GONGAGA
1.
Yuffie felt funny.
She had opened her eyes, at last. Yet she did not feel as she was completely awake. To be honest, she did not even recall having gone to sleep.
She tried to move herself. Every gesture, motion or step forward was made more complicated by the fact that she felt oddly numb, all over her entire body. It was like trying to run while immersed in a thick, dense liquid. Like being immersed in a jar of honey
'Oh, sweet, sugary honey' she suddenly thought 'I would kill right now for a jar of honey…"
Well, at least her mind (and appetite) was as quick and lively as ever. Unlike her muscles.
Little by little, though, the feeling subsided and she could finally shift her focus on the surroundings, now that she could move freely. She opened her eyes once more and all of a sudden her sight was flooded with a flash of white light. She lowered her eyelids to shelter her vision from that relentless glare and to adjust her sight. She finally began to catch the shapes around her.
The place looked familiar and reassuring. She was oblivious to anything concerning where she could have been or even when, but the lush, green meadow she was treading barefoot, punctuated by cherry trees, felt like home
'I don't know where the hell I am' she thought to herself 'Yet I feel like I could not abandon this place for anything in this world…'
She felt like she was born again.
She rubbed her eyes with the back of her hands. It felt too vivid to be a dream. The grass was dotted with chrysanthemums, lotuses and lots of other colourful and deliciously scented flowers. Cherry trees casted shadows on the ground pierced by the rays of light that made their way through the blossoms. Not a cloud covered the blue, ethereal sky.
'This must be heaven' she concluded.
According to her knowledge of the transcendent, though, only the departed reached heaven. That meant that probably she was dead. She ought to feel sadder but the vibes and the beauty of her place had a soothing effect on her soul. Yuffie was feeling better that ever, as she walked amongst the redbuds, admiring the chirping goldcrests perched on the boughs of the cherry trees
'I wonder how did I end up here' she wondered, caressing the foliage of the tree as she passed by 'Are the spirits of the departed allowed to know about what has happened to them? I think so…'
She examined the surroundings again, but nothing particular caught her attention. It was an endless expanse of Wutaian flora and fauna. As much as that place was quaint and cute and welcoming, she was beginning to feel lonely
'Am I supposed to enjoy all this by myself? Forever?' she asked herself 'No wonder everybody thinks dying sucks, then… I could use some damn company'
Her wandering thoughts were abruptly interrupted as she spotted a figure in the distance. She quietly approached to what it looked like a middle-aged woman sitting on her knees on the bank of an exact replica of a Wutaian-styled home-grown pond. Next to the woman there was a wicker basket full of flowers she had probably picked up from the ground. Her black, long hairs were collected in a shimada and her pale and soft skin had virtually no wrinkles. The dark blue yukata she wore had a white rose embroidered on the shoulder
'Mom?' she realized, then. A smile appeared on her face as a plethora of feeling went though her soul. Eventually, she became overcome with excitement and bliss
"Mom?" she repeated, this time out loud, her voice slightly trembling in anticipation.
The woman stopped fiddling in the water with a small wooden stick and turned to her. Yuffie smiled even more, as the lady in front of her was in fact Kasumi Kissaragi, her beloved mother.
She was right as she remembered her in her heydays, before the illness took her away. She was beautiful indeed and with great chance the most lovable, caring and joyful being on Earth. Yuffie felt immensely grateful to whomever or whatever had given her the chance to appreciate once again her company. Even if that meant abandoning the life on Gaia of which she had virtually no remembrances. The heart of the ninja was exploding with love and happiness, and these feelings could not be diminished or shadowed by anything
"Yuffie!" Kasumi exclaimed, with a hint of surprise "Nice to see you came to visit your achy, old, mom!"
Yuffie started crying, as she run towards her. She reached her and grabbed her in the steady grip of her arms even before the first tear could touch the ground, nearly throwing her in the pond as she literally jumped between her arms
"Whoa, easy there, Yuffie!" Kasumi erupted in a laughter, as she was nearly thrown on the ground by the momentum of Yuffie's tackle "Your mom is quite an old lady. I can't possibly keep up with your strength!"
"I missed you, mom" Yuffie uttered, burrowing her face in Kasumi's chest, yearning for the warmth she had longed for so much time
"Hey, you surely grew up!" Kasumi observed, with her trademark jovial tone of voice which delighted Yuffie as a child "Let's have a look at the beautiful woman you are now…" she added, wiping the tears away from Yuffie's face
"Mom" Yuffie finally managed to say "What am I doing here?" she asked
"Don't be so anxious sweetie" her mom told her "It's been a long time since we last met. And back then I was not really a beauty. Am I right?" she giggled
"You have… you are always beautiful, mom" Yuffie replied, shaking her head "You are the most beautiful mom on the face of Gaia. Always been and always will be!" she firmly stated, regaining the gleam in her light. She felt relieved of a burden that stood over her heart for too much, as now she had had the chance to properly tell her mom how much she loved her
"Oh, Yuffie" Kasumi shook her head "You say so just because I'm your mother and you were so small back then. Thank the Maker you were too small to remember a thing…"
"That's the point!" Yuffie interrupted her "That's how I want to remember you. As the most beautiful mother that has ever walked across the land of Wutai, long and broad. And finally I can tell you that" she proudly exclaimed
Kasumi hugged her daughter again, rubbing her back. Yuffie threw her arms around her again
"You did quite a feat, yourself" Kasumi commented, examining Yuffie "You surely became the prettiest warrior-princess of Wutai. Hopefully you took from my side of the family, no offence to Godo of course!" she laughed again "Well, I bet there's a queue outside the Pagoda of suitors playing their chances, up to the Da Chao mountain…"
Yuffie paused. A worried smile grew on her face
"Ehm, not really mom…Not yet" she explained, embarrassed
"Oh, Yuffie" Kasumi sighed "The throne of Wutai is a serious issue. I hope with all my heart that you'll marry someone you truly love but you really think you consider your responsibilities as heiress to the House of Shinobi…"
"You do sound like dad, you know?" Yuffie replied, amused
"Ah, Godo" Kasumi sighed "Ruling Wutai is nothing as easy as it was back in the days"
"Look mom" Yuffie explained "I don't really see myself as someone nearly as… good as you at raising a kid. Let alone an entire country!"
Kasumi smiled again "Yuffie, your apprehension is all but illegitimate" she said, slowly caressing her on the cheek "But time is a valuable thing and does not come at an unlimited rate, so don't let chances slip away from your hands while you can. Or you will regret them later…"
"Does it really matter, now?" Yuffie sighed, opening her arms indicating the surroundings
"What do you mean, honey?" Kasumi asked her, puzzled
A voice came from behind them, breaking the hiatus in their conversation
"Hey, do you mind if I join the conversation?"
Yuffie turned her head instantly as she immediately recognized it.
A young girl was standing inches from the ninja's back. She must have made her way to that spot quietly and carefully, since Yuffie had not heard her footsteps at all. The princess of Wutai sprung from her place and met the newly arrived face to face.
Contemplating the blue eyes of the girl, and her auburn, long hair Yuffie felt her heart leaping from her chest and taking a dive into a sea of fondness without equals, save for her very mother
"Aerith!" she nearly screamed
The girl by the name of Aerith smiled
"Sorry for being late" she apologized, in a soft voice "but I had to take care of something really urgent"
"Don't worry dear" Kasumi shook her head "You came just in time. Watching the kois swimming in the pond is relaxing but after a while you grow tired of that easily…"
Yuffie hugged Aerith squeaking with excitement. Aerith blushed upon such an act of affection
"Enthusiast as always, Yuffie" Aerith coughed, smiling "Well I'm glad I can have the chance to see you too"
As they separated, Yuffie's face was overcastted by a shady cloud of sadness
"Aerith" she urgently pleaded "Why am I here? Please tell me! Did I…"
"Die?" Aerith finished for her. Yuffie stood in silence as she eagerly waited for an answer
Kasumi broke the silence
"Nearly, my dear" she said in a surprisingly stern voice "As far as I can tell and hear from here, you are still after trying to worry your mother like you did back in the days. Oh, you nearly turned your poor mom into a flurry mass of grey hairs with your antics…" she laughed, trying to ease any tension her previous words may have brought to Yuffie "… but I couldn't help myself loving you even more even after you pulled those stunts of yours!"
"Mom that's not right!" she protested "I was just…"
What she was doing? She did not know. What did she remember? Nothing, here's what she remembered. The most distant remembrance she had was her waking up from what it looked like and endless sleep, a slumber with no beginning. Prior to that, an awkward void
"Yuffie…" Aerith calmly , sat next to her mother, as she began explaining "It's not your time. Not yet"
"Your dress is lovely, dear" Kasumi marvelled at Aerith's attire "You know, I never really separate from my beloved yukata but I'd try something new every now and then" she commented, meddling with the laces on Aerith's dress
"Anytime, miss Kissaragi" Aerith happily replied "That means I'll get the chance to try the yukata myself…"
"You haven't done it yet?" Kasumi replied, almost shocked by the revelation
'They look like two middle-aged women chatting at the hairdresser's saloon' Yuffie thought, contemplating the scene. Despite being just a couple of years older, Aerith had a remarkable motherly spirit. That's why she got along so well with Kasumi. It was a matter of spirit
"Mom…" Yuffie murmured, her words flowing from her mouth driven by a sudden and mysterious urge "I know I still have to grow up some more. There are things I have to take care of, but they scare me. They scare me more than anything else in the world!"
Kasumi interrupted her dialogue. She turned to Yuffie, with a lovely smile on her face, as she always did
"Yuffie, sweetie" she said "Come take a place next to us!" she invited. Yuffie complied
"What are you afraid of, Yuffie?" Aerith asked, as the ninja sat down on the grass
"Responsibilities?" Kasumi guessed "Or is the fear of failing someone?"
"Both, I suppose…"
"That's because you have never really faced them, honey" her mom replied, caressing her shoulder "That's the way problems are: they become bigger and bigger when you try to run away from them"
"Then what am I supposed to do? Try to be someone better more responsible in my next life?" she cried
"Yuffie, why do you think you are dead?" Aerith asked her "I told you already it's not your time…"
"But mom told that…" Yuffie said
"I told you have nearly died" Kasumi corrected her
"So why…" Yuffie muttered, starting to feel uneasy as she still had to understand basically everything
"Sometimes people get lost on their way, and they end up here" Aerith explained, in her low, quiet, sweet tone. Yuffie stared at her like she could not look at anything else when those lips moved and let out that beautiful melody that was Aerith's voice
"At least, when they end up here" she continued "they can rest for a while and get some help to avoid straying further from their road…"
Yuffie looked back at her mom. Something in her mind lit, as she finally found the words she needed to tell her
"Mom" he asked "Is there something you should tell me?"
"Of course" her mom promptly replied "You see, Yuffie, although now I'm but one of the millions of souls in the Lifestream, I can hear Godo raving and going mad at you or at everyone else unlucky enough to get too much close to him when he's infuriated. I think you will understand rather easily why he's so bewildered"
Yuffie bowed her head, ashamed. One thing was to stand and bear her father's scolding, one thing was seeing her mom being disappointed as well. And in the afterlife, in addition to that
"But sometimes, he's sad, very sad. Sadder than he would like to show, especially to you. He's sad because he thinks it is his fault if you are the way you are, because he knows how much you miss me and he thinks he is not good enough as a father, or at making up for your loss…"
"Mom!" Yuffie quietly sobbed, startled by the revelation
"One day he will pass away and will convince himself that maybe he has done quite good as leader of Wutai, giving the current times. Too bad he will not think the same when it comes to his role as a father. Behind his harsh demeanour, there's someone who is trying to get along with his daughter but is also worried about her, about how she sees her dad. And, of course, also worried about an entire country and all the people living in it. Godo really cares about you. He's just afraid of doing the wrong move, not because he's coward of what, but because you are the most precious thing he has"
"Then why he does not admit it? It would be much easier…" Yuffie asked
Kasumi puffed "Don't wait for him to do the first step, because he will not do that. Believe me" she grinned "I've know him for a bit longer than you… Male pride is a nasty thing!"
"Yuffie" Aerith intervened "All the things your mom is telling you, you already know them. You just have to learn how to properly deal with them…"
"You are a powerful being Yuffie" her mom told the ninja "Since you were a kid you were my utmost joy and pride. Life tests us every now and then but if you look inside yourself and listen to your heart, whether will be to save the world or rule a country, you will be just fine…"
Yuffie looked at her again, her eyes filling with tears. She could feel the warmth of her mother's words reaching her heart
"Now" Kasumi invited her "Are you feeling better now?"
Yuffie nodded, smiling
"So, would you care now to come and hug your mom?" she invited
Yuffie did not have to listen to it twice. She walked to Kasumi and hugged her again
"Mom, I love you" she quietly said
"I'm proud of you Yuffie" Kasumi whispered to her "And Godo is proud of you too. Try to talk to him. I'll be by your side…"
"Mom" Yuffie continued "There's a lot more I'd like to tell you…"
"And you have a lot more to do down there" Kasumi replied, while separating form her "It's not yet our time to be together…"
Yuffie nodded again, a hint of determination now in her eyes. She turned to Aerith "Well, the same goes for you, Aerith"
Aerith smiled "I'll keep an eye on you, as well. And on whoever you'll ask"
"Thanks!" Yuffie told her, standing up and reaching for her "But how do I get back now? Is there an exit or what?" she asked
Aerith giggled "Don't worry. There's no need to hurry…"
"Oh" Yuffie muttered "Well, then I'll wait"
"Good" Aerith said, closing the distance between them "By the way, someone you know told me to say 'Hi' to you…"
A puzzled expression grew on the ninja's face "Someone I know?" she enquired
Aerith nodded "Do you remember about Kayla, don't you?"
"Kayla?" Yuffie questioned her. An eerie, indescribable sensation began to take a hold on her
"Don't worry" Aerith smiled "This will help…"
As she leant a hand on Yuffie's chest, an electric shock ran through Yuffie's spine.
She woke up. This time for real.
2.
"Did you call for me?" doctor James Bannion asked, while running towards the hospital room from which an almost inhumane cry came from
"Yes, doctor Bannion" a nurse replied, waving her hand in the direction of his colleagues in the room "She woke up!" she relayed to the doctor
"How could it be?" Bannion marvelled, still panting because of the run from his studio to the patient ward "According to the prognosis, she should have stayed in a coma for at least a week!"
"She simply opened her eyes while we were checking her treatment" the nurse told him "Then she started screaming and going for the leads on her chest"
"Has anything been done while I was coming?"
"No, doctor" the nurse replied "We were told to wait for your instruction. No sedation and no drugs whatsoever"
"Good" Bannion nodded
The newly built clinic in Gongaga was up to date and well equipped but maybe it had a capacity that far exceeded the needs of the small town. Physicians had just recently complained that the meeting rooms and studios where built too far from the patients, and the jog the doctor had to endure was a proof of that. It was simply too big.
The nurse escorted him inside the room were two other nurses where busy trying to contain the patient who was crying and jumping on the bed, apparently prey to a convulsive fit, sprawling her arms and legs around. Tubes and wires were sprawled on the floor. A corrugated pipe hang loose next to the bed
"Remind me who we've got here…" the doctor asked, while the shrieks of the patient were broken by violent fits of cough
"After-effects of a bullet wound on stomach healed by Materia" a nurse read from a file "Chances of sepsis. Post-surgery treatment. She has been into unconsciousness plus a drug-induced coma for two days"
"Current treatment?"
"Antibiotics and saline drips" the nurse referred "She was suffering from dehydration too"
"Can we proceed with a dose of Triazolam?" another nurse asked, trying to prevent the right arm of the patient from dealing him a jab
"She's been in a coma for two days" the doctor shook his head "We can't risk her to slip out of consciousness again. We might lose her for good this time"
"Then what do we do?" the nurse at the other side of the bed frantically asked, trying to negotiate both the left arm and leg of the girl on the bed
"Try to tie her to the railings, for now. Get the straps from someone at the Psychiatric Ward" he instructed "I'll try and see if we can give her something milder… or, better off, nothing at all"
"You are not going to tie me to this motherfucking bed!" the patient shouted, trying to breathe in as much air as she could as one of her fist descended on the railing
"Don't make her hyperventilate!" a nurse told his colleague "She might syncopate!"
"Just leave me alone!" the patient screamed again, trying to wrestle away the nurses "And tell me where I am!"
"Calm down, lady" the doctor told her, extracting his pen-lighter from the pocket of his vest. He placed himself over the bed, looking right into the pale face of the girl, twisted by the uneasiness of a sudden awakening from a coma and the urge to know her own whereabouts. He pointed the beam of light right into her brown eyes
"Argh!" the patient protested, grinning her teeth "Put that fucking thing away, please!"
"All right" the doctor concluded "isocyclic and isochoric pupils. That's a good sign, for a start…"
"What the hell is happening here? Somebody tell me, please!" the girl asked, finally letting go of her will to fight the nurses away from her bed. Her tone had stabilized to a more frightened rather than feisty one
"Shall we try a lighter dosage?" a nurse asked
"No, I'll try not to resort to medications…" Bannion shook his head
"Where am I?" she asked again, gasping, her breast rapidly moving up and down. At least the girl had stopped shaking
"Young lady, I'll be happy to tell you everything" the doctor began "But first I have to ask you a couple of questions…"
Tears ran on her cheeks as exhaustion began to overwhelm her. That and a bout of panic
"Where am I?" she asked again, almost begging, her voice broken by her heavy breathing
"You're in a hospital. In Gongaga. Did you know that?" the doctor replied
"Gongaga?" the girl stared at him "This can't be…"
Meanwhile a nurse was slipping the cuff of the sphygmomanometer up on her left arm. The girl just briefly tipped her head towards it to take a quick look, but without protesting anymore
"There's no need to hold her any longer, trust me" he instructed again his staff, as the nurses backed from the bed "What's your name?" the doctor asked, then
"Yuffie…" the girl distractedly answered back. The cuff on her arm began expanding "Yuffie Kissaragi"
"When is your birthday?"
"Twentieth… November" she replied, as pieces of information started to come together in her mind
"Ok, Miss Kissaragi" the doctor resumed "As I told you before, you are in a hospital. Do you remember why did you get here?"
Yuffie paused. Then she started sobbing "No" she said "I don't remember anything at all…"
"Pressure 100 on 160. Saturation at 96… Frequency at 140 but descending" a nurse quietly read out the result the monitor gave out
"Look" the doctor told Yuffie "I don't think is the case to disclose you everything at once. You were brought here by airship while tended by a medical crew. Apparently you have been involved in a gunfight or some sort of accident during a drill. That's all I've been told"
"A… gunfight?" Yuffie asked, as her heart began beating faster again "And what do you mean I came here by airship?"
Bannion was about to reply when a commotion grew outside her room. Everyone, included Yuffie, turned towards the door, as a thunderous and raspy voice blended with the sharper tone of a nurse
"Sir" the nurse in the hallway anxiously protested "This is an intensive care unit, you are not allowed to…"
"I don't give a rut" the man, as the voice implied, cut her short "Just let me see her…"
The door was slammed open and the mountainous, bulky shape of Cid Highwind appeared on the threshold. Yuffie's eyes lit with relief
"Cid" she screamed "Oh, at last a face I recognize. For Heaven's sake, what the hell is going on?"
"Jeez, don't you remember a thing?" he swore "Hey, doc! Did she hit her head or what?"
"Apparently" the doctor explained, unfazed by Cid's manners "The TAC scan and RMI showed no signs of brain damage. But the shock may have interfered with her short-term memory. Besides, medications are heavy in her bloodstream…"
"Blah blah blah" Cid scoffed "Enough of your chitchat. Is she fine or not?"
"Well, yes. She's out of danger, but…"
Meanwhile Yuffie witnessed the confrontation, without knowing whether to feel amused by Cid's outlandish behaviour or worried, for she still did not know why she was in a hospital in a place like Gongaga. From the sight she enjoyed through the window, she could spot palm trees and a clear sky. Funny enough since the last thing she remembered was a snowstorm…
'A snowstorm?'
…and a greyish, dim place. Did she grew teleportation abilities, by any chance?
"Don't worry doc!" Cid patted the doctor "She will get all the rest she needs with us"
"She is still frail" Bannion countered "I would recommend at least a couple of more days here, where we can check her progression and monitor her status more closely. She reacted pretty badly from recovering consciousness so…"
"Doctor!" Yuffie intervened. The physician turned to her, while the nurses checked the monitoring equipments around the bed
"Yes?"
"What's your name?" she asked
"Uh, Bannion" he tapped his badge with the pen "Doctor James Bannion"
"Look, I'm sorry if I have treated you or your staff savagely when I woke up" she apologized, as Bannion replied with a slight nod and briefly closing his eyes "But I truly need to know what happened… Please!"
"Maybe I can give it a try…" a voice offered
Another man had appeared at the door. He was less prominent than Cid, but he looked quite authoritarian in his grey WRO uniform.
'The WRO?'
A bell rang in her mind, as she caught a glimpse of the name tag on his uniform
"Evan?" she incredulously marvelled
"That's right" Evan nodded "Do you remember me?"
"I… I think so…" Yuffie replied
"Where have you been?" Cid asked him
"I was keeping an eye…" Evan paused, clearing his throat "… you know…"
"Oh" Cid nodded "I see…"
Yuffie grew a suspicious face
"Doctor Bannion" Evan asked "If you don't have to perform anything urgent or critical here, may I ask you to leave us alone for a couple of minutes?"
Bannion exchanged a brief look with the rest of his staff
"I think we can allow you that" he said, as he proceeded towards the door, followed by the nurses "I'll be here outside for your convenience"
"You have my gratitude" Evan smiled
As the medical staff left the room and closed the door behind them, Evan took a chair and sat next to the bed
"Well now, Evan. Cid, I'm glad to see you…" Yuffie exclaimed "So what's going on?"
"First things first!" Evan raised his hands "Yuffie, I should tell you beforehand that, as your short-term memory is a bit blurred as for now, you need to recall what happened two days ago. All right"
"Two days ago?" Yuffie asked, unbelievingly "I've been knocked out for two days?"
"Yep, sure thing" Cid grunted
"So, let's make this quick" Evan spurred her "What's the last thing you remember?"
Yuffie paused, rolling her eyes upward, almost as if it would have made recalling information easier
"Snow" she finally said "Lots of snow"
"And why do you remember snow?"
"Because…"
'Because you were in Northern Crater, sent on a special assignment by your friend Reeve Tuesti to watch out for a terrorist group that might wanted to sabotage an expedition to retrieve some Mako to prevent the world to end…'
It was like a computer being rewired again. The motherboard in her brain sparkled as the flow of memories burst through her mind like a powerful stream of water bursting through a wrecked dam
"… There it is!" she screamed "I've got it. I was on a mission with the WRO and…"
'And it went awfully bad. Half of the team sent there turned its back and joined the enemy and the other half was simply annihilated, taken by surprise'
"… and it was a disaster!" she realized, as she gripped the blankets even more firmly and drops of sweat started running on her skin to the furious pace of those sudden revelations
"Evan!" she further realized "They were on their payroll! All of them, that bastard son of a bitch of Brad Clawbourne. He killed them all… All of them!" she yelled
'And he killed Kayla as well. Remember that sweet, savvy girl who dreamt of nothing but to raise a… what did she called it… a biosphere! A zoo for nerds, basically! Well, to each their own…'
Yuffie flew towards Evan, sprawling the blankets away and reaching for the pleats for his uniform
"Evan!" she cried, eyes watered again "We must warn Reeve. The Movement, those terrorists struck at our task force but they had their agents between our ranks. They took the Mako away…"
"Calm down, Yuffie. Please!" Evan urged her, as he tried to get rid of Yuffie's hold on his attire as gently as he could
"Yeah, calm down" Cid echoed "Otherwise doc will burst in again and kick us out!"
"Calm down?" Yuffie repeated, flabbergasted and reddish "A bomb just exploded on our hands and you tell me to calm down? How can I calm down when the WRO is in danger, Reeve is in danger and the world is about to end?"
A moment of silence ensued. Only Yuffie's frantic breathing could be heard, as she repeatedly stared upon both Evan and Cid, waiting for a response
"Yuffie" Evan finally spoke "The situation is critical. But it's also complicated"
"What do you mean?" Yuffie enquired
"Reeve already knows what has happened in the Northern Crater…"
"How could it be? Nobody escaped alive from there. At least nobody of the good guys…" Yuffie wondered. Then again, a relay in her memory circuitry was triggered. Her eyes opened wide as another piece of the jigsaw had found its place
"Cade…" she murmured "Where is Cade?" again, this time louder
"Yuffie, Cade is alright, more or less…" Evan replied
"What do you mean 'more or less'?" she vehemently asked
"He's here too" Cid answered "That kid is just as thick as he is moron, if you let me give my take on that…"
"Yuffie" Evan continued "Reeve already knows what happened. Brad told him"
"Brad!?" shock and surprise gripped her mind. Brad Clawbourne, the despicable bastard that had killed Kayla and many others as well, had told Reeve that the MPM had attacked a vital mission of the World Regenesis Organization. That could mean only one thing…
"Yes" Evan nodded "As soon as Brad and the remnants of the expedition had unexpectedly returned from the Northern Crater, he has reported to the Joint Staff of the WRO that elements of the expedition had gone rogue…"
"… and those members were led by you and Cade" he concluded
"That can't be…" Yuffie whispered, filled up to the brim of her body with disbelief. They had been cheated, and for good. She felt the urge to abandon herself on the bed again, as the unexpected turn of event sucked every bit of energy from her muscles. She fall on her back with a muffled thud on the blankets
"And then what happened?" she asked, staring at the ceiling
"Apparently Brad has been appointed interim Chief of the Joint Staff, as an emergency measure, following the murder of his father in the WRO headquarters…"
Yuffie awaited the next detail of the information
"… for which Reeve has been indicted and imprisoned"
She closed her eyes. The situation was disastrous. She wondered if it could turn even worse than that
'Well, how about the world being about to be wiped away?' she realized
She sunk in her bed. Part of her just wanted to stand there, hopelessly, waiting for everything to come to an end. Both her life and the world itself. As quickly as possible. She did not want to think of his father would have reacted upon hearing the news that her daughter was a terrorist
"How? How could it be?" she murmured
"I'm sorry" Evan told her "Here, take a look at that…" he said, passing her a tablet over which a newsfeed was played
"… apparently a faction of the WRO, headed by the Director Reeve Tuesti, which is now withheld in an undisclosed location, had planned a coup d'état which has been halted by the intervention of the WRO units still loyal to the General Staff" a reporter was narrating from a broadcasting studio, with the image of the WRO Headquarters in the background "Interim head of the General Staff Colonel Brad Clawbourne has told the media that the faction headed by the impeached and arrested Director Tuesti is behind the actions of a terrorist organization, the Meteor Purification Movement, responsible for the ambush on a WRO expedition in the Northern Crater Region, headed by Clawbourne himself"
Yuffie carefully followed the broadcast, taking the tablet into her own hands
"That S.O.B. made himself a present by slapping the rank of Colonel on his chest…" Cid nagged
"Unbelievable…" she shook her head, as the journalist carried on with her report
"Colonel Clawbourne, whose father Adrian Clawbourne has been murdered in a confrontation inside the WRO Headquarters during the early stages of the thwarted coup, has also stated that two other key figures in the plot are still wanted and that a massive manhunt is underway, along with a worldwide crackdown of the elements hostile to the WRO. The identity of the two suspects has not been revealed to the public. In the other news, the disappearance in the sky of the Green Aurora has been welcomed by citizens…"
The broadcast ended. Yuffie stared at the screen
"Yuffie, I know lots of things have happened recently" Evan told her "I haven't been able to figure them all myself but…"
"Evan?" Yuffie asked
"What?"
"Why should I trust you?"
Evan briefly paused, wrong-footed by that sudden and sharp question
"Yuffie, don't worry!" Cid intervened "I'll vouch for him. Also because if he pulls a trick, his ass going to fly from the Shera at once!"
"Thanks for the assurance, Cid" Yuffie thanked him
"Is that enough for you?" Evan tentatively asked, rubbing his neck
"Yes, if Cid puts things that way, it is enough" she decisively replied "Did you come here all by yourself?"
"No" Evan said "I was in Niebelheim, following a drill of a company of the Special Intervention Service Force and Cid picked me and the squad on his way to the Northern Crater…"
"The Special what?" Yuffie enquired
"A newly raised special purpose element of the WRO. Coincidentally they had a medical team embedded at that time, so they came in handy"
"We stopped here in Gongaga because we wanted to avoid having to check you in at a clinic even barely related to the WRO. The General Staff has not yet released your identity but they will probably do it any time…"
"Anyway, don't worry, Yuffie" Cid continued "Evan here hopped on the Shera as soon as Cade sent the distress signal. If it wasn't for him we wouldn't have been able to fly past anything under WRO control… Besides, he was the only one who could possibly think that Cade was not what Clawbourne had told the General Staff" he laughed
"Cade!" Yuffie suddenly stood up "Where is he?"
"He did something very noble" Evan explained "Or stupid, depending on the case…"
"How many people would carry somebody in a snowstorm just like the one that happen in the Northern Crater with only a sweater on?" Cid told her
"He did what?" Yuffie asked, shocked beyond belief
"We found you and Cade in the middle of a storm on a plain leading to the southern edge of the Crater Region. He was barely dressed and was suffering from advanced exhaustion and frostbite…"
Yuffie nervously bit her lip
"When we found you two, he told us that you had been shot and that he managed to cure you with the Materia you had on yourself. Then he passed out…"
"Me? Been shot?" Yuffie incredulously wondered, as she lifted her shirt. A giant, violaceous bruise stood on her chest "Who… where did I get that?"
'Oh, sorry I forgot to remind you' the voice in her head kicked in 'Brad is the sadistic guy. He lodged a bullet in your chest just to make things easier for Cade. Not many people can tell the tale of how they survived a gunshot in their bowels. And you will be missing a Heal Materia or two in your pouch. Guess who used it to save you?'
So that was it, finally. Cade had saved her life, nearly at the expense of his own. Yuffie felt somehow a sense of guilt taking over. She wanted to cry. Or to pass out. Or both. She had been burdened with too much information in such a short span of time she did not even know how to react. But one thing she knew for sure. One thing she wanted to do
"I want to see him…" she said
Evan and Cid exchanged a worried look
"I don't think the doctor will like that…" Evan warned her
"Please!" he begged "Just let me… thank him at least"
Evan bowed his head. Then he stood up and made his way to the door
"Let me give it a try" he said, before disappearing behind the door
When he returned, a couple of minutes later, Yuffie was still coming to terms with the news that she had nearly been killed because. Then she remembered the dream she had while in a coma, and recalled the words her mother told her. She had still a lot of things to do. Probably her time was yet to come, and it was all thanks to the guy she had so despised initially, but that she had came to appreciate even more as she spent time with him. She could not think of how much she was fond of him right now, after he had saved his life
'And after he had lost again someone he loved' she thought, sighing at the remembrance of Kayla, her body resting on the bare, cold surface of the crater, her soul departing to the Lifestream leaving a grief-stricken Cade behind her.
Her thoughts were interrupted by Evan, who had returned from his talk with the doctor
"As I supposed" he began "The doctor is not really keen on letting you walk but since you are under our custody, I will take full responsibility for what will happen"
"Have you put me under arrest, by chance?" she asked
"At all" Evan replied "But as a member of the WRO who got injured during a drill, I'm entrusted with your safety"
Cid produced a rucksack, throwing it onto Yuffie's lap
"Brought you some brand new clothing" he said
"That's very nice of you, Cid" she replied as she sorted the continent of the bag "And they are not bad at all, although they do not really match my style…"
"Sorry about that" the mechanic replied, pulling the curtain next to the bed, providing the ninja with some privacy "But I really did not have time to stop over and pick my wife's everyday clothing"
Yuffie got rid of her hospital gown and carefully stretched her legs to pull the trousers up to her waist. Her legs ached a bit but she carried on. She wondered who wore them last, as she proceeded to slip the t-shirt and the jacket over her head
'Well, at least they don't smell funny' she thought
As she pulled the curtain open, she proceeded to descend from the bed. Luckily for her she did not have any intravenous device on her, save for a small butterfly needle still attached to the pit of her right elbow, which she left there
"Watch out!" Evan warned her, reaching for her
"Don't worry" Yuffie calmed him, testing her legs as she carefully slipped down the mattress. She had sensibility and strength, so she felt more confident and quickly stood up "See? I'm fine!" she smiled
"Good" Evan nodded "Let's go then"
They made their way for the bed where Cade had been brought to, without anyone, nurse, doctor or orderly interfering. They stopped in front of the door of the room where Cade had been confined. Yuffie swallowed as she got a hold of the door-knob
"So" Evan told her "Are you ready?"
Yuffie did not even pay attention to that question. She simply pushed the door open, slightly casting Cid and Evan aside.
The room was somehow similar to the one she had been. Bulky machines and their protruding tubes and wires stood next to a green curtain concealing the bed. She reached for it while Cid and Evan closed the door as they entered following her.
Upon pulling the curtain, she could not prevent a moan from escaping her mouth.
Cade was there, apparently asleep, an oxygen mask over his mouth. The hardships of the recovery from his ailments had taken a toll on his appearance. His skin was pale, almost greyish and his black hairs were reduced to a sprawling ball of fur sticking to his forehead. The skin that was not covered by the blankets was largely all wrapped up in bandages
"Cade…" Yuffie murmured, feeling the ground going missing under her feet
"The doctors said he suffered a severe case of frostbite and exposure, with everything that came along with it…" Evan commented
"They even said he's lucky being alive, the moron" Cid added, grumping
"They did some grafting to repair the skin that has gone missing because of the cold burns" Evan continued "Therefore he needs to recover form the surgery first"
Yuffie stood there, next to the man who had exposed himself to the fiercest snowstorms on Gaia to save her life. Guilt and gratitude were dancing hand in hand inside her, as she resolved not to cry
"The medical staff has not yet pronounced a prognosis for now" the WRO officer reprised, as Yuffie could not stare away from Cade, who was laying on the bed with the back raised to an angle "They don't know when he will wake up…"
"And if so" Cid intervened, staring away from the bed "they don't know how he will turn out to be. Damn doctors, two thousands year of studies and yet they can't even cure a fucking cold" he bitterly concluded, abruptly leaving the room. He shut the door quite violently
"Sorry about him" Evan apologized "I think Cid is not the best one when it comes to deal with certain stuff"
"It's all right" Yuffie quietly told him, as her hand ran over the bandages on Cade's arm, swirling around the tubes of the intravenous devices "Cade, why have you done something so… stupid? I told you, you had to leave me there…" she whispered, holding his bare hand, as if it would have conveyed better her message
"I think I'll leave you alone…" Evan suggested, walking outside without even waiting for an answer.
As the door closed again, Yuffie knelt beside the bed
"Cade" she began, as she tried to put words together "I… should thank you for saving my life, first. That should be quite imperative, I suppose… My father will build a monument to the saviour of the Princess of Wutai, or maybe he will just give a pat on your back" she nervously chuckled as her voice was killed by the inability to express what she felt
"I'm sorry, I suck at speeches… I even laugh when I should cry instead" she continued, her voice shaking "I'm sorry for what happened to Kayla. I know that you really loved her, despite the distance that working together put between you. And she loved you too. I don't know, I can't imagine and I can't understand what it means to lose again someone you love. Reeve had already told me about your parents, and your life… and I hope you can hear me but you are a hell of a guy if you managed to made it all this way. If only you two had made it through together you would have lived happily ever after, like in a fairytale "
"But it's all far from being a fairytale. The situation is actually mess. Is a big fucking mess" she added, wiping away a tear that had escaped her eye "Your uncle, Reeve, is locked up and the MPM and Brad have managed to put the world against us somehow. Cid and Evan are fine, thankfully. We still have some allies as far as I've understood but after everything that has happened I would give up at once, at least to spend my last days on Gaia peacefully, relaxing and trying to take care of the loose ends in my life, like having a father-daughter talk with my dad" she theatrically scoffed "But whenever I do, you pop up in my mind and I realize how much you would scold me even for thinking something like that, because you are not someone who gives up that easily. Right?"
"So, please" she concluded "I need you. I need you to fight whoever is behind all this. I need someone like you beside me, because for once in my life I know I can't do this all by myself. Please, Cade, wake up. All right? Wake up and do what Kayla asked you before she passed away, all right? Let's do this together and let's be heroes. It's cool being heroes, isn't it?"
She stood there in silence for a while, as a small tear ran over her face. She rested with her head over Cade's unconscious body, still holding his hand fast
"You know, I really hated you the first time we met" she continued, as her hand gentled his chest through the bandages "You were obnoxious, loud, harsh, impulsive… but then Reeve told me the story of your life and I realized there was something more about you. You always smile no matter what, and you had a life that would turn someone into a recluse or a criminal. I love your spirit, Cade. The world needs someone like you! Damn it, it sounds like a damn line from a fucking superhero movie…"
This time she could not contain her tears, as they wet the wrappings she was leaning over with her head. Her throat was exploding with the cry she could not dare to let out. Instead, she breathed in
"I need someone like you, in my life. I need someone who can show me that there's always a chance, that there is always hope. Please, don't make me live with the burden of your death because I would not…"
It was too much for her. She finally sobbed, and vented her pain.
Then something happened.
She felt pressure on her hand. She felt her hand being squeezed in response to her grip. She automatically raised her head and she saw Cade's eyelids lifting, revealing his eyes making contact with her own
Cade's left arm slowly reached for his mask, and he pulled it away from his face
"Yuffie…" he faintly spoke, reaching her chin with his hand "Don't tell me you are crying…"
She was in fact. And even more that before.
3.
"Damn it, Yuffie. Get a fucking grip on yourself!" Cid shouted, as he passed her a box of tissues, while the ninja silently wiped away what was left of the tears in her eyes. The rough-mannered technician seemed a bit at unease with Yuffie's display of relief.
"Ah, Cid" Cade shook his head, in a raspy, sleepy voice "I bet Shera loves watching romantic movies with you at night, right? You're a real champion of empathy" he sarcastically commented, blushing upon seeing the ninja bursting into tears upon his awakening
"All right, all right" Cid surrendered "I was just trying to… well, never mind"
"Two awakenings, one next to the other one. Both unexpected!" Bannion said in amazement "Well, it's quite a great day for being a doctor!"
"Hey!" Cade protested "Did you gave up on me already, perhaps? I'd better have to draft a will while I can, then…"
"Of course not" Bannion promptly shook his head "But we were expecting you to awake in no less than a month, in the most optimistic of the outlook"
"A month?" Cade replied with surprise, clearing his throat as he forced his vocal chords to properly resonate again "No way. I feel like I've got a million things to do…"
Behind the napkin hanging from her nose, Yuffie finally smiled for the first time she was in that hospital
"I guess you have lots of talking to do" Bannion said "I'll leave for now"
"It's good to have you back, Cade" Evan told him, as the doctor closed the door behind him "Would you excuse me if I sound pressuring, but we really needed you to open your eyes as soon as you could"
"Hey, easy there Evan" Cade commented "I'm not really the Cade of my best days right now"
"Jeez, thank the Maker or the Gods that your uncle is locked up" Cid grinned "Otherwise he would have had a permanent seizure upon hearing what have you done"
Cade tilted his head "Locked up?" he asked "What do you mean?"
Yuffie sighed, annoyed by Cid's lack of tact. Evan blushed, as he rushed to come up with a brief and exhaustive explanation
"Cade, I've already explained pretty much everything to Yuffie, already" the WRO officer began explaining "But, in short, things have gotten out of hand in a pretty bad way"
"Thing have gotten out of hand in a pretty fucking way!" Cid corrected him
"Cid!" Yuffie holled "We're in a hospital!" she reprimanded him
"Ha, like I care!" Cid scoffed "We're in a hospital, not in a church!"
"Enough you two" Cade intervened "Or I'll slip back into a coma, never to wake up no more!"
'Don't even think about that!' Yuffie sternly thought. Although, at the same time, she was genuinely laughing at Cade's newly found-again verve 'Thank Heaven he's alive!' she thought again
"Hey, put aside your comedian self for once" Evan told him "We've got a situation here, and we should stay focused on!"
"Sounds like you already got a plan…" Cade said, before violent fits of cough rocked his body. A small, faint, red spot stained the sheets in front of him
"Seems like you need to rest!" Yuffie observed, not without apprehension
"I concur with the Yuffie" Evan intervened "As miraculous as it may seem, you've undergone extensive skin surgery and still needs to comply with the full post-surgery recovery. There might be complications that might arise later on…"
Cade had just realized how painful and laborious was for him to put just the muscles of the neck in motion. To be true, all his muscles were starting to ache, as every fibre was waking up from the forced slumber and, besides, the skin under his bandages was starting to feel itchy and hot, as it regained sensibility.
He knew that something big must have happened. Cid had maybe involuntarily dropped a bomb but it did not take Cade much to think that a very nasty scenario was waiting for him.
Yet he was aware that he needed some time. He did not even had time to catch breath since he had took off from Edge
"You are kinda right…" he muttered, in a somehow muffled voiced
"Huh?" Evan asked. Yuffie stood to attention upon these words
"I mean" Cade continued "I don't remember a thing about what happened but if I look at myself I can feel like it's been kind of rough…"
"You can't even imagine how much…" Cid grunted. Yuffie fought back the urge to stomp on his callous feet
"Look, we can reach a compromise" Evan offered "Let's keep you here overnight. Then I will tell the doctor that we will move you to a medical structure operated by our staff. We will spare him a lot of paperwork, so he'll gladly accept"
"What do you say, Cade?" Evan asked
Cade thought for a little "Sounds fine to me" he said waiving his arm "A night is enough"
"What?" Yuffie said, as she was the only one who did not completely agree with the deal "Cade, you've got more bandages than skin. How could you possibly be fine after just one night?"
A brief moment of silence was broken again by Yuffie 's words "I still don't like it" she said
"As I said" Cade replied "sounds fine with me. I'll take full responsibility for what will eventually happen. I've got a bad feeling about the whole affair…"
"I'm going to catch some air" Cid announced "Hospitals stink of antibiotics and stuff!"
As Cid left the room, Cade spoke again "Care to give me a summary of what's going on, Evan?"
Evan proceeded to explain the situation. Although not showing much of it, the resume shocked Cade just as much as it had shocked Yuffie moments ago
"Damn!" Cade exclaimed "This is twisted!"
"Reeve!" he exclaimed again, after a pause "How is he?"
"He is good, for now. Apparently Brad, or whoever is behind this plot, has no intentions whatsoever to even prick him" Evan replied "We are trying to locate his current position"
"How is the search going?" he asked
"I still have some informants in Edge. We are checking every WRO transport and vehicle log to see if something relevant appears"
"What is our next move?" Yuffie asked "Let's say we find out where he has been held, are we simply going to knock the door and ask for him to be released?"
"Who we can still count on?" Cade asked
"Pretty much no one" Evan shrugged "Except for the Special Intervention Service Force, the whole WRO is on high alert and cracking down on anyone who can be effectively painted as a subversive element"
"Why has the SISF not taken the side of the General Staff?" he asked
"You'll see by yourself" Evan assured him
"It seems like the General Staff is turning the WRO into a totalitarian world government" Yuffie mused
"I'll bet that in a few days, Brad will declare the state of emergency. It will be the beginning of a military dictatorship" Evan suggested "That's why the Territorial Divisions scattered throughout Gaia are on the verge of mutiny"
"This does not make sense" Yuffie exclaimed "Last time I checked, the world was about to be annihilated by some kind of outer-space phenomenon. What's the point in conjuring up such a plot?"
"Does the population know about the Singularity, by the way?" Cade asked
"No, not yet, as far as I know" Evan recalled "And bear in mind that the Mako streaks in the sky have disappeared yesterday. They haven't been spotted since"
Cade rested his eyes. After two days of blackout, they were fatigued by the intense light of the Gongagan sun coming through the window
"This is all so strange… Too much things do not connect" he whispered
"Maybe Reeve knows something we don't know" Yuffie suggested "We have to meet with him as soon as we can"
"But how?" Cade asked "Do we have the resources to organize a rescue operation?"
"Apparently yes" Yuffie answered, turning to Evan
"Coincidentally, the S.I.F.S. was performing a drill in Niebelheim and I was assigned there along with them to report on the outcome of the exercise"
"How many people are we talking about?"
"It's a 30-men strong company, support personnel included?"
The S.I.F.S. had superior training and better equipment than the rest of the WRO infantry. Although constituting a drop in the sea, maybe they were enough to carry out a quick action, if well planned or executed
"It's kind of lopsided to me" Yuffie pondered
"Hey, wanna give up already?" Cade poked her
"Me" Yuffie blushed, recalling the exact words she had uttered while hoping for him to wake up again "Absolutely not. It's the only thing we can do, so we better do it"
"All right then" Evan smiled "The Shera will be our temporary HQ. We will meet there tomorrow when you will be released. If you do not have any other questions…
"Well, I have one, actually" Cade interrupted him
"Go on" Evan invited him
"How did you know it was not us?"
Evan thought for a moment, then he spoke "A series of coincidences. First of all, Cid could not believe that Yuffie could do something like that. He was positively sure about that. And if the initial reports from the General Staff told that Cade was acting along her, well then even Cade was innocent too. Always according to Cid, of course" Yuffie smiled upon these words "Then again, Cid showed me something very interesting upon arriving in Niebelheim to pick me and the squad up"
"And what was it?" Yuffie asked
"A piece of CCTV recording" Evan explained "He had tapped in quite incidentally into the video feed while working on some equipment"
"And?" Cade pressed him
"Apparently, Adrian Clawbourne, Chief of the General Staff…"
"Yes, go on!"
"…killed himself, rather than being killed by Reeve"
Yuffie and Cade opened their mouth in disbelief
"This is sick" Cade commented
"And apparently" Evan added "He brought someone else with him, for the sake of authenticity"
"Like father, like son" Cade commented, deadpan. That last detail only added more confusion to the general picture
"This is pretty damn serious" Yuffie said instead "We're dealing with people ready to sacrifice themselves to reach their goal"
"Whatever it may be" Cade added
"I concur" Evan agreed "I'd better go and see if the guys on the airship have dug out something interesting. What about you Yuffie?"
"Doctor Bannion told me he wants to run some tests on me to see if I'm good for sure"
"You certainly look like you're fine to me" Cade told her, causing her to smile again. Inside her, though, Yuffie was smiling ten times more at the thought of having Cade again by her side
"All right then!" Evan took a PHS from his pocket and left it on the desk next to the bed "Use this if the nurses are mistreating you" he joked
"Or if dinner sucks. Thanks Evan" Cade said "We own you one"
"Thank me when this will be all over…" Evan told him while walking outside the room.
As they were left alone in the confinement, Cade's look rested upon Yuffie
"You are not going with him?" he asked her
"Do you want me to leave?" she bitterly replied
"I did not mean that" Cade sighed "I meant…"
"I was only joking. I know what you meant" Yuffie grinned "As soon as Bannion won't call me for the exams I'll have to wait somewhere. So why not here?"
"Because this is my room. Why else?" Cade suggested
"You are really back" she said, before walking up to the chair next to the bed
Cade smiled back "How are you?" he asked her, as she sat
"Me?" Yuffie asked, surprised "I'm just fine. I should be the one asking you that!"
"Well" Cade replied "I've seen better days but I'm good, generally speaking. It could have been worse" he added, with a somber tone, as a shadow of grief darkened his face for a moment.
They both stood in silence for a while. Words left unspoken were lingering in the air
"Cade" Yuffie finally broke the silence
"Yes?"
"You saved my life" the ninja told him "I will never be able to properly thank you for that"
"I'm happy that you are alive" he said "It's just fine as it is, to me"
"I'm happy to see that you are fine as well. By the way, how is it that you look way better than before?" she observed
"What do you mean?" Cade asked, instantly reaching for a hand held mirror conveniently placed next to the PHS. He stared at his reflection on the glass. His skin had finally shed that greyish, sick hue away. He was far from regaining the appearance of his prime but as Yuffie was pointing out, he had made a remarkable recovery in such a small amount of time
"Is that what you mean?" he asked Yuffie, pointing at his face
"Sure" Yuffie confirmed, then her tone sobered "I… really thought you were gone the first time I saw you on that bed"
"We got away with that" Cade pondered "I think we simply had a lucky escape. Brad thought I would have collapsed upon seeing you on the ground"
"Instead you held your nerve" she congratulated him "Look, I'm really sorry for Kayla"
Cade bowed his head "I know" he simply whispered. Yuffie couldn't help but to reach and hug him. She sunk her face in her neck.
Cade nervously wrapped her shoulder in his arm. He found himself appreciating that kind of show of affection, even if he felt a tip of embarrassment
"I loved her too" Yuffie whispered meeting his eyes, raising her head "If there is anything I can do…"
Cade shook his head "Just fight… as you have done before. That is all that I can think of asking from you"
"I suppose you're right" Yuffie agreed
"Not that it will be easier from now on" he observed
"Well', we've got to give it a try, right?"
"Absolutely"
They stood in silence for a moment. Yuffie sat back on the chair, then spoke again
"Look Cade" she sighed "Reeve, he told me what happened to you"
"What happened to me when?" he enquired
"Your parents" Yuffie specified
"Ah, I see" Cade said "I knew that"
"How did you know? Did he told you?" Yuffie asked, quite perplexed
"No" he smiled "But when you came into this room for the first time, when you where alone with me, I could hear you"
Yuffie blushed, as she had just being exposed stealing cookies from a jar "Oh, I see" she said
"Why do you think I woke up?" he asked
"Don't know" she answered, her voice shaking "Maybe it was just time"
"Yuffie, I heard every single word you told me" Cade told her "And I'm happy that you think of me in those terms"
"Compared to the first time we met it's a big leap forward" she nervously laughed
"Sure it is" he laughed back. Then he stood in silence for a while, as Yuffie waited for his next line to be spoken
"And I'm also happy that there's someone like you beside me right now" he concluded
Yuffie blushed again. It was the first time in a while since someone had told her something like that 'See, dad?' she thought 'There's at least one person in the world that appreciates me!'
"I'm…glad to hear that" she simply replied, trying not to stutter. The world probably was on the verge of annihilation and they had to fight an army times and times bigger than theirs but at least they had each other. It was comforting for the both of them.