Claire Farron, twelve, and Serah Farron, ten, were inseparable sisters. They had to be if they were to survive the sector six slums on their own. Claire and Serah had become excellent con-artists, pick pockets, thieves and were proud of it. For six years they lived and survived by trusting no one except each other.

They still had to be careful even though they knew the slums like the back of their hands and how to get food or Gil will little effort. There were the usual hazards of disease carrying rats, highly contagious diseases, other thieves, muggers, killers, and rapists. However, sector six had one thing that the other sectors did not have and were happy they did not, Don Corneo.

Don Corneo was the guy who ran the slums in sector six. He had the most money in all the slums because of his 'special' inn. He controlled sector six by having control over the prostitutes. Also being Shinra's informant kept the Shinra from taking him to prison.

Claire and Serah had only begun having to avoid Corneo's lackeys. Claire was just beginning to 'develop' and that was enough for the Don, as the other people called him. Everyone in the slums, and probably in Shinra, knew the Don was a paedophilic rapist but no one was allowed to do anything about it because he was Shinra's connection in the slums.

Serah was constantly bugging Claire about going to sector seven or five but Claire knew that was never possible. The Don had men at every entrance/exit of the sector making sure that none of 'his' current or future girls were trying to run off. The road was also infested with all sorts of creatures that only soldiers or SOLDIER members could kill.


After a long day of coning the ignorant and stealing while the other distracts, the Farron sisters settled into their shelter made from scrap metal. They laughed about the events of the day and counted how much Gil they had pilfered.

"So how much, sis?" Serah asked her elder sibling.

"Seventeen Gil today," Claire said before grabbing her money pouch and pouring it out to count the total.

"How much now?" Serah asked after Claire finished counting.

"A hundred," Claire replied. She knew there was more but could not count that high because of being orphaned before learning what came after one hundred.

Claire tucked the pouch into the oversized coat she was wearing and lay down to sleep. Serah snuggled up to her so they could keep warm through the assumed night. Night and day had no meaning under the plate of Midgar, under what they used to live on. The memory of how their life came to be like this haunted Claire every 'night' since it happened.


News of Wutai soldiers getting inside Midgar had spread like wildfire. All Midgar citizens were ordered to stay in their homes and all executives had to stay in the Shinra building until Shinra announced that it was safe.

The two Farron girls and their babysitter were worried about Mr. Farron, head of Urban Development, and Mrs. Farron, one of the president's secretaries. Serah and Claire had fallen asleep on their couch and their babysitter remained awake watching the news and hoping that the Farron parents would be okay.

The next morning was when the bad news arrived. The news had said that warning was no longer in effect and there was an explosion in the president's office. All but two of the executives and the two secretaries had been killed either in or because of the explosion. The survivors of the attack were the president, Palmer, and Heidegger. When Claire heard the news she started crying and Serah didn't because she was too young to understand.

Every 'day' Claire woke up crying at the memory and her mind forced the rest of the memory forward. Shinra had given the assistants of the deceased executives their jobs and completely ignored all those affected by the deaths. Shinra repossessed the Farron house as soon as they learned that both Farron parents had died and sent the girls to the slums. The Shinra had sent the Farron sisters to die, but the sisters did not know that or that it was the Shinra that had sent them.


Once again Claire woke up crying. She let the tears fall until Serah began to stir. Claire wiped the tears off her face and greeted Serah when she opened her eyes. They both got up and began their 'trip' into the 'town' of wall market for their monthly actual meal.

Even though Don Corneo and his inn, were located in the wall market it was easy to avoid being 'picked' up. There were thousands of places for children to hide and the people of the 'town' would defend them if the need arose.

As the sisters walked towards the small restaurant in the center of the market they noticed three soldiers. They were wearing the outfits of SOLDIER but the uniforms were black. Claire and Serah were used to seeing the blue and purple versions but had never seen a black version and wondered what it meant. Claire quickly took some mental notes on them.

They had black clothing, one with black hair and a massive sword on his back, one with reddish-brown hair and sword on his left hip, the last had silver hair that hung to his waist where a Wutaian sword rested on his right side. Claire knew that those soldiers were loaded with Gil but impossible to rob, con, or even get them to give some pity money.

Claire got a feeling that told her she was going to see them again that day.


"What're you starring at Sef?" The dark haired soldier asked the silver haired soldier.

"That child over there," The silver haired soldier said sounding confused "My gut is telling me to keep an eye on that one today."

"That's just your hero instinct," The raven haired soldier replied with a laugh while trying to figure out which child his friend was talking about.


After a hot and fresh meal, from the only restaurant in sector six, the sisters set off for their shelter. They arrived at the sight of their 'house' being ransacked by Corneo's men. Claire and Serah quickly turned away and continued in a different direction.

Claire heard one of the men shout and three sets of running feet a moment later. The sisters broke into a sprint to get away from the Don's recruiters. They flew around a corner and almost ran straight into one of the three people wearing the black uniform. Claire quickly noted that there were only two of the three soldiers; the silver haired soldier was missing.

"Watch out you little rats!" The auburn haired man shouted at them. The sisters quickly recovered and continued on their escape.


The silver haired man stepped out from behind the pile of junk he had stopped behind for short break. Before he could speak three men rounded the corner and almost knocked the three soldiers down.

"What was that?" The silver haired soldier asked the other two.

"Corneo's men," The black haired soldier replied.

"They were chasing two pink haired slum rats," The auburn haired soldier added with a dismissive tone.

"Why didn't you stop them!" The silver haired soldier shouted before sprinting after the men.

"What? What do you mean? Where are you going? Sephiroth!" The black haired soldier said quickly as his comrade disappeared down the so called street.


The two girls ran through the streets of the sector trying to out run Corneo's lap dogs or gain a big enough lead to slip into a hiding spot. Claire knew that both of the options were not going to happen because she was twelve, Serah was ten, and they were trying to out run three fully grown men.

Claire guided Serah around a corner into a back alley. She knew that the men had seen her go into the alley and would be right on their trail and upon them in any moment. After a number of corners Claire's worst fear became reality, a dead end. The three men rounded the corner just after Claire turned around.

"Nowhere else to run girls," The man on the left said in a cocky tone.

"Why did you run anyway?" The one on the right asked "The Don just wants to talk to you."

"Yeah right!" Serah shouted back.

"He wants us to be his whores!" Claire yelled at the men.

"Well that saves the Don some time," the man in the middle said to the two flanking him "We may as well get this over with," The two flanking him started to move towards the girls.

When one of the men grabbed Claire she slammed the top of her head into the mans groin which caused him to release her and fall over. The other man grabbed her around her waist and lifted her off the ground. Claire instantly started to kick the man in the shins, making him yell in pain every few kicks.

Serah ran at the man that gave the order and punched him in the stomach. Being only ten years old, the man just laughed at her pitiful strength and back handed her. When Serah fell to the ground and began to cry, Claire called the man every foul name she could think of and make up on the spot.

Claire's shouted profanity made the man laugh even harder. Claire began to cry as well because she knew that there was no way her or Serah could escape this situation. At least, she did until she saw someone round the corner the rest of them had come around. Claire was only able to see a little bit of the silver hair but that was all she needed to see.

"Hey," The silver haired soldier said as he tapped the laughing mans left shoulder with his right hand "Why don't you leave these girls alone?"

"Why don't you mind your own business?" The man said as he turned around to face the soldier but was met with a left hook that made his feet leave the ground. The man on the ground recovered in an instant and the man holding Claire dropped her. They both grabbed weapons off the ground and the soldier grabbed the sword of his right hip.

Claire took this chance and grabbed her own weapon, a pipe with an elbow joint at the end. She swung it as hard as she could at the best weak spot to target, the side of the ribs, of the man that was holding her a moment ago. The pipe met his ribs and a sickening snapping noise went into the air. Claire saw the man drop to the ground, his partner, the one she headbutted, turn with a look of fear on his face and the eyes of the soldier go wide. Claire took advantage of the surprise and swung the pipe at the second man, making the elbow joint connect with the mans jaw.

The three injured men shot to their feet and sprinted away. The three nearly ran into the other two soldiers when they went around the corner. When the two soldiers rounded the corner they just saw their silver haired friend and the two pink haired girls.

"Always gotta be the hero, don't ya?" The black haired soldier said jokingly as he playfully shoved his friend.

"Yeah, actually. But I'm not the one that beat those guys," The silver haired soldier replied.

"Wait. Are you saying that the girl did that?" The auburn haired soldier asked with a confused tone.

"Yep, she was able to fight off two fully grown men. I punched the first one," The silver haired soldier stated to the other two "I'm bringing her back," He pointed at Claire with his sword before quickly glancing at it and sheathing it.

"You're going to bring slum rats to the director?" The auburn haired man.

"Genesis, you say that one more time and will report you for civilian harassment," The silver haired soldier said to the auburn haired soldier.

"We're not going anywhere!" Clair shouted at the three men as she hugged her sister, making the silver haired one turn and walk towards her. He went to one knee in front of them and started speaking in a soft tone.

"Do you want to get out of the slums?" Serah nodded before thinking and Claire was stunned by the eyes of the man, they were bright green with slit pupils, something she had only seen with cats. She felt like there was no way she could not trust this man "Do you want to have a house?" They both nodded "Do you want to be able to feed yourselves well?" They both nodded again "All you need to do," He said directly to Claire "Is let me take you to a friend of mine and you will be able to get whatever you and your sister wants," His words made the girls begin to cry from happiness "What're your names?"

"Serah," Serah said quietly.

"Claire," Claire also said quietly "You?" The soldier huffed in amusement.

"Sephiroth," He replied.