Beyond the Darkness

I do not own Fire Emblem

Pairings : Ray x Sofiya

Dark Magic. That is what most people called our magic. Yes, it sounds like what we dabble in is evil. Some people like Niime and her son, the Druid Canas rejected that label. But I have a slightly different opinion. While I think both of them are mostly right, it is not entirely untrue. There is a scrap of truth in it. It is natural that people who seek to learn dark magic are labeled as evil. It is actually, the most potent magic in the trinity of Magic. It is also have a variety of effects. People who researched Dark Magic will knew that Luna spell negates magic resistance, Eclipse cuts half of the life from your adversary, and Resire drains the life from others. It has power. And power drove people to madness. This is what course of history is all about. No wonder most of the evil magic users are from students of dark magic.

The nature of the magic somehow indicates this. Anima Magic is based on the user's creativity and curiosity of living things. This is why most of Anima Magic users are creative, open-minded, and naturally curious. Yes, a good deal of them are also cheerful and eccentric. My brother is one example. I wouldn't call myself 'normal', but he's not a shining example of it, either. He's extremely positive and bubbly, hovering other people's business all the time, as if he's oblivious that his acts are bothersome to others.

Next, Light magic. Light magic is pretty straight. It is based on faith and devotion. Most of the users are members of Elimine's Church. The stronger your faith and devotion to God or other higher powers, the stronger your magic are. This is why most of their users have focused, devoted, and loyal personality. Father Lucius is one of them. But users of this type of magic is not necessarily all good, either. I've met an evil Bishop using this kind of magic in Western Isle in my travels.

Last, Dark Magic. From what I read and what I personally experienced is, Dark Magic is based on knowledge and willpower. Dark Magic works by letting your heart and mind consumed by darkness itself. Then it is no wonder why people feared Dark Magic so much. In essence, Dark Magic slowly consumed your mind, it is the reason why many people went mad, lusting to gain more power, the more you delve into realm of darkness, the more your mind will be lost. That is why people like Bramimond and Nergal existed. The latter consumed by darkness that he forgot why he seek power at first, the former let the darkness consumed himself fully to gain power over dragons.

It was a magic to be feared indeed. The Dark Magic's principle is to cast aside everything – loved ones, emotions, pleasures, and the top of it, your sense of self. I knew because I almost lost my sense of self when fighting the Dragon in the Bern's great movement. It is not a coincidence that most Dark Magic users are independent, logical, and like some of perfectionist. Many of them are also outcasts by nature.

Needless to say, I am one of them. I never know my parents. When I asked Father Lucius, he said that they were dead. I knew he lied. Blurry as it may be, i actually still have memories of both mother and father at the time they left us. When I pressed Father Lucius to tell me, he said that they both left me and Lugh because of a dark past, and they wanted to protect us.

Since I'm not a social person, not many people know that I'm actually sad by the fact that...mother and father left me. I remembered, when I first realized that they were gone, Lugh cried every day. I do not cry. I never cried. That is one of my bad habit, I tend to suppress my emotions. I always thought showing emotions like that has no merit. My parents will not come back no matter how hard I cry. But I learned the perk of crying. It makes you feel better, at least. Maybe that's why Lugh grew to become a bright person, while I grew cold and brooding.

I think it was seven when I discovered that both me and Lugh have affinity for magic. Lugh have affinity for anima magic, and i...have affinity for Dark Magic. I remembered Father Lucius was troubled when he found out about it. Firstly, I thought it's because he's a member of the Elimine flock, but I think I understand now, it was something more complex than that. Namely, he feared that I might walked on the wrong path. If it was Lugh who have affinity for Dark Magic, maybe he wouldn't get worried as much. It's understandable, really. While Lugh was playing with the little ones, I spent most of my time researching the lore of magics. I always thought that happy-go-lucky attitude doesn't attune much with reality. If you don't have power, all of those mushy stuff are useless. Look at my parents for example. They don't have power, that's why they were forced to abandon us.

That I why I seemed so obsessive in searching for more power, more knowledge, more secrets of this world... We needed it. To protect those important to us. Just making happy-go-lucky face wouldn't do any good. That is probably why Father Lucius was worried for me. I'm a naïve little kid who had obsession in acquiring power that could tilt the world. No wonder he wouldn't teach me, no matter how often I ranted to him about it. My obsession has...a very shallow purpose.

That disagreement is what led me to leave that orphanage. I tried to stay all this time for Lugh's sake and the little ones, but when I realized Bern is invading other countries, even Lycia, i finally decided to leave the place. I snuck out the orphanage one night, leaving but a simple note that I went to hone my powers, with a heavy heart. Lugh interpreted my actions as that I fed up about the conditions in the orphanage, but he was wrong. I planned to go back when I got power, so I can protect those in the orphanage.

That was one of my deepest regret in my life. Rather than protecting anyone, the orphanage was gone by the time i joined Lycia Alliance army, where I was reunited with Lugh and Chad. I played it cool, but I was devastated by the fact that Father Lucius died. I tried to suppress it, but in the end, I finally realized it that I was regretful for leaving the orphanage. I did not know myself back then. A certain someone always say that kind of nonsense to me. But as time passed, I have to admit she's right. Even now, I thought that she knows me better than I know myself.

Yes, that certain person. A person who helped me to grow to the man I become now. The person who said I'm a kind-hearted person, beside my brother. The person that make me what I am now. The person that become the most important thing to me. The person I loved. The person that make me go beyond the darkness and see the light.

That person...i met her in the Lycia Alliance Army way years back. A long time ago. It was not a very grandiose meeting. I was about 13 at that time, still in my rebellious, shallow, and soul-searching childhood. When I first met her, I don't think her as someone, I simply wanted her as my stepping stone to my quest for power. I approached at her rudely at first. But the more we stood and cover each other in the battlefield, I think we sort of develop an understanding towards each other and we become closer.

I never truly understand why we become close overtime as the war goes on. I didn't talk much to anyone beside Lugh, but after I found her studying ancient lore in the Aquelian Library and decided to study together with her one time, we made that a habit. We talked more and we learnt about both of our heritage, our identities, our histories, and many others. I don't know for sure, but I think that is one of the reason we get close is that we are more similar than we knew. We both have a dark past, have similar darkness inside our hearts, we both have a severe burden in our soul. That, and our views to conquer those things balanced us each other. I gave her power, and she gave me purpose. That is probably what make us close.

Long story short, I felt a strong feeling towards her as the war reached the final stage of the war. I realized it fully when I made the worst mistake I probably ever did. I tried to lose myself to protect her from that Fire Dragon by casting Apocalypse at my full power. I almost confessed to her my feelings before the last of my self is consumed by the void of darkness, but I refrained. I already broke her heart at that time. I wouldn't pour salt to her wound. I was consumed by the darkness, but her voice called me back. Apparently the void didn't consume my soul fully, because I thought of her when I casted Apocalypse to full power. I didn't give myself fully to the darkness. At that time, I accepted the fact that I loved her, I also secretly felt that the feeling is mutual. Well, she did give me a bone-crushing hug when my sense of self came back to my body.

After that I asked her to travel together with me. I'd denied it, but the real reason is that not because I wanted a partner for studying Dark Magic, I just want her...to be with me. That is all. I remembered, that is the first time she smiled so widely. At that time I realized.

She was my light. A light that made me go beyond the darkness.

It was the time I felt that Dark Magic may not be evil after all. There is a light beyond that darkness. I gave it a lot of thought and decided to travel the continent to study the essence of dark magic...with her, of course. I studied countless magic tomes, countless ancient writings of all Magic. Until near the end, I realized, finally, that what Niime and the Druid Canas said was true. Dark Magic is not evil after all.

The Magic's true philosophy lies within the will and the strength of the heart of the caster. It is powerful and dangerous, but people with a strong will could overcome it. It is just the same as the way of the blade. The most important thing is what do you hope to accomplish by learning or using dark magic? For power alone? Or do you have purpose?

That is the essential thing to overcome the Darkness : Purpose. It is the only way to go beyond the Darkness that the magic cast to the heart, to prevent the darkness consuming your heart. The Dark or Elder magic fits with the proverb of 'With great power came great responsibility.' With true and strong purpose...people could acquire great power and retain their sense of self. It was the mistake of many people, like the Dark Druid Nergal to forget that purpose, and instead concentrating on power.

And that was I realized. My purpose that conquered that darkness...it was her. It was more than gaining power to protect her. When I realized it, It already developed into something...deeper. I felt like it is one of the way that could...bridge our mind together. Learning the magic together with her...it's what I want, reflecting her gentle and pure heart, that was my purpose for learning and honing my knowledge for Dark Magic until now.

In the end of the journey, I confessed my feelings to her. It was the first time, I was truly honest to myself. I wanted to stay with her, forever. It is also one of the first time she cried, this time in happiness. We then decided to settle in Nabata, and well, long story short, we are married now. It was nothing fancy. Just blessing from the Church of Elimine (yes, they have one here)and some friends come to visit after hearing our union, including my brother. I thought it was hard to have kids since she is a half-dragon...but we're blessed with twins. We live a simple but very fulfilling life. It was like they said, 'The most precious diamonds are the roughest one.'

A sound of footstep that is getting close snapped me out of my thoughts. Not for long, I sensed a presence behind me as I was reading in the some sort of Library that our house in Nabata had. I turned to see a woman with violet eyes and long hair with a same color, smiling at me. It was her. She who had become the light in my life. The one that made me went beyond the Darkness.

"...Dear...Are you still awake...?"

I realized it was very late at the midnight. Since Nabata is a village that inherits the talent of magic from the Archsage Athos, a great number of the residents are users of many types of magic, naturally many researchers and scribes for them are needed. I worked as one of them, we have to pull our weight, right? I see her in the nightgown with a sleepy face.

It has been already 30 years since we were married. I found out that I also age slower than others. My family turned out came from a line that has connection to the Archsage Athos. It may be 30 years, but my appearance is probably around middle to late 20's. Her face, however, does not change very much. She did grew taller and her face matured to more like a woman than a girl...but she pretty much look all the same. Our kids, too. Despite already aged almost 30 years, their appearance is like a little kid. They both have strong dragon blood from their mother, so it's understandable.

"I'm coming to bed soon. How was the kids?" I turned to look at her as she walked slowly to me, putting her arms around my neck.

"...Kai slept immediately when he hit the bed...Iria had just slept...she was so active...i wonder whom she took upon? No one in my family is like her...so full of energy..."

"Hmph. Probably Lugh. I mean, we're twins, so maybe we're similar to each other." I answered.

"...I wonder how...older brother Lugh is doing..."

She said as she stared into the endless stars we could see from the window. It was a magnificent sky as the heavenly bodies seemed to act as a beacon of light in the dark night. I looked at her face, she hasn't changed. Innocent and pure, like always. I smiled before I held her hand that still encircled my neck.

"Hey, I know I don't say this often, but...i love you...Sofiya." I said it as my cheek reddened. Yes, 30 years of marriage and my bad habit still haven't gone completely

She was surprised and pleased at the same time. She let go of her arm and looked at my face funnily, as if she heard a jester doing on of his performance. She let go of small laughter at me.

"...Ray...Why do you speak like that so suddenly...It is...so unlike Ray...to be like that..."

"What, you don't like it."

She shook her head as she planted a kiss on my cheek. We both blushed deeply.

"I...love you too...Ray." She said as she smiled warmly at me. That was the same bright smile she showed me when I first confessed my feelings to her.

I smiled. Yes, she was really my light. I went beyond the darkness, because of her.

FIN.

A/N :

This fandom needs more Ray/Sofiya . Yep, I'm still on shipping spree for my FE6 OTP, and I would not stop. I'll trash the place with Ray/Sofiya fanfic if I have to. Heh heh heh heh.

Anyway some minor pointers :

Sofiya called Ray 'dear' in this fanfic. It is captured from Japanese word 'Anata' which a husband or wife sometimes address each other

What Ray and Sofiya said in the end is 'Aishiteru', the expression of I love you that husband and wife used.

I made Lugh the elder brother, because according to Japanese novels/fanfics, Lugh is the older one. I would say that it may be have something to do with Japanese dialogues of support, probably in Ray/Lugh's C support when he said 'My brother is as naïve as ever', he used 'aniki' or 'nii-san' for brother.

Ray is already matured, hence the OOC. I made Sofiya the same, though.

Rate and Reviews are Welcome.