Many years ago, he saved my life. Now his may hang in the balance and there's nothing I can do.
He's in there, fighting that man. He wouldn't let anyone else in, not even for support. When Mist ran in after him she echoed his wishes, telling the rest of us to wait for them.
So it's just four of us, waiting and praying. Titania and the princess hold hands, whispering to the Goddess to protect them, while that red-haired wyvern rider clutches something in her hands...some sort of bracelet. Mist must have given it to her. Every now and then one of them will look my way and try to calm down.
I guess I am better at putting on a mask than I thought I was.
I'm terrified. And I don't like to admit it because if I do, I may as well say I don't believe in him even though nothing could be further from the truth. I do believe in him! Ike is the only person I've ever believed in, the only person who gave me any reason to believe, period.
That's why I'm scared. Because if Goddess forbid something does go wrong, where will I be?
I glance toward the red-haired girl and her eyes meet mine. We never speak, never had any reason to, but for a moment we can understand one another. She fears for Mist as I fear for Ike...just as Ike is my most important person, Mist is hers. Neither of us can imagine life without them, nor do we want to.
Please, Goddess above, let them come out of this alive and unharmed. We cannot go on without them.
She looks back down at the bracelet and I close my eyes, breathing deeply in a pathetic attempt to calm myself. Nobody knows how long the battle is taking in there, but it may as well be days. I hear the occasional yell and the sound of blades against armor, but the doors remain locked.
"Ah! It's collapsing around us!" Before I have a chance to react Nasir, Ike and Mist are rushing us out of the building. When the dust settles, Mist and the red-haired girl fall into each other's arms crying and for a moment I envy them. Emotions were never my strong point and as I listen to the cries of I was so worried about you! and I was scared, but I promised myself I'd come back to you I swallow back that envy. Young girls have a free pass to be as sappy as they want, but I have an image to maintain.
And then I feel a hand on my shoulder. I don't even have to look up to know it's him. He feels stronger, like he's aged a bit in the last day or so, but he's still my Ike.
"I told you I'd be back."
I turn to face him, he's smiling and it's an effort just to fight back the tears of relief welling in my eyes.
"I knew you would be."
His other hand closes around mine, and I'm overcome with warmth.