The sun was shining and the day was swathed in a cloak of crimson. Though, that was not the fault of the sun. Meteor hung over the world, closer than ever, just a matter of days away from its impact. It refracted in the smog lining the city of Midgar, seeming all that more ominous through the thick pollution than outside.
But it was a time for action. Meteor was, for now, forgotten.
                The Sister Ray hummed softly to itself, pulling the Mako from each of the remaining reactors and pooling it around the base. Off in the distance, the light caught something and glinted towards the city. All in the slums were oblivious, knowing only of the rock and fire waiting to rain down upon them, should their beloved Shinra, Inc. fail to save them.
                The Shinra had other things in mind. They were aiming directly for the North Crater, ready to tear through the energy barrier and to the core. In their way stood the hulking mass that was the Diamond WEAPON. And the man standing against it, Rufus Shinra.
                Don't remember where I was
                When I realized life was a game
                The preparations were set, the cannon was readying and he could see the Highwind flitting around the brute as it trudged across the ocean. He ran a hand through his hair, subconsciously trying to calm himself. Where was his arrogance? Where was his pride? The fate of the world rested on his shoulders alone and he wasn't sure that he had enough time, or options, to mess up.
                The more seriously I took things
                The harder the road became
                He walked to a different part of the window-wall, folding his arms behind his back and watching the Sister Ray begin to glow a faint green. He sighed. Not much longer now. So long as nothing went wrong.
                But why should it go wrong? All the preparations were set, everything was in order, all there was to do was give the order to fire. But what about the WEAPON? It had taken a direct hit from the Junon Cannon to stop the first one and now all he was relying on was those pesky misfits and their stolen Airship. He was content to let them kill themselves trying to stop that thing; but what would happen when it was finished with them? Its path was set; it was heading straight for the heart of the city.
                "Scarlet. Heidegger."
                The intercom fizzled a little before the pair responded.
                "Sir?"
                "Make sure we take out that thing along with the energy barrier. We won't have time to reload the cannon before it reaches us."
                "The course has been reset!"
                "Kya hah hah! We await your signal!"
                I had no idea what it'd cost
                My life passed before my eyes
                "......fire."
                The beam tore through the air, the entire upper plate jolting with the force of the shell. The wild fizzling and popping shook the windows and rattled everything nearby. At that moment, Rufus watched the head of the light-arrow, waiting to see it penetrate the barrier.
                The world shied from the burst of light nearly a hemisphere away. Even the President shielded his perfect blue eyes from the glow. When it cleared, he saw the barrier flicker and then die. He smiled softly.
                "Sir! The barrier was directly hit! It's dissipated!"
                His gaze shifted and the silver giant was falling backwards. The beam had skewered it, apparently and it was no longer a threat. With a sigh of gratitude, Rufus ran a hand through his hair.
                The intercom fizzled urgently, killing his moment of triumph.
                "Sir! There's a mass of energy on its way towards the city!"
                The horizon twinkled and blinked at the President before taking form; a violent hailstorm of light pulsing directly for Midgar. It grew increasingly bright, the bolts falling a bit and crashing into the slums and plate. The building shook but stayed. Explosions sounded from below. The rain of light had begun.
                I found out how little I'd accomplished
                All my plans denied
                Rufus watched in perfect stoicity, practiced through years of schooling and dealings with his father. He saw a section of the plate sag, screeching and throwing up cables and spilling its precious Mako energy into the air. It could be repaired. There were always casualties in war, after all.
                So as you read this, know my friends
                I'd love to stay with you all
                Fate would have it, something caught the President's eye. He had perched high above the destruction, the god of his domain, and watched it all. Things have a way of twisting, some sort of bitter irony in the world. It would bring the mighty to fall, as all great empires eventually did.
                Smile when you think of me
                My body's gone, that's all
                The orbs of light sped right for the top of the Shinra building, defying Rufus' divinity and threatening, taunting him to try and stop it. He narrowed his eyes, beginning to know how perfectly trapped he was. It was heading straight for him, an errant burst of energy that would reduce him to that which he rested his empire. If this was fate, let it come.
                A tout le monde, a tout mes amis
                Je vous aime, je dois partir
                These are the last words
                I'll ever speak
                Glass makes the most interesting sound when broken, like a millions wind chimes in a gale, light thousands of tiny screams of anguish. There is such a time when heat is so burning that it is truly cold. There are times when simple pain is exaggerated and taken onto a higher plane. There are times when it does no good to try and hide.
                And it'll set me free
                The windows in the office popped like light bulbs, exploded inward with a swirl of fiery smoke. Rufus ducked towards his desk, reacting in the most human fashion he could. The hot gusts of air tossed him from his haven, back into the furnace. The thermals blew him backwards, the doors bursting and exploding in the energy. His perfect white suit scorched and tore on the shattering glass, trailing behind him as he was thrown from the office, out into the polluted air his company churned out daily.
                If my heart were still alive
                I know it would surely break
                His body cast from the windows like a rag doll, consciousness regretfully cradling him, Rufus Shinra fell. The rush of air stung his eyes and bit into pieces of exposed, charred flesh. Tears ran from his clenched eyelids, the pain and stoic acceptance tearing them from their place. He could imagine the headlines, for those who survived. Long live Shinra, Inc.
                And my memories live with you
                There's nothing more to say
                The city exploded more and more around him, similar bursts of white hot death smashing into the rows of aristocratic housing, ripping shingles into the air and forming more precious Mako for the Shinra Electrical Power Company. Such bitter irony, it was. In these moments he seemed suspended in the air, he could appreciate something like that.
                Moving on is a simple thing
                What it leaves behind is hard
                The ground was gaining on him, his eyes slitted against the whipping thermals, his body limp and, thankfully, numb in the icy cold. The screams and panic from both above and below the plate was growing, losing its edge against another explosion and then rising in the wake.
                You know the sleeping feel no more pain
                But the living are scarred
                Tossed like a leaf, coattails wrapped around the shattered bones in his legs, the President grew closer to the fresh crater in the plate that the hail had left. He felt numb, he felt defeated, but to himself, he would never admit such things. To himself, this was just the last time life would turn on him. All good things must come to an end.
                So as you read, know my friends
                I'd love to stay with you all
                Please smile
                Smile when you think about me
                My body's gone, that's all
                For the first time in his life, Rufus was visiting the people he graciously ruled over. He wished it were in a better way. His body hit like a wet pile of paper, already broken and shattered before impact. His last fleeting moment of consciousness was pleasant, a thought of carefree childhood, away from his schooling and parents, resting on the Cannon and inhaling the breeze. And with that, so felled the empire.
                A tout le monde
                A tous mes amis
                Je vous aime
                Je dois partir
                These are the last words
                I'll ever speak
                And they'll set me free