In Memoriam: 9–11–01
A One-Shot
By Hoenn Master
"The only thing that hurts more to remember, is to forget. Never forget, because to forget is the greatest crime of all, since it would be as if the one you forgot had never existed." –Myself
A.N.
I realize that I have work to do, but this day, 9-11-01, is, in my opinion, one of the most dastardly and cowardly attacks on a peaceful country I've ever seen throughout history. And yet… People don't very well wish to recall this event; it's certainly not as 'celebrated' as Pearl Harbor. (Which was very bad in and of itself) Those who hate America don't have to read further, and those who know what it's like to witness the screaming and horrifying events that took place that day, and wishes to remember them; Welcome.
It was a very fine morning indeed.
Richard, as usual, opened his eyes before his wife did, and turned his head to look out the pre-dawn light. It took a few minutes of stretching and getting dressed before the date registered in his mind.
It was the eleventh of September.
While Richard had lived in Hoenn until he decided to marry his wife, Skyla, he was no stranger to the events that had occurred on that fateful day. "Has it really been eleven years already?" Richard questioned himself, opening the door to the couples' modestly furnished bedroom, and striding down the dark hallway, stopping at the living room, where the daily news was already showing archived footage of those terrible events.
"And finally, in memory of those nearly three-thousand people who died in Castelia City that day, Gym Leader Burgh with his girlfriend, Christina, placed the first of many memorial wreaths on the Castelia City Memorial, and the president is expected to make a speech concerning these tragic events. In other news…"
Ah, so his sister was in the thick of things, as usual. Richard would have gladly gone to the ceremony with Skyla, but alas, they had an important meeting with Iris and Cilan: Something about meeting old friends and a traveling partner of theirs…
Richard sighed as the horrifying images swam to the surface of his mind unbidden. Though Richard would never go so far as to forget, the memories of those attacks and the subsequent destruction of the twin towers was a very painful thing to recall, especially on the anniversary of its occurrence.
There was so much screaming… The dust- oh! The dust! And the people choosing to jump to their deaths rather than be burned to death! Richard, in reaction to the sudden onslaught of these painful memories, began to feel his eyes water, and, before he could get control of his emotions, he began to cry.
It was not just a few tears; it was nothing less than a sobbing fit. One which Skyla couldn't believe she was witnessing when she walked into the room less than a minute later.
"Oh, Richard…" Skyla trailed off, sitting down and pulling the still sobbing man to her robed shoulder, and hugged him tight around the shoulders. She knew that Richard was tied to emotions due to his status as an Aura Knight, (something she still didn't fully understand), and that this day, among all others, Richard would allow himself to free his emotions, and wallow in the sadness that the terrorist attacks generated. Skyla could only wonder how Christina, Richard's sister, felt; she was, after all, living in Castelia City now.
Skyla herself was very depressed today as well: How could she not be? Three-thousand people had died for no reason! The mere idea that someone could consciously plan and desire to kill innocent people, just to make a political statement sickened her.
As pilots, Richard and Skyla knew both the freedom of flight, and the vast amount of responsibility required to fly: And this day especially, showed the power of flight when used for evil.
A.N.
I'd just like to say thank you for reading, I hope everyone will enjoy my contribution to the memory of the 9/11 attacks, and my earnest prayers for their families.
Signed: Hoenn Master, forever a patriot.