AN: Okay, soooo my muse yanked my attention away from Helix and An Unselfish Wish and forced this into life. We were hit by tornadoes recently, so I'm amazed this actually managed to be written. And, for the readers of Helix who are now throwing tomatoes at me, this story is finished! I'm only posting it in increments because I like to gauge my readers' reactions. There are a few things I can tweak if the majority of you demand it. However, I'm pretty satisfied with where it ended and the journey it took to get there.

This is what would happen if ShinRa was a little less evil and everyone (besides Hojo) was a touch less crazy. Oh, and if Tifa had actually decided to go after what she wanted.

I really, really, hope you all enjoy this. Please let me know.

Tifa steadied her breathing as she peered around a corner. Those idiots downstairs wouldn't let her apply for SOLDIER because she was a girl. How else was she supposed to find Cloud (a year and no word!) and pay for her college? This was stupid. She'd seen some of the applicants and scoffed. She could take them on her worst day without breaking a sweat. So, here she was, skulking around ShinRa in the hopes of finding Director Lazard and convincing him to give her a chance.

Seeing that the coast was clear, the girl slid forward only to have a hand clamp onto her shoulder. Reacting on instinct, she ducked and whirled backwards sending a palm thrust into the man's sternum. The momentum sent him stumbling back enough that she could follow with a kick to the head.

Recovering, the man tried to grab her, forcing her to spin into him and use his own power to fling him down the catwalk. Finally realizing she was facing a large man with a massive sword, Tifa reevaluated her plan of attack.

As the man watched in surprise, she executed two swift stomp kicks on the catwalk railing and twirled the makeshift staff into a defensive position.

"Whoa! Wait a minute, kid," he protested, holding up his hands. "I don't want to fight you. I want to know what you're doing up here."

Tifa bit her lip and watched him suspiciously. "I'm looking for Director Lazard."

"Now why would a young girl go looking for him?" An amused voice asked from behind her.

Pivoting, Tifa hurled the bar like a spear at the man's face. Though caught off guard, he managed to bat it away before it could hit. Tifa dropped and swept his legs out from under him while he was distracted. Before she could continue, the other man had grabbed her from behind and was holding her securely.

Struggling, she slammed an elbow into his kidney a moment prior to the silver haired man leveling a sword at her neck. Reluctantly, she ceased moving and then realized with horror who she had just attacked.

"G-General Sephiroth," she stuttered. "Oh, Goddess, my luck sucks so much."

He arched a brow. "If Angeal releases you, will you behave?"

Slowly, she nodded, her heart pounding from the fight and the worry crashing down on her. At best, these two SOLDIERs would toss her out. At worst, she'd be punished and she didn't relish what ShinRa could cook up to punish an adolescent female.

"Good," Angeal muttered, taking a step back and dropping his arms. "Now will you tell us what you're doing up here and what the Hell you want with Lazard?"

Tifa's shoulders slumped. "I tried to apply to SOLDIER with the other recruits. I was told not to even bother since I'm a girl." She rubbed her elbow. "I was hoping I could talk to the Director and get him to make an exception."

Sephiroth lowered his sword as his face registered blatant surprise. "Why on Gaia would you want to join SOLDIER?"

The girl frowned and forced her chin and spine up defiantly. "I'm a good fighter-better than those morons downstairs, anyways-and SOLDIER posters say ShinRa will pay for college." She looked down and shrugged. "Nibelheim is a nice place, but we don't have a lot of money. I want to go to school."

Tifa knew better than to tell them she was also looking for Cloud.

Angeal's eyes softened. He could understand growing up with limited resources and trying to better oneself. "How old are you?"

"Fourteen," she answered promptly.

Sephiroth coughed and eyed the girl. She was very…developed for a fourteen year old. He felt sorry for the boys in Nibelheim.

"Very well then," he decided, "we'll take you to Lazard. You can try to change his mind."

"Really?" she asked, her face lighting up as she bounced in place. "Thank you so much!"

Angeal canted his head at the other man, but Sephiroth waved away the question. He knew very well that escorting the girl to Lazard spoke of his support and he wasn't naïve enough to think that wouldn't play a part in the director's decision. The girl didn't have to know that, though.

Silently, they made their way to the director's office, with Tifa looking at everything in awe. Butterflies erupted in her stomach as they entered the Director's office. The blonde man looked up from his desk in confusion.

"Sephiroth, Angeal? To what do I owe the pleasure?"

Angeal nodded at Tifa and rattled off a video feed. "Look at that."

Curious, Lazard turned to his computer and typed in his code to access security footage. Downloading the feed Angeal suggested, Lazard felt his jaw drop at the girl taking on both SOLDIERs. Chuckling, he glanced back at her and saw she was scuffing her toe in embarrassment. She hadn't known she'd been on film.

"All right, young lady," he managed around his amusement. "You have my attention."

Tifa clenched her fists and stepped up to his desk. "Please, I want to join SOLDIER. I'm a good fighter, I am! And I learn quickly. Zangan says I'm his best student, even."

Lazard blinked. "Zangan? No wonder your style looked so familiar," he mused. "Why do you want to be in SOLDIER?"

Stuttering, she told him what she'd explained to the other two. Afterward, Lazard studied her long enough to make her lock her knees to keep from fidgeting. Finally, he sat forward in his chair and sighed. Glancing to his SOLDIERs, he nodded.

"Take her to the lab. If she is found to be compatible, she may enter the training program."

Jumping up, Tifa fist pumped and threw her arms around Angeal and Sephiroth.

"Thanks, you two!"

Lazard laughed at their faces, but directed his next remarks at Tifa. "You'll not receive special treatment. If you can't handle it, you're out. Now what's your name?"

"Tifa," she gushed. "Tifa Lockhart. I promise I won't let you down!"

He smiled at the rare enthusiasm. "If you make it, I'll talk to you about your education. Angeal, she reminds me of someone…"

Angeal snorted and led her out. "The puppy is enough for me to mentor."

Sephiroth cocked his head. "Their combined enthusiasm might be too much for even you, my friend."

Angeal just shot him a glare.

Once in the lab, Tifa was shocked at how everyone scrambled over himself to do her blood work and take her information. Then, she realized that it was because she'd shown up with two of the Three Generals, the triumvirate that were second only to the Director. She'd made some powerful allies as each of them headed a section of the SOLDIER program.

Before long, a girl with large glasses and rather hooked nose brought Tifa's results. "Miss Lockhart, it looks like you've a green light to enter the SOLDIER training program."

Tifa beamed and looked to Sephiroth and Angeal. "So, what now?"

"Now, you get assigned to a unit for training," Sephiroth answered. "If you survive that, you'll go through the enhancement process."

"If you survive that," Angeal continued, "you go back for more training, then you earn yourself SOLDIER 3rd Class ranking."

Sephiroth ruffled her hair. "And the next time you hurl a metal rod at me, you might actually connect."

Tifa blushed in mortification. "So, I'll see you around?"

Angeal gave a crooked smile. "On occasion. Good luck, kid."

Tifa felt better knowing they would be around. Now that she had accomplished her goal, she was nervous about what happened next.

The lab girl gave her a reassuring smile when her attention drifted back. "I'm Miska," she introduced. "If you'll change into this uniform, I'll take you to your assigned unit."

With forced confidence, Tifa took the clothes and stood. She had no idea what she was getting into.

Angeal and Sephiroth didn't interfere with her training, but they became increasingly involved in her life outside of it. Tifa adored having mentors that didn't treat her as if they were just humoring her efforts to make SOLDIER. It was very easy for the older men to take up pseudo-brother mantels to the girl. She filled a void in their lives they hadn't realized they'd been missing. It was only natural that they brought Genesis into the group as the Three Generals had been each other's only family for as long as any of them could remember. The mage's first meeting with the girl set the tone for the rest of their relationship, just as much as his friends' had.

Angeal had showed Genesis the video of Tifa sneaking into the ShinRa building that first day, prompting his friend to laugh and begin teasing him.

"Shut up," Angeal huffed. "I was trying to not hurt her, idiot."

Eyes dancing with amusement, he arched a brow and would have commented further had Sephiroth not arrived just then. Chattering animatedly to him was the petite girl from the footage. Fairly glowing with energy and happiness, she turned to the other men and blinked in surprise at Genesis' appraisal. She was quite lovely, with warm red eyes and an easy smile that belied her young age.

"Tifa, this is Genesis Rhapsodos," Sephiroth introduced.

The girl grinned and offered her hand to him. "General," she greeted cheerfully, "it's nice to finally meet you."

Accepting her hand, Genesis' own sentiments screeched to a halt when his magic reacted. Tifa's eyes flew wide as her whole body stiffened.

"Oh," she breathed, the hairs on her arms standing on end as his magic rolled over her.

The Crimson General felt his magic flare, recognizing something in the girl. Lips quirking, he gently squeezed her fingers and released her. She drew in a deep breath and studied him intently.

"Fascinating," he murmured in his distinctive, lilting tones, eyes bright with interest.

"What happened?" Sephiroth asked, shifting to stare at his friend.

The ginger's gaze remained on the confused female. "You are magic sensitive," was his answer as his eyes took in the gloves in her pocket and he remembered her distinctive fighting style. "That's handy, given your fighting class, little monk."

"I'm sorry?" she stuttered, feeling a blush bloom on her cheeks at his continued scrutiny.

An honest smile pulled at his lips, making his features soften. Unconsciously, that made Tifa relax as well as she realized the man studied everything that held his interest with that same intensity. Sephiroth could get similar when she asked him about sword pointers.

"You're a monk-class fighter," Angeal told her with a grunt. "You haven't gotten to that in your studies, yet. It means you fight mostly hand-to-hand."

Genesis inclined his head. "Yes. Pity you're not inclined to mage-class. Still, your ability to sense magic also extends to Materia, since that is where most mages get their magic. It'll allow you to sense spells as they're being cast and it'll make your limits…impressive. Should you ever acquire a Summon, you will wield him or her with exceptional control." He tilted his head to the side. "If you finish your training, of course. As you are now, you know just enough to be dangerous."

Angeal's brows shot up. "And you know all that how?"

Smirking, the mage produced his Mastered Fire Materia and offered it to Tifa. Face twisted in bewilderment, she met his eyes. The blue swirled with an edge of green, reflecting patience and a feeling she didn't recognize. Straightening her shoulders, she accepted the glowing orb.

Her vision flashed white and her breath seized as intense magic exploded around her. Raw, unadulterated power seemed to wrap around her core, bringing with it arrogance and grief and a darkness so profound she would have cried out had she been able to breathe. Twisting with it was passion and determination and an overwhelming sense of yearning. All of it was tempered with a near crippling control that ruthlessly beat the fury back until it was a mere echo of what it had been. It was exhausting. Heart full to bursting, Tifa gasped as tears slid down her cheeks and her eyes snapped open to pin the owner of the maelstrom.

"What is this?" she rasped.

The same sharp fervor that she felt from the orb leaked into Genesis' face. Nodding at her hands, he directed her attention to where she cradled the orb to her chest. Fire was dancing up her arms and across her shoulders, disappearing in an instant when the mage plucked the orb away from her. Staggering, Tifa caught herself against Sephiroth and panted as Genesis put the orb away.

"My Mastered Fire Materia," he replied. "It's been with me the longest and was the first that I'd Mastered. If someone not magic-sensitive were to hold it, the person would feel nothing unless casting a spell. There is actually a very good chance the person wouldn't be able to cast with it at all." Stepping forward, he looked down at her seriously. "You, however, were able to not only unconsciously activate a spell, you felt quite a bit more, didn't you?"

Swallowing harshly, she wiped at her eyes and nodded. "Y-yeah. What did…what was that?"

Narrowing his eyes, he leaned down until he was uncomfortably close to her. "What do you think it was? Let that be a lesson to you on Materia." Then, he tugged playfully on her ponytail and swept from the room.

Gaping, Tifa watched him leave and then turned to the other men. She could tell easily that both of them were shocked at what had happened. Coughing, she crossed her arms and shifted unsurely.

"What I felt…was that…was that Genesis?"

They exchanged looks and then Sephiroth blew out a sharp breath. "Come, Tifa. This is going to take some time. We'll get something to eat and tell you about Project G and Project S."

She kept her questions quiet until they were situated in Sephiroth's office. There, they explained Hollander and his experiments and then Hojo and his experiments. Tifa listened in mounting horror as the story unfolded.

"Genesis was the first one to ever have Jenova cells implanted," Angeal grunted, rubbing his eyes. "It was a new procedure-extremely experimental. Extremely unstable. By the time Hollander was working on me, most of the safety bugs had been resolved. Hojo took the stable, safe research and enhanced it when he started on Sephiroth."

Sephiroth inclined his head. "Neither scientist has been allowed to further either Projects and the Jenova experimentations have been aborted."

"That's why you three are so far ahead of even the top SOLDIERs," Tifa realized.

The Silver General agreed. "Yes, but Genesis is different even among the three of us. It takes unparalleled control for him to keep himself sane. There is a wildness in his genes that claws at him constantly."

Angeal shoved the rest of his food aside. "We actually don't really know what kind of limits Genesis would have if he chose to break his restraint. At this point, his Materia merely boosts his spells. He can cast without them."

Tifa didn't understand all of what they were telling her. She didn't even understand everything that had coursed through her when she'd been holding Genesis' Materia. What she did know was that despite the very thin line the mage walked between his mind and darkness, Genesis was a good man. Every single emotion that she'd felt from him had been tinged with protection. His power could have gutted her, leaving nothing but a husk behind. Without even touching her, he leashed it until it was only nearly crushing.

She had a feeling it was his own brand of warning.

"He's not a walking time bomb," she scowled at them.

Surprised, the men coughed and then chuckled.

"We didn't say he was," Sephiroth quickly assured her.

Sitting back, she crossed her arms and eyed them. "I think Genesis can handle himself. He wasn't giving me just a lesson on Materia."

Angeal gave a crooked grin and shook his head. "I won't even begin to try to figure out why he does the things he does, kid. Genesis doesn't just think outside the box; he isn't even aware there is a box."

Giggling, she relaxed and let the matter go for the time being. The next time she saw Genesis, she threw a paper ball at his head and demanded to know how one went about becoming mage-class.

He was just stepping out of the training room, only his lack of duster and disheveled hair indicating that he'd had a workout. Brows drawing together, he stashed his Rapier and watched her steadily.

"Monk-class giving you trouble?" he finally settled on, the shadows in his eyes disappearing.

Snorting, she crossed her arms. "My CO is a creeper. How do I subtly set him on fire?"

That startled a laugh out of him. Coming to stand beside her, he pulled off his gloves and folded them before putting them in his pocket.

"Tutoring you would be a bit biased, wouldn't it?" he drawled. "Have you even started learning about Materia yet?"

Rolling her eyes, she shrugged. "Like you care," to which he smirked in agreement.

"Are you attempting to add me to your menagerie?"

Meeting his gaze steadily, Tifa felt the moment stretch between them. He wasn't treating her like a kid and there was something weighty about his question.

"I think," she said slowly, "that you defy any and all attempts at categorizing, General. Perhaps it is better to say that I am attempting to be added to your menagerie."

Genuine amusement lit his features as a throaty laugh tumbled forward. Ruffling her hair, he motioned for her to precede him.

"Come then, my little tiger. Let me see what kind of damage you can inflict."

Just like that, Genesis accepted her into the very small circle of people he gave a personal damn about. Tifa often wondered if he'd learned as much about her as she did about him when he let her hold his Materia that first time.

Weeks later, Genesis found Angeal and Sephiroth in the observation tower. A glance below showed Unit 8 in the training room.

"How's she doing?"

Grunting, the men moved to make room for him at the window.

"I don't think she'll take this much longer," Sephiroth mused.

Down below, Tifa's jaw was clenched so hard her back molars ached. The drill sergeant assigned to her unit took every opportunity to grope her or make lewd comments. After eleven weeks of the treatment, she was at the end of her rope. When she felt the all-too-familiar brush on her rear, she snapped.

Whirling, she caught the man in his ear with her elbow, sending him staggering back.

"Bitch!" he hollered as the rest of the unit scattered.

Tifa leapt over his leg sweep and punched him in his nose, shattering it. Grabbing his rapier, she kicked him hard enough to send him crashing to the ground. Without a second thought, the girl slammed herself onto his chest and impaled his offensive hand with his own weapon.

"Anyone else think it's a good idea to touch me?" she snarled.

The other boys shook their heads rapidly as she stood and stomped on the sergeant's balls with a sickening sound.

"Bastard," she growled as she spat on him. A few quick moves later and she'd turned his own Materia against him, lighting him on fire.

In the tower, Genesis blinked in contrived innocence when two accusing glares where suddenly directed at him. "So, she's excelling at combat," he understated with blatantly false nonchalance. "How are her studies going?"

"She's in the top few of all her classes," Angeal replied, narrowing his eyes at his adopted brother. There was no way Tifa could have manipulated Materia like that if someone hadn't been giving her some under-the-table advanced training. He let it go, however, and let Genesis change the subject, even though the mage was very aware of how Tifa was doing. "You know, Jude is a shit drill sergeant. I wonder if they assigned her to his unit so she would take him out."

Sephiroth shrugged, snorting at Genesis' comically virtuous expression. "It does make a sort of twisted sense," he agreed as Jude was hauled off on a stretcher, the fire determinedly defying attempts at dousing it. "I think she's been cleared for enhancements tomorrow."

Genesis winced. "Oh, the fun part."

Tifa wouldn't have appreciated his sarcasm if she'd heard it. The next day, she'd been subjected to infusions and injections until she thought her body would rip itself apart from the inside.

Screaming, she rolled over and vomited onto the lab floor. Sweat ran down her body, soaking the bed sheets as her teeth started to chatter uncontrollably. With a strangled sob, she clawed at her stomach, where the pain seemed to be radiating.

Miska appeared in her line of sight, muttering soothingly before everything faded to black.

Awareness trickled back to her, bringing with it agonizing pain. A groan worked its way out of her throat as she shifted.

"Easy there, kid," a familiar voice said as a cool wetness was placed on her forehead.

Groggily, she forced her lids to open. Angeal's face filled her vision, appearing to be relieved. With a grunt, she tried to work spit into her raw throat and parched mouth. Miska moved to her side with a glass of water and a straw. Gratefully, Tifa drained the liquid and then eyed the two.

"I feel like death."

Angeal chuckled. "You look less like death than you did last night. Are you up to eating?"

Tifa's stomach grumbled, alerting her to the fact that she was starving. "Yeah, I could eat a Bahamut."

Miska smiled. "Your metabolism is boosted now. Don't be surprised if you eat more than you used to. You did very well, Tifa. There were some concerns about the female anatomy's ability to handle the process. I believe you'll prove those concerns groundless."

Blushing, Tifa sat up slowly, working out her pained muscles. Angeal helped her stand as she gritted her teeth and shook off the harsh ache. When she felt herself steady, Angeal patted her shoulder and stepped away.

"I'll let you change and meet you outside."

"Sure, just give me twenty."

He agreed and left the lab. Miska passed her clean clothes and motioned to the bathroom. Tifa gave a strained smile and slipped into the room built for just this purpose. Without looking in the mirror, Tifa stripped and turned the shower on as hot as she could stand it. Breathing deeply, she felt her tense muscles relax and the grime of her former life wash away.

When she was done and dry, she donned her uniform. White knuckled, she gripped the counter and finally forced herself to face the image reflected. Her eyes were an impossible, distinct blue.

Covering her mouth, she leaned closer and studied her eyes. A thin ring of red around the outside of her pupil was the only thing left of her original color. Seeing that bit of color pushed the panic nipping at her away. She was still Tifa Lockhart. She hadn't lost herself, regardless of anything ShinRa threw at her. With a shuddering breath, she straightened and met her reflected eyes levelly. There was no going back, now. The only way left was forward and to SOLDIER.

"You're strong," she told the reflection. "You can do this!"

Smiling, she nodded resolutely and bounced out into the lab. Her body seemed to have been just waiting for her to accept it before it healed itself.

Miska waved to her, seemingly without the worry she'd held only thirty minutes before. Idly, Tifa wondered what happened to those that didn't survive the enhancements. Clamping down on that train of thought, she met Angeal in the hall.

"All right?" he asked as they made their way to the mess hall.

Face softening at his concern, she smiled. "Yeah. It's weird, but I'll get used to it. What I'm worried about is the rest of the training. It's going to be a lot more intense from here on out, isn't it?"

Angeal shot her his crooked grin and a shrug. "I won't lie; it'll suck like a bi…uh, yeah. It's rough, but it isn't anything you can't handle. In another twelve weeks, you'll have earned your rank."

Tifa beamed and hugged him sideways, so overcome with happiness and affection for the man that had come to be a sort of older brother to her. The SOLDIER shifted and felt his face heat before patting the girl hesitantly on her back.

"Are we interrupting something?"

Releasing Angeal, Tifa turned to see Sephiroth approaching, Genesis not far behind. "Hey, guys," she greeted with a grin.

Genesis tipped her head up and studied her eyes as his magic prodded at her for any weaknesses. "Congratulations, Tifa," he offered as he released her with a gentle smile, finding her unharmed.

Blushing, she thanked him as Sephiroth chuckled.

"I thought you'd be interested to know Jude has been…retired. Without the use of his sword hand and the surgeries required to fix his groin and burns, he's in no shape to do much of anything."

Tifa's feral eyes glowed eerily as she bared her teeth. "Good."

"Indeed," Genesis agreed.

"Come on, I'm hungry," Angeal stated, breaking the tension.

When the girl had relaxed into her usual cheer, the four left to have lunch together. As she listened to them banter amicably, she couldn't help the goofy expression that settled on her face. She may have left home, but she'd found three men she'd like to call family. It made her feel less alone. When Angeal nudged her and teased her about breaking hands and hearts, she knew they felt the same.

Sephiroth arched a brow. "You're going to give us so much trouble when you do start looking at boys."

Tifa wrinkled her nose. "I've got more than enough to do without adding teenage drama, thanks. Besides, I think I kind of scare most boys."

Genesis smirked and arched a brow at her. "You can put them through the Plate with a roundhouse, little tiger. They're right to fear you."

Giggling, she linked arms with him and stuck out her tongue. "Well, you don't have to find it so funny."

"Yes, we do," Angeal disagreed, and even Sephiroth's lips were twitching.

"Fine," she sighed, "I'll let you know when you can threaten someone."

"That's all we ask," Sephiroth nodded seriously.

And Tifa knew she was right where she belonged.

Six weeks later and Tifa scowled as she slammed through the wall of a nondescript warehouse. Twisting, she managed to land on her feet instead of crashing into a car stored there. A quick survey of her surroundings had her dashing across the floor and running up the wall. Pushing off, she snagged a dangling chain before landing on a ceiling beam. With a flick of her wrist, she had the chain wrapped around the support.

A flood of foot soldiers filled the building, making Tifa smirk. With a hard jump, she broke the beam and let it swing free. The men below fired at the sound, but Tifa was already leaping out the skylight. The swinging beam took out half the troops before the support it was attached to broke and landed on the rest.

Outside, Tifa watched as half the roof collapsed. An alarm sounded, causing her to straighten from her defensive crouch. The room faded into reality as she took off her virtual reality glasses.

"Well done, Lockhart," a gruff voice said.

The girl watched as her trainer, Markl Pendragon walked into the room. "You'll be in the group starting Materia training tomorrow."

"Yes!" she exclaimed with a jump and fist pump. "I've got to tell Genesis!"

Markl chuckled as he dismissed her and watched her run out of the room. Shaking his head, he turned to the computer to get his own training done.

Sephiroth grunted as someone turned the corner and slammed into him. The scent of ozone and something burnt assaulted his nose.

"S-Sephiroth," a familiar voice stuttered in mortification.

Stepping back, the General was greeted with Tifa. She, however, looked like she'd been through a warzone. Parts of her uniform were burnt off and singed patches decorated her skin. To top it off, her hair was frizzed out and sparking with electricity. He couldn't help the amusement that settled on his face.

"What happened?"

She buried her face in her hands. "Oh, Minerva, I suck so bad sometimes. We're working on Lightning Materia. I'm…it's crazy! Lightning is easy to get sort of…lost in."

Tamping down on his laughter, he tried to pat her hair down, only to receive a shock for his efforts. "Well, at least it wasn't Flare."

With a groan, she rushed off to her room. "Don't you dare tell Genesis!"

"Tell me what?" Genesis asked as he turned the corner.

Sephiroth grinned. "As good as Tifa's been at every other aspect of her training, I'm afraid she's having problems with Lightning." He left unsaid that he knew she'd had a bit of an unfair head-start on Materia training.

The auburn haired man arched a brow and then shrugged. "Lightning is wild. Tifa can feel nuances in it that most people can't. She's trying to do too much at once, I'll wager."

"Perhaps you should tell her that," Sephiroth suggested dryly, going along with the charade of Genesis having nothing to do with her magic development.

"She'll discover it soon enough," the mage countered and then a wicked glint entered his eyes.

Sephiroth held up a hand. "Don't tell me. I don't want to know and Lazard is waiting for us."

Chuckling, Genesis relented and followed his friend.

Tifa felt happiness and pride swell in her heart so much she feared it would burst. In her new SOLDIER dress uniform, she stood with the few remaining members of her unit as they were officially inducted into SOLDIER 3rd Class as Lieutenants. When the ceremony was over, she raced to the corner of the room where she saw her mentors standing. Giggling, she threw herself at them and hugged them tightly.

"I did it!"

Angeal smiled crookedly and returned her embrace before passing her to Sephiroth. Awkwardly, he patted her and released her to hug Genesis. The mage grunted when she slammed into him, beaming with visible delight.

"Thank you so much for coming!" She gushed to them, spinning to look at the first two as she looped her arm through Genesis'. "It really means a lot," she finished on a quieter note.

The Generals exchanged looks, but tactfully didn't acknowledge that Tifa had no other family there besides them. As the other handful of graduates milled with their parents, Tifa watched with disappointed, sad eyes. Genesis wrapped an arm around her and drew her attention.

"We've a surprise for you, little tiger," he told her gently.

Brightening, she looked to them eagerly. "Really?"

Smiling, Sephiroth produced a small black box. With a questioning look, she accepted it and then opened the lid. She gasped and her eyes flew to his.

"What is this?"

Inside was a dark cuff that was studded with jewels and rimmed with gold.

"It's a Minerva Band. Consider it a graduation gift and protection for all the time we've invested in you."

Before she could say anything else, Angeal cut her off by handing her another box. "You might need this with it."

They'd given her three glowing Materia: Fire, Lightning, and Restore. Overwhelmed, she raised teary eyes to Genesis as he equipped the Materia and slid the Band up her arm.

"You have another three slots for when you acquire more Materia," he told her quietly.

Looking at the glowing orbs, she felt more tears well at what those specific Materia meant to her coming from them.

"No wonder Lazard wouldn't let you three near me during the latter part of my training," she joked. "You spoil me way too much."

Unrepentant, they accepted another round of hugs from her.