When the Light Returned, Chapter Fifteen

Disclaimer – I own nothing except the story idea, don't sue please

After four days of avoiding him, I finally need to face the truth.

Leon is leaving…today.

I run cool water in the sink and shakily splash it over my face. My last four days with him have been completely wasted. In a juvenile attempt to punish him and show him my anger and sadness at his decision, I locked myself in my room and refused to eat meals with the others, or see anyone, for that matter. Whenever I needed any food, I snuck out of my room late at night and took food back with me.

The whole thing was pathetic and stupid – instead of spending my last days hanging around Leon as much as possible, I've instead chosen to squander them. Oooh, I'm such an idiot!

If I believe that, however, why was I still in my room, splashing cool water on my face, pressing my hands to my red and aching eyes, and brushing my hair time and time again, instead of saying goodbye to Leon?

I still can't really believe he's going. After all, we've been living in the same area ever since I met him, since he decided to show charity and save me when he stumbled across me instead of ignore me. Even after I punched him and blamed him for the destruction of my world, he still calmingly and comfortingly talked to me and assured me that it wasn't him, that the same terrible fate had befallen his world as well. As we adventured, Leon always helped me forget pain, fear and anger.

And now he is leaving me.

Tears unexpectedly pull at my eyelids, and I angrily wipe them away. How could something like this be affecting me so much? How could I let myself get so damn close to him that now I feel like I'm going to die without him?

It's not fair. It's not…fucking…fair! I hate him, for doing this to me!

A quiet knock on the door rouses me from my furious thoughts, and I yell, more harshly than I intended, "What is it?"

Moments of silence pass, and I hear nervous shuffling from behind the door. Great. Whoever it is, I've scared them enough to not want to talk to me. Finally, Aerith's timid voice floats to my ears. "Yuffie…You know Leon's leaving today…"

I clench my hands into fists and narrow my eyes. Maybe, if I push him away enough, it will stop hurting so badly… "I don't need him. And I don't need to say goodbye. Just leave me alone."

More silence, and just as I think she's finally left, I hear her muffled voice again. "…Yuffie, I think it would be good for both of you to see him off…Please… would you?"

She's right and I know it, but my stubbornness and anger won't let me agree with her. And oh God, I'm going to start crying again. I can't see him like this and show my weakness…I can't show him how damn much he affects me. "Aerith, I already said no! I'm not going to see him! Now leave me alone!"

More silence greets me, but this time it's permanent. What have I done…? Now I can let the tears flow freely, and I fall to my bed. Leon…I'm not ever going to see him again after today, yet I can't pull myself together enough to actually see him. A little, hiccup-y laugh escapes my lips. How fucking ironic.

Some time later – it's hard to keep track of time when you're bawling your eyes out and your heart is breaking – a small noise comes to my ears through my window. Curiously, I stand on my tiptoes on my bed and look out; I can just barely make out three figures at the entrance to Hollow Bastion. It's official – Leon is leaving, and soon. They are saying their final goodbyes now. I watch, trying to keep tears from blurring my vision, as Cloud gives Leon a brotherly hug then lightly punches Leon on the shoulder. They're laughing bittersweet laughs, probably to hold the sadness in. Next is Aerith's turn, and she is talking to Leon while they hug, but I barely can't make out the words. She pulls back enough to kiss him on the cheek, and Leon pulls her into another hug.

Suddenly, as I watch Aerith step back and put her hand over her mouth, everything seems to move in fast-motion. Leon leans down and hefts his tote bag over his shoulder. Cloud and Aerith, with their arms around each other, wave like an old married couple, and their hands are almost a blur. Before turning, Leon looks up for half a second, and I know he's looking at my window, wondering if I'm watching his departure. Then he turns, and all too quickly, he's gone.

And as he disappears, I, on my own accord, leap from my bed and bodily open the door. Oh God, what was I thinking? I have to say goodbye to him…have to tell him my love…have to beg him not to leave…

It seems I'm running faster than I ever have before, shoes clapping against the cool tile of the castle, trying to hold the tears in and keep hope alive. Maybe he isn't quite gone yet. Maybe there's still time to fix my mistake…

I fling my body against the entrance doors, pushing with all my might to get them open, just as Aerith and Cloud start opening them from the other side. Bursting through them, I stumble a few more steps, panting, and scan the horizon for Leon.

The thought enters my mind just as Aerith speaks it: "He's gone, Yuffie…" A hand, I don't know whose it is, is placed on my shoulder, but I shake it off, running a few more steps. He can't be gone. I've never been too late before in my life. I've always managed to make it.

I can't be too late now…not when it matters the most…

"Leon…Leon…" Now the tears are falling even though I'm in Aerith and Cloud's presence, but I don't make a move to stop them. In my next step towards the area that Leon had occupied only minutes ago, I trip and fall to my knees. The sharp rocks that graze my palms and knees don't hurt nearly as bad as my heart. It's almost like I can still smell his musky, signature scent…

"I didn't want you to go…I love you, I love you, I love you…" Now, with every declaration of love I whisper, I see my right hand formed into a fist and pounding the ground. I now seem so detached from my body, so numb. There are tears falling down my cheeks and a few drops of blood are dripping from my fist, but I hardly seem to feel the pain of the scratches. All I feel is my heart shattering over and over with each passing second.

Another hand falls on my shoulder and squeezes briefly, and I make no move to brush it off. Cloud's voice interrupts my litany and whispers quietly, sympathetically into my ear: "Yuffie…you're about six months too late." Knowing there's nothing they can do for me, I then hear their footsteps receding into the castle, and the doors slam heavily behind me.

What have I done…?

To Be Continued

Author's Notes – Ok, one more chapter until the end, this time for real! Hope you like this chapter…this sounds somewhat morbid, but I had fun writing it. Oh, how tortured Yuffie's mind is!

Just in case you didn't get the timeline of the last three chapters, it is this - Leon tells Yuffie, three days later Cloud talks to Leon, and the day after that is this chapter, where Leon actually leaves.

Well, this story is very close to finished. Just one more chapter…Hope you like the ending. Until tomorrow, PP