A/N: Tifa the Caring. She needs no reasons; she only loves.
Part II: Soul
There's always something tearing you apart
Always so much longer than you counted on
It hits you so much harder than you thought
But you don't worry, you don't worry
You got Soul
~ Matchbox 20, "Soul"
He didn't wake up once during the night. He spent the entire time cradling me in his sleep, automatically, unthinkingly. I like to think that counts for something.
God knows I didn't need to go anywhere to contemplate a reason. The reason is right in front of me. Or rather, right behind me, with an arm around my waist, and his cheek against my hair.
This is important to him. He's going to reclaim his past, fight for Aeris, for everything he holds dear. And I'm doing the same... I'm fighting for him.
Not only for him. Of course I care about the Planet, but I'm not fighting for it, either. I'm fighting for Barret and his daughter, Marlene. I'm fighting for Red in the hope that he'll live out his astonishingly long life in a world mostly unravaged. I'm fighting for Cid, and for Shera, because I know that if he just gets the chance, he'll know and appreciate what I do already about the relationship he shares with her. I'm fighting for Yuffie, for her pride and her future, and I'm fighting for Vincent and the opportunity to be healed.
It's not selfless, either. It's selfish. I can't be happy while the people around me aren't happy. And I want to be happy so desperately it tears at my heart. So, I'll fight. I'll fight for Zangan, because he believed in me, and he needed that inner fire to be happy. He needed that confidence in his students to be happy, so I'll make him proud. I'll avenge a death for Cloud, I'll save the Planet for Aeris, I'll make sure there's a nice place for Marlene for Barret's sake.
I feel happier knowing that I know these things. I hope everyone else finds a reason for that reason. Happiness is a lot easier to find when you understand why you keep on defying the world and all its Midgars and Shinra Corporations, and Sephiroths.
Happiness is a lot easier to find when you know what it is that makes you happy, and I have happiness right here, at least for a little while. So when he finally stirs, I'll ask him to stay... just a little longer... so that I can have this time with him now as a certainty. The here and now is what matters... and here is where the happiness resides.
