Takes place when Sephiroth was a child of ten. This is dedicated to my two dachshunds. Not really an alternate universe. Severe Hojo hating in this story.

Disclaimer: I don’t own Final Fantasy VII, or any of the characters! I wish I owned Sephiroth-sama though……

One day in the middle of winter, although you couldn’t tell in Midgar, Sephiroth was standing right outside the door of the main Shinra building. He had managed to escape from Hojo, but even Sephiroth knew they would find him soon. He groaned. He loathed him, he wished he could die, and he could live in peace, without the numerous Mako treatments he had every single day since he was four.

However, while he was contemplating on how much better he could live without Hojo, an old woman suddenly walked up. “Hi, young one. How old are you?” Sephiroth rolled his eyes, and then sighed. “I’m ten, but my age has nothing to do with my maturity. I have seen men, and women, whom are four times my age, but act so immature, it makes me sick.”

The old woman blinked, but began to smile. “I’m sure you are correct, but do you have the responsibility they have?” Sephiroth smirked. “Of course I do.” He replied. Then, suddenly, the old woman dropped a dog into his arms. “My dachshund just had puppies. You can have this one if you like.” She began to walk away. Sephiroth stopped smirking, and looked at the dog. He should have noticed her carrying a small dog bed, but he was too preoccupied with his thoughts. As he looked at the dog, which was female, with brown and a bit of a reddish tinge mixed in. She wagged her tail rapidly, and Sephiroth wondered why.

Sephiroth quickly grew to like the happy little dachshund puppy. However, he also realized that Hojo’s men would be coming for him too. He started going up the stairs to the left of the building. As he climbed up the stairs, the dog began to madly lick him. While this moderately annoyed Sephiroth, he let her. After a few minutes of walking up the incredibly long staircase, he made it to the top. He went to the elevator, took his keycard out of his pocket, and then slid it in the machine. The elevator started going up. It stopped twice, with three people commenting on Sephiroth’s new dog. “Aw, it’s so cute! What’s is her name?” and “I like your puppy.” Sephiroth nodded politely to all three of them, but didn’t pay much attention. He never really cared what other people thought, whether it be bad, or decent.

When Sephiroth made it to the top floor, he turned left and went to his small room, which he hardly ever spent any time in. He laid the dog on his bed, and sat down beside it. “You know what,” He told the dog. “I believe I should name you….. but what should I call you…..?” He thought for several minutes. “How about Seraphim?” He asked her. She barked happily, and began to wag her tail-again. Sephiroth smiled. He was really beginning to like ‘his’ dog. Suddenly, Hojo’s voice came over the intercom. “Sephiroth-come to the lab now. And yes, that is an order.” Sephiroth scowled, but began to prepare to leave. “Sorry, but I’ll have to hide you…..” He said sadly to Seraphim. Seraphim did a small pitiful sounding cry. Sephiroth petted her lovingly, but then picked her up and made a small bed in closet, which was rather small, but would do for a small dachshund. He grabbed a flashlight from his cheap bedside table, and turned it on for the dog. He then closed the door, and walked out of the room, and headed for Hojo’s lab, which was four floors down. As he went down the staircase beside his room to go to the lab, he thought about Seraphim.

As he thought about it, she was the first thing she had ever gotten attached to so quickly. He then decided it was best if he didn’t think about his new dog. He didn’t want Hojo to even think about him hiding anything. Sephiroth knew how Hojo was; killing a dog would be nothing at all to Hojo….. In fact, he thought, Hojo would probably like to kill a dog, just to watch people suffer….. Sephiroth then cleared his mind of all thoughts, and then reached the door to Hojo’s lab….. He turned the handle, and walked inside, his face containing no emotion whatsoever.