A/N: This first section probably breaks some rules (not that I haven't done that before) but I wanted to reward you guys for being so dang patient with me since I take a literal year these days to post. Is VERY spicy. Enjoy!

Chapter Forty-two

Everything is Going to Be Okay

Nina's heart danced uncoordinated within her bare, heaving chest as Ryu's curious mouth worked its way down from it trailing goosebumps across her toned, shivering stomach. Cheeks flaring she watched the Destroyer of Worlds -the most dangerous being in Elanaar's existence- nestle his handsome, blushing face lovingly against her already embarrassingly damp delicate undergarments. Her breath caught at the feel of his, hot and heavy against her inner thigh; at such an aching want in the stare suddenly locked with hers. "Do not tremble so, it is only me," mused that irresistible brogue unintentionally commanding her entire body to shake even harder. He licked along the crevice where her leg connected, relishing the tiny squirm and adorable yelp it forced out of her.

Flustered beyond belief she grasped at the sheets beneath her, gasping loudly and arching her back when he did it again to her other leg. Was he teasing her? He did it yet again, smiling when her hips involuntarily raised. Gods she was throbbing...that meant he was too, right? He reached up, slid a rough skinned hand up her sweat slicked back to where her wings sprouted. The sounds she made when he touched that area, the way her petite body twisted in his grip had him moaning into her thighs long before the electric shocks of bliss shooting down her spine reached him.

Draping her legs over his bare shoulders he hungrily tasted her desire through thin cotton fabric. Slow and rhythmic, the dragon's boldness had her mewling. "...tastes good...," groaned a feverish Ryu in draconian with that raw honesty she loved. "...I want more..." It wasn't long until she felt his warm tongue slip past the barrier.

It was getting late, bits of music still floated up from the festivities below into their open balcony, though not as many people could be heard anymore. The serenade of screaming thugs and drunken fans singing loudly was finally dying down. Colorful fireworks burst in the sky, illuminating the intertwined lovers in vibrant colors. Ryu moaned along with Nina, lapping up what his teasing rewarded him, one hand still on their favorite wing spot and the other moving down to play with one of her cute little breasts. Her legs tensed when he pushed his tongue against a spot he knew she desperately wanted him to go back and pay attention to after he'd grazed it moments ago. Fingers tangled into his hair.

"Am I satisfying you?" asked the dragon impishly.

Cheeky asshole asking that when he knew good and well everything she godsdamn felt- "-!" Snickering, he gripped her hips and flicked his tongue harder, faster against that sensitive area. Nina bared her fangs, squeezed his head in her thighs as the pulsing in her nethers and the blaring fact it was damn Ryu doing this to her had her teetering maddeningly on edge. His own loins could hardly handle the whimpers she was making, the mess he was more than happy to clean up dripping down her. Holy hell him doing that was making it worse! "It's too much-!" she squealed in an almost inaudible voice letting go of his dark mop to fist the sheets beside her.

"I know. Just a little more..." pleaded the dragon breathily, his expression melting away any inhibitions she might have still had. Everything was drenched, the bed, her thighs, Ryu... He moaned into her loving every second of it. Nina had no filter now and it was music to her lover's ears. Every stroke of the dragon's tongue fed white hot pleasure to the fire he'd been so tenderly nursing within her this entire time and she could do nothing but succumb noisily with him as he licked and licked and licked-

"Oh my gods Ryu you are the absolute worst!" shrieked a beet faced Nina leaping out of her cot, startling Merybel and Arson in the process.

I needed to make damn sure you didn't forget about me overnight.

Nina fought to catch her breath clutching the front of the long flowery nightgown she was wearing courtesy of Drogen and kicking off the thin blanket smothering her bottom extremities. Agh she was so warm.

How could she forget her first time bedding Ryu? The first time he'd...well anyone had ever made her feel like that? "Gods!" she cursed wishing the soul was physical so she could pummel him.

"What is the matter with you?" hissed Mery, trying to detach Arson from her.

"Nothing!" Nina spat back, swinging tiny balled fists out dramatically. Cheeks pulsing, she threw open the front flap of her tent to storm outside.

Ladon's bright irises flickered up from the small bubbling cauldron of tea he was brewing at Nina's rats den of a bedhead stomping by. "Princess! The sun isn't even all the way up and you're-"

"I want to be left alone!" she snapped at him, turning to head deeper into the forest. A few dozen steps in she checked back with a scowl to see he didn't follow with anything more than his creepy eyes. For now at least he wasn't. Nina walked until he and the camp were out of sight.

Dead leaves drifted by her close knit brows in this place's thick, cursed air. Sha'lei...I apologize. I am apprehensive. Please understand.

Nina plopped down on a gnarled exposed root at the edge of a tiny creek with a frustrated sigh, folding her arms on her knees. "I do...It-It's just...hard...to think of those times now," said the wyndian listening to water rushing by. There were no signs of life in or around it. "I miss him-you, a lot." She set her chin on her arms.

That night in Coursair, Ryu'd shown her what it was like to be loved more than she'd ever imagined possible. That a man's touch didn't have to come packaged with guilt or fear, that it could be both loving and lustful at the same time without being wrong... It wasn't just physical, with them everything was as one; body, soul, mind, all woven tightly together by unbreakable threads of fate. She knew without a doubt how much he loved her and he exactly the same.

Everything is going to be okay.

"So I keep hearing," murmured the blonde staring into the water. She dipped a toe in, snapped it right back out. Geez, it was freezing! "You know, remembering Coursair reminded me Isabella was there. Ladon told me she was safe, but it's nice to have something concrete. Thank you."

Bits of morning light peeked through the treetops. Nina took a deep breath. Supposedly they would make it to Drakken that evening. What would it be like, she wondered.

Black metal as far as the eye can see. Streams of steam shooting from a myriad of pipes running everywhere. That is what I remember of that place.

White puffy clouds bubbled above, signaling probably yet another beautiful clear sunny day. "I assume there are soldiers patrolling the outside, but what of the regular townspeople? Do they ever get to see the sky? Feel the breeze? Is it not horribly, maddeningly stagnant down there underground?" asked the wyndian feeling sorry for anyone not able to witness the masterpiece of blues, pinks and purples stretching across the heavens past the trees right now. "Are there special rules they have to follow? They have to hide from the world, don't they? I mean I grew up never hearing of them at all and...before you say I was sheltered, while that is true, I'd also heard of a lot of things I wasn't supposed to eavesdropping on father's meetings."

I do not remember politics but you are ignorant because their adamancy in enforcing their martial law. It seems to have not changed much in five hundred years.

"Just like me huh, living most of their life knowing only the prison they were born into." she nudged a rock into the creek. "I wonder if anyone tries to escape. I know I would."

Dragons are different from humans or wyndians, we do not have the same range of color in our appearances. A light could pass for human but it would be difficult for a dark one to integrate into the general public.

She hugged her knees again and stared out into the distance, wondering why this place looked so familiar to her. Moments passed of her trying to decipher the various aches in her stomach before she spoke again. "Ryu. If I am to inquire about...some things...would the truth be what I receive? We have that sort of relationship, right?"

It was as if she could actually feel the soul inside of her shuffle uncomfortably. Depends. I care only for what's in your best interest.

Winds felt cool on her legs, through the messy zigzag part in her slightly oily hair. Yeah, she'd lie to keep him safe too. Still, she wanted to try. "It's been quite a while since I've fallen underneath the courtyard in Wyndia hasn't it?" Obviously it had, since she now remembered every night she'd had with the dragon, be it passionate or not. Especially the ones before they'd made any sort of confession, where he'd let her cuddle against his back for protection and warmth even though he'd told her every day she was a nuisance.

A few months have passed now, yes...a-and you were a nuisance at that time!

She lifted her arm, studied where she had vivid memories of bone blades like the ones she saw on Ladon bursting out of it, remembered the scales she'd summoned instinctively for Arson's fire. "Having you affixed to me affects my body physically, doesn't it?"

Yes.

Her brow furrowed. She absently ran her tongue over her own sharp canines. "Am I in more danger than I'm perceiving?"

Again the voice awkwardly shuffled. Yes.

Her small frame deflated. It really was so strange not to hear any birds out in nature at all. "On the surface this trip to Drakken seems trivial...like I'm going to waltz right in, speak casually to my Goddess and go home a hero with white wings, but it's not going to be like that at all, is it Ryu? I'm going to have to fight for my life, just like I somehow know I've been doing non stop all these months-"

"Tell me, Princess, who are you speaking to out here all by yourself?"

Nina's heart stopped. Rattled like the leaves above her with these winds cutting though, she slowly turned to see Ladon standing there looking down at her with an expression she was having trouble processing the immensity of. Neither her nor Ryu had sensed him at all.

He wasn't moving, still every bit of him suffocated her. White knuckled hands gripped the root she was on. "N-no one," she stammered, not able to look anywhere else but him. Every little hair on her body stood at attention. Strong, staticky magic pricked at her skin like thousands of tiny pins.

"Are you sure?" he asked slowly, jaw clenching tight. It wasn't morning anymore around them, his black aura made sure of that.

I can help you.

We can help her!

Nina knew at this point she was going crazy. Who had voices like this in their head? Maybe none of this was real; she'd hit her head hard when she fell in Wyndia and dreamed up one hell of a lover from one of Chasta's stories. Surely the Black Wings weren't on her back and Ladon was another attractive figment of her boy crazy imagination. She wasn't friends with a faerie and she didn't have a nut mage calling her "master." All this was some huge elaborate trick her mind was playing on her because she really really didn't want to marry that awful Prince Vahn...

Chasta is dead.

No! You mustn't say that to her!

"Chasta's...dead?"

Ladon braced himself.

That's right, Chasta was dead. Ethan killed her and Nina'd tried so damn hard talking all that sense into her. Sure, the handmaiden's brightly painted coffin nailed hands had been choking the life out of her at the time but no, she wouldn't have gone through with it, not in a million years! They were best friends. They'd always been such great friends...

"I told you sealing memories was dangerous!" Mery snapped at Ladon warily watching patches of black scales splashing into existence on Nina's bare shoulders.

If it weren't for Ethan's swords in her gut she would have gotten through to her! And then he had to go and die himself...what an idiot! Both of them dead, for nothing!

I can help make it all better.

No! You said we'd work together!

Drunk with her anguish, His power suddenly funneling into her had her manic. Yes, she remembered this. Remembered when nothing and no one could stop her. Remembered what happened to those who tried. Visions of Vahn's face morphing from one of pleasure to absolute horror played over and over in her mind, driving her ecstatic.

Ladon's emeralds glued to the wyndian's transformation into the beast the Kaiser loved her to be, fire raging beneath his stoic features since he was quite positive he had sealed this pesky problem away.

Nina crouched low, arching her back as spiked scales rippled out of her nightgown and down her spine. "None of us like you playing with this mind," rasped the dragon girl, clutching ground with long, black claws. "We don't like being controlled!" Glittering onyx bones flicked behind her, an irritated feline's tail.

Nina and Ladon lunged into the shadows at one another. Arson trembled at Merybel's side, wooden fists full of the light blue nightgown the faerie wore. Pink darted back and forth at bits of ground and leaves being kicked into the air by invisible footwork. Clang! Sparks. "A-ah!" For a split second Nina's pained face came into view; as quick as it appeared she pulled it back. More dirt scattered. Mery clenched chattering teeth.

The Kaiser was just a part of Ladon, a clever, strong, incredibly devious part, yet doomed to be inferiorly incomplete nonetheless. Crimson claws snatched its vessel from the air easily. Desperate dark beasts behind Nina beat against his presence. He just looked at her with Ryu's face seeming utterly soulless. Try as you might, you are merely an annoyance I would rather not waste my time with. Glowing red eyes widened. Scaled feet scraped at his abdomen to no avail. Nina twisted so hard in his grasp tendons snapped within her shoulders. Ladon visibly faltered. Godsdamn mortal body.

To their left towards the snowcapped mountains of the eastern kingdoms a dainty voice cleared their throat, sounding to the two like it was both in that direction and right beside their own ears at the same time. Auras dispersed. Both warriors snapped toward the delicate distraction daring to cut through their tension to see a dark dragon woman clad in a long black hooded robe standing importantly on top of a hill, flanked by two dragon men in God Armor. Long stick straight white blonde hair poured from her cowl almost down to her clasped glowing hands at her waist. Crimson shimmered down her robe like her guardians' armor. Dark purple lips smiled ever so slightly. The air around her seemed to be an entity of its own, moving on its own time, its own space. Nina shook her head, held her shoulder as it repaired itself. "The Goddess would appreciate you not harming her property," rang a voice like bells tinkling in the wind.

Ladon felt the Kaiser backing down inside of the Nina in this woman's presence. His memory charms were barely holding on now in her tumultuous storm of a being; having that bastard inside had made her annoyingly resilient. Reluctantly he let go of Nina who hopped back, scales receding back into her. Merybel realized there was a crack in the little nut mage's arm where she was holding on. Muttering an apology she quickly passed a heal over it.

Ladon allowed his battle stance to wither. "I take it you are the ones escorting us to Drakken?"

A Priestess. What in Elanaar's name would she send a Priestess out into the world for?

Priestess?

Under the dragon priestess' -Nina now knew- shrouded gaze, she began to sober from the Kaiser's fury. It also was no longer apparent to her what made him come to visit in the first place. Better yet...Kaiser? Who? Blinking hard she rubbed her eyes with cold hands, feeling sick to her stomach. Had she eaten today? "I see we've arrived just in time," sang the priestess in draconian circling Nina, robe gliding over piles of white leaves and sending them into the air as she 'danced'. After a moment's study she frowned. "There's a mind block on this one. An ancient one." Disappointed lips pursed at Ladon. "It will be removed before she speaks to Her Majesty."

He bristled. "I will not allow-"

The priestess' hand went up. Ladon's expression stoned. "Do not think I will be intimidated by some good-for-nothing flighty 'god' devoid of any love for children he created." The hatred in her tone was almost tangible, mimicked by the glares of her subordinates. "As you've been perfectly content abandoning us for centuries, I am perfectly content abandoning you for that much longer. I'm only tolerating you because her Majesty is actually looking forward to your arrival." She turned from the disgust he could not hide to Nina, curling those lips back up. She looked like some kind of beautiful nightmare, it made Nina woozy to look at her. "My Goddess has stated the girl's mind is to be intact, no matter what. She intends to experience it all."

Nina wasn't sure what that meant, but lead dropped into the pit of her stomach anyhow. As far as she still knew, she was going to the Goddess to get rid of all these terrible things plaguing her...right? It made her head hurt too bad to think about it.

Ladon crossed his arms. "Whoever unlocks those memories is making a grave mistake."

"We have ways of handling things such as him, do not worry about us," snapped the priestess extending a glittering hand to Nina. "Ah my goodness, I realize now how rude I've been, especially to one as important as you, Your Highness." Nina's eyebrows raised. "My name is Perilia, a High Priestess of Drakken. I will be escorting you to the city proper."

Naively Nina moved to reciprocate the gesture politely, despite Ryu's soul screaming at her behind the scenes. Quick as lightning Ladon snatched the girl's hand out of reach. "What purpose did they have sending a priestess? Anyone could have shown us the way," snipped the dragon god.

Perilia made a face. "I'm sure it's dawned on you how important of cargo you are and from the looks of it, you two were in desperate need of a capable mediator."

Nina ripped her hand from Ladon's grasp baring her teeth at him. "Don't touch me!" yipped the whelp. Ladon clicked his tongue, irritated. Merybel landed on her shoulder with Arson scowling at him. He reluctantly stepped back, keeping a watchful eye on the priestess. "It's very nice to meet you, Miss Perilia," said the Wyndian sweetly while still glaring at him.

"We should reach the city by sundown," said Perilia leading the group forward. "There we can get you out of those rags," she said motioning to Nina's attire. "and into something more appropriate."

She would gladly take that offer, the princess thought running her hand over dozens of tiny little holes in the fabric where it had apparently been ravished by moths during its time tucked away in the back of the dusty dresser she'd found it in. She could tell by the miniscule splotches of vibrant color still daring to cling to life deep in crevices where the garment had been folded that it might have once been beautiful, but now all she could think about was how dusty it smelled and how homely she must appear to this woman. Also, there must have been some huge moth holes in the back since she was definitely feeling more air back there. "I can't remember the last time I was properly dressed," said Nina absently with a shiver.

Why did it feel so odd for her to be thinking like a Princess?

"Will I be meeting the Goddess tonight?"

The sudden change in Ladon's gait amused Perilia. "In time, my dear, there are some things we need to take care of first."

Nina nodded, continuing to follow the priestess and her men through the silent forests of Drakken focusing on how armed her bodyguards sounded rattling with every step they took. These had weapons on them, something she knew on a subconscious level was uncommon.

They are protecting a Dark Dragon Priestess. Ah, Sha'lei, I hope you forgive me for not telling you about priestesses sooner. I do not remember this particular one, but I did fight against a few in my time. Some dark dragons are born possessing...abilities. Usually only a few are in existence at one time and they don't have to be female. Dark priests exist as well though it was less common. The Lights believe this to be the result of evolution trying it's hardest to rebel against Ladon's curse. He sighed. I do not know what to believe, but I do know you must tread carefully around them, my love. To awaken your memories she will have to enter your mind and to do so she merely needs to touch you but what you don't understand is-

"She can enter my mind?" asked Nina incredulously out loud, immediately cementing her hands to her mouth, eyes swiveling.

Perilia laughed gently. Her god armored guardians stared silently. "That little sliver of a soul inside of you is quite knowledgeable isnt' it?"

Godsdamnit, Nina cursed to herself.

Inside Ryu's soul also cursed, but he knew it couldn't be helped. This Nina wasn't his careful warrior. He could only hope awakening those memories would bring even a sliver of her back. Be careful of her touch; ones who can manipulate the mind are truly horrifying. Nina looked to Perilia humming a strange tune.

For the next few hours, Nina kept to herself until Ryu's voice cut through her thoughts. Brace yourself Sha'lei, for I can feel the thousands of souls residing in the city stretching below us now.

It was barely afternoon, they'd arrived way before schedule. Nina swallowed, seeing nothing but mountains in front of them and knowing the only way forward now was down.

They were here.

She was here.

Wait.

Why was she worried about the Goddess again?

Drakken. A metropolis the likes of which Nina had never witnessed before, and how could she have? There wasn't anything else like it on Elanaar.

Wide, frantic eyes drank in everything they possibly could through thick blonde locks swirling crazily about as she and her party descended in an industrial lift they'd reached hidden deep in the mountainside. She nervously gripped cold metal bars lining the cage in front of her.

Black metal and steam, yes Ryu was correct, but what he'd failed to express was how dense it all was. Even at the top of the lift she wasn't able to see where the city began or ended. Dark buildings wrapped in sleek black metal pipes and vents rose impossibly high -or was she impossibly low by now? they were dropping incredibly fast- into a sky of raging steam and webs of black cables. Neon lights similar to those in Chamba and Synesta blinked business names in draconian when she could see them peeking through the thick fog blanketing everything. Clothes on the cables swayed in winds generated by huge fans in the walls. People waved and yelled to one another on metal balconies; dark dragon civilians with normalish non god armor clothing. Children played in the alleyways, on the cables. There were people congregating on the pipes, on the buildings, bustling in the streets, their voices all melding into a roar no city could touch even if they were multiplied a hundred times over.

Chamba and Synesta? She'd been there before?

Nina flashed back to the back of her head slamming against a wall in a dingy dark hallway and a smile creeping across Prince Vahn's feminine features as he advanced toward her. Suddenly feeling dizzy, Nina stepped back. Merybel jumped to attention. "Are you alright?"

Nina didn't know whether it was the memory she immediately forgot or the humidity now hitting them from all sides as their lift screeched to a halt at its final destination, but she nodded to the faerie and took a deep breath anyhow. Steam spewed in streams arching above them as they docked.

She was going to have to be, she thought sweeping wild hair out of her face.

Perilia was a shadow leading Nina to her mind's demise.

Dramatic thinking, she knew. She also knew such thinking wasn't so far fetched.

Mazes of small pipes hissed overhead in the hallway they walked through, misting condensation onto Nina's already clammy skin. The heavy duty work boots they'd given her at a checkpoint right after the giant lift clanked loudly against grated metal flooring. She thumbed the sleeves of her own shimmerless black robe down into her palms, amber moving past the dark fabric spilling about her down through the grating she walked on. They were above something, a tiny passageway only accessible by something like a rat and- Nina squinted. Two pale yellow eyes blinked back at her. A...child? Merybel and Arson both gasped in surprise as she dropped to her knees. "H-hey! Are you stuck in there? Are you okay?"

"Who are you speaking to, Princess?" asked Perilia turning with Ladon back to see Nina with her shoulder against the grates reaching with her arm through them.

Panicked, Nina didn't look up, "There's someone in the vents underneath us! A-a child! Come help me get her out!" At least she thought it was a girl. The poor thing barely clothed in torn rags was so dirty and skinny she wasn't sure of the gender. They inched back into a corner when Nina reached, peering at her through matted hair with sunken in eyes. "It's alright...," she cooed, "Don't be afraid..." One of the god armor soldiers snatched the hood of Nina's robe, yanking her to her feet. "What the-what're you-"

Perilia was chortling. Balling her fists, Nina opened her mouth to protest, but the priestess spoke first. "That 'child' is what we call a 'Cleaner'. She...he...whatever it is, they belong down there. Let them do their job."

Nina could still see the child backed into that tiny corner staring back at her, noticed burn scars on their exposed legs and arms. "What do you mean 'let them do their job'?"

The priestess' amusement at Nina's naivety was starting to wane, the princess could tell in her voice. "It isn't of importance for you to be informed of them, but they are creatures small and expendable enough to send into the innerworkings of the city to clean. Without them, Drakken would cease to function."

Were they scared? Sad? Shy? Nina couldn't tell. Her heart hurt the same. "Creature?" What the hell. They were obviously a dark dragon child.

"Yes. Orphan peasants. Barely classifiable as a dragon. Illiterate, asonant. Do not try to communicate with it, as it is impossible."

Ladon stood there motionless saying nothing.

Ryu's hatred bubbled deep within Nina, joining her fury. The Cleaners. I remember now. She is correct, do not try to communicate. It will not make a difference.

"How can you do that to children?" asked Nina fighting against the soldier's not so gentle nudges to continue walking.

Perilia's smile was stale. "Princess did you not hear me a moment ago? They are sub-dragon. Please, drop this subject, we need to move on."

"A kingdom should never treat any of its subjects in this way," snapped Nina glaring back at the other soldier joining into her 'persuasion'.

Another laugh erupted from the priestess, this time it was sharp, haughty. "Perhaps its past time to bring your senses back, Princess. Bring her in here."

"Don't you be rough with her, you dummy!" cried Mery when they all but shoved Nina into a small room Perilia had to open with a keypad on the wall. Nina tripped over her robe, tumbling head over heels onto the similarly grated floor to the middle of the room. Mery and Arson moved to help her up. Perilia flipped a switch on the wall signaling a myriad of overhead lights to blind the trio simultaneously.

Wincing, Nina threw her arm over her eyes. Pressure released from pipes in the ceiling. Steam sizzled. Broken cables swayed. The buzzing of electricity from all the lights was deafening. With the help of her tiny friends, Nina slowly pulled herself to her knees. The priestess stood over her, her robe losing a bit of its luster in the harsh lighting. Nina's heart lurched painfully. Ladon stood with his back against the wall with his arms crossed. She wasn't sure what the expression he was making was. Fear? No. Not him. Concern? Maybe. He was powerful, but he was in a mortal body.

Nina didn't have a chance to think about her surroundings any more since they changed instantly when Perilia grasped her chin and faced her.

A beach.

It was always a beach.

She both knew this fact, and forgot it at the same time.

She was sitting cross legged in soft white sand. The sky was a clear, cloudless blue. Waves crashed, spreading sparkling aqua almost to the tips of her fingers digging into the grit. Her other hand sifted through a sea of a different blue, a different softness. Ryu's soul purred in her lap as she ran her fingers through his hair, groaned as he stretched his childlike body like a cat soaking in the sun's warm rays. He was still sealed, still incomplete. In the background she could both see and feel the hazy form of Perilia watching, waiting. What for? Wasn't she the one supposedly forcing her to remember?

She wants us to do the dirty work, Sha'lei, said the little soul rolling over and standing up. He held out his hand, face softening. Come, I promise I won't leave your side. She knew he wouldn't, he didn't have to promise. Taking a deep breath, Nina took his hand and stood.

Perilia's ghost made some quick gestures with her hands and in the distance a doorway materialized. Heart pounding, Nina looked to Ryu who nodded at her. Reluctantly she ventured forward.

Inside, in the middle of Drakken's cursed white forest she was being choked to death by Chasta.

Nina forgot Ryu was there, forgot where she actually was. In that very instant she was there, at the end of Chasta's fingers around her throat, watching her face reddening with the effort it took to choke the life out of someone with your bare hands. The emotions she felt now were not the same as the ones she remembered in that moment. Was this what Ryu saw, being the outside one looking in? Did she even look at the face her former 'friend' was making? It was sadistic.. so happy at the possibility of Nina dying like this...by her hands. Gods, Ethan was right.

Ethan.

There he was in all his glory with his two swords, taking care of Chasta because god forbid anyone but him have Nina's blood on their hands.

Did she even try to save him? Yes, she did. There was no reason why she wouldn't have. Sure he wasn't the same, he wasn't her friend anymore, but surely, surely she'd tried her best to save his life!

She watched for the second time his god armor rip his future from him.

These pains in her stomach...so that's what they were from. Alright.

Sha'lei...

"What's next? There's more I don't remember right? Yeah, my best 'friends' are dead. I get it," snapped Nina rubbing her forearm hard against a wet face. Ryu squeezed her hand. "Go on! Show me!"

We can take a moment, you don't need to rush.

There was no need. She'd cried enough about them. If it didn't happen then, it would have happened later and who knows who else would have been involved. What if they'd been traveling with Isabella? Ethan wouldn't have given a damn and Chasta for damn sure wouldn't have.

There it was again. That dingy hallway. Nina'd only closed her eyes for a second but now she was back there, trembling under Vahn's gaze.

Flashed back and she was in that bed in Ludia fighting through his advances to get him off of her.

Blinked again, and she was on the hard forest ground being held down by both him and Chasta.

Vahn. What a disgusting human.

She'd never been afraid of men before, but that was because she was a princess and was never subjected to any of the pigs most women suffered through. Chasta had let her know this countless times. But this man...his smell, the mere thought of him... The knowledge that no matter how many times she bathed she would never wash off the shame she felt with every touch of his she'd let happen, every godsforsaken whimper that had passed her lips because of this awful, piece of filth.

"Alright!" she said stomping her foot, eyes burning. "I remember! Vahn's an asshole and..." she stopped, remembered another horrible thing about that night. "...Chasta told me she killed mother."

This time she did need a moment. The look on the handmaiden's face when she'd said it too. Nina shook her head, grit her teeth hard. Took a deep, ragged breath. "O-Okay, I'm done with this one. I fucking remember. It isn't important enough to keep showing."

It is important. It is what lead me to you.

Right. The Kaiser. She'd accepted him because she was afraid of Vahn; because she wanted to make him pay for that shame, and she wanted Chasta to bleed for her sins.

Blackness took over everything. Nina clung to Ryu's soul searching for something, anything other than pitch blackness spreading as far as conceptionally possible-

And there he was in all his translucent Ryu-like glory, black wings enchanted in crimson beating heavily against the darkness. Heavy lidded glowing red eyes narrowed even more underneath wavering white locks. He always looked like he was in water. She remembered this now. You called to me. You were powerless to fight the things that plague you.

"You are what plagues me," whispered Nina, all but frozen in his terrible yet endurable gaze.

He was just before her now tracing a long black claw against her jawline, tilting his head. Her heart hated seeing all these imitation Ryus. How infuriating it is to have you not acknowledge what I have done for you. We have accomplished much.

His forehead touched hers and she was graced with the memories of every murder she'd committed; every time he'd nearly bent her sanity to the limit.

Every time he did.

Out of all of it, she focused on the fact that Vahn was included in those murders and managed a weak smile as she stepped back from the white beast. This was why Ladon was afraid. She was a monster.

Are you ready to face her?

Hearing that made time stop.

Her?

Tyr.

Oh. Nina's stomach twisted.

That's right, she was in fucking Drakken.

It was time.

A/N: Well folks we're getting that much closer to the end. I assume maybe four or five more chapters? We'll see how it goes. I have a feeling the next chapter is going to be really hefty.

I listened to Ephixa & Laura Brehm - Losing You a lot while writing this. Also Lemmino ft Veela - An Apology

It continues to keep me in disbelief how many still care to hear Ryu and Nina's story until the end. I can't thank you enough for all the inspiration and love. Also the ones that stop by just to ask how I'm doing, never change, y'all are good people :)

I hope everyone is staying safe and I hope y'all have a great Halloween!