Resolution
Katt slowly came to her senses. "Uuuhh," she moaned, sitting up. "Where am I?" She looked around. She was sitting in a grassy marsh by a pond. Ryu was sitting on the edge of the water, dipping his feet. He looked very, very upset.
Katt got up and sat down beside him. "Hey baby," she said.
He looked up at her, smiled slightly, then looked back at the water. "Hi. Glad to see you're awake. What did Nina do to you?"
Katt seemed confused. "Nina? She didn't do anything. I took a nap, and then I just woke up here."
"Ah," Ryu said with a nod. Silence took over again.
"Ryu, you look upset," Katt said, reading his features. "Is everything okay?"
Ryu sighed. "We fought."
"What? Who did?"
"Me and Nina. She captured you. We fought a terrible fight, and… Nina is…"
"She's what, Ryu?"
A tear came to Ryu's eye. "She's dead, Katt. I caused the temple to collapse and I rescued you just in time. But Nina… she didn't make it, Katt. She didn't make it! I should have gone back for her!" Ryu was crying openly now.
Katt put her hand on his shoulder. "We all do things we shouldn't do when we're in the heat of anger. I'm sure you felt you didn't have any other choice."
"That's no reason to kill her!" Ryu cried. "I'm a murderer!"
Katt could see Ryu needed to cry, so she sat by his side and held him as he let his sorrow flow from his eyes into the pond.
An hour, two hours passed, and finally Katt spoke. "Ryu… we'll never move on if we stay here forever. We have to go back."
Ryu looked up, his eyes red. "I can't. I can't face everyone now. I killed one of us! One of the nine! Where will her ring go now?"
Katt slapped him gently. "Wrong storyline, fool. Come on, I'll be with you. We love each other, right?"
"Of course I love you."
She kissed him softly. "Then we'll work through this together. Please, let's go back. For me?"
Ryu stared into Katt's deep green eyes, and then stood up with a sigh. "Fine. Let's go." He transformed into the Great Dragon, and with Katt safely on his back, he flew off into the sunset.
A comforting scene met their eyes when they entered their house in Township. Nina was lying in a bed in the corner, apparently still alive, with an icepack on her head. Bleu knelt by her, obviously administering healing medicine. The rest of the group was standing around, nervous.
"Welcome back, kid." Rand said quietly as they entered. "Welcome back, Katt."
"We were so worried about you." Bow said. "We thought you all died."
"Indeed, I even wrote a song of mourning for my departed companion," Jean said.
Ryu cautiously approached the bed where Nina was lying.
"I heard the collapse in the woods," Rand said. "Luckily, I was able to get all the rocks out of the way and pull her out."
Sten, who was normally jumpy and chatty, now stood silent, head bowed. He had nothing to say.
As Ryu drew closer, Nina's body shook on the bed, and she seemed to be trying to speak.
"Easy! Easy, child," Bleu soothed. "Relax." She placed her hand on Nina's forehead, and Nina rested once more.
Ryu knelt by the bed. The others said nothing. They knew Ryu had to do this. "Nina," he whispered, "Despite the disagreements we've had, I never meant to bring harm to you." He lowered his head. "I'd give my life before seeing any of my friends lose theirs." His voice softened. "I beg for your forgiveness, Princess Nina. Please forgive me."
He gently took Nina's hand in his own, and closed his eyes. Deep inside him, in his dragon blood, the Anfini awoke, and as he knelt there, he felt warmth coursing through his hand. He also seemed to feel a gentle breeze fill the room, and he lifted his head to meet it.
And then it was over, and he opened his eyes. And then the miracle happened. Nina's eyes slowly opened, and she sat up.
"What happened?" she asked, her voice hoarse. "You guys?" Then her gaze fell on Ryu. "You! You… you…"
Everyone expected words of furious condemnation to leap from Nina's quivering lips, but they were surprised. "You saved my life!"
"What?" Everyone else asked.
"Just now, I felt you in my heart. You whispered into my mind…" She put her hand on her head. "Oh my God, I'm so sorry for everything I've done… I can't believe I was such a bitch! I never should have…"
"Nina!" Ryu interrupted, taking her hand. "It's all right, it's okay. I actually want to ask for your forgiveness."
A silence fell in the room. Nina was carefully considering what to say, the group was watching, and Katt was holding her breath.
Finally, Nina looked up at Ryu and smiled. "Well, I give you one thing… You're never one to back out of a fight! Buds?"
Ryu grinned. "Buds!"
Nina laughed as she threw herself into Ryu's arms. Then she smiled at him and ruffled his hair. "I thought you would be angry at me forever!"
"Nah," Ryu said. "I don't stay mad at people."
"That's good to hear. Now! I think we have some arrangements to make…" Nina took Katt's hand and placed it in Ryu's outstretched hand. "I decree you two to be married at the Grand Cathedral in Windia!"
Katt squealed with delight, and impulsively kissed Ryu. "Ryu, we're getting married!" she cried.
Ryu grinned. "Unexpected, this is. But… but okay, I'll go with it! Sure!"
"Hey everyone!" Jean called. Everyone turned to him. "Um, this is an expression we use in SimaFort a lot… um, how you say, LET'S PARTY! No?" He pulled out a small party horn and blew into it. "No? Anyone?"
After a 10 second silence, Bow shouted, "Yeah, let's party!" And so began a night of celebration.
