"But...how?" stuttered Red. "I've never spoken a single word to her."
 "Oh, she does not hate you, personally." laughed Tobias. "No, rather she hates 'you'."
 "I don't understand."
 "Well, she utterly despises her kind. Her species as a whole," replied Tobias.
"Why?" asked Red.
 "Sita believes that she was abandoned as a baby. She believes that her mother and father did not care about her, and they left her to die in the wilderness. That she was on the verge of death when I found her. When she couldn't be farther from the truth!" exclaimed Tobias.
 "How did she come into your care?" asked Red again.
 "That......" sighed Tobias, "is a very long story."
 "I, many years ago, was a Shinra employee. Not the Shinra you know. In the old days, before Mako, when Shinra was an arms manufacturer. After graduating from medical school, I was recruited and was sent to a research facility in these mountains. They were conducting some sort of tests there.
 The man in charge was Dr. Kochin. He was a very strange man. All the assistants believed he was insane, and regarding the tests he did, I can only agree with them. The tests involved animal test subjects being exposed to Mako energy, and it was called the 'R Project'.
 Two of the test subjects were members of your race, a male and a female. I was given the job of feeding them, and I began to observe them. One day, I was bringing their food, and the male spoke to me. He told me his name was Sankao, designated 'Red X', and his mate's was Kigori, designated 'Red XI'. She told me that she was pregnant, and was due to have her baby in a few days.
 They had left Cosmo Canyon many years before, with several others. The reason, I don't know. They came to these mountains trying to start a new life, but one by one, they succumbed to the elements until only the two of them were left.
 They also said that they believed that Dr. Kochin had done something to their unborn child. A few days later, she gave birth to her cub. The cub was a healthy female, and she was named Sita. At first glance, she was perfectly normal, but the only difference was her eyes. Instead of being orange like her parents' eyes, they were a strange yellow-green."
"Mako......." said Red, shocked. "They performed a Mako infusion on her before she was born. That's....that's horrible!"
 Tobias nodded. "It sickens me, what Kochin did. Right after she was born, she was given the designation 'Red XII.' Kochin attempted to give her parents an infusion as well, but they did not react well to it, and they began to waste away.
 With the last of their strength, they told me to take Sita away, to somewhere safe. They also gave me the necklace she wears," he said, pointing to the green crystal pendant around her neck. "I took her and ran away from the lab, towards the town of Kotts. I decided to stay with Sita, and so I have to this very day."
 Red frowned. "You've stayed with her for her entire life?"
 "Yes, and I don't regret it at all. She's like a daughter to me," he answered.
 "Well, why haven't you told her about her parents?" asked Red.
 "She refuses to listen to me."
 Just then, there was a knock at the door.
 "Red? Red, are you in there?" called Tifa's voice. Red turned to Tobias.
 "Those are my friends. I'll go let them in......." Red stood up and pushed the door open. Tifa, Cloud, and Marlene hurried in, looking cold.
 "So this is where you've been!" exclaimed Tifa. Red turned towards Tobias.
 "I'd like you to meet my friends, Cloud and Tifa Strife, and Marlene Wallace."
 "Hi!" exclaimed Marlene.
 "Nice to meet you," said Tobias politely, shaking each of their hands in turn. "Are you people helping Nanaki?"
 Cloud nodded. "Yeah, but it seems like we're slowing him down......."
 Tobias shrugged. "It can't really be helped." He stood up and poured himself another cup of tea. "Would you like to stay the night? We can continue the search in the morning."
 Tifa smiled. "That would be great."
 Tobias walked to one of the closed doors. "There are some beds in here," he explained. Cloud and Tifa opened it and went inside.
 "Mister, where do I go?" asked Marlene.
 "Well, let's see....I guess you could stay in Sita's room. All right?" he said.
 "Okay." Tobias took her hand and led her into a small-looking room. A few seconds later he came out.
 "Nanaki, you can stay in here too," he said.
 "All right," Red replied, as he entered her room.
 The first thing he noticed was her scent. It was everywhere in the room. It made Red feel welcome, at home. Two walls were completely occupied by bookshelves. A small CD player sat on one of the shelves, with various music CDs stacked beside it. The third wall had a window, and on the sill sat a leafy plant. In the middle of the floor was a soft carpet. Red pressed the 'play' button on the CD player, and the theme from 'Loveless' filled the air.
 "Oh hi, Naki!" said Marlene. "Is this gonna be your room too?"
 "Uh-huh," he said. He took a book off the shelf, then sat down and began to read. Still, he couldn't get his mind off of Tobias' strange reply.
 She hates you........
 But why? Red thought. What she believes is not the truth! What will she do when I find her?
 He looked back at the book. How can somebody truly 'hate' their parents? He shook his head. The hatred he had felt towards his father for so many years still hurt. While he knew that he should be proud of Seto, he could never forget some of the things he had said.....
 He has no right to live! He is a traitor!
 I don't care what you have to say, Grandfather! He left Mother to die! I will never forgive him!
 He abandoned us, Mother! If he ever comes home, then..... I'll kill him!
 "Naki? Are you all right?"
 "Oh! Um.....I'm just fine!" he said hurriedly.
 Sita and I are no different. She believes a lie,  just as I did. She hates our entire species.....and the only one left is me.

 Night came early in the mountains. Tifa, Cloud, and Marlene sat around a roaring fire with Tobias. Red had gone out for a few minutes, but Tifa could tell that something wasn't right. Just then, she heard a mournful-sounding howl. Tobias sat up, then relaxed, a pained look on his face.
 "I thought that was Sita......but her howl has a higher pitch."
 "Must be Red......." added Cloud.
 "Poor guy." Tifa stood up.
 "I'm going to go and talk to him." She picked up her jacket and went outside, into the cold and frosty night.
 It didn't take too long to find him. He was perched on top of a rock in an area with few trees. Every so often he would raise his head, and let out another howl. They sounded hollow and lonely, and it made Tifa feel sorry for him.
 "Hello, Red," she said. He turned around, and jumped off the rock. "What are you doing out here?"
 "I'm calling her," he answered, sounding distant. "I was hoping she would hear me and reply." He looked into her eyes. "Is something wrong?"
 Tifa laughed weakly. "I should be asking you the same thing." She patted him on the back. "I'm really worried about you."
 "You shouldn't be. I'm just fine!" he replied happily. Tifa shook her head.
 "Red, you're a terrible liar."
 He slowly looked down at the ground.
 "Did Tobias tell you about her?" Tifa nodded.
 "You're afraid that she will hate you," she finished.
 "......Yeah.' He swallowed deeply. "She's like me, in a way. Stubborn. I believed with all my heart that Seto was nothing but a coward, worthy of nothing but hatred. I never realized how much I hurt the people I love, until I learned the truth." Red looked around, confused. "I was living a lie, Tifa! I was hating one of the people to whom I owe my existence! How....how could I have done that?"
 Tifa held his paw in her hand. "It's all right."
 "What will she do when she learns the truth? Will she simply forgive and forget everything she's done, or will she dwell on the past like I have, never able to forget all the pain she caused?"
 "We'll see, when the time comes...." Tifa suddenly remembered a question that had plagued her since the beginning of their journey. "Red, this may seem like a bit of a dumb question, but.......why are you searching for her?"
 Red looked surprised. ".....I'm so lonely. That's why."
 "You're lonely?" she asked.
 Red nodded.
 "Yes. The day that.....that Grandpa....." he cleared his throat, "I felt so......alone."
 "But you have us," said Tifa.
 "I know that, but.......I meant 'alone' in the sense that there is nobody else like you. The sense that you are the last of your race. But the moment that Godo told me that he'd seen her, I was filled with hope." He sighed forlornly, and looked down at the ground. "But now........I should just go home. She'd never want to be with someone like me......."
 "Red! Stop that right now!" exclaimed Tifa angrily. "You know you don"t mean it! You want to love and be loved, and be with her!" Tifa stopped to catch her breath. "You've got to.......you've got to be strong, Nanaki!"
 He looked at her, remembering her words to him at the Gold Saucer, when he had doubted himself.
 Be quiet, Red XIII! Be strong!
 "I will, Tifa!"