Note To Readers: If you guys haven't noticed by now, I write one-shots because I need a little break in writing long fanfics and an idea just hit my mind. When I need a break, I don't watch TV or something, I write one-shots. So here is my one-shot of Nino and Jaffar. This will be in Nino's POV. Enjoy. Also, I don't own Fire Emblem or any of its characters. My tactician is Ada, but that does not matter in this one-shot. If you enjoy this one-shot, please be sure to check out my "Sword in Two" one-shot.
You come to love not by finding the perfect person, but by seeing an imperfect person perfectly.
-Sam Keen
The most important thing a father can do for his children is to love their mother.
-Theodore M. Hesburgh
By Potter29Vo
The borderline was there for a reason…to separate Bern and Lycia. This is how I would describe the invisible line between Jaffar and I. I hated this invisible line between us. We were so different, yet we are so close. The walk lasted forever, a small eternity that I have to endure. I must find him. I must look for him. I must see him again.
Another step was like death, the next one harder than the last one. I looked up and down, from tree to tree, even where I knew he must not be. But this was all lost since I cannot find him. The bounty hunters went after him…he was brave…he was bold…he rather left us than let all of us suffer. I don't know what to say, all I can do is think. Where can he be?
That man is Jaffar. The name brought sorrow and pain to me, but no matter what I must find him. He cannot hide from me forever. Our twin boys need a father and he's the only father. One that cannot be replaced, one that can never change. He was perfect. In my eyes, no matter what anyone says about him… he was perfect.
Jaffar might be dead for all I know. But I will never stop looking for him. Never. I would never forget that night… the last time I see his sweet face. It was one rainy day. It was as if faith collided since the day I lost my parents was also a rainy day. I remembered the events so vividly.
"Jaffar, I finally got the twins to sleep. Why the sad face?" I asked as I saw the expression on his face. The expression I knew so well. I sat down beside him and placed his arm over my shoulders. This is all I wanted, to spend a little time with him in our small contented home. My home was so different from the Black Fang's base. It has this sense around it that you can definitely call your "home".
"Nino, why do you love me?" Jaffar asked unpredictably as I can feel my hand shivered at the thought. I knew Jaffar was straightforward enough to me. I loved him because of that, but there are other reasons why I love him as well.
"What do you want me to say?" I asked him back as he gave a little shrug. One thing about Jaffar that I always admire was his sense of pride. He doesn't smile at all, but I know it's always there. Some things are better left alone. Some people smile all day and all night long, but who knows if they're faking it or not? But with Jaffar, there is no such word that means "faking". Jaffar is real and he's in front of my eyes. He might not smile, but I wouldn't trade it for the world.
"Nino, please answer me." His voice was severe, not a single hint of joking. But of course, Jaffar never jokes around even if he wanted to. I tightened my grip on his arm as I hugged him tightly around the waist. The windows were pounding by the hard rain outside our small house.
"Jaffar…I just love you, there is no particular reason why." My answer was simple and easy. I knew Jaffar would understand, but it seemed he wanted a real complete answer since he was now staring at me with the most firmed eyes I ever seen.
"Nino, please tell me." It almost sounded like he was pleading me for the answer as my heart softened. He had the deepest effect on me that no one can. The one you know you would do anything for that person.
"If you love someone, you don't hesitate or think if you love that person. You just do. You don't think, you know you love that person. And in my case, it's you Jaffar." I explained in dept for him to understand. I knew I sounded a bit too dramatic but that is how I feel about him and I must answer truthfully. That's how a relationship work, especially when you're married and have twin boys.
"Nino…do you ever question why I never say 'I love you' to you every day?" Jaffar asked another complicated question as I simply shook my head. He continues. "Because if you love a person, you cannot directly say 'I love you' to that person so easily. It's not that simple. I don't know if you understand this, but when I first said 'I love you' to you…it wasn't easy at all. I cannot get the words out of my mouth and this is why I do love you. Loving someone doesn't mean just simply saying 'I love you' but willingly to trade everything in the world to be with that person."
After that explanation, I don't know why I felted so weird. Jaffar said it so much in depth that it made me feel ashamed of my lame answer before. He was right. Saying "I love you" to someone was difficult and hard. If you can say it so easily, then it's not love anymore. I smiled at him for telling what's on his mind. "Jaffar…something must be bothering you…why are you telling me all this?"
Jaffar pulled me firmly to look into his eyes. The room was silent. We stared at each other's eyes for a while before he spoke. I never felt so nervous in my life. "Nino, what if one day I have to leave you, would you wait for me?"
Tears started forming in the corner of my eyes. Why is he saying these things? "Jaffar, don't leave me. What did I do wrong?"
"Nino, you did nothing wrong. Please, answer my question. If one day I have to leave you, would you wait for me?" Jaffar asked again with much more emotions into it. Emotions of sadness, and anxiety to know the answer to his question. Tears started dripping from my eyes now.
I wiped them away as more kept coming. I cannot bare the thought of him leaving. But if he wants an answer, I have to give him that answer. I tried not to choke while I speak. "Of course. No matter where. No matter when. No matter why. I will wait for you." Jaffar pulled me into a tight hug.
"That's all I wanted to hear. I love you, Nino."
"I love you too, Jaffar."
I lied. I didn't wait for him. I walked up the hills, the endless sea of grass. It was one fine sunny day, yet foggy as well. I continued walking silently to myself, as the wind blew silently by. I did not stop walking nor did I talk either until a small gravestone was emerging from the earth from where I can see. My legs had no more strength left as I walked closer and closer to that gravestone. I finally got myself to kneel solemnly down by its side.
My eyes soon filled with tears once more. It wasn't the fact that I was here or something got in my eye that these tears started forming, but it was something deep inside. Something that wanted to let go, something wanting to be freed. My green hair was blown gently into my eyes as the sun soon started to highlight the sky with its wondrous reddish glow. I smiled to myself. A faint one.
Emotions were building up inside me as I looked at the marker glumly without a care in the world. I heard faint footsteps as a shadow was cast over me. It was Lord Eliwood. He wanted to see me and to see if I was in good health. I really didn't care who was around me or what was going on, as I didn't make a move of showing him that I knew he was there. He didn't seem to mind though.
"Nino, did you talk to them?" Eliwood asked softly, trying not make me feel uncomfortable of any kind. I didn't want to answer since my voice seemed to be taken away. But I knew that I must. He is referring to my parents.
"No." My answer was so simple and short that I wonder if Lord Eliwood would understand what I barely said. He found this very unusually, actually, because I am usually happy and carefree, but today, I didn't want to talk about anything at all. Not a single word. He seemed to understand how I was going through as he kept the questions to himself.
I looked back with salty tears in my eyes and found him standing with my twin boys in his arms- Lugh and Rei. I choked back my tears as I reached out for them. I held them tight in my arms, trying to find the right words to thank Lord Eliwood but I found none suitable enough. I took a big breath before I spoken my first sentence to Lord Eliwood.
"Where do they go when they die? What happens to those who left us behind?" I asked suddenly. I knew these questions were rather rude and awkward to ask especially to Lord Eliwood since his dad also departed as well. He was a lord and he took the time to visit me and even brought my boys with him. I felt grateful, yet awful at the same time.
Lord Eliwood did not say a word. I thought he was angry or upset by those foolish questions of mine, but nevertheless he answered them. "I truly believe that the ones we love, living or departed, always stay with us. They never truly leave us, they are always in our hearts. At least that's what I believe." He paused for a moment and searched my eyes for a second. I really wanted to have the ability to read his eyes and knew that he was truly telling me the truth. "I also believed that no matter where we are and where they are, we can always speak to each other."
"You mean…even if they leave this world?" I asked my question out loud as Lord Eliwood nodded in reply. He kneeled on the grass by my side and spoke softly.
"I always visit my father every week and speak to him about how everyone is doing and how the whole continent of Lycia is doing. I would tell him things from bad news to good news. But you know what Nino?" Eliwood asked so suddenly that made me jump a little. I shook my head, still unable to speak.
"My father already knew all that. He knows how much I have grown and have a family and what I do every day. I know he's watching over me, even if he is not right here in front of me. And I believe your family is watching over you as well. My father is always there for me, even when I don't need him."
I don't know what to say. No one had told me something so personal before. In all my life, I was always the last one to know anything. Like how Sonia wasn't my Mother and how my family was killed by Nergal and Sonia. I was dreading every second, thinking what to say to Eliwood. The seconds felt like forever, always silent.
I felt weak and small in this world. Here I am trying to say something to my family when all I can think about is my old Mother and how much she blocked everything in my life away from me. My life was a lie. Everything was a lie. I wanted to speak to my parents, I really do. But how can I speak to my parents when I never knew a single thing about them? To me, my family was like a vision in a lost dream. How am I supposed to think of the person in front of me as my Mother when all this time I thought Sonia was?
For so long, too long, I only known Sonia as my Mother and nothing more. I had known nothing about my family except for what they look like and their names thanks to Uncle Canas. What should I say to them? A family you have never known existed…I thought long and hard until something finally hit me. Something that I know I was ready to talk about. The only subject I feel comfortable talking about right now at this moment. I straightened up as Eliwood gave a patient nod at me.
"Mother…Father…let me introduced you to Rei and Lugh." Eliwood jerked immediately in surprise. He wasn't expecting me to say those words. "As you can see now, Mother and Father, they are only a few months old and cannot talk yet. If they could talk, I will make them talk to you right now." Lugh and Rei opened their eyes now and stared at their mother in confusion.
I gave them a little smile before I continue speaking. "Their father is Jaffar. He's not here right now, but I can assure you guys that he is the sweetest husband you can have." These words brought more silent tears to my eyes. I was on my way to find him without my twin boys when I came across this place and I decided to stop by. Jaffar…
"Jaffar!!! Jaffar!!!" I found a piece of paper on the table. I knew immediately it was his handwriting. I held it so closed to my heart that it touched my shirt. I can still smell his fresh scent from the paper. He was gone. I will never forget what he had written on that piece of paper. It was written quickly and simply. The note says:
Forgive me. Wait for me.
Eliwood stood up and walked away silently, not bothering me anymore. I stood up as well, standing on the soft ground. I decided to, at least, thank him before he left as I ran after him with the twins in my arms. Eliwood stopped as we gazed at each other silently. He was the first one to speak. "Do you ever wonder what would happen if your family was never killed in the hands of Nergal and Sonia?"
I gave him a big smile, the first real one I had all day. "All the time, I always wonder what would happen if Nergal and Sonia never killed my parents and we all still living today. But you know…things happen for a reason and if everything happened for a reason, then it would have never turned out differently anyways. So I stop wondering and start listening to my heart and just glad to know that I actually had caring parents who loved me very much."
Eliwood's face lightened up as he stared at me with much admiration. "Nino, you have matured. You're not the same girl I met a few months ago. I see that your time with us changed your life." I nodded to show my understanding. "But you know what? People who left us took the easy way out, the person they left behind are the hard ones to struggle through life. And you, Nino, conquer that quest."
With those last words, Eliwood left. I watched him go until he was nothing more than a speck. I turned around and stared at the gravestone once more. I mumbled to myself. "Thank you Mother and Father. Thank you for always looking over me. Please give me enough strength to find Jaffar because he is the world to me."
I walked away when I heard a fine whisper. "To the world, you might only be one person. But to me, you are the world." I closed my eyes. It must be the wind. It must be. But I don't care as I spoke back to the whisper.
"A relationship is like a rose…how long it lasts, no one knows…Love can erase an awful past…Love can be yours, you'll see at last… To feel that love, it makes you sigh…To have it leave, you'd rather die…You hope you've found that special rose… Because you love and care for the one you chose. Jaffar, you're my special rose."
That's the ending! I know that was a really pathetic ending, but I liked it like that. This might be confusing if you don't know what happened to Jaffar and Nino at the end from the game (Ending to Nino/Jaffar support conversations). The bounty hunters went after Jaffar, and Nino and her twin boys went all over the place to look for him. Also, the ending lines I didn't really make it up but actually love quotes by very famous people. Thanks! Love you all! R & R