Drowning into Darkness.

He stood outside the watery cavern with a grim look on his handsome face. He tried to walk away, but he found thoughts coming back to him, on and on.

Is she okay?

He shook his head. He was underestimating Lenus; she could handle them. Either that, or she'd get away from them. Simple. She wasn't stupid.

Another step forward, and Lloyd looked over his shoulder and took a step back. No, he couldn't leave her here!

Is she okay?

This was taking far too long. He didn't have time to be waiting. She would be fine. Why was he so tense.

Because he couldn't deny it. He loved her, a lot, and even if she was a bit of a pain sometimes, she was a good person.

It had been a mistake from the start. He had always known that things like love would hold you down. For all the good they were, when something horrible happened, it would be because of them. Even as love was the greatest thing in the world, losing was the ultimate sacrifice. That was the way it was.

Lenus didn't need you for the half a year that she impersonated Emille, did she?

True. But no one had known she was a fake, or they were too cowardly to bring the thoughts into public consideration. She had been safe.

No, this was wrong. He couldn't leave her.

Lenus smiled savagely. Yes, she recognized these people. Dart; Lloyd had wanted him dead. So be it.

She watched carefully, as Dart pulled his blade from it's sheath with a metallic hiss. Beside him, a woman in black leather did likewise, eyeing Lenus with harsh eyes. On Dart's other side, a girl that Lenus recognized as a Wingly glared and said.

"C'mon, let's finish this Dart!"

Lenus laughed, low and fierce. No, that wouldn't be happening. Because she had just found everything she wanted, she wouldn't lose it!

Half a year had been a long time. Nothing about it really seemed to stick in her head. The horse, running through the forest. Lloyd helping her up onto it, after disguising her. Riding back, to people she didn't know, and trying to look normal. After that, it was all hazy and blended together. None of it had mattered, because there was only one goal, shimmering brightly at the end of the race. He was waiting for her to do what he needed her to.

She wasn't spiteful to him for it. She never even really thought of it. He loved her, and he trusted her to do what he couldn't. Simple.

She drew forth two weapons, blazing with blue wingly magic, and grinned. Time to complete what she and Lloyd had started.

Behind her, the water dragon roared. Lenus heard it's speech, through the dragoon spirit, deep and yearning.

Humansss. I want the flesh of humansss…

She grunted, and flung her twin blades at Dart. With a short yelp, he took one in the arm between his armour, and deflected the other.

Lenus smiled, and felt a burningly cold steel slash into her, tearing through her skin. The woman in black brandished her bloody rapier and stabbed again. Lenus felt it clang against dragoon armour.

Haha! I'm invinsible with this stone! She laughed, feeling the warmth of the dragoon spirit in her pocket.

The dragon behind her snarled at the humans, and lunged out, creating a massive tidal wave that filled the cavern. Thinking fast, Lenus flew up and perched on a stone high above the battlefield, just missing getting enveloped in the water herself. Even so, she felt a sting as the salty water as it leapt up and splashed into her open cut.

As Dart and his companions stood up shakily, she dove down skilfully on experienced wings and slashed out, this time at the wingly girl. She felt her blade sink in, then a painful knock against her head. The wingly held a large hammer firmly and glared, blood pouring from an armwound.

She heard a screech of pain, and the water dragon began to sink lifelessly into the water. Behind her, with the woman in black glaring as it sunk down.

Lenus shook her head. No, that wasn't nice. Not at all.

She kicked out and knocked the girl over, then brought the blades down. She didn't see the sword rising up behind her, slowly, methodically. Her twin weapons were nearing the blue-garbed womans throat, when a searing pain shot through her back. She fell over beside the girl, and moaned. For a second, she was too stunned to move. Then the pain of the blade ripping out of her back reverberated through her mind, and she screamed blood curdlingly.

She couldn't move. Oh gawd, I'm paralized. Oh gawd oh gawd.

Then, her hand twitched, to her relief. She stood uneasily, and snarled like a beast at her enemies. She felt blood flowing from her, slowly dripping down her legs, making her itch.

And mercilessly, the freezing blade of the black-garbed woman plunged into her chest. Horror filled her. No!

Her eyes clouded over. She saw silvery spots in front of her.

Get out of here! That's not right!

She felt herself falling over.

No! It's not over yet! It can't be over!

Yet, her mind told her otherwise. She sighed, and suddenly, an amazing, sheeting peace overtook her. It was over. All the pain, all the horror. All the sweat, blood and tears. They were all over. She closed her eyes and spoke out to the one person who still mattered.

"Lloyd…"

At first, it was a call. She wanted him to come. To kill her enemies and to help her. No, who cared about Dart and them? She justed wanted him, more than anything.

Then, it was no longer a calling. The blood was already flowing, sticking, drowning her. She couldn't breath. It was over, she was passed saving.

"…My life…"

The overwhelming feeling that this was it overpassed any other thought. She would never see her family, or her love, or her world again. But, there was one last thing.

Dart. He would not hurt Lloyd! He would not stop their ideals!

"…Is for you!"

With a scream that came out more as a sigh, she threw her weapons for the last time. Then, she began to fall. Her wings seemed to want to keep her up, as she fell hauntingly slowly to the ground. Then, she hit it and blood squirted out of her with the impact.

As her eyes closed, she saw Dart, approaching her. And the black woman, who was frowning emotionlessly, heartlessly. Last of all, she saw the Wingly. Her face was torn with tears.

Tears for me?

Why aren't you here, Lloyd? Why didn't you help me?

Empty. The cavern was empty. The floor was slick with water from the dragon, who was no where in sight. Blood seemed more plentiful then the water even. Watered down, wickedly scarlet blood that slipping through cracks in the floor and drained into the water, dyeing it red. Lloyd shuddered. Perhaps she had done it. Perhaps Lenus had killed them.

His heart prayed so, but his mind said otherwise, mocking him with savage laughter.

He could feel his wild pulse, like the contents of his chest were trying to leap out. Anxiousness made him wild-eyed and tense.

And then, agony filled him. There she was, half soaked in a pool of blood. Lenus.

"Oh god."

Those were the only words that he could say. His mouth was dry, and his throat would not oblige to anything more than quick gasps of breath.

And then, she shuddered. A quick, twitchy shudder. Her bright, wily eyes opened, only halfway. She tried to speak, and coughed instead.

"Shh, quiet." He muttered. He dropped to his knees beside her, not caring of the blood and dirt, and held onto her hand, as if trying to pull her back.

"Lloyd. You…" Another horrific cough. "You came back…"

"Of course."

She smiled, her lips cracked and blood falling into her open mouth. "Good. I hoped –ahh – that you would."

"Lenus…I…"

"Goodbye. I tried." Her voice was almost unrecognizable. It was so scratchy. "I swear, Lloyd, I tried…"

"I love you Lenus. I am so sorry."

The words, in any other case, would have sounded so melodramatic. Lenus probably would have said he sounded corny. But she only smiled.

"Don't be. I'm happier now than – ever."

"Why?"

"I found you." She clutched at his hand weakly. "I've been searching so long…and I've found you."

Lloyd shook his head. He knew what she meant. As he say there beside her, it was not the person that he had been for so long now. Not the man that had controlled a war in Serdio. Not the man who had tricked Tiberoa so he could have a simple dagger. He wasn't the person who was searching on and on for something he only thought he understood, who paved the road to it with death and blood.

To Lenus, he was the man she had always wanted to love.

She closed her eyes in contentment, and for the last time, she thought of him. Only it wasn't with pain. She was happy.

"Thank you."