I almost finished this chapter in a week this time. It would have come out yesterday if the Red Sox hadn't taken their game into the 14th inning. But hey, it was a good game (and we won), so I'm not complaining :D

Ryzuki: Thanks for your review!

Flaming Soul: That's been my intent since the start, if you haven't noticed. :P

FireEdge: --glances over at Stray Arrow-- Speaking of taking two weeks to update... :P

Inferno-Hero: I remember when it took me only two days to get out a chapter also...those were the days before the evil entity known as "the college search" came along :/

James Holester: You do have to realize that, after what happened in the previous two chapters, it really isn't a good time for Nino to ask Sonia to hold her hand. Sonia was a lot less pissed off in the game :P

Spectral Flame: Thanks for your review!

Ryst: Heh, I really liked making up the line about Nino's blood. Thanks!

Winteress (x2): I think you might have reviewed twice by accident...

Ragnarok-legend: The way you wrote that, it sounded like you were going to die if a new chapter didn't come out soon. I hope you're okay...

Crystal Royale: Thanks for your review!

Firelien: Matthew should not be appearing until the next chapter, I don't think. But it will be a memorable moment :P

hyliansage: "Update soon," huh? Well, whatever happened to Wish? :P

Jeanie: Why should Nino not be able to use staves? Frankly, I don't think slipping on a ring would instantly give someone the power to use staves or any type of magic. Wouldn't it be a skill that was learned, not suddenly received?

The Story Master 125: --smiles brightly at spelling error--

MagicianFairy: Thanks for your review!

Emotion Changing Reviewer: Thanks for your review!

gentleness28: That was...quite a long review. I can't respond to just one part of it :P

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darkstarredshadowwolf: PLEASE draw a Nino/Jaffar, I'd love to see it. I can't draw for my life :/

Bloody Mary: Thanks for your review!

AmbieChan: Yes, I was definitely the one who gave you that warning. Hard, isn't it? :/

And now a, uh...food...of chapter 6. (Guess the reference and get a cookie!)

Chapter Six
Worthy of Living

Nino could only stare at Jaffar dumbly.

"L-...leaving?" she finally stammered after a few moments. "B-but—"

"Come," Jaffar repeated urgently. There was no telling how much longer the prince would remain unconscious, and even then, he just wanted to get Nino out of the manse as fast as possible, before she began to have any doubts about what he wanted to do.

Nino stepped forward, slowly at first, but she quickened her pace as Jaffar silently slipped out of the prince's room and into the relative darkness beyond. The large stone hall was torch-lit, but Jaffar blended into the shadows easily.

"Jaffar," she called softly, "please, wait..." She clasped her hands worriedly, looking around uneasily. "Jaffar," she called again, shakily, "I-I...I can't see you..."

Jaffar gave no reply; he just stepped into the light of one of the torches silently. Nino ran toward him hurriedly, as though being near him would make her feel more at ease. Her footfalls made loud taps on the hard stone.

This was not good. The prince would no doubt be calling for guards as soon as he awoke, and while Jaffar could easily evade any guards by sticking to the shadows, Nino had had no such training. He was being forced to go slowly when he had to leave as fast as possible.

"Hurry," he commanded the young mage as he slipped further ahead, making sure to stay in the torchlight so that Nino might be able to follow him.

"J-Jaffar, why are you doing this?" Nino asked breathlessly as she ran to keep up with the assassin. "The law o-of the Fang—"

"I don't care," Jaffar cut her off bluntly, ceasing his strides abruptly. He turned around, staring straight into the green-haired girl's eyes as she caught up to him. She stared back, blinking rapidly in confusion.

"B-but Jaffar...Mother—"

"I don't care what that woman says!" Jaffar retorted with such heat that it surprised him. Sonia wanted him to kill this girl!

But he was done with the Black Fang. He was going to make sure no harm came to Nino. That was all he cared about, and all that mattered to him.

For an instant, he considered telling Nino everything...the effect she had had on him, his desire to protect her...

...Sonia's orders...

But a distant noise stopped him, coming from the end of the hallway which they were traveling towards.

It was the clank of armor.

Immediately, Jaffar pulled a confused Nino into the shadows—obviously, her hearing was not as precise as his, so she had not heard the sound.

The assassin pushed the mage against the wall, probably more forcefully than he would have wanted to. When she tried to protest, he put his hand against her mouth.

"Not a sound," he whispered.

Nino's eyes widened fearfully as she realized what was happening, but she nodded quickly.

Jaffar quickly slipped forward, under a torch and into the shadow closer to where the sound was coming from. He heard only Nino's quick breathing for a few moments, before the clank came again—several of them. There was also the sound of swishing cloth, as though someone wearing a dress was walking with the armored soldiers.

That confused the assassin. He did know that the queen also lived in the manse, but what would she be doing awake at such an hour?

Darting forward under another torch, he crouched and watched silently as the group he had heard rounded the corner of the hallway.

The queen was not with the armored soldiers—it was someone far worse.

Ursula.

The assassin heard a terrified gasp come from Nino as she caught sight of who was leading the group. Turning around, he looked at the shadows where he had hidden the young mage. To the naked eye, she was invisible, but Jaffar could make out her silhouette easily. She was splayed against the wall, trying her best to keep silent.

Jaffar only hoped that Ursula would not catch sight of her.

Ursula and her armored entourage walked further into the hallway, the clanks of the soldiers' armor becoming louder and louder.

Taking one last glance at Nino, the assassin stepped into the light. Hopefully, Ursula would believe the assassin had completed his job and would leave.

A smirk graced the valkyrie's lips as she noticed the assassin. "Finished already, Jaffar?" she asked, sounding only slightly surprised. "Such skill. I can see why they call you the Angel of Death." She chuckled slightly. "Sonia told me that you were behaving oddly, but it appears her fears were groundless."

So that was why she was here. Sonia had sent the valkyrie to make sure Jaffar had done his job.

But everything seemed to be going smoothly. For all intensive purposes, it seemed Jaffar had done his job. The mere sight of the assassin was proof enough to Ursula that the prince was dead.

But at that moment, all hell decided to break loose.

"I'm sorry!"

For the second time in his life, Jaffar was terrified—and rightly so.

Nino dashed out of her hiding place, tears streaking down her face. She ran straight towards Ursula and flung her arms around the valkyrie, crying into the blue-haired woman's chest.

Ursula seemed too dumbfounded to do or say anything.

"I-I'm s-sorry!" Nino sobbed. "I-It's not J-Jaffar's f-fault...d-don't punish h-him..."

Ursula, however, regaining her senses, pushed the young mage off her and to the floor. Nino could not even get up; she could only stare at the valkyrie in disbelief and terror.

Ursula's expression became one of fury as she turned to Jaffar. "So," she uttered, her voice full of hatred, "the girl is still alive."

Jaffar could feel his own rage building within him. Did Ursula also intend on killing Nino? He would not let her succeed.

"I suppose you didn't kill the prince, either," Ursula spat.

"I-It's not h-his f-fault—" Nino sobbed weakly, still on the floor.

"Shut up!" Ursula cut her off, glaring at the green-haired girl in disgust. Nino sank further against the floor.

But Jaffar had had enough. "You will not touch her," he commanded angrily.

Ursula looked up at the assassin, but she kept an arm pointed at Nino. "Oh? And when did you become my superior, Jaffar?" she asked, equally spiteful. The hand she had pointed at the young mage began to glow green, and a crackling magical aura appeared around it. "I have just as much power as you do, Jaffar. And if you're not going to do your job, then I'll just have to do it for you."

Nino could only put up her hand in a vain attempt to shield herself. Her eyes clearly showed mortal terror. She was going to die.

Jaffar, however, was not about to let Ursula harm Nino in any way. In an instant, he was behind the valkyrie, one arm around her and the other holding a blood-red dagger right in front of her neck.

"I will not let you harm Nino," he stated resolutely.

Nino took the chance to scramble up and away from Ursula, but the valkyrie resisted the assassin's grip and managed to point the magical energy she had gathered in her hand directly at his face. Jaffar was blasted backwards, temporarily blinded by the flash of the spell. He got up quickly, however. The right side of his face burned with pain, but it would take more than that to bring him down.

As his vision cleared and he stared down Ursula, he felt Nino grab him from behind, huddling behind him for protection.

"So it seems you have some human emotion in you after all, Jaffar," Ursula said spitefully. "You intend to betray the Fang?"

"I will not let Nino die," Jaffar replied, feeling Nino's grip on his waist tighten as he spoke. "Get in my way, and I'll kill you."

"So be it," Ursula snapped. Turning around towards the soldiers that had followed her, she called, "Maxime!"

One of the soldiers stepped forward. "I'm here," he replied.

Ursula smirked. "Take your men and douse all the lights. Your targets are Prince Zephiel and the two traitors. Make sure they die slowly."

"Understood," the soldier replied, before turning towards the other soldiers and marching off.

The valkyrie turned back to Jaffar and Nino, smirking all the while. "You may be the Angel of Death, Jaffar, but you won't be able to face all of my soldiers at once," she declared smugly. "And they will make sure Nino is killed."

And then, with a laugh and a flash of light, Ursula was gone.

That left Nino and Jaffar alone for the time being.

The assassin disengaged the young mage's arms from around his waist, turning to look at her. He found her with fearful tears in her eyes.

"W-why d-do you want to p-protect me, J-Jaffar?" she sobbed. "I-I'm a f-failure...I-I couldn't even fulfill m-my f-first assignment..."

"That doesn't matter," Jaffar replied calmly. He bent down on one knee, so that his face was level with hers. "Nino," he said softly. "I want you to flee."

She attempted to protest. "B-but J-Jaffar—"

"I want you to flee," Jaffar repeated, cutting her off.

"B-but w-what about y-you?" she asked, wiping her eyes.

"I will hold the soldiers off," he replied. "If the lights are out, you should be able to make your escape without being detected."

"B-but w-what if y-you get h-hurt?" she asked softly.

"I will be all right," he responded. Truthfully, though, he didn't know whether he would be able to handle all of the soldiers at once. But to him, it no longer mattered whether he lived or died. He had spent his life working for evil and never realizing it, but now he was done. His only purpose now was to protect Nino. If he died, he wouldn't care, as long as Nino was safe. If he lived through the night...he would just be a corpse, a being breathing but not living. He would have no purpose in life anymore.

But what would happen after tonight did not concern him at the moment. First, he had to make sure Nino would be safe.

"Please, Nino," he said softly. "You have to flee."

She sniffed, but then shook her head resolutely. "No," she responded. "I-I'm staying with you."

"No," Jaffar commanded. He was not about to let Nino get herself killed by staying with him. Jaffar deserved to die for the murders he had committed in the name of evil, but Nino...she was completely innocent. She deserved to live. "Nino," he pleaded one last time, "you must live. You are—" strangely, he found the words difficult to say, "—y-you are...worthy of living..."

The clanks of the soldiers' armor sounded again, indicating that they were coming back.

"There is not much time," Jaffar told the young mage. "Please...live, Nino."

And giving Nino a final, gentle push in the direction of the exit, Jaffar ran towards the approaching soldiers, ready to face his fate.

I'm sorry...I know you were all expecting Eliwood and company to show up this chapter, and that this chapter is way too short. But that last line...I just couldn't keep writing in the same chapter with a line like that.
However, I will do my best to have the next chapter up by the weekend, if possible. I figure it's the least I can do for leaving you all hanging like this.
Anyway...what did you think of this chapter?

Please review!!!
-TheOneAndOnlyT