Title: Destinies Intertwined
Fandom: Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance
Rating: PG to R (I Think) depending on chapter
Full Summary: FE9. Follows ingame timeline. Shortly before the death of Greil, Ike and Soren rescue a young man who has escaped the clutches of Daien. He is accepted into the group, but the man is one with a mysterious past with many hidden ties. Will he be an ally, an enemy, or something more that no one could ever imagine?

Parings: None certain so far, but most likely at least Ike/Soren and Rolf/Mist among others.
Warnings: Follows the game storyline and timeline, though some "game chapters" will be shortened, mashed together, or just barely mentioned. Eventual boyxboy relations. Some light gore in described battle scenes, and mentions of rape, Original character(s) (only about two) who I will try not to utterly scare away readers

Disclaimer: What do you think ? No own, I do, however, own Nimiah and all things relating to him.
Explanation: Why write a fanfic with an original character? Because I'm one of the few who actually like to have original characters in stories, as long as they are well written and understandable. This story starts, game-wise, near the very end of the game, but the three as will be seen in this prologue have "Flashbacks" that are basically the entire story.

The only thing I ask is no flames, or at least wait until a couple chapters into the story. Constructive Critism will be highly appreciated. Beta would be lovely, volunteers?

The worn rock felt cool and strong under his slender hand.

The lone figure stood upon a stone pavilion carved into side of a cliff. Here, beyond the earth awakening from winter's sleep, the sea could just be seen. Here was one of the few places that the war had not utterly scarred. He should be heading back for the enthronement of the land's queen, the one who would lead her nation past the events of the last year.

He could not leave just yet. Another smile as he ran his hand over the rock, "Time, the overseer who will watch as these people either triumph past these horrible occurrences or fail to a darkness in their hearts." The words were spoken softly to the sky, as if it were his only companion.

The figure turned slightly as he heard a pair of footsteps coming up the stone stair's pathway. He knew who the two were and what they came to do…but was he ready for it? He had seen it for a while, the questions on their lips and the mixed emotions of their eyes. Cerulean eyes with a quiet questioning, garnet eyes with a blunt anger.

The footsteps ceased as they reached their destination, yet none spoke. The first figure finally turned his head to look at them, thick white hair spilling over one shoulder. His sapphire eyes softened at the sight of the two but said nothing as he turned away.

"How did you know where you would find me?" The question was filled with curiosity instead of the annoyance one might expect.

The taller of the two shrugged weakly, gloved hands rising and falling. "Just a feeling."

He laughed, a sound so soft it was nearly missed. If only the beorc knew what was behind that feeling, the connection the three of them shared and had shared for a long time. Another question left his lips, "And the little ones, how are they fairing?"

"As well as they can be, though both Mist and Rolf admitted they're so tired they could drop…" A hesitant pause, "They….They are asking for you, wondering why you've disappeared."

His bowed his head, hair shielding his face so the emotions in his eyes could not be seen. "…Ike…"

The second figure stepped forward, unable to keep his anger within him. "Stop avoiding it! You know why we're here, you been running from us for days." His words were sharp, his feelings of anger and betrayal thrust forward like a knife.

"Soren!" Ike touched the sage's arm. The younger's outburst shocked him. "You have no reason to show such anger…"

"No, Soren has every right to be angry with me," He finally turned to him, one hand gripping his lance-staff tightly; a weary sadness filled his sapphire eyes. "You both do. But I will run no longer; I no longer have a reason to do so."

Soren resisted the urge to shake the commander's hand off his arm and ball his hands into fists. He wanted to scream everything that was whirling about his head to the white haired male.

But all that came was a coldness hardly above a whisper. "Why. Why did you lie to me? To Ike; to all of us?"

The other drew in a breath to strengthen himself, "Was it really a lie?"

The sage's throat tightened, "How dare you." The three fell silent.

Ike spoke as Soren tried to control his breathing, "Why Nimiah? Why not just tell us everything?" He suddenly couldn't look at the other's eyes and turned away.

"Back then, so soon after you found me, would you have believed me if I had?"

Soren sighed; the tense muscles on his back suddenly limp. The white haired male, Nimiah, did have a point. Yet that was no excuse, or at least the way the sage saw it for so long in his mind.

"At many times I have wanted to tell you, and I nearly did on a few occasions. I couldn't bring myself to at first, yet later on I decided I would not tell you unless…" Nimiah trailed off again, looking back towards the sea. The anger welling up again in Soren was even tangible in the crisp spring air. He could not even look at the tactician's face, for fear that he would react as well.

"So that's it? You wouldn't tell us. But the laguz, oh, you told them! Heron Prince Reyson. The tigers, the eagles. They all knew it; even Mordecai and Lethe knew the day they were sent to meet us, didn't they? Or is there something more to you that you failed to tell us as well, that you favour the laguz so much more over us that you told them?"

Suddenly his hands were clutching at the fabric of Nimiah's shirt, his arms pulling down the other's taller frame. His mouth opened several more times, but Soren found he could not say anything more. The two men stared each other in the eye, one who seemed locked behind his serene wall and another trying to regain the calculate calm he had known for so long.

"I ask again, why? If we had known, things in the war might have gone differently! It might have ended much sooner, without so much cost!" Yes, that's what he wanted everyone to think he was so infuriated over. He could never let anyone know the real reason, he was not lying to show his real hurt. Soren stared at Nimiah's eyes defiantly. Just like all the other times…

"Soren," Ike's voice came softly. "I'm sure there is a reason…" His face was directed at Soren but his eyes were looking at Nimiah as if for reassurance.

"There is…I just…" He turned away from them again, nearly allowing fear to overcome him. What would they think? "I just don't know where to start." Nimiah sighed, almost hearing that phrase his mother always used when he was little. Starting at the beginning is always the best way to get things said. "When you rescued me…before Sir Greil died…"

*~*~*~*

His body fell to the floor with a crack. Throbbing rushed to his forehead; it did little to relieve the pain the rest of what once might have been called a body felt. Metal scrapped against stone and a great force connected with his bone of his hip. He would have rolled a great distance if not for the confinement of the cell. He knew by repetition the man wasn't done, not by instinct. Not by the sense that told him of his world before.

That was the only thing that filled his mind more than the pain. The knowledge that it was gone. Gone, gone. What else could it be? A slim possibility that the loss was temporary and he was only regaining it slowly. Very slim indeed, but how was he to know otherwise. Legs curled with no signal from the brain and pushed the body shakily upwards. Fingers clung desperately to the wall as if the damp stone could save him.

His tormentor spoke behind him, yet he heard no clear words. A greasy, large hand dug into his hair – what was left of it after it had been slashed off – and wrenched with such force that his whole body bowed backwards. It made him look at the eyes, HIS eyes, the eyes of what no one who did such actions could be called human. He saw it! His chest trembled at the realization and the strain of breathing. He had lost his true ability to read, but this was so clear in the man's eyes.

The knife flicked upward. It avoided the main part of his back and mockingly cut around the edge.

The knife clinked to the floor. To be replaced with the man's other hand.

He felt the structure being utterly crushed together like a child might crumple a piece of parchment. A cry rose to the heavens, to the walls, drowning out everything but this one pain. The cry cracked, strengthened, as the man twisted the delicate wing around his hand like a ribbon. Then he pulled. Every connection snapped from the force. It felt like his spine, his whole chest cavity, was torn with it. More blood then what had been spilled before rushed from tear. His anguish and pain ripped into the cry that never ceased. The second was treated in the same way, yet this one was torn in pieces like blades of grass. Then it too was ripped from him. The pain blinded him, rising to his eyes in some twisted tangible form.

Fingers dug into the tears and threw him forward. Every other pain was dull down. His knees hitting the wooden slab of the bare "bed", falling forward onto it was nothing to catch his fall, the wood grains digging into his back, the man climbing after him and rough fingers digging into bruised hips…

Well, I wanted to leave this off with a way to bring in the next parts of the story. But all I think I've done is generally confused people...though if you manage to sit it through long even everything will make sense eventually.