Author's note: Ha ha ha! Left you all in suspense there didn't I? Well thank you Oni-Kaiser, Celis and kaiserdragon52. Voirrey too I suppose… I know my chapters are short… but… this is how I write them… Oh and the last chapter title: a joke. I'm evil, I know.

Oh, by the way, I expect you've already got this, but X's mean a change in place or flashbacks. I would use 's but won't let me.

Paths of the heart:

Chapter XV: Sapphire eyes

He was dancing

He was flying.

He was free.

He twirled round the dance floor with her in his arms.

They were alone, dancing, just dancing, his arms round hers.

There was nobody to interrupt them.

Nobody.

They moved closer as they danced.

Their lips almost meeting,

He gazed into her beautiful blue eyes,

Their lips drew closer…

And then…

Ryu woke up in a cold sweat.

"Where… am I?" He whispered.

"Oh good, your finally awake!" a cheerful voice called.

Ryu knew that voice anywhere. "Hello Nina." He said, managing a wincing smile.

And indeed it was Nina, smiling happily. "How are you feeling Ryu, the healing people here said you wouldn't have made it if you wasn't brought here as fast as you did…"

Ryu frowned. "But… couldn't have you just used you healing spells?" he asked, rather confused.

"That's the funny thing… they wouldn't work…" Ryu turned sharply to her.

"Not work?" He asked seriously.

Nina shook her head. "No…I learnt about warps at the castle when I was younger, I'd completely forgotten until now. If you are stuck in a non-magic world, then… your aura loses it's magical essence…" Ryu blinked. "It means Ryu, if we stay in this world any longer our magic won't work any more…" Ryu's eyes widened.

"WHAT?" Nina nodded silently. "… We need to get out of here…"

Ryu sat up suddenly, wincing at the pain.

"Ryu… you should rest…" Nina frowned.

Ryu gave her a wincing smile "I'll be fine, I've had worse."

Nina shook her head in a motherly way. "OK…" Ryu carefully stood up, looking around. He was in a hospital, however right now it was pretty empty as Ryu had woken up in the middle of the night. You could hear the snoring from the other patients in the room.

"Let's go." Ryu whispered, tiptoeing his way to the exit with Nina trailing after.

Slowly they inched their way to the exit.

"Who's there?" a man with a torch shouted. Nina's eyes widened as Ryu grabbed her and pressed up against the wall.

"Hm… I must have been seeing things…"

"Whew…" Nina breathed in relief her face going red at the close proximity of her and Ryu. Then they ran as fast as they could through the exit.

"Drat…" Ryu muttered. "It's raining…"

Nina growled. "This place is like Ludia, it's ALWAYS raining." (They're in England, remember?) Nina shouted walking out onto a wet muddy field, boots squishing as she went.

"C'mon, let's get some shelter." Ryu said gently tugging her arm dragging her under a bus stop.

They sat in silence, watching the relaxing splatter of rain on the roof of the bus shelter.

"…"

"…Nina…?" Ryu asked remembering something.

"…Yes?" she asked quietly.

"Remember when I fought Dawn… you fainted… but who rescued me? I… remember blue eyes… these beautiful blue eyes… like sapphire's…"

Nina said nothing, obviously thinking.

X

The person came closer and closer and closer; it was no good though Ryu could bear no more, the person looked now more like a blob than a person. Ryu blinked attempting to clear his vision, struggling to open his eyes. He saw that the person was kneeling down face to face with him.

He stared into their blue eyes, hearing a voice.

"Ryu…?" It played again and again in his mind, slowly becoming fainter and fainter until…

X

That was all Ryu remembered, he had blacked out after that.

"Those eyes…" Ryu whispered.

"Those eyes…"

Nina looked away, and all was silent.

"Ryu…" Nina said quietly. "It was me. It was me who rescued you… I had woken up just when…

X

"Ugh…" Nina muttered lifting her head off the ground, rubbing it and feeling a large bump.

"Time to die." A voice called. Nina looked to her left and her eyes widened as she saw Dawn slowly approaching Ryu, who was situated on the cold tarmac. Ryu certainly didn't look very healthy, Nina thought and her heart filled with dread when Dawn raised her silver dagger.

She stood up not feeling pain, she couldn't, all she could think about was Ryu.

Nina leaped forward rage filling her eyes as she jumped on Dawn and clamped her arm with her teeth biting down as hard as she could. While at the same time punching Dawn in the face, leaving her with stars in her eyes as she fell over, obviously knocked out.

Nina smirked; turning to Ryu on the ground as she carefully leaned over to him kneeling.

"Ryu…?" She whispered anxiously. Ryu slowly opened his eyes looking into hers and then… fainted.

A few minutes later an ambulance picked Ryu and Nina up, after having a phone call from a man passing by.

X

Ryu listened to her story with wide eyes.

"Nina…?"

She looked at him. "Yes?"

"You…" Ryu began. "Did… that… for me?" he asked, fighting unexplained tears. He wiped them away with a finger, then stared at it, watching how the moonlight reflected on them.

"You know… I've never cried before… and yet…" Ryu stared into Nina's eyes. "You make me."

X

"Aw… how touching…" Deis said smirking, an orb of light in front of her, showing what was happening in the other world.

"Hey Cray, Ursula, come here you really want to see this!"

As soon as Ursula saw what was happening in the orb she started sniggering. while Cray didn't even look, as he was busy trying to peer down Deis's dress.

Fou-Lu stood, his arms folded. "When is'st thou going to let'st me get thee's friends back'st? I thought that thou wantest them back?"

"Oh let's wait a while, I want to enjoy the drama." Deis said smirking sticking her thumb in the direction of the orb.

Ursula sniggered.

Scais said nothing.

Fou-lu started jabbering again.

And Cray was lying on the floor still hoping to get a good view up Deis's dress.

X

"Do I?" Nina whispered silently, tears falling gracefully down her cheeks too.

Ryu carried on "…I always thought… that crying was a babyish thing to do… when your sad… and yet… I'm not sad… I'm happy… so happy…and… yet…"

Ryu moved dangerously close to Nina.

"And yet…" Ryu repeated again.

"And yet?" Nina whispered, inching closer to Ryu.

"…I think I'm in love."