Ninja And The Demon – Chapter 10
Never Forget
Chaos knew that it was now or never. While Yuffie was painting in the studio, he snuck in and left a dress on her bed, ready for her to wear that night. He slinked out of her room and went up to the attic with a sly grin on his face. The poor ninja wasn't going to know what hit her tonight.
Yuffie sighed and washed out her paintbrushes. The painting was coming along great, and she really wanted to show Chaos, but she didn't want to explain where the inspiration came from.
It was a man standing in darkness, and the only bright color in the painting was his blood red cloak. He held a long gun, and was resting it against his right shoulder, his finger on the trigger. Long ebony hair fell into his eyes, hiding his right eye completely, but a red bandana held most of his hair back. Yuffie was proud of herself, she really was. This entirely came from her imagination… or rather her dreams. But it didn't matter.
As soon as she washed out her paintbrushes, Yuffie waited the canvas to dry long enough before she put the canvass back over it. She didn't like people seeing the work in progress. She had a gut feeling that tonight was going to be special, and she wasn't very far off either.
Leaving the studio, she went into her room to freshen up, only to find the most beautiful dress lying on her bed. With a squeal, she dashed over and plucked it off of the bed and admired it.
"Oh Leviathan… please let it fit…" she whispered, setting it back down. Stripping down to nothing, she put in on and with relief noticed that it must have been specially made or something. She didn't know how it had gotten there, but it must have been Chaos. Now where he got it was a mystery, but Yuffie didn't really care. She dashed into the bathroom and put on makeup quickly, and avoided getting it on her new ball gown. She put her hair up in a bun with a few strands hanging down, framing her face delicately. With a grin, she studied herself in the mirror, and squealed.
Tonight was certainly full of surprises.
She dashed out of her bathroom, and put on some shoes in her closet. She was about to leave, only to find a note on her bed. Picking it up, she unfolded it and read what was written in it.
Tonight is a night that you will always remember. I hope that you will never forget it.
-C
She smiled as she read, and let the note fall to the floor as she left the room in a rustle of skirts.
When she stepped out of the room, she noticed a pool of rose petals at her feet. Looking where they led, she noticed that there was a trail of them going down the stairs. She followed them down the stairs, into the hallway, and to a part of the house that she had never been in before. When they finally stopped, she found herself in front of a set of very ornate doors. She swallowed nervously and opened them, but only they opened by themselves.
Yuffie looked into the darkness and was slowly becoming frightened, was this some kind of joke to scare her? If it was… it was seriously working. But, to her amazement, the lamps along the wall slowly lit up, revealing a huge ballroom. And standing in the middle… was Chaos.
He wore a long, red cloak that matched his eyes, the collar around his face unbuckled so his entire face was visible. He smiled as she entered the ballroom in the dress that he had found.
It was baby blue with the occasional sequin on the corset like bodice. The skirt was white with a pale blue overlay that shimmered when she walked. Her hair was up in a bun, and the lamplight gave it a healthy glow.
"Well? I assume you like it because you left it in my room." Yuffie said, giving him a twirl.
He smiled, "I do like it, but I must say it looks a lot better than I envisioned it."
"Aw, you give me too much credit." She waved it off, blushing from his compliment.
"I'll give you as much credit as you deserve." He told her sincerely, and took her gently by the hand. As he led her to the center of the dance floor, music began to play.
Yuffie laughed, her eyes dancing. "Oh you planned this really good."
He smiled down at her and gave her a wink, "No, this was just spur of the moment."
"The day you do something like that is the day I'm going to use big words." Yuffie muttered as Chaos laughed.
You know I can't smile without you
I can't smile without you
I can't laugh and I can't sing
I'm finding it hard to do anything
You see I feel sad when you're sad
I feel glad when you're glad
If you only knew what I'm going through
I just can't smile without you
The couple had been waltzing for the chorus, but they soon stopped and began to slow dance. Chaos looked gently into her stormy gray eyes while she looked back into his.
You came along just like a song
And brightened my day
Who would have believed that you were part of a dream
Now it all seems light years away
Chaos' thoughts drifted to the past few months in Yuffie's company, and realized just how much life and laughter she had brought back to this mansion. It was finally looking like it did thirty years ago in all of its glory. Without her, he would still be the dark and gloomy demon that he looks like. But since she came, Chaos realized what it was like to truly live again.
And now you know I can't smile without you
I can't smile without you
Ican't laugh and I can't sing
I'm finding it hard to do anything
You see I feel sad when you're sad
I feel glad when you're glad
If you only knew what I'm going through
I just can't smile
Now some people say happiness takes so very long to find
Well, I'm finding it hard leaving your love behind me
Chaos truly couldn't imagine what his life would be like if Yuffie hadn't come. He actually found himself not wanting to think those dark thoughts. 'Yuffie's rubbing off on me.' He thought with a smile, realizing that he didn't mind very much.
Yuffie broke off their gaze, and rested her head on Chaos' broad chest, her cheek resting against the cool red material of his cloak. She realized that it was the exact same cloak she painted, but she didn't dwell long on it. The steady lull of his heart was sending her to cloud nine.
And you see I can't smile without you
I can't smile without you
I can't laugh and I can't sing
I'm finding it hard to do anything
You see I feel glad when you're glad
I feel sad when you're sad
Chaos always noticed that his mood somewhat reflected Yuffie's, and that just made him smile. Who ever knew that a demon like him could be melted by just a simple smile? Or that a pure laugh could make his day just a little brighter? Definitely not him, that was for sure. Chaos knew now that Yuffie made him smile. She was definitely the laughter out of the both of them. If tonight went out as planned, hopefully she would always be the laughter.
If you only knew what I'm going through
I just can't smile without you
As the music faded, Chaos and Yuffie stopped dancing. She smiled hesitantly, and stood on tiptoe to kiss him on the cheek. He smiled when he felt the kiss, and he hugged her tightly. He was about to go into the speech he had been rehearsing all day when a crash was heard.
"Come on, this way!" a man shouted.
Chaos' senses knew that who ever these people were, they weren't here for pleasure. They meant business. And he didn't even want to think about what that was. He scooped Yuffie up and took flight, flying straight for a closed window.
"Yuffie, duck!" he cried, spinning just before he hit the window so she wouldn't cut, allowing the glass to cut his back. He roared when shards of the sharp glass cut his wing, but he kept going. He strained to fly up to the attic, and finally made it.
He crashed through another window, and set Yuffie down on the floor.
"Chaos… those are Godo's men…" she whispered, watching him run to the door and lock it.
"I know." He said softly. He came back over to her and hugged her as close as he could, inhaling the scent of her hair, and memorizing the way she fit perfectly into his arms. Just as fast as he grabbed her, he put her in an armoire. Before he closed the door, he met her teary gray eyes.
"Yuffie, you must promise me that no matter what happens that you will not come out of this armoire until these men are dead or leave. Do you understand me?"
"Chaos…"
"Do you understand me?" he said harshly, his voice cracking slightly.
A lone tear slid down her face and she nodded. But before he could close the door, she leaned in quickly. Avoiding his fangs, she placed a quick and light kiss on lips. He looked like he would rather die than shut that door, but he did anyway.
Darkness enveloped her. She heard the door hit the floor, and men troop into the attic.
"Where is the Lady Yuffie?"
Chaos snorted, "You really think I'm going to tell you that?"
A woman laughed, "Do not hide her from us you demon. There is no way we will allow her to stay here with the likes of you."
"We will bring her home with us whether you like it or not." Another man sneered.
Chaos growled. "If you will take her, you will have to pry her from my cold, dead HANDS!"
The woman screamed, and the men drew their swords. Fighting ensued, but Yuffie had no idea who was winning. She leaned her head back and prayed to anyone who would listen, the Planet, Leviathan… anyone… that Chaos would prevail.
After a few minutes, a body fell to the floor with a sickening thud. Swords were sheathed, and Yuffie's heart leapt to her throat. Who fell?
"Come on. The Lady Yuffie isn't here." The lead assassin said, and the rest left the room. Yuffie's heart rate was going out of control.
"No… no not Chaos…" she whispered. She opened the armoire door and was instantly at Chaos' side.
She turned him over, careful to avoid crushing his wings. She didn't want to cause him any more pain than he was already feeling. Yuffie rested the demon's head in her lap, her elegant dress pooled out behind her. "Chaos… Chaos answer me…" she whispered through her tears.
In response, the demon slowly opened his blood red eyes. "Yuffie…" he chocked out before he coughed.
"Chaos! Oh thank goodness, you're alive!" she cried, a smile appearing on her face through her tears. When he didn't answer, her smile vanished. "Chaos?"
"Yuffie… you know the first picture you painted here? I saw it."
"You… you did?" she asked, wondering where this was going.
"That man… next to my face… that's me. Well, what I would look as a human after being a demon. Before Hojo did this to me… I had dark green eyes, and my hair was shorter."
"You mean you've never seen yourself as a human in thirty years?" she asked in a soft voice, tearing the hem of her dress and held it to a bleeding wound.
"Don't do that." Chaos said, trying to push her hand away. "It's pointless."
"Don't tell me something is pointless!" she cried, her tears beginning to fall. Chaos didn't protest about it after that, but he knew that it wouldn't do any good.
"No… I've never seen myself as a human. I-"
"You'll see yourself as a human! You have to learn how to love, I've read the story!" Yuffie said, putting a hand on his cheek. "You've learned to love… haven't you?"
"It doesn't matter. She has to say that they love me back. Otherwise this curse would have been broken long ago."
Yuffie's eyes widened. He loved her? A demon loved her? She wasn't worthy of anyone's love. But he did! He would live because he loved her! But he needed her love in return… but she had to say it, she knew she did.
"Please… don't leave me Chaos… I love you."
The smile that Chaos gave was the most genuine as smiles could get. It was filled with happiness, peace, and love. "Yuffie… I'm so sorry." He whispered. "I'm so sorry that I'm leaving you like this."
"No… you're not leaving me… you'd never leave."
"I know… but…"
"Chaos, you are NOT dying!" Yuffie sobbed.
"Yuffie… I'm old enough to be your grandfather. I was 27 when Hojo did this to me. I'm 57 now, a little older than your father. I… I can't."
"But that doesn't mean you have to die Chaos!"
"If I could change it… I would." He whispered, his voice cracking. "But I can't. I'm so… so sorry Yuffie…"
"You can't tell me that you love me and then die like that… that's not how it works." Yuffie said, desperate for him to hold on.
"Nothing ever worked like it should have in my entire lifetime. I had a bad life in every possible way. I lost my family at a young age, and I joined the Turks. I did horrible things. I've done worse than threaten people. I wasn't the bystander at a shooting; I was the man behind the gun. Yuffie… you wouldn't want a man like me."
"But I do! I don't care! That was your first life! Think of this as a new one!"
Chaos let out a hoarse laugh. "Yuffie… I can't. I'm sorry… I'm so sorry…"
Yuffie began to sob, but she sobbed even harder when she saw a tear leak from Chaos' eye. It seemed that when she found something she wanted, it was always taken from her. She hoped that this time would be different… but it wasn't. Her mother's death was happening all over again, but this was much worse. More real… and more painful.
"Chaos… I love you…" she whispered, opening her eyes to meet his red eyes.
He blinked, his sight becoming cloudy. "I love you too Yuffie… never forget that."
As Yuffie's sobs grew louder, Chaos' eyes closed for the last time.
The demon known as Chaos would never see the light of day… again.
A/N: Please... don't leave and hate me because of this. Next chapter is coming tomorrow...
Chaos'babe
Tishannia
for always x
The Red Hawk
saharasfury
Thank you all for reviewing... please stay with me...
-Vincent's Angel of Chaos-
P.S. Song is Can'tSmileWithoutYouby Barry Manilow. The song that I listened to was My Immortal by Evanescense... prolly why it turned out the way it did.