I'm on my own........Red thought. Yuffie's out of action for the time being. He glanced over at Yuffie, who lay in a heap on the floor.
  If I lose, we're both done for!
 Red was the first to attack. Running in a wide arc, he tried to strike at Shoki's flank. Shoki drew his sword and swung it fiercely. It whistled through the air, and Red dodged out of the way and pounced. Shoki grunted as he hit the floor, pinned down.
 Red roared, ripping away at him with his claws. Soon his paws were stained with black blood. Shoki, his eyes burning crimson from behind his mask, tossed him off. Red slammed into the wall with a pitiful whine. He got back on his feet and charged again.
 "Give me back my mother!!!!" he screamed. Shoki laughed cruelly.
 "Yes! Feed me your hate!" he taunted. A black, evil aura began to emanate from his body, and collected on his sword. He held it out, and began to chant, as Red continued to get closer.
 "Prepare to feel the true power of the Onikage!" he announced. Dark bolts of electricity cascade along the sword's edge. Shoki slashed mightily, and a crescent-shaped blast of dark energy blazed along the floor.
 "Evil Divide!" Shoki shouted. The blast flew towards Red at a blinding speed. He wasn't able to dodge in time. It struck him, and he cried out in pain, but he kept running. Just as he prepared to pounce again, Shoki's foot flew at him and smashed into his jaw with incredible force.
 His head snapped back as he was sent flying. Then, Shoki's taloned fist flashed out and hit him in the stomach. Red crashed to the ground in a heap. The wind rushed from his lungs, and he could feel one of his teeth rattle around in his mouth. He spat it out and got back on his feet, panting.
 "Why do you fight?" taunted Shoki. "You will never win."
 "It's the other way around, demon!" Red shouted back, baring his fangs and growling. He crouched down as green ripples of magical energy formed around him. Then, a monstrous fireball engulfed Shoki as Red used his 'Fire' Materia.
 "Ghhhhaaaaa!!!!!" roared Shoki, writhing in the center of the firestorm.
 He's weak against fire attacks! thought Red excitedly.
 "More! I need more power!" More and more flames blasted Shoki, tossingf his body around like a rag doll. The sound of explosions was nearly deafening as fire rained from the sky. Suddenly, the fires stopped, as Red's ability to use magic disappeared.
 Shoki hauled himself to his feet.
 "You have angered me!" he shouted. With a twist of his hand, Red was snatched off the ground and sent flying upwards. With a pained yelp he struck the ceiling with a horrendous thud. Shoki released his psychic grip on him, and Red plummeted back to the floor. As Red hit the floor, he heard a crack, then excruciating pain flashed through him. He tried to gasp, but he couldn't breathe. He struggled to stand, but one of his hind legs gave out. A trickle of blood ran slowly from his left nostril.
 "Ha ha ha ha!!!!" Shoki cackled maniacally. "Now nothing will stop me!" He purposefully strode towards the gate, with the stones and the scroll in his talons.
 I've failed.....I'm done for.
 As Red lay on the floor, broken and dying, Shoki inserted a stone into each hole in the door. Air began to stir in the chamber, then it whipped itself into a howling gale. Shoki unravelled the scroll and began to mumble.
 Red shut his eye, accepting his fate.
 Why does Yuffie have to die too.......she was just a girl, who never hurt anybody. His lips turned up in a weak smile. Not quite.....she did break Faber's nose...... Shoki's chanting became louder, and the wind tore at his clothing.
 What's that......
 Amidst the storm, a green substance began to pour gently from the floor. It snaked into the air, towards Red. He moved his head feebly. It began to wrap around him, caressing his broken body. A happy feeling began to spread through him. He could smell something too, something he recognized instantly.
 Lifestream..............Mother!!
 Her voice echoed within his mind. I will always be with you, my little warrior..... don't give up yet!!
 Red felt power rush throughout his body as the Lifestream filled his Materia with magic energy. He hauled himself to his feet.
 Shoki's chant was wiped out by the wind, shrieking like the cries of the demons locked behind the gate. The green ripples appeared around Red once again, then the wind ignited in a blinding explosion of fire.
 "What is......" Shoki said incredulously, but he never got to finish. The scroll evaporated as the mammoth fireball detonated on top of him in a nova-flare of light.
 All of the anger and pain that had been locked inside of Red since his mother died was suddenly released. His head tilted back as a mournful howl echoed through the room. Just then, a bright ball of light began to form in the air, coalescing into a huge orange sphere of superheated plasma.
 "COSMO MEMORY!!!!!" Red cried. The ball detonated in a white-hot beam of energy that seared his face.
 "NNNNNNOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!" Shoki screamed, as the beam incinerated his body..........
Red's wobbling legs gave way, and he fell once again. He could see Yuffie. She looked to be all right, but he was a different matter.
 I'll see you soon, mother.......

 All she could remember was the searing heat of the flames.....
  Yuffie's eyes slowly slid open. She was lying in a bed. There was a bandage tied around her forehead. Next to it was a small table, and on the table was a flower in a vase. Outside her window she could see the Da-Chao statue, the sun gleaming off the gods' faces.
"Ah, you've finally regained consciousness."
 An old man with a long white beard and a brown robe stood beside her bed.
 "Who are you?" asked Yuffie, groggily.
 "My name is Elder Treya, from Cosmo Canyon. Try not to talk. You've been through a lot."
 "......Huh?" she groaned.
 "You were in a coma when Ricdeau, Faber and I found you, and you've been in it for the last week," said Treya. "Don't worry, your father explained everything to me." Yuffie sat up quickly.
 "Where's Red?!" she asked nervously.
 "Red?......oh, you must mean Nanaki," he replied. "Well, he's......"
 "I want to go see him!" she exclaimed. Treya shook his head.
 "You're in no condition to be seeing anyone," he pleaded, but she hauled herself out of the bed with unsteady legs.
"Where's his room?"
 "It's room 10, down the hall, but please don't go there! Nanaki still needs to recover," but Yuffie refused to listen. She hobbled out of the room, down the hall. Yuffie twisted the doorknob and went inside, with Treya right behind her.
 When she turned to look, her mouth dropped open.
 Red was laying on a wide bed. He was hooked to several machines that clicked and whirred. There was an IV attached to a bag filled with a clear liquid that led to a small shaven patch of skin on his leg. Two small tubes trailed from his nostrils. A heart monitor beeped as a small line jumped on its screen. Off to the side was a table with all of his things in a small pile.
 "What......what happened to him?" said Yuffie, stunned and horrified.
 "He was barely alive when we found you two. He was hurt pretty badly. We're not sure he"ll pull through......" sighed Treya. "I've been a terrible mentor.....if Bugenhagen were still alive, then......"
 "It's my fault he's like this," said Yuffie. "I need to apologize."
 Treya nodded. "The doctors said that he could only be visited for a few minutes," he told her, then he left them alone.
 Yuffie wandered around the room aimlessly, stopping by the table with his belongings on it. She sifted through them. His earrings, legbands, and headdress were there; the doctors had taken them all off. She gently put her hand on his side, and began to stroke his fur as her eyes welled with tears.
 "I'm sorry....." she sighed. Then she hammered her fist down on the table with his things on it."Damn it! Damn it all! Why did I have to get you involved in this??!!"
 As she said this, Red's golden eye began to open.
 "It wasn't your fault," he croaked. "Don't blame yourself."
 Her eyes lit up. "Oh, you're okay!" Tears of joy slid down her cheeks as she hugged him around the neck.
 "Shoki didn't get old Nanaki....." he wheezed, smiling weakly.
 "Don't speak," she said, then she erased all traces of happiness from her face and glared at him sternly. "You big jerk!" she scolded. "How come you had to nearly get yourself killed?!"
 "But I didn't," he replied. "I got Shoki."
 "No really!" she said sarcastically. "I never realized!" Her voice changed to a gentler tone. "So, how do you feel?"
 "Pretty bad," he said hoarsely, "but I think I'll be okay."
 The door opened, and Treya entered the room.
 "Oh! You've awakened!" he said happily. "That's wonderful!"
 "Hello, Elder Treya," said Red. "This is splendid! I must go and tell the doctors you're all right!" He bustled out of the room, his robe trailing behind him, when Red stopped him.
 "Wait," he said. Treya turned around. "I've made a decision about joining the Elders."
 Treya nodded. "That's good. What is it?"
 He sat up a bit. "I......I've decided not to join." Treya nodded.
 "That's quite all right. I realized when you were gone that I was treating you like a child. I know how much you want to be an adult, but I realized that I shouldn't try to force it upon you."
 "I just figured I didn't have enough experience to be helpful," said Red. "I may join later, when I am older."
 "That's good," replied Treya. "Well, I must be going to tell the doctors," and with that, he left the room. "Now there's only one thing left to do," said Red purposefully. "What's that?" asked Yuffie.
 "Something I've got to do, when I get better, that is......" he trailed off. "Something I have to do on my own."