Hello, everyone. Welcome to another FE One-Shot. This one is going to be set in the continuity of Heroes, but it won't be a Kiran/Summoner story; it'll be taking advantage of the crossover nature of the game to bring several characters together. In this case, the complicated family tree that arises from Eliwood marrying Ninian. Suppose this counts as a Blazing Blade/Binding Blade story since it focuses on the principle characters from those games, but thank Heroes for being able to bring them all together, including finally adding Nergal. It's quite a coincidence that he was added a couple of months after I posted by Kiran/Ursula story where the latter was brought up. When I saw him, I immediately thought of doing this story, but I had a lot of other stuff to get through.
After having the Elibe games on the brain, I'm finally here writing it. Obviously, the main pairing is Eliwood/Ninian, and yes, it open secret-it deals with them confronting the incredibly hinted at revelation that Nergal is Ninian's father. That's something I've always wanted to do a story about them, and even if this one's going to be on the bittersweet side, I'm glad to finally write for them. I hope you all enjoy the story!
I do not own anything.
Little Glimmers of Light
Panic. It was an unwanted feeling that every parent was likely to experience at least once in their lives. Try as one might, there was more than likely to come a day when one excessively worried for their child, that they were in danger. The first impulse was always to go to them, and indeed, that was usually the first act. A hundred possibilities, all grim, could race through their minds. That at times became an internal struggle between remaining rational, optimistic even, and losing one's self in the worst-case scenario. Circumstances could tip the scales either way.
For Eliwood and Ninian Pherae, it was the latter. The scales were tipped so far in that direction the other side was practically touching the sky. Ironically, that wasn't slowing them down, instead it was speeding them up. Specifically, it was empowering Ninian to reach speeds her dragon form had never achieved, such was the power of a parent's, a mother's, fear for her child.
Dragons came in various forms, with various unique abilities. Ice dragons were typically not known for their speed. Comparisons to glaciers were common, but like many great drakes, they could move fast when they wanted to. Sure, their speed probably couldn't match those of wind, lightning, or light dragons, but still.
That was the speed that Ninian was traveling at with her ice-constructed wings. Jets of cyan-blue light were expelled from them as exhaust, leaving ice particles in their wake. Trails of frozen air was left behind as she zoomed across the sky, a frosty star in motion. The sight was astonishing to onlookers, but that beauty belayed the fiercely hot fear that fueled it. That could only have been ascertained by looking at the dragon's face, bent in sharp concentration and worry, as well as the beast's rider. The latter wasn't visible to those who watched from the ground, all they could see was the icy comet racing across the skies; it flew with a clear destination in mind, and it was moving there fast.
At such speed, it would have been surprising that someone was riding atop of the dragon. That they were able to hold on as wind whipped at their face with the force of a hammer. Amazingly, that was the case. The lone human sat atop the dragon, practically fastened to the creature's neck. His body was leaning forward in show of his own eagerness to reach their destination. Likewise, his face was filled with fear and determination. It seemed to serve as all the protection he needed against the extreme g-force, although the question went for what was protecting the rest of his body. The answer was nothing, he had no protection against the g-force that slammed into his body thanks to his mount's supersonic flying. Such a thing would have flattened an ordinary man, yet the redhead remained both attached and focused. His eyes never wavered from the sight ahead like his draconic steed. Like her, raw determination had steeled him and pushed Eliwood beyond the boundaries of what could be called human. Such was the nature of a father's determination, equal to his wife's maternal drive.
That's what they were, parents in worry, parents in fear, parents determined to save their child's life.
Their hearts raced in tandem with one another. Every beat they considered the worst-case possibility, yet they also fought it back with hope that they'd get there in time. For the sake of their sanity, and their son, they focused on the latter, even if thinking about the former was inevitable. It was a tug-of-war while they moved at speed surpassing sound; to them, it still wasn't fast enough. That's how they felt, but they also hoped that wouldn't be the case-that they would be fast enough.
Strapped to Eliwood's back was the same sword that'd once cut deep into Ninian's flesh, ending her life. It had been the worst mistake he'd ever made, albeit she never held it against him. In her eyes, and the eyes of their companions, blame lay with another. The one who'd watched the tragedy unfold then mocked Eliwood as he cradled his beloved's bloodied body in his arms. He refused to let that scenario repeat itself in any form with his son. Ninian was adamant she wouldn't allow it either. She would not hold the bodies of her loved ones in her arms either.
Just up ahead, the blue sky was dark with smoke as fires raged sending thick black columns toward the heavens. Like rot, they spread out, polluting the view, but also acting as a beacon. Eliwood and Ninian flew straight for it, the latter picking up the closing sounds of battle before her husband. In seconds, he too heard it over the rush of the wind. Though both had seen more battlefields than they'd like, they recognized this one as being different. Even from such a distance, they felt the unsettling, downright toxic stench of dark magic; it was there in the distortions that seemed to twist parts of the sky on itself, as well the eerie purple tinge to the columns of smoke. None of it was new to them as they'd faced such vile sorcery before. Namely, they'd faced the originator of this dark magic before-and they prayed they'd arrived in time before he'd finished wiping out everyone. Including their son, his technical ally…and his own grandson.
Ninian let loose a deafening roar as she rapidly descended upon the battlefield. Once upon a time, it'd been a forested settlement. Now, it was little more than burning rubble with blood, bodies, and craters as far as the eye could see. The couple scoured the bodies, fearing that one of them would belong to their son. Luckily, none did, but they noted how several seemed to have been drained of the life energy that flowed through them. Such a fate seemed worse than those who'd simply been blasted apart and torn asunder. Gruesome ends, even for rebels.
"Roy! Roy, where are you! Roy!" Eliwood yelled over the smoldering wreckage.
"If you're there, please, answer us!" Ninian was searching as well, but in more ways than her husband. As a dragon, her senses war far sharper and more wide-ranging. Besides the physical world, she could see the ethereal, the mystical. Alas, even that second sight was proving of little help thanks to the thick prevalent of dark magic in the air. Not only could she see it and smell it, she could practically feel it against her skin. It came together with the more mundane forms of obstruction to keep her from locating her son. The frustration quickly accumulated, but so too did an idea that she felt foolish for not trying before. Mystical power accumulated within her body, showing in the icy-blue glow across her body. "Raaaawwwrrr!" Her roar shook the air itself, visible as the waves of frosty energy she emitted from every part of her, not just her jaws.
In seconds, the wave spread out across the battlefield. The flames were frozen, no matter their intensity. Also frozen were the lingering particles of dark magic, the flash freeze creating a flurry of snowflakes across the land. As they cascaded to the ground, some breaking apart, she and Eliwood continued to look around. The cold wave did little to alleviate their fears as they still saw no sign of their son.
There was no sign of life at all, until a sudden voice sounded off. "Heh…hahahahaha! Such power, it would have been useful during the battle, but worry not. Mine was more than sufficient, as it will be in future battles."
Eliwood and Ninian felt their blood flow halt as the maniacal cackling filled their ears. They turned to it without a second to spare. The former drew his sword while the latter bore her fangs, changing from a figure of ethereal beauty to one of ethereal danger. That said, one would say the object of her hostility still cut a more terrifying form. He approached her and her husband, undeterred by either the nine-foot dragon or the flaming sword brandished by her husband. The powers of both seemed to rise in opposition to the violet and ebony aura that enshrouded the newcomer as he approached them. His every step brought with it a sense of dread that threatened to further crush the battlefield.
His right eye remained covered by the turban he wore, adding to the malicious nature of his wicked grin as he looked between the two. The lone eye regarded the pair with equal amusement despite the guarded hostility they directed toward him. "As I said, your great power will not be needed in future battles, for with this, mine has grown stronger."
Eliwood didn't even bother correcting that statement. "Where's Roy, Nergal?"
"Ah, yes, the boy, the young lion." He chuckled. Neither of the parents moved, but they were ready to at a moment's notice. The same went for the sorcerer. Despite his bravado, they knew he knew perfectly well the last time he'd fought them, specifically, the last time he'd fought Eliwood. The sword that'd claimed his life seemingly burned with a hunger to repeat the deed. "I saw echoes of your swordsmanship in him, Eliwood. Quite a sight, though he still has miles to go before he can truly be called a master."
"Nergal!" Eliwood shouted.
"Where is he!" Ninian echoed. Her search had to be put on hold for fear that the madman before her would strike her down. Or her husband. Losing sight of Roy was bad enough, but she could not stand to lose the man she loved.
Wood cackled under the pressure of burns that'd swiftly turned to frost. It seemed prelude to the impeding clash, the rematch, between the couple and the Dark Druid. The latter seemed especially eager for it. It wasn't so much fighting was in his nature, but it was often a means to an end toward his end goal-ultimate power. Victor not only asserted his strength but provided him the opportunity to drain the life force of his defeated foes. Such absorption had helped fuel his millennia-old lifespan and empower his magic to towering heights. Finally, he simply enjoyed crushing hopes and life, leaving spirits broken as much as bodies, the former of which he gleefully absorbed. The stronger the foe, the more jubilant he was at the prospect of killing them. Truly, he was a perfect representation of the "evil sorcerer" archetype that filled stories across various lands and worlds.
He stood as a proud testament to that archetype before the pair, seemingly ready to remind them just who and what he was. Though he didn't have his tome out, Eliwood and Ninian knew he could call it to his person whenever he wished. Likewise, he could simply cast magic without it. They readied themselves for either one as they prepared to question him again, potentially with force. Despite that willingness, they didn't attack when he turned his back to them.
"Come." Nergal simply said and began walking.
Shock struck the pair like lightning, though their recovery was just as quick. As Eliwood took a step in the man's direction, Ninian assumed her human form in a flash of blue light. Just as quickly she could retake her dragon form. Eliwood could likewise swing his sword just as quickly; numerous foes in the past, including Nergal himself, had found that out.
The air was silent yet heavy as iron as they followed him. Despite the considerable wreckage around them, they never took their eyes off the one-eyed sorcerer. For his part, not a word was made at either them or the enemies he'd slain. They'd almost have preferred it if he'd spoken, even lobbing insults at them or the multitude of Embla rebels he'd clearly slain. That would have been more in-line with the Nergal they knew. Not to say that they weren't enjoying the silence.
Though what they really enjoyed was the sight of their son. "Roy!" They shouted throwing all caution to the wind as they rushed forward. Despite the fears that'd viciously gripped them on the flight over, their boy was not at death's door. He was injured, armor broken in several places with blood seeping through his clothes, but nowhere to be found were the mortal wounds they feared would mar his body. His breathing was hard, but certainly present.
Once the shock wore off, Ninian quickly began casting healing magic. As she did so, Eliwood took his gaze back to the man who'd led them to their son. Strangely enough, Nergal was still present, and he'd yet to speak a word. His back was turned to the family reunion which he'd willing helped bring about. Such a thing was unlike the power-hungry sociopath that he'd come to know, and pity. Know, he could only look to that same man with bewilderment.
"Nergal," he called. Nergal didn't move, but Eliwood knew he'd heard him. His hold on Durandal was kept tight as he was ready to defend his family at a moment's notice. "Nergal," Eliwood called again. "Did you…"
"It was not the right time to harvest the boy's quintessence, though believe me, it will come. Likewise, the time to harvest your quintessence will come as well. All in due time." That was the tone Eliwood was used to. Still, he couldn't help but feel something different, something that stuck at him like a splinter. "The child still has room to grow, and I look forward to seeing when he reaches his full potential. That is when I will take what I am owed."
"You are owed nothing, Nergal. You will not lay a finger on him." Eliwood swiftly swiped. "The day when Roy reaches his full potential will come, but that won't be the day you kill him. Far from it."
"Hehehe, then what will it be? A day for you two to celebrate? The day that pathetic teacher of his sees him as a man?" Now those insults sounded like the Nergal he knew and was repulsed by. He turned his left side to him, revealing the lone undamaged eye he possessed. It was narrowed and oozing murderous venom. Any second, Eliwood expected it to explode into open violence, but seconds passed without incident. The more time wore on, the closer Roy came to being healed thus he'd be able to join whatever fight there would be. That said, Nergal was mad enough to believe he could take on him, his wife, and their son together. He and his son wielding Elibe's strongest swords, both of which they were deadly skilled with. Again, Nergal was the type who'd boldly take up that challenge.
A feminine voice cut the thick tension that hung between the two men. "You…healed him." Between them, Eliwood looked to the woman he loved. Her red eyes met his startled gaze, then they moved toward the dark-robed figure. "Nergal…I recognize this poison; I was afflicted it before."
"An apparent favorite of Embla, from what I gather. Tsch, the Order does so little a job at hiding its strength, it's easy to plan countermeasures." He held up a hand that pulsated with dark energy. It was colder than the ice Ninian had produced, yet simultaneously as hot as Durandal's flames. "No countermeasures exist for me, however." On that, the married couple disagreed, and they knew so from personal experience. "Now that his farce is over with, I will be taking my leave. I managed to ring some much-needed information out of the rebels before they shuffled off their mortal coil. Now, I'm off to help the rest of their number experience the same fate. Oh, and don't mind the screams." The mass of darkness in his hand expanded to cover his entire form. Eliwood and Ninian watched it consume him, then watched it dissipate leaving behind not a trace of the Dark Druid behind.
His departure brought a purification to the land, as well as a sense of ease to Eliwood and Ninian. Though they took no comfort in the presumable massacre Nergal was setting out to enact, they were ultimately more focused on their recovering son.
He stirred in Ninian's arms. "Mother…father?"
They turned to him with relieved smiles. "We're here." Eliwood called. "And we're so happy that you're safe, Roy."
"When we lost contact with you, we rushed over." Ninian further explained before bringing him into a deep hug. Though still somewhat confused, he recuperated the hug. Eliwood joined in, turning it into the family hug they hoped it'd be instead of the mourning they dreaded. Neither of them paid mind to whom they likely had to thank for that until Roy brought it up.
"Where's Nergal?"
The question somewhat caught the parents off-guard, evident on their faces when they pulled away. A look between each other ensued, a silent debate on what to do.
"He…" Eliwood began. A moment later and he found the words, and strength to answer his son's question. "He left just a short while ago. We were…we were worried he'd killed you along with the others."
There was no immediate retort or denial about the possibility. Roy knew it was a very real possibility, and worry his parents shared. Everyone who cared about him shared it, which was to say practically all his friends and family, but for the latter, the worry was especially potent. "I was honestly worried he'd strike me in the back when he showed up." His words immediately caught the two's attention. Seeing he had their full attention Roy went on into a deeper explanation. "He didn't exactly say he'd arrived to back me up, even though I…subconsciously registered him as such. Throughout the battle, he never explicitly targeted me. Sure, he didn't mind if I was caught in the crossfire, but he wasn't directly aiming at me. I know that's not something to dig too deeply into, but…I was kind of happy for it."
"It's something that we're relieved to hear." Eliwood declared with a sigh. What his son had described was essentially the standard for many of the villains that'd been summoned into the Order. Most of them had reached the point where they wouldn't directly target the others, but they shed little tears for friendly fire. It was something that everyone kept in mind when working with such villains, especially those deeply seeped in dark powers. "I'm sorry no one was able to get here faster. Roy, I'm sorry that we weren't able to get here faster."
He rigorously shook his head. "Father, mother, neither of you have anything to apologize for. If anything, the fault rests with me since I took off without waiting for reinforcements. I…suppose in a sense, some did arrive."
That was true in a sense, truer than either Eliwood or Ninian would have liked. Still, Nergal had arrived and from the sounds of it, supported Roy on the grounds of a common enemy. Enough for him to stay his hand, yet they knew there'd been more to it.
"Roy," Ninian called. Her eyes drifted to his left arm, where a formerly discolored gash had marred his flesh. When they'd arrived, the purple veins had greatly receded, though she caught the lingering odor of the poison used against manaketes. "Did he tend to this injury?" She was sure to not speak in an accusatory tone.
Her son nodded, knowing she only wanted the truth; he had no intention to hide it from her, or his father. "I was just barely conscious, but I saw him do it. Mother, father, it…it happened after I…" Reaching beneath his shirt, he pulled out an item that caused Ninian and Eliwood's eyes to widen, not in outrage but in more pure surprise. The former reached forward and to cradle the dragonstone in the palm of her hand. Her red eyes looked back to her son with understanding, yet he still felt the need to explain himself. "It reacted to me when I channeled the dragon blood in me. While I couldn't see him, I think Nergal was mystified by it. I…I think he was-"
"Yes, Roy, I believe he was." Joy and pain, two contradictory emotions that shouldn't have gone together, but they did. Ninian had found she often felt them when thinking of the man who'd caused her and her loved ones so much pain. Said man was also her father, whom she remembered dearly loved her and her brother, once. He'd brought them into the world, twice over in a sense. She looked back to Eliwood, who had a look of deep sympathy on her face. "Come, let us more to a more tranquil place, particularly one less…grim." Both redheads nodded, a slight chuckle from them both. They were all in agreement at the ruins of a village surrounded by bodies probably weren't the best place to have a family discussion.
Contrary to its status as an aggressive imperial power, Embla was still a nice place. Like its neighbor, it possessed rolling hills and forests and mountains that captured nature's beauty. The natives had come to know of that beauty well, as had the Order of Heroes thanks to the conflicts and tension with the empire. Now, with tensions easying being Askr and Embla, the heroes were freer to enjoy that natural beauty without fear of attack. Save for the occasional rebels who still opposed the new monarch's attempted peace-making. After the events of the last half-hour, the odds of that happening in the general vicinity was rather low.
Eliwood had used a "comms crystal" to inform the rest of their unit that Roy was alright, as were all of them. At his request, they were given some time alone. He'd also been told they had a lock on Nergal's location, just in case "something" happened. Eliwood already knew what the mad sorcerer was up to, but he genuinely hoped he and his wife wouldn't need to intervene, nor would Roy. It was a wish he made to both the empire's native god and Askr's own deity. Surely one of them would grant his request, though if neither did, he knew it wouldn't be anything his family couldn't handle.
What he wanted though wasn't a battle, as enjoyable as it was it fight alongside his family, it was more pleasant to simply enjoy their presence outside of battle. Such a sentiment was deeply shared with his wife.
Ninian had never been a fighter, yet she'd lived in a world that required violence more often than not. As a dragon, even a peace-loving one, it could be argued she had the potential in her. She certainly proved that during the Battle of Dragon's Gate in her world, where she fought beside her beloved and the friends she'd made on her journey. Then, she'd proven it again when summoned to Askr, where she served as one of the many members of the Order of Heroes. If anything, being a member had allowed, or forced, her fighting abilities to grow. Protecting one's loved ones was apt motivation to get stronger, and Ninian had that in ways she could only have dreamed of. A dream of hers had come true in the best way possible.
She'd never gotten to see Roy grow up, nor had he gotten to know her as well as she'd have liked. It was something that'd pained not just them, but Eliwood as well. Losing his wife and only being able to tell stories of her to their son.
Askr had brought them all together. The past month had made that statement truer than, yet that still wasn't true enough.
"What was grandmother like?"
Ninian was more than happy to answer. "As gentle as falling snow, with kindness as boundless as the blue sky." He chuckled while looking at her husband. Apparently, that was the same description he'd passed onto Roy, who'd passed it onto others. "She was also quite beautiful, scales that glittered like moonlit ice. To her, I was merely a snowflake, as was your uncle., still she treasured us so dearly." Turning to face her son, she mentally steeled herself as she opened the door she'd often left closed. It'd partially been by choice in her first life, influenced by her mortality. Now, no more. "She also dearly loved your grandfather, as did Nils and I. That was…long, long ago. Looking back, I believe her loss had an enormous impact on him. Not even he knows it, not now as he is."
The smile on Roy's face dissolved, as she expected it to. It always did, as she found out. Any conversation pertaining her side of the family tended to do so. He knew that while his father's side of the family had its tragedies, hers was where the real shadows lay. Ninian loathed it, even when Eliwood reassured her that Roy wouldn't think less of her or his uncle for it.
Roy's hands came together in a nervous flux. "I…think that's who he might have seen. He might have seen some of grandmother in me when I channeled what power I could muster."
Irony was a hell of a funny thing in Eliwood's eyes. He was descended from a famous dragon slayer, and wielded his ancestor's legendary dragon-slaying blade, and yet he'd fallen for and married a dragon. That woman was the daughter of the bitterest enemy he'd ever known. His son was descended from a lineage of ice dragons on his mother's side, yet his elemental affinity was one of fire. Indeed, he'd taken up the same blazing blade Eliwood had wielded in his youth, and later when he took up the Binding Blade, it ignited with red-hot fire. Truly, there were times Eliwood found himself simply laughing at it all in pure wonder.
While Roy's preferred fire, he still carried his mother, and grandmother's, draconic blood within him. During his war against Bern, he hadn't quite been able to bring it out, but coming to Askr had changed that. Finally, he had fellow manaketes and dragon-blooded individuals like himself to teach him how to embrace his draconic heritage. In doing so, he'd learned how to manifest the ice-attributed scales Ninian could, as well project the "dragon's aura" while still retaining his human form. Eliwood had witnessed his son do so, and he was immediately reminded of Ninian, and Ninian was reminded of herself, her brother, and their mother. The "lineage of ice" as some called it had awoken in his son. It was a beautiful sight, and as incredible as it was…he believed Nergal would have agreed with him.
When Roy projected his draconic aura, Nergal did not see his children whom he longed to reunite with, but his wife. Some would have said that did a disservice to the former, but Eliwood didn't see it that way. What he saw it as was the awakening of long buried, near forgotten memories, finally forcing their way to the service in the mad sorcerer. Memories of the woman he loved with all his heart, and whose loss had driven him into the darkness. That'd never happened back in Elibe, but Askr was a different place, a stranger, wondrous place where the impossible was made possible. That included finding glimmers of light in those previously steeped in darkness.
Looking to his left, he saw the deep anxiety on his son's face. Smiling, he reached over and ruffled his hair. It was a habit that he was probably never going to drop, no matter what age Roy was. He was grateful that even at seventeen, he still allowed it; this being a private family moment might have played a part.
"It may have been for just a moment, but you brought back your grandfather." Ninian whispered to him, having grasped his left hand. Roy looked to her with astonished eyes. Smiling, she leaned forward and kissed him on the forehead. "Only a moment, but a worthwhile one."
Though he smiled, it was short-lived. "I…wish I could have done more. And I wish you and Uncle Nils could have been there." Looking to his right, uncertainty spread over his face as he struggled to find the words to voice his thoughts.
Eliwood breathed in, letting his chest inflate then deflate. "There have been times I've wondered what it would be like to know the Nergal that Athos spoke of. The Nergal that brought your mother and uncle into the world." The Nergal that I…wish could have been there to see you grow up, just as I wish my own father could have been there with you as well, Roy. Saying all that would have placed a greater burden on his son, which he had no desire to do. Still, he owed him a more fulfilling answer. "Maybe one day, I'll see him, even another glimmer. That would be enough for me. But most importantly, I'm just glad that there was enough of that man left to save you, Roy."
"As am I." His wife jumped in. Glancing at her, Eliwood got the strong feeling she was thinking the same thing as him, arguably more so given her premature death in their world. That said, she was also wrestling with the fact that her own father would have had to watch her die prematurely as well. It wasn't an alternate scenario without its own share of downsides. Or maybe Nergal would have joined Nils on the other side of the gate, becoming a human that lived amongst dragons.
"Roy," Ninian called, taking up both his attention and Eliwood. "Despite what happened today-"
"I know," he kindly interrupted. "I'm still to be careful around Nergal. Perhaps now…more so than before." A shadow fell over his face. "Mother, is it possible that…why didn't he ever see a bit of grandmother in you?"
She shook her head, not at all offended by the question. "Honestly, I don't know. I suppose there could be a few reasons why, Roy. One of them being his contract with Kiran."
Eliwood had his own theory, and it involved precisely when Nergal had been summoned.
"Why? Why did I…want power? Aenir? Don't…under…stand."
Nergal, if you remembered the reason why, what would you do? Would you try to steal the Breidablik and use it to summon Aenir? After two, almost three years, Eliwood had conceded that there were few beings in the multiverse the strange device couldn't summon. Not simply heroes and villains from across the worlds, but alternate versions of them, "what-ifs" as Kiran had described a few of them. That included "fallen" versions of such figures, including his own wife. Surely Aenir could be summoned as well, pulled from their world before her death. If such a thing were to happen? What would you do? What would any of us do? What would Aenir think of the man you've become? Would it be enough to snap you back to your senses? As optimistic as he usually was, Eliwood wasn't willing to bet a great fortune on that. What he would bet on was there being a great deal of heartbreak in Aenir seeing what became of the man she loved.
"Is it wrong that all this…makes me hope Kiran could one day summon her?"
"No, Roy. I have long wrestled with the same thought. Just as I have wrestled with the possibility of him summoning Nergal." About three years, that's how long the Order had been fighting, against Embla, against Múspell, and every other kingdom in Midgard and the realms beyond. In that time, many heroes had been summoned, but so had many villains. From the moment she laid eyes on Grima possessing alternate forms of Robin, Ninian had nursed the possibility Nergal would one day be summoned. "When that possibility was finally made manifest, I was not surprised. Saddened to see him, but not surprised." Her eyes moved to Eliwood, whom Roy turned to and watched in agreement with her. "As you know, the summoning powers of the Breidablik are near endless."
"Yes, I do know that. It's just…" Both parents looked to him with encouraging smiles. It was enough to get him to continue to air his feelings. Much like his father, he readied himself by inhaling and exhaling, a trait Ninian was happy to see passed down between them. "Meeting him, despite what you both told me, I've been worried about it, but…I've also been intrigued. When he was finally summoned, well, it went more or less how I expected. Not once did I ever think it'd be a happy reunion between him and me. Still. There was an undeniable part of me that wanted to meet the man who was still my grandfather." Roy's eyes drifted up to the sky, now a unique shade of blue several shades lighter than his and his father's. "At the end of the day, I'm…still glad I got to meet him. That said, meeting him has just made me yearn to meet my maternal grandmother, more so now that I know he saw some resemblance to her in me."
"Oh, Roy, that's nothing to be ashamed of." Ninian offered wrapping her arm around him. "You are also far from wanting to see her again. For just as long as I have entertained the possibility of Nergal being summoned, I've also thought the same of my mother. That would have undoubtedly been a more joyful reunion." Flashing Roy a smile, she finished with a statement that made both his heart flutter and Eliwood's. "I still haven't lost faith in that possibility."
"Neither have I." Eliwood spoke. "In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if one day Kiran were to summon my own father."
"Grandpa Elbert," Roy mused with a chuckle. "Three generations of red."
"For the record, I was always glad that you inherited your father's red hair, it looks simply fantastic on you, Roy." Ninian affectionately remarked while running her hair through her son's scarlet strands, so akin his father. Almost three years of growth had created little difference between them, although Roy fancied a headband in contrast to Eliwood. It suited the former's hot-blooded nature despite his bookish demeanor, a trait Ninian had been supportive of.
"Would she have approved of my red hair? And my…affinity for fire?" he asked.
At that, Ninian's face slightly fell. "Of your hair, I believe so. As for your affinity for fire, I believe she would have accepted it. The Ice Tribe and Fire Tribe were always opposed to each other, and my mother was no exception. Still, she had respect for those who chose peace over war. While rare amongst the Fire Tribe, there were a few. What's important, Roy, is that as she'd have gotten to know you, she certainly would have approved of you. After all, you would have been her beloved grandson."
Content with that knowledge, Roy's smile returned in full, as did Ninian. Seeing them with such an expression brought great joy to Eliwood's heart, as well as a sense of ease. Looking out toward the sunny sky, he found himself once again entertaining the possibility of meeting his mother-in-law via the powers of the Breidablik. While he'd re-encountered the man who was his father-in-law first, he had to admit it wasn't all bad. He was still dangerous, still the truthless monster he'd been in life, but he'd seen that there was still a glimmer of something more inside of him. Something that his son had brought out. Eliwood was happier for it than words could describe. Roy always had a special ability for bringing out the best in people, if not trying to seek it. Such a thing was a testament to the purity his son possessed, even in spite of the darkness that the world threw at him. He'd been told it was a trait he'd inherited from him, but sometimes Eliwood believed it was stronger in his son than him.
He's suffered loss, but he hadn't encountered the sheer human cruelty and greed that his son had been forced to confront in the face of Bern-Zephiel's-attempted conquest of Elibe. People trampling over each other to curry favor with the conquering power. Bitter irony tainted things further with the knowledge that Zephiel's ultimate plan was to hand the continent over to dragons, who would crush humanity underfoot, making all the bootlicking pointless in the long run.
"Does it not disgust you, Lord Eliwood? Learning that the people you fought so hard to save would so easily turn on each other a mere two decades later to save themselves? Can you stand there and tell me you'd make the same decision over again?"
"Yes, I would Zephiel. While I will admit I am disappointed, it is not enough to say I would change anything. Nor is it enough to say that I would want Roy to either. In my stead, he fought for the world."
"Then that makes both of you fools."
"Perhaps, but it is a foolishness we wear with pride. It is part of the pride of House Pherae."
When they returned to the castle, he was sure talk of Nergal's…extreme elimination of the Embla rebels would be on everyone's lips. Not the first, nor the last time one of the "villains" took to enthusiastically defeating enemies. While the newly crowned Empress Veronica saw little to be dismayed about, it was a slightly different story when it came to the Order of Heroes. Not only did they have a reputation, several of them had morals, even in a seemingly endlessly continuing war. Still, they, especially Kiran, had resolved to take the good with the bad and press forward.
Eliwood had long since accepted that. Without the evil Nergal had committed, he never would have met the love of his life, whom he was now able to spend more time with. Likewise, he never would have had his son, whom they could now spend time with-all together as a family.
Nergal, when all of this is over with, when we return to our respective worlds…I…I hope you're able to find peace with Aenir once more. It's something we'll all hope for. Perhaps even…if she were to be summoned here, you may find that peace in Askr.
As his family continued to watch the horizon, Eliwood, and Ninian, noted how quiet the surroundings seemed to be. While they had no idea where this rebel settlement was, neither could hear even the faintest traces of battle. There lurked the possibility the fighting was already over with, a probability that was admittedly high given Nergal's dreadful power. Another possibility was they perhaps weren't the only ones taking some time off to do some familial reflection. It was certainly a longshot, but after what they'd seen and heard, they entertained the idea. It appealed to them both in different ways, as did their teenage son between them.
"Aenir…" They'd heard the name before, and it meant something different to all of them, yet it invoked a feeling of love and longing. The same went for the man they were all thinking about, the man who'd, surprisingly, helped keep their family alive and together.
He too was whispering that name as he stared off into the sky. A name that invoked a sense of longing, more powerful than the dark magic that flowed through his veins and his rotted mind. Nergal still did not understand, but he vowed he would. All he needed was more power and it would make sense. Yes, power, that was the key to this, the key to all that he desired. All he needed was more of it, then he would be able to make sense of that flicker of light that continued to dance about in his mind.
Fin
This was another story where I found myself going back and forth with the title. At first, it was going to be called "Intertwined" but "Little Glimmers" struck me as sounding better given the direction of the story. Nergal's last words in Blazing Blade imply even with all the corruption he's undergone, some flicker of his original motivation was still there, or came back to him as he was dying. For this story, I jumped on the idea that's still there, and maybe meeting Roy or seeing him in danger would bring it out, albeit in the form of near forgotten trauma at losing another loved one. The latter idea is something I didn't quite get to explore.
Being a crossover game, Heroes is brewing with reunion potential, both the good and the bad kind. Of course, that means delicious family drama as I explored here, in more ways than I originally planned. Aenir only appeared in one cutscene, but I ended up making her practically the second centerpiece of this story. Her kickstarted him down the path that'd lead him to researching dark magic and the rest, as they say, was history. While I'm doubtful Aenir will one day show up in Heroes, hey, maybe it's possible since even some background characters such as Elimine have been added.
I hope you all enjoyed this little story! The next Elibe-focused story I roll out is going to be centered on our boy Roy, so be on the lookout for it if you're interested!