Author's Notes: I tell you, my friends have weird tastes…

Theme: Storm

Red Rain

It was something you could only appreciate here, appreciate now, and it was hard to appreciate without the right background. The storms and rain were just nature to the ones here, but to Reeve, an outsider, he could tell what else it was. Torrents so powerful they were practically washing the red off of the cliffs, lightning strikes so large and loud and close together that they stuck in your mind far longer than they should have been. It was no storm of nature, it was a storm of epic sorts. It was the world's reaction to the terrible things a brew in the north. Horrible, horrible things.

"Will you be staying here?" came a voice from just behind the man who stared out at the storm. A calm voice, a wise voice, and somehow the voice of a child…

"Midgar needs me," came the response of the executive. He turned to regard the creature known as Red XIII among the heroes, but ever as Nanaki in his own mind.

"And what of the others? Do they not need you as well?"

Reeve sighed and resumed his seat upon the large rug on the floor. He remembered sitting here often when he was younger, listening to Bugenhagen tell him stories of the old days. Somewhere inside he could not help but feel guilty for letting the man down, for helping Midgar exist.

"Barret would probably have my head on a platter," Reeve said, his chuckle half-hearted. "The others wouldn't even want to become involved in a ShinRa spy, even if I am upon their side."

"You could tell them the truth," the wiser creature said, rather patient.

Here the man shook his head and turned to look out at the storm once more. "Truth means nothing right now, only survival."

He rose and stretched a bit. "If you're going, you best go soon. Can't have Cloud waiting."

"Shall I be expecting Cait with me?"

Reeve nodded, "I too have something to fight for Nanaki. Bugenhagen was like a father to me as well. If I cannot protect the city and the people for my own sake, I will protect it for his. I can't let those innocents die."

The great red creature, both like a lion and a wolf at the same time, rose and nodded, his tail flicking back and forth. "Do not worry. This WILL work. We cannot afford for it not to."

There was a silent agreement between them now, and Cait Sith rose without his master's command to follow the noble creature. Reeve though, he just looked out through the window and watched the rain washing red away from the cliffs. It almost looked like a sea of blood, a sea of sins being washed away. If only his own could be washed away as well… But maybe, maybe that was what would happen, maybe his sins could wash away in this rain. Make him worthy of saving the world. Or at least try to…