Castle Ostia: Eliwood's Room
Eliwood stood straight and still at a window, looking over the Ostian kingdom. The warm air seeped through, with the breeze
ruffling Eliwood's cloak and lush red hair. The heat was suffocating. Eliwood's darkened blue eyes, now blood shot from tears,
contained nothing but pain, anguish and suffering. His swollen heart beat painfully in his chest as every second went by, without
Ninian.
"Why did you go?" Eliwood thought, "I wanted to protect you. Wanted for you to be happy"Ninian?
Ninian, don't cry.
I don't know what has happened,
But I do know I neverWant to see you so sad.
Then a memory came to him. They were in Bern together, just before infiltrating the castle.
And there she was, glowing in the sunshine. Her bright smile, her rosy cheeks, crimson eyes...and she was laughing happily.
Laughing at something Eliwood had said. He didn't even remember what it was.
I like it when you laugh.
And then the memory faded. The very sound of her humble voice was enough to make Eliwood's tears spring back.
He missed Ninian terribly. Her voice, her face, her dancing... everything. All he wanted was to tell her his secret. He knew that
she had a secret. Or what was a secret. Eliwood understood now, why she said she was deceiving him, lying to everyone.
But it didn't matter. It matter to Eliwood what she really was, it was who she was that mattered to him. Eliwood lowered his head
as tears fell down his cheeks.
Before entering the sacred resting-place of Durandal, Eliwood was running. Running towards Ninian.
Ninian.
Lord Eliwood.
I finally caught up with you.
What's wrong, Ninian?
Why the long face?
Please, do not worry
on my account.
I... I am not worthy- -
I am not even worthy to
stand in your sight, Lord Eliwood.
I have been deceiving you.
Yes as you were
saying before.
Ninian...
You have been keeping
some secret from us?
Yes...
But you can't
tell me what it is.
Am I right?
...Yes.
Very well.
What...?
If it is too hard for you to
talk about, I will not force you.
Just... if you ever feelAble, tell me then.
But...I have been false...
I have lied to you and
the others.
Ninian, I...The Archsage Athos had interrupted him, for he had to retrieve Durandal quickly. Nils could feel that Nergal
had strengthened. Eliwood was cut in mid-sentence but knew he must go. Eliwood looked into Ninian's
beautiful eyes and thought that, maybe it could wait...
Eliwood looked down at his hands, the hands that held the two people he loved the most while they breathed their last. He
remembered his father, strong and noble, turning cold as his life slipped through his fingers. And then Ninian, her innocent eyes
looking up into Eliwood's own. It was like when he rescued her the year before, only then, she was warm and seemed as though
she was sleeping in his embrace. But on that last occasion, she was shivering, struggling to speak. She lifted a hand, dripping in
blood, placed it on Eliwood's pounding heart. He held it tight as her soul ebbed away, and then the sound of Nergal's mocking
laugh filled his ears, blocking out the sound of Lyn's sobbing and any bird song that was sung. When Nergal dissapeared,
Eliwood couldn't let go of Ninain's body. He never wanted to let go of her. When she was finally taken from him by his friend,
Lord Hector, he felt the blood that had seeped onto him and the wound he had made. From the right side of her hip, to the left side
of her chest, traveled a deep diagonal gash across Ninian's body. And that was it. He saw the damage that he had caused, saw
Nils cowering into Lyn's arms, he didn't dare to look at what had happened to his beloved sister.
At the window, through his endless crying Eliwood prayed, hoping that someone would hear.
"Father... If you can hear me... Take care of Ninian.
...Take care of her as you did at the Dragon's Gate...
...Please... Strengthen me... And for the sake of my suffering... Tell Ninian...
...I love her."