OK...for those of you who haven't beaten the game yet, this is not the last chapter. You'll see what I'm talking about at the end of this one...
And I got THIRTEEN reviews for the last chapter! Again, two of them are from the same person, but once again, who cares? :)
Not Important1: Thanks for your review!
Morning Mist: It always feels good when your reviewers can't find anything to complain about . And as for a schedule, I don't have any sort of "regular schedule" whatsoever. I just try to update as often as possible :)
The Story Master 125: I'll be looking forward to the "confession" in your fic.
Inferno-Hero (x2): Uh...was that all one sentence? And as for writing over the summer, while I can type fast, I write very slowly :/
Sword of Seals: Thanks for your review!
AmbieChan: --looks back through reviews-- I thought Wednesday was your fluff-loving day...hmmm.
Kevin C: I know who Ninian's father is, I just happened to find out that information after I started writing this . In any case, it doesn't have that huge of an impact on the story as it stands, so it's not that big of a deal.
hyliansage: I also hate the romance between Eliwood and Ninian in the game. It's just too...sudden. Then again, when you only have 3 support conversations you don't have much time for romantic development...but hey, as I told AmbieChan, that's why I'm writing this story ;)
Jeanie: That was a Florina/Ninian support, and as for her "assertiveness," that was only a momentary thing. Oh, and I don't think Florina ever recognized what Ninian was in the game. Their support A just cuts off at Ninian's "slip."
FireEdge: If you thought the part with Florina was sad, then you'll like part of this chapter. Read, and you'll see what I mean :)
FromBern: Thanks for your review!
MythrilSwordsman: Thanks for your review!
Chapter Sixteen
Regrets
And I got THIRTEEN reviews for the last chapter! Again, two of them are from the same person, but once again, who cares? :)
Not Important1: Thanks for your review!
Morning Mist: It always feels good when your reviewers can't find anything to complain about . And as for a schedule, I don't have any sort of "regular schedule" whatsoever. I just try to update as often as possible :)
The Story Master 125: I'll be looking forward to the "confession" in your fic.
Inferno-Hero (x2): Uh...was that all one sentence? And as for writing over the summer, while I can type fast, I write very slowly :/
Sword of Seals: Thanks for your review!
AmbieChan: --looks back through reviews-- I thought Wednesday was your fluff-loving day...hmmm.
Kevin C: I know who Ninian's father is, I just happened to find out that information after I started writing this . In any case, it doesn't have that huge of an impact on the story as it stands, so it's not that big of a deal.
hyliansage: I also hate the romance between Eliwood and Ninian in the game. It's just too...sudden. Then again, when you only have 3 support conversations you don't have much time for romantic development...but hey, as I told AmbieChan, that's why I'm writing this story ;)
Jeanie: That was a Florina/Ninian support, and as for her "assertiveness," that was only a momentary thing. Oh, and I don't think Florina ever recognized what Ninian was in the game. Their support A just cuts off at Ninian's "slip."
FireEdge: If you thought the part with Florina was sad, then you'll like part of this chapter. Read, and you'll see what I mean :)
FromBern: Thanks for your review!
MythrilSwordsman: Thanks for your review!
Regrets
"Ninian..."
Ninian's eyes slowly fluttered open at the sound of Eliwood's voice.
She looked around blearily. She was in her tent...but where was Eliwood?
It took a few moments for her sleep-bogged brain to realize that she was still in Eliwood's arms.
Did he stay with me the entire night?
"Lord Eliwood..."
She looked up into his eyes to find him smiling slightly at her.
"Are you...are you feeling better?" he asked slowly.
It took a few moments for the entire memory of the previous night to come back to her. Florina, finding out what she was...Eliwood, coming to her...telling her that he loved her...
Her secret...
No...she still couldn't tell him. But being in his arms felt so nice...
Hearing no response, Eliwood gave a slight cough, and to Ninian's dismay, he released her.
"I should...probably go..." he said, standing up and beginning to walk to the front of the tent.
But she felt so empty without him there...
"Wait," she said.
Eliwood turned his head, a slightly sad expression on his face.
"Stay with me...please?"
Eliwood's sad expression vanished, replaced by a serene smile. He turned and sat down next to her on her bed.
She thought about it for a moment, then put her arms around him, placing her head on his shoulder. Eliwood eagerly returned the embrace.
She closed her eyes, feeling herself drift back to sleep...
She felt Eliwood stroke her hair fondly.
"I love you," he said softly.
"Mmm..." she replied sleepily.
Maybe...
She knew Eliwood wouldn't love her if he knew what she was. But being with him was so nice...
Maybe...she could keep her identity secret. At least for now...she was so happy now...
After spending a night at Bern Castle as thanks from the queen for stopping the assassination, the group was on the road once again. Ninian spent most of her time walking with Eliwood, and while they didn't talk too much, she was happy just to be near him. Eliwood seemed to be happy for the same reason, and also because Ninian was no longer in a state of depression.
While the two of them never gave any public displays of affection as they walked, it became obvious to the rest of the army what the status of their relationship was. Nobody seemed to have any problem with this, except for two people...
Nils, instead of eyeing Ninian with that expression of his, now seemed to become saddened whenever he saw Eliwood and Ninian together. When Ninian asked him about it, however, he replied, "It's better if you don't know..."
Ninian wondered what he could possibly mean by that. She assumed it had something to do with her being a half-dragon...but Nils had already talked to her about that.
Florina, on the other hand, seemed to have an urgent look on her face at all times. Ninian remembered how she had poked her head in her tent the other night with the same expression...what could it mean? Was she still scared of her?
The army approached the Shrine of Seals...
The enemy force guarding the Shrine of Seals was absolutely massive. They easily were twice as large as Eliwood's group. The tactician, however, was confident they could win.
Eliwood asked Ninian if she wanted to come with him into battle, and her answer was a quick yes. It was obvious that not only Eliwood, but many other soldiers would need invigoration during this battle...
The battle lasted a long time, but in the end, Eliwood's group was victorious. Thanks to excellent protection by the three lords, Ninian once again did not have to draw her rapier. She did, however, have to dance many times to help the soldiers keep going. Even now, many members of the army were exhausted.
There was apparently some sort of power the three lords were supposed to obtain at the shrine, so Ninian stayed behind as Eliwood and the other lords went into the shrine to claim it.
It was good that she did, because someone needed to have a very important conversation with her.
"Ninian."
Ninian turned around to find Florina, still with that urgent look on her face.
"What is it?" Ninian replied.
"I really, really need to talk to you in private," she said. "It's about...the other night," she said softly, as if afraid the other members of the army would hear.
The other night...Ninian didn't want to remember what had happened then...
"It's very important," Florina went on. "Please, can you come with me?"
"I...I suppose," Ninian replied. She followed Florina as she walked some distance from the army. When they stopped, Florina looked around to make sure that nobody was listening.
"What is it?" Ninian asked.
Florina's face fell. "I...I wanted to apologize..." She was going to say more, but she trailed off.
"For...for what?" Ninian asked.
"For...what happened the other night," Florina replied. Ninian noticed that her eyes were welling with tears. "The way I reacted...i-it was horrible...I shouldn't have..."
"What do you mean?" Ninian asked.
She shook her head. "When I-I found out...I was so s-surprised..." She began to cry. "I-I think...I-I know...that y-you took i-it the wrong way..."
"You're...you're not afraid of me?" Ninian asked, however out of place it might have been.
Florina shook her head, sniffing. "O-of course not..." She gave Ninian a teary smile. "H-how could I be scared of m-my best friend?"
Ninian was speechless. So Florina wasn't afraid of her after all...
"I...I-I was hoping you could forgive me..." Florina went on. "The w-way I reacted...I-I know it must have made you miserable..."
Ninian placed a hand on Florina's shoulder, smiling at this revelation. "It's all right, Florina," she said softly. "Just...why did you wait until now to tell me this?"
"I-I wanted to tell you for the longest time," Florina replied, wiping her eyes. "But you told m-me that I couldn't tell anyone about this..." She sniffed. "This was the first time I was able to talk to you alone...I didn't want anyone to find out..."
So that was why she had that urgent look...
"So..." Ninian said, "you don't care that I'm a..." she trailed off.
Florina shook her head, then looked up at Ninian, smiling. "I've dreamt of this since I was a little girl..." she replied. "Meeting the ice dragon that lived on the mountain..."
But Ninian realized that the ice dragon Florina was referring to couldn't have been her. She shook her head. "No...that's not me..."
Florina's smile faded a little. "What?"
"The ice dragon...couldn't have been me," Ninian explained. "I think...that you're talking about my mother..."
"Oh..." Florina said, her smile returning. "But..." she went on, "there was one other thing I wanted to ask you..."
"What is it?"
"I...I was just wondering..." Florina asked slowly, carefully, "if you're really a dragon...then why do you look like...like a human?"
Ninian looked at the ground. "I'm...I'm a half-dragon," she explained, finding that it was much easier to admit it than she had thought. "My father was a human. I can...become either one."
"I see..." Florina replied. "And is Nils..."
She didn't need to finish. Ninian nodded.
Florina was silent for a moment, before saying, "Ninian...I'm really sorry about how I reacted the other night. Can you ever forgive me?"
Ninian smiled. "Of course," she replied.
The two of them started to walk back to where the rest of the army was, before Florina asked, "And Ninian?"
Ninian turned to her. "What is it?"
"This is...this is what you were afraid of Lord Eliwood finding out...right?"
"Yes..." Ninian replied, looking away.
Florina smiled. "Then you should not be afraid," she said. "I don't care if you're a dragon...and I'm sure Lord Eliwood won't, either."
Ninian smiled warmly at that comment, but she was still a little unsure. "Do you really believe that?" she asked.
Florina nodded. "Remember what I told you?" she asked. "Even if two beings are shaped a little differently...that doesn't mean they can't get along..."
Ninian nodded in acceptance. "Thank you, Florina," she said.
Florina giggled. "Any time, Ninian."
The two walked back to the shrine.
The three lords had not returned by the time Ninian returned to the shrine. She found Nils leaning against the wall of the shrine with his arms crossed, waiting.
"Are Lord Eliwood and the others still inside?" Ninian asked him.
He looked up at her, then nodded wordlessly.
It was only a few moments, though, before the three lords walked out of the shrine. The Archsage Athos was with them, but Ninian couldn't figure out how he had gotten there. Had he warped in?
"You must go to the outskirts of Ostia," she heard the Archsage explain. "There you will find Durandal, the sword of sacred fire. With it, you should be able to defeat Nergal."
Eliwood nodded.
But you cannot defeat me now!
Ninian shuddered as she heard Nergal's voice in her head. The rest of the army apparently heard it too, as they started looking around wildly.
Without warning, a magic symbol appeared on the ground in front of the shrine. A moment later, Nergal appeared inside it. He gave a malevolent smile.
"At last," he declared. "My power is fully restored, and more."
"Nergal!" Eliwood shouted.
Ninian and Nils placed their arms around each other, shivering from fright. Nergal wasn't supposed to return now! What were they going to do?
Nergal found the siblings, and his eyes focused on them.
"Come, Ninian, Nils," he commanded, his malicious smile growing. "Come, and open the Dragon's Gate for me."
"I will not allow it!" Athos's voice suddenly came from the entrance of the shrine.
Nergal turned to the Archsage. "Ah, Athos, you are here as well..."
Athos raised his staff menacingly. "You will not take either of them," he declared.
Nergal laughed. "Ah, but Athos, my power surpasses even yours now. Behold!" He raised his hands...
"Wait!" Ninian shouted. Nergal turned to her.
She didn't want Nergal to hurt anyone...she could feel his power even from where she was standing.
And she had resisted Nergal before...she could do it again...
She stepped forward. "If I go with you, will you promise to leave now and not harm anyone?"
"Ninian!" both Nils and Eliwood shouted at the same time.
Nergal paid no notice to them. "One of you should prove sufficient," he said. "Very well...come with me."
Eliwood ran over to her. "No, Ninian! You can't go!" he shouted.
She stared at him. "Lord Eliwood..." She dropped her voice to a whisper. "I will be able to resist him..."
Eliwood stared at her sadly. "But Ninian, you can't go..." he repeated. "I love you..."
"How touching," Nergal said. "But I believe she has already agreed to come with me. Come, Ninian."
She took one final look at Eliwood before walking over to Nergal.
"Nils!" she called. "Look after Lord Eliwood..."
"I...I will," he replied.
"Ninian..." Eliwood said softly.
Then everything went black.
When Ninian was able to see again, she found that she was already inside the temple of the Dragon's Gate. She was now standing right in front of the black portal.
She was amazed. How had they gotten there this fast?
Maybe Nergal's power was greater than she had thought...
"You seem impressed," she heard Nergal say behind her. "My power is far greater than before. And with it, I can open the Dragon's Gate easily."
She turned around to find Nergal grinning malevolently.
"With your help, of course..." he added.
"No," Ninian said defensively.
Nergal laughed. "Of course. That is why you came with me, is it not? Because you thought you could resist me?"
She remained silent, staring at him defiantly.
Nergal held out a closed fist. "But you cannot resist this," he said.
He opened his fist to reveal...Ninian's dragonstone. Ninian recoiled in horror.
Nergal's grin grew wider. "Now, Ninian!" he commanded as the dragonstone began to glow. "Reveal your true form!"
"No!" she shouted. "NO!"
Ninian had transformed from a human to a dragon before, but never before had it been this painful. Her whole body ached as with a flash, it grew scales, wings, and a tail. When it was done, she stood at least three times as tall as Nergal, but he did not seem the least bit intimidated.
"So..." he said, looking up at her. "Your true form...is liberated."
Ninian's memory was gone, replaced by only one instinct.
Run.
She leapt off the temple floor, wings beating madly.
Nergal smirked. "To where do you hope to run, beast? What do you think Eliwood would say if he saw you like this?"
Eliwood...
The name sparked a memory deep within her heart. Eliwood...the man she loved...
She flew out the giant temple door like a bullet, her mind filled with only one desire.
Get to Eliwood.
He would protect her...she knew he would protect her...
But how would she find him?
She flew up, up into the sky. It was nighttime, but Ninian didn't care how much time had passed while she was warping. She only wanted to get to Eliwood.
Suddenly, she remembered something...someone's words...
You must go to the outskirts of Ostia...
Someone had told Eliwood to go there...
That was where he would be. She knew it...
She flew through the night, tiredness not affecting her one bit. It was already well into the day when she reached Ostia.
She didn't care that many people were horrified as they saw her fly through the air. She didn't care that she scared almost all of the Ostian townspeople into their homes. All she wanted was to get to Eliwood.
She flew past the town, over a small mountain range...and then she saw him.
There were other people there with him...a green-haired girl, a blue-haired man, and an elder man...but she didn't even notice them. All she saw was Eliwood...and she lowered herself to the ground.
The other people ran as she got closer, but Eliwood stood his ground.
Then the unthinkable happened.
Eliwood drew a large, gray sword. It began to glow...and he pointed it at Ninian.
Ninian was confused. What was going on?
The sword suddenly burst into flame.
No!
Fire...she couldn't take fire. Eliwood should know that, and yet here he was, pointing a flaming sword at her...
Then, without warning, he leapt...and slashed her across the belly.
Pain beyond pain surged throughout her body, and she felt herself falling unconscious...
How could he do such a thing?
Eliwood...
The man she loved...
"The girl you loved."
Pain. That was all Ninian felt as she slowly opened her eyes.
"The girl you swore to protect."
Ninian's vision was blurry, but she could make out the figure of Nergal...and Eliwood, staring at him in disbelief.
"Slain..."
She was able to see Nergal's face twist into a sadistic smile.
"By your hand!"
Eliwood held a hand to his forehead, still unable to believe what he had just been told. Then he turned to Ninian...and his face turned white instantly.
She had unconsciously returned to human form, but she didn't care how she had done it. She was dying...she knew she was dying...
"NINIAN!"
Eliwood ran over to her as fast as he could. He leaned over her, his eyes welling with tears.
"Ninian..."
"Lord—" She coughed violently, blood spraying from her mouth. "Lord Eliwood..."
"Ninian..." Eliwood repeated. "You can't...don't leave me..." He began to cry, and Ninian could feel his tears falling onto her.
The pain was receding...her vision was going black...
She weakly raised her hand and placed it against Eliwood's cheek, smiling. "I'm glad..."
"...Why?" he asked, his voice barely above a whisper.
She closed her eyes. "You're unharmed...I'm glad...Now I can die peacefully..."
She couldn't feel the pain any more...
"No, Ninian, don't talk like that!" Eliwood shouted. "Y-you're going to be okay! I-it's going to be j-just fine!"
She opened her eyes again. "Lord...Eliwood..."
"Y-Yes?"
"Please—" She broke into a fit of coughing. When it subsided, she repeated, "Please...don't forget me..."
Then she was silent, and her hand fell limply to her side.
"NINIAAAAAAN!"
Ninian's eyes slowly fluttered open at the sound of Eliwood's voice.
She looked around blearily. She was in her tent...but where was Eliwood?
It took a few moments for her sleep-bogged brain to realize that she was still in Eliwood's arms.
Did he stay with me the entire night?
"Lord Eliwood..."
She looked up into his eyes to find him smiling slightly at her.
"Are you...are you feeling better?" he asked slowly.
It took a few moments for the entire memory of the previous night to come back to her. Florina, finding out what she was...Eliwood, coming to her...telling her that he loved her...
Her secret...
No...she still couldn't tell him. But being in his arms felt so nice...
Hearing no response, Eliwood gave a slight cough, and to Ninian's dismay, he released her.
"I should...probably go..." he said, standing up and beginning to walk to the front of the tent.
But she felt so empty without him there...
"Wait," she said.
Eliwood turned his head, a slightly sad expression on his face.
"Stay with me...please?"
Eliwood's sad expression vanished, replaced by a serene smile. He turned and sat down next to her on her bed.
She thought about it for a moment, then put her arms around him, placing her head on his shoulder. Eliwood eagerly returned the embrace.
She closed her eyes, feeling herself drift back to sleep...
She felt Eliwood stroke her hair fondly.
"I love you," he said softly.
"Mmm..." she replied sleepily.
Maybe...
She knew Eliwood wouldn't love her if he knew what she was. But being with him was so nice...
Maybe...she could keep her identity secret. At least for now...she was so happy now...
After spending a night at Bern Castle as thanks from the queen for stopping the assassination, the group was on the road once again. Ninian spent most of her time walking with Eliwood, and while they didn't talk too much, she was happy just to be near him. Eliwood seemed to be happy for the same reason, and also because Ninian was no longer in a state of depression.
While the two of them never gave any public displays of affection as they walked, it became obvious to the rest of the army what the status of their relationship was. Nobody seemed to have any problem with this, except for two people...
Nils, instead of eyeing Ninian with that expression of his, now seemed to become saddened whenever he saw Eliwood and Ninian together. When Ninian asked him about it, however, he replied, "It's better if you don't know..."
Ninian wondered what he could possibly mean by that. She assumed it had something to do with her being a half-dragon...but Nils had already talked to her about that.
Florina, on the other hand, seemed to have an urgent look on her face at all times. Ninian remembered how she had poked her head in her tent the other night with the same expression...what could it mean? Was she still scared of her?
The army approached the Shrine of Seals...
The enemy force guarding the Shrine of Seals was absolutely massive. They easily were twice as large as Eliwood's group. The tactician, however, was confident they could win.
Eliwood asked Ninian if she wanted to come with him into battle, and her answer was a quick yes. It was obvious that not only Eliwood, but many other soldiers would need invigoration during this battle...
The battle lasted a long time, but in the end, Eliwood's group was victorious. Thanks to excellent protection by the three lords, Ninian once again did not have to draw her rapier. She did, however, have to dance many times to help the soldiers keep going. Even now, many members of the army were exhausted.
There was apparently some sort of power the three lords were supposed to obtain at the shrine, so Ninian stayed behind as Eliwood and the other lords went into the shrine to claim it.
It was good that she did, because someone needed to have a very important conversation with her.
"Ninian."
Ninian turned around to find Florina, still with that urgent look on her face.
"What is it?" Ninian replied.
"I really, really need to talk to you in private," she said. "It's about...the other night," she said softly, as if afraid the other members of the army would hear.
The other night...Ninian didn't want to remember what had happened then...
"It's very important," Florina went on. "Please, can you come with me?"
"I...I suppose," Ninian replied. She followed Florina as she walked some distance from the army. When they stopped, Florina looked around to make sure that nobody was listening.
"What is it?" Ninian asked.
Florina's face fell. "I...I wanted to apologize..." She was going to say more, but she trailed off.
"For...for what?" Ninian asked.
"For...what happened the other night," Florina replied. Ninian noticed that her eyes were welling with tears. "The way I reacted...i-it was horrible...I shouldn't have..."
"What do you mean?" Ninian asked.
She shook her head. "When I-I found out...I was so s-surprised..." She began to cry. "I-I think...I-I know...that y-you took i-it the wrong way..."
"You're...you're not afraid of me?" Ninian asked, however out of place it might have been.
Florina shook her head, sniffing. "O-of course not..." She gave Ninian a teary smile. "H-how could I be scared of m-my best friend?"
Ninian was speechless. So Florina wasn't afraid of her after all...
"I...I-I was hoping you could forgive me..." Florina went on. "The w-way I reacted...I-I know it must have made you miserable..."
Ninian placed a hand on Florina's shoulder, smiling at this revelation. "It's all right, Florina," she said softly. "Just...why did you wait until now to tell me this?"
"I-I wanted to tell you for the longest time," Florina replied, wiping her eyes. "But you told m-me that I couldn't tell anyone about this..." She sniffed. "This was the first time I was able to talk to you alone...I didn't want anyone to find out..."
So that was why she had that urgent look...
"So..." Ninian said, "you don't care that I'm a..." she trailed off.
Florina shook her head, then looked up at Ninian, smiling. "I've dreamt of this since I was a little girl..." she replied. "Meeting the ice dragon that lived on the mountain..."
But Ninian realized that the ice dragon Florina was referring to couldn't have been her. She shook her head. "No...that's not me..."
Florina's smile faded a little. "What?"
"The ice dragon...couldn't have been me," Ninian explained. "I think...that you're talking about my mother..."
"Oh..." Florina said, her smile returning. "But..." she went on, "there was one other thing I wanted to ask you..."
"What is it?"
"I...I was just wondering..." Florina asked slowly, carefully, "if you're really a dragon...then why do you look like...like a human?"
Ninian looked at the ground. "I'm...I'm a half-dragon," she explained, finding that it was much easier to admit it than she had thought. "My father was a human. I can...become either one."
"I see..." Florina replied. "And is Nils..."
She didn't need to finish. Ninian nodded.
Florina was silent for a moment, before saying, "Ninian...I'm really sorry about how I reacted the other night. Can you ever forgive me?"
Ninian smiled. "Of course," she replied.
The two of them started to walk back to where the rest of the army was, before Florina asked, "And Ninian?"
Ninian turned to her. "What is it?"
"This is...this is what you were afraid of Lord Eliwood finding out...right?"
"Yes..." Ninian replied, looking away.
Florina smiled. "Then you should not be afraid," she said. "I don't care if you're a dragon...and I'm sure Lord Eliwood won't, either."
Ninian smiled warmly at that comment, but she was still a little unsure. "Do you really believe that?" she asked.
Florina nodded. "Remember what I told you?" she asked. "Even if two beings are shaped a little differently...that doesn't mean they can't get along..."
Ninian nodded in acceptance. "Thank you, Florina," she said.
Florina giggled. "Any time, Ninian."
The two walked back to the shrine.
The three lords had not returned by the time Ninian returned to the shrine. She found Nils leaning against the wall of the shrine with his arms crossed, waiting.
"Are Lord Eliwood and the others still inside?" Ninian asked him.
He looked up at her, then nodded wordlessly.
It was only a few moments, though, before the three lords walked out of the shrine. The Archsage Athos was with them, but Ninian couldn't figure out how he had gotten there. Had he warped in?
"You must go to the outskirts of Ostia," she heard the Archsage explain. "There you will find Durandal, the sword of sacred fire. With it, you should be able to defeat Nergal."
Eliwood nodded.
But you cannot defeat me now!
Ninian shuddered as she heard Nergal's voice in her head. The rest of the army apparently heard it too, as they started looking around wildly.
Without warning, a magic symbol appeared on the ground in front of the shrine. A moment later, Nergal appeared inside it. He gave a malevolent smile.
"At last," he declared. "My power is fully restored, and more."
"Nergal!" Eliwood shouted.
Ninian and Nils placed their arms around each other, shivering from fright. Nergal wasn't supposed to return now! What were they going to do?
Nergal found the siblings, and his eyes focused on them.
"Come, Ninian, Nils," he commanded, his malicious smile growing. "Come, and open the Dragon's Gate for me."
"I will not allow it!" Athos's voice suddenly came from the entrance of the shrine.
Nergal turned to the Archsage. "Ah, Athos, you are here as well..."
Athos raised his staff menacingly. "You will not take either of them," he declared.
Nergal laughed. "Ah, but Athos, my power surpasses even yours now. Behold!" He raised his hands...
"Wait!" Ninian shouted. Nergal turned to her.
She didn't want Nergal to hurt anyone...she could feel his power even from where she was standing.
And she had resisted Nergal before...she could do it again...
She stepped forward. "If I go with you, will you promise to leave now and not harm anyone?"
"Ninian!" both Nils and Eliwood shouted at the same time.
Nergal paid no notice to them. "One of you should prove sufficient," he said. "Very well...come with me."
Eliwood ran over to her. "No, Ninian! You can't go!" he shouted.
She stared at him. "Lord Eliwood..." She dropped her voice to a whisper. "I will be able to resist him..."
Eliwood stared at her sadly. "But Ninian, you can't go..." he repeated. "I love you..."
"How touching," Nergal said. "But I believe she has already agreed to come with me. Come, Ninian."
She took one final look at Eliwood before walking over to Nergal.
"Nils!" she called. "Look after Lord Eliwood..."
"I...I will," he replied.
"Ninian..." Eliwood said softly.
Then everything went black.
When Ninian was able to see again, she found that she was already inside the temple of the Dragon's Gate. She was now standing right in front of the black portal.
She was amazed. How had they gotten there this fast?
Maybe Nergal's power was greater than she had thought...
"You seem impressed," she heard Nergal say behind her. "My power is far greater than before. And with it, I can open the Dragon's Gate easily."
She turned around to find Nergal grinning malevolently.
"With your help, of course..." he added.
"No," Ninian said defensively.
Nergal laughed. "Of course. That is why you came with me, is it not? Because you thought you could resist me?"
She remained silent, staring at him defiantly.
Nergal held out a closed fist. "But you cannot resist this," he said.
He opened his fist to reveal...Ninian's dragonstone. Ninian recoiled in horror.
Nergal's grin grew wider. "Now, Ninian!" he commanded as the dragonstone began to glow. "Reveal your true form!"
"No!" she shouted. "NO!"
Ninian had transformed from a human to a dragon before, but never before had it been this painful. Her whole body ached as with a flash, it grew scales, wings, and a tail. When it was done, she stood at least three times as tall as Nergal, but he did not seem the least bit intimidated.
"So..." he said, looking up at her. "Your true form...is liberated."
Ninian's memory was gone, replaced by only one instinct.
Run.
She leapt off the temple floor, wings beating madly.
Nergal smirked. "To where do you hope to run, beast? What do you think Eliwood would say if he saw you like this?"
Eliwood...
The name sparked a memory deep within her heart. Eliwood...the man she loved...
She flew out the giant temple door like a bullet, her mind filled with only one desire.
Get to Eliwood.
He would protect her...she knew he would protect her...
But how would she find him?
She flew up, up into the sky. It was nighttime, but Ninian didn't care how much time had passed while she was warping. She only wanted to get to Eliwood.
Suddenly, she remembered something...someone's words...
You must go to the outskirts of Ostia...
Someone had told Eliwood to go there...
That was where he would be. She knew it...
She flew through the night, tiredness not affecting her one bit. It was already well into the day when she reached Ostia.
She didn't care that many people were horrified as they saw her fly through the air. She didn't care that she scared almost all of the Ostian townspeople into their homes. All she wanted was to get to Eliwood.
She flew past the town, over a small mountain range...and then she saw him.
There were other people there with him...a green-haired girl, a blue-haired man, and an elder man...but she didn't even notice them. All she saw was Eliwood...and she lowered herself to the ground.
The other people ran as she got closer, but Eliwood stood his ground.
Then the unthinkable happened.
Eliwood drew a large, gray sword. It began to glow...and he pointed it at Ninian.
Ninian was confused. What was going on?
The sword suddenly burst into flame.
No!
Fire...she couldn't take fire. Eliwood should know that, and yet here he was, pointing a flaming sword at her...
Then, without warning, he leapt...and slashed her across the belly.
Pain beyond pain surged throughout her body, and she felt herself falling unconscious...
How could he do such a thing?
Eliwood...
The man she loved...
"The girl you loved."
Pain. That was all Ninian felt as she slowly opened her eyes.
"The girl you swore to protect."
Ninian's vision was blurry, but she could make out the figure of Nergal...and Eliwood, staring at him in disbelief.
"Slain..."
She was able to see Nergal's face twist into a sadistic smile.
"By your hand!"
Eliwood held a hand to his forehead, still unable to believe what he had just been told. Then he turned to Ninian...and his face turned white instantly.
She had unconsciously returned to human form, but she didn't care how she had done it. She was dying...she knew she was dying...
"NINIAN!"
Eliwood ran over to her as fast as he could. He leaned over her, his eyes welling with tears.
"Ninian..."
"Lord—" She coughed violently, blood spraying from her mouth. "Lord Eliwood..."
"Ninian..." Eliwood repeated. "You can't...don't leave me..." He began to cry, and Ninian could feel his tears falling onto her.
The pain was receding...her vision was going black...
She weakly raised her hand and placed it against Eliwood's cheek, smiling. "I'm glad..."
"...Why?" he asked, his voice barely above a whisper.
She closed her eyes. "You're unharmed...I'm glad...Now I can die peacefully..."
She couldn't feel the pain any more...
"No, Ninian, don't talk like that!" Eliwood shouted. "Y-you're going to be okay! I-it's going to be j-just fine!"
She opened her eyes again. "Lord...Eliwood..."
"Y-Yes?"
"Please—" She broke into a fit of coughing. When it subsided, she repeated, "Please...don't forget me..."
Then she was silent, and her hand fell limply to her side.
"NINIAAAAAAN!"
...
Please review,
-TheOneAndOnlyT