Well, midyears are over, and I did a lot better than I anticipated! Let's hear it for low expectations :P
Flaming Soul: Thanks for your review!
timmycheese: Don't worry, Jaffar will be understanding his feelings shortly. :) Also, congrats, you're my 400th reviewer! The number's really starting to get up there...
AmbieChan: You replaced fifteen chapters? I always want my stories to be the best that they can be, but I don't think I'd go that far... Also, looking forward to your Fire Emblem fics!
Oswin the Nino Fan: No, Jaffar won't be getting hurt. I meant Jaffar to promise more that he'll stay by Nino's side than not get hurt. So don't worry about that :)
Ryst: You have no idea how much I like this story more than Defiance. I mean, yeah, I still love looking back on where I started, but I'd hate myself if I wrote like I did in Defiance today XD
The Blazing Blade: Thanks for your review!
Dracobolt: The bit at the end of the previous chapter was based off Nino and Jaffar's B support. I did change it around quite a bit, though.
Dreamer of Riddles: If you think I don't like writing angst, you should read the (one) story that I have on my deviantART account (it's TheOneAndOnlyT, just like my name here). I can write angst if I want to :P
Kitten Kisses (x2): That is the longest review I have ever seen. I don't think it's possible to respond to the whole thing XD
Hinata2005: Jaffar is not going to get hurt. Don't worry about that :)
Firelien: Thanks for your review!
FireEdge: Don't worry, the A support should be coming soon... Also, I noticed you put me in your list of friends in your bio...would you happen to have AIM? I'd love to be able to talk to you :)
moonlit-leaf: Thanks for your review!
Inferno-Hero: That's not being critical, that's just flaming. :P Also, I don't write the exact supports out, so is it still a spoiler if the readers don't know that it's based off a support conversation?
Ragnarok-legend: Nino would probably be able to forgive Raven in time, but it isn't going to be featured in this story. Besides, at this point in the timeline (at least in my stories), Raven has more pressing things on his mind, like Priscilla and Heath :P
Nocturna-Fire-Demoness: Thanks for your review!
Icy AngelWings: Thanks for your review!
Lao Who Mai: Thanks for your review!
K-GForever: Thanks for your review!
katelynn: Thanks for your review!
Spectral Flame: Thanks for your review. 'Nuff said. :P
Poyo: Thanks for your review!
Evergladelord: Thanks for your review!
Ryzuki: I don't feel rushed to update, but hey, I want my readers to be happy:)
gentleness28: Doesn't it suck that there's only one "official" art for each character:P I know how you feel...
Jeanie: Um, yeah, I think you did lose me there. Aren't "filler" and "important to the story" complete opposites? XD
hyliansage: Thanks for your review!
Onwards...
Chapter Seventeen
Certainty
This was the way things should be, Jaffar thought as he sat on his bedroll, listening contentedly to Nino's reading, which was now more confident than ever. The young mage still faltered occasionally, but she was clearly mastering her ability. Even still, Jaffar delighted more than ever in the few moments when she asked for his help and he got a serene smile in return. Only a few days beforehand he had been afraid that he might never experience this sort of moment again, that Nino would no longer be herself, and he cherished the fact that he had this opportunity.
It had been two days since the battle at the Shrine of Seals, and Jaffar had spent the time thinking over his feelings for Nino, since they now were stronger than ever. The experience of temporarily losing her had been almost too much to bear, but it also had made him realize just how deeply his feelings toward the girl ran. Losing her, even for a few hours, had sent a vicious wave of despair through the assassin, the likes of which he had never felt before, and he did not even want to think about what would happen to him if he were to lose her forever.
It was then that he had realized that he never wanted Nino to leave him again. She was the only reason he was even alive at this very moment, and Jaffar wasn't sure if he could go on living if she was not there to provide him with the warmth and emotion he seemed almost dependent upon lately. As always, Jaffar had wondered whether his feelings for her were love, but for the first time he had seen love as an emotion that he would enjoy experiencing. After all, couples that were in love usually lived together... It would mean that he could stay with the girl beyond their travels with Eliwood's battalion.
What was more, though at first he had not recognized the signs of love that Lyn had seen in him, he thought he might have seen one of those signs himself during the battle at the Shrine of Seals, when Nino had been hurt. The strength with which he had killed the rogue archer had been more potent than any power Jaffar normally possessed, and it was something he had seen before, during his days as a Black Fang assassin. In the past, he had learned to be wary if his targets were married or in a romantic relationship, because if the loved ones of his targets learned of Jaffar's intentions, then they would fight the assassin, sometimes with superhuman strength, to protect the ones they loved.
Jaffar had felt a similar power flow through him when Nino had been hurt, and over the two days since that battle he had realized just what the presence of that strength had meant. He was more certain than ever that his feelings for the girl were love...but he knew that that certainty was not absolute. Despite what he had told her on that day, though, Jaffar knew that whatever his feelings towards Nino were, they were stronger than just friendship.
Jaffar knew he shared a special bond with the young mage. He was just uncertain of the nature of that bond at the moment. He had a burning desire to tell Nino how he felt about her, to tell her just how much she meant to him, but before he spoke to her about such matters, he wanted to be certain whether or not his feelings were love. And whether the assassin liked it or not, that meant speaking with Legault again.
-
Jaffar spent the majority of the next day wondering just what he could say to convince the thief that Nino had changed him. Having not spoken with the Hurricane in some time, Jaffar could not be sure whether Legault's perception of him had been altered by what he had done over the previous several days, but he figured it was best to be prudent. After all, he did not want to attempt to speak with Legault only to be turned away again.
Nino, as always, walked beside the assassin as the army marched onwards over Bern's hilly terrain towards their new destination of Ostia, with a few large clouds dotting the sky. Jaffar found himself staring at the girl beside him almost constantly, feeling the now-familiar warmth fill his body as memories of his experiences with Nino flooded his mind.
He had never really thought about it before, but Nino had changed him in an almost innumerable amount of ways. Before he had known the young mage, Jaffar had been a machine, blindly following orders without any thought to the consequences. But the mere sight of the green-haired girl had broken him out of that unending loop as an assassin. He had felt emotions he had never experienced before. He was no longer a puppet; he could think for himself, make his own decisions. And it was all because of her.
He could care about those around him, as well; he could live his life not just for himself but also for another. That, Jaffar realized, was the most fundamental change Nino had sparked within him, and it was what separated him from that black-hearted woman Sonia and the rest of her Black Fang pawns. The fact that he cared for Nino, that he would give his life to protect her, was proof enough of the young mage's effect on him. And it was what he had to tell Legault the next time he spoke with the thief.
There was one other question, though, one Jaffar had largely forgotten about over the past several days but which had suddenly come rushing back in full force with the realization of his special bond with the young mage: whether or not Nino loved him.
You will not have to ask her.
The assassin recalled Lyn's words, and wondered whether Nino had said or done anything that might have indicated her feelings. But it did not take long to realize that she had. After all, she had given him her most valuable possession: her pendant.
You're...very special to me, Jaffar...
The cord of the pendant was wrapped twice around his forearm, a constant reminder to not just him but everyone that he had promised to always remain by Nino's side. At first, he had actually worn it around his neck, but Nino, giggling, had told him that he looked silly that way. She did, however, seem extremely appreciative of the fact that he was wearing it at all.
He wasn't sure whether Nino giving him her most precious possession showed that she loved him, but as with his own feelings, he knew that it indicated a stronger bond than the friendship she had promised him at the Shrine of Seals. It had, after all, been implied in the young mage's words as she gave him the pendant that she thought of the assassin as more than just a friend.
The girl caught his gaze, smiling warmly up at the assassin just as she always had many times in the past. Jaffar had seen her smile so many times, yet it never failed to delight him, never failed to fill him with the warmth that strengthened his resolve to stay with Nino forever.
The assassin's gaze returned to the road ahead of him as one of Nino's friends came over and began chatting amiably with the girl. As with Sonia's death, Nino had recovered from the pain she had felt at the death of her stepbrother remarkably quickly—that, or she was very adept at hiding her feelings—and within a few days her personality had been back to normal. Jaffar occasionally wondered how she was able to deal with her anguish so well, but he didn't give the matter too much thought. The young mage was happy, and that was all that really mattered to him.
Jaffar knew the bond that he shared with Nino was unlike the one she shared with her girl friends. He just hoped that this time, Legault would tell him just what that bond was.
-
Darkness had fallen, and Jaffar sat on his bedroll, unable to decide what to do. The camp was more active than usual; several soldiers were talking with each other outside of their tents, taking advantage of the warm, humid night. Jaffar, however, didn't pay any attention to the conversations he could hear outside. His thoughts were focused only on Legault, and what he should do.
He had made sure to watch Nino go to Canas's tent this time, so that he would not end up in a situation where he would have to endure the unspoken taunts of those who understood love in order to learn where Legault was staying. But now, he found himself with a different problem: he wasn't sure whether he should go speak with the thief.
He couldn't understand why that would be. Jaffar had spent all day hoping that Legault might actually tell him something useful this night, but now he found himself afraid of what the consequences of that information might be. After all, what if Legault told him that the bond the assassin shared with Nino was not love, and Jaffar's entire search had been for naught? He had finally begun to hope that he might love the girl, that he might be able to stay with her beyond their travels with Eliwood's battalion. What if it turned out that was not to be?
Yet, another part of his mind argued, this was something he had to know, whether or not the answer was something he would like. He had spent over a week searching for what love was, and he wasn't about to simply give up now because he was afraid of the answer he might receive.
And as the two parts of his mind battled for superiority, Jaffar simply sat motionless inside his tent, fraught with indecision. What would break him out of his reverie, however, was the last thing the assassin had been expecting.
"Hey, Jaffar."
It was Matthew.
The thief had opened the front flap of the tent, a casual expression on his face as he stared at the assassin. With over a week having passed since Matthew's attack in the Bern manse, Jaffar's perception of the thief as a threat had been largely forgotten. The sandy-haired man even seemed relaxed, and Jaffar knew that Matthew wouldn't dare try to harm him with all the soldiers milling about the campsite. He would be caught in an instant if he tried anything.
But Jaffar could tell, with his first glance at the thief, that something was not right. The sandy-haired man was smirking oddly at the assassin, almost condescendingly, as though he knew something that Jaffar did not. Jaffar had expected that in his next encounter with Matthew, the thief would be even more ferocious than in their previous meeting. Yet Matthew stood before him calmly, showing not even a hint of anger, which set off more alarms in the assassin's head. What was going on?
Matthew looked to the air, as though he was trying to remember something. "Jaffar," he said casually, as though he were talking about the weather, "what was that girl's name again?" He looked again at the assassin, his odd smirk growing. "It was Nino, wasn't it?"
And then, in a flash of terror, Jaffar knew what was wrong. Matthew wasn't trying to harm him. He had instead done something to Nino. Unable to harm the assassin directly, he had set his sights on the person most important to his enemy.
Rage flooded Jaffar instantly, and before he even knew what he was doing, he instinctively leapt towards Matthew, forcefully tackling the sandy-haired thief and flinging both Matthew and himself out of the tent, onto the ground. In an instant, one of his knives was at the thief's neck, and he gave a deadly whisper, "What have you done with her?"
The other soldiers outside noticed the two of them crashing out of the tent, and turned to watch the spectacle before them, wondering what was happening.
Matthew, however, did not seem perturbed at all by Jaffar's words or the position he was presently in. He did not even attempt to resist the assassin's grip; instead, his condescending smirk only grew ever wider, as though he had expected Jaffar's reaction. "Oh, nothing..." he said, still as casual as could be. Then, quite suddenly, his expression changed to a dark one of triumph. "...Yet."
Jaffar snarled with fury, pressing his knife closer and drawing a thin line of blood from the thief's throat. The assassin would rather die than let Nino get hurt. "If you hurt her in any way," Jaffar whispered ferociously, "I will—"
"If you hurt me in any way then she will die," Matthew cut the assassin off, stopping Jaffar's threat in its tracks. Matthew winced in pain from Jaffar's knife, but the emotions on his face did not change. "So I suggest that you get your filthy hands off me, murderer," he went on, anger finally making its way into his voice.
Jaffar's fear, which had been drowned out by his rage towards the thief, suddenly came rushing back in full force. Where had Matthew taken Nino? Frantically, he searched around the campsite, looking for any sign of the green-haired girl. His breaths began to come more quickly as he realized he could not find her.
"Oh, don't bother looking for her, Jaffar," the thief chuckled darkly, his anger fading. "My friends already have her restrained in one of the tents. But—" he went on insistently, as Jaffar had leapt up, ready to search through every tent in the camp to find the young mage, "I suggest you don't move, Jaffar." He stood up, brushing himself off but still smirking in that same odd manner. "You make a move, and the girl dies. Do you understand?"
More soldiers' attention had been drawn to the incident taking place at Jaffar's tent, and several of them had walked over, forming a small circle around the two of them. If any of them understood what was happening or the reason for the conflict, they did not show it. They clearly knew that something bad was happening before their eyes, but they were too afraid to intervene, for fear of producing even worse consequences.
And Jaffar panicked. If he moved, Nino would die. But if he didn't move, then Matthew would kill her anyway. The terror took hold of him, and his breath started coming in ragged gasps. What could he do?
"Don't worry, Jaffar," the thief said, noticing the worry etched into the assassin's face. "She is unharmed. And if you do what I say, then she will remain that way; I promise you that. Otherwise..." Matthew left the rest unsaid, but an insane grin spread across his face; he looked as though he would be delighted to cause the same harm to his enemy as had been dealt to him.
Jaffar calmed himself a little. So Nino had not been hurt. He deeply resented the fact that he had to follow this crazed man's orders, but if it would keep Nino safe, then he would do anything. Gritting his teeth, he replied, "Tell me what to do."
Matthew, however, did not give a verbal reply. Instead, still grinning insanely, he reached down to the sheath at his waist and pulled out his dagger. Though he did not speak, the appearance of his weapon said everything: Jaffar would have to choose between his life and Nino's.
The small crowd surrounding them let out a collective gasp when they noticed the dagger, and almost all of them backed away. Their eyes showed that they desperately wanted to intervene, but if they did now, Matthew might kill them as well in the state he was in. So they remained silent, praying that no blood would be spilled.
"Yes, it's dishonorable," the thief went on, now addressing not only Jaffar but the entire crowd. "But then again, Jaffar, you know nothing of honor, now do you?"
Almost unconsciously, one of the assassin's hands went up to his other arm, which Nino's pendant remained wrapped around. Yet even as he did so, even as he realized he would have to break his promise to the young mage, he felt an eerie sense of calm wash through him. It was the same emptiness he had felt when he had resolved to give up his life back in the Bern prince's manse, all those days ago.
He had to die to protect Nino, but he did not feel happy, sad, angry, or any other emotion except relief at the fact that Nino would be safe. That was, after all, all that had really mattered to him since he had initially saved the girl. Matthew was forcing him to choose between his life and the young mage's, but Jaffar would gladly give up his life to save Nino without a second thought.
His hand remained on the pendant, and quietly, he whispered an apology to the girl that could not hear him. He had broken his promise, but if Nino continued to live...then it was worth it.
And then, slowly, he sheathed his knife, silently informing Matthew of his decision.
The thief's insane grin only grew as he realized how close he was to his goal. "Good decision, Jaffar," he muttered, before looking up at the sky. "Are you watching me, Leila?" he asked no one. "I'm going to end this right now."
And then there was an abrupt interruption.
"Matthew!" It was Hector, having just broken through the crowd. "What the hell are you doing? Stop it!"
The thief, however, did not take kindly to this disruption, and he quickly seized the assassin, holding his knife to Jaffar's neck as though he were holding some sort of hostage. Jaffar did not resist, fear of Nino's safety preventing him from doing anything.
Hector stopped inside the circle of people, but he didn't dare come any closer. Instead, he regarded the thief with an intense but calm gaze. "Let him go," he commanded softly.
"You're not stopping me now," Matthew babbled, his breath suddenly coming in quick gasps. "Not now. Not when I'm this close to finishing this."
"Matthew," Hector repeated, still as calm as ever despite his eyes still blazing. "Do you remember what I told you? Leila's death was not Jaffar's fault."
"Do you think I give a damn?" the thief demanded, his voice a deadly whisper. "Don't you understand? This is what Leila..." The intensity in his voice dropped several notches. "It's what she..."
And then, quite suddenly, the knife dropped from Jaffar's throat. Slowly, still afraid for Nino's safety, Jaffar began to turn around, wondering what had made Matthew stop. When the thief did not protest, he turned around fully, and found the sandy-haired man staring blankly at Hector, shaking his head lethargically.
"It's not..." the thief whispered. "She...she wouldn't want me to..."
"Of course not," Hector replied, the fire in his eyes dimming as he noticed the progress he was making. "Didn't you know her best, Matthew? She wouldn't want you to do this."
Matthew's face fell slowly, but he did not say anything in reply.
"Where is Nino?" Jaffar suddenly demanded. That was his utmost priority—if Matthew had aborted his plan, then the assassin needed to know where she was as soon as possible, before his friends decided to do anything to her.
Matthew did not even look up. "I...I never touched her," he mumbled. "She's completely safe."
"What!" a girl in the crowd exclaimed, and after a moment Jaffar identified the voice as Rebecca's as the archer stepped forward indignantly. "You mean you—"
"Well it worked, didn't it?" Matthew cut her off angrily, clearly not wanting to talk about it.
And he was right, Jaffar knew he was right. Matthew had successfully exploited Jaffar's desire to protect the girl in order to further his own ends. He should have felt angry, furious at that exploitation, but instead he felt strangely calm, most likely as thanks to the thief for sparing his life. After all, he should have been thankful no one had been hurt in the end.
Matthew had said that Nino was completely safe, but Jaffar still wanted to check on her, to make sure the thief had been telling the truth. He was about to head of to Canas's tent, to see if the young mage really was still there, but Matthew stopped him.
"Jaffar."
The assassin turned, expecting the thief to be gazing at him contemptuously, but instead Matthew's eyes held a pleading expression. "I-I want you...to tell me truly," he said slowly, drawing out every word. "Did you...or did you not..." He took a deep breath. "...wish to murder Leila?"
"I didn't," Jaffar replied truthfully. Then, quite suddenly, another thought jumped into his head. He wasn't sure how it had appeared, but he felt as though it was something that Matthew should know. "That woman..." he went on slowly, hoping he would not provoke the thief any further. "There was a name clinging to her final breath. She said, 'Matthew.'"
The thief gasped, his eyes suddenly sparkling with tears. "R-really?" he asked weakly.
Jaffar, however, had already turned and left.
-
His eyes were fixed upon the tent at the opposite end of the camp; he was hoping, praying Nino would still be there, studying her reading as though nothing had happened. He was within a few feet of the tent when a voice from behind stopped him.
"No need to look in there, Angel of Death." It was Legault. Jaffar turned to find the Hurricane grinning at him. "After all, you wouldn't want to interrupt her studying, would you?"
Indeed, Jaffar could hear her voice coming from inside the tent. He couldn't make out exactly what she was saying, but he guessed that she was, as always, reading out of one of her magic tomes. A congratulatory sound from Canas confirmed it—neither of them had heard the commotion on the other side of the campsite.
And that meant Nino was all right...
Legault's grin became a smile. "Yes, she's fine," he said, as though he could read the assassin's thoughts. "Quite a relief, isn't it?"
Jaffar nodded in reply, but his relief quickly gave way to another thought, one that had plagued his mind all day. Legault was standing before him now. He could ask the thief about his feelings...
The assassin opened his mouth to speak, but then quickly turned his head towards the tent behind him as he realized just how close Nino was, how easily she might overhear what he was saying to the Hurricane. He wanted to tell her how he felt himself, and before he did that he wanted to be sure what his feelings were. But until then, she could not know of this conversation.
"Afraid she might hear you, eh?" Legault chuckled, again as though he could read Jaffar's thoughts. "Very well," he went on cheerily. "Come with me." He gestured Jaffar to follow.
The two of them walked over to the campfire, the space surrounding it empty as everyone who had been outside was now crowded around Hector and Matthew. As they approached the center of the camp, Legault asked, "So what do you need to ask me?"
Jaffar took another look back at the tent Nino was in before turning his attention to the lavender-haired man before him. Just as he had in his first meeting with the thief, he asked, "What does love feel like?" He silently hoped that this time he would get an answer.
Legault cocked his head slightly, amused a bit by Jaffar's question. "You're still thinking about that?" he asked, genuinely curious. He turned his head, staring off at nothing in particular. "My, but you're perseverant."
Jaffar only stared back at the Hurricane silently, impatiently. Was he going to receive an answer or not?
Legault's gaze turned back to the assassin. "Can I ask you something, Jaffar?" he inquired, serious for once. "Why do you wish to know about love so badly?"
Jaffar, sensing an opportunity arising, got straight to the point. "I need to know whether or not I love Nino."
The thief's eyes widened at bit at Jaffar's answer, but then, quite suddenly, he began chuckling, grinning at the assassin with a mixture of mirth and amazement. "That's what you've been wondering about all this time?"
"Yes," Jaffar replied flatly, hoping that Legault's amusement did not mean he was going to turn him away again.
"My, oh, my," Legault said to himself, chuckling some more.
Jaffar had finally had enough. "What is so funny?" he demanded. "Why are you laughing?"
Legault grinned again. "Well, when you think about it, it really is quite amusing."
"What is? Tell me," the assassin commanded.
The Hurricane looked at the ground for a moment, grinning, before looking back up at Jaffar. "Well, it's just that you've been wondering for so long whether you love Nino, but just about everyone in this army is already certain that you do."
BOOM! Cliffhanger! I'm evil, I know...
But before you start yelling at me for ending the chapter like that, please tell me what you thought of this one! Is everyone in character? Were the events realistic? Please tell me; these scenes were very important and I want to make sure that they're perfect.
Please review!
-TheOneAndOnlyT