Oh, come on...nobody found the Chrono Trigger reference? Well, it's this line, said by Athos:
"To bring back lost loved ones...that is what everyone wants."
Nobody remembers that line? The old man at the End of Time says it when he gives you the Chrono Trigger to revive Crono. But anyway, I'm getting off track...

FromBern: I actually didn't notice that...it was their first kiss. Although technically, it wasn't real .

Lord Cynic: Stop deprecating yourself...you write romance very well, but if you don't think so...your humor is MUCH better than anything I could do :P

Inferno-Hero: Bramimond's class is actually "Bramimond" (this has been found by hacking into the game), but he has S-levels in dark magic and staves. I guess that would make him an archdruid...

sugary teethrotter: I've read more romances than you can shake a stick at :P. And if you're looking for good romances, check out my favorites list, as it's full of them. Only problem is that none of them are for Fire Emblem, but I'm sure you could find something that you like.

Jeanie: As I told Inferno-Hero, Bramimond's class has been found to be "Bramimond" by hacking into the game. I'd get a screenshot, but ff.net is stupid and won't let me post URLs. Oh well...
And the repetition of "Ninian...why..." was intentional, just like the continual appearance of the word "always."

FireEdge: I seem to be writing a lot of symbolic ideas without knowing it . Never thought of the idea of spirits being unable to cry as ironic...I just kinda wrote it.

hyliansage: I'm not sure how that reminded you of Zelda...I've played all of them and don't remember any scene like that.

Morning Mist: Chrono Trigger reference? --points upward-- And as for Nils...I didn't think it would go well with the game if I had Ninian appear in his dream. After all, he probably wouldn't have been catatonic if she had been able to talk to him.

Spectral Flame: Well, as I said to some other reviewers, Bramimond's class is actually "Bramimond." But then, I don't think that calling him a "Bramimond" would have looked right in the story :P

geeseling: Thanks for your review!

The Story Master 125: This chapter isn't the last...well, technically it is. But there will be an epilogue following this chapter.

anonymus: This should be the last "chapter", and after this there will be an epilogue. Also, I'll post my closing comments in a separate chapter after the epilogue is posted and reviewed.

AmbieChan: Well, Ninian isn't just a mindless ghost. She loves Eliwood and she knows exactly what he needs in order to go on. And what do you know, --looks down at following chapter-- it worked! :)

NinixEli: Thanks for your review!

And now, the longest chapter yet:

Chapter Eighteen
Reminiscence

"Florina..."
The army had returned to Castle Ostia in order to rest and regroup, and Ninian had kept her promise and stayed by Eliwood the entire time. But while Eliwood was able to move on due to his dream conversation with Ninian...Florina and Nils had not had that chance.
Ninian watched as Eliwood approached the sobbing Falcoknight in her room at the castle, her sisters having left realizing that this was a private matter.
"Florina," Eliwood repeated.
Florina looked up. "L-Lord Eliwood..." she replied.
Eliwood sat down next to Florina on her bed and placed a hand on her shoulder. "There...there is something I need to tell you," he explained slowly. "I know...that you and Ninian...that you two were good friends."
Florina's only response was another sob. "Oh, Ninian..." She sniffed and wiped her eyes, trying her hardest to stop crying.
Eliwood rubbed her shoulder soothingly. "Don't be afraid to cry..." he said sadly.
Florina took his cue. Throwing her arms around Eliwood, she began to sob into his shoulder.
"Ninian...Ninian..."
Eliwood waited somberly as she cried. Ninian could see that he was trying hard not to cry himself...but he had promised Ninian that he would be able to go on.
When Florina finished, Eliwood slowly let go of her and told her, "Florina, Ninian...she talked to me last night..."
"W-What do you mean?" she asked, wiping her eyes.
"I...I know it sounds crazy," he said shakily. "But last night...while I was asleep, she talked to me, in my dreams..."
Florina did not care whether the story was believable or not. "W-What did she s-say?" she asked.
Eliwood sighed. "She told me..." He looked at Florina sadly. "She told me that she will always be watching us. And she said..." He sighed again. "She said that we must go on, that we must defeat Nergal...for her sake."
Florina sniffed. "Th-that is..." She sniffed again. "That i-is...w-what she would w-want..."
"Yes..." Eliwood replied. "So, Florina...I know that you are grieving now. But...for now, you must go on...we must defeat Nergal, and we need your help." He looked at the floor. "When...w-when this is over..." His voice was breaking as he tried to keep himself collected. "After we defeat Nergal...then...th-then Ninian will receive a proper f-funeral. But now...n-now is not the time to grieve..."
Florina looked up at Eliwood with tear-stained eyes, then she nodded ever so slowly. "You're...y-you're right..." she said softly. "We...w-we must defeat N-Nergal for a-all that he did t-to her..."
Eliwood placed a hand on her shoulder without looking at her, not wanting her to see the tears that were forming in his eyes despite all his efforts to stop them. "I-I'm glad you understand..." he said. "Thank you..."
He got up and started to walk out of the room, but Florina stopped him at the door.
"Lord E-Eliwood..."
Eliwood did not turn around. "Yes?"
"Lord Eliwood..." she repeated, looking at the floor. "You...y-you loved her...didn't you..."
Eliwood closed his eyes, his tears threatening to fall. "I-I did," he said, his voice breaking. "I...I a-always will..." he went on, remembering his promise to Ninian.
Florina looked up at him, even though he was turned away. "Even..." she asked slowly, carefully, "even though...she w-was part d-dragon?"
"I-I don't care w-whether she's part dragon o-or not..." His restraint broke and a few tears spilled silently down his face. "A-All I know...i-is that I love her..."
Florina gave Eliwood a tiny, sad smile, even though he could not see it. "That...that is w-what she always wanted to know..."
Eliwood nodded somberly, and silently left the room.
And Ninian didn't know whether to be ecstatic or despondent. Eliwood had just openly admitted he didn't care what she was...yet now, they could never be together...
She silently followed Eliwood, staying by his side.

"Nils..."
It had taken Eliwood a few minutes to get his emotions under control, but now he had come to Nils's room to tell him what he had told Florina.
Nils sat on his bed, his face betraying no emotion whatsoever. He looked up. "Lord Eliwood," he replied, in a flat voice.
Like before, Eliwood sat down on the bed beside Nils. "There is something I need to tell you," he said softly. He paused. "About Ninian..."
Nils looked up at Eliwood silently, his face still expressionless. "What?" he asked.
But while Nils's face showed no emotion, Ninian could clearly see that his eyes did. They were burning with hate, rage for the man who had killed his sister...and while her death had been unintentional, Ninian couldn't blame him for his feelings...
Eliwood, however, did not seem to notice Nils's blazing eyes. He merely told Nils what he had told Florina: how Ninian had talked to him in a dream the previous night, how she told him to go on...
When Eliwood finished, Nils simply stared at him silently.
Eliwood waited a few moments, then when he received no response from Nils, he went on. "Nils," he said. "I know that...that you are very angry at me for...for what happened to Ninian." He sighed. "I...I never intended to hurt her...but...I know that there is nobody who can be blamed except myself."
Nils remained silent, expressionless.
"But...there is one thing I must ask of you," Eliwood continued. "It doesn't have to be now...but when you're past the pain..." He looked away from Nils. "I hope that...that someday, you can forgive me. I..." He sighed. "I truly do not deserve your forgiveness. But if you can find it in your heart...it would truly help to ease my pain..."
Still, Nils gave no response.
Slowly, Eliwood got up. He took a few steps toward the door, then stopped and looked at the floor.
"I...I loved your sister more than anything," he said to Nils without looking at him. "And you must know this...I do not care if you or your sister is part dragon." He sighed heavily. "I...I am truly...sorry..."
He slowly walked out of the room, and Ninian followed, but not before she heard Nils whisper something to himself.
"Ninian..."

"And there, hidden in the whirling sands, was the most amazing village, Arcadia..."
Ninian followed Eliwood as he walked to the throne room, where Hector, Lyn, and Athos were waiting. She heard Athos's voice as they drew closer to the room...
"I almost could not believe it myself. But it was there, right in front of our eyes."
"What did you see?" Ninian heard Lyn's voice.
Just then, Eliwood entered the room. The other three stared at him silently, wondering if something was wrong.
Eliwood was silent for a few moments, but then he told Athos, "Please go on..."
"Very well," came Athos's reply. "The village that Nergal and I found," he went on, "was inhabited by both dragons and humans, living together peacefully."
Lyn and Hector were visibly surprised, but his words only caused Eliwood to look at the floor.
"At the inhabitants' invitation, Nergal and I stayed there with both the dragons and humans," he went on, sighing wistfully. "The dragons' library was like a paradise to us. We studied their language and rituals with unbridled passion. A century, then two...time passed in an eye's blink. And yet, slowly...our thoughts turned down differing paths."
Eliwood looked up slowly. "How do you mean?" he asked.
"I wanted to share Arcadia with the world," Athos explained. "If man and dragon could live together as they did before the Scouring..."
How wonderful that would be... Ninian thought. She would have been able to live with Eliwood without any worries...
Athos closed his eyes. "But Nergal...he learned from the dragons' library the ritual of stealing life-force from other living things. He started with small beings, then slowly worked his way up.... The Arcadians and I tried to stop him, but by that time the dark magics he used had completely consumed his soul. So..." He sighed sadly. "I had no choice but to attack my once dearest friend."
"So what happened?" Hector asked.
Athos sighed again. "I wounded him, but he fled," he explained. "He slowly grew his power away from our eyes, and he created the morphs..."
"Morphs?" Lyn asked.
Athos closed his eyes in an almost angry manner. "They are a crime against nature," he explained. "They are human in appearance, but they are artificial. Created. I'm sure you've laid eyes on them yourselves. Pale complexion, jet black hair, and glittering golden eyes..." His anger vanished, replaced by regret. "If only he had come..."
"What do you mean?" Eliwood asked.
Athos looked away. "The Arcadians and I thought that eventually Nergal would return. His ability to steal life energy had grown so powerful that we knew his only remaining target was the quintessence of a dragon...and there were no dragons anywhere else on Elibe but in Arcadia." He looked back at the three lords. "So we set up defenses and waited for his return. I did not hope to kill him, just to exchange blows...and then I would draw him into the desert, which would be his end."
"So what happened?" Hector asked. "Did he not show up, or something?"
Athos nodded. "He never came...I have no idea how he managed it, but...he was able to call the half-dragon siblings through the Dragon's Gate."
Ninian would have felt ashamed, if it weren't for the Ostian knight that came rushing into the room that very second.
"Lord Hector!" The knight shouted. "We're under attack! The castle has already been breached!"
"What the hell?!" Hector exclaimed. "We have the best sentries in all of Lycia—how did they defeat them?"
"Th-they just appeared out of nowhere!" the knight replied, sounding terrified. "I-It happened so fast, the castle guards were annihilated!"
Athos calmly took a step forward. "It's Nergal," he explained. "He is warping his morphs here."
"Well then, let's stop them!" Hector shouted. "Get everyone out of their rooms," he directed the knight. "And then send for reinforcements! We can hold them off until they come!"
"Yes sir!" the knight replied, before rushing off to the rooms occupied by Eliwood's army.
As the three lords and Athos prepared for battle, Ninian noticed with some regret that her rapier was now attached to Eliwood's belt, probably in memory of her.
She stared at the rapier despondently. She would never be able to use it again...
She followed Eliwood as he ran to defend the castle.

Time seemed to become a blur after that...
... "This is a message from Lord Nergal. 'I await you on the Dread Isle.'" ...
... "You...you truly are Roland's children." ...
... "Fargus's pirate crew makes women smile and villains revile!" ...
... "I have to do Ninian's part and mine!" ...
... "All right...I want you to know all about me and Ninian." ...
... "My friends are here! There is no power in this world greater than that!" ...

...And before she knew it, she was standing with the rest of the army at the entrance of the Dragon's Gate. Eliwood held Durandal proudly, while Hector tested the weight of Armads and Lyn did a few practice thrusts with the Sol Katti.
"Nils," Athos said. "Can you sense if he has called forth any dragons?"
Nils closed his eyes in concentration. "I sense...tremendous power," he replied a little shakily. "But it's different...I feel something really odd."
Athos closed his eyes in turn. "Mmm...I read energy, too, if only a little..." He glanced at the three lords. "Nils is right, the sense of it is different from before. Brace yourselves. He is...formidable!"
Hector swung his massive axe and placed it on his shoulder. "We've known that all along, Graybeard," he said with a determined grin. "But we will not fail."
"We cannot fail," Lyn added confidently. Hector gave her a proud smile.
Eliwood raised Durandal above his head. "To the Dragon's Gate!" he commanded. He rushed inside, and the rest of the army followed.

Nergal had placed several morphs with the appearance of people the army had fought in their way. Ninian recognized Linus, and the insane bishop, but she did not recognize anyone else. The battle was fierce, but Eliwood and his army prevailed.
Eliwood, Hector, Lyn, and Athos entered the deepest chambers of the Dragon's Gate, Ninian following them. Nergal stood there, waiting for them.
"So," he said. "You have finally come."
Athos stepped forward, intent on trying one last time to persuade his former friend to stop what he was doing. "Nergal," he said calmly. "After all these years, you have not stopped to reconsider your ideas at all. Please—"
Nergal cut him off. "The same is true of you, Athos!" he shouted. "You must see the truth of it! All living things take energy from somewhere. We all use it to create, to change it into something better." He grinned wildly. "The knowledge of Arcadia has shown us the road to the ultimate transformation—and soon I will attain it. And yet you—" he pointed his finger at the Archsage, "—will not take that road! Tell me, Athos, why do you reject the obvious?!"
Athos closed his eyes. "I am opposed to such a quest for power." He glared angrily at Nergal. "You say this power will further knowledge, but to fuel your ambitions with the stolen lives of others...that does not further wisdom. It furthers abomination!" He spat the last word out in disgust.
Nergal's face suddenly broke into a grin, and then he burst out laughing insanely.
"Those words!" he shouted almost gleefully after he had stopped laughing. "Those words are unchanged from when you said them ages back." His expression vanished, replaced by wrath. Putting a hand on his turban, he shouted, "When you and the dragons conspired to bury me!"
And he ripped off his turban. Ninian was suddenly glad that he wore it almost all the time.
Nergal's right eye, which was normally concealed by his turban, had a massive burn mark all around it. His eye also did not seem to be able to see, either, as it was red and unfocused.
"Look at this wound!" he nearly screamed. "This wound which I took from your magic!" He glared at Athos with utter hatred, his breath becoming harsh and ragged. "It confirmed some things for me, old friend. That trust brings betrayal. That friends bring weakness!"
"Enough!" Eliwood suddenly cried, stepping forward. "If that is what you learned from your encounter, then you are a fool! Do you think for a moment that when Athos struck down his dearest friend, he felt nothing?!"
Nergal regarded Eliwood for a moment, then asked, "Is that truly what you believe?" Without waiting for an answer, he went on. "Then tell me, Eliwood. When you struck down the girl you loved, did you feel any remorse?"
Ninian could easily see that his comment had hit a nerve.
"What the hell are you saying?!" Eliwood screamed. "Of course I did!"
"Oh, but I remember things differently," Nergal commented with a sadistic grin. "I seem to recall that when she came for you, you took that sword of yours and slew her on the spot."
Eliwood blanched. "B-But..." he stammered. "That's n-not the same!" he shouted weakly. "I...I-I didn't know it was her..."
"Irrelevant," Nergal said, waving his comment off. "When you first took that sword and swung it...you didn't feel any regret, did you?" His sadistic grin grew wider. "Perhaps it even felt...right?"
Eliwood sank to his knees. "No...Ninian..."
At the same time, Hector stepped forward. "Shut the hell up!" he shouted. "Ninian didn't die because of anything Eliwood did!" He pointed a finger at Nergal. "She died because of you! You have caused all of this suffering! You are the one who kills without remorse!" He raised Armads, and gave a deadly whisper: "And you are the one who is going to die today."
His comments seemed to strengthen Eliwood, who got up and pointed Durandal at Nergal. "He is right. Nergal!" he shouted, angry tears welling in his eyes at the memory of Ninian, "I will defeat you! Here! Today!"
Nergal crossed his arms defiantly. "You'd like to think that, wouldn't you?" he asked, then he raised his hands. "Be afraid," he said. "You are about to witness a power that overwhelms all!" A black mist started swirling around the dark druid.
Eliwood and Hector charged.
And at the same time, Nergal shouted, "Ereshkigal!"
A sphere as tall as him that seemed to be made of pure darkness appeared in front of Nergal. At once, Ninian could see spirits of the dead being sucked into it through the power of the spell. Ninian could feel herself being pulled...but she resisted.
More and more spirits poured into the sphere, and just as Eliwood and Hector reached it, it exploded in a cataclysm of dark magic. The explosion blew them back, and even Lyn and Athos were blasted by the spell. The latter pair sank to their knees, while the former landed on their back, struggling to get up.
Ninian heard the sound of running footfalls behind her, but her mind quickly shunted that thought aside with worry for Eliwood's survival.
"Not like this..." Athos gasped. "It's not supposed to be like this..."
Nergal smiled triumphantly. "You say that, Athos, but what do your very eyes tell you? You have no hope of defeating me."
Suddenly, a large beacon of light, like a spotlight, shone down directly on Nergal, seemingly coming from nowhere. A few sparkles fell around it, and Ninian thought they almost looked...divine...
Nergal looked up into the beacon, his arms outstretched. "Look!" he shouted gleefully. "Even the gods of this world acknowledge my superiority! I am impervious!"
The beacon suddenly shrank, becoming as thin as a laser. It shone directly between Nergal's eyes, the working one suddenly clouded with confusion. "What?" he asked. "What is this?"
Behind her, Ninian heard a voice scream, "Aureola!"
What followed seemed to happen in slow motion. At the top of the beacon, a light as bright as a star suddenly appeared, and it began to fall down the length of the laser-like light...
Nergal's face instantly took on a look of panic, but he seemed frozen in place.
The star of light fell down, down, down...and landed directly between Nergal's eyes. Instantly, there was a blinding flash, an explosion of light...
When Ninian was able to see again, the three lords, Athos, and Nergal were all on their knees, panting heavily. But while the Ereshkigal spell had weakened the three lords and Athos, the Aureola seemed to have nearly killed Nergal. He was gasping, spluttering for breath, and he was coughing up blood.
"Why...must this happen?" he whispered. "I...I will not die like this," he went on, giving the three lords and the Archsage a death glare. "With...with my last breath...tremble...and despair..."
And with a final, sadistic laugh, Nergal slumped over, dead.
Almost instantly, the other four people all turned their heads and looked at Ninian.
Ninian wondered what was going on...could they see her?
It took her a moment to realize that they were not staring at her, but rather at something behind her.
She turned around and saw Eliwood's savior, a long-blond-haired bishop in light blue robes. He knelt on a silver staff, his eyes closed in prayer.
"Saint Elimine, praise be your graces...thank you for this miracle."
The bishop got up and walked over to the three lords and Athos, stopping at each person and raising his staff. Healing energies flowed around them, rejuvenating them. Within moments, they were standing on their own power.
The rest of the army quickly walked over to their commanders.
"Is it...is it over?" The question came from a bright-green-haired girl, barely a teenager, that Ninian didn't recognize. She had her arms wrapped fearfully around a dark, red-haired man that seemed to sink into the shadows.
Eliwood triumphantly looked around at his beloved comrades-in-arms, all of which had helped him to get this far. He opened his mouth to speak...
...and was suddenly cut off by an unearthly roar, coming from the Dragon's Gate itself...
Ninian instantly recognized it as the roar of a dragon.
She panicked. Had Nergal managed to open the Gate?
Meanwhile, Eliwood turned and sped up the stairs to the Gate. The rest of the army quickly followed.

When Ninian reached the top of the steps, she saw the three lords frozen there, staring at the Dragon's Gate in terror. She looked...
...and if she had still been alive, she would have fainted.
Three fire dragons stood in front of the Gate, having just come through. But they weren't just any fire dragons.
They were the three that had constantly teased her for being only part dragon...
But Ninian could see what Eliwood and the others could not: the dragons were terrified. They had just come back to this world that after a millennium had become so strange to them. And she knew that the dragons had come to this world for the same reason she had followed Nergal's request: because they wanted to see their homeland again.
Seeing all of these humans with weapons was scaring them out of their minds, and instinctively, they were retorting with blasts of flame. Almost all of the army ran away, except for Athos, who stood his ground at the top of the stairs.
"If we cannot stop them here, then all is lost," he remarked.
One dragon stepped forward, reared back, then launched a huge jet of flame directly at the Archsage. When it passed, Athos was still standing, but Ninian could see the blast had weakened him severely.
Eliwood came running up the steps. "Lord Athos!" he shouted. "Flee! The dragons are getting closer!"
Athos closed his eyes and shook his head. "I must stop them here," he said.
Suddenly, there was a flash of light, and the dragons, surprised, stepped back.
A magic symbol appeared on the floor next to Athos and Eliwood, and a figure cloaked in green appeared inside it.
"Bramimond!" Athos exclaimed.
Bramimond turned to Athos, but strangely, when he spoke, it was Athos's own voice that came out. "Preparations...took time," he said. "But I am ready."
Another magic symbol appeared on the floor, this one directly between the dragons and the humans. There was a flash...then, when Ninian saw what was inside it, she gasped.
It was her body.
Athos's words came rushing back to her...
Bramimond has the power to tap into the dead...
Bramimond was hunched over in concentration...
Without warning, she felt some small force tugging her spirit towards her body. It was gentle, like a kind person would be when trying to lead a lost child home.
She felt herself drifting towards her body...she reached out...she touched it...
Then, for a moment, everything was black.

Bring her back...
Let the dragon girl's soul be restored!
Ninian gasped sharply as she took her first breath in what seemed like forever.
She coughed a few times, then slowly stood up.
She looked over at Eliwood, who was gaping at her in openmouthed shock.
"Lord Eliwood..."
"N-N-Ninian...is it really...you're alive..." Slowly, he reached out a shaking hand and touched her. She was real, alive.
Eliwood's face suddenly split into a huge, ecstatic smile. "You're alive!" he shouted. He was about to throw his arms around her, when he caught Athos giving him a "this-is-not-the-time" look. Instead, he ran his hand through his hair. "I don't believe it..."
She smiled warmly at him.
"Girl with the exalted blood of dragons," Bramimond suddenly said urgently, breaking her out of the joyful scene. She turned to him, and he went on, "Use your power to appease them." He gestured to the dragons.
"W-...what?" Ninian asked incredulously, holding a hand to her chest. "Use my power...in this world? I can't...I don't even have my dragonstone..."
Bramimond spoke, but now it was Ninian's own voice that was speaking to her. "Do you not feel your power returning?"
She stared at him inquisitively, when suddenly she felt energy rushing into her. She could hear a song...
Looking behind herself, she saw Nils playing his flute vigorously, giving her all of the power that he could.
She turned to the dragons, who had gotten over their surprise and were walking towards her. She could hear their angry whispers...
Halfling...
But she was part ice dragon, and with her newfound power she could easily kill all three of them.
Yet she didn't know if she could bring herself to do it.
These fire dragons, despite what they had done to her...they were innocent. They were only here to see their homeland, and for that, certainly, they didn't deserve to die...
She turned to Bramimond. "I...I can't..."
"You must," her own voice came back.
She turned to the fire dragons, a helpless expression on her face.
"I'm so sorry..."
She raised her hands. A small, blue sparkle appeared between them...
And without warning, everything went white as a whirlwind of snow and ice whipped through the shrine of the Dragon's Gate, cutting into the three dragons.
She could hear their screams of pain and anguish...
Then, she stopped. The snow and ice disappeared, and the three dragons collapsed. Two of them were clearly already dead.
They didn't deserve this...
"N-No..." she whispered painfully. "No more..."
And she fainted.

"Ninian..."
Ninian's eyes slowly fluttered open at the sound of Eliwood's voice. Slowly, the faces of Eliwood and Nils came into focus above her.
She slowly sat up and looked around.
The three dragons were gone. Dead. But the Gate was still open...
It had to be closed.
Slowly, shakily, she stood up, then focused all her willpower on shutting the Gate.
Nothing happened.
No...
"Ninian," came Eliwood's voice again. She turned to find him almost in tears of joy. "You're back..."
He suddenly embraced her as tightly as he could.
"Y-You're back..." he repeated, crying out his relief into her shoulder. Ninian returned the embrace, but her mind was focused on the Gate, and what it meant for her...
Tears began falling from her eyes without her knowing it.
Eliwood let her go. "Ninian," he said, mistaking her tears for tears of joy.
"L-Lord Eliwood..." she sobbed.
"Ninian..." he repeated. "I...I can't believe you're here." He smiled warmly. "When I lost you...I knew for sure."
He embraced her again, but this time Ninian did not return it.
"I need you," he said. "I want you by my side forever..."
"L-Lord E-Eliwood...no..." she sobbed. If she couldn't close the Gate from this world, then she would have to...
Eliwood let go of her, placing a hand on her shoulder. "Ninian?" he asked. "What's wrong?"
"I..." she sobbed, "I-I can't stay here..."
"W-What?" he asked, almost incredulously. His smile faded slowly. "You...you have to stay..."
She looked at the Dragon's Gate despairingly. "The Gate must be closed..."
Eliwood stared at her, starting to panic. "Th-then...you can close it, right?"
She shook her head sadly. "N-Nils and I..." she sobbed, "we do not have enough power to close the Gate from this world. W-we...we must go to the dragon's realm...to regain our power..."
"No..." Eliwood whispered. "You...you can't..."
Nils walked over to his sister, placing a hand on her shoulder.
And she broke down completely. She flung her arms around Eliwood, crying into his shoulder.
Just as she came back into the world of the living...she had to leave the one she loved.
"I-I must..." she sobbed into his shoulder.
"No..." Eliwood whispered again, not wanting to believe it.
She let go of him, then looked at the Gate. She stared at it despairingly for a moment...but this was what she had to do, as much as she wanted to stay with Eliwood.
"Ninian..." Eliwood whispered from behind her. "If y-you leave...I-I'll never see you a-again...that can't be..."
She turned back to him, smiling warmly through her tears. "L-Lord Eliwood..." she whispered. "I-I am truly blessed that I have had the chance to meet you..."
Eliwood started to cry, tears streaming silently down his face.
"Please..." she went on. "Please...don't forget me..."
He shook his head. "Ninian...please don't leave me..."
She ignored his request, knowing that if she responded she would never leave. "A-And remember," she continued. "I...I'll always love you..."
And slowly, sadly, she began to walk to the Gate, with Nils by her side. She never turned away from Eliwood.
"Ninian..." he whispered, his arm reaching out towards her. Suddenly the full impact of what was happening hit him. His eyes widened and he shouted, "Ninian!"
He started to run towards her, but Hector and Lyn came up behind him and held him back.
"No!" he screamed. "Ninian! Don't leave! Please! Don't leave!!" He reached out a hand towards her and struggled against the other two lords holding him back, tears streaming down his face now. "Hector! Lyn! What are you doing?! Let me go!"
But they held on.
"I'm sorry...but she has to leave," Lyn whispered sadly in his ear.
"NO!" Eliwood screamed. He struggled even harder, his arm outstretched toward Ninian as if he could reach her and bring her back. "Ninian!" he shouted. "You can't leave me again!"
But she and Nils had reached the Gate. She turned around, looking at the swirling energies of the portal...she wished she didn't have to go. Why couldn't she stay...
She took one final, despairing look at Eliwood...
"Ninian," Nils's voice suddenly came from beside her.
She turned to him. "What is it?" she asked, trying hard not to cry.
Nils glanced at Eliwood, then back to her. "Ninian," he repeated. "When Nergal first brought us through the Gate, he told us that our dragon form is not compatible with the air of this world. And he said that if we lived as humans, we would not survive long..."
Ninian stared at him, confused. "Nils," she asked, "why are you bringing this up—"
Nils ignored her and went on. "But even knowing that your life would be short..." He again glanced at Eliwood, then back at her. "Ninian...you truly wish to stay here, don't you?"
She stared at Eliwood despondently. Of course she wanted to stay, but the Gate had to be closed...
Without even waiting for a reply, Nils continued, "I understand." He placed a hand on her shoulder. "Stay with Lord Eliwood."
"But Nils..." she asked, "how—"
She never finished, as Eliwood, apparently having broken out of Hector and Lyn's hold on him, suddenly threw his arms around her and embraced her tightly.
"Ninian!" he shouted, sobbing. "You can't go. I won't let you go!"
"Lord Eliwood..." Nils began. "Ninian...no, my sister...please cherish her."
Eliwood looked up. "What do you mean?" he asked softly.
Ninian suddenly realized what Nils was going to do. "Nils!" she shouted. "Are you—"
Nils nodded, a tiny smile on his face. "Yes...I'm going alone."
"But—"
"Ninian," Nils cut her off. "You wish to stay here, don't you?"
She was silent for a few moments before responding, "Yes..."
"And Lord Eliwood..." Nils said, turning to him. "You wish for my sister to stay with you, don't you?"
"Yes!" Eliwood shouted. "Please, Ninian...stay with me. Don't leave me..."
But she was torn. She wanted to stay with Eliwood, but if Nils had to leave her...
"I know you don't want me to leave..." Nils said, voicing her thoughts. "But...I want you to be happy. And I know that you will be much happier with Lord Eliwood..."
He took a few steps toward the Gate. "Well..." he said, addressing everyone. "I'm going to go."
"Be well, Nils!" Hector called.
"I'll miss you!" came Lyn's farewell.
But tears were streaming silently down Ninian's face. "Nils..." she whispered.
He stepped in front of the Gate and smiled warmly at her. "Don't cry, Ninian..." he reassured her. "Even if we're far apart, if we never see each other again, our bond will never be cut..." He took a step backwards, still smiling. "Sister...live as long, and be as happy as you can, for as long as you can..."
And with another step backwards, he was gone. Within moments, the Gate was black, closed.
"Nils..." she whispered, embracing Eliwood and burying her head in his shoulder.
"Thank you, Nils," Eliwood said softly.

When the army stepped out of the Dragon's Gate, Ninian was surprised to see the sun rising. The battle had lasted all night...
Hector and Lyn walked out together. "Beautiful, isn't it?" Lyn commented. "The start of a new day."
And this, Ninian mused, is the start of my new life...with Eliwood.
As she and Eliwood walked out of the Dragon's Gate into the sunlight, Eliwood looked at her and smiled.
"Ninian," he said cheerfully. "You'll come with me?"
She looked at him and nodded, smiling.
Eliwood's smile grew larger, then, without warning, he reached down and picked her up, sweeping her off her feet.
Ninian giggled.
He looked down at her smiling face, then placed a small kiss upon her lips.
"I love you," he said softly.
She looked up at him, smiling warmly, and ran a hand through his hair affectionately.
"I love you too," she replied.
And they both walked out into the sunrise of a new day...together.
O.o Wow...that was l-o-n-g.
--sigh-- well...there will be an epilogue after this, and then that's it for Different. Hope you've enjoyed the ride...

Please review!!!
-TheOneAndOnlyT