Let Go
Warning: angst and character death.
Disclaimer: Still don't own FFVII. Borrowed a quote from Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.
An onslaught of tears poured relentlessly down Yuffie's cheeks. Her lithe frame wracked with sobs as she buried her tear-streaked face in the torn and battered object she held so tenderly in her shaking hands.
Vincent's cape…
Yuffie would never forget the moment her world came tumbling down around her. For months following Omega, AVALANCHE had scoured the Planet high and low for the crimson clad gunslinger. No rock had been left unturned in their frantic search for Vincent Valentine, but as the long days passed, ice began to grip their hearts. The members of AVALANCHE began to fear that Vincent had made the ultimate sacrifice for the Planet. All except one.
Yuffie Kisaragi's unwavering faith that Vincent would return to them could never be extinguished. Even as night after night the hunting party returned empty-handed, Yuffie vowed never to rest until Vincent Valentine was back amongst them once more. Where he belonged. Three times now AVALANCHE had saved the Planet and Vincent had sacrificed more than any of them. Surely the gods would not demand Vincent's life as payment?
Yuffie's world had come crumbling down around her when Cid, Cloud and Barret had returned bearing Vincent's cloak. It was in that moment that Yuffie knew that her crimson clad warrior was dead. Her selfless warrior who had protected Yuffie from Nero's attack was gone.
Vincent. Gone.
The words did not settle well with the young ninja. Vincent was her rock; the one dependable figure in her life and now he was dead. Gone. Kapoot.
Hiding her tears, Yuffie had all but torn the cloak from Cloud's hands and raced to the rooftop of Seventh Heaven where she howled with all the fury and passion the young ninja could muster.
As Yuffie held her vigil on the slates of Tifa's rooftop and wrapped in Vincent's cloak, the members of AVALANCHE could only listen to the agonised depths of the young girl's unbound grief. From their years of travelling, each member of AVALANCHE knew of Yuffie's devotion to the gunslinger. Through every adventure, Yuffie could always be seen at Vincent's side chattering mindlessly as she swung her beloved shuriken over her shoulder.
Yuffie's girlish crush on Vincent had developed into pure, unadultered love. The kind of pure, unadultered love that only Yuffie Kisaragi was capable of. And though that love was unrequited, Yuffie never minded. As long as she was always there at Vincent's side to protect him.
However, she hadn't been there to protect him when he needed her. And she would always have to live with that guilt. Yuffie could not imagine living in a world where Vincent Valentine did not exist.
As the tears dried on Yuffie's grief-stained face, her thoughts turned towards the edge of the rooftop. How easy it would be to end it all now and join Vincent in the Lifestream. Nobody would miss her. AVALANCHE still thought of her as the annoying brat that had once stolen their materia. Godo had never been a father figure to Yuffie and would not mourn her passing. Her beloved Wutai would not remain leaderless: Shake would take Yuffie's place as Empress of Wutai. Shake would do a much better job than her anyway. Heck, even Gorki would have done a better job. Yuffie had never intended to rule Wutai anyway. She was too hot headed and stubborn.
As Yuffie's booted feet touched the edge of the rooftop, she paused, drinking in the familiar scent of Vincent's cloak. How could she live her life without Vincent? She knew deep down that Vinnie didn't love her, but he had always been by her side; he was as familiar to her as the sun and the rain.
Leviathan, how could she ever live without Vincent Valentine?
Clutching Vincent's cloak to her, Yuffie closed her eyes as a solitary tear slipped down her cheek. Turning her face heavenward, Yuffie took a final step forward and fell into the waiting arms of death.
Yuffie did not know how long she had been here, floating in this in-between. Time had no meaning or concept here. Was she dead? Had Leviathan accepted her into the afterlife? The only thing that Yuffie knew was that she was alone and Yuffie Kisaragi hated being alone.
So this is what death was like… If she happened to come across Leviathan, she would be asking him for some frigging music in this joint. Boy was death depressing. Yuffie had expected the Lifestream to be all floaty and green with plenty of people to talk to, cause hey! There were a lot of dead people, right?
Instead, there was not a soul in sight. No sweet, gentle Aeris… No Mama, arms warm and inviting… Not even her pet freaking hamster. Yuffie began to wonder if this was really the afterlife or if the gods were playing some crappy joke on her.
Not knowing what else to do, Yuffie made to sit down, hoping there would be solid surface under her butt so that she would not fall through the emptiness.
Yuffie began to think of the real reason that she ended up here. Vincent… Not wanting to live without her crimson clad gunslinger, Yuffie had thrown herself off the roof of Seventh Heaven.
The morbid part of Yuffie's brain wondered if they had found her body yet.
Yuffie's mind was tugged back to the subject of Vincent and she wondered where he was. Surely he would be here, right? Yuffie prayed to Leviathan that she hadn't killed herself for nothing.
The sound of his voice caused Yuffie's heart to thump painfully. She turned around, a small sob tearing from her throat as Vincent Valentine strode purposely towards her. Without hesitation, Yuffie ran towards him, wrapping her arms securely around his waist and burying her face into the familiar scent of leather and gunpowder. Vincent's clawed hand settled in the young ninja's hair as he allowed Yuffie to embrace him.
Neither knew how much time had passed before Vincent drew back, holding Yuffie at arms' length. His crimson eyes drank in Yuffie's face, committing this moment to memory.
"Is it really you, Vincent?" Yuffie murmured at length, gazing into his ageless crimson eyes.
Vincent hesitated briefly before nodding. "Yes, but we have only moments."
Yuffie's heart sank into the pit of her stomach. "What do you mean we only have moments? I jumped off a freaking roof just to see you!"
Vincent sighed, pulling the girl closer. "This isn't the afterlife," Vincent replied. "Only those with unfinished business come here."
Yuffie hesitated, any childish hopes that Vincent may still be alive and well somewhere ruthlessly crushed. "You're not alive, are you, Vincent?"
"No," he replied sadly. "I am dead."
At his words, the final nail of the coffin was hammered into place. Vincent. Dead. He was never coming back. He would never glare at her again when she cracked a joke about him being a vampire. He would never again raise an eyebrow when he caught her red-handed pilfering his materia. The realisation that Vincent was no longer alive made Yuffie's heart break into little pieces which she doubted could ever be put back together.
"I wished only to thank you," murmured Vincent softly, "For your friendship and your… Admiration. In my last moments, I was comforted knowing that you were safe."
Yuffie blinked back her tears as she met Vincent's gaze, her shattered heart creating a pain so deep and raw it stole Yuffie's breath away. "Did it hurt Vinnie? Dying, I mean."
Vincent shook his head. "Quicker than falling asleep."
Unable to stop her tears, Yuffie sobbed into Vincent's chest, the pain from the shards in her heart pale in comparison to losing Vincent. "Why did you have to go, Vincent? You helped save the world three times and this is what you get?"
Vincent's hand cradled Yuffie's head as her tears continued and he turned his gaze heavenward. "It was my time," he said gently, willing the girl to understand. "I am at peace. My demons are gone and I am whole again."
Placing gentle fingers under Yuffie's chin, Vincent met Yuffie's gaze steadily. As she lost herself in the depths of Vincent's crimson eyes, Yuffie realised that the pain and torment that could once be seen so openly reflected there were gone. Vincent was free.
"Yuffie," said Vincent and Yuffie closed her eyes at the sensation of her name coming from Vincent's tongue. "It is not your time to die."
Yuffie's eyes widened, teardrops clinging stubbornly to her long, dark eyelashes. "I couldn't imagine a world without you Vince, that's why I jumped. And now you're saying it's not my time to die? Don't you understand? I love you. I still do."
Vincent sighed before placing a tender kiss to her forehead. "You are young and headstrong, Yuffie Kisaragi, and your love is a fierce thing. One so full of life was never meant to love a monster such as I."
"You were never a monster to me Vince," replied Yuffie sadly, "Would a monster have sacrificed himself to save the Planet?"
"You have a long, happy life ahead of you, Yuffie," continued Vincent. "You have friends who love you and a country to rule. It is not your time to die. Which is why I am giving you a gift."
"A gift?" repeated Yuffie, a frown marring her face.
"Life," replied Vincent simply, stroking Yuffie's hair. "You will live your life for both of us. Your triumph shall be my triumph. Your sadness shall be my sadness. Live, and I shall live through you."
In that moment, Vincent stooped and gave Yuffie their first and last kiss. A tear escaped both their eyes as they tasted the bittersweet agony that their separation would bring. They would be sundered and worlds apart, never again able to experience a moment such as this. The gunslinger and the ninja held one another, their mouths moving desperately to convey the desire, longing and pure, unadultered love that had always existed between them, hidden in the very depths of their hearts.
Vincent drew away reluctantly, knowing that his time was now over. His crimson eyes shone with barely suppressed emotion as he drew Yuffie into his arms for one final embrace, wishing he could spare the girl the torment of his passing. Vincent caressed Yuffie's cheek one last time, his thumb gentle as he wiped away Yuffie's tears.
"Love me, Yuffie," he whispered as his form slowly began to fade. "Love me and let me go."
Yuffie's eyes flickered open, confusion marring the girl's face as she found herself standing once more on the rooftop of Seventh Heaven.
A loud gasp escaped her mouth as a familiar hand touched her shoulder and she whirled around, fully expecting Vincent Valentine to be standing behind her. This time, however, there was no crimson gunslinger standing over her. Instead, Yuffie found herself gazing into the sorrow-filled eyes of Reeve Tuesti.
"Yuffie," he said quietly and the familiarity of the situation caused Yuffie to reel and almost lose her balance on the precipice of the rooftop.
The Commissioner caught the young ninja deftly, pulling Yuffie safely away from the plummet below.
Tears streamed down Yuffie's face as Reeve allowed the girl to bury her head in his shoulder. Reeve laced his fingers through Yuffie's short, black hair and cradled the ninja's head in an all too familiar manner that stole Yuffie's breath away.
Having listened to Yuffie's anguished cries, Reeve could bear her tears no longer… Even though the Commissioner knew that her tears were being shed for Vincent Valentine, every cry was a death knell to Reeve's heart.
The Commissioner had watched from afar as Yuffie pursued Vincent. Although Reeve knew that the gunslinger's heart would forever belong to Lucrecia, Yuffie was stubborn and strong-willed and would never give up on Vincent.
And now, she was left with nothing but memories and a tattered, crimson cloak.
Although it broke Reeve's heart to see his Yuffie so broken and crying over another man, Reeve knew that someday, Yuffie's feelings might change towards him. And when they did, Reeve would give anything to make Yuffie smile again. Reeve only hoped that in time, he could pick up the pieces of her broken heart and mend them as best he could.
Reeve knew that with a little time and patience, he could make Yuffie happy. But for now, he would hold her and not say a word as she mourned her first love. For now, Reeve would remain as Yuffie had always seen him: her most trusted friend and confidante who loved Yuffie from afar.