Gah...it's taking me too long to update this...
The Story Master 125: Yeah, it really sucks to do so much work just to have Elbert die anyway...although it IS fun to kill everyone :P
DrillingPlanet: Yeah, I wondered where he got the knife too. The killing edge seems to fit well...
AmbieChan: Thanks for your review! (and also your review of Defiance!)
khmerboi919: Thanks for your review!
Chapter Eight
Undeserving
The journey back to the mainland of Lycia was hard on everyone, knowing that they had failed their mission, but Ninian seemed to lapse into a state of utter despair. Her reunion with her brother and the fact that she now remembered everyone did nothing to raise her spirits. She spent most of the days sitting at the stern of the boat, staring at the slowly shrinking Valor...the place that had caused her so much pain.
"Ninian..."
Ninian slowly looked up and saw Florina.
"What's wrong? You've been...just sitting here all day."
Ninian looked away. She didn't want to talk about it, and even thinking about what had happened caused a sob to start forming in her throat.
Florina was undaunted. "Talking to someone will make you feel better," she said. "Did...did something happen...on Valor that we don't know about?"
Of course, I killed Eliwood's father! she screamed mentally, but she remained silent.
"Ninian, please..." Florina pleaded.
"You don't understand," Ninian whispered angrily. "You have no idea of what...what I went through." Tears began streaking down her face, but she ignored them. "Just leave me alone!"
Florina sat down next to her, placing an arm around her shoulders. "Ninian," she said, "it's okay. Just—"
"No!" Ninian quickly stood up, shaking off Florina's arm. "I...I can't...no..."
Burying her face in her hands, she ran back below decks, leaving a hurt Florina to stare out to sea.
Ninian ran down the small hallway, tears blurring her vision. All she wanted to do was collapse on her bed and cry her heart out. She was about to open the door to her compartment when she was stopped by a sound.
She listened to it. It sounded like...someone crying.
Walking further down the musty hallway, she found the source of the sound.
It was Eliwood.
The door to his compartment was open, allowing Ninian to see inside. The body of Elbert lay on the bed, cold and lifeless. On a chair next to the bed sat Eliwood. He gripped his father's hand tightly, sobbing.
It was utterly heart-wrenching for Ninian to watch. It was bad enough knowing she had killed Elbert...but seeing Eliwood in such a state because of what she had done was too much for her.
A sob escaped her lips, and she collapsed on the ground. She couldn't take all the pain...she just wanted everything to end.
"N-Ninian."
She looked up at the sound of Eliwood's voice. His face was tear-streaked, but he was trying his hardest to keep himself collected. He had his hand extended towards her, offering her up. She took it, but as she did she glanced at Elbert's body, and started crying anew. She held onto Eliwood for fear of collapsing again, sobbing into his shoulder.
"L-Lord Eliwood," she sobbed, "I...I-I'm s-so sorry..."
He said nothing; he simply placed his arms around her, tears falling silently down his face.
The army arrived in Badon with somewhat lighter spirits after a few days. During that time Ninian had been able to apologize to Florina and also inform her that she remembered her now, which had at least improved Florina's mood.
The army filed into one of the larger inns in Badon as night fell. Most of the soldiers went directly to their rooms, but the three lords, Ninian, and Nils stayed behind in the entrance. None of them felt particularly like sleeping at the moment.
"Ninian?" Lyn asked suddenly.
"Yes?" she replied.
"Are you feeling better?"
"I...I suppose so."
"How about you, Nils?" she asked, turning to him.
"I'm fine," he replied.
Lyn smiled slightly. "That's good. It's been so long since I've seen you...you really must tell me what happened after you left Caelin."
The blue-haired lord suddenly butted in. "Care to talk about things the rest of us can follow?" he asked, looking to Eliwood for support. He received none.
"Hector, please," Lyn said, exasperated. She turned back to Ninian and Nils. "I guess I should introduce you all...Ninian, Nils, this is Hector, brother of the marquess of Ostia. Don't be fooled by the way he acts...he's actually a nice guy."
Hector smiled proudly, puffing out his chest slightly. "Pleased to meet you, Ninian, Nils."
Lyn rolled her eyes before gesturing at Eliwood. "And I suppose you remember Eliwood here..."
Eliwood gave the siblings a small smile.
"Of course," Nils said. "Lord Elbert...he told us much about you..."
Eliwood's smile quickly disappeared. "You...you met my father?"
"Yes," Nils said. "He was there, with us, at the Dragon's Gate. He was the one who set us free, but..."
"But what?" Eliwood asked.
"He...he was thrown out of the boat in a storm," Ninian said, gesturing at Nils. "When that happened, I..."
"Yes, we found you, but you had lost your memory," Lyn said. "Ninian...I can't believe we brought you right back to your captors. I...I'm sorry for—"
"No," Ninian interrupted. "Lyn, you did nothing wrong...when Nils fell overboard, I became lost within myself. This...all that happened was because of me..." Her eyes began welling with tears. "If only I had...been stronger...all of this could have been avoided..."
"Why was Nergal after you?" Eliwood asked.
Nils answered, but Ninian no longer heard him. All she could think about was her own weakness...how everything that happened was all her fault...
"Nils!" Lyn suddenly shouted, as if he had said something inappropriate. The shout brought Ninian back to her senses.
"It's all right," Eliwood said slowly. "Please...please go on..."
"Your father," Nils said, looking at the floor, "When we lost hope...he told us stories...about his wife...and you. Lord Eliwood...your father...he saved us..."
Eliwood looked ready to burst into tears. "Oh...Father..." he said to himself.
Ninian stared at him sadly. All of his pain...it was all because of her weakness...
She suddenly felt a hand on her shoulder. Looking up, she saw Nils behind her.
"We should go," he said. He looked at Eliwood. "He...he needs to be alone."
Ninian turned and walked to her room with Nils, but not without giving one last glance back at Eliwood.
Trying to get to sleep was futile. Every time Ninian closed her eyes, the image of her taking Elbert's quintessence flashed through her mind. She decided to get up and go for a short walk; maybe it would clear her head.
However, as she walked to the entrance of the inn, she noticed that Eliwood was still there. He sat in a chair next to the wall, simply looking down at the floor.
She couldn't stand seeing him in so much pain...all because of her...
She walked over to him.
"L-Lord Eliwood..."
Eliwood's head snapped up. "What? Oh, Ninian, I didn't see you there...you startled me."
She merely stared at him sadly. She didn't know what to say.
"I...I'm sorry about before," he continued. "I didn't mean to get so upset...I just...needed some time to think."
Ninian continued to stare at him.
"Are you all right?" he asked. "You shouldn't be up so late...you're very pale. Come on...you should get some rest..."
"Why?" Ninian asked suddenly.
Eliwood looked at her inquisitively. "Why what?"
"Lord Eliwood...why are...why were you and Lord Elbert...so kind to us?" Her eyes began welling with tears. She didn't deserve their kindness at all...
Eliwood stood up. "Why should we not be? You've been through a lot, Ninian, we all have—"
"—because of me!" she finished for him, starting to cry. "All of this...everything that has happened...it is all because of me...my weakness...I don't—"
"Ninian," Eliwood said sadly. "Please...do not blame yourself for this..."
"B-but it's all my fault!" she sobbed. "L-Lord Elbert...I killed him! I was the one who—"
"No," Eliwood interrupted her. "You did not. Nergal killed my father. Even if it was through you...he still was the one who..." he trailed off.
Ninian continued to sob.
"Ninian," Eliwood said calmly. He placed his hand under her chin, lifting her head up so she was looking directly at him. "Please, listen to me. None of this is your fault. You have suffered so much...please, do not punish yourself further..."
"Lord Eliwood...d-do you really believe that?" she asked.
Eliwood gave her a tiny smile. "I do," he said. "All of what has happened...is because of Nergal. Ninian...crying ill suits a girl of your beauty. I do not want to see you in so much pain. Please..."
Ninian was speechless, mostly from Eliwood calling her beautiful. "Lord Eliwood...I...—ah!"
The sensation in the back of her head suddenly flared to life.
"What is it?" Eliwood asked.
"Someone...someone is coming to attack us!"
I think that's the first time I've ever done a cliffhanger...even though you all know what happens next anyway...
What do you guys think?
Please review!!!
-TheOneAndOnlyT
The Story Master 125: Yeah, it really sucks to do so much work just to have Elbert die anyway...although it IS fun to kill everyone :P
DrillingPlanet: Yeah, I wondered where he got the knife too. The killing edge seems to fit well...
AmbieChan: Thanks for your review! (and also your review of Defiance!)
khmerboi919: Thanks for your review!
Undeserving
"Ninian..."
Ninian slowly looked up and saw Florina.
"What's wrong? You've been...just sitting here all day."
Ninian looked away. She didn't want to talk about it, and even thinking about what had happened caused a sob to start forming in her throat.
Florina was undaunted. "Talking to someone will make you feel better," she said. "Did...did something happen...on Valor that we don't know about?"
Of course, I killed Eliwood's father! she screamed mentally, but she remained silent.
"Ninian, please..." Florina pleaded.
"You don't understand," Ninian whispered angrily. "You have no idea of what...what I went through." Tears began streaking down her face, but she ignored them. "Just leave me alone!"
Florina sat down next to her, placing an arm around her shoulders. "Ninian," she said, "it's okay. Just—"
"No!" Ninian quickly stood up, shaking off Florina's arm. "I...I can't...no..."
Burying her face in her hands, she ran back below decks, leaving a hurt Florina to stare out to sea.
Ninian ran down the small hallway, tears blurring her vision. All she wanted to do was collapse on her bed and cry her heart out. She was about to open the door to her compartment when she was stopped by a sound.
She listened to it. It sounded like...someone crying.
Walking further down the musty hallway, she found the source of the sound.
It was Eliwood.
The door to his compartment was open, allowing Ninian to see inside. The body of Elbert lay on the bed, cold and lifeless. On a chair next to the bed sat Eliwood. He gripped his father's hand tightly, sobbing.
It was utterly heart-wrenching for Ninian to watch. It was bad enough knowing she had killed Elbert...but seeing Eliwood in such a state because of what she had done was too much for her.
A sob escaped her lips, and she collapsed on the ground. She couldn't take all the pain...she just wanted everything to end.
"N-Ninian."
She looked up at the sound of Eliwood's voice. His face was tear-streaked, but he was trying his hardest to keep himself collected. He had his hand extended towards her, offering her up. She took it, but as she did she glanced at Elbert's body, and started crying anew. She held onto Eliwood for fear of collapsing again, sobbing into his shoulder.
"L-Lord Eliwood," she sobbed, "I...I-I'm s-so sorry..."
He said nothing; he simply placed his arms around her, tears falling silently down his face.
The army arrived in Badon with somewhat lighter spirits after a few days. During that time Ninian had been able to apologize to Florina and also inform her that she remembered her now, which had at least improved Florina's mood.
The army filed into one of the larger inns in Badon as night fell. Most of the soldiers went directly to their rooms, but the three lords, Ninian, and Nils stayed behind in the entrance. None of them felt particularly like sleeping at the moment.
"Ninian?" Lyn asked suddenly.
"Yes?" she replied.
"Are you feeling better?"
"I...I suppose so."
"How about you, Nils?" she asked, turning to him.
"I'm fine," he replied.
Lyn smiled slightly. "That's good. It's been so long since I've seen you...you really must tell me what happened after you left Caelin."
The blue-haired lord suddenly butted in. "Care to talk about things the rest of us can follow?" he asked, looking to Eliwood for support. He received none.
"Hector, please," Lyn said, exasperated. She turned back to Ninian and Nils. "I guess I should introduce you all...Ninian, Nils, this is Hector, brother of the marquess of Ostia. Don't be fooled by the way he acts...he's actually a nice guy."
Hector smiled proudly, puffing out his chest slightly. "Pleased to meet you, Ninian, Nils."
Lyn rolled her eyes before gesturing at Eliwood. "And I suppose you remember Eliwood here..."
Eliwood gave the siblings a small smile.
"Of course," Nils said. "Lord Elbert...he told us much about you..."
Eliwood's smile quickly disappeared. "You...you met my father?"
"Yes," Nils said. "He was there, with us, at the Dragon's Gate. He was the one who set us free, but..."
"But what?" Eliwood asked.
"He...he was thrown out of the boat in a storm," Ninian said, gesturing at Nils. "When that happened, I..."
"Yes, we found you, but you had lost your memory," Lyn said. "Ninian...I can't believe we brought you right back to your captors. I...I'm sorry for—"
"No," Ninian interrupted. "Lyn, you did nothing wrong...when Nils fell overboard, I became lost within myself. This...all that happened was because of me..." Her eyes began welling with tears. "If only I had...been stronger...all of this could have been avoided..."
"Why was Nergal after you?" Eliwood asked.
Nils answered, but Ninian no longer heard him. All she could think about was her own weakness...how everything that happened was all her fault...
"Nils!" Lyn suddenly shouted, as if he had said something inappropriate. The shout brought Ninian back to her senses.
"It's all right," Eliwood said slowly. "Please...please go on..."
"Your father," Nils said, looking at the floor, "When we lost hope...he told us stories...about his wife...and you. Lord Eliwood...your father...he saved us..."
Eliwood looked ready to burst into tears. "Oh...Father..." he said to himself.
Ninian stared at him sadly. All of his pain...it was all because of her weakness...
She suddenly felt a hand on her shoulder. Looking up, she saw Nils behind her.
"We should go," he said. He looked at Eliwood. "He...he needs to be alone."
Ninian turned and walked to her room with Nils, but not without giving one last glance back at Eliwood.
Trying to get to sleep was futile. Every time Ninian closed her eyes, the image of her taking Elbert's quintessence flashed through her mind. She decided to get up and go for a short walk; maybe it would clear her head.
However, as she walked to the entrance of the inn, she noticed that Eliwood was still there. He sat in a chair next to the wall, simply looking down at the floor.
She couldn't stand seeing him in so much pain...all because of her...
She walked over to him.
"L-Lord Eliwood..."
Eliwood's head snapped up. "What? Oh, Ninian, I didn't see you there...you startled me."
She merely stared at him sadly. She didn't know what to say.
"I...I'm sorry about before," he continued. "I didn't mean to get so upset...I just...needed some time to think."
Ninian continued to stare at him.
"Are you all right?" he asked. "You shouldn't be up so late...you're very pale. Come on...you should get some rest..."
"Why?" Ninian asked suddenly.
Eliwood looked at her inquisitively. "Why what?"
"Lord Eliwood...why are...why were you and Lord Elbert...so kind to us?" Her eyes began welling with tears. She didn't deserve their kindness at all...
Eliwood stood up. "Why should we not be? You've been through a lot, Ninian, we all have—"
"—because of me!" she finished for him, starting to cry. "All of this...everything that has happened...it is all because of me...my weakness...I don't—"
"Ninian," Eliwood said sadly. "Please...do not blame yourself for this..."
"B-but it's all my fault!" she sobbed. "L-Lord Elbert...I killed him! I was the one who—"
"No," Eliwood interrupted her. "You did not. Nergal killed my father. Even if it was through you...he still was the one who..." he trailed off.
Ninian continued to sob.
"Ninian," Eliwood said calmly. He placed his hand under her chin, lifting her head up so she was looking directly at him. "Please, listen to me. None of this is your fault. You have suffered so much...please, do not punish yourself further..."
"Lord Eliwood...d-do you really believe that?" she asked.
Eliwood gave her a tiny smile. "I do," he said. "All of what has happened...is because of Nergal. Ninian...crying ill suits a girl of your beauty. I do not want to see you in so much pain. Please..."
Ninian was speechless, mostly from Eliwood calling her beautiful. "Lord Eliwood...I...—ah!"
The sensation in the back of her head suddenly flared to life.
"What is it?" Eliwood asked.
"Someone...someone is coming to attack us!"
I think that's the first time I've ever done a cliffhanger...even though you all know what happens next anyway...
What do you guys think?
Please review!!!
-TheOneAndOnlyT