was not going to comply, Darius sighed and said, "Well now, I do believe that it is time. Saraphina, let's go."

Sara looked at Emily with a worried look. But her mother smiled and said, "Do not forget what I've told you, and I will always love you."

Sara gave her mother one last hug, earning a kiss on the forehead from her mom before setting out to Midgar. Yet, she had hope that one day she would see her mother again.

Sara traveled with her father to Midgar by helicopter. She found the ride to be rather thrilling but terrifying. Seeing the view gave her another impression of how the simplest things can be small.

The helicopter approached the Shinra building and landed on one of the landing pads. Darius and Sara got off the aircraft once it landed and went inside the building. Waiting for them was none other than Hojo himself.

Hojo sees Sara and looks at her with great interest, "So this is Saraphina. Hmmm...."

Hojo looked at her carefully, which made Sara feel uncomfortable. Her impression of Hojo was not a good one. The way he looked at her almost seemed as if he was studying her as a lab rat. Sara instinctively hides behind her father. Hojo frowned at her actions and turned his attention to Darius.

Hojo, "Well, her appearance seems promising, but that might change when we do tests on her."

Sara's heart sunk when she heard those words. Darius gave Hojo a stern look, "Professor Hojo, I do understand your eagerness to find results. But understand this, Saraphina is my daughter, and I will decide how she'll be tested."

Hojo humphed, "As you wish."

Darius turned to Sara, "Come on, Saraphina. I'll show you to your new room."

Sara didn't want to see her new room; she wanted to go home right now. But, she knew that it was only wishful thinking. She followed her father as they went to a nearby elevator and went up to wherever floor they needed to go.

Once they made it to the floor they needed to be on, Sara followed her father through a long hallway with white walls and black carpet. After going through a maze of hallways, they stopped in front of a door. Darius pulled out a card from his front pocket and swiped it on a card scanner by the door that opened it. The door opened, and Sara was the first to walk in. The room was bare, only having gray walls, a small bed, a desk, a closet, and a small bathroom.

Darius spoke, "Normally, you would be sharing a room with the other SOLDIER members. But, because you are a girl, I got you your own space."

Hearing the word SOLDIER, Sara asked, "What do you mean other SOLDIER members?"

Darius answered, "Starting tomorrow, you'll be SOLDIER 3rd class, and we'll begin your training."

Sara found those words hard to believe. She continued questioning, "What do you mean SOLDIER 3rd class? How is it that I am a member of SOLDIER? Aren't members of SOLDIER supposed to get some medicine or something? Tell me what is going on and why am I here?"

Darius only narrowed his eyes slightly and looked at his daughter with cold eyes, "I suggest that you watch that tongue of yours. Otherwise, you won't ever get to see your mother."

Sara was astonished that her father would use a threat like that on her. She felt that the man in front of her was a different person.

Darius continued, "As far as how you are a member of SOLIDER? You already have the mark of SOLDIER. Your eyes, every SOLDIER with glowing green or blue colored eyes, are the marks of a SOLDIER, which is why we brought you here to train you up and get you prepared to take part in the Wutai war. If things go well, you might get promoted to 2nd class or even better 1st, which would be-"

Sara interrupted his speech, "I don't want to be in SOLDIER."

Darius looked at her with a cold smile, "You don't have a choice. Now, I suggest that you straight that arrogant attitude of yours and obey whatever comes next."

After that, Darius left, leaving Sara to her thoughts for the first time; she felt that she was all alone. Even though she was used to being alone, she never liked when you were all alone in this world. Yet, she remembered the words her mother left her and decided never to let others defy who she was supposed to be. That night Sara fell into a dreamless sleep.