There's very little that shakes him, little that he really fears. While he is afraid of Tifa returning to her world without him, that's something he's already accepted. It will still hurt, but he can hold onto one important fact: she will be alive and safe. She will be able to live on and continue to find her own happiness and dreams...even if it's without him. The sting of her not having their memories would be great, but he'd actually prefer it so that she would not be living in agony of not being able to reunite. If they have to part like that, then as cruel and bitter as it is, it's better that way.
However, Tifa dying is a whole other matter. No one knows what happens if someone dies in this world. Is it permanent? Does it cause damage to their original bodies? Are they just forced back to their original world? Can they be revived since they're all just dream versions of themselves, bits of their soul? What happens? In the end, none of that happens because there's something more pressing that Eustace would fear more.
The pain. The suffering. The terror that precedes death.
He almost lost Tifa once before on that frozen lake, an incident that jump started those more intimate feelings towards her. Being able to save her and feeling the warmth of her being alive made him realize how much he treasured her life. Treasured that warmth she always shares with him.
And then in that dreamscape with Romeo and Juliet, when they had reached the height of their mutual feelings for each other.... When he killed her and watched helplessly as her life slipped away from him... It was as if his already worn and fragile heart had completely shattered, all hopes, future, dreams, love—undone by his own hands. Because he couldn't keep control, because he failed to protect the one person he had begun to treasure most.
He had thought he had moved on, overcame that guilt. Never forgotten, of course—it was something he was always going to carry—but the nightmares had finally subsided, that guilt lessened. But now it's back in full force and unlike the nightmares he had in this place before, this one was harder to see through. This one was possible.
When Tifa finally grabs his clawed hand, he jerks back wide-eyed, hot tears still flowing freely. At first there's a flash of clarity. She's alive? Was what he saw an illusion? But that ripple of relief is torn apart when he sees her holding his hand, hears the voices in his head like he had back in the dreamscape—and feels the nightmare energy spreading up from his arm further into his body.]
—Keep away from me!
[It's all he manages to shout as he wrenches his hand free from her grip, staggering back up to his feet as he tries to put distance between him and her.
His mind spins.
Is she real or not? Is this an illusion or not? If it's an illusion then it could be the source and he needs to destroy it to break free from it. But if it's not then he would be hurting Tifa again, and let's face it—even if it was an illusion could he really bring himself to attack her? To once again relieve that moment that's deeply scarred him?
He also doesn't want his nightmare energy to spread to her. If she were to become corrupted because he couldn't control this...!
Another dark bolt of lightning strikes down between them, a strong electric current rising from the ground as if to create a wall to try and force her to stay back.]
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There's very little that shakes him, little that he really fears. While he is afraid of Tifa returning to her world without him, that's something he's already accepted. It will still hurt, but he can hold onto one important fact: she will be alive and safe. She will be able to live on and continue to find her own happiness and dreams...even if it's without him. The sting of her not having their memories would be great, but he'd actually prefer it so that she would not be living in agony of not being able to reunite. If they have to part like that, then as cruel and bitter as it is, it's better that way.
However, Tifa dying is a whole other matter. No one knows what happens if someone dies in this world. Is it permanent? Does it cause damage to their original bodies? Are they just forced back to their original world? Can they be revived since they're all just dream versions of themselves, bits of their soul? What happens? In the end, none of that happens because there's something more pressing that Eustace would fear more.
The pain. The suffering. The terror that precedes death.
He almost lost Tifa once before on that frozen lake, an incident that jump started those more intimate feelings towards her. Being able to save her and feeling the warmth of her being alive made him realize how much he treasured her life. Treasured that warmth she always shares with him.
And then in that dreamscape with Romeo and Juliet, when they had reached the height of their mutual feelings for each other.... When he killed her and watched helplessly as her life slipped away from him... It was as if his already worn and fragile heart had completely shattered, all hopes, future, dreams, love—undone by his own hands. Because he couldn't keep control, because he failed to protect the one person he had begun to treasure most.
He had thought he had moved on, overcame that guilt. Never forgotten, of course—it was something he was always going to carry—but the nightmares had finally subsided, that guilt lessened. But now it's back in full force and unlike the nightmares he had in this place before, this one was harder to see through. This one was possible.
When Tifa finally grabs his clawed hand, he jerks back wide-eyed, hot tears still flowing freely. At first there's a flash of clarity. She's alive? Was what he saw an illusion? But that ripple of relief is torn apart when he sees her holding his hand, hears the voices in his head like he had back in the dreamscape—and feels the nightmare energy spreading up from his arm further into his body.]
—Keep away from me!
[It's all he manages to shout as he wrenches his hand free from her grip, staggering back up to his feet as he tries to put distance between him and her.
His mind spins.
Is she real or not? Is this an illusion or not? If it's an illusion then it could be the source and he needs to destroy it to break free from it. But if it's not then he would be hurting Tifa again, and let's face it—even if it was an illusion could he really bring himself to attack her? To once again relieve that moment that's deeply scarred him?
He also doesn't want his nightmare energy to spread to her. If she were to become corrupted because he couldn't control this...!
Another dark bolt of lightning strikes down between them, a strong electric current rising from the ground as if to create a wall to try and force her to stay back.]