Chapter 7: Chris Talonflight: Fear
I stood back at the base on Hollow Bastion. Yuffie was furious with me. She was angry, not that I hadn't told her that I was going, not that I had gone up and nearly gotten myself killed, not that I was in mortal danger… but she was angry that she hadn't gotten a chance to go with me.
"It isn't fair!" she said. "You guys should have called me! I'm a Guardian, just like you. I could have done something!"
"Actually, Yuffie," Tifa said, trying to placate her friend, "we all ended up being pretty useless ourselves. Only Chris, Ansem, and Ashley ended up being useful-"
"That's not it!" she yelled. "I… It's hard to explain!" she suddenly wheeled and ran out, tears dripping. Leon started after her, but I shook my head. I'll go, I mouthed. Leon nodded.
I caught up with Yuffie in the alley. I merely walked silently beside her, my arm around her, holding her as she cried. When the tears finally slowed, I started speaking.
"Yuffie… I know you sometimes feel as if we're excluding you, and I know that-" I started. Surprisingly, Yuffie cut me off.
"That's not it!" she said. "Its that you were up there and I wasn't." she said. "I know that probably sounds terribly selfish, but I just can't help the feeling that I could have done something! You were nearly killed! I could have helped you!"
With a start, I realized that Yuffie wasn't mad about missing the battle: she was mad because she thought she could have protected me from nearly getting shot down by an Insomnion. She was worried for me. I had interpreted what she was saying all wrong.
"Yuffie…" I said carefully. "We live on the edge of death every second. We're Guardians, just like you pointed out. It's our job to battle anyone who threatens our world. Our own survival isn't guaranteed; in fact, we're in greater danger then we usually realize. When one lives on the edge of death… well, you have to live every day as if it's your last." I smirked. "After last night, I could have died any way in hell today, but because I had been with you, I could have faced it calmly and content. I love life, and if I died it sure would suck, but ever since we've been together I've felt more alive then I ever have. I would love to stay with you forever, but if I die tomorrow… not that it would be for lack of trying to stay alive (since my death would suck for you too), but I would be content. I mean, look at what we've done: we've saved the worlds twice, found each other, and-"
"Chris." Yuffie interrupted me. "I get it. And in all honesty, I feel the same way." She paused. "but can you imagine what it would do to me if you died and I was left behind?"
I froze. If I lost Yuffie, I would kill myself. So if I died and she survived…
I immediately wrapped her in my arms. "I understand." I said. Yuffie clung to me with desperation.
"It's just that so many people in my life always die!" she wailed. I continued holding her, allowing her to let it out. "Vincent, Tidus, Bartz, Barret, Marlene, Denzel, even Johnson, although I'm not sad that he left." She looked up to me, her violet eyes shining with tears of fear. "If you died…" she placed her hand on my cheek. "… If I lost you too…" her face was extremely close to mine. "… I would die too."
Our faces were less then an inch apart in the darkened alley. I could smell her new perfume.
"Forever, Yuffie." I whispered. "I will always be here for you."
Our lips touched, and the entire world dissipated into the point where our lips made contact, a blinding pinpoint of acceptance, forgiveness, and understanding.
