So I'm tired of twincest between Nuala and Nuada, because that seems to be the extent of their relationship on this site (not that I'm flaming - I like the stories as much as the next obsesser), so I wrote a little oneshot where they're just siblings, and Nuala's relationship with Abe is given more than just a passing mention. Special thanks to Freyalyn for the 'foresore-foresaw' thing, heh heh.

DISCLAIMED

Some in the court had thought her weak.

Nuala's shoulders shook. It was not true. She knew that those after this night may think her weak, to watch her brother, Nuada, take control and command the army, crushing his enemies, even if they were her friends.

Abraham.

A single tear trickled from the corner of her left eye. She had never met any like him before, not even in her father's court. How different things could have been.

Had Abraham been discovered by her people instead of the BPRD, had Nuada not gone into exile all those thousands of years ago, they could be together even now, her father alive, her brother smiling on, granting his blessing.

But some things…were just not meant to be.

"Nuala."

She turned at the sound of her brother's voice. "Brother."

"Why do you cry, sister?" His voice was tender, with the rough edge gained from living years in hiding, away from the privilege they had grown up in.

"Why do you not read my mind and find out?" She asked bitterly.

"I would rather you told me." He said simply, his hands brushing her shoulders from behind.

"Of course." She shook her head, anger and desperation colouring her vision. "That is how you have always been."

"I never meant to hurt you, Nuala." He whispered. "You must know that."

"As surely as I know that you plan on betraying Abraham." She cried, leaping to her feet and spinning to face him, her eyes accusing.

His expression darkened. "Your precious Abraham. He cannot be allowed to live, Nuala. You know this. He and his human-loving friends cannot live to challenge me."

"He would not harm you!" Nuala wiped away the tears that threatened to fall. "He wants only to see me safe."

"Safe." Nuada sneered. "He knows I would never harm you."

"Only because in doing so you would harm yourself." She slung back.

Despite himself, Nuada was hurt, and Nuala felt it too, close as they were. "I'm sorry." She whispered. "Please, please, brother." She begged. "Find it in your heart to let him live."

"I am loathe to injure you, sister." Nuada whispered back. "But some things are just not meant to be."

"We are!" She cried, falling to her knees. "I can feel it. Abraham and I – we share the same gift. We belong together."

Nuada turned away. "I am sorry, sister."

Nuala openly wept. She had never been a warrior, preferring peace to conflict. And besides, she loved her brother. As children and young adults they had been inseparable, him protecting her in their games no matter the cost. He had been the best guardian, always knowing when the game became too much for her, and when to let her rest, when to stop his incessant training because it was making her faint.

When he had left, her father had stepped in, shielding her heart from his in case harm befell him. King Balor had hoped that by shielding her he could save at least one of his beloved children if not both.

It would never have worked.

Through her pain, Nuala felt her brother's fingers touch her chin, tilting her face up towards his. Through the blur of her tears, she saw that he was crying too, silent tears dripping one by one down his cold cheeks. He touched his lips to her forehead, and she wept harder.

Helping her gently to her feet, Nuada held her close, their bodies fitting into each other perfectly, two halves of one whole. And as their minds mingled, they shared their lost years.

Nuala sobbed as Nuada's pain of losing Wink, his only true friend, sank into her like a burning blade, and Nuada wept for his sister's love for the strange agent, Abraham Sapien. "I am truly sorry, my sister." He breathed into her hair, even as the tears poured faster from his eyes. "So sorry for taking this away from you."

"He will stop you." She whispered, pulling away and fixing her shield over her heart again. "They will stop you."

"They cannot." He said hoarsely. "Not without killing you too."

"They won't kill you." She said confidently, though her voice shook as she wiped away her tears. "Abraham won't let them."

"If I don't defeat them," Nuada leaned close threateningly, "They will have to kill me, for I shall not stop. Even if I am defeated and captured, do you think I will stand by while you reap the rewards? Do you think I will submit while the humans destroy our beautiful planet? No, sister," He shook his head, his eyes hard and unyielding. "They will not kill me, and as they turn their backs," He leaned closer, "I will kill your Abraham first."

"No!" Her eyes fluttered closed and she fell in agony to the floor again. "Brother, please!"

He knelt before her and grasped her chin in his fingers, a cruel perversion of their moment only a minute before, "He shall die, Nuala," He hissed, "And it will be you who are to blame." He shoved her away and stalked out, leaving her in a heap on the floor, her sobs echoing off the stone walls and floor where they had played as children all those years ago.

Mere hours later, Nuala watched in horror, the pain in her arm faded and unreal somehow, as her brother lay on the floor, his own spear at his throat. As Nuala had always had the gift of reading people, her brother had always been able to predict certain events in the future.

"Kill me." Nuada told Anung Un Rama. "You must, for I will not stop. I cannot."

"Sorry, pal." Anung Un Rama growled. "I win. You live." He reached forward and took the golden crown from the prince's head, and then – oh no, brother, you foresaw this! – turned his back on him.

Nuala saw her brother pull the dagger from his belt, and felt a cold, clear flash of knowledge – he truly would never stop. Even if they kept him locked up, he would one day escape, and that one day would be all it would take.

So even as he stood and stepped forward to rush past Anung Un Rama and plunge the blade into her beloved Abraham's heart, she slid an identical dagger from her own belt and pushed it into her own, sacrificing herself to stop him.

The pain was swift and unforgiving. Her heart wept as her brother, proud, strong Nuada, faltered, blood spurting between his fingers. His breath came in shuddering gasps as he dropped his knife with a clang and turned to her. "Nuala."

From the corner of her eye she saw Abraham shake his head as she pulled the blade out, the warm blood staining her dress. Her vision swam as she fell, her knife falling from her hand. She felt her brother stumble and nearly cried out as the bond between them wavered.

The next thing she knew, Abraham's cool hand was supporting her head, his black eyes staring into hers. "I never got a chance," He said, "To tell you how I felt."

"Give me your hand." She said, her voice surprisingly clear. His palm touched against hers, and as he poured his love into her mind, his desperation, his willingness to give his life and do the dishes – what was that about? – the iron cables tying her to Nuada broke off and realigned themselves, attaching to Abraham instead.

How unfair that they should get only those few, precious, fleeting moments together. Abraham felt her connection to him strengthen, and poured more into her. "Beautiful." She said, her voice trembling. "It's beautiful."

As if from a great distance, she heard her brother calling her name, but by then it was too late. They would never be together in death, as they had promised each other so naively all those years ago. Instead she would remain blessedly free, waiting for her Abraham.

Live for me, She whispered with her dying thoughts as the stone overtook her body, freezing her into a statue. But it was alright – she would be with her Abraham in the end.

Some things were just meant to be.

So? Thoughts? I know not many people actually review, but it'd mean a lot to me even if you just tell me you read it. You don't even have to enjoy it. -Hopeful grin-