To Cygnus, it was just another challenger to beat down.

To Neinheart, it was the battle against his childhood friend and his leader.

To Cygnus, it meant nothing.

To Neinheart, it was everything.

"Cygnus!" The eight-year-old Neinheart yelled across the meadow. "Look what I found!"

The seven-year-old Cygnus turned her head from the purple butterfly she was watching. Her eyes shone under the bright sunlight. Her smile was full of happiness.

"What is it, Neinheart?"

Cygnus bounded over to him with light steps that never seemed to touch the grass. Spotting the source of his fascination, she giggled.

"It's so rare to find green snails in Ereve," Cygnus grinned. "Mother usually has those kinds of things cast away from our island."

Neinheart poked the snail with a stick. It reared its head, surprised, and stared him in the eye. Neinheart chuckled, stabbing the snail.

"Hey," Cygnus said, catching his arm, "what are you doing?"

"Just having a little fun." Neinheart repeatedly stabbed the snail and watched as it tried to turn and run away. He grinned and prepared to stab it again, but this time Cygnus locked his arm in her grip.

"Don't do that, Neinheart. A snail is a living thing, just like you and me. Don't torture it like that."

Her eyes were filled with compassion. Neinheart stared at her and opened his mouth, but before he could speak, the scene dissolved. Another immediately replaced it.

"Neinheart."

Thirteen-year-old Cygnus looked up at him, tears in her eyes.

Neinheart instinctively felt the need to protect her. He held out his arms towards her. She threw her arms around him, buried her head into his chest, and sobbed.

"I don't want to be a ruler," Cygnus cried. "I want my mother back. Why did she have to go face Van Leon? I told her she'd die! Why?"

Neinheart held her until she began to quiet down. She turned towards him, and whispered, "I'm sorry."

"Don't worry about it," Neinheart told her. "I'm sure you'll do great."

Cygnus smiled up at him, the first true smile he'd seen her wear since her mother's death.

A piyo stepped out of the shade of the arch leading towards the outskirts of the city.

"You have a message," it told Neinheart. "Empress Cygnus wishes to see you. She is waiting at the entrance of her palace. She expects to meet you there."

Seventeen-year-old Neinheart nodded. "Consider it done."

He met Cygnus at her palace. As soon as Cygnus spotted him, her royal attitude dropped. Suddenly she was the playful girl again, instead of the dignified warrior and ruler of Ereve.

"Neinheart!" Cygnus laughed, running up to him and throwing her arms around him. He grinned and hugged her back. "Long time no see, Cygnus. How is being Empress working out for you?"

"Not as bad as I thought it would be," Cygnus admitted. "I miss my childhood, though. Can't just be the carefree life now. I have to act like a ruler."

"I can imagine. It doesn't sound all that bad, though." Neinheart pictured it for a second, then wrinkled his nose. She was right. It was hard to imagine Cygnus as a regal empress.

"Ah, that reminds me," Cygnus said, releasing her arms from around Neinheart. "I wanted to ask you something."

"Yes?"

"Will you become my personal advisor?"

The question caught Neinheart off guard. "What?" he asked.

"I'm serious," Cygnus said. "I need an advisor. You're a great battle technician, as I hear from my subjects-" Neinheart blushed "-and you know a lot more about the world and monsters outside of our safe island than I do."

"But," Cygnus warned, "you won't be able to live the life you've always wanted. You can't be a hero, travelling the world and vanquishing enemies. You'll be stuck in the court here, planning battle strategies and such."

Neinheart thought about it. A life in the court, helping the Empress, advising her. It actually sounded like something he'd want to do.

"I'll accept."

Cygnus smiled. "Great."

Although they had grown more formal towards one another, more like ruler and subject, Neinheart never imagined that he would ever have to fight Cygnus.

Neinheart gripped his sword. Cygnus is beyond reason now, he reminded himself. This wasn't her.

Not the sweet little girl from his childhood.

Not the beautiful woman who shone in her robes with the power of a leader.

Not the fearless Arch Mage who fought for her people no matter how many hardships she had to endure.

This was Cygnus.

The hand of his death.