Disclaimer:
I do not own Final Fantasy VII or any of its characters.
Warnings:
None
Author's Note: I always loved Red XIII, but when I thought about it, he would easily outlive everyone in Avalanche, save Vincent (who would probably outlive Red). I'd be kind of angsty about it, too. But, anyway, Red still rocks.
Too Short
It was all too funny, really. Well, at least for him. After the events of Meteor unfolded, and the planet proved itself victorious in the face of the devil reincarnated, the members of AVALANCHE split and went their separate ways. Most returned to their hometowns, where their family (if any), was anxiously awaiting their return.
The victory had been sweet, and now they basked in the silence of glory, now labeled as "heroes" by the remainder of humanity's population. As Holy rose into the sky, it took with it the souls of men, women, and children. Most of Midgar's residents, whether they lived in the slums or the plates, were killed. But Red XIII knew that their deaths weren't in Aerith's plan. But, sometimes extreme measures are necessary to protect those you love or care about...and their sacrifices helped the planet.
"Enough of this," Red thought, abruptly standing up. His one good eye scanned his surroundings, a simple action that he performed only because instinct insisted so. His species may be able to speak and may be able to understand the importance of each life, but that didn't mean that he was above obeying instincts. After all, while he was still a cub (technically, a teenager in his specie's terms), he knew the laws of the world and was aware of the dangers of the wild.
He stood, motionless, for a few seconds more, intently listening to the sounds of the night. He sighed and began to walk, unaware of where his feet might take him. Eventually, he came to a cliff, a very important one. It overlooked the ruins of Midgar. Once again, his mind wandered back to those thoughts of the sacrifices, of the deaths, that allowed the planet to triumph over evil.
He recalled something that he overheard while traveling with AVALANCHE. It was only a sentence, but he could remember it clearly, a gruff voice declaring, "Life is too short!"
He sat down, staring at the ruined city, pondering about the quote. Life is too short!
Humans could only live for about one hundred years or so, tops. That much Red knew. But, he was also aware that he could very well be alive five hundred years from this moment. He would see his friends, mostly the members of AVALANCHE, die, and their descendants die as well. He would watch the family tree grow ever larger, humanity forgetting about the struggle against Meteor...the name "Cloud Strife" utterly forgotten. Another form of ShinRa would rise once more, and once again, the world would be in grave danger.
"The future will be filled with anguish," he whispered to the wind. He then smiled softly, "I'm beginning to sound like Vincent."
Life too short? No, it was the complete opposite for Red XIII. Only he and Vincent would be around long enough to watch the planet suffer once again, to see the rich overpower the poor...and, perhaps, to see one more group of heroes rise against them.