Sorry about the late update, but my history class has just been overwhelming me. Stupid AP...I just had THREE tests that all came within two weeks of each other. But enough about that...
Eight reviews...now that's more like it :D
The Story Master 125: You're not the only romance sap here...but unfortunately the romance won't appear until a little later.
DrillingPlanet: Well, Ninian's supposed to beat up on herself. She does it throughout the whole game.
Millenium Slinky (x2): Hey! You're back! It was weird without your reviews ^_^
AmbieChan: I'm quite possibly the exact opposite. I may be good at canon stories, but I can't do AUs to save my life. I'm not creative enough :/
Dissonant Rhapsody: Yeah, I really don't see why everyone bashes Ninian...she might not be a good character in battle, but still...
Surprisingly enough, I actually think this was the first Eliwood/Ninian story posted here. At least, the first to focus on only the two of them...
SkyFireZero: Heh, if you're looking for other guys who write romance (and if you're a Golden Sun fan), check out Pureauthor's stories. He's much better than I am, I can tell you that much.
o.o: Thanks for your review!
Chapter Nine
Resolve
"Someone...someone is coming to attack us!"
Eliwood didn't waste a second. His expression suddenly serious, he quickly strode to the inn's entrance. "Ninian!" he said. "Go get everyone! I'll make sure nobody gets inside!"
Ninian nodded, but as she turned to the rooms, Eliwood stopped her.
"And Ninian?" he asked.
She turned back to him, her expression curious. "Yes?"
"Remember, none of this is your fault," he replied. "Be strong..."
She gave him a small smile before rushing back to the rooms. Although groggy, all of the soldiers quickly prepared for battle once they heard they were under attack. Strangely, though, Lyn, Hector and Nils were not in their rooms. The absence of the latter worried her. What if something had happened to him?
She rushed back to the entrance to find Eliwood still there. The other soldiers were already outside. "Eliwood!" she said.
He turned to her. "What is it?"
"Where's Nils?" she asked.
"Right here," Nils's voice came from behind Eliwood. He stepped into the inn. "I was just talking with Lyn and Hector."
"All right," Eliwood said. "I need you two to stay inside. Don't leave the inn until we come back, okay?"
They both nodded, and Eliwood headed outside.
It was only a few moments, however, before Ninian was thinking of what he had said to her.
Be strong...
Strength. That was something she believed she severely lacked. And yet Eliwood, the man who had done so much for her, the man who helped her despite his pain, believed that she could be strong...
Her face fell slightly as she thought of everything Eliwood had done for her. He had saved her and Nils not once but twice from Nergal's clutches, and even now he was fighting to keep her protected. And even after all of that...
She had done nothing for him in return...
Be strong...
Eliwood's words echoing in her head, she made her decision. She would help Eliwood and his army; she would be strong...for Eliwood's sake.
She began to walk towards the door, but Nils stopped her.
"Ninian! Where do you think you're going?" he asked.
"I am going to help them," she replied, turning to him.
Nils was speechless. "But...you can't...you'll..." he stammered.
"Nils," she said softly. "You must understand. Lord Eliwood...he has done so much for us, and I have done nothing for him in return. Lyn told us that my dances would invigorate the army...it is the least I can do for him..."
Nils stared at her for a moment, then nodded.
"I understand," he said. "But before you go...give me your hands."
She didn't know why he would ask such a thing, but she complied anyway. She held out her hands, and Nils took them in his own. He closed his eyes—
—and suddenly Ninian could feel...something...coursing through her. It started at her hands and spread throughout her whole body. It seemed to be coming directly from Nils, and although she wasn't sure what it was, it felt warm and energizing.
After a few seconds, Nils let go. Ninian suddenly thought he looked very tired.
"That...should do it," he said.
"What...what did you do?" she asked him.
"I gave you...some of my power," he replied. "You were too weak to go out on your own...so I gave you a little boost." He smiled slightly.
"But...how did you—"
"Do not worry about it," he interrupted her. He then gave a rather large yawn.
"Are you all right?" Ninian asked.
"Giving my power to you...takes a lot out of me," he replied. "Do not worry...I will be fine. Now go help Eliwood...my power will make your dances more helpful to him."
She nodded, then turned and walked out the door.
Luckily for Ninian, the army was still directly outside the inn. She looked for Eliwood amongst the soldiers in the moonlight, then finding him after a moment, she ran over to him.
Eliwood turned and immediately took on a look of concern. "Ninian?" he asked. "Is everything all right?"
"Everything is fine," she replied. "I...I want to help..."
"Ninian," he said, "you really should not be out here..."
"No..." she said. "Lord Eliwood...you have done so much for me and Nils. This..."
She closed her eyes and began to dance slowly. It was short, only a few steps, but even for that short time she could feel energy rushing through her.
"This is the least I can do for you..."
Eliwood looked down at himself, bewildered. "What...what is going on?" he asked. "My body...it..."
"My dances," Ninian replied. "They will invigorate anyone who watches them. Lord Eliwood, please...allow me to help you..."
He stared at Ninian for a moment, unsure.
"Are...are you sure this is what you want to do?" he asked.
She nodded. "Yes...Lord Eliwood, please..."
"Very well," Eliwood replied. "But Ninian, please...stay by my side. If anything were to happen to you..." He looked like he was going to say more, but he trailed off.
"Lord Eliwood..." she said, "thank you."
Watching the battle was rather gruesome, and Ninian began to regret her decision to help Eliwood. But every time she looked at him, tired out from another fight with a Black Fang member, she again remembered all of the things he had done for her. She would quickly dance for him, re-energizing him and making sure that he was always at full strength.
However, some time into the battle, Eliwood was unable to keep his promise of protecting her.
Of course, it was through no fault of his own—he was engaged in a fight with another enemy soldier, and could not come to her aid for fear that he might be struck down.
Ninian, watching the fight, felt the tingling sensation in her head return as she heard a salacious chuckle from behind her.
She turned to find another enemy soldier there. From his attire she could tell he was obviously a simple bandit, but that didn't make him any less dangerous.
"Well, well," he mused, "what's a pretty girl like you doing out here at night?"
The way he said "pretty girl" made it quite obvious to Ninian what he wanted to do.
She screamed.
The man took one step toward her, but he didn't get a chance to take another. He suddenly stiffened and fell to the ground, a gaping hole through his back. Looking up, she saw Florina on her pegasus hovering just a few feet above the ground. Looking at Florina's lance, Ninian saw that it was covered in blood.
"Ninian! Are you all right?"
That came from both Florina and Eliwood, who had now finished his fight, at the same time.
"Y-...yes," she replied. "I'm fine."
Florina smiled and flew away. As she did so, Ninian noticed that her pegasus was covered in what seemed to be decorations that had not been there when she was traveling with Lyn.
Eliwood, on the other hand, didn't seem so pleased with himself. "I'm sorry, Ninian," he said. "I should have—"
"It is all right," Ninian interrupted him. "You were in a fight...I do not expect you to..." she trailed off.
They stared at each other awkwardly for a few moments, seeming to forget about the battle around them.
Suddenly, Eliwood's face took on a look of panic.
"Ninian!"
He rushed towards her, but before he could get to her, something hard smashed against her head. She fell to the ground and blacked out.
Ninian awoke to the faces of Nils, Florina, and Eliwood all crowded over her.
"Ah! She's awake!" Nils said, relieved.
"What...what happened?" Ninian asked, sitting up. As she did so, her head began to throb dully. She looked around and noticed that she was back in her room at the inn.
"A bandit sneaked up behind you knocked you out," Eliwood explained, sounding deflated.
"Are you all right?" Florina asked.
Ninian moved her hand to the back of her head, feeling a small lump there. It hurt when she touched it, but otherwise she could ignore it.
"I...I think so," Ninian replied.
Florina and Nils smiled, but Eliwood did not. "That's good," Florina said. She turned to leave the room, but Ninian stopped her.
"Wait," she said.
Florina turned back to Ninian. "What is it?"
"Why...why does your pegasus...have decorations?" Ninian asked. "I don't...remember those..."
Florina beamed, almost bursting with pride. "While you were gone, I was promoted to the rank of Falcoknight by the Caelin army. The decorations are symbols of my rank."
Ninian smiled slowly, unsure of how to respond.
Fortunately, Florina continued, "Well...it looks like you're okay, so..." She turned and left the room.
Ninian looked back to Eliwood, who was now leaning against the wall of the room, looking depressed.
"Lord Eliwood," she said.
He looked up at her slowly.
"Is...is everything all right?" she asked.
He shook his head.
Nils apparently realized that this was a private issue and silently left the room.
"What's the matter?" Ninian asked.
"I should have been there," he murmured almost inaudibly.
"But...you were there—"
"I mean I should have been there to protect you!" he said angrily, though his anger was more directed at himself than at Ninian. "I promised I would protect you! And..." his voice suddenly became very soft, "...and...this happened..."
"Lord Eliwood," she pleaded, "it was through no fault of yours that I was attacked..."
"But that doesn't change my promise!" he said, angry at himself again. "Ninian, I—"
"Please, Lord Eliwood...do not blame yourself..."
"Ninian," he said softly, "I...I don't think you should join me in battle anymore..."
"No," she replied. "Lord Eliwood...you told me that I should be strong...so I want to come with you."
Eliwood remained silent.
"This was just a small slip," Ninian continued. "I...I believe that you can protect me..."
Eliwood stared at her for a moment, before replying, "Really?" His cheeks were rather red.
She nodded solemnly.
Eliwood looked like he didn't know what to say.
"Ninian..."
Once again, I apologize for the delay. I think I made up for it with all the fluff in this chapter...
Hopefully the next chapter will be posted faster than this one.
Please review!!!
-TheOneAndOnlyT
Eight reviews...now that's more like it :D
The Story Master 125: You're not the only romance sap here...but unfortunately the romance won't appear until a little later.
DrillingPlanet: Well, Ninian's supposed to beat up on herself. She does it throughout the whole game.
Millenium Slinky (x2): Hey! You're back! It was weird without your reviews ^_^
AmbieChan: I'm quite possibly the exact opposite. I may be good at canon stories, but I can't do AUs to save my life. I'm not creative enough :/
Dissonant Rhapsody: Yeah, I really don't see why everyone bashes Ninian...she might not be a good character in battle, but still...
Surprisingly enough, I actually think this was the first Eliwood/Ninian story posted here. At least, the first to focus on only the two of them...
SkyFireZero: Heh, if you're looking for other guys who write romance (and if you're a Golden Sun fan), check out Pureauthor's stories. He's much better than I am, I can tell you that much.
o.o: Thanks for your review!
Resolve
"Someone...someone is coming to attack us!"
Eliwood didn't waste a second. His expression suddenly serious, he quickly strode to the inn's entrance. "Ninian!" he said. "Go get everyone! I'll make sure nobody gets inside!"
Ninian nodded, but as she turned to the rooms, Eliwood stopped her.
"And Ninian?" he asked.
She turned back to him, her expression curious. "Yes?"
"Remember, none of this is your fault," he replied. "Be strong..."
She gave him a small smile before rushing back to the rooms. Although groggy, all of the soldiers quickly prepared for battle once they heard they were under attack. Strangely, though, Lyn, Hector and Nils were not in their rooms. The absence of the latter worried her. What if something had happened to him?
She rushed back to the entrance to find Eliwood still there. The other soldiers were already outside. "Eliwood!" she said.
He turned to her. "What is it?"
"Where's Nils?" she asked.
"Right here," Nils's voice came from behind Eliwood. He stepped into the inn. "I was just talking with Lyn and Hector."
"All right," Eliwood said. "I need you two to stay inside. Don't leave the inn until we come back, okay?"
They both nodded, and Eliwood headed outside.
It was only a few moments, however, before Ninian was thinking of what he had said to her.
Be strong...
Strength. That was something she believed she severely lacked. And yet Eliwood, the man who had done so much for her, the man who helped her despite his pain, believed that she could be strong...
Her face fell slightly as she thought of everything Eliwood had done for her. He had saved her and Nils not once but twice from Nergal's clutches, and even now he was fighting to keep her protected. And even after all of that...
She had done nothing for him in return...
Be strong...
Eliwood's words echoing in her head, she made her decision. She would help Eliwood and his army; she would be strong...for Eliwood's sake.
She began to walk towards the door, but Nils stopped her.
"Ninian! Where do you think you're going?" he asked.
"I am going to help them," she replied, turning to him.
Nils was speechless. "But...you can't...you'll..." he stammered.
"Nils," she said softly. "You must understand. Lord Eliwood...he has done so much for us, and I have done nothing for him in return. Lyn told us that my dances would invigorate the army...it is the least I can do for him..."
Nils stared at her for a moment, then nodded.
"I understand," he said. "But before you go...give me your hands."
She didn't know why he would ask such a thing, but she complied anyway. She held out her hands, and Nils took them in his own. He closed his eyes—
—and suddenly Ninian could feel...something...coursing through her. It started at her hands and spread throughout her whole body. It seemed to be coming directly from Nils, and although she wasn't sure what it was, it felt warm and energizing.
After a few seconds, Nils let go. Ninian suddenly thought he looked very tired.
"That...should do it," he said.
"What...what did you do?" she asked him.
"I gave you...some of my power," he replied. "You were too weak to go out on your own...so I gave you a little boost." He smiled slightly.
"But...how did you—"
"Do not worry about it," he interrupted her. He then gave a rather large yawn.
"Are you all right?" Ninian asked.
"Giving my power to you...takes a lot out of me," he replied. "Do not worry...I will be fine. Now go help Eliwood...my power will make your dances more helpful to him."
She nodded, then turned and walked out the door.
Luckily for Ninian, the army was still directly outside the inn. She looked for Eliwood amongst the soldiers in the moonlight, then finding him after a moment, she ran over to him.
Eliwood turned and immediately took on a look of concern. "Ninian?" he asked. "Is everything all right?"
"Everything is fine," she replied. "I...I want to help..."
"Ninian," he said, "you really should not be out here..."
"No..." she said. "Lord Eliwood...you have done so much for me and Nils. This..."
She closed her eyes and began to dance slowly. It was short, only a few steps, but even for that short time she could feel energy rushing through her.
"This is the least I can do for you..."
Eliwood looked down at himself, bewildered. "What...what is going on?" he asked. "My body...it..."
"My dances," Ninian replied. "They will invigorate anyone who watches them. Lord Eliwood, please...allow me to help you..."
He stared at Ninian for a moment, unsure.
"Are...are you sure this is what you want to do?" he asked.
She nodded. "Yes...Lord Eliwood, please..."
"Very well," Eliwood replied. "But Ninian, please...stay by my side. If anything were to happen to you..." He looked like he was going to say more, but he trailed off.
"Lord Eliwood..." she said, "thank you."
Watching the battle was rather gruesome, and Ninian began to regret her decision to help Eliwood. But every time she looked at him, tired out from another fight with a Black Fang member, she again remembered all of the things he had done for her. She would quickly dance for him, re-energizing him and making sure that he was always at full strength.
However, some time into the battle, Eliwood was unable to keep his promise of protecting her.
Of course, it was through no fault of his own—he was engaged in a fight with another enemy soldier, and could not come to her aid for fear that he might be struck down.
Ninian, watching the fight, felt the tingling sensation in her head return as she heard a salacious chuckle from behind her.
She turned to find another enemy soldier there. From his attire she could tell he was obviously a simple bandit, but that didn't make him any less dangerous.
"Well, well," he mused, "what's a pretty girl like you doing out here at night?"
The way he said "pretty girl" made it quite obvious to Ninian what he wanted to do.
She screamed.
The man took one step toward her, but he didn't get a chance to take another. He suddenly stiffened and fell to the ground, a gaping hole through his back. Looking up, she saw Florina on her pegasus hovering just a few feet above the ground. Looking at Florina's lance, Ninian saw that it was covered in blood.
"Ninian! Are you all right?"
That came from both Florina and Eliwood, who had now finished his fight, at the same time.
"Y-...yes," she replied. "I'm fine."
Florina smiled and flew away. As she did so, Ninian noticed that her pegasus was covered in what seemed to be decorations that had not been there when she was traveling with Lyn.
Eliwood, on the other hand, didn't seem so pleased with himself. "I'm sorry, Ninian," he said. "I should have—"
"It is all right," Ninian interrupted him. "You were in a fight...I do not expect you to..." she trailed off.
They stared at each other awkwardly for a few moments, seeming to forget about the battle around them.
Suddenly, Eliwood's face took on a look of panic.
"Ninian!"
He rushed towards her, but before he could get to her, something hard smashed against her head. She fell to the ground and blacked out.
Ninian awoke to the faces of Nils, Florina, and Eliwood all crowded over her.
"Ah! She's awake!" Nils said, relieved.
"What...what happened?" Ninian asked, sitting up. As she did so, her head began to throb dully. She looked around and noticed that she was back in her room at the inn.
"A bandit sneaked up behind you knocked you out," Eliwood explained, sounding deflated.
"Are you all right?" Florina asked.
Ninian moved her hand to the back of her head, feeling a small lump there. It hurt when she touched it, but otherwise she could ignore it.
"I...I think so," Ninian replied.
Florina and Nils smiled, but Eliwood did not. "That's good," Florina said. She turned to leave the room, but Ninian stopped her.
"Wait," she said.
Florina turned back to Ninian. "What is it?"
"Why...why does your pegasus...have decorations?" Ninian asked. "I don't...remember those..."
Florina beamed, almost bursting with pride. "While you were gone, I was promoted to the rank of Falcoknight by the Caelin army. The decorations are symbols of my rank."
Ninian smiled slowly, unsure of how to respond.
Fortunately, Florina continued, "Well...it looks like you're okay, so..." She turned and left the room.
Ninian looked back to Eliwood, who was now leaning against the wall of the room, looking depressed.
"Lord Eliwood," she said.
He looked up at her slowly.
"Is...is everything all right?" she asked.
He shook his head.
Nils apparently realized that this was a private issue and silently left the room.
"What's the matter?" Ninian asked.
"I should have been there," he murmured almost inaudibly.
"But...you were there—"
"I mean I should have been there to protect you!" he said angrily, though his anger was more directed at himself than at Ninian. "I promised I would protect you! And..." his voice suddenly became very soft, "...and...this happened..."
"Lord Eliwood," she pleaded, "it was through no fault of yours that I was attacked..."
"But that doesn't change my promise!" he said, angry at himself again. "Ninian, I—"
"Please, Lord Eliwood...do not blame yourself..."
"Ninian," he said softly, "I...I don't think you should join me in battle anymore..."
"No," she replied. "Lord Eliwood...you told me that I should be strong...so I want to come with you."
Eliwood remained silent.
"This was just a small slip," Ninian continued. "I...I believe that you can protect me..."
Eliwood stared at her for a moment, before replying, "Really?" His cheeks were rather red.
She nodded solemnly.
Eliwood looked like he didn't know what to say.
"Ninian..."
Once again, I apologize for the delay. I think I made up for it with all the fluff in this chapter...
Hopefully the next chapter will be posted faster than this one.
Please review!!!
-TheOneAndOnlyT