I SHOULD HAVE AND I'M SORRY

(a/n: italics are flashbacks)

"I can't wait for today's battle! This is the one that decides it all! I'm so nervous!" an energetic young girl said to her friend.

It was early morning and the army of Crimea was preparing for the upcoming battle against their enemy, the kingdom of Daein. This was the battle that would determine whether the Crimeans would win their homeland back or lose it to their enemy forever.

For the past year or so the loyal army of Crimea fought their way to the capital of the enemy nation who had invaded them for apparently no reason at all. Now the time had come to defeat Daein and win back their home land, and pretty much everyone was nervous.

Rhys, a calm, red-haired young healer, turned to look at the girl who had spoken to him. Her name was Mia and she was the most beautiful person he had ever seen. She had long, dark purple hair and sparkling emerald green eyes. She was hyper, loud, annoying and the complete opposite of him, but he loved her. He only hoped with all his heart that she would one day return his love.

Rhys was sure that he would find out if Mia did return his feelings within the week because he planned on confessing his love that night. He was more nervous about that than the battle waiting ahead.

Rhys smiled at his companion. "No need to worry, Mia. We'll defeat the Daein army, restore peace to our lands and live happily ever after."

Mia laughed and smiled back at him. "'Live happily ever after'? Wow Rhys, who knew you were so corny." Rhys blushed and she laughed again before she looked down at the ground. "But you know…the only way I'd be able to live happily ever after is if you were there with me, Rhys." Mia smiled and looked up at him, "After all, you are the sole man of my destiny! The one bound to become my arch foe! So, don't get yourself killed out there alright? If you do I'll never speak to you again!"

Rhys stood staring at her. What did she mean? Was she trying to tell him something? "Mia…I won't die, I promise you. But you have to be more careful than I do. After all, I'm just a healer, you're a soldier. You're the one who's going to do all the fighting, not me."

"Yeah I know, but I'm the one who was supposed to have taught you how to fight! If you die it won't look too good on me." Her green eyes filled with sadness again. "Rhys…I just can't bare the thought of losing you. So please, don't die on me? Okay?"

"Mia…" That was all that Rhys was able to get out before General Ike called for the troops to get ready.

'Ironic how that turned out.' Rhys thought as he stiffly rolled over on his small cot. He reached for a handkerchief and wiped his red, puffy eyes with it, but the use of energy was pointless, more tears took the place of the ones he had just wiped away.

Rhys was in the room he'd been given near the medical wing of the Daein palace. It had been about a day since the Crimean army had taken the Daein palace, but Rhys didn't care.

His sense of time had vanished. He was lost in his thoughts and his memories and he wanted nothing to do with the discussions taking place upstairs. The Daein king wasn't here. They had to go back to Crimea. Although most of his comrades were happy to be going back to their home, Rhys just didn't care.

'Mia would be so happy to be going home.' This thought brought on a new wave of tears. He shut himself off from the sounds coming from outside of the room and remembered what had happened.

The small army of General Ike was struggling its way past the Daein army into the palace throne room. The sound of battle could be heard for miles outside the palace. The ringing of sword meeting sword, the sound of arrows being released from their bows, sounds of spells cast by mages, all could be heard.

The Crimeans were quickly driving back the enemy army and victory felt just inches away. General Ike and his stronger soldiers had gone ahead to the throne room to defeat what they thought would be the Daein's ruler, King Ashnard, leaving behind Rhys, Mia and the others to take care of the remaining army or reinforcements that might come.

Rhys, being the army's best healer, was busy running about healing various wounds that the Crimean soldiers had taken. He just finished healing Rolf when he looked up and saw Mia engaged in battle with an enemy knight. Thinking that she would come out of the battle with only minor wounds, he got his healing staff and some bandages ready so that he could heal her when she won.

Mia's foe was much bigger than she was and many would laugh at the thought of a woman her size defeating a man that large, although the people who knew her would say otherwise. Mia knew what she was doing when it came to the sword and many men twice her size had fallen by her blade already. Rhys was confident that his secret love would prevail.

Horror struck him when his eyes witnessed the big man thrust his sword forward, meeting Mia's chest with the tip. Rhys saw the tip of the sword protruding from her back and heard her gasping for air. The enemy knight pulled his sword out of the body of the young woman he had just stabbed and turned to face the frozen healer.

Rhys didn't notice when Titania struck the knight with her axe, killing him instantly. Rhys crawled over to Mia and gathered her in his arms. She was having trouble breathing and Rhys knew that she was dying.

With all the strength she could muster, Mia turned her face to him. "Rhys, I'm so sorry. I told you not to get killed and leave me, but it seems as though I'm the one who's going to leave you."

Tears came to Rhys' eyes. "Don't say things like that, Mia. Just hold on, you'll be fine. Just hang on. I can't lose you. I can't…you'll be okay. Just hang on." A tear slid down his cheek.

She smiled weakly. "You know I'm not going to be. Before I go I need to tell you that…I…love-" her breathing stopped. Her eyes grew dim. Rhys had seen it many times before. His Mia was gone. He let out a scream of agony that could be heard throughout the palace. It was the cry of a man with a broken heart.

Rhys couldn't cry any longer. His eyes were dry and tears just wouldn't come. For the first time in about a day Rhys got up out of his bed and left his room. He made his ways through the halls of the palace. He received pitying glances from those who knew what had happened.

When he finally reached the palaces private cemetery, Rhys walked over to a newly made grave and knelt before it. On the tomb stone in front of him were the words: Here lies Mia Velkyrn, loving sister and daughter, a caring friend and loyal soldier of Crimea. May she rest in peace.

Rhys' eyes must have forgotten that they were dried out because after he read the stone before him he started to cry again. What was left of his heart felt as though it was being torn into a million little pieces.

"Mia, I'm so sorry. I'm sorry that I never told you how I felt about you and I'm sorry that I did nothing to help you when you were injured. Now I know that I could have, and should have, done something but it's too late, because you're gone. I should have told you when I had the chance that I loved you, but I was afraid. I should have helped you when you were down, but I was too shocked to do anything. Now because I didn't do what I should have you're gone and you're not coming back." Rhys said quietly. "I miss you so much already. My life won't be the same with out you here. Why did it have to be you? Why did you have to be the one to go?"

Right about then it started to rain and Rhys could hear the thunder in the distance. The dirt beneath him was turning to mud and the white robes that he wore were getting soaked and splattered. Despite all this, he stayed where he was. 'Rain hides the fact that you're crying better than a pillow would hide it.' was his thought.

When the wind turned cold and started blowing was when Rhys headed in. Some of his comrades were playing card games and they invited him to join but he kindly refused their offer and returned to his room. When he got to the small room, he changed from his wet, muddy clothes into dry, clean ones and fell on his bed.

Rhys lay there recalling all the good times he had had with Mia. He remembered her crooked smile and her goofy laugh, her bright green eyes and her beautiful, soft purple hair. He remembered how she had almost chopped him in half when they had first met, thinking that the poor healer was her arch foe and how she tried to train him to be a great myrmidon.

As he recalled these different events he began to fall asleep. The last thing he saw before he slipped into dreamland was a beautiful angel with sparkling green eyes and dark purple hair.

So yeah...that's about it. This is my...second...attempt at a romantic tradgedy...this one is much better than the first.

Please no flames!! Any flames will be fed to Zuftar : I'm sorry if you don't like this pairing...I do.

All characters and places belong to Nintendo.