A/N: Welcome, readers, to Affliction! Even I can't believe that I've reached the 4th chapter of this fic… AFTER 8 MONTHS OF HIATUS! But what's more unbelievable in my opinion is that I ACTUALLY finished this chapter! Anyway, after having my previous chapter continually previewed by several people, I've decided that I do the same thing to most of my upcoming chapters (I didn't say all, okay, because there's certainly one I won't have anyone see before I post it =P But who knows? XD).
Anyway… This chapter's full of flashbacks! And just to help you people, the first, third, and fifth part are flashbacks. The rest go back to the underwater world setting.
I can't stop laughing at the lines where I made references to other Suikoden games, lol. XD Where are they? They're in the story; I'm sure you'll find them once you see them… XD
Now, on with the fic! I suggest you brace yourselves, because this is gonna be one LONG chapter!
Disclaimer: I don't own Suikoden Tierkreis.
Just to the west of the shell-enclosed town of Naineneis was the Naineneis Coastline, a beach which led to the nearby steam-filled Coastal Cave, where hot springs gushed from the ground. The beach and the cavern were known to the inhabitants of the Porpos populated town as the training field of the Porpos-kin warriors and where Porpos warriors go to prove their bravery throughout the tribe, respectively. Other than those, the beach was known for a place of rest and relaxation, and the cave was the same—the only difference was that one way or another, anyone heading for the hot springs was sure to encounter at least one group of monsters on his way there.
And for two Porposes, the beach was not only where they could relax and take a load off, but it was also where they would spend the day together alone and they would get to know each other a little better.
…Or at least, that was what his father thought.
A young and quiet Nimni stood on the sandy beach, his face blank and near-expressionless as he took in the sea breeze and stared out into the ocean in silence. His father, who was just behind him, approached him and put a hand to the boy's shoulder.
"Today's a nice day, isn't it?" He asked before mimicking his son's actions and he turned his eyes towards the ocean.
Nimni kept his eyes on the ocean but did not look up at the elder Porpos. The boy nodded in response. His father smiled at him warmly as he looked down at the Porpos child.
"Well, let me just set things up here," He said as he put his hand down and walked back to the checkered blanket he lay on the sand. "How about you go and take a little walk, Nimni? You could use the exercise; you're always indoors, and I'm sure it will do you some good. Just don't wander off too far, alright?"
He spoke nothing but gave a silent nod, and began walking away from him quietly, following the shoreline as he did.
He lowered his head and cast his eyes on the sand as he thought about what he and his father were doing for that day: having a picnic at the seashore. It was one of the few times he ever spent time with his father. After his mother passed away, he noticed that his father became suddenly so endearing to him. A possible reason was because he felt guilty; he was spending too much time training with the Naineneis warriors that he barely had time—no, he barely made time for his family. And when his wife—Nimni's mother—died, all he could do was weep and mourn regretfully for not being there when she and their child needed them the most.
Nimni was struck the hardest when his mother died; since his father was always away training, he, obviously, grew close to his quiet mother, who at times told him of how she wished his father would spend more time with their family every once in a while. Nimni was also quite the timid child, so he barely made any friends to talk to. And instead of finding comfort with friends when he had problems, he found comfort with his mother, who, in turn, gave him the comfort he wanted. It was only natural, especially for a child like him, that he became traumatized when he found out his mother, who he could even call the only friend he ever had, died because her depression regarding her husband's absence overtook her, made her ill, and was what eventually killed her.
As for his relationship with his father, well, he couldn't really say that he didn't forgive him, nor can he say that he hated him. True, it was mostly his fault that his mother, his only friend, was now dead (her sickness did the rest), and that if it weren't for him being so selfish and if he wasn't always out training for whatever reason at all, then maybe, just maybe, it would have lifted the burden she had, and she would still be alive now. But even so, the man was still his father, and he, along with his mother, was the reason he existed in the first place. He never wanted her to die, nor did he intend to slowly kill her by leaving her so depressed because of his absence. So he cannot truly hate him, for he was the one who brought happiness to his mother's life, even when he wasn't around most of the time. But that was still no reason for the blue Porpos to forgive his father for what he did, or, in this case, forgot to do.
After walking for some time, he stopped and faced the ocean. The weather was sunny, the sky was clear though there was the occasional cloud or two, and the ocean wasn't as wild as it would be on stormy days. As his father said, he barely left the house, so he hardly ever saw much outside Naineneis. He looked down again and saw how the waves lapped at his feet before returning to the ocean where it came. It felt relaxing to him; it was as if he was being cleansed of his troubles. It also made him a tad bit sleepy; it kind of made him feel like that Porpos boy who always slept for a long time.
He scratched the side of his head. What was his name again? He asked himself. He really needed to get out more…
A long branch drifted along with the waves and washed up next to his feet. Nimni, out of curiosity, bent down and picked up the foreign object. He tapped it on the sand a few times and drew random figures on the sand. When he finished, he followed the shoreline again, tapping the sand with it as he walked.
As he followed a path that led away from the shore and he didn't notice the atmosphere around him darken as the vivid memories he had with his mother entered the blue Porpos' mind. His stoic expression became a frown, and before long, he slipped a hand to the necklace around his neck that had four teal, comma-shaped beads. He then remembered the day when his mother taught him how to make it; she would tell him what to do, while he would follow her instructions the best way he could. Whenever he had become uncertain, she would give him a helping hand, and it wasn't long before he, along with her help, was able to craft the same necklace he wore.
He gazed upon the beads deeply. In them he could almost catch a reflection of his eyes, and somehow, it reminded him of his mother. How come it did, he wasn't sure; but perhaps it was because both his and her eyes were of the same color, and so were the beads on the necklace. At the same time, all the wonderful memories he spent with his mother slowly flooded his thoughts. With each memory, his control over his emotions weakened, and finally, he fell to his knees and wept as he brought his free hand close to his chest. At the same time, he absently lost his grip on the stick he held, and it fell to the ground with a clatter next to him.
Y… You didn't deserve to die…
As the tears he cried trickled down and streaked across his white cheeks, he was completely unaware of the other figure that slowly approached him from behind. It was only when he felt a gentle hand upon his blue shoulder did he look up and spun his head around, feeling slightly surprised amidst his feelings of sadness and depression. With his free hand, he wiped the tears from his eyes away with a sniffle, and he caught sight of a young white Porpos wearing a pink dress that had a prominent white "S" design looking down at him, her pink eyes full of concern for his behavior. Not only did Nimni stop crying, but he gazed up at the white figure that stood behind him in amazement.
She… A voice in his mind spoke as his mouth remained agape at the sight of her. She's so pretty…
"Are you alright?" She spoke up, and he almost swore that his heart fluttered at the sound of her voice. Despite this, he managed to slowly nod in reply. She offered him her hand and helped the blue Porpos to his feet, who was at the same time wiping what was left of his tears with his arm. After he did, he looked around, and realized that he had already wandered into the nearby cavern. Looking past the white Porpos, he could see the entrance to the cave in the distance, and he looked back at her, who seemed to be watching him with a worried look on her face.
"Are you alright?" She asked, repeating her question. Nimni blinked, looking as though he had not heard her, but he nodded slowly after a while. The girl then pulled out a white handkerchief from her pocket before handing it to him.
"Here," She spoke, making her voice sound as reassuring as possible. Nimni looked down at the item being offered to him in slight curiosity, and it wasn't long before he accepted the item and he wiped what remained of his tears away from his eyes.
"T-Thank you," Nimni said as he returned the handkerchief back to its owner. "You're welcome," Was her reply, and she pocketed the handkerchief before turning her attention back to him.
"Would you tell me what you're doing here?" She asked. "I couldn't help but hear you crying…"
Nimni didn't respond immediately, as a low rumble echoed in the atmosphere and caused him to yelp in surprise. Looking around nervously, he gulped and asked, "W…What was t-that…?" His voice sounded shaky, and he leaped upwards with a cry when the rumbling grew a tad bit louder. He began to panic, squatted down, clenched his fists, and shut his eyes fiercely; the thought of a monster jumping in on them entered his mind and scared him like any other normal child who slept alone on a typical dark and stormy night with the thoughts of monsters under his bed, keeping him awake.
"I-I-I…" He stuttered, his body trembling as frightening thoughts of what could have possibly made the noise continued to strike fear into his heart. For a short time, he remained that way, until he felt a hand envelop one of his fists, causing him (despite his hesitation) to look up, and come into eye contact with the Porpos girl kneeling in front of him. Nimni's teal eyes stared into her pink ones, and, for some strange reason, he couldn't seem to turn away from her. He absently noticed that her hand felt warm and smooth, and—though he didn't know it—a light tinge of pink began to color his white cheeks as some kind of relieving feeling seemed to fill up within him.
It was as if he had forgotten why he was scared in the first place.
"Come on," She said, "Let's go somewhere safer before the monsters find us." Nimni unconsciously opened his hand, allowing her to slip her hand into his, and stood up before she began leading him towards a small spring just behind a few boulders nearby. They stopped in front of it, and she sat down first before she tugged at his hand and motioned for him to sit down next to her. Nimni, though reluctant, decided to do the same, for he might make her feel bad if he didn't.
"The monsters won't find us here," She said, taking a quick glance behind them to be certain that nothing had followed them. "Those big boulders will keep us from being seen if there's any around…"
She spoke something more, but Nimni did not hear her; he could not keep his eyes away from the white Porpos' hand, which was still locked with his. He continued to gaze quietly upon their intertwined hands, his face looking as though he was in some kind of daze as he continued to picture the white Porpos next to him in his mind. A warm feeling rushed from his hand, through his arm, and throughout his body, and, for the first time in his entire life, his heart raced for a reason other than fear.
"…You still haven't told me what you're doing here." Her voice snapped him out of his reverie, and Nimni turned his head slightly to look at her. He could feel his face heating up faster than his body, and he quickly averted his gaze towards the spring in front of them in an attempt to hide his embarrassment.
"…Um, I'm…" He started, "I'm here with my father, but… I didn't know I already walked in here just now…" He trailed off, and in his mind he asked himself how come he didn't notice that he already wandered into the cave they were in. Had he really been thinking too much that he hadn't been aware of what happened around him?
"Just your father?" She asked, a questioning look on her face. "What about your mother?"
Nimni froze, and just like before, memories of his deceased mother came to mind. He immediately fell silent, and he shook his head slowly, not gazing up to look at her as he kept his eyes on the spring's clear water. The white Porpos then seemed to have realized what appeared to have happened to him, which most likely explained why he was crying earlier.
"Oh… I'm…" He heard her gulp. "I'm sorry… I didn't know your mother had…" She stopped herself from continuing any further, as she now saw him shut his eyes, where tears began to form once more.
"It's… It's a-alright…" Nimni choked out as he was no longer able to restrain himself any further. "Y-You didn't mean… T-To… To…"
He couldn't say any more, as he ran out of words to say. He was never strong emotionally, and he couldn't help but feel ashamed of himself, because he was crying in front of someone he didn't know. He felt that maybe she was laughing at him even though she didn't show it, and it was only natural; men weren't supposed to cry often, and to cry in front of a girl was just the same as humiliating himself in front of various people.
This wasn't the case, however, as he began to hear the noise of ruffling clothes, and, before he even realized it, a pair of arms encircled him and pulled him into a tight embrace. Nimni's eyes snapped open at once, and he found himself in the arms of the Porpos girl. His face was filled with genuine surprise as he looked down at the figure that held him, and began to wonder how come she had the heart to do such a thing especially to someone whom she had only just met.
"Why…?" Nimni asked. "You don't… You don't even know—"
"The Priestess taught me once before that when someone feels bad or when they're crying," She said, interrupting him, "Others should always try to make them feel better, no matter who they are."
Nimni became silent as he pondered upon her words, and after a while, he rested his head upon her shoulder and returned the embrace she gave him. Whoever this was, he was truly glad for her company and for the comfort she gave him, which kind of reminded him of the times his mother used to comfort him whenever he felt sad or depressed. This girl wasn't just someone who had a pretty face, but had a kind soul underneath the graceful exterior as well; he was quite grateful for the balance of both factors which he found in this girl.
They remained that way for a while, until Nimni had run out of tears to cry, and he hesitantly pulled himself away from her embrace. Looking down at her, he couldn't help but smile slightly as he wiped his tears away. "…Thank you… Again," He said, sincerely grateful for what she had done.
And like before, with the exception of a comforting smile that caused him to redden faintly, she replied, "You're welcome."
"So that's how you two met," Nemne spoke as Nimni paused from his story. To be honest, she never thought that her commander ever had such a traumatic past before; at least, not until now. He was quite an active member of the Porpos warriors, since he always fought on the front lines, never missed out on any training sessions, and not only that, he made it a habit to pray to Ninulneda along with the other devoted believers of the sea god in the temple whenever possible. It was as if he had become the very definition of a Porpos: a strong warrior who had a deep faith in Ninulneda. He had balanced strength and bravery along with faith.
It was hard to believe someone like him ever went through something that scarred him for the rest of his life.
"Yes…" Came Nimni's reply, and he fingered the pink necklace he pulled out from underneath his armor.
Nemne could not help but feel a pang of guilt build up in her stomach, for she felt that she rose up such a sensitive topic that most likely returned some feelings of moroseness and depression to her commander. Having to hear something such as what he had told her just now would certainly make just about anyone sad and miserable, especially if they experienced it first-hand.
Looking down, she frowned and spoke apologetically, "I'm sorry."
Nimni shook his head at her statement. "No…" He told her. "You don't have anything to be regretful for. I chose to speak with you about this… You didn't force me to tell you anything."
His words were true; he was the one who asked her if he could talk to her about this. It wasn't as if she poked him continually and asked what was bothering him over and over like some parrot. Despite this, however, Nemne couldn't help but feel partly responsible for bringing it up, especially since such an experience was so traumatic.
She began to think about what Nimni just told her. It was truly unbelievable, not only because something like that happened to him, but also because he had met the Priestess a long time ago and because he had known her for so long.
But that day was so long ago, she realized… How was it that Nimni was still able to recognize that Priestess Neira was the same white Porpos he had met then? After all, there were various white Porposes among the Porpos-kin… Sometimes it was pretty hard to distinguish one guy from another. Sure, they had different skin colors, but it was just so hard to figure out who's who sometimes especially if their backs were facing her or if she was in a big crowd of Porpos-kin.
"Commander," She said, deciding that she bring it up with him, "How did you know that Priestess Neira was that same Porpos you met that day?"
"…Oh, about that…" Nimni stated, at once understanding what Nemne was trying to tell him. "Let me continue with my story then," He told her, and not once did his hand slip away from the pink shell shards that adorned the necklace he wore.
"What about you?" Nimni asked, feeling a bit more confident to speak to the figure beside him. He couldn't say why he suddenly felt safe talking to her though they had just met, but perhaps it was because she had comforted him earlier in his time of grief. "What are you doing here?"
It made sense that he also asked why she was there as well, since she was a child like he was, and that children like the two of them weren't even supposed to be going into dark caves for no reason at all especially if they went in of their own accord. At least he had an explanation: he somehow stumbled into the cave without realizing it, and if it were not for her, then he would have bolted right out of there in the blink of an eye, no doubt about it. Also, his father was with him (although he wasn't literally present) and the elder Porpos would most likely have a clear idea of where the blue Porpos would be if he didn't come back to him after a long amount of time had passed.
But as for the white Porpos, he wasn't sure if someone had come with her or not, and from the looks of it, she seemed to have come here alone.
He saw her look down upon the water. "…Well…" She started, "I sneaked out and came here. I was lucky no one caught me, too."
Nimni widened his eyes at her in total shock as he heard what she just did. She sneaked out? "But, but…" He said, now worried for what would happen to her if her parents found out that she went out here by herself and without them knowing. "Won't you get in trouble? Your parents might find out and… And…"
"…I don't have any parents," She said, cutting him from his statement as her expression darkened. At this, Nimni stopped himself from continuing any further, and, little by little, a guilty feeling started to well up within his stomach and he felt as though he said something he shouldn't have.
"Don't… Don't have any parents?" He asked her meekly. "Did they…" He gulped, thinking that her parents probably met the same fate as his mother. "Did they also…"
"…I'm not sure," She said, getting at what he was trying to imply. "The people in the temple said I was an orphan, and the Priestess took me in when I was younger. Since then… I've become her apprentice."
Nimni cocked his head slightly at the word she spoke. "Apprentice?" He repeated. "What's that?"
She looked up at him and replied, "Well… An apprentice is like someone's student. He studies under a master or mistress, who teaches him all kinds of things…" Her gaze shifted to her hand, which was open and flat on the ground. "As for me, my mistress is the Priestess… And she tells me that I have to learn everything she teaches me so I can grow up to become like her someday. She says one day, when I've grown much older, I'll take her place as Priestess and be a lead all the Porpos-kin…"
Nimni couldn't help but stare at her in awe; here he was, sitting next to someone who would become an important Porpos someday. Heck, he was even talking to her. "Wow…" He spoke in amazement, "I'm sure that would be really cool… Having to be a leader of all the Porpos-kin…"
The white Porpos frowned. "You really think it's that great, don't you?" Nimni nodded at her.
"Of course I think it is," He said. "You're going to be the most powerful Porpos in Naineneis when you grow up. You're going to do all kinds of great things and everyone will love you and pay attention to you—"
"That's… Not exactly how it works," She said, once again, interrupting him before he could even finish. Taking a glance at him, she could see him giving her a look that said, "What do you mean?"
With a sigh, she explained, "Being a her apprentice doesn't mean I'll be doing great things and I'll be loved by everyone; it's about having to stay indoors, always praying to the sea god, and only coming out of the temple whenever something very important is going on or when you're told to… No one outside the temple would actually know you existed until you become the next Priestess… And you're never allowed to talk to anyone outside the temple nor even step outside without asking for permission first."
She turned away from him. "I sometimes sneak out of the temple and come here, just so I can get away from it all… Luckily, today's just one of those days when everyone thinks I'm inside my room, reading some of the books they've made me read…"
"Oh…" Was all Nimni could say, for he didn't know what else he possibly could tell her. He had never thought that she was actually living such a secluded and isolated life all this time, and while he still had his father, she doesn't even know if she had any parents at all. It wasn't just that, though—he could feel that she probably disliked the thought of growing up to be the Priestess, and that she was never allowed to do or have anything she would want, like a puppet on strings, forced to move however the puppeteer pleases. She was never allowed to step outside without anyone restraining her, never allowed to interact with Porpos-kin of her age or just about anyone that wasn't part of the temple…
It was like she wasn't even allowed to have an ordinary childhood, and Nimni felt guilty for it; what he was going through was nothing compared to what she had been going through ever since she was younger.
Despite this, however, he couldn't help but feel that both of them were quite similar to each other. Maybe not in lives they were living nor the current number of parents, but perhaps the fact that both of them didn't have any friends they could share their problems with or talk to. Nimni's mother had died after all, leaving him without anyone to talk to (not even his father), and the white Porpos beside him didn't seem to have any friends at all, what with her being completely cast out from Porpos-kin society and all that.
"What if…" Nimni began, an idea forming inside his mind. "What if you and I… Be friends instead?"
The white Porpos spun her head back to him, the last part of his sentence echoing in her mind. "…Friends?"
Nimni nodded, his face filled with a glimmer of hope that she would agree to his proposition. "Y-Yes, friends," He said a little nervously despite the smile he had on his face. "We… We can come back here and we can talk about all kinds of things and, uh, do all sorts of stuff… Y-You can tell me about what happens in the temple a-and I can tell you about what happens in town, and…" He scratched the back of his head, trying to think of more possible things they would do. "…If w-we have problems, we can, um… Always just talk to each other…" With every word he spoke, his smile widened even more, his heart beat faster, and he could feel his face becoming warmer. "A-And everybody deserves to have friends, don't they?"
"…I…" She uttered, apparently surprised at his words. However, she couldn't help but smile at him. "I suppose we could…"
Upon hearing this, Nimni felt his heart leap in excitement. Inside his mind, he shouted, YES! And he mentally began jumping up and down in joy as he bit his lip excitedly.
"But," She spoke, and at once Nimni stopped himself from continuing is mental act of celebrating his success. "But…?" He repeated, inwardly hoping that whatever she was about to say was nothing at all that serious.
"But I'm afraid that someone will eventually take notice, and not only will I be in trouble once the Priestess finds out, but you as well."
Nimni gulped. She had a point there. Even anyone would be suspicious when he finds out that someone, whom he knows is supposed to be in a certain place at a certain time of day doing a certain task, isn't there and suddenly practices truancy for the next week or so. And there was no denying that there was probably going to be someone they didn't know or see quietly monitoring their movements and witnessing every little thing that they were going to do. What's more, whoever it was would most likely be someone from the temple who was assigned to look after the white Porpos, and was probably told to report to the Priestess if he or she finds out that the Porpos girl had been neglecting her priorities and had been sneaking out with somebody to a place where they weren't even supposed to be going to.
Friendship was important, he knew, but so was both of their well-being. He didn't want her to get in trouble just because he wanted to see her… That would be just wrong, and he'd get himself in trouble as well. He'd also be humiliating her in front of other people. It was bad enough that she would be humiliated in front of the Priestess; having to shame her—and maybe even himself—in front of the entire Porpos-kin population was just too much, and it would all be his fault. And instead of forging a friendship with her, he'd end up signing a contract that would end up with the white Porpos hating him instead.
Nimni looked away, a feeling of dread making his chest pound nervously. "Y… You're right," He said with another gulp. "I-I'm sorry."
"It's alright… You haven't done anything wrong. Having a friend would be nice, though…" He heard her say. "If only I didn't have to grow up into the next Priestess, then maybe we would have been friends…" She sighed.
"You… Really don't want to be the next Priestess, do you…?" Nimni asked a bit timidly, turning his head slightly towards her direction and from the corner of his eye, he saw her shake her head in disapproval with a glum look on her face.
"No… But if I don't become the next Priestess, then who will lead the Porpos-kin when our Priestess is gone? Who will the people turn to in times of danger or when bad things happen to the city? How will Ninulneda be able to speak to the people when they need her the most? And who will lead the warriors when…" She gulped. "…When it's time to go to war…?"
And again, her words made perfect sense. Even the current Priestess' time will come someday, and it was only natural that someone replaced her as the new leader of the Porpos-kin. Without a new Priestess, the town would be in a total state of havoc and chaos, there was no way for the sea god to communicate to the people (at least, not that they knew of any other methods), and when wartime comes, the enemy might end up winning without even lifting a finger because there was dissension in their own ranks. It would be like what happened to a certain city when a certain army released a number of refugee soldiers into the city—making it seem as though the army had let them go—when the real reason behind why they were released was because the city's food supply was running short and they knew that the people and the soldiers would eventually be fighting over the food.
Nimni let out a defeated sigh. He felt bad not only for the fact that it was impossible to forge a friendship between themselves (for the moment), but also for she was bound to her fate of becoming the next Priestess, and no matter what she did, said, or thought about it, there was absolutely no way she was able to get out of it.
"I… I guess you really don't have any other choice…" He said, frowning. She nodded quietly, and Nimni turned to the gushing water that continuously filled the spring. Absently, his hand reached up to one of the four beads on his necklace, and he began fiddling with them. He remained quiet for some time, his eyes fixed upon the water, and when he looked up to say something again, he was surprised to see the girl holding her necklace in her hand.
Nimni looked down upon the pink shards of her necklace with a questioning look in his eyes. He shifted his eyes' gaze to the white Porpos and was about to ask what she was doing when she said, "It's true I don't have a choice in this and that there's no way I can escape my fate of becoming Priestess, but…" She smiled—her morose expression replaced with what Nimni could see as a ray of hope in the possibility of them sharing a bond with one another—before continuing, "I'm glad that you and I talked today, and I would like it if you and I both exchanged our necklaces, so I can have something to remember you by…" She extended the hand holding her necklace out to him. "…Since I doubt we'll ever meet again after today."
Nimni couldn't help but stare at her, stunned by her statement. He looked towards the necklace, then back to her, before laying his eyes upon his own necklace. His hand reached up to touch the beads again, and the memory of his mother returned into his mind. The girl watched him as he fell silent and as he began to think.
What would she say? He asked himself as he pondered upon the decision of having to exchange necklaces with her and not. If he gave his necklace away, then he would be giving away the last remaining memoir of his mother. He would be giving away something that reminded him of the only person that brought and gave him happiness and comfort when no one else was around to give it to him.
Would he seriously be willing to give up something that was the only reminder of the most important figure, of his only friend, in his entire life, just so he would be able to forge a bond with someone who wants to befriend him?
His mother… He always made him happy, he knew. She would do anything to make sure he was, but not going so far as spoiling him and letting him do whatever he wanted. When he felt depressed, she always did something to cheer him up; when he got hurt—physically speaking—, she would tend to his wound and soothe him. She did whatever she could just so she could see that smiling face he had.
And if making a friend made him happy, then his mother would probably be more than happy to have allowed him to exchange necklaces with her.
He carefully took off the necklace from himself and nodded at her. "I think…" He said a bit shyly, "I think my mother wouldn't mind… If I gave this to you." Gathering his courage, he put the necklace around her neck as a light blush colored his cheeks. He saw her cheeks redden faintly as she smiled at him. She placed her necklace around his neck, and he felt his cheeks heat up even more as he felt the light touch of her hand on his skin. The girl's blush also deepened as she pulled her hands away.
"Now we have a part of each other…" She said, before looking deeply into his eyes, "So if I ever forget you and if we ever meet again… I'll know it's you by just looking at your necklace."
"…Yes…" He uttered with a nod, and looked down at the necklace he now wore. The shells were pink—just like her eyes—and carefully and expertly carved into triangles. The pinkness faded into white at the tips, reminding him of her as well; she was, after all, a white Porpos.
He couldn't help but smile as he realized how much this necklace reminded him of the Porpos girl before him.
"Well," He heard her say after a while. "We should be getting back soon… Your father's probably worried too."
As soon as he heard her say father, he immediately remembered that he was waiting for him, and he was most likely wondering where he is and what's taking him so long to get back.
"…You're right," He spoke as he got up, helping the girl to her feet. She dusted herself off and straightened her pink robes with her free hand as she accepted his. He was about to say something more, when he saw her look down at their hands, and he felt her white hand rubbing against his palm, causing him to redden. She seemed to be acting as if he didn't mind her at all, much to his nervousness.
What in the world was she doing?
With each stroke she made on his palm, his heart throbbed hard, and he began to feel a drop of sweat form along the side of his head. For a few moments, she continued to caress it gently, and when Nimni couldn't take it any longer, he blurted, "…Um… W-We should g-go…"
At his statement, she raised her head quickly, and her face was red with embarrassment. "A-Ah… Um…" She gulped. "I… I'm sorry, I didn't mean to… Uh, err…" The thought of her actions just now suddenly rendered her speechless, and she lowered her head to hide the blush she had.
"I-It's okay…" Nimni said, before looking away from her. An awkward silence filled the atmosphere around them, and neither one felt like talking to the other as the thoughts of what the girl did lingered in each other's minds.
Some moments later, the girl spoke up, "We really must be going…"
Nimni could only agree; his father was waiting, and he couldn't take any more of this embarrassing feeling he kept getting. The pair walked out from where they hid themselves, and began to make their way towards the cavern's entrance. But before they continued on, a loud rumble echoed, much similar to the one they heard earlier and much louder, causing the pair to freeze on the spot. Nimni cringed.
"It's… It's back…" Nimni gulped as an uneasy feeling welled up inside of him. The girl nodded, and she looked around, hoping that whatever made the sound wasn't anywhere nearby. Unfortunately, her eye caught sight of a particular figure in the dark, and she grabbed Nimni's wrist quickly, much to his surprise.
"What, what is it?" He asked as she saw her backing away towards the entrance. She pointed towards the distance, and Nimni looked, only to find what appeared to be a creature which looked like a large turtle with a rock for a shell. It made a low growl, sending fear into both of them.
Nimni remembered it was one of those monsters that he saw his father fought once when a hoard of monsters somehow managed to make their way into the city. They shot themselves across the air while spinning their bodies, and whenever they did, they were really fast, and it often caught up to people who tried to run away from it.
Another bead of sweat trickled along his head, except this time, it was out of anxiety. If they were to run, then—definitely—it would catch up to the both of them, no doubt about that.
Nimni glanced at the girl holding his wrist. She was shaking, and he could feel his arm shake uncontrollably as her grip on his wrist tightened. The blue Porpos could hear her labored breathing, most probably done by the fear the monster instilled in her. He had never seen anyone so scared in his life, and he felt his eyes widen as he came into a sudden realization: in a way, the girl reminded Nimni of… Himself.
Flashbacks and memories of when he was afraid came into his mind. He was often scared by small things, like insects or even the typical sleeping-alone-in-the-dark. Perhaps these fears… May have been one of the reasons why he felt insecure with people around his age. Whenever he was afraid, it was often—in fact, always—someone else who helped him with his phobias; it was always someone else who made all the things that made him scared just go away.
Now, as he looked at this girl, at this figure who reminded him so much of his own behavior, he could not help but feel a sense of endearment towards her. He couldn't stand seeing her this way, to be so fearful and afraid for what would happen to her. It made him want to get rid of whatever it was that was making her act like this, just so he could see her be happy again…
And at that moment, in that span of time, what felt like some kind of raw emotion sparked inside him. The feeling grew, becoming stronger with every split second that passed, and before long, it became a wave, washing over him as his heart thumped hard against his chest. His hands clenched into fists, and he gritted his teeth, letting an angry growl escape from his mouth. He shot an angry glare at the monster, which didn't even seem to realize that the Porpos boy was actually giving him one.
Looking down, he saw the stick he dropped earlier. He bent down and picked it up, causing the girl to stare at him shock. "What are you doing?" She asked, half-fearing and half-expecting his answer. He looked back at her, and bit his lip over her question. The thumping feeling in his chest grew heavy, and for a moment the logical side of him came back to make him think over on his actions: What was he doing? Was he really certain about what he was doing? Was he really going to fight this monster? He was just a kid; he didn't know how to fight. For all he knew, he could get himself killed. And what if the monster catches the girl when he's taken out? What then? His efforts to keep her safe would be worthless!
No, I have to, He convinced himself as he shook his head, a look of determination on his face despite the conflicting emotions of uncertainty and bravery inside him. He turned his head away from the girl. "Run," He said, much to her fear. "I'll keep him back while you get away… If we both run, he'll get us for sure."
"But…!" She exclaimed, "You can't defeat that thing! You'll get yourself killed!" She gripped harder at his wrist and tugged at his arm, pleading that he stop what he was doing and run while they still can. "Please, we have to—"
Before she could finish her statement, however, the monster shot its spinning body towards them. The girl shrieked in horror as she brought both of her hands to her face in an attempt to shield herself. Nimni, seeing that the girl had released his wrist, leapt off the ground and shoved the white Porpos out of the way, causing the monster to ram him instead. The girl fell to the ground, next to some of the large rocks where they hid earlier, while Nimni flew across the air before skidding across the ground and rolling to a halt near the cavern's entrance.
The monster slowly approached Nimni, who shakily got to his feet. He could feel his stomach swelling from the blow the monster made on him. From the corner of his eye, he saw the Porpos girl with a look of horror on her face and a white hand over her mouth as she saw him. She scrambled to her feet, most likely with the intention of running to him to see if he was alright.
A feeling of dread mixed with some anger washed over him, and at this, he yelled, "No! Don't!"
She immediately froze, worry still plastered on her features. "But…" She protested, but this only made Nimni more fearful. With desperation and a hint of anger in his voice, he yelled, "Hide! Don't let him see you! Get away from here!"
She was about to say something again, but then she decided against it—for her sake, most likely—before she backed away and ran to hide behind one of the large boulders nearby in spite of her desire to go over to help him. When he could no longer see her, Nimni smiled weakly and mentally thanked her for doing what he asked.
He turned back to monster, which was coming for him again with its body. He felt some uncertainty on what he should be doing, and he quickly brought his arms up to cover himself. This had no effect however, and as the monster's body slammed against him, he flew backwards, before falling on his back on the ground.
The blue Porpos gritted his teeth as he bent forward and tried to sit up. His body was aching now; the monster had attacked only twice and the pain was unbearable. He wasn't used to this kind of pain. His back was aching, his arms were sore, and something red was coming out of the side of his head… It was as if he had been dragged across a rocky path or something. He felt a headache kicking in, and his mind felt hazy.
But then, he shook his head. He knew he had to keep this monster from seeing her…
His eyes widened in surprise as he saw the monster leap into the air and start to fall on top of him. Despite the pain he felt, he rolled off to side, just before the turtle-like creature could crush him. With whatever strength he could muster from his small body, he charged for the monster, before slamming the stick he held upon its rocky shell. Unsurprisingly, the thin driftwood stick snapped in two, and the upper half flipped into the air, before falling to the floor with a clatter.
The light, ineffective blow seemed to only tick off the creature, and it, once again, rammed its spinning body against the blue Porpos, sending him crashing towards the cavern's hard, rock wall. Nimni slid to the ground, his head hung low and his body slumped against the wall behind him. A trail of blood dripped down the side of his head, and fell to the floor with small drips.
"Urgh…" He grunted as he tried to look up, and his vision was blurred as he could see the vague figure of the rock turtle slowly advancing towards his small, battered body. He tried getting up, but the force of impact made him unable to move his arms and legs to get up and escape while he could. He opened his mouth to say something, but he was unable to say a thing.
I… I just hope that girl's… Okay… He thought wearily, the face of the white Porpos coming into his mind. But as his vision was overwhelmed by darkness completely, he thought he saw a figure come up in front of him, and he heard a faint cry before he blacked out.
"When I had awoken," Nimni continued, "I found myself in my room in bandages… My father had saved me from the monster. I didn't see her since then, but I always thought about her everyday… And it was only when I had been accepted as a member of the Naineneis warriors that I saw her again." He lightly clutched his necklace, careful not to harm its delicate features. "During the ceremony, while she gave her regards to the new recruits, I saw her on the temple's balcony, wearing my necklace…"
Nemne had spoken nothing while Nimni told his story. She pondered upon the duo's exchange of necklaces, and she was truly surprised to hear that the very same necklace that Priestess Neira wore around her neck had once belonged to Nimni. That—along with Nimni thinking about her day after day—would apparently be enough for her to say that it was no surprise that Neira was the same Porpos that her Commander met in his childhood. But…
"Commander, I have another question," She said as she put her hands on her bare stomach. Nimni nodded, wondering what it was. "What is it?"
"Why is it that…" Nemne looked towards the ceiling. "Priestess Neira doesn't seem to remember you as the one who tried to save her?"
It was true; how come Neira didn't seem to recognize Nimni, despite the fact that he was practically her right-hand Porpos? He was, more often than not, seen with her, wasn't he? In fact, whenever the Priestess was to give a speech, she would see him standing next to her; sometimes a bit too close, now that she would think about it. All this time, how come Neira failed to see that Nimni was the same Porpos who protected her all those years ago?
Then again, there was the chance that Neira probably knew, but only kept it a secret, for fear of public opinion. She was the Priestess after all… And Nimni had been wearing her necklace all this time so there was probably a point in time that the Priestess had approached him about it.
"Because…" He lowered his head to look at the necklace he gripped in his hand. "I kept the necklace hidden underneath my armor… Since she was the Priestess, I felt that if she saw me, she would be attracting a great deal of negative attention towards me… And herself."
Nemne was silent; she could understand what he was saying. "Then what happened…?"
"After I saw her again that day, I began working hard to be a member of the Naineneis warriors," Nimni explained. "When I had been accepted as a warrior, I knew I was a step closer to achieving my goal. As time passed, I became even more infatuated with her. All the while, I trained myself and honed my skill with the spear, and my hard work paid off after they recognized me as—"
"—Naineneis' bravest warrior?" Nemne cut in, interrupting him. He did not mind it as he nodded. "Yes. And my title was enough to prove to me that I became strong enough to protect her… To keep her safe. But I knew that I still had to work harder, because there are more formidable monsters… Stronger enemies…"
Nemne couldn't help but be amazed by how much Nimni has changed since he was a child. Even now, she couldn't believe that someone like her commander was once a timid and easily frightened child. And from that, he grew into what he was now: the bravest of the Porpos-kin and a renowned warrior. He grew out of his childish self and became more mature, more responsible and… More easily impressed… She felt a sweatdrop as she thought about the last part. There was no helping it, after all; she recalled the various times she heard her Commander exclaim, "This day shall be remembered!" whenever Ninulneda possessed the Priestess' body.
"But then I found out about… That…"
And, upon hearing his statement, Nemne knew exactly what he meant.
It wasn't often that Nimni visited the Naineneis Library. Rows of coral shelves surrounded him as he walked down the aisle, all of which were filled with various tomes, books, and scrolls. The height of the wide shelves—which nearly touched the ceiling—gave him a feeling of uncertainty and perhaps a small hint of fear; if an earthquake was to happen at that moment, he knew that there was going to be no way for him to get away from the huge, falling shelves in time. But he shook his head at the pessimistic thoughts that entered his mind, since earthquakes don't usually happen in Naineneis, and if there was then it would be caused by huge and rough waves ramming the shell-enclosed city.
His thoughts then shifted towards the reason why he was here: it was the first day of the Flower season, and according to the calendar and to Porpos-kin law, everyone in the city shouldn't be at work during the first day of that season. The reason why: The Flower season was a season of great abundance, and the Porpos believe that the wealth of food and potch they receive was the work of Ninulneda, whom they believe was the one who rewarded them for their diligence and hard work. It was a day when they would give thanks for all the blessings they believed the sea god had provided for them, and perhaps the sea god also thought that they deserved to have a break after working so hard for the past two seasons.
Long story short, it simply meant that the Naineneis warriors had the whole day off, and Nimni had his hands free. Usually he busied himself with training to pass the time, but because of the holiday (and the law) he couldn't do his training until the next day came. It felt a little frustrating, having to wait until the day was over. But because it was part of the law, he couldn't do anything about it and he could only just go along with it; it was the sea god's will for his people to have a break for once.
So instead of doing nothing and waiting for the day to end, he decided to do something he hadn't done before: visiting the Naineneis Library. He recalled that when he was still a novice, his commander told him that strength isn't the only thing a soldier needs to remember when he was in battle. He also needed to be intelligent; he had to know how to advance strategically in a battle, especially one where he did not know or see his enemies. He needed to know how to lead his units properly, dispatch his foes swiftly, and manage to keep a low number of casualties at the same time. He was a commander now himself, so it was only necessary that he had to acquire more knowledge about battle and send out his troops efficiently.
He then noticed a sign that hanged on the wall. Written on it was the phrase, "War Strategies", along with an arrow pointing to the aisle in front of him. The Porpos commander followed the sign's directions before he approached one of the shelves and pulled out a random book. He looked at the brown, hard cover, which read The Gate Rune Wars. The book seemed rather old; he could barely make out the name of the author who wrote it. But despite this, the blue Porpos smiled; he knew he was in the right place. By reading about wars, he could learn how to deal with certain situations whenever they got in a pinch in battle, such as when some possessed general suddenly released man-eating spores all over the battlefield which was also what killed the most faithful servant of a rebel army's leader. But that, obviously, is another story.
As he was about to head for the nearest desk to read the book in his hands, his eyes caught sight of a rolled-up scroll on the shelf. At first he thought that it was supposed to be there, until he saw that the whole shelf in front of him was rowed with nothing but books. He looked behind him, but all he saw was the wall. He blinked.
"A misplaced scroll…?" He spoke as he took the scroll into his free hand. Looking at the label of the scroll's cylindrical container, he saw that it read The Priests and Priestesses' Code. It was a scroll of etiquette for Naineneis leaders. Apparently, it was something one would classify under law, and Nimni wondered what it was doing here. Protocols of officials had little to do with war, after all. Either someone had forgotten where he was supposed to return it (the library was a big place, after all), or someone was in a rush and he had forgotten to return it. Or someone was just lazy. No one could tell, really.
Out of interest, he decided to read the scroll first. He had always wondered what it was Priests and Priestesses did other than lead and allow themselves to be possessed by the sea god. He remembered the time when he had first met—he suddenly blushed—Priestess Neira; at the time she was still an apprentice, and while she told him of what being a Priestess was like, he always felt there was more to it than that. He could still remember the resentment the white Porpos had in her voice when she had spoken to him about it.
Speaking of the Priestess, even now—when she was working, when she had public speeches or ceremonies, or even when there were festivals—he could see hints of unhappiness in her features. Yes, there were times that the Priestess seemed happy, but there was no denying that he could see the sadness in her eyes. And he figured that this sadness was probably from what she was now, or even from what she had to experience as a child. The thought of this made him feel pity for her, as it had always done when he thought about it several times before and when she had first confided to him about it. The more he saw her face that way, the more he felt the longing to ease away the pain that she felt.
For a while, he let the thought settle in his mind before shaking it off and placing the book back into the shelf. After that, he walked over to the nearby desk and sat down on a chair. He took out the scroll from its container and unrolled it. It rolled off of the table, fell on the floor, and rolled over to a stop towards the wall. The scroll was long, but it wasn't anything at all unexpected; many scrolls were like that.
Nimni began reading the scroll. An introductory note about Priests and Priestesses in general was the first thing that came into sight. It talked about who they were, what their roles were, and what their main purpose was. Shortly after he finished the introduction, he moved his attention towards the next part of the scroll, which was mainly about how they were supposed to behave, but mostly of things which they weren't supposed to do. It was a handbook of sorts, only it wasn't a book.
He read over the guidelines. The first one was, "One must have great reverence for Ninulneda." That was pretty much something one would expect, because if someone was to be Priest or Priestess, then it was only natural for them to be the most religious ones among the Porpos-kin. He read over the next couple of rules—most of which weren't really surprising. However, after reading over a few more, he paused over one statement, and was about to move on when his teal eyes widened in utter shock. He turned back to the statement again, only to feel his heart skip a beat as he abruptly slammed the palms of his hands on the desk and focused his eyes towards the words on the scroll.
"N…No…" Nimni muttered, a feeling of dread rapidly welling upon his chest and a wave of horror washing over his now pale face. "It… It can't, it just can't…"
"One cannot have any romantic involvements with anyone, whether they are Porpos or not."
The blue Porpos read the sentence over and over again. His arms were hard and stiff as they supported the looming Nimni, who was still the entire time. Before long, shaky, uneasy breaths escaped him and his arms began to tremble. He quickly pulled himself away from the desk, before slowly backing away and bumping the shelf behind him.
As he slowly slid to the cold, hard floor, the thoughts of the Priestess came rushing into his mind: he recalled what she looked like then and now, how she was before, and how she was like whenever he saw her or when they interacted. Then there was memory of when they first met, when they exchanged necklaces, when he had defended her from that monster, when he saw her again during the initiation ceremony of the Naineneis warriors, and when she had talked to him during that day when she appointed him as her right-hand Porpos. Then came in his mind were those times when he thought about her—when he thought about what she was like, how she made him feel, and even those times when he thought of someday liberating her from that unhappiness that shackled and bound her… Every single thought, every single memory that involved his experiences with her; all of it came back to him.
And he knew that all of those feelings he had for her—even those foolish thoughts he had of the both of them being happy together—were all for naught.
Moments later, a horrid scream was heard echoing throughout the library. Various Porposes paused in their reading—some of them shocked senseless as they immediately clutched their seats in sudden fear—to see and wonder who in the name of Ninulneda had the nerve to create such a racket in a place such as that and why, only to see a certain blue Porpos dashing across the corridor—his head down as he did. One of his fellow warriors who was in the library as well was about to ask him what had happened, but Nimni did not stop and ignored him as he went out of the library. He ran past everything, past everyone. All the while kept his head low, keeping his face—his tears—from being seen by anyone.
It…It just can't be… Priestess… Neira…
Nemne was stunned silent upon hearing his words; she couldn't possibly imagine how Nimni had even felt at that moment of his life. She had known about that rule of the code; it was mentioned to her when she was asking someone once before if the Priestess ever had a relationship. A few seconds later, Nemne spoke again. "Commander…" She started, though she felt quite unsure what to tell him. "I…"
"I know, I know…" He whimpered as his hand clenched into a fist. "She's the Priestess… And the Priestess is not allowed to fall in love with anyone. No one is supposed to feel this way for the Priestess because it's wrong. I know other people will think badly of me for having these feelings for the Priestess if they ever find out, but…" He was now trembling as he gritted his teeth. "But Nemne, I… I can't help it, Nemne. I love… Her… And even if she wasn't the Priestess, I… I doubt she even likes me at all…" A tear escaped his eye and fell to his blue garments. He raised a hand to wipe his now wet eyes.
"…I'm sorry if I offended you with this in any way…" He spoke, his voice shaky; what he just said was against their beliefs as followers of Ninulneda. He lowered his head and cried quietly, trying his best not to make it obvious to his ally that he was crying. His restrained sobs, however, did not escape the pink Porpos' hearing, and it was only natural; he had kept it in for such a long time that it probably ate away at him as time went on, since he had no one to tell it to. It then became unbearable for him to keep it in, so he needed an outlet; he needed to tell someone whom he knew he could trust to keep it a secret.
She didn't know what to say as she heard him. At once, she recalled a certain morning several days before, when she was talking to Nomno about a similar thing to what she and Nimni were talking about now. She could fully understand how the blue Porpos felt; he was experiencing the same kind of affliction she had. They were both afraid of what people thought about their love interests, and what's more, they were unsure if the people they loved actually felt the same for them or understood them at all. The both of them were fighting battles similar to one another; they had a similar illness that plagued both of them.
What pained her also was that Nimni suffered more than her. Nemne's situation wasn't so bad, because Nomno was no one special (except for her) and he was just another Porpos. In Nimni's situation, he loved a Priestess of Ninulneda. Since that was the case, it also meant that it was impossible for the blue Porpos to court Lady Neira, because it was against the Porpos-kin law, and for Lady Neira it was against her code of conduct as a Priestess if she were to accept Nimni's courtship. While Nemne was against skepticism, Nimni was against everything he believed in as a follower of Ninulneda, the Porpos-kin law, and maybe even the sea god herself.
And the blue Porpos had absolutely no chance of winning. It was no wonder why he was crying. It was a hopeless fight and they both knew it.
She leaned her head back and looked up at the dark ceiling of the cavern. She could see herself in her commander, and she felt like she was Nomno, except that she was able to speak out what she was really thinking. She felt that even though he was unsure about telling her at first, he must have told it to her because he knew she would listen to what he had to say; the same reason why she would go to Nomno whenever she had a problem troubling her.
Whatever the reason was, she would also have gone to talk about her problem with him, if he wasn't so busy most of the time training. But now he needed someone—he needed her—and that was all that mattered right now.
"Commander," She began, feeling a bit uncertain of what she would say to comfort him. "I know… What it feels."
To this, Nimni's eyes slowly opened and he stopped crying. Wearily, he asked, "Wh-What…?"
"Commander, I…" She looked to her right, where Nomno slept peacefully. She smiled and continued, "I know how it feels to like someone people don't expect you to like, and how it feels to not know if the person you like feels the same way for you at all… But…" She trailed off.
"…But…?" Nimni repeated, urging her to continue.
"But Commander, I still like him… Even though I'm sure people will find it weird that I like someone like that…" She felt the urge to just caress the gray Porpos' face, but held it back as she went on, "I think it's alright for you to feel that way for Priestess Neira, though it is against our beliefs—"
"Are you saying I should abandon my belief in Ninulneda?" He interrupted, his tone of voice suddenly fearful. Nemne was also stunned at his statement but shook her head and said, "No, that's not what I'm trying to say at all!" Nemne was also a follower of Ninulneda, and it wasn't like she was against the sea god at all; she was just voicing out her opinion on the matter.
"What I'm trying to say, Commander, is that everyone gets a crush every now and then, and more often than not they end up being on people we shouldn't be having crushes for." She paused. "We can't help it if… You've fallen for someone, even though you know that you're not supposed to," She said as her eyes were downcast on the ground. "I guess it's okay for you to like her, as long as no one else finds out about it…" She recalled times before when she tried whatever it was possible to avoid people suspecting her of having any interest for Nomno, even though she had some urges like the one she had earlier. Having to hold the urges back were frustrating for the pink Porpos, but she knew she was going to be the one to benefit from it all in the end.
"Even if you can't win her heart, Commander…" She looked at the blue Porpos again. "You can always continue loving her, can't you?"
She had quite a point. Yes, it was impossible that Nimni would ever be able to earn Neira's affection, but it was better that he be the one to give her the affection in their relationship (though they don't have one as a couple), even if the white Porpos may never know of it. Like a wise man once said, "It was better to love than to not have loved at all." And like a wise woman who was once the leader of a certain Liberation Army once said, "If you turn away from your emotions, then that's a sin…"
"Yes…" He spoke after a while, "I suppose… You have a point." He then proceeded to wipe his tears away. Again, he fell silent, staring at the water. He couldn't explain why, but for some reason, the burden in his chest somehow lifted. He felt… Relieved.
"I think…" He began all of a sudden, causing Nemne to look at him again, "I think that was what I needed." At the statement, Nemne couldn't agree more; she knew, because she felt those same relieving feelings he was having whenever she spoke to Nomno about her problems.
Nimni looked over his shoulder and gave Nemne a weak smile as he said, "Nemne… Thank you." He couldn't find anything else to say, but it didn't really matter; knowing Nemne, she got the gist of it anyway. Truly, he was grateful that he had a companionship with a person such as her—someone who wouldn't rebuke him for whatever secrets he shared or whatever topics he wanted to talk about.
In return, Nemne gave him her usual cheery smile and sang, "Always happy to help~" Nimni chuckled at her singing and turned away from her to look back into the water.
"You should get some sleep," He said. "We will still need to finish the mission tomorrow."
"I know," She replied and her eyes were cast on the fire. "If you want me to stay up and watch, Commander, just ask."
"We won't know that until the time comes," He told her, and the two of them laughed as the statement reminded them of their leader. After they quieted down, Nemne looked at Nomno beside her before she took one last look at Nimni for the day and said, "Goodnight, Commander." After which, she turned back to Nomno and leaned against the gray Porpos' shoulder; a smile and a blush on her face as she closed her eyes. She was going to have good dreams that night, and sleeping next to the one she liked was enough reason to answer why.
As Nemne drifted off to sleep, Nimni spun his head around and saw how glad her face looked as she leaned on Nomno's shoulder. With a smirk, he looked back at the water—finally realizing how come she understood so well what he felt—and letting the two of them be.
"Goodnight, Nemne…"
A/N: There we go, Chapter 4! I finally updated! YAY! XD I have to admit, it went almost exactly the way I had planned for it to go. My old draft of this was pretty lame; I made Nimni WAY too OOC. X( And speaking of OOCness, I hope I kept them in character as much as possible. It's not easy putting yourself in another person's POV especially if it's got a lot to do with romance. There's a lot more to romance than just fluffy scenes, hugs, kisses, and (I'm not gonna add doing that in this list) confessions. I'm just glad I can base all the romance stuff from the experiences of people I know who experienced love first-hand.
I feel like some parts were rushed… Especially at the second to the last paragraph of the fifth part. I wanted to get it over with so I just wrote the memories entering in a rush Nimni's mind. I hope that wasn't confusing to read… And sorry if the story gets somehow crappy as it goes on (ahemfifthandsixthpartsahem).
Hm… This is practically my longest chapter yet! And I suppose it was a good idea that I separated this part from the last chapter. I mean, seriously: I think I would've killed my readers just having to make them read one hell of a long chapter. XD
YES, it's a stereotypical my-mother-died-when-I-was-young kind of thing in his childhood, eh? And let's not forget the I-met-my-love-interest-when-I-was-a-kid stuff too, of course. I'm getting sick of that first one, actually. It's getting overused and I only used it for the sake of the story.
YAR, I made other Suikoden references! XD And I made two on the same paragraph (SQUEE!)! Okay, so I'm not gonna put them often 'cause I only played three games in the series (I finished two of them, and the other one got busted and I couldn't finish it all. T_T)
Then the Priestess thing in the chapter… Think of it this way: a Priestess is like the job of an everyday priest, nun, etc. And everyone knows that if you've devoted your life to religion, you can't fall in love with anybody. What's more, no one's allowed to fall in love with them; so if you happen to fall in love in one, then you are absolutely screwed (and you have to be single, depressed, and lonely for the rest of your life, lol).
The next chapter is definitely one of the chapters I've been meaning to post ever since I started this chapter. XD I can't wait until I finish that up… And hopefully with the start of my vacation again, I'm pretty sure that I think I can. Actually I've already started on it and I'm halfway done with my first draft! =) I'll hopefully get it done within the month. And I'll try to see if I can keep it short and interesting this time (I need a break from long chapters -_-).
And a random rant: To be honest… Neira keeps reminding me of the Pokémon Snivy lately… Actually, when I got Pokémon White, I got a female Snivy as a starter so I nicknamed it Neira. Now I got Pokémon Black and I even had the nerve to name my Oshawott with Nimni… X3 And to make it even crazier, I just had to go overboard and name my Audino with Nemne and name my Munna with Nomno… XD
So… Lastly, what do you guys think of the story? (And my last statement up there, but that's just optional ^_^;)
Thanks for reading! –Zip