"Genesis?!"

Sara immediately rushed over to the red-head SOLDIER, who was shocked to see her. She quickly helped Genesis to sit down and lean against the trunk of a nearby tree. Genesis was breathing heavily as his wounds were severe. He had blood dripping down on the side of his face, several burnt injuries on his left arm, and a deep puncture wound on the left side of his stomach.

Sara knew that the wound on Genesis's stomach needed to be mended soon. She quickly cast Curaga, and the deep wound slowly began to heal. Genesis slowly started to relax; Sara began to wonder how did Genesis ended up this way?

"Genesis, what happened?" Sara asked.

"Angeal....where's Angeal?" Genesis spoke in a hoarse voice.

"Angeal?" Sara tilted her head, "He's not with me."

Genesis shook his head, "No...we...we were heading to our point when...."

Genesis passed out on the spot. Sara checked his pulse and was relieved to find a steady pulse. It seemed that whatever happened to Genesis made him exhausted.

Sara stood up and turned to Kikki, "Watch over him for me while I take a look around."

"Kweh!"

Sara nodded and left the area.

Sara carefully followed the tracks that Genesis left behind. She noticed the blood that stained several bushes along the trail. She also kept a watch for any signs that might hold a clue. Sara smelled something unusual, a faint burning smell. She looked around and saw a few trees that were stained with black color. When she looked at the trees, she wiped a finger across the black bark only to discover that it was black powder and had a burning smell.

Gunpowder? Why would there be gunpowder? Sara wondered.

She couldn't figure out a theory, but she decided to keep looking. Yet, Genesis tracks went past these trees, and she noticed that each footprint was slightly apart from the other. Sara concluded that Genesis was running. Sara noticed that the bushes and grass were also covered in black soot like the trees. Judging from the state of the greenery and Genesis's tracks, there had to be some explosion, and Genesis was running away.

Sara kept on moving, and she hoped that Angeal would be safe. Following Genesis's tracks, Sara finally reached the end and discovered a horrific scene.

Bodies were scattered everywhere; many of them were from SOLDIER. Sara also noticed that there were bodies not from SOLDIER or Shinra. They were wearing strange armor that must've been made by someone else. Which means they were from Wutai.

The sight was gruesome. Many of the bodies were mutilated; some were missing an arm, leg, or head. Seeing all the bodies made Sara feel sick to her stomach. It was her first time seeing the aftermath of the battlefield. She fought the urge to vomit, but her body won the battle.

After giving herself a few minutes to recuperate from her reaction, Sara looked around at the remains of the aftermath and discovered something unusual. What was odd was that there were fewer Wutai soldiers. So what did happen here?

Sara heard a faint cough; she looked around, trying to find any signs of movement. She heard a muffled groan. That sound had to be close.

When she turned to her left, she saw a bloody hand reaching out from a pile of bodies. Sara rushed over and pushed two dead Wutai soldiers out of the way. Her eyes widened as she saw a familiar face gasping for air.

"Angeal?!"

Angeal was gasping for air; Sara looked at his chest and saw a bloody wound. The wound was profound; it seemed that a lung might've punctured. There was no way to use a healing spell with this kind of wound. Sara reached over to her small backpack and pulled out an elixir. She only had five of them, and she told herself not to use any of them unless it was an absolute emergency. It was one of the things that Sephiroth taught her during her days of training.

Sara opened the small bottle and brought it to Angeal's lips. Angeal drank the liquid slowly and gasped a little. His wounds started to heal quickly, including the one on his chest. Angeal began to breathe normally, and he slowly drifted to sleep.

Sara knew that they were not safe here. She had to get Angeal back to where she left Genesis and Kikki. Sara grabbed Angeal's right arm pulling it over her shoulder, having his weight leaning against her as she wrapped her left arm around his waist. Sara grunted as she dragged Angeal away from the scene.

Kikki chirped happily, seeing Sara bringing Angeal safely. Sara placed Angeal next to Genesis and began to heal both men using powerful healing spells. After thirty minutes of healing, Sara left the guys with Kikki and went to investigate the gory scene.

Once Sara arrived at the place, she began to look for clues. There was no doubt that something or someone had used a powerful weapon to take down an entire squad of SOLDIERs. No doubt it was the work of Wutai, but how exactly did they do it was a mystery. There was still plenty of daylight as far as Sara could tell, judging from the sun's position. An exact four hours at the most give her enough time to collect clues.

Remembering what Sephiroth had taught her about gathering evidence by looking at scenes like this. He had always told her that when you are trying to find clues, you don't look for the obvious. You look for something that is out of place.

Sara began to stroll into the gruesome scene as she looked at the ground. She found many footprints that belong to members of SOLDIER and members of Wutai. Then she spotted something that looked unusual. It was a footprint, but it did not belong to no man. No man could ever pull a print that seemed almost in a complete circle. Sara crouched down and studied the footprint. The footprint was made five hours ago; she could tell because of how the soil was half-dried, and a few dried leaves fell on it. Sara found something else; the print had three ridges at the top of the circle. She also found the same footprint nearby. Sara stood up and took a few steps back. There she discovered that the second footprint was side-by-side with the other one. Sara also looked around and found more unusual footprints around the area. However, she could tell of a distinct pattern of the treads and began to trace the way by walking in the same manner as whatever laid the prints on the ground. She noticed that the creature who made this usual footprint had to be very big and heavy, weighing three or four hundred pounds. It also cast severe attacks as Sara found lots of bushes and trees cut down around the area, which is probably what killed the rest of the unit. How was a big and powerful creature able to ambush a team of SOLDIERs without being spotted?

Then Sara found a small branch nearby that wasn't cut down by a weapon; something or someone broke it off. She looked up at the trees, jumped up to a branch, then pulled herself up and stood on it. She found several more branches that were broken off entirely or barely on. She finds more broken tree limbs and scuff marks on the bark. It almost seemed that someone was jumping from tree to tree like a monkey. Sara remembered from Sephiroth that the people of Wutai were trained as shinobi warriors, and they could travel at a great distance. She figured that's how the squad of SOLDIERs was ambushed; the Wutai warriors ambushed them by jumping off from the trees and releasing a powerful creature.

Sara looked around and found that the Wutai warriors' trail was heading to the main frontline. There was no need to go after them because Sephiroth was stationed at the frontlines. If that group of Wutai warriors ever came across her mentor, it would be their last. Also, it had been at least seven hours since they came here, so it was pointless to go and find them. Sara had also seen the trail that the Wutai warriors' group left that led to the mountains where she was headed. She had finally found her lead, except she had now a problem. She had picked up two injured SOLDIERs, and there was no way that she would be able to go to the mountain like this.

Sara decided to head back to her companions, but she spotted something out in the distance. It was alone a Wutai warrior riding a Chocobo. Sara immediately crouched down as she was still in the tree. She hoped that the man did not see her he seemed to have been looking around for something or someone. Sara carefully observed the warrior as he appeared to be hunched down, and he was pressing against his abdomen with one of his hands. Was he injured?

Even if the man was injured, Sara didn't let her guard down. Wutai warriors were also able to deceive the enemy using disguises or good acting skills. Sara didn't want the man to see her, but she didn't like the man to go near the bloody scene or find her friends. She had to act fast before the man could. Sara slowly reached for her sword and tightly gripped it on the handle. She took a deep breath and jumped towards the unaware warrior, and stabbed him in the neck. The man fell off the Chocobo, which the poor creature let out a loud chirp. Sara calmed the Chocobo down by giving it some greenies. Once the bird calmed down, Sara walked over to the fallen man and rolled him over where he laid on his back. Her eyes widened as she realized that the man had been dead before she stabbed him. His eyes were pale, looking even at his complexion, how he died; Sara looked at the wound to his stomach. The man was cut through by something sharp, most likely a sword. Sara believed that the man had been dead for several hours at the most, which meant that she needed to get out of this place sooner than she expected. It's a good thing that she found another mount; now, she can travel safely while carrying two other passengers.

After heading back to the others, Sara tied a rope around Angeal and Genesis as they sat on the Chocobo Sara had retrieved. Both of them were still fast asleep while Sara grabbed the reins of the new Chocobo that she named Bobo and tied them to Kikki's saddle. Sara guided Kikki and Bobo back to the gory scene, found the trail leading to the mountains, and followed it.

It had been three hours since they left the gory scene, and it was already getting dark. Sara had found a small cave that was well hidden beneath enormous rocks. The entrance was not that big, but it was big enough to fit the two Chocobos, and the cave was large enough for the whole group to settle in. Sara had untied Angeal and Genesis, then laid them both against Bobo. The Chocobo was already sitting on the ground and didn't seem to mind having two guys resting on its side. Sara gathered some sticks and started to make a small fire, then began to eat some jerky.

Genesis and Angeal began to stir, and one of them woke up. Angeal was the first; his eyes widened when he realized where he was. His head turned to Sara, and he was surprised.

"S-Saraphina?! W-What are you? H-How did?" Angeal stuttered. Sara chuckled and waved a hand, "Calm down; you and Genesis are both safe. You're lucky that Genesis ran into me, and I found you in that bloody mess; otherwise, you both would've been dead."

Angeal was relieved, but Genesis frowned, "So who sent you?"

Sara didn't like Genesis's rudeness, but she let it slide for now and replied, "No one sent me, I'm on a mission, and I want to know what exactly happened back there?"

Genesis didn't feel like talking, and Angeal began to recount the events.

"We were sent out to meet up with another squad. As we did, we were ambushed by Wutai soldiers, and they had something that wasn't like we had ever faced. It was big and faster than a hellhound. It carried a weapon that could cut down trees or bushes as if they were like butter. It caught us off guard, and we didn't have time to react. It all happened so fast."

Angeal said no more, but his eyes seemed a bit glassy. Sara didn't question any further, but she tossed him and Genesis some jerky. Sara grabbed her sword and stood up.

"I'll take the first watch; you boys get some rest. Angeal, will you take the next watch?"

Angeal nodded, and Sara continued, "Once morning hits, you guys take Bobo and head back to base. Report what happened, and then you should receive your next mission."

"Huh? Since when you gave us orders?" Genesis snapped.

Sara glared at him, "Since now, hot-head and save your strength for later."

Genesis grumbled while Angeal questioned her, "What about you? What are you going to do?"

"Doing my mission, of course!"

"Mission? What mission?" Angeal asked.

"None of your business," Sara scoffed.

Angeal shook his head, "Saraphina, we're friends; you can share it with us. We can help you. Plus, we want to learn more about that thing that attacked us."

Sara didn't like the idea of them helping her out; it made her feel weak or incapable. Sephiroth never taught her about teamwork. Her mentor was the number one SOLDIER, so he had no reason to team up with anybody. Then again, she did like the company of others and didn't mind having someone along. Though she wasn't sure if she considered Genesis a friend yet, given his attitude towards her, she didn't mind Angeal.

With a heavy sighed, Sara decided to explain her mission to the men and sat down by the fire, "All right, I'll tell you. The truth is Heidegger sent me to investigate a possible rumor about the Anti-SOLDIER weapons that Wutai is creating. Where these weapons are is somewhere in the mountains up north from here. Heidegger was going to give the mission to Sephiroth, but instead, Sephiroth insisted that I take the mission while he remained in the frontlines. It's been several days since I left the main base camp, and now I've finally had a lead. You both are lucky that I've found you; otherwise, you both would've been dead."

Genesis and Angeal stared at her with mixed expressions; one was surprised, and the other annoyed. Yet all three of them had the same conclusion that whatever attack the squad Angeal and Genesis were in had to be an Anti-SOLDIER weapon. There was no doubt about it.

"So what happens if you've found these weapons?" Genesis asked.

"Simple," Sara replied, "I'll destroy them."

"There's no way that you'll be able to do that by yourself!" Angeal snapped.

Sara raised a brow, "I suppose it's because I'm a woman, right? That you think I can't do it on my own?"

Angeal shook his head, "No! It's not that it's just I don't believe you are strong enough to do it. It got nothing to do with you being a woman. It's just you're a SOLDIER Second Class. The legendary SOLDIER may have taught you, but that doesn't mean you're as good as him."

Angeal had a point, and Sara knew that she might not be as experienced or as good as Sephiroth. However, she knew that Sephiroth wouldn't send her alone if he didn't think that she could manage it on her own. But she knew that Angeal wouldn't let her go even if she wanted to.

Sara sighed and stood up, "I'll take the first watch, and tomorrow we'll set out for the mountains. But be prepared; this could be the most dangerous mission we've ever encountered."

The guys went to sleep, having Bobo as their pillow or soft cushion. Sara walked over to the edge of the cave entrance and watched. She kept a sharp eye on anything strange moving in the forest. So far, it seemed that the forest was quiet. After a good solid three hours, Sara woke Angeal up, and Angeal took over the night watch. While Sara snuggled against Kikki, feeling warm against the soft yellow feathers of her steed.

By sunrise, the group left their small camp after having breakfast. Angeal rode on Bobo with Genesis riding behind him. Sara led the group as she followed the trail. After two hours of tracking, the group came across a huge cave entrance. The path led them to this cave which meant that whatever Wutai was building or creating the Anti-SOLDIER weapon was somewhere there.

The group left the chocobos as they entered the cave. The cave itself was rather significant, and the air inside felt cool. Yet, Sara, Angeal, and Genesis kept their guards up. They heard a loud growling sound that didn't sound like a wild bear or a wild cat; it sounded something else and maybe huge. They found a light ahead from where they stood and slowly crept towards it while staying in the shadows. When they were able to look to see what lay before them, a wave of surprise fell on them.

Ten creatures were chained to the walls of the cave by shackles. Each of them had arms as thick as a truck of an oak tree ripped with muscle mass, solid and thick legs as a heavyweight man. Yet despite having such massive bodies, the creatures had small heads. They all had horns as long and thick as behemoths and small yellow eyes with a mouthful of teeth. Each of them carried a giant ax and wore heavy armor on their arms and necks. Wutai warriors guarded them as they kept a certain distance from them as if they were scared the creatures might chop them down. But the Wutai warriors were unaware of the uninvited visitors in the cave and started talking.

"Damn Shinra bastards, they will never conquer our lands. Now that we have these Anti-SOLDIER Monsters, we'll be able to defeat them!"

"Yeah, but they have that number one SOLDIER Sephiroth. Haven't you heard the rumors about him? He's so strong; it makes me even wonder if he's even human."

"Ha! Every strong human or monster has a weakness; even the number one SOLDIER must have one. Why worry? We've got the Anti-SOLDIER Monsters. Have you seen one in action? It can take down an entire squad of Second Class SOLDIERs. Now imagine if we sent all of these to the number one SOLDIER. I would love to see that silver bastard try to defeat them."

"Wanna bet on that?"

The Wutai warriors turned to the voice source and found a woman emerging out of the shadows and startled them.

"What the-? Who the hell are you?!"

"No one of importance," Sara casually spoke as she flicked her hair to the side.

The Wutai warriors looked at her suspiciously, but one of them recognized the color of Sara's eyes and became shocked.

"A female SOLDIER?! No way!"

"Tck! Man or woman, it doesn't matter. She's a SOLDIER!"

Sara said nothing but drew her sword from her back and took a stance. One of the Wutai warriors chuckled in delight and walked over to one of the monsters, then turned back to Sara.

"Let's see if you can handle this guy."

The Wutai warrior released the monster by cutting its chains with his glaive. Genesis and Angeal watched in the shadows though they wanted to come and help. Sara told them not to help unless if necessary.

The creature immediately charged at Sara, ready to attack. But before it could deliver a blow, it was already down and dead. Sara was already at the other side of it, still holding her sword and hadn't broken a sweat. Genesis, Angeal, and the Wutai warriors were stunned.

Sara chuckled, "You said that this is supposed to take down a SOLDIER? I fail to believe those words."

The Wutai warriors gritted their teeth, releasing two monsters this time. But just like what happened before, Sara killed them both with one hit. Genesis and Angeal were surprised to witness such fantastic strength, yet they couldn't help but worry for her.

The Wutai warriors were furious and decided to release not three but all of the remaining monsters at once! This made Genesis and Angeal worried for Sara, and they were about to join in when the impossible happened.

Sara raised her sword, holding it above her head in a familiar stance. The same way that Sephiroth fights with his long sword. Her snake-like eyes narrowed as she took a small breath. In five swings, all of the monsters were dead on the ground. The Wutai warriors were utterly shocked that they witnessed the impossible before they could say anything. Angeal and Genesis quickly emerged from their hiding place and killed the remaining enemies. All in the cave remained quiet until Genesis turned to Sara and crossed his arms with a scowl.

"Tch, since when did you have that kind of strength? You certainly know how to make us men look pathetic," Genesis scoffed.

Sara chuckled and put her sword away, "I've always been this strong. It's just I've never been able to use my strength to its full potential. I was able to do it this time."

Angeal smirked, "Looks like you know your full strength and when to use it."

Sara smiled, "Let's head back to base camp. I'm sure we could use all the rest."

And so, they traveled back to the base camp. All three reported to Heidegger, who was delighted with the result. Sara found out that Sephiroth was still on his mission and wouldn't be back for a long time. So she decided to spend some time with her new friends.

Sara learned that both Angeal and Genesis are childhood friends and came from Banora. Banora village is home to the famous Banora White trees, which produce Banora White apples. However, the trees only bear fruit at random times during the year, so the villagers call them "dumb apples." Sara laughed at the funny name, but when Genesis gave her a can of Banora White apple slices to try. The apples were lovely, sweet, and a slightly sour kick to the flavor.

As the three of them were enjoying their dinner, Angeal asked Sara a question, "Saraphina, how come you're eyes are like Sephiroth's?"

The question had Sara baffled, "Honestly, I do not know. Even Sephiroth doesn't have an answer to that. However, I suspect that my father or mother might know the answer. Yet, Shinra has me on a tight leash to the point that they won't allow me to see my mother."

"Won't see your mother?" Genesis raised a brow, "Now that is suspicious. Then again, you are undoubtedly different from the rest of us except for Sephiroth."

Sara stared at the fire in front of them and said, "I suppose you're right. He does make me feel at ease whenever he's around. I was bullied a lot in my hometown never had any friends. But then one day, a hellhound came and tried to attack me, but Sephiroth saved me. Back then, we were both teenagers."

Angeal was surprised to hear what Sara had been through, but Genesis felt ashamed for treating her wrongly.

Genesis looked at her and said, "Saraphina, I'm sorry for the way I've treated you."

"It's all right, Genesis," Sara assured him, "I'm glad that we're friends."

Genesis said nothing, but he smiled at her and was delighted to know that Sara forgave him. Angeal was also happy to know that his childhood friend had started to get along with Sara.

The three of them continued to fellowship for the next several months while participating in smaller missions. From taking out scouts to escorting delivery trucks, there were several times when they had to go out beyond the duty to save a comrade. One mission was to eliminate another Anti-SOLDIER weapon. During the mission, several foot soldiers were heavily injured, and it was Angeal, Genesis, and Sara who pulled the injured men to safety while taking out the Anti-SOLDIER weapon. From then on, Heidegger sent out the three of them to do missions together, and every task became successful. Much so that it reached word to Director Lazard, and he requested Heidegger would bring the three back to Midgar.

"Huh? Director Lazard wants to see us?" Genesis tilted his head, confused, while Heidegger nodded.

"Why would the Director want to see you? I didn't bother to ask. Hmph, I can only hope that this is a short trip, for not having you three here would put me in a bind against those Wutai scum," Heidegger grumbled.

"We will return soon, sir," Angeal said, full of confidence. Heidegger waved his hand as a sign of dismissal.

Angeal, Genesis, and Sara leave Heidegger's tent and find two infantrymen waiting for them. The infantrymen escorted them to the helicopter that was heading for Midgar. As the aircraft began to ascend out of the base camp, Sara looked around, hoping she could see her mentor around. Sadly, he was nowhere.

"Missing your mentor, mmn?" Genesis teased; Sara glared at him.

"I'm sure that you'll see him soon," Angeal assured her.

But Sara shook her head, "I doubt it because the last time I saw him was when my first mission in Wutai began, and that was over two months ago."

Angeal and Genesis said nothing as the aircraft carried them back to Midgar.

Once they arrived at Midgar, it felt strange to Sara see the city of mako. She never felt that welcoming feeling that a person gets when they've been away from home a long time. Perhaps it's because Sara never took Midgar as her home. She still misses her mother's house back at Kalm. The helicopter landed on one of the landing pads of the Shinra building. Angeal, Genesis, and Sara hopped out of the aircraft and went to Director Lazard's office. When they arrived, Lazard was waiting patiently for them, but he wasn't alone. Sephiroth was there as well.

Sara was surprised to see her mentor here. The silver-elite looked at the group that walked in briefly and continued reading the paper in his hands. Sara felt a slight pain in her heart by her mentor's coldness, but she brushed that feeling aside and turned her attention to Lazard.

Lazard smiled at the group and stood up from his seat, and said, "Congratulations to all three of you. After reading all the reports and hearing from Heidegger personally about your successful missions. As of this moment, the three of you are promoted to SOLDIER First Class."

Sara was speechless; she quickly glanced at her two friends, who had the same look. Both of them were shocked. Every SOLDIER's dream was to become First Class, and getting to be promoted was hard to accomplish.

Angeal was the first to speak, "Sir! May I ask why we are promoted?"

"Are you unsatisfied with it?" Lazard asked curiously.

Angeal shook his head, "It's not that," Genesis interrupted him, "It's that what is it that we did that caused us to be promoted is what we want to know."

"Simple," Lazard answered, "You three went above and beyond your line of duty. And that's what it means to be a First Class. Something that even Sephiroth here knows all too well and besides that. We need more like you three to lead more SOLDIER members and hopefully even guide them. To win this war, we must have more vital members, and that's why you three are promoted to First Class. I am hoping all four of you will be able to help turn the tide in this war."

Angeal smiled, "You can count on that, sir."

Genesis added, "We shall do our best to meet your expectations."

Lazard nodded, "Good! Now, as a reward for all your hard work these past few months. You three, including you to Sephiroth, will have this weekend off. Angeal, Genesis, and Sara, be sure to pick up your First Class uniform from the briefing room. You can modify the uniform if you wish and if there's a weapon of choice you want. You may use that as well. That will be all for today. You're all dismissed."

Sara, Genesis, and Angeal left Lazard's office while Sephiroth remained behind. Though Sara wanted Sephiroth to come along, he probably had some more work to finish. When the three of them made it to the small lobby, they all began to express their feelings about their promotion.

Angeal sighed a rubbed the back of his head, "I can't believe it. We're now SOLDIER First Class.

"But, we made it! We should all celebrate!" Genesis exclaimed and turned to Sara, "Sara, you too are coming."

"Uh," Sara's blushed slightly, "O-okay, um, but where are we going?"

"There's a nice restaurant near the building," Genesis suggested, "We don't have to wear anything fancy. Just dress casual, let's meet up at the front entrance at 4:30 p.m."

"Okay!" Sara nodded, "See you then!"

She waved at her two friends and headed to her room. When she looked at her watch, she noticed she only had three hours until meeting up with her friends. Sara quickly grabbed her SOLDIER First Class uniform, the standard version. Sara didn't like the standard uniform, so knowing that she could modify it to her liking made her relieved. After grabbing her uniform, she went to the armory to see if they could change her uniform the way she wanted. Luckily, the tailor was working at the time she arrived and took her measurements. The tailor told Sara that he would have it ready by Sunday.

After talking to the tailor, Sara went to her room only to find Sephiroth waiting.

"Sephiroth?!" Sara gasped in surprise.

The silver elite looked at her with a stoic expression. Yet, somehow Sara felt a little nervous. His eyes looking at her made her think that she was caught red-handed. But why?

Sephiroth approached her and was about to pass her. But he grabbed her by the wrist, forcing her to follow him.

"Hey! What are you doing?!" Sara exclaimed.

Sephiroth said nothing but continued to drag her. Sara stumbled a bit but could keep up with his pace. They stopped in front of a door, and Sephiroth pulled out a card key from his pocket and swiped it on the door scanner. The door unlocks, and Sephiroth shoves Sara in, causing her to fall on the floor.

Sara quickly got up and noticed that they were in a small apartment. There was a living room with a small dining area and a kitchen—a small hallway with three doors, with white walls and white carpet. The apartment was simple, with a few furniture pieces.

Sara began to wonder, Is this Sephiroth's apartment?

Her thoughts snapped when Sephiroth closed the door. Sara looked at him cautiously; she didn't care if he was her mentor or not. A woman being dragged to a man's apartment was a red flag all around, and Sara wasn't sure if she was going to fight her way out or not.