Surprise Attack
"Momo?" questioned little Nina, "When do you think Ryu and Garr will return? They've been gone for an awfully long time. Do you think something has happened to one of them?"
"Don't worry too much. I'm sure they're just wrapped up in the search. Ryu will come back soon. Then, we can all go back home, at long last," the scientist replied.
Not that Nina really wanted to return to her home. Her parents always treated her like she was a baby, they never let her do anything. If ever she asked, her mother would say, "You are a princess, Nina. Therefore, you must always behave with grace, elegance, and poise."
Nina longed for freedom. That was one of the reasons she accompanied Ryu on his trip to Angel's Tower. That and the fact that she didn't want him to leave her alone again. Besides, he was her best friend, and she would do anything to help him out. Even if that meant running away from home, traveling to a distant land that she had never seen or heard of before, in order to discover the secrets of a long dead race that he just happened to be the last surviving member of.
At that moment, Garr came out of the Tower. But Ryu wasn't with him. Nina ran towards him with amazing speed. "Garr, where is Ryu? What has happened to him? Tell me."
But Garr said nothing. Instead, he left towards the west. The Guardian didn't look back at his friends, nor did he speak. All the three could do was to stare as he walked away.
"Something happened," Nina cried, "Ryu must have been killed inside of the tower." She ran into Momo's arms, and the child began to cry. Peco joined in as well. Momo too shed tears, but she didn't let them be too obvious. Or else Nina would never calm down.
"We must make camp for the night. Tomorrow, I'll bring you back home to Wyndia. I'm sure once you're with your parents, you will begin to feel better," she consoled the child.
Nina thought, 'No I won't. They'll probably think it's Ryu's fault that I left home. They won't try to help me feel better at all. I'll probably end up feeling worse. I wish I wasn't a princess, then I could go out and do my own thing, see my friends, and talk about my pain with them forever, not until I return to my parents' and my duties as the heir to the throne. Ryu, why did you have to die?'
Her questions were unanswered. No one could tell the young girl what she needed to know. Only Nina could ease her own pain. And that would be a difficult task indeed.
* * *
It was difficult to fall asleep that evening. Even Peco stayed up late, looking depressed over what happened to his friend. But he eventually went to sleep, with Momo not too far behind. The only one left up was Nina, who didn't know how she could sleep after such a horrible event.
She remembered how the two had met. Balio and Sunder had attacked him, and caused him to transform into a Dragon. Thinking they could make some fast cash, they decided to sell him to her father. But he'd become a boy again, and they started hitting him. All three were locked up, but Nina knew that Ryu was innocent, just a kid they were picking on. She came to save him, but the two Stallions had convinced her that they would change if she let them go. Then, they kidnapped her, looking to ransom her off to her parents. It had been Ryu who had saved her, and she was in his debt ever since.
No matter what happened, Ryu always protected Nina from harm. His powers had defended her life on more than one occasion, and the only person ever to defeat him was Garr. Oh, Balio and Sunder had beat him up three times, but after that, he was able to give them back all the pain they'd given him. Not many people would be willing to risk their lives for her, unless they were working for her father, or getting a reward in the process. Ryu did everything out of the kindness of his own heart.
Such a sweet and kind boy. Hard to believe he was from a race that once tried to destroy the world. It puzzled Nina, who had taught him to be so kind, if his parents were among those who were killed in a war before they could do something really wicked?
But none of that mattered now. Ryu was gone. Nina was left all alone again. As a princess, she had no friends her own age. Only people who would play with her in order to get something out of it. Only Ryu had treated her like a human being. Well, so did Momo, Peco, and Garr, but Ryu was the only person her own age. Now, she was going to grow up a depressed young woman.
Nina sighed. "I need to clear my mind. I'll just take a short walk and get away from the camp for a little while. What could go wrong? There aren't many monsters around here."
Nina got up, and walked away from the camp. She was heading in the direction of Urkan Tapa, where she hoped to get a glance at the torches from the temple. The light they radiated was warm and calming, but Nina had a strange feeling about them.
"So, the Destined Daughter walks alone without fear," a female voice stated, "How foolish of you. My servant was a fool to take on the Destined Son, and get a little bit beat up for it. But he doesn't have half the power I have, and your full power is sealed until the Time of Destiny. Now, you will die, and I will finally have attained victory over the scorned Dragon Clan, before they revive to destroy the world."
Nina wondered what the voice was talking about. Destined Daughter, what was that? And who was the Destined Son? Could it be Ryu? If that was the case, and they were both destined for some task she couldn't fathom, was he still alive? And what did she have to do with the Dragon Clan, besides being the best friend of its only survivor?
But she didn't have long to think. The powerful Myollnir spell hit her, electrocuting the young princess on the spot. Nina fell to the ground, and remembered no more.
- - - -
Here's my little AU. Basically, I thought about what we were told in Dragnier, how some members of the Dragon Clan sealed themselves away underground after conceiving a child. Got me thinking that maybe Ryu and Teepo aren't the only Dragons left in the world. So this is all about the search for those dragons.
"Momo?" questioned little Nina, "When do you think Ryu and Garr will return? They've been gone for an awfully long time. Do you think something has happened to one of them?"
"Don't worry too much. I'm sure they're just wrapped up in the search. Ryu will come back soon. Then, we can all go back home, at long last," the scientist replied.
Not that Nina really wanted to return to her home. Her parents always treated her like she was a baby, they never let her do anything. If ever she asked, her mother would say, "You are a princess, Nina. Therefore, you must always behave with grace, elegance, and poise."
Nina longed for freedom. That was one of the reasons she accompanied Ryu on his trip to Angel's Tower. That and the fact that she didn't want him to leave her alone again. Besides, he was her best friend, and she would do anything to help him out. Even if that meant running away from home, traveling to a distant land that she had never seen or heard of before, in order to discover the secrets of a long dead race that he just happened to be the last surviving member of.
At that moment, Garr came out of the Tower. But Ryu wasn't with him. Nina ran towards him with amazing speed. "Garr, where is Ryu? What has happened to him? Tell me."
But Garr said nothing. Instead, he left towards the west. The Guardian didn't look back at his friends, nor did he speak. All the three could do was to stare as he walked away.
"Something happened," Nina cried, "Ryu must have been killed inside of the tower." She ran into Momo's arms, and the child began to cry. Peco joined in as well. Momo too shed tears, but she didn't let them be too obvious. Or else Nina would never calm down.
"We must make camp for the night. Tomorrow, I'll bring you back home to Wyndia. I'm sure once you're with your parents, you will begin to feel better," she consoled the child.
Nina thought, 'No I won't. They'll probably think it's Ryu's fault that I left home. They won't try to help me feel better at all. I'll probably end up feeling worse. I wish I wasn't a princess, then I could go out and do my own thing, see my friends, and talk about my pain with them forever, not until I return to my parents' and my duties as the heir to the throne. Ryu, why did you have to die?'
Her questions were unanswered. No one could tell the young girl what she needed to know. Only Nina could ease her own pain. And that would be a difficult task indeed.
* * *
It was difficult to fall asleep that evening. Even Peco stayed up late, looking depressed over what happened to his friend. But he eventually went to sleep, with Momo not too far behind. The only one left up was Nina, who didn't know how she could sleep after such a horrible event.
She remembered how the two had met. Balio and Sunder had attacked him, and caused him to transform into a Dragon. Thinking they could make some fast cash, they decided to sell him to her father. But he'd become a boy again, and they started hitting him. All three were locked up, but Nina knew that Ryu was innocent, just a kid they were picking on. She came to save him, but the two Stallions had convinced her that they would change if she let them go. Then, they kidnapped her, looking to ransom her off to her parents. It had been Ryu who had saved her, and she was in his debt ever since.
No matter what happened, Ryu always protected Nina from harm. His powers had defended her life on more than one occasion, and the only person ever to defeat him was Garr. Oh, Balio and Sunder had beat him up three times, but after that, he was able to give them back all the pain they'd given him. Not many people would be willing to risk their lives for her, unless they were working for her father, or getting a reward in the process. Ryu did everything out of the kindness of his own heart.
Such a sweet and kind boy. Hard to believe he was from a race that once tried to destroy the world. It puzzled Nina, who had taught him to be so kind, if his parents were among those who were killed in a war before they could do something really wicked?
But none of that mattered now. Ryu was gone. Nina was left all alone again. As a princess, she had no friends her own age. Only people who would play with her in order to get something out of it. Only Ryu had treated her like a human being. Well, so did Momo, Peco, and Garr, but Ryu was the only person her own age. Now, she was going to grow up a depressed young woman.
Nina sighed. "I need to clear my mind. I'll just take a short walk and get away from the camp for a little while. What could go wrong? There aren't many monsters around here."
Nina got up, and walked away from the camp. She was heading in the direction of Urkan Tapa, where she hoped to get a glance at the torches from the temple. The light they radiated was warm and calming, but Nina had a strange feeling about them.
"So, the Destined Daughter walks alone without fear," a female voice stated, "How foolish of you. My servant was a fool to take on the Destined Son, and get a little bit beat up for it. But he doesn't have half the power I have, and your full power is sealed until the Time of Destiny. Now, you will die, and I will finally have attained victory over the scorned Dragon Clan, before they revive to destroy the world."
Nina wondered what the voice was talking about. Destined Daughter, what was that? And who was the Destined Son? Could it be Ryu? If that was the case, and they were both destined for some task she couldn't fathom, was he still alive? And what did she have to do with the Dragon Clan, besides being the best friend of its only survivor?
But she didn't have long to think. The powerful Myollnir spell hit her, electrocuting the young princess on the spot. Nina fell to the ground, and remembered no more.
- - - -
Here's my little AU. Basically, I thought about what we were told in Dragnier, how some members of the Dragon Clan sealed themselves away underground after conceiving a child. Got me thinking that maybe Ryu and Teepo aren't the only Dragons left in the world. So this is all about the search for those dragons.