IT LIVES! Sorry it took so long, and that it's so short. But like I said earlier, it's kind of hard to motivate myself to write Ryu and friends chapters, even if they need to be written. And stupid school gives me no time at all. -_-

aegis- Unfortunately for me, it will be a few chapters before I can get back to Yahla(though I will put in a Fou-Lu interlude for a break from all this Ryu and friends stuff) But don't worry, we'll get there soon enough and have some interesting Fou-Lu and Ryu interaction, as well as Yahla and Ryu. And I'm glad you enjoyed the chapter.

rainbowrose- Oh no, not odd at all. Unfortunately, my country has stupid laws requiring me to attend a high school that is also attended by teenage boys. And I assure you, that is just about how they act, as well as giving each other such nicknames as Dogface. Although in my school it can be worse that just verbal…I recall the boy who, as a joke, shoved his friend into one of the walls and left an human sized hole in it. Very interesting bonding experiences boys have…

Luna's Meow- There may not be more of me, but I have multiple personalities. Does that count? ^_^ (P.S. This is not true. Those voices in my head are LYING!)

Shardsofpower- Fun to write, as well. :)

Windigo the Feral NYAR- Long time no see! I'm glad you like it. (I probably check back up at Project Freakdom one of these days, if it's still around. But real life keeps interfering. Blah. )

Please see introduction for disclaimer regarding this work.

Chapter Thirty Seven

Romantic Turmoil

The sandfliers skimmed smoothly above the desert floor, cresting the rise of a sand dune with barely a puff of sand thrown up in their path. The sand settled again after their passage, and the small night-creatures that had fled the disturbance extracted themselves from their burrows in the sand.

It was night, nearly a week and a half after Yahla's fateful injury. The moon beamed steadily down from the cloudless black of the sky, its silver tone replacing the lively colors the night had washed out. Princess Nina had taken the opportunity to enjoy the cool night air, and Ryu had joined her on deck. Besides the usual Imperial guards, they were alone, most of the others opting to stay below deck.

Nina leaned forward on the ship's railing, her head tilted back to watch the expanse of the sky. "The stars are wonderful tonight, aren't they? You can see them so much better in the desert, where there aren't any clouds, can't you, Ryu?" she prompted, glancing down at her silent companion. He stood at quietly at her side, with his blue hair falling down before eyes vaguely trained on the passing scenery.

Ryu obliged her with a response, though from appearances he remained lost in thought. "Yes. They're very nice." Little interest did his patient tone betray in the stars, occupied as he was with meaningful things.

"It's strange, isn't it, Ryu? " she asked softly, turning fully to regard the dragon, who brought his head down out of the clouds.

"Hmm?" he queried mildly, his blue eyes focusing on hers. It was a piercing gaze, even when it was not directly focused upon a recipient, and Nina felt a shiver run through her spine. Still, she met his gaze and held it, having grown used to the shock of his scrutiny long ago.

Her hands tightening on the railing, the windian explained pensively, "All this time we've been trying to get into the empire…and now we're on our way. And suddenly I'd rather be anywhere else in the world."

Ryu sighed, a breath of air that seemed endlessly filled with intimacy and regret. "Nina…"

At the sound of her name, she felt her throat tighten convulsively. She knew what he would say, and the protest pushed its unbidden way out between her lips, the wild appeal of a child crying when life shed its semblance of fair play. "Why do you have to go to him? Why can't you stay here, with me?

"I have to, Nina. We were fated to meet." He let his gaze drop from the accusation and entreaty evident in her eyes, continuing softly, "He'll come for me, Nina, even if I don't go to him."

There was no reasonable solution, and she knew it. At the beginning of their quest, she had been confident that Ryu would win, that they couldn't come this far only to lose to the Empire. But she had discovered that Ryu did not share her early confidence, that he did not expect to triumph. And that frightened her and drove her to seek options beyond and against her common sense. "We can hide, can't we? Live out our lives together!"

"How? As pig farmers? He can sense me…I can't hide from him," Ryu admitted the last with a dip of his head, an acknowledgement of his helplessness in the situation. "And you're royalty…your father would never stop searching for you."

Even as the truth of his words registered, she felt an uncharacteristic surge of resentment, accusing, "You won't even try!"

"Nina…" The apology in his voice dissolved her frustration as quickly as it had come, bringing tears to the windian's eyes. "It couldn't ever work, Nina." He murmured, after a painful moment, "I'm sorry."

"Ryu…" Cheeks streaked with wet, she moved to touch him, to kiss him. But even as she drew near him and could see his face radiant in the light of the overhead moon, he stepped beyond her reach and fended her embrace off with his hands.

As he held her away from himself, the dragon spoke with a tone of finality. "Don't, Nina." His voice trembled, dropping to a whisper. "Just don't."

She turned and fled his presence, he who was fated either to outlive her or to die long before her time.

"I don't understand her at all."

Darnik, startled out of his mental rendition of ninety-nine bottles of bear on the wall, turned to see Ryu standing next to him with an exasperated, almost sullen air. The extra layer of sand about his person suggested he had been above deck, where the desert wind blew grit onto every surface and into every exposed orifice. Discerningly, the windian responded, "Huh?"

The dragon slid down to sit against the wall and replied shortly, "Nina. Women in general."

"You and coz got in a fight, Dragon-boy?" the mortal guessed, correctly identifying the root of the problem. Of course, why else would Ryu be complaining about Nina?

"You're a bright one, aren't you?" Ryu commented sarcastically, folding his arms across his knees and burying his head in them. That left only the tufts of his spiky hair visible, and gave Darnik the vague impression of a porcupine.

Shrugging, Darnik replied, "Hey, someone here has to be!"

A muffled response accosted him, assuring him the dragon was at least still listening to him talk. "Somehow I don't think you qualify as that someone."

"Hah! I do too!" the windian exclaimed loudly, losing some of his animation when Ryu failed to respond, "Man, you're doing bad, if you're not even going to disagree with that!"

Ryu muttered something insulting.

"Look up, will you? I don't want to talk to the back of your spiky blue head." The windian was starting to grow concerned about the situation. Just what had happened, and was Nina in a similar state? "Seriously, dragon boy. What's up? Tell Uncle D. all about it."

"If you were my uncle I would kill myself," the dragon said, glancing up at the mortal through the veil of his bangs.

Encouraged by eye-to-eye contact, Darnik added cheekily, "And it would make your relationship with my cousin kind of weird." Oo, incest…

"What relationship?" The bitter tone of that statement immediately grabbed Darnik's attention.

"She dumped you?" Somehow the windian couldn't see it happening. Nina was a selective type, and if she became interested she was likely to stay that way. Besides, she would worry about hurting feelings or offending her former sweetheart.

The Endless shook his head. "No, I…." He broke off mid-explanation, interjecting abruptly, "Why can't she understand that this won't work?"

Putting the pieces together, Darnik ventured another guess. "She threw herself at you, huh?" The dragon's glare and lack of response was all the answer he needed. "And you turned her down. Man, if a girl like that, who wasn't related to me, offered to get me laid I'd have her clothes off in three seconds. Are you sure you aren't gay?"

"Screw you," the dragon said.

"Further evidence!" Ryu threw a punch and Darnik ducked out of the way. "Hey, I'm sorry, I'm sorry!"

"Go away," the Endless ordered, the spark in his oddly blue eyes making Darnik reconsider further teasing. "Now."

Seeing no other option, Darnik relinquished gracefully and departed, with the intention of finding Nina, wherever she had secreted herself on the sandflier. If she was anywhere near as upset as Ryu, Darnik wanted to be there to hold her when she cried.