Love Conquers All

by fireflydrake

The True Ending of FE:SS... because true love never dies. [Lyon X Eirika]

'Love Conquers All'
The True Ending of Fire Emblem: The Sacred Stones

Chapter 1
Seeking Solace

Eirika stood on an outcropping of the steep hill they'd chosen to camp on, slightly apart from her friends. The chill wind that was eternally existent in this bleak and forbidding landscape picked up strength, whipping her long blue hair into disarray, and making her short cape fan out behind her. She stood facing the Dark Temple, where, long ago, the Demon King Fomortiis had been defeated and sealed away inside the Sacred Stones. It was also where, if they succeeded today, he would be defeated again. But, if what she feared came to pass…It could never be a true victory in her heart. A loud noise from the camp caught her attention, and she turned around and headed back towards the others…after all, perhaps her brother could give her aching soul some solace.

They'd picked the hill as the place where they would charge from because of its duel strategic advantages-their elevated position would make it hard for anything but flying monsters to reach them, which could easily be picked off by archers, and the second advantage was that it offered a clear view of the battlefield below. One sad fact about the hill, however, was that for some unknown reason the stink of the rotting, fetid undead and other abominations settling in to battle formation around the hill's western base seemed to be particularly thick here. She could hear Dozla talking about this woe, his rather demented, rolling laughs easy to identify even above the clatter of an army preparing to fight.

"Gwah ha ha! Sure does stink up here, doesn't it, Rennac?" Rennac was, like the others, preparing for battle. He was kneeling on the grass, sharpening his dagger with a stone he carried specifically for that purpose. With a grunt of satisfaction, the rogue set it down on the ground beside him and picked up his sword to treat it the same way. "Can't you see I'm busy, old man? Now go-*Crunch*-Argh, what have you done NOW?!" In his rush to talk with Rennac, Dozla had accidentally trodden on the freshly-sharpened knife, snapping it with his immense bulk. He lifted his foot and squinted at the two pieces firmly squished into the leather of his boot, and peeled the fragments off, offering them to Rennac. "Gwah ha! Sorry, Rennac! I'd give you one of my axes, but their bigger then you are! Bwah ha ha!" Rennac glared at the cheery, wrinkled lines that were Dozla's eyes, sealed shut with laughter, and then sighed in exasperation.
"Forget it, old man. Just stay away from me, alright?"
"Gwah ha ha! As you say, my fellow vassal of L'Arachel!"
"I'm NOT L'Arachel's vas-!"

Similar incidents were occurring all over the camp. Friends, relatives, and lovers all sat in their own little groups. Ewan sat between his sister, Tethys, and his teacher, Saleh. Gerik sat on the other side of Tethys, with Marisa standing nearby. Amelia, Ross, and Ross' father Garcia were near Ewan, practicing battle maneuvers, as usual. Syrene and Vanessa chatted happily from where they sat astride their gleaming, white-winged pegasi. Cormag and Duessel stood about idly, talking about the Grado they remembered. Cormag stroked the snout of his faithful wyvern to calm him, as the dragon-like creature raised its head in agitation at the strange scents of mauthe doogs, giant, spider-like baels, and other dark creatures drifting through the air, while Duessel likewise reassured his steed. Lute, meanwhile, was enjoying her hobby of 'monk-watching' as she intently stalked Artur around the camp. He knew very well what she was doing, but it only brought a smile to his face.

She spotted several more clusters-Seth, Gilliam, and Moulder, discussing military maneuvers that would have put her to sleep if she'd had to listen to them, Franz, Forde and Kyle, happily nagging at one another's inadequacies, Neimi crying after Colm had chastised her and Colm frantically trying to calm her down, and Joshua once again trying to convince Natasha that gambling wasn't THAT bad… She wondered if they, to, were thinking about how, if the battle went awry, they might never see the ones they loved again after this day… She did not fear death, though. He had been willing to sacrifice everything for those he loved, and she wouldn't be worthy to call him her friend if she hadn't been willing to do the same for him… And then she finally spotted her brother.

He was standing with Tana, only a few yards away from her, with Myrrh hovering nervously between him and Saleh. Like her and many of the other usually horse-riding troops, he was no longer on his horse. Only a few of the most reliable animals had been brought to the final battle, for fear that the more skittish or young ones would bolt at the sight of the forces arrayed before them. They'd been loosely tethered in a grove some distance from the battlefield. Everyone with a horse had insisted on the loose tethering-if the fight was lost and they died, they didn't want their heaven-bound souls to feel guilty about horses left helpless in the woods. The way they were tied, they would be able to pull free of their ropes if they should get overly hungry or frightened.

She started towards him, wistfully realizing that, unlike the others, she had spent the last hour alone. She did not want to spend much time with the others right now, not even with her brother. The one person she most wanted by her side right now was the one she was shortly…going to… have…to… She pushed the thought from her mind, refusing to give in to the wave of sorrow that threatened to engulf her, and suppressing the urge to weep. She would do what she had to…for him… Then she saw Innes near Tana, and naturally, wherever Innes went, one could also find L'Arachel. She was standing nearby, gawking at his slim, albeit muscular shoulders, which she'd recently become infatuated with. A question popped unbidden into Eirika's mind, one that only the eccentric valkyrie could answer…

Chapter 2
A Question of Power

"L'Arachel!" The drooling, green-haired Princess of Rausten whirled her gaze off her lover's shoulders to scan around for whoever had addressed her. Probably another one of her adoring fans…! …No, wait, it was Eirika. L'Arachel was good friends with the Princess of Renais, but never the less balked at the sight of her. The last time Eirika had talked with her, L'Arachel had confessed that there was very little hope that Lyon, the Crown Prince of Grado, would be able to break free of the Demon King Fomortiis' possession of his body, and that even if the demon's hold on him could be broken, Lyon's soul would already be gone. Not destroyed, for it was impossible to completely destroy something as pure as a human soul, but fled on to the next life to escape the pain of the demon's attempts to consume it. Not overly comforting words, in any case. So naturally, Eirika must be angry at her for what she'd said!

She attempted to hide behind Innes, but Eirika would not be turned away. "L'Arachel!" she said, popping her head around Innes to get a better look at L'Arachel. "I need to talk to you!" All thoughts of talking to her brother had been forgotten in her sudden urgency. Innes raised his arms and peered down in agitation at the rapidly unfolding spectacle taking place around him. L'Arachel squealed and ran around Innes in a circular motion, only to smash into the other side of Eirika. Both girls fell to the ground in a tangled heap. L'Arachel squawked with fright. "Oh my goodness! You were on the other side of Innes, too! You shouldn't be allowed to be in two places at once-!" Eirika grabbed her before she could dart away again. "L'Arachel-wait-where does the Sacred Stone's power come from, again?" She enquired, subconsciously placing her free hand on the faintly glowing sapphire-colored Stone in her pocket. "Human w-will, and something else, but n-no one knows what anymore…" Eirika felt a sudden surge of elation at this response, as if she knew what else powered the Stones, but it quickly faded. She didn't really know what else powered the Stones, right? And why had she wanted to know that in the first place, anyway…? She felt like she'd known the answer to both of her questions a minute ago…

She frowned, clambered to her feet, and helped L'Arachel, who had gone nearly faint with relief when she realized that it didn't look like Eirika wanted to kill her, stand up. "But, I don't understand… Lyon wanted to help others with all his heart, so why couldn't his willpower cause the Sacred Stones to do what he wanted-stop the earthquake and truly revive his father? The legends said that even a single Stone should have been able to accomplish such miraculous feats…" L'Arachel's forehead wrinkled with concentration, and then, as much as it pained a princess of a theocracy whose teachings were based on the Stones and the ancient lore concerning them, said
"I suppose…the legends were wrong…"
"No… the legends were correct." Said a voice heavy and bitter with grief from somewhere behind them. Eirika whipped around, her hand on her sword Sieglinde's hilt. A druid stood behind her, a user of dark magic-and a type of mage that now loyally served only the possessed prince and his demonic intentions!

Chapter 3
The Shadow Mage

How had the enemy gotten into the camp-?! She prepared to let out a cry that would instantly have everyone in the camp ready for battle-and then she relaxed. The thin, black-robed figure was indeed a druid, but it was Knoll, not an enemy. The mage of the ancient arts was Lyon's cousin, and a Royal Mage of Grado. The position had probably been relatively easy to obtain, thanks to his considerable magical prowess and blood connection to the heir. From what Eirika had heard, he and his cousin had quickly become close friends after Knoll learned of Lyon's dreams for a world filled with peace, love, and kindness… a world free of war and suffering. Knoll had dedicated his formidable talents with the arcane to furthering his prince's dream, mostly by researching new ways to use the elder magics to help people.

Being two years older than the now eighteen year old prince, he'd also been like a very protective older brother, in his own quiet way, to the shy and lonely Lyon… until the Demon King possessed him and had Knoll thrown in prison, to await his public execution by his own cousin's magic, dying a horrible death in front of all Grado… and dying as a proclaimed traitor. The charge against him had stated he was 'a traitor to the crown, and an attempted assassin against his prince' while the real reason was because he knew what was truly the cause of Lyon's sudden change from good to evil. His lank purple hair, a shade darker than that of his cousin's, fell down over a face haggard with the pain that could only come from knowing you were about to lose a deeply loved family member-and that, if necessary, you would be the one to strike the killing blow. "Hello, Knoll." Eirika replied, wondering if, after this battle, her face would look as anguish-scarred as his, or if such a condition was curable. So far, she had managed to keep the pain from showing, lest it dishearten her friends, but Knoll had no such restriction. "Can you answer my question, then…?"

Chapter 4
A Mournful Confession

With a rueful sigh, the druid did so, after warning her that the answer to her question was a complex one. "The Sacred Stones' power lies in their ability to intensify a person's will and give it form. Unfortunately, even this amplification of human will could not make any mere mortals will stronger than that of the Demon King. Both I and Lyon, however, originally believed as you did-that a single Sacred Stone was weaker then legend portrayed it, because it was unable to stop the earthquake. We thought that perhaps the power of all the Stones together would be enough to prevent it, for the five had been strong enough to seal away the Demon King, who we knew had strength enough to prevent disasters if he wished, and so maybe the five Stones would have been. But we also believed that the rulers in possession of the other four Stones would never risk allowing evil to seep into their lands, a possibility that could have occurred if they had let the Stones be taken to another location for even the brief amount of time they would have been required-and certainly not with only the vague explanation that they were needed to prevent a future disaster that would only affect Grado. Although his father said that you would not aid him during this, Lyon knew that wasn't true. But even though you would have taken in the people of Grado, you could not prevent the earthquake from destroying his country, nor could you bring the Emperor back to life. So Lyon began searching for other ways to achieve his goal."

L'Arachel, by this point, was fast asleep and snoring, drool hanging from a corner of her dainty mouth. Eirika had no idea how she was still standing, but was unwilling to divert any more of her attention from Knoll, at least not for such trifling matters. After all, perhaps she could find an answer to her questions in what he had to say… "…We doubted the Stones because we never doubted Lyon's will to help people, for not even the ancient heroes could have wanted so much to aid others. But there, we were wrong. Lyon's purity may have been a match for the ancients, but it was not enough… so I now believe the heroes of old knew a secret about the Stones that was lost to time long ago, something to make the Sacred Stones intensify a person's power even further." Again, that mention of some secret power lending the Stones extra strength…! "Unable to gather the Stones… Lyon tried a new approach, as I said. He knew from ancient texts he had studied while searching for a cure for his father's illness that the Demon King's soul was locked in one Stone only-although the other Sacred Stones helped keep him there-and that that Stone was the Stone of Grado. Lyon also knew that, long ago, people with pure souls would sacrifice their own lives to help others, and in doing so, release an immense amount of energy. By the time I discovered his intentions, it was too late. He had destroyed the Stone of Grado, releasing the Demon King's soul-the Dark Stone-into his own body. He knew it would kill him if he did not accomplish his goal quickly… Relying on the power of the remaining Stones to keep the demon from overpowering him and murdering him before he could finish his mission, he would travel to the Black Temple, the one place where the dark one could be resurrected… and then…"

The mage closed his eyes, as if he were remembering a particularly horrid nightmare. "Sacrifice himself, unleashing a power pure enough to revive-and control-even an entity as strong as the Demon King. Then, with his final breath, he would use that power to command the fiend, ordering it to stop the earthquake and revive his father before returning to one of the Sacred Stones. However, as I said before, he… was wrong. He was not strong enough… no one would have been. The Demon King shackled Lyon's will with the immensity of its own, enslaved him, and began its quest to destroy the remaining Stones that are a drain on its power. It produced a corrupt version of the effect Lyon had wished to create, giving the Emperor a mocking, hideous semblance of life so he could use his cadaver as a puppet to further advance his own schemes…" Knoll sighed dejectedly. "Lyon was such a gentle soul. You could see it-he was too kind to survive. He wanted to help not just Grado, but the entire world. But ironically, it was the evil in the world that he wanted to save that doomed him. There is so much darkness on this earth. He wanted to rid everyone of that oppression. If this land had been a kinder place… then there would have been no need for him to take so much upon himself. And now…" He said softly, looking upwards at the sun hanging overhead in a clear patch in the midst of the stormy, darkly clouded sky. The moon hovered nearby, just beginning to crawl into the circle of unclouded air around the sun, preparing to eclipse it as if though mimicking the way Lyon's benevolent intentions had been smothered by the Demon King's vile ones. "The Demon King will force Lyon to perform the sacrifice he was already willing to make, and seize the power released because of the purity of that sacrifice from him and use it in the most perverse, twisted way possible from the way Lyon had intended to-to revive itself and slaughter countless innocents." And then he added darkly-"When the solar eclipse begins, Lyon's life will end."

"Oh my, isn't that nice!" Said L'Arachel, coming awake and beaming at the two of them in an attempt to look like she knew what they were talking about. Eirika couldn't help herself, and uttered a choked sob, which somehow slipped out of her even though she tried to keep it in. It seemed Lyon's life would have been forfeit even if the demon hadn't wrested control from him. What kind of a world was this, where people like Lyon had to die…? Knoll looked away from the celestial vault of the darkening sky at her noise of distress. His voice softened. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to be so blunt. Do you know he was even more adept with the holy magics then with the ancient ones? Only loyalty to his country persuaded him to pursue the dark arts alongside the sacred."
"Somehow, that fails to surprise-"
Eirika stopped suddenly, and both she and Knoll turned towards the outcropping she had been standing on before. "Please excuse me, Knoll…" She said, heading towards it. Knoll's gaunt form strode along behind her, his eyes narrowed.

Both of them had sensed it-the presence of something so foul, evil, and cruel that it corrupted and withered the very air around it. As she hurried to see what was happening, she noticed that everyone in camp was ready for battle. It was about time! She rushed to the ledge, Knoll right behind her. The sunlight filtering down from above gave her the semblance of some divine being that had descended from the heavens to join in the upcoming battle. There, at the entrance to the Black Temple, stood the excommunicated bishop named Riev. And next to him… She caught her breath in a sudden gasp, and heard Knoll let out a quiet cry of misery from behind her. The purple-robed figure next to Riev looked up at her, bright violet eyes glinting in the sunlight, the breeze ruffling his pale lilac hair. The corner of the boy's mouth twitched into a mocking smile as the eyes saw her, eyes full of malice and scorn. But all Eirika saw were the haunted, sorrowful eyes of her childhood friend, locked beneath a monster's.
The Demon King had arrived.

Chapter 5
The Prince's Despair

After Fomortiis had killed Myrrh's foster father, he had forced his captive inside so that the meddlesome army that would be arriving shortly wouldn't sense his presence until he wished them too. Lyon was glad of it, though. The lands around the dark temple were desolate and gloomy, populated only by a few scarce, withered trees, and of course, the hordes of monsters the demon had summoned. It was a dead land, and he was a dying prince… what a perfect combination. It was easier this way-easier to imagine that Eirika, Ephraim, and Knoll could overcome the vast odds laid against them and survive this terrible ordeal, when he couldn't see their foes. At the moment, he was seated on a large chunk of rock that had conceivably broken off of the ceiling. There was a stain of fresh blood on it, and he tried not to imagine where it had come from. This is where the Demon King had made him sit, and he was powerless to do anything about it. He couldn't have been more securely held captive even if he'd been chained to the stone. The demon had only allowed him enough food, water, sleep, and other basic necessities to keep him alive until the offering, and nothing else, leaving him exhausted and weak. Numerous pillars were arrayed behind him in solemn rows, in a fashion beautiful enough for them to have been located inside of a church, if they hadn't been crumbling and decaying. Indeed, the heroes of old had erected this place as a sort of 'church'- a monument to all those who had given their lives to defeat the Demon King. Ironic that he would go to join them shortly, although his death would undo everything theirs had done. Some descendent of the man who had sealed away Fomortiis he was. He stared up at the ceiling, eyes half-closed. There was a large hole in the roof, and he saw a shooting star whistle through the dusk sky. Why don't my wishes ever come true…? No… they have, haven't they? You wished for her to love you, and she will… as the piteous victim. You wanted to help people… and you've helped the demons. I received everything I ever wanted, and all that I deserve, after what I've done… he thought sadly.

Sunlight slanted in through the glassless window at his right, stirring up beams of lazy dust motes, and making the amethyst inset in his golden coronet gleam. The sun did little to warm the cold room, though, and he withdrew deeper into the dark cloak draped around his thin shoulders. He wearily turned around to peer through it. A lone red deathgoyle could be seen, standing on a ruined part of the temple some distance from where he was sitting. It reminded him of what lay outside, and he began to turn away when a flash of movement caught his eye. Something shiny and golden was fluttering around the sentry. Agitated, the deathgoyle attempted to skewer it with his spear, but missed the darting, glimmering thing. I hope you can get away, whatever you are… enough people will probably die here today without a poor creature like you needing to join them, he thought silently. And then, as if in response to his wishes, the glistening shape shot towards him. It flew in the window and circled crazily over his head. He held out his hand, and it alighted on it gratefully.

Now that it wasn't moving, he could see it was some kind of animal. It had a long, sinuous neck, a tufted tail, and two lustrous, feathery golden wings, and a furry body that radiated warmth and benevolence. It purred, stretched, and turned around in his hand, trying to get comfortable. Lyon felt Fomortiis stirring at the back of his mind, and as the demon roused further, he sensed it was planning to make him kill the wiggling, happy little creature, which had finally lain down after it had found the position that was juuust right. He quickly held his hand out the window, shaking his arm slightly to scare it away. The small dragon let out a little squeak of surprise, and clung on, looking at him with its dark umber eyes and mewing piteously as if asking "Come, now, I wasn't bothering you. Would it really hurt to let me stay?" Then, as if discerning the urgency in the prince's eyes, it hopped off his hand and soared away. The Demon King growled and forced him to send a bolt of magic after it, but thankfully, it was too far away for the spell to reach it. Lyon let out the breath he'd been holding, exhaling in his relief, and wondered vaguely what a creature such as that was doing here… then, with a sigh, realized he could ask the same thing of himself. Fomortiis hissed. "You'll pay for that later, boy."

Then the demon laughed wickedly, and Lyon felt a surge of dread. "But you don't have a later, do you, O prince of misery? So I'll just have to punish your impudence now… Heh, heh…" Although the demon needed to keep him in good enough condition to use for his schemes, and thus wouldn't risk hurting him bodily, he didn't need too. Some things were more painful-much more painful-than any physical torture. The demon began tormenting him, sending its own twisted scenarios into his mind, painting scenes of an elder bael binding him with webbing, ignoring his struggles, and laying him on the sacrificial altar, thus beginning the ceremony that would doom all of humankind to slavery at demonic hands… Eirika and Ephraim saying how they'd always hated him… Knoll dying an excruciating death by his cousin's hand… His father Vigarde telling him he was stupid, worthless, a dishonor to his family, and a disappointment to his country … The faces of everyone who had died in this war, because of his mistakes… and worse, infinitely worse, was seeing Eirika, confusion in her eyes, asking "Why…?" as she was brutally slaughtered by him in this very temple… killed because of his weakness…

"Ahh-stop! P-please…" Lyon begged, burying his head in his hands. But the scenes continued, with sickening clarity. They now showed him slowly torturing his friends, laughing as they screamed and pleaded for him to stop. With a soft cry, he slid off the rock and collapsed on the floor, writhing in mental agony. "N-no… please… have mercy… s-stop… Ah…AHHH!" His back arched as if in pain. Fomortiis chuckled as his victim cried out in torment. He was playing a very careful game with his prisoner. He knew scenes of others suffering would hurt him more than anything concerning his own welfare, but he also mixed in visions of others hating him to make him lose hope, believe he was worthless, so that he wouldn't resist. While he could crush the prince if he tried fighting back, it still made things easier for the demon if he believed it was a lost cause and stopped trying. But another reason the Demon King did it was simply because it was fun. And Fomortiis wasn't even punishing him to the extent he was fully capable of, because that might very well kill the boy. Still, even without using his full powers, it was so easy to make the kind-hearted prince hate himself for his inadequacies-! He let the torture continue for a while, laughing, until Lyon went into convulsions, so weak he couldn't even continue crying out. His eyes, wet with tears, shut tightly as he periodically jerked in quiet, painful spasms where he lay, stretched out on the ground like one dead. Fomortiis sent him a final, bloody thought, which succeeded, to the Demon King's delight, in making him resume his desperate pleas for release and energetic contortions. Then, with a dark snicker, the demon banished the images. The stupid little mage probably would have hurt himself with all that thrashing around, and that wouldn't do. Lyon's body ceased its struggles, shuddered, and lay still as he panted for breath.

With a savage grin, the demon whispered "The truth hurts, doesn't it, Prince? Ha-you don't deserve the title. To be a real prince, you have to be strong. The only things a weakling such as you could be prince of are frailty. Foolish dreams. Despair. Everyone you've ever loved will die here today, and all because of you. It will be all your fault, for being a sickly little runt of a human…heh. It's almost sad that this war is nearly over. I enjoyed how you danced at the end of my strings. You could never have been saved. It's a shame, isn't it, Lyon? That a gentle, loving soul such as yours should be 'wasted' in such a way… that your frail, pitiful body will be sacrificed for my glorious resurrection… And your friend's hope that they can rescue you has doomed them all. What an amusing race of beings. I will rise again…" Lyon gritted his teeth, and pushed himself back up into a sitting position. "No, you're wrong." He said, shaking his head. If the Demon King had been in a physical form, one would have seen him narrowing his eyes in anger. "I might not have been able to stop you, but Eirika, Ephraim, Knoll, and the others will, even if they must kill me to do so." The demon snarled and sent a lashing of pain through Lyon's body for his defiance. "You will not rise again, demon-" Fomortiis continued to punish him, sinking its fangs into his soul, but Lyon refused to surrender and be silent, and kept talking. "-Because, for all your power, the power of love is greater then you."

The pain ceased abruptly, and Lyon could feel the demon brooding. Then it replied, in a sibilant whisper "Do you really believe that? Lyon… It's almost time. Your beloved Eirika is on her way." The hair on the back of Lyon's neck rose as he sensed the demon's certainty of victory, and he was filled with a sudden fear, a sudden doubt. He felt the urge to be sick. What if he was wrong…? What if his friends…? What if Eirika…? What if they all… died? And it would be all my fault, because of the path I have chosen… he though miserably. He fought against the Demon King's dominion as it bid him to rise and exit the temple, but to no avail. "Eirika… don't… come. It's… already… too late… for me…" Fomortiis laughed. "I love how humans look when their drowning in despair! Ha ha… Lyon, prince of sorrow. To believe that a weak fool like you thought to oppose me… You're an arrogant little insect, nothing more. And soon, you'll be dead. I will devour you, and you will be lost forever."
"Please… do what you will with me, but let the others go! They are of no use to you…!" Lyon pleaded. The demon snorted. "Don't be stupid. If killing them will make you unhappy, that's reason enough to do it. Now, where were we? Ah, yes... I was about to make you suffer." Although his body was oblivious to the pain of having the demon eat away portions of his soul, Lyon himself wasn't. His face twisted in anguish. "Gah… urr… ugh… uh! Grrraaaaa!" The demon laughed cruelly as they approached the temple's entrance. It was the first time he'd made the boy scream today… and if all went according to plan, it wouldn't be the last. "Ha ha. Does it hurt? Are you suffering? Oh, but it does not end for you yet. Oh, no. I've left you this one shard of awareness, this ability to still somewhat control your body, for a reason. I want you to struggle against me, then watch yourself as you crush Eirika. You should thank me! Ha ha… hah hah hah!"
"Ei… Eirika…"

Chapter 6
Silent Observer

Meezu, perched atop a shattered pillar nearby, was the sole witness to the horrendous torture session. His small golden body quivered with outrage and horror. How could any sentient being so enjoy the suffering of another at their hand…? And a human as good as this one-he possessed qualities any Chiion would be proud of. In fact, Meezu was a Chiion, a race of small, divine dragons who were believed to exist only in myth. The elusive creatures only appeared to those who were pure of heart, so it was no wonder that most humans believed that they were merely legends. The race had a long history of opposing the demon lords and their oppression of humans, but they preferred to go about it in a quiet manner. Meezu's tail lashed back and forth restlessly. He felt slightly guilty that his appearance had triggered the start of the torment, but not too bad. The demon would have done it whether or not he had a 'reason' too. He'd wanted to jump down and confront the fiend, but he was young, and would've stood no chance against the King of the Demons. And it would only have made Lyon feel even worse if Meezu had died trying to help him.

The demon had done well-he had cunningly hidden his rebirth until it was all but too late for the Chiions to help. Most of the others believed it a lost cause, and were even now attempting to help others who had suffered during the war, and prepare them for the inevitable rise of the Demon King. Meezu, however, couldn't believe that it was that hopeless… but since no one else seemed to think that, he had come alone. But even if he couldn't have fought Fomortiis, he'd still wanted to offer the slight comfort his friendly presence could bring to the prince. But after he saw how distressed with worry he'd become when Meezu first revealed himself, Meezu knew it would be better not to reappear, and instead remained hidden while he pitied the poor human. He also wanted to tell the humans how to use the true power of the Sacred Stones, but the power would only work if they themselves could discover the secret. So, with a sigh, he resigned himself to the fact that he could only give a single piece of advice to the Princess of Renais so gallantly trying to rescue her friend, and only in her darkest hour…

Chapter 7
Fateful Sighting

Riev cackled gleefully, and rather crazily, at the Dark Temple's entrance. "Soon… so soon, and I shall have my revenge on them, all of them!" He turned as he discerned a figure approaching from the murky darkness inside the temple. It was the master! What a pity he was trapped in the delicate body of that weak little prince… Oh well. His true, beautiful form would be released soon enough…at that delightful thought, he did a little tap dance of anticipation.

Fomortiis cut off his talk with his prisoner as he neared Riev. As fun as it was to play with his victim, if he did it too often, the wretch might die of a broken spirit before the demon wanted him too. But still, it was so fun to see the gentle young prince squirm in misery-! His screams were like music to the Demon King's ears. He tried to staunch his laughter as he spoke to the demented bishop, but a few laughs still slipped out. "Ha ha ha ha… Riev… I'm leaving this to you." He said, composing himself. "Heh heh heh… As you wish, my lord. Please proceed with the rites of resurrection, sire." The dark form stepped out of the shadows. "In a moment… But first, I'm going to alert those fools to my presence. It will be more fun to make their friend slaughter them then to do it myself. Let the three in-you know the ones-and do as you please with the rest." As they waited for the army atop the hilltop to sense the malevolent power of the Demon King, Lyon glanced askance at Riev. During the trek across the continent to destroy the Sacred Stones, Fomortiis had often amused himself by telling him stories. Violent ones, because the demon knew how much they would twist at the kind prince's heart. One such story had been about Riev.

The demon had revealed that he had long ago gone insane with his lust for power, and that it had driven Riev to attempt to seize the throne of all Magvel at once. He had worked his way into a position of power, and then poisoned many of the royal monarchs-Lyon, Eirika, L'Arachel, and Innes' mothers, and also L'Arachel and Joshua's fathers-when they were all gathered together for a celebration, about six years ago. All the royals had died after the magically delivered poison had stricken them, and L'Arachel's uncle-whose castle the fatal party had taken place at-had searched frantically to discover the murderer. He investigated Riev, and while he did not discover that Riev was indeed the killer, he had dug up enough other condemning things about the bishop to excommunicate him… Lyon gasped in pain as the demon suddenly started worrying and gnawing at his soul again. His vision swam, and he almost fell, barely catching himself as he tried to maintain his balance.

Riev noticed his distress as Lyon put his head down and swung it slowly from side to side, as if trying to clear away the agony. The bishop smiled knowingly. "Oh my, your nasty little illness rearing its ugly head again? There's no need to worry. The pain will pass shortly…" Then the man and the demon exchanged skeptical glances and burst out laughing. "Then again… maybe not. Just leave everything to your 'humble servant' Riev until you feel better…Which probably won't be until your dead… Heh heh heh…" Then Riev giggled, and Lyon looked upwards to see what he had spotted… And there, at the top of the hill, he saw what the demented ex-clergy man had seen. The sun engulfing her in a halo of light, Eirika stood, with Knoll at her side and Ephraim running up behind her. But Lyon's concentration was reserved for her alone. The very sight of her gave him renewed hope that the Demon King and his evil plot could be defeated. And then Lyon smiled, as he realized the last thing he'd ever see on this earth was the most beautiful thing on it.

Chapter 8
The Beginning of the End

"Charge!"
Eirika cried, and instantly the camp was a bustle of activity. Within seconds, everyone had formed up behind her-warriors in a semi-circle, archers behind, and healers and mages in the middle. And then… they charged. Rain started to fall lightly as they ran down the muddy slope.
The purple and black clothed figure sneered, and with a swirl of his cloak turned and walked back inside. The moon made contact with the sun, touching rims. There was not much time left. With the speed and power of the group bolstered by their downwards trajectory, the first wave of monsters perished instantly beneath the might of Eirika's army. The second wave, however, posed a problem, as the army reached the bottom of the hill and began swinging around the acidic-looking black lake at its foot and the accompanying peat-moss swamp. Eirika produced a squishing sound as she trudged gamely forward through the boggy marsh, while the mire sucked greedily at her feet as though it was trying to pull her down. A snarling, three-headed gwyllgi lunged at Eirika, matted hair bristling and saliva flying. Eirika skewered it through with her sword, twisting to the left as she did so to avoid the flailing body, whose momentum carried it off her weapon again.

Arch mogalls exchanged dazzling flares of light and darkness, as well as elemental attacks, with Eirika's mages, creating stunning displays of brilliance that everyone else did their best to stay away from. Wights drew their arrows and fired, and the zombie-like entombed rushed forward aggressively to hack and slash with claw-like fingers. Tarvos swung broad axes, and deathgoyles dropped down from the sky to stab at the unwary. Baels bit with poisonous fangs or spun gossamer webs as beautiful as sin, and just as deadly. Eirika had little time to register all this, though, or to check on her friend's progress. Her sole aim was to reach the temple…

But suddenly a dark shadow loomed over her. Twisting her head up, she almost didn't see the huge war club sailing towards her in time. She skipped sideways, and it slammed into the corroded ground beside her. It's bald, gigantic wielder, one of the dreaded cyclops, grunted and pulled at the club to ready it for another swing. The muck held the weapon fast, and that gave Eirika plenty of time. She slammed her sword into its mossy grey foot, and it roared with pain and bent down to swipe at her. She ducked beneath its legs and plunged her sword into its limb again. It screamed, and the afflicted foot crumpled underneath it. Eirika jumped forward, scrambled up its back, and stabbed her sword into its one-eyed head. It toppled, falling face-first on the ground, and went into its death throes. As she pulled out her weapon, she saw a blur of gold and jade green winging by in the air above her. Myrrh…? Where was she going…? But Eirika didn't have time to dwell on it as a sinuous, snake-bodied gorgon slithered towards her.

Chapter 9
Love Thy Enemy

Myrrh soared over the battle, relishing the cool wind that rose above the battle ground's heat. The sight of her valiant human friends tackling the abominations before them with such courage made her heart swell with warmth. But there was no time to think of that, not now. She had sensed her foster father in the woods nearby… or at least, what was left of him. Undoubtedly, the Demon King had used necromancy to place him there, to wait until just the right moment to unleash a devastating attack from behind. She had to stop him before that happened. She set down finally, in a silent, secluded glade not far from the battlefield. He was close, now… She sighed. "Forgive me, father…" A huge, lumbering shape appeared at the edge of her vision and lurched towards her, grey-black rot obscuring what had once been scales in vivid shades of scarlet and gold, and reeking of decay. Myrrh let out a small grunt of concentration as she transformed into her dragon-like manakete form, the only difference between her and a real dragon, one that was imperceptible to humans.

The dracozombie's head perked up, ears twitching at the sight of prey. Myrrh could sense its thoughts, so different from those of the living Morva… "Kill! Kill!" Mouth open, panting breathlessly, it charged forward, scabby claws clinking against the hard ground. She spread her wings and leaped over it, landing lightly behind its immense back. It growled in vexation at the fact that it could no longer fly, spreading and flapping its tattered wings comically, and then yelped in surprise as Myrrh unleashed a flare of sizzling, fiery breath over its backside. The dead creature scuttled backwards as it turned around, regarding her with new respect, and then unleashed its own corrupt breath weapon-a wave of putrid black energy. Myrrh flipped backwards, taking to the sky with a snap of her pinions to avoid the assault, and sent another wave of fire washing over the creature. As she landed, it let out an earth-shattering roar, and pounced at her. Claws locking, the two gigantic reptiles rolled about on the ground, splashing through puddles and completely flattening the small, bleach-white, azure spotted mushrooms and other indigenous fungi growing there, tails lashing and jaws biting. The dracozombie opened its mouth to unleash its breath, but Myrrh was faster. Sticking her head almost into the dead, gaping mouth, she unleashed a huge, blistering-hot flame into its throat.

The crackling fire rolled onward, smothering the dark energy in its gullet and destroying all that remained of the decaying organs, and flaying the inside of the scales so that even the outsides were scorched coal black. The dracozombie's eyes widened, and then the goliath fell on its side, abandoning its semblance of life. Myrrh hesitated; waiting to make certain it was, well, deader than before. A few minutes passed, and she realized she had won. "If you were truly my foster father… I would have been no match for you." She said, quietly. Then she gently reached forward and closed the staring eyes with an outstretched talon. She stepped back, and lowered her head. "…Urrgh… I'm… sorry…" The burnt corpse did not respond. Morva… was gone. And so Myrrh tipped her head back, and roared her sorrow to the dark heavens and the blood-red sun… and then, like the child she truly was, she wept.

Chapter 10
Into the Darkness

The dead, ravaged forms of monsters lay everywhere. Luckily, however, there were no human ones to join them. The entire army stood around Riev, who was stubbornly standing in front of the entrance, the only enemy left alive. Myrrh had flown back moments before, and although her eyes were red and raw from crying, she would not say what had happened. Eirika suspected it had something to do with her foster father not appearing, and her heart let out a pang of sympathy for the young manakete. Riev laughed maniacally. "You cannot stop it! The one true demon will rise! I will allow no one to interrupt his rituals! Mwhahahaha! I will kill you all! None can best me! I shall-" A bow twanged, and an arrow silenced the dark bishop forever, his evil monologue cut short. Someone in the army cheered. Another yelled "If you're going to kill someone, do it, don't stand around talking!" Eirika, however, was to worried and sick with grief to join in their happiness.

She prepared to step over the threshold, but then froze as the horrible truth of what she was going to do hit her with such force that it made her stagger on her feet.
"Eirika!" Ephraim said, concerned. He reached forward to hold her up, but she waved his hands away. She looked up at him, with a look of sorrow on her face more intense than any other he had ever seen. "Brother… Lyon? Lyon's…" She turned back towards the darkness, still swaying slightly, as if the next gust of wind would surely knock her over. "Eirika… I know. Don't speak."
"I… I… Lyon is… He's really… going to die, isn't he?" Ephraim put a hand on her shoulder. His sister was such a fragile little thing. He mentally cursed the demon whose twisted mind had planned this fate, which had put so much pain upon her kind shoulders…And on Lyon's, as well. The two gentlest people in the world, enduring it's greatest hardship. "We have to keep going. But, Eirika… You can weep now. As much as you need. Weep for me, as well." She stood there silently for a moment, eyes glistening. "No… I… I had better not. Once I start, I won't be able to stop for… a long time. We should get moving. Forward, everyone!" She called. And the army plunged into the dark depths of the temple, as the stars near the sun overhead, showing against the wine-red sky, twinkled as if in mockery of Lyon's plight.

"Don't go so far ahead, Eirika!"
"Lyon's back there! I won't abandon him!"
"Eirika…" L'Arachel said, playing nervously with her braid.
"I've already told you…"
"I know… but I have to believe there's something I can do to help him. Lyon was always so kind. He wanted nothing more than to help people. It's too terrible to picture him imprisoned by the Demon King. Imprisoned… with no hope of salvation."
Knoll sighed softly. "If it is any consolation... Killing him will be an act of mercy."
"Sister… Lyon's my friend too. And If I cannot save him… I'll bring him peace with my own hands, if you can't do it. But rushing forward into a mysterious temple brimming with monsters and getting yourself killed won't help him."
"I know…" She slowed, and the company caught up with her. The rain outside started pounding heavily, and they could faintly hear the muffled rumbling noises of thunder over the roar of the water. It was a torrential cascade of liquid, and Eirika hoped they wouldn't have to deal with a flash flood on top of the many substantial problems they had already. The downpour extinguished the sun's light and darkened the room. They continued on until they reached a room much larger than the one they had been in previously. Pillars and glassless windows dominated the room, and there was also a huge sigil of blessing inscribed on the floor and several draconic statues, resting in turquoise pools of water that had accumulated over time. An altar stood solemnly at the end of a broad path between the pillars, and the edges of the room were lost in darkness. All appeared deceptively tranquil.

"Lyoooon!" Eirika called. The sound echoed off of the pillars, resonating into the dark reaches of the temple. Crows called harshly as they took flight at the sudden disturbance. Silence… and then, a lone, echoing laugh rang through the cold room. "Hello again, Princess. It seems that worthless bishop didn't slaughter your friends for me, though… a pity. Not that it matters. I'm afraid your risky little endeavor is doomed to fail anyway." The dark robed figure who had spoken stepped out from behind a nearby pillar and padded softly towards her. "Demon…" Knoll growled. Fomortiis stopped several paces away, his crooked grin marring Lyon's face. "And hello to you as well. I look forward to killing both of you today. But before that, I want to tell you all something. Your dear young Lyon is as good as dead, and will be completely in a few minutes. Want to know what I did to him? I devoured most of his soul. Bite by bite, slowly. How I savored it. Every last delicious scrap of his small soul I could find. Just as enjoyable as the taste was simply how much it hurt him. It's an extremely agonizing process, having your soul ripped apart, especially when it's done properly and drawn out… Luckily, it's one of my special talents. You've no idea how much his suffering, his pain-filled screams, amused me. It was actually remarkably hard to make him do that, despite how frail he is. He'd cry out, of course, but not scream much. I laughed when he did, though. And you should've seen his face when I told him how I would crush his plans for a better world. How I'd make him torture and murder you three. The agony it caused him to learn of how you'd die was worse than the true pain I caused him, at least in his mind. He has such a pathetic heart, it was hilarious."

"You monster!" Ephraim snarled. Eirika trembled with anger, her face turning white at the Demon King's chillingly vivid descriptions of the way he had tormented her friend. He had mentioned some of what he'd been doing when they had seen him before, but this was much worse than anything the demon had said previously. Knoll stared hatefully at him. Everyone else looked just as shaken and pale as they did after hearing such a disturbing speech. Fomortiis snorted scornfully. "Why does this upset you? Why does it anger you to know that torturing him pleased me? What does it matter what happens to that weakling now? He was a sickly cretin whose trivial dreams were nothing but hopeless-"
"SHUT UP!" Eirika had been about to say the same thing, but her brother had beaten her to it. "Lyon is our friend. Even if he dies, we'll still be friends, always, just as we promised we would be. You stole Lyon's body and corrupted his dreams! I'll crush the life out of you." The demon laughed mirthlessly, smiling nastily. "Your idiocy astounds me. You're just as big a bunch of fools as he is." Eirika bit her lip, quivering with emotion, and then blurted-"Let him go! Take me instead! My body would suffice for the sacrifice!" Ephraim twisted around and stared at her, mouth hanging open. Before he could tell her that he wasn't going to let her do that, the demon spoke. "No… I like my current prisoner. Your ancestors may have helped to trap me, but it was this boy's ancestor alone that sealed me away. I'll have my vengeance on the man through his descendant's death, but don't worry, I'll make sure you go to join him before the eclipse is over." The demon grinned, and again, there was silence. Then Lyon shook his head, and when he looked up again, he was himself.

"Lyon!"
"…Eirika?"
"Lyon… It is you, isn't it, Lyon?!" Eirika asked desperately, almost begging. She took a step forward, but Lyon backed away. If the demon resurfaced when he was close to Eirika… the very thought made him wince. Better to be cautious…
"Yes… But I'm… I'm almost completely gone. Before I'm lost entirely, I want to apologize. This is all my fault. I wasn't strong enough… I was… weak. My father… and all those people… are dead because of me. And the people in Grado…the people I swore to protect… soon will be. Because I am weak… people will die. All of this… is my fault. I should have died, and they should have lived…"
Eirika shook her head vigorously. Knoll and Ephraim looked at the floor, letting Eirika say what they were thinking.
"That's not true, and you're not to blame, Lyon! It was the Demon King. He was controlling you… No one could have stopped him. And you were only trying to help others! If I had been in your place, I would have done the same things you did. Everyone has weaknesses, Lyon. You're not the only one. I do. I'm sure my brother does…" Ephraim looked up indignantly at this, but then let his head fall again, shamefully.
"Don't hate yourself for having these weaknesses, please! You are stronger then you know-no one else I have ever met is as devoted to helping others as you are! And Lyon… you are so selfless. Your generosity seems to flow from a bottomless well… Would you call any of those things weaknesses? And you've survived the Demon King's possession… Surely that must show you have strength!"
Ephraim and Knoll both nodded in silent agreement. Lyon looked at them both thankfully, than shifted his gaze back onto Eirika.
"Thank you, Eirika. You were always… so kind. The Demon King will claim my flesh as a vessel for his resurrection. Before that can happen… I want you to kill me. I'm sorry, Eirika…"
She swallowed a lump in her throat. "Lyon… I… I will save you. If that is the only way, then… I shall."

Tears slid silently down her cheeks. Lyon wanted to wipe them away, but at any moment, the demon could… She looked so sad. He longed to take that burden from her, bear it himself instead, but he couldn't. Not for lack of trying, though. When he'd found out what the Demon King planned to do with him, he'd tried to kill himself with the knife he carried for self-defense in case magic wouldn't work. But the demon had stopped him, and punished him for his rebellious intentions, naturally. So, unable to purge the sorrow from her, instead he said, quietly, "Please don't cry, Eirika. I remember how beautiful your smiles are… a face such as yours was meant to be happy."
With an effort, she smiled at him, tears still clouding her eyes.
He smiled back at her, a smile that came from deep inside his heart.
"Thank you… I'm sorry, Eirika. I'm already so close to death. But, before I die… I want you to know that… I've always-"
The malevolent light of the Demon King began to flicker in his eyes.
"Get away from me, Eirika! Ephraim, Knoll, stop her-!"
Lunging forward, Ephraim and Knoll seized Eirika, who had started running towards Lyon. She struggled against them. An agonized look swept across Lyon's face.
"Stop it, demon! You're hurting him!"
Fomortiis laughed. "Really? I never would have guessed!"
"Fight him, Lyon! FIGHT HIM!" Lyon closed his eyes, fought silently.
"It hurts, Eirika… Ahh!"
He fell to his knees, clawing at his own head, as if he could tear out the evil intentions of the demon trapped inside him... caged in Lyon's body, but ironically, his jailer nonetheless.

"LYON!"
It was too late. The demonic look returned. Fomortiis had claimed him once again. The demon sneered as he got to his feet. "Oh, please… Are you done turning your failings into some sad epic of personal tragedy? Your body is mine now, and if you'd just stop fighting, lie down, and be still like a good boy, I won't have to keep using pain to remind you of that. It's time we started then. I have a ritual to complete… and some nuisances to kill-"
"Shut your mouth!"
The demon looked at her in surprise. She glared up at him from her enforced position between her two friends. "I won't allow you to desecrate Lyon's body any further. You will not return to this world. I will stop you myself if I must." Fomortiis laughed sadistically.
"Ah, is that so? And do you honestly think yourself capable, wench? You once prayed for this fool's salvation. I can see you still do, even now. Can you bring yourself to kill him? To drain the life from the body of your friend?"
"I can and I will. I made a promise to Lyon, and I intend to honor it."

Before anything else could happen, however, Knoll, eyes closed in sorrow, finished the incantation he had been muttering beneath his breath. A jagged line of blue lightning infused with black energy sprang into existence and hurtled at Lyon. The demon leapt aside, avoiding the blow, his eyes glinting with dark joy at the prospect of battle. He began chanting the cabalistic words to a spell-and faltered. Evidently, Lyon was fighting back. He frowned, and runes of transportation flared up around his feet. With a crackle of energy, he teleported to the altar at the far end of the temple. Ephraim and Knoll released Eirika and turned to confront the hordes of milling enemies suddenly surging forth from the darkness, their expressions grim. "Are you ready for this, sister? Wait… where is… EIRIKA!" Ephraim cried out in dismay as he sighted his sister's lithe form sprinting down the corridor towards Lyon, blue hair flying out behind her. Then he groaned as a wide circle of flame shot up around her, separating her and Lyon from everyone else. And then there was the huge dracozombie-thingy the Demon King was summoning into the circle… He spun around to alert Myrrh to his sister's plight, and then he saw her. Oh crud. Myrrh, exhausted from her last battle, was crouching near a pillar, with Saleh defending her. She would not be able to help Eirika. And he could not reach her, either… So he went back to fighting the monsters at hand, and prayed for her success.

Chapter 11
Skull Fire Dragon, Bringer of Death

Eirika sprinted towards Lyon, heedless of the ominous way the corridor leading to him was entirely clear of monsters. She could see him as she rushed closer-the gentle prince who paid no attention to his own suffering and pain, but cared only for others. Then, the demon grinned. He forced Lyon, against his will, to cough wetly into his hand. He held up that hand, covered with what must have been blood from his throat, and swept his cloak around himself. Then, he thrust out his hand again, and his cloak flew back to lash behind him as he invoked the powers of darkness with a chant. Whatever spell he was casting must have been immensely powerful, if it required a blood sacrifice to complete it. The blood on his hand faded, as though something had greedily drunk it, and then, with a low, guttural, watery sound that reverberated throughout the temple and froze foe and friend alike with fear, a huge dragon materialized in the air before her. Eirika gasped and ground to a halt. The dragon… looked dead. She had heard of creatures called dracozombies, but there was something… more… about this one. It radiated a demonic energy, much weaker then Fomortiis', but still very, very powerful. Evidently, the demon had abandoned his idea of forcing Lyon to kill her-at least for the moment-after he'd failed to make him kill Knoll. That, or he might just want the dragon to pin her down while the deed was done. Either way, it didn't erase what the Demon King had done. He had summoned his pet-a legendary demon dragon.

Lyon's eyes widened with horror at the sight of the apparition confronting Eirika. The eyes, which lacked pupils, were immense and sickly yellow, and looked very much alive, despite its corroded flesh. It had a semi-external skeleton, with the top jaw bone, spinal cord, and vertebrae resting on top of the pitch black skin like armor. The teeth were razor sharp, and stuck out from the mouth. Two elongated fangs gave it a vampire-like appearance, and were probably intended for that very purpose. The huge, bat like wings fanned the air lazily. The head was wedge shaped and topped by a row of dagger-sharp spikes, which continued down its broad, pitch-black body, stopping at the tip of the blade-ended tail. The line of spikes along its spine currently lay flat, but then snapped upwards into battle position. Eirika noticed that they appeared to be coated in an oily substance, and that the wing membranes were also covered in the slimy gel. She had no idea what that was meant for, at least not until it turned around and spat fire at its own spine. The oil caught on fire, transforming its back into a fiery wave. The flames continued up its wings, encasing them and the drake's back in a flaming aura, which apparently caused it no harm at all. It cocked its head and grinned at the small figure of the girl standing before it. "I am Sindrisss! I am the Divine Reincarnation of the Devouring Moonsss, and the Taker of Life! Are you ssscared? Tooo bad! It'sss time for you to die, giiirly!"

Eirika stood firm, squared her slim shoulders, and stared determinedly back at it. "You are between me and my friend, and that is not a good place to be… for you." She darted forward, lashing out with her sword at its broad, pointy-toed front foot. It lazily lifted the limb above her reach, and then whipped around to strike at her with its barbed tail. The assault came so quickly that the very air whistled with the force of it. Eirika spun out of the way, only a fraction fast enough, and the heat from her proximity to the flaming appendage was almost enough to make her stumble. Before she had time to even consider the best way to retaliate, the drake's head spun towards her. Lunging, the huge maw opened to swallow her whole, and in that moment, she almost believed she was going to die. The mouth was too large for her to dodge out of the way in time… She threw herself flat, and the huge jaw snapped shut above her. Without wasting a breath, she rolled out from underneath it and plunged Sieglinde into the wyrm's snout as she leapt back up. It rolled a luminous yellow eye towards her, and snorted. Then it abruptly lifted its head, almost depriving her of her embedded weapon. With a cry of surprise, she yanked the blade out just in time to keep it from being swept out of her hands. This was NOT good. The creature was merely toying with her, and she was still losing. And the creature wasn't even as strong as Fomortiis. But she couldn't give up, not when Lyon's… uh… well, maybe not his life, but the lives of countless others… depended on her ability to kill this thing.

Shard-shaped fragments of energy flickered into existence above her and sliced at the drake's hide, and as she turned to avoid a swipe of the dragon's talons, she saw Knoll standing as close as he could get to the ring of fire, his arms dropping back to his side as he finished casting the spell. Apparently he had conjured the magical attack to aid her after he had disposed of whatever foe he'd been dealing with. She saw her brother seeking a way inside, and other spell casters preparing to attack the wyrm. But they never got the chance to finish their magic, or Ephraim to find a way in, as the monsters on their side of the leaping, dancing flames launched another assault. She was back on her own, and probably would be for some time. Fomortiis sneered. "Finish her. I'll have the boy kill the other two at my leisure, but sadly, the eclipse is drawing nigh, and I don't have time to fully appreciate the extent of my cruelty with three humans before then." In response to his wishes, the demon dragon drew back its head. Through the missing patches of flesh in its neck, Eirika could see a huge ball of fire forming. The throat swelled, bulging as it stretched to contain the fiery, ruby-colored death developing within. There was no way she could avoid the devastating attack.

Chapter 12
Angels and Demons

The dragon swiveled as she scurried away from it, centering in on her. And then the mouth opened, and-
"NO!"
Lyon let out an anguished cry, snapped his fingers, and shouted an incantation. A circle of bright light flared into existence, and snapped shut around the dragon's mouth, sealing it closed. It choked and sputtered as the flame, locked there a moment to long, began to sear its neck. Fomortiis swore, saying some very naughty words that sounded completely out of place when said in Lyon's gentle voice. While the drake was distracted, Eirika leapt in. She plunged her sword into the creature's undead heart in an attempt to cleave it out, and when that failed, she drew it back, and darted at the creature's neck, hacking at the base again and again in an attempt to sever it. The dragon, deprived of breath weapon, twisted to bring its claws and tail into play. But then the fire trapped within it rebounded against the flame-proof teeth, and lashed back down inside its body to sear its heart instead. With a low, startled gurgle, the demon faded from her dimension, returning to its own to nurse its wounds until someone summoned it forth again.

The flames around her faded, and she rushed towards Lyon, but then she faltered. Lyon… she couldn't do it. After all this, and she couldn't do it. She felt tempted to howl in sorrow, or at least scream in frustration. The demon snickered. And then, something small and golden fluttered past her. It said only a few words, but it gave her the courage to go on. "Believe in the power of your heart, and nothing is hopeless… Believe, and you can perform miracles. Believe… and you can save him." Fomortiis tried to cast Naglfar, but Lyon fought him, and the magic faded away. The Demon King hissed, and gave Lyon what amounted to a mental kick in the side. But Lyon refused to obey and spread his arms, preventing the demon from using them to perform mystical passes that would kill Eirika. And then, she was there. She ran into his arms, and almost fell, catching herself against his body. She leaned against him and looked up at him with eyes full of sorrow and regret for the sin she had just committed. "Forgive me…" she pleaded, and only as she carefully withdrew her sword, so as not to hurt him more, did he feel the warm blood trickling down his body.

Chapter 13
A Love Brought to Light

Fomortiis let out a howl of frustration as his soul-the Dark Stone-fled Lyon's body so that the demon would not die with him. The ebony-black sphere coalesced into being a few feet away from the two, than vanished. Lyon blinked in surprise as the first wave of pain came, then slowly fell backwards. Eirika caught him, sliding behind him and holding up his head as his legs slid out from under him, and his eyes closed. Although he'd seen the Dark Stone disappear, Ephraim was still nervous. Could such a powerful being truly have been defeated…? He called out "Be careful, Eirika!" Eirika turned her head towards him slowly, then looked back at Lyon.
"It's all right. He's Lyon. Lyon…"
"Ei…Eirika… Is that… still you…?" he asked, struggling to speak, as he was dazed from blood loss.
"Yes, Lyon. It's me."
With an effort, he opened his eyes again.
"Eirika… You stopped me, didn't you? I'm glad… you did, and… that I didn't hurt you…"
"Lyon… L-Lyon… Forgive me… I'm so sorry. I couldn't s-save you…" She said again, tears choking her throat, making her stammer. "There is nothing… to forgive." He said, gently.

There was complete silence as they looked at each other, a silence that reigned over the entire battlefield. Even the rain outside had stopped, fading to merely a quiet dripping noise in the background. When the monsters had seen their leader disappear, they'd quickly fled into the shadows, and were skulking there at the moment. Everyone-including Knoll and Ephraim, who had dashed towards her the moment the flames fell-looked away. Meezu floated overhead, looking down in silent sorrow. He wanted to sing out the song of heart-wrenching grief normally sung only at the death of a Chiion, but this moment called for silence. There was something sacred, something holy, happening between the two people in front of the altar, one half-lying, the other on her knees as if praying, pleading with fickle fortune to spare her friend this sad fate, and they would not interrupt it. Lyon's intelligent eyes, still not clouded with oncoming death, looked into Eirika's azure ones. He opened his mouth to speak, but Eirika shook her head. "No, don't, save your strength. You'll be okay, there are healers…" She couldn't meet his gaze, looked around frantically. "L'Arachel! Natasha! Please, someone, anyone… help him! Healing magic…" Her voice trailed off as the two she had addressed bowed their heads in grief. They knew as well as she did… as well as he did… that no magic could heal a wound so deep.

Eirika pressed her hand over the wound, blinking at her tears, in an attempt to keep in the life that was so rapidly ebbing away beneath her fingers. She could feel his heart slowing, beating more and more faintly… She was going to lose him, he was going to die. And after all he'd been through, surviving the demon's possession! After all she'd done to save him! And now, she was the one who'd killed him. She cradled him in her arms as her heart slowly broke. Lyon still hadn't taken his eyes off her, and she turned away from the crowd to look back at him. Although he had said there was nothing to forgive, she could not accept what she had done. She could never accept it. "Lyon… you always thought you were too weak to protect me… But in the end you were strong enough to save me, but I…I… Forgive me for not being strong enough to save you…" He shook his head slightly, and repeated what she'd said to him only a few minutes ago… "Eirika… You know that isn't true. You are the one… who saved me. Eirika… when the Demon King was possessing me… There were times when I wanted to give up, to accept defeat. But then I would think of you. When we were in Grado, you were always there for me… You were always encouraging me to succeed. That's what kept me going. I just thought of you. Even before the demon possessed me, that was true. And… I dreamed of you, as well."

"Lyon…" She said, eyes glistening. She prepared to tell him what she had always been too afraid to say. He drew in a final, shuddering breath, and knew it would be his last. Eirika had delivered only one blow, but had done it in such a way that it would kill quickly, so that he would not suffer. And then, Lyon used his dying breath in the way he had always known he would, ever since he had first become possessed. He used it to address the angel even now hovering over him, anguish and concern in her eyes, tears sliding down her cheeks. He raised his hand with the last bit of his fading strength and brushed them away, and as his hand fell, Eirika caught it in hers. He looked up at her, and, smiling faintly, spoke. "Eirika…I never had the courage to tell you, but…I've always… loved you…" And Eirika, leaning forward, replied "And I, Lyon… have always… loved you…" He lifted his head to kiss her, than hesitated, uncertain if this was just another dream. But as she moved to his side, still supporting his bleeding, broken body, and bent down towards him, he knew it was real… And although it pained him, he lifted his face to hers, and they gently pressed their lips together, as they had always wished too.

Chapter 14
Sacred Oaths

Lyon's head sunk slowly, despite his efforts to hold it up, breaking the kiss that could not even begin to express their love for one another… The emotion they'd kept hidden inside for so long that now that they had finally released it, it was overflowing. His eyes began to mist over as the air from the last breath he'd ever draw was consumed. His fingers, interwoven with hers, started to slip from her grasp. Eirika's eyes flicked open, going wide with fear as she realized what was happening-both her eyes and Lyon's had closed during the kiss. The young mage's body started to go limp, and Eirika let out an agonized cry. "No! Not like this, not now that we're finally together! I won't let it end this way! I won't let you die-!" The Sacred Stone floated out of her pocket and began to glow in response to what she had finally realized powered it-not mere will, which even a demon could emulate, but something far more sacred-the power of love. A blue glow enveloped her and Lyon, who coughed and began to breathe, his eyes growing clear again. The grievous wound on his chest began to stitch together, fade, and give way to new skin.
"Eirika…?"
"Lyon!"
The two stared at each other with eyes full of astonishment and hope… and then, with joy.

Letting out a sob of mingled surprise and happiness, Eirika pressed against Lyon, burying her head in his hair and weeping as she was overcome with emotion. Lyon put his arms around her, gently pulling her into a tender embrace, his eyes closed in wonder as his one true wish was granted… for with her by his side, all his other wishes became possible to accomplish. They kissed again, reverently, and more deeply than before.
"Y-you're alive! I thought I had lost you… I thought I would be alone again…" She said, her body shaking. He brushed his hand lightly down her cheek, banishing the tear marks streaking it, and said, so passionately that it was almost fiercely, "I will never abandon you, Eirika. It was my mistake to leave you alone for all that time. But now that I'm with you… I promise I will never leave you again. I won't let anyone take you away from me, and I'll follow you to the ends of the earth, even if it means my death, for I love you more than life itself. I will be stronger. I will be a prince worthy of you… and I will do everything in my power to protect you, and to never again let tears hide the beauty of your face. I will make you happy… And I will always love you..." Eirika's ragged, erratic breathing calmed, and she relaxed in his arms and in the knowledge that every word he had said was true. "Lyon… I will always love you, as well…"

Eirika suddenly felt guilty. Lyon was the one who had been wounded, but she was the one leaning tiredly against him. She started to pick herself up, but his arms slid gently to enfold her. "Please rest… All I could do was stand there and pray for you. You are the one who had to fight the demon dragon. You must be tired... You aren't hurt, are you?" He asked anxiously. She shook her head no to reassure him, and gave in slightly to her fatigue. As the two reunited lovers held each other close in an unbreakable bond of love, Eirika resting her head on his chest and Lyon gently stroking her hair, the azure light radiating from the Sacred Stone twisted around and then shot out through the temple's entrance. No one paid any attention to it, though, as jubilant, excited cries of exaltation echoed around what had been a scene of unspeakable despair only a few moments ago.

Duessel and Cormag grinned as the prince they had thought was doomed to die rose to his feet, still holding Eirika's hand as she stood up with him and laid her head on his shoulder. Then she looked up at him, and he kissed her. "Woot! Hey, wait, you might be my friend who I was really sad about because I thought you died, but you still have to ASK before you kiss my sister…!" Ephraim said, in stunned disbelief and bemused happiness. L'Arachel burst into tears and naturally, the only thing that could reassure her was hugging Innes… and patting his shoulders repeatedly. Meezu let out a loud shrill of delight that caused several people to turn and regard him quizzically, wondering where he had come from. "Cousin…" murmured Knoll happily, his mouth twitching upwards into what a highly optimistic person could almost imagine was a smile, if said optimist was also thoroughly intoxicated. Because he found it hard to believe that it was truly over… And at the same moment that he thought this, an ear-splitting howl rang out from the temple's entryway.

Chapter 15
Shattered Hope

A massive red drake, gilded with gold, shoved its way inside the room. The long neck arched back as it surveyed the army arrayed before it, although it did not look like it intended to attack. Everyone wheeled to stare in shock at what they could only imagine was some new threat. Lyon subconsciously stepped in front of Eirika, shielding her with his body. The dragon's eyes narrowed as the head wheeled, taking in the dead, mangled monsters strewn about the floor, the absence of piles of human bodies, the previously possessed prince standing protectively in front of a blue-haired girl… and then the dragon saw Myrrh, and its eyes brightened. Myrrh abandoned all semblance of the wisdom that came with being over a thousand years of age and squealed. "Daddy!" She darted forward, and the beaming wyrm leapt towards her, shrinking as it did so until it had resumed a human guise. Morva caught Myrrh in his arms and hugged her. "Father… you're alive! But how…?" At that question, everyone stopped celebrating and scratched their heads in puzzlement.

Knowing that the danger was past, Lyon turned and put his arms around Eirika, fondly tucking a stray strand of hair behind her ears as he did so. She let out a happy sigh of contentment. Since Lyon was slightly taller than Ephraim, and thus a couple of inches taller than Eirika, their bodies fit together perfectly, as if they were made for each other… but then again, perhaps they were. Meanwhile, people shrugged their shoulders. What had happened with the Sacred Stone? Then a single, tiny voice piped up. "I know! I know what happened, and I can tell you what else you can do with the Sacred Stone!" the voice squeaked excitedly. Meezu glided in circles to lower his altitude, planning to alight on a small, crumbling pillar, but missed and crash landed on Knoll's head instead. The tiny dragon craned his long neck downward to peer inside the cowl anxiously. "Oh, I'm so sorry! I hope I didn't hurt you…" he gibbered as he prepared to take flight again. "No… it's alright. You can stay." said Knoll in resignation, and the beaming little creature plopped down on top of his hood. "Well… really, all that Erka did was use the Stone the way it was meant to be used."
"Her name's Eirika…" said Knoll, with a long-suffering sigh.
"Oh, right, Eirika. Sorry about that, Knul! Anyhoo, with the Stone amplifying her love, she healed the prince, and Myrrh's love for her foster father revived him. Actually, with the Stone, you should find it possible to stop the earthquake, and be able to bring back quite a lot of people…"At this, everyone started talking loudly.
"My mother and father!"
"Everyone who's died-all the soldiers!"
"Do you suppose… Valter could be restored from his insanity…?"
"My puppy!"
"My brother!"
"My father…!"
"Yes, your father! And ours as well, brother!"
"Don't forget our moms… jeez…"
"I was just about to say that, but you interrupted me, as usual!"
"How about Selena?"
"What about Orson and his wife…? I felt kind of bad for them…"
"Father MacGregor!"
"My mom!"
Almost every girl in the army burst into tears at the thought of restoring all their loved ones, and everyone else who had died a tragic death in this war. Pretty much the only ones who didn't were, not surprisingly, Marisa and Lute. But suddenly, a sneering voice cut through the happy atmosphere like a blade, silencing everyone.
"Did you fools really believe you had defeated me…? Heh…"

The storm outside started up again, raging even more fiercely then before, as a shadow as dark as sin appeared before them. The disembodied voice rang from its general direction, and one could faintly see a black stone floating in the middle of the insubstantial mass. "As preferable as it would have been to revive myself with your accursed flesh as the sacrifice, boy, the eclipse has just begun, and I don't have time to wait." A wave of corrupt magic shot from the darkness. With a fierce glow, the Sacred Stone enveloped the company in a shield of protective blue light, but the monsters that had served Fomortiis were not as lucky. Shrieking, they fled in terror, but the dark, rippling energy overcame them, killing every last one of them instantly. Outside, the moon was a huge black orb, ringed by a halo of red fire. The eclipse had begun, and the sacrifice had been made, requiring the energy of hundreds of deceased beings to match the energy locked within the purity of Lyon's soul. The Demon King had risen once more.

Chapter 16
The King of Evil

The Demon King was a terrifying, ghastly sight to behold as his body formed once more from the darkness. His skin was a rotting, raw purple color, streaked with pink scars from ancient battles. Above his leering, bloodthirsty red eyes was a bony white plate, which sprouted several twisted horns. A yellow, gem-like oval was set in the middle of it. A long tail lashed the air behind him restlessly, and huge bat wings sprouted from the broad shoulders. The demon stretched his clawed limbs, and grinned at the stunned humans below him. Then he flopped down and crossed his arms, looking much like a cat that, done tormenting a mouse, has just eaten it. He snickered. "Now, humans… Lament your fate. Weep for the dead. Despair for the living. Wail and tremble in grief. Grovel in awe and fear. I am returned. You will all rue the day you were born before I'm done playing with you." Morva shifted back into draconic form immediately, and bared his fangs at his killer. Myrrh transformed as well, her strength restored after her rest. The demon ignored them, however, concentrating on the four who had defied him the most-Knoll, Ephraim, Eirika, and Lyon.

He sneered at the last. The young prince represented everything the demon hated about humans-their love, compassion, and mercy. So naturally, the demon wanted to make his life miserable. "I've changed my plans concerning you, since you're still alive. I will keep you alive for a long, long time, in fact, although you'll beg for death far before I grant it to you. You'll be a symbol of how the human's greatest foolishness-love-weakens whoever chooses to embrace it… a living prize I keep for display. And I never was able to see how much suffering and pain you could bear before your soul gave up caring. I think a pleasant mix of physical and mental torture at the same time, done every day for the rest of your wretched life, should do the trick, though. And how could I forget the deliciousness of your soul…? Me and my guests shall dine upon it at all our grandest feasts… but don't worry, I'll let you heal in between them, and if try to resist letting your soul restore itself by refusing to eat or sleep, I'll force you to do those things… And you will fight, because you'll know the only reason I'm letting you rest and recover is so that I can use you for later meals, and you would much rather die than go through that again and again, wouldn't you? I thought it was necessary to give up that tasty morsel in order to accomplish my goal, but now that I think about it, I'm glad I didn't. Instead, I plan to conserve it for my future enjoyment."

Eirika was nearly sick. Almost everyone with her looked queasy at best, and many people had covered their ears. She could hear someone retching. Ephraim looked repulsed, and Knoll's face looked ashen. Lyon, however, stood firm in front of Eirika, looking up defiantly at the being who had until only recently been his captor. "Your fate is sealed, whelp… but the fate of your friends isn't. So now I will give you a choice. I am not planning on killing your race off completely. My people, when they arrive, will need food, slaves, and entertainment, and humans are ideal for all of those things. But I have not yet decided which humans will have the honor of living during my reign. So if you fall prostrate on the ground before me to worship me as any creature as weak as you should, and grovel and beg for mercy at my feet, then perhaps I'll allow your companions to live. Consider it your reward for releasing me." At this, Lyon did hesitate. He would never bow to the demon if it was only his life at stake, but… so many others had already been hurt by his decisions… He hung his head in shame and regret, and prepared to do as Fomortiis bid him. Self-sacrificing by nature, he didn't care what the demon did to him, as long as his friends were safe.

However, before he could, Knoll, Ephraim, and Eirika stepped forward around him, Eirika reaching out and taking his hand. "No superior would ever submit to his inferior, so that is out of the question." Knoll replied. Eirika nodded. "He will not do any such thing, monster! And if you expect us to hand him over against his will, you are sorely mistaken. No one here would betray another person, and most certainly not to a fiend like you!" There were rumbles of agreement from the crowd. Ephraim laughed. "The only reason you're even offering such a thing is because you're afraid of us, demon. Isn't that right, Lyon?" Lyon smiled at his friends, and then turned to face the Demon King. "The power inside a human heart-love-has already defeated you twice, demon. Once many years ago, and again today. And now it will do so a final time. Because, demon, love conquers all."

Chapter 17
Love Conquers All

The demon glared balefully at him. "Fool! It is because of your desire to help others that you suffered! Look how much your 'love' has weakened you…"
"No… Sometimes, it hurts to love, or it makes you risk yourself in the place of others… But in the end, love only makes you stronger." The Demon King laughed, and stretched out a tendril of his soul to possess the scrawny runt again, and show him just how puny his power was… but his soil recoiled back into his body. The demon smashed his tail against the ground in frustration. Something was blocking him. Nothing was going right. This fight, by all rights, shouldn't even be occurring! And his whole speech about what he'd do to Lyon had been to intimidate his enemies, but that had failed miserably, and only made them more determined. Fomortiis roared and lunged at the fools who had dared to defy him. Morva spat a plume of flame at him, and that balked the demon long enough for his intended victims to scramble out of the way. He whipped around and dealt Morva a powerful blow, which shredded through his scales as if they were made of butter. Meezu flew bravely at the demon, darting to attack his eyes. A flick of the demon's tail smashed him through the air and against a pillar in a puff of feathers. He beat his wings weakly in an attempt to stay airborne, then crumpled and fell to the floor, unconscious. The miniscule army assembled before him charged. The demon laughed, and recited a spell. Instantly, the entire force lay sprawled on the ground, fast asleep, emitting small unhappy noises as terrible nightmares pounded at them. Even the two manaketes had succumbed to the force of the magic. An ominous silence fell as he turned towards the four who were preparing to attack him.

"Well, well… I'm shaking in terror." He said mockingly. "Two skinny runts who can't wear even the lightest of armor, a boy with a toothpick, and a girl with a needle. I must say, I'm terrified. I'll probably just keel over dead with fright any minute now. By the way, boy, I want to tell you something. I shifted the earth to cause the earthquake that would destroy your homeland, and I poisoned your father with the sickness that killed him. Also, I would've possessed you regardless of whether or not you released me. Your precious Stones are weakening, and so my power could reach outside of my prison, even if I could not revive my body with all the rocks intact. The pebble you have with you now is powerless." Then, the demon hurled dark magic at Eirika. Lyon was the first to react. "Eirika!" He lunged in front of her, and the bolt of energy slammed into him instead. He fell, convulsing. "Lyon!" Eirika leapt forward to shield him with her body, but he was already shakily clambering to his feet, breathing heavily. A mage himself, his body was naturally more attenuated to the flow of magic, so the attack had hurt him considerably less then it would have hurt Eirika. Although he had not even considered that when he'd taken the blow in her stead-his mind's sole concern had been protecting her from pain, no matter the consequences to his own well-being. Her heart warmed, and as the Demon King readied another spell, she prepared to risk her life for his. But as the next flash of destructive force came, Knoll and Ephraim smashed into her and Lyon, knocking them clear, but getting blasted themselves in the process.

The battle continued on like this for a few minutes, the four combatants placing themselves in danger to protect their friends, and striking at him whenever possible. And amazingly, it was working-he still hadn't struck the girl, and only landed small blows on the other three. The demon was getting annoyed. The retardedness of the mortals was giving him a headache. What kind of idiot would let themselves be hurt in someone else's place? Only a bunch of soft-hearted wussies like these wimps would do such a thing. They probably all liked bunnies, tea, and fluffy pink objects. And they should all be cringing in terror. They were a brave bunch of brats, he had to give them that. Still, it was time to end this. He quickly thought up a cunning, nasty, and utterly unpleasant plan, than loosed a blast of darkness so fierce that it momentarily stunned the mortals darting around his feet. He shot out a clawed hand, and effortlessly pinned Knoll beneath it. The mage grunted as the powerful limb pressed him to the ground, almost stopping him from breathing. Splinters of magical energy raked at the demon as he struggled to free himself, but his efforts had about as much effect as a kitten does when it scratches at a man who picks it up by the scruff of its neck too roughly. The demon skillfully rolled Knoll onto his back without easing the pressure he was applying on him, resting his powerful claws on the soft flesh of his stomach in preparation for the killing. The druid realized it was hopeless, closed his eyes, and waited for the inevitable. Fomortiis' tail lashed out and pinioned Ephraim in a similar fashion, the tip wrapping so tightly around his body that it was suffocating him. Eirika screamed angrily and rushed the demon, and he grabbed her in his jaws.

He twisted his head to find his remaining opponent. He planned to tell the boy to pick which one of his three friends would live, and threaten to kill them all if he didn't choose, which would rack him with horror and guilt. And then, regardless of whether or not he complied, he'd kill them all anyway. Before he could do that, however, Lyon conjured a blast of flaring light, which smote him on the snout. The demon reacted instinctively, opening his mouth wide to reveal his multiple rows of teeth, and lifting his arms and tail into attack position, which, unfortunately for him, released all of his captives from their chokeholds. Fomortiis sneezed blood from his wounded nose, and something winged by in front of him. Meezu flew to the plummeting Eirika and cast a spell which would lower her safely to the ground seconds before Lyon used the same magic. Evidently, Meezu had regained consciousness, and he wasn't the only one. As Eirika, Ephraim, Knoll, and Lyon scrambled back together in front of him, the army began to awake. They were still too stunned and groggy with sleep to rejoin the battle in time to help their friends, but that didn't stop them from yelling out words of encouragement to their friends, and taunts to the demon.
"Whoop that demon!"
"Whoa, check out the ugliness!"
"The Demon 'King' looks like something from a chamber pot!"
"What demon? All I see is a chicken!"
"You can do it!"
"Nyah ha, is the wikkle demon scared?"
"Send him crying to his mommy!"
"Yah, you've got him now!"
"He doesn't stand a chance!"

Fomortiis snarled at all of them, and prepared to launch a blast of dark energy that would kill them all, just as it had his loyal servants. Now that his body was back, not even the Stone could stop him from killing the humans. And he could just pluck the boy up before he released it, for he'd been truthful about his plans for keeping him alive. Realizing what the demon intended, Lyon withdrew hastily out of range, wanting to die with his friends… not that it mattered. Fomortiis tossed a spell at him, too quickly for him to dodge. Lyon stiffened, his muscles going rigid and seizing up. He struggled feebly against the enchantment that bound him, but although his magic was powerful, the demon was much older and stronger than he was. He looked up at the demon, pupils contracting with fear, his heart beating wildly. He was going to have to stand there, powerless, and watch his friends be massacred after all. "Don't resist. Soon you will be unable to move at all…" Fomortiis drawled lazily, confident in his power. The Demon King looked on for a minute at Lyon's efforts to dispel his sorcery, delighting in his victim's helplessness, than snarled with displeasure as Knoll ran to his cousin. Putting an arm around Lyon's shoulders to support him, he began hastily casting a counter-charm to remove the paralysis. "I don't think so…" sneered the demon icily, and then he shot a claw forward to impale the interfering runt.

But at that moment, someone dug a spear into his stomach. His head wavered back and forth. Should he kill the mage now, or… Another blow sent a fresh twinge of pain through his body. He grunted, forgetting the magic users for a moment, and glared down at Ephraim, who smiled cheekily up at him and waved. The demon roared and prepared to crush the weakling below him, but then felt a tickling sensation on his arm. The girl-! She ran up his arm, and with squirrel-like agility jumped onto his head and plunged her sword into the bulging yellow protrusion that helped concentrate his powers. He shrieked in fury as she leapt off him again, landing in a roll that brought her back to her feet. Lyon was mobile again by now, and rattled off spells in concert with Knoll, distracting the Demon King while Ephraim and Eirika got clear, but then the demon knocked Knoll down and brushed Ephraim aside, leaving only the two lovers standing before him. Lyon ran to Eirika, and held her close as the demon prepared the attack that would kill all those who had dared to oppose him. But before he did that, he laughed at the pair clinging so tenderly to each other before him. What fools! Did they think their love would protect them? As he readied the finishing blow, he stretched forward a hand to swat them apart. Everyone gasped as they realized what he was going to do… and then, everyone noticed the Sacred Stone.

In the frenzy of battle, they'd all but forgotten about it. But now, it soared at head level with the demon, directly over the four combatants at the front of the army. Beams of light shot forth from every person there, including the manaketes, and converged on the Stone. The rays were the concentrated essences of the desire for peace within their hearts, but even more so, the love those people had ever felt for one another, for everyone in the army, for families at home, for friends, for people alive and dead, and for everything else that was pure and good in this world. The strongest beam of all, of course, came from Eirika and Lyon. The Stone pulsed with power, glowing a brilliant shade of white that was blinding to look at. Suddenly the light took on a physical form. A gleaming, pure white dragon, with feathered, billowing wings, kind, compassionate eyes, and a long, sinuous body appeared before them. The scales were glinting alabaster, striking ivory…so brightly white that it was impossible to describe, and as clean as newly fallen snow. It radiated joy and love, many times more strongly than even the Chiions did. It turned its head, regarding each one of them in their turn, reassuring them wordlessly that light would always be there to banish darkness. And then it fixed its gaze on the Demon King. He screamed, as if the eyes had pierced him to the very core. "NO! I will not suffer imprisonment again! How?! You possess only one… Do not fool yourselves… you cannot defeat me!" He beat his wings, taking to the air and launching himself at the dragon with an enraged, shrill shriek of fury. But with a single twitch of its tufted tail, the divine being froze him in place. With an earth-shattering roar, the demon flailed about frantically as the dragon prepared to cast him back into the hell he'd crawled from. He lashed out, shot bolts of evil power, and did everything else he could think of to defeat the dragon, but his wrath didn't even succeed in piercing the crystal-like hide. It cast him back into the abyss, and permanently sealed the portal to the dark realm behind him.

Then the radiant creature gracefully walked over, every movement stately and dignified, and gently nuzzled the four who had fought so bravely in the name of their love, and blessing them by doing so. It paused slightly longer then it had for Knoll and Ephraim after it had given the blessing of its touch to the two entwined lovers. The eyes, white, opal-like orbs full of wisdom, regarded the pair, who were so close together they almost appeared to be one. It spoke, in a voice soft, and yet strong enough to make one feel secure. "You are the ones who will bring Light back into this world. You will banish the shadows of violent and premature death. With the strength of your friends and your love, you shall overcome the evils that threaten to overwhelm mankind, for you are the Chosen of the Dracanians. It will be a long road, and fraught with peril and hardship. You will see much cruelty and injustice during your lives, but you shall not fear it, for you are the ones who will change it. Because you are as one in your love, you shall overcome. You will see the world become the place of your dreams, a place of peace and kindness. A place where sorrow and pain cease to exist. A world where there is love. And you shall accomplish all of this sooner than you think. Then you will live in the world you will create through the power of your hearts, the purity of your souls, and the strength of your love. You will live long in happiness with one another, surrounded by friends and family. For a love such as yours will never die…" Then it disappeared, and the Sacred Stone floated back into Eirika's pocket. Outside, the storm dissipated, the clouds dispersing and the wind dying down to a gentle, refreshing breeze. The sun and moon separated once more, and a beautiful sunset began, with streaks of violet and scarlet that seemed to set the whole sky afire. There was a huge, glassless half-circle window behind the altar, and the warm light streaming in silhouetted the two figures standing before it. She turned, and Lyon clasped her outstretched hands. He carefully drew her into an embrace, both of them leaning trustingly against the other. Lyon gently tilted her face upwards so that she was looking into his sincere amethyst eyes, and smiled down at her. Eirika smiled back, her first true smile since this war had begun, and they kissed, a kiss that revealed the depths of their passionate love. The Demon King's oppression had ended. The War of the Stones was over. And they were together.

Chapter 18
Blissful Memories

*One Year Later*

The star-studded night sky twinkled with the millions of little lights scattered throughout it. A rippling shimmer of luminescence, the Northern Lights, or Aurora Borealis, danced overhead in pale crimson tinted with all shades of green. The moon sent beams of silver lancing down to the ground below. But the majesty that was the evening's ceiling slowly drew back and gave way to the dusty pink glory of the morning, and the landscape began to come alive. Seagulls cried shrilly as the wheeled in the air, light, V-shaped bodies nothing more than white sketch marks against the heavens. Small petals, doubtless from the cherry and magnolia trees that composed a large part of the forest beyond the city, floated upon the ocean next to lilies, like the miniscule boats of fairy-folk. Some of them had also probably been blown by the wind from out of the courtyard inside the imperial castle, and the scent of lilac and dogwood was also stirred by the breeze, which also tossed about the many hanging, brightly colored paper lanterns used for illumination at night. The wind chimes produced a ringing, metallic clanging that drifted beautifully through the clear air. The ebb and flow of the tide, breaking against the shore in waves of rolling foam as it had done since time immemorial, added a pleasant, soothing sound as a backdrop to the other noises of the land. The sea moved slowly with the current, sending the smell of fresh, cool, tangy salt water towards the beach.

The city was somewhat farther back from the tide line, choosing to nestle in a clearing amongst the broad oak forest that stretched for miles in front of the mountain range that divided Magvel, but a smaller portion of the city-folk lived around the harbor. Those people were beginning to awake now, to head out on fishing boats to trawl the waters with their nets, or to ship goods to the various other countries. The atmosphere of the whole place was a happy one, as fishermen, imperial troops, society's elite, and businessmen from the deeper parts of the city exchanged greetings, stories, and fibs about the size of their wallets with one another. Woman rushed around hurriedly on their various tasks, stopping occasionally to scold a naughty child for one reason or another. The teenage girls, of course, were checking out the teenage boys, who were playfully staging mock brawls or flexing their muscles in what they believed were discreet ways to attract the attentions of the previously mentioned opposite gender. The youngest children were scurrying about, joyfully fulfilling their own little missions. There was no poverty, starvation, or homeless people here, or anywhere else in Magvel now, for that matter.

One figure, seated on a wharf in peaceful meditation, observed all of this with much bliss in her heart. She was Lillian, a peaceful, kind, comical, highly intelligent, and very gentle woman. She was a druid and a priestess, an interesting profession, considering how vastly the two classes of magic user differed from one another. She was an extraordinarily powerful mage, with long, silver-blonde hair and pale violet eyes, and she was Lyon's mother. She serenely inhaled the scent of the numerous flower gardens scattered throughout the city. She closed her eyes, and reflected, as powerful sages of her age often do, on the events of the past… but even more so, on those of this year. She had not been revived from death-coming back to life at the age she would have been had she never died- until her son had reached home, but she knew what had happened through the recollections of various people. After the Demon King had been defeated, the whole army had started on an anti-clockwise path, traveling first through Rausten, then Jehanna, to Renais, Frelia, and finally Grado, where she was now, and where they had stopped the earthquake. At all of these places, they had revived and dropped off people. Let's see, now… she recalled who had been resurrected. Garcia's wife, all the soldiers of Grado, L'Arachel, Ewan, Joshua, and Myrrh's parents, Cormag's brother, Innes and Eirika's mothers, Selena and Father MacGregor, who had both been ecstatic to learn of their prince's rescue from Fomortiis, Amelia's puppy, Ephraim's father, and herself and her husband, Vigarde… also, Orson and his wife, and Valter. Orson had been sane again, and the strength of his regret for his actions was enough to prove his renewed loyalty. Valter had been a piece of work. He'd tried to kill everyone as soon as he and his wyvern-wyrm had been brought back. But the power of the Sacred Stone, which Mansel had graciously allowed Eirika and Lyon to keep, removed the curse the lance had put on him, and he went back to normal... which, for Valter, meant 'a state a little closer to sane.'

And of course, once the knowledge that lives could be revived became known, people came from all over the world to have their loved ones returned. Who had been revived then…? A red-haired youth named Eliwood's father, a woman named Leila, the parents of many people-Lyn, a surly, black-haired boy named Soren, as well as the parents of his cousin and best friend Ike, Nino… they had also helped reunite Nino with her husband Jaffar, and caught the bounty hunters pursuing him. A whole tribe of people with wings and the ability to turn into herons, a man named Canas and his wife… the list went on for ages. They'd also healed many people who had diseases, including a monk named Lucius, who was cured of a mysterious ailment at his friend's behest… She meditated back farther, this time, about her son. She was so proud of him. He had grown into such a fine young man since she had last seen him. He'd always been noble, dignified, and graceful, but all those qualities seemed to have improved even further since the war. He was brave, caring, gentle, and compassionate. And he was not a fighter… it wasn't in him. Unless, of course, he was defending others, in which case he would battle fiercely. He would make a wonderful Emperor, but not until she and Vigarde could no longer handle the kingdom. They wanted their son to relax and enjoy himself, something he hadn't done for a very long time. But perhaps, with Eirika, he finally could… She recalled a scene outside the castle, when Lyon had been ten…

Chapter 19
Remembering and Rejoicing

Lyon darted happily over the ground, ferns, figworts, and clovers springing back into place as he passed. Knoll, breathing heavily, strove to keep up with his energetic cousin as they raced around the sun-dappled clearing, which sparkled with new-morning dew. Lillian, lounging nearby, looked up from her book as the chatter of the two boys-well, one boy really, Knoll hardly ever talked-came to a sudden stop. Lyon was standing over something on the ground, his shoulders bowed. Knoll hurried to his side, saw what he was looking at, and put a hand on his shoulder. Lillian stood up, and walked over herself. On the forest floor laid a sparrow, an arrow impaled through the feathery, pale brown breast, the wings splayed out crookedly. Being a priestess, Lillian honored life, and she hissed at the waste. She still ate meat, and had managed to convince her son to do so as well, on the grounds that it kept the animal population from growing so large that they all starved, but this was something else entirely. Neither Lillian nor her son would hurt any living thing, and so this was a shocking sight of brutal slaughter to both of them. Never again would the small bird flutter through the trees, singing in carefree joy. No more would it call out happily as it perched on swaying branches, delighting in the wind's gentle touch, the flow of zephyr… She suspected she knew who had done it, as well.

Two strangers had come into the capital yesterday, violent rogues with no place to call home. They'd been raucous and crude, and the people of Grado had finally gotten exasperated and driven them away. She cursed her decision to take the boys on a walk through the woods today, but even more cursed the bumbling idiots who had done the act. This was not something a ten year old should see… the murder of friendly little forest critters. She gritted her teeth and took Lyon's hand. "Come on, it's okay… the little bird has gone to a better place." She said, to console him. "I'll bury him while you two go back to the castle." Lyon didn't look up. "People die like this, don't they." He said dully, in such a way that it was not a question. "People kill one another, for no reason. They say it's because of anger, or jealousy, but those aren't really reasons at all." Lillian closed her eyes to hear such a young voice speaking with so much wisdom. Just as it had in the story of creation, all knowledge came with a price. Lyon had lost his innocence that day. He still wouldn't spend all his time researching ways to help others, not yet. Not until the day of her death in three years. But… he would become quieter, more thoughtful… and sadder. The yoke of the world's sins had been placed on his gentle shoulders that day, and for that… she felt only regret.

Lillian looked up from her thoughts at a sudden loud laugh from nearby. She looked up and saw Kili standing near a birch tree, squeezing the stuffing out of her teddy bear. Kili had a very special connection with Lyon, she knew. He'd told her about it. When he'd been fifteen, Lyon had started researching how to use dark magic for the betterment of mankind by summoning spirits to commune with, to discover secrets long ago lost. He'd conjured up hers, which had somehow become sundered from her body, although her body didn't know this. He had developed a close bond with the ghost, and eventually discovered why her soul was absent from her body. It was because the girl was going to die, and her soul had sensed this, and left to warn others and seek help, although the spirit couldn't remember that. He had searched frantically for the upcoming death, but found nothing. Then one day, a house in the city had caught fire. Everyone had managed to get out but the six year old daughter. Lyon had immediately teleported there, only to find the hysterical parents being restrained from reentering the house… because anyone trapped inside was already beyond saving. Regardless of this, he had run into the blistering inferno and barely managed to escape in time with the girl's body. She was badly burnt, and was going to die. Healing magic couldn't save her… but using the power of the Sacred Stone, he had healed her, saving her from death, than recognized she was the girl whose spirit he had talked with. And then, she had looked up at him, remembered, and hugged him. Thus, the city people had fallen even more in love with their prince.

Lillian went back to her recollections. What else? Only a few more minutes, then she'd have to head back to the castle. She remembered that Lyon and Eirika had been born at exactly the same time on the same day, in January. She had figured this out through her discussions with Eirika's mother. They'd nearly lost Lyon on several occasions, though, because he had always been sick as a small child. Her thoughts shifted to something else, her husband. When Lyon had revived him, the now healthy Vigarde had been distraught with sorrow. The disconsolate father had told Lyon that he never got a chance to say how much he loved him, and that he was a fool for always being too busy to spend time with his son. After Lillian had died, he said, he had begun working to make this world a better place for his son, and did everything he could to protect him, but he had worked so hard that he almost forgot that he had started his work to make his son happy. Lyon had anxiously told him that he hadn't done anything wrong, and that had almost brought the poor old man to tears. Indeed, humans were crazy things, but good ones nonetheless.

Skipping through memories again, she thought back on Lyon and Eirika's wedding. It had occurred only a few months ago, actually. Things had been so busy when they returned, what with getting all the countries back in order, that it was a miracle it had come so soon. They'd done a very good job, setting things straight, and earned Lyon the nickname the Gentle Prince, Eirika, the Passionate Princess. Mentioning either of those titles made both of them go scarlet with embarrassment. They'd wanted the wedding to be small, but then realized that they had so many friends, that simply wasn't possible. Things had only gotten worse when L'Arachel had started bullying the flustered lovers around. "No, Lyon, you want THIS shade of violet for the table coverings! Eirika, don't be silly, my dear, you need at least THREE main courses at your wedding, don't want the guests to be hungry… Aieeeeee! No, no, no! Those flowers can't go there! Honestly, what would you two do without me?" Yes, L'Arachel was an interesting young woman. One of her catchphrases when asked if the beauty of the table settings and wedding cake was really that important was "Looking ugly is a much scarier thing then any silly old Demon King!"… Despite this, the wedding had been a beautiful one. When Eirika and Lyon had sworn the unbreakable vow that their love for one another would last forever, many people had burst into tears, including Lillian...

"Do you, Lyon Von Grado, take this woman to be your lawfully wedded wife, to hold and to cherish, to love in sickness and in health, for richer or poorer?" Father MacGregor asked, grinning. "I do." Lyon said, smiling at Eirika. "And do you, Eirika Liana Renais, take this man to be your lawfully wedded husband, to hold and to cherish, to love in sickness and in health, for richer or poorer?"
"I do." She smiled back at Lyon.
"Then I pronounce you bonded for life as husband and wife. You may now kiss the bride!" And so Lyon did, in a deeply passionate display of love. Everyone cheered, and Tana, who was Eirika's bridesmaid, squealed happily. Even Knoll, who was the best man, smiled. Kili the flower girl swirled her dress and laughed in delight, and Ephraim, who had been unanimously appointed as wedding jester, pumped his fist in the air. Then Eirika threw the flowers. Every single available girl there lunged for them, resulting in a huge mass of tangled, giggling ladies. The flowers landed a few feet away from the pile, and a small poodle nonchalantly picked them up and carried them off to bury. Afterwards, when they'd cut the cake, Ephraim had yelled "Smush it into her face!" Lyon flushed. "No!"
"Bo-ring! Eirika, you do it, then!" Eirika shook her head no, and leaned against Lyon, sighing happily. "Fine, I'LL do it!" And Ephraim had flung a piece of cake at the two startled lovers, thus starting a huge food fight…

What else had happened? Lyon was now so adept at using magic that he could use it without moving his hands or reciting a spell. When he did do those things, he could cast three spells at once, one with either hand and the last with a spoken word. He was always using his powers to help people, and also often to do things for Eirika, like leave her messages formed with petals floating in the air, or cure her if she caught a cold. He still used the ability to see into the future to prevent disasters, but no harm would come from that, not with the Sacred Stone around… But he had, however, stopped the Royal Mage's occult research. Lyon was still the leader of the Royal Mages, but was now teaching them to help others with the powers they already possessed. Also, he was singing again. He hadn't done that since he'd lost his innocence and understood that people hurt one another… according to his father, he had also done that when Eirika visited Grado for the first time, all those years ago. He also laughed and smiled much more often. Also, Eirika was teaching him how to use a blade, or two daggers simultaneously, for self-defense. She could still best him in sword fighting, but that was no surprise. Hardly anyone could beat her at that. She and Lyon were also erecting a new temple in place of the one the demon had defiled with his presence. It was to honor those who had died to defeat the Demon King long ago, or had suffered because they tried to fight him. It was being erected in the middle of Magvel-Renais. And they'd taken up dancing. Everything from ballroom to tango, as well as a unique type of dancing relying solely on trust, in which both participants cast magic or attacked with weapons, but did so gracefully, in unison, so that none of the attacks landed. It was beautiful to see, and Lyon and Eirika were unnaturally skilled at it. They spent all the time they could together … they were so cute! The way they cherished each other… it made a person feel warm inside just to see them.

Also, Knoll had found a girlfriend, though if you called her that, both of them would protest… at least, they had until they'd set the wedding for next September. She was Cecilia, another kind-hearted druid-priestess, who Lillian had tutored as a child because she showed such promise. She had worked diligently to protect and help the people of Grado during the time when the Demon King had held sway over them, and then after, when he'd fled the capital and headed for the Dark Temple. Not only that, but she had slipped Knoll food and water during his imprisonment and found ways to delay his execution, mostly by distracting the demon with petty political problems. Actually, Knoll had increased in happiness generally, and not just when he was around her. Lyon and several others could actually state for a fact that they'd seen him smiling. Many other couples formed over the adventures of the past year were getting married, as well. Artur and Lute, Neimi and Colm, Tana and Ephraim, Innes and L'Arachel, Natasha and Joshua…

And, naturally, she'd asked the inevitable. One night at dinner, with Ephraim and Tana as guests, she had said as casually as she could "When might I and your father be expecting grandchildren, Lyon?" Lyon had abruptly choked on the pastry he'd been eating, and Eirika had to thump him on the back while a horde of servants fluttered about anxiously. Vigarde chuckled. "Mother!" Lyon said weakly in protest, flushing red, while Eirika giggled and tried to hide her own blush by ferociously attacking her food. Lillian smiled at her son's distress. "Do you mean to tell me that, despite the depths of your passionate love for one another, you still haven't…"
"N-no… we… uh… we've… I mean… Eirika, help me!"
"Um… we, erm… still want a dozen or so years just for us to be together, before we have… um… kids… but uh, yah, we… oh noes… I mean, it was all Lyon's fault!"
"W-what?! That's not how I remember it!" Knoll snorted into his soup and bit his lip to keep from laughing. Ephraim looked up blankly at the fidgeting Lyon, who was attempting to shrink into his doublet, and Eirika, who was hitting the table with the palm of her hand in an attempt to keep in her laughter. "What are you guys talking about?" Tana tittered and slapped him, then whispered into his ear. A look of indignation came over his face. "WHAT?! Lyon, when did you ask if you could-"
"Brother, we're married."
"Yah, but you're MY sister-!"
Eirika and Lyon looked at each other.
"You know, isn't it time for us to be somewhere?"
"Yep. Uh-huh, definitely. Mmm, sorry everyone, but duty calls!"
"Yes, we need to have… uh… a pillow fight! Urgently! Right now!"
"Yes, which I'm going to win, because you wouldn't really hit me, would you, dear?"
"Hmm… I dunno. It can get awful tempting sometimes, like when you feel all guilty over things you didn't do."
"Ah… tough love!"
"Oh, shush... wait, does that mean you're going to hit me?"
"Nope… you know I wouldn't do that… at least, not hard enough to hurt you… But being me, I win by default if we both forfeit."
"That is so unfair!"
"Not really… you always win the snowball fights, because I don't throw them at you hard."
"Not true! You're throws aren't soft!"
"Oh…? Sorry… But at least if I throw to hard, that gives me an excuse to kiss you as an apology... ha ha..."
"You're so bad! You make me want to kiss you, heehee..."
"I love you, Eirika."
"And I love you, too, Lyon."
The two cornered lovers quickly fled the room, smiling warmly at each other and holding hands. Ephraim grumbled to himself. "Back-stabbing friend… crazy sister… mumble mumble…"

Another thing… Meezu was now the royal messenger between the countries, and between the humans and the Chiions. His people had been very proud of him for what he'd done to help prevent the disaster, but he was shy and disliked all the attention, preferring to spend his time with his new human friends until things settled down. He had become good friends with Knoll, too… Lyon and Eirika had brought back so many people that they started to worry about mass starvation. It wasn't currently a threat, but if more and more people came to have their loved ones resurrected… So Lyon had started looking for answers to his questions in the library during his spare time. He had discovered his answers in an ancient book titled 'The History of the Dracanians'… the history of the race of creatures that the white dragon had belonged too. It stated that the Dracanians were peace keepers and divine shape-shifters, who, in their purest form, resembled either humans with white wings or dragons, and that they had created the Sacred Stones with their tears. It said they possessed the ability to unlock a person's heart and transform them into Dracanians themselves, and that their abilities developed when they reached a hundred years or so of age in their near-immortal life spans. Hmm… he wondered if that was what the blessing had done to him and his friends. Oh well. He'd find out in the next eighty years or so… It also said that people around the Dracanians would live longer lives themselves, until they, to, became Dracanians. It said that Dracanians never killed any living creature, but would fight in defense of what was right, or to protect others. They were especially fierce when the welfare of their loved ones was at stake. The book also explained that they brought back everyone who'd died an unnatural death without fear of overcrowding, as they could shift between the endless worlds to ensure that one place never had more life then it could support, and transport people around if it did. That brought much joy to Lyon's heart. Actually, Lillian reflected, it was ironic that Eirika might now be a Dracanian. Lyon had said that the first time he saw her, he had thought he'd seen angel wings on her back in the fading twilight… and when he'd said that, Knoll, in the motherly hen fashion he only adopted around his cousin, had felt his forehead and asked if he felt alright. "You might have heat stroke-it causes illusions… do you want me to carry you back to the castle? Can ANYONE bring him some water-?!"
"Knoll, I'm fine."
"You are not and so you are going to bed."
"But… I'm really ok!"
"You're going to bed."
"But-"
"Bed."

And that was where the memories had to stop, because it was time for breakfast, and Lillian was hungry.

*Meanwhile, at a bar in Renais*

"Hey, guys, look what I found!" The grizzled old warrior fished through his pocket and brought out four small orbs. In the dim, smoky firelight of the bar, they were barely visible, but they still gleamed with a fierce azure light. One of his friends leaned forward, eyes wide. "Those look like Sacred Stones!"
"I know! I'll probably get a fortune off that Grado Prince and his wife for 'em!"
His friend swiveled around immediately, and fixed him with a stern glance. "You're going to make them PAY for them? Even though you know how much good Prince Lyon and Princess Eirika have already done in this sinful world with the one they possess?" The big man with the Stones lowered his head sheepishly. "Golly gee, I never really thought 'o that! Thanks for telling it to me that way, buddy! I'll hand 'em over to the King, he'll see they get where their needed, and that the right people are informed 'bout them."

A pretty cleric standing nearby politely asked if she could sit with them, then added "It's good to see that, through their example, people are learning to do what is right, and not what suits their wallets. I hope that this surge of love continues to increase all over the land." The large man grinned. "Well, yah, and ya know, you and me, we could help increase that there love…" The cleric gave him a patronizing look, and replied "Not today, I'm afraid, nor at any other time in my life. I'm a nun." The man grimaced at this announcement.
"Aw, man! How come you chaste people always have to be so gosh danged pretty?! If you wasn't, it wouldn't matter that I couldn't marry yuh!" The nun got up and walked away, shaking her head at all this secular foolishness. The rejected man's friend laughed and nudged him. The big fighter sighed. "My dang luck never seems to improve."
"Haw haw!"
"Aw, shush, and go get me another drink."

Chapter 20
A Tortured Nightmare

…He held Eirika in his arms as she died. Even then, she begged forgiveness for not being able to save him, just like the others had… Knoll in his quiet, straightforward way, Ephraim with his sense of humor… and then she had admitted she loved him. He clung to her corpse and wept until the monsters pulled him away. They threw him down at Fomortiis' feet and held his head to the floor, while someone pulled off his coronet and gave it to the Demon King. The demon was seated on the altar like it was a throne, and currently possessing a large deathgoyle. He grinned down at his prisoner, who was breathing shallowly and shaking uncontrollably with misery. "Aren't you lucky, Lyon? There are millions of humans in this world, but out of all of them, you are the one whose life I have chosen to ruin! And the one I will kill for my resurrection! That makes you our lucky winner, pretty boy!" the demon said brightly, smiling cheerfully. The prince's only response was slumping further to the floor, moaning and trembling violently.

Fomortiis was pleased. The climax of the brat's pain had doubtless been when his friends died, but the ending of his sad life would be fun to watch, as well. Artur, Natasha, Moulder, and L'Arachel looked away, unable to watch the torment of the innocent mage any longer. The Demon King had kept them alive so they could see the 'beautiful new world' he would create, so a gorgon had cast a silence on them, and then they'd been collared and put in a corner to watch his rebirth. The demon jumped down, motioned the other monsters away, and put his clawed foot on Lyon's head. Then he bent down and whispered two little words. "Your fault." The boy whimpered unhappily. The Demon King considered sending him mental images along the same lines, but the prince's own thoughts were probably worse than anything the demon could put in his head… oh, but it was so fun! Alright, just one more sentence… "Eirika's dead because of yooou…" Lyon screamed at that. The noise echoed throughout the entire temple, and intermingled with the demon's happy laughter. The rain drummed with renewed vigor, and a flash of lightning briefly lit the room… and then he thankfully lost consciousness.

Lyon stirred and looked up at his tormentors. His captors seemed to have lost interest in him, at least for the moment. All he could remember of the last few minutes was a series of almost incomprehensible images… monsters spitting at him, and pretending to bow… someone kicking him… His clothes were torn, and his hair matted with blood. There were several scratches on his face… It all seemed distant to him, though. Everything he saw, he saw only numbly, through glazed eyes that had lost the light in them. The spark of life that was in him was nothing but a guttering flame, now. They had taken everything he loved… He supposed he was in pain, but his heart already hurt so much, he hardly felt it. He wished he could, though. I deserve to suffer for my sin... He detachedly heard the demon talking to him, standing near Eirika's body. "Woke up again, did you? You don't mind if I eat her, right?" That broke through Lyon's lethargy, and he snarled so fiercely at his captor that several of the monsters winced. "Don't touch her!" He had never wanted to kill another living creature before, or even truly hated, but now he felt both emotions so strongly that it burned. Fomortiis was about to reply when Eirika moved slightly. Lyon's heart leapt. She was alive! If she was alive, then Knoll would be, too, with his magical resistance! And maybe even Ephraim! The Demon King cocked his head at the girl, and then said "Good. I prefer to feast upon living, still-warm flesh. Much more succulent that way-"

Lyon jumped up, flung himself forward, and slammed into the demon, the ferocity of the attack knocking the breath out of the monster and sending him reeling. The mage landed on top of Fomortiis, driving his knees harshly into the demon's belly while he shot magic at him, completely oblivious to the fact that the spells would hurt him as well when used in such close proximity to his own body. Then Lyon screamed, not so much a shriek of anger and hatred, but more a wail of loss, pain, despair, and desperation. It was terrible to hear, and even the demon cringed before it. "Murderer! Murderer!" He spat in the demon's face. A panicked gorgon hastily threw herself at Lyon, knocking him off the demon and onto the floor while she attempted to restrain him. She coiled around his thin body, trying to prevent him from breathing so rapidly, so that he wouldn't injure himself. While she tried to subdue him, she sang to put him to sleep or seduce him. The half-serpent monster gently stroked his hair in an attempt to calm him. "Sssshhh, now. I won't hurt you… Just lie ssstill… That'sss it…" she cooed, pity in her eyes. Lyon gulped for air and cried out in misery, then, with a shudder, relaxed and stopped writhing. The gorgon carefully lessened the pressure on him, allowing him to breathe more easily. "Gooood boy… it'sss alright…" He lifted his head and looked around for the demon, then saw him heading back towards Eirika. With a shriek of fury, he started trying to free himself again. "Ssstop… you'll hurt yourssself! Massster!" She called anxiously.
"What?"
"Pleassse… he's sssuffering. Can't we jussst… end it?"
"Don't be a sympathetic fool! I'm having too much fun with him to just kill him now!" Lyon ceased fighting once more, and looked at the gorgon, pleading. "Please… let me go! He'll kill them…" Tears dripped to the ground, mixing with the blood from the cuts he had sustained. His normally calm eyes were filled with fear.
"I … the massster…" She couldn't do it. She released him.

Another gorgon saw what was happening and charged, and Lyon blasted her with dark magic as he got to his feet and ran back in front of Eirika. The nastier gorgon was wracked with convulsions and sent sliding across the floor, which was slick with blood. Lyon, standing protectively in front of his fallen friends, killed roughly half the accursed, foul beings before he succumbed to them, and then they cast a silence on him so that he could no longer use his formidable magic. The demon was the one who had stopped him, tripping him with his tail, than pressing him down hard to keep him from moving. While he did that, the prince had a clear view of his three friends, and was thus able to see the arrows the wights had fired pierce their bodies, dowsing whatever life might have still been there. His pupils contracted, and he nearly went into shock at the terrible sight. "N-no… no… no…" He couldn't look away from the shafts protruding from them. "No… they… they c-can't be…" The Demon King wiped blood from his mouth, and smiled as Lyon let out a hollow cry of unspeakable sorrow and pain. The demon had bitten his lip when the boy had attacked him. "Heh… you'll pay for that."

Fomortiis grabbed his hair and pulled him up roughly, forcing him to look at him. "Oh yes… you'll regret that." He transferred his grip to the collar of Lyon's tunic and held him up off the ground. Lyon hung weakly, too tired to fight, his frail sides heaving. It was hard to breathe… his shirt had slipped up around his neck and was nearly choking him. The Demon King laughed as his prisoner squirmed and kicked, desperately trying to push himself up so he could breathe, then gave up and merely dangled in the air, almost suffocating. "Please… end it!" He begged, looking up pleadingly into the demon's cold, calculating, and greatly amused eyes. Then, however, he laughed brokenly and said "Never mind… I deserve this." The Demon King chortled at that, and Lyon twisted his face away as the demon's foul breath washed over him. "Fight, weakling!" The Demon King sneered. "You can't use magic anymore, but you can still struggle!" Lyon closed his eyes, and a single tear fell sparkling to the floor. Why? What was the point of resisting, now? Their all dead… dead because I am weak… "I-I don't want to fight anymore… I-I can't…" Fomortiis suddenly rent his soft skin with a careless flick of his powerful claws, and Lyon screamed and blacked out… but then a fresh wave of pain brought him back to wakefulness. He stared fearfully at the demon, who slowly smiled. Fomortiis licked the warm blood off his nails, relishing the taste and his victim's misery. The kind prince's blood was like ichor compared to that of other humans, and the demon rolled the flavor on his tongue for a few moments before swallowing it. Then Lyon fainted again… or tried too. The Demon King's skill was so great, he could keep a torture victim conscious for hours…

Lyon lay on the ground, sobbing. His life had become nothing but a cycle of pain and brief, blessed rest. The torture was excruciating, and when he was on the verge of death, the monsters would stop and croon gently to him as they healed his wounds, and then the cycle would begin anew… but it wasn't the physical pain that truly hurt him. He cried not because of his own plight, but for the dead, for all who had suffered in this war… and for his friends. Everything he had cared about… was destroyed. He had given up begging for them to stop, because he deserved this. The demon walked over and looked down at him. "Say you hate them… all those who have abandoned you to this fate. Do that, and I'll be merciful and let you die."
"…No…"
"…What did you say?"
"They have… done… nothing… wrong…" Lyon faltered, unable to talk without pain, and closed his eyes. Fomortiis nudged the still, quiet body. The mage was lying on the floor, dying and helpless, stomach down in a pool of his own blood. The Demon King laughed humorlessly and told the boy he'd slit his skin open again if he didn't respond. Lyon merely shivered and prayed for death to take him… no, that wasn't what he really wanted, now that he thought about it. Actually, he hoped the demon would skin him alive. Stupid fool… this is all your fault, he thought dismally. The demon raised a claw, then stopped, realizing something. "You're dying, aren't you, weakling? Someone, go fetch some water. He's dying too quickly." An entombed did so, and held the cup full of life-giving liquid out to the prince. He refused it, rolling over and lying prone on the ground... He wanted the sweet release that hung over him like a shroud… But no, he wasn't worthy of a quick death. Still, he didn't want the water. Couldn't they just keep hurting him without it? "Oh no, you aren't allowed to die yet." Fomortiis grabbed him, pushed him onto his back, and forced him to drink it. Then Lyon rolled over onto his side and was sick, getting rid of the water, and the fact that he'd defied the demon made him insanely happy… until he was sick again. And again. The final one drew blood, and he almost choked on it, before an undead held up his head. A wight that had been skilled in the medical sciences during his life walked forward, knelt down, and felt his stomach. Even the careful, light touch brought pain, and he doubled up. "His vitals are failing… And there's internal bleeding. You'd better sacrifice him soon… the eclipse will be starting."
"Are you kidding me? We haven't even roasted or disemboweled him alive yet, or partially drowned him..." The demon grudgingly admitted to himself that there was no way the boy's weak body could take even one of those three types of physical punishment, much less all of them, in his current, already grievously injured state. Still, the prince had lasted much longer then the demon had predicted, despite the intensity of the trauma Fomortiis had put him through.
"…Oh, very well."

The demon regarded the victim of his heinous, incomprehensibly evil crimes casually. Lyon was lying on his back, wheezing, his eyes squeezed shut, shaking slightly with the pain of his ordeal. The lacerated mage was covered in small gashes from the rough way the monsters had handled him, as well as the deep wounds Fomortiis had inflicted, and a red haze emerged every time he exhaled. He certainly looked like his life would flicker out sooner rather than later. Fomortiis' eyes narrowed in disgust. Something stirred in the heart of one of the watching mauthe doogs, and, moved by pity, it stepped forward to lick and gentle the small, broken form on the ground. No one should have to die so horribly, and so utterly alone. The Demon King's head snapped towards him. "What-are you-doing?" he asked in a low voice full of menace, and the dog-like monster slunk back. The demon spun around in one fluid motion, taking in everyone. The entire army had stopped joining in the fun of tormenting the wretch after the boy had seen his friends die, and were now just standing around quietly staring at the floor. His lip curled at their weakness. "Anyone else want to help the poor, delicate little human?" No one answered.

"Good. Now…" Without warning, he slashed forward with his claws, rending Lyon's skin once again. The mage cried out softly and twisted his head away. The demon chuckled. "Oh, does it hurt to scream, now? Sadly, that's what I want… to hear you scream in pain and misery a few more times before you're pathetic life finally ends. Maybe a little more pain will reinvigorate you?" Then the Demon King reached forward, pressing cruelly down on his victim's throat, and his captive coughed, choking, and tried desperately to breathe. "That's not screaming... yet. Is it hard to breathe? Are you suffocating? Good. It's almost a pity you're too weak to struggle any more…I so enjoyed seeing you thrash." After a few more minutes, the demon released him. He knew how close Lyon was to death. This would have to be the last bit of fun he had with the wretch… The Demon King decided to vivisect him, but then the dying mage rolled onto his side, gasping from the explosion of pain that followed, and Fomortiis heard the tell-tale labored, rasping breaths, saw the blood and semi-dilated pupils. He smiled in quiet satisfaction… until he saw the tears. He hadn't been able to make the prince's soul stop caring for others, and even if the torment went on forever, he doubted even that could do it. That would irk him, for it wouldn't feel like a true victory without it. But maybe it didn't matter. He hadn't broken Lyon's soul, but he had broken his body… and more importantly, his heart. He signaled his minions to proceed with the ceremony, and Lyon slipped into merciful unconsciousness as they dragged him towards the altar.

He awoke from his stupor a few minutes later… he was tied to the altar, and the demon loomed over him. Blood spattered his face and hands, and his robes were stained with it… a lot of the blood was his, too. The Demon King had not been content to let him leave this world in just mental torment. Fomortiis realized his prisoner was awake, and tenderly, almost lovingly, tousled his trophy's lilac hair. Lyon hissed weakly at this final mocking injustice. "Coward! Have to bind me… so that you… can… ah…" he trailed off weakly. It hurt so much to talk… but the pain wasn't as sharp, now. That showed he was near the end. The cool breeze felt wonderful against his fevered, ravaged body. The mauthe doog that had approached him previously let out an unhappy whine. The gorgon from earlier offered him water, purely for comfort this time, as he would die either way. Despite his parched throat, he refused it. Let me suffer until I die…that is what I deserve. "Are you… done with me, demon?"
"Yes, aren't you lucky." The demon played his claws along the mage's unprotected throat.
"No! Ugh… you… can't be. This… isn't as bad… as what I… gah… deserve, so… torture me… more, curse you!"
"Not enough time, or trust me, I would." Lyon spat at the demon. "Then… finish it! Kill me!" As Fomortiis raised the ceremonial dagger over his fractured heart, Lyon threw back his head, laughed, and prepared to embrace the blessed, all-consuming darkness…

Chapter 21
Living in Light

Lyon awoke, covered in cold sweat, and shook his disheveled hair out of his eyes. The blankets were twisted around him like webs… He must have gotten tangled in them when he flailed out during his nightmare. Despite this, Eirika was still nestled against him, fast asleep. He affectionately twisted a strand of her hair. She murmured, making joyful little noises at his touch, and curled up. She was content, and that made him sigh blissfully. He had made her happy… and that was what he had always wanted. Their love was like that-asking for nothing in return, yet receiving everything. The happiness of one making the other happy, as well. The gentle music of nightingales, chickadees, and a very special sparrow floated in through the window, like heralds serenading the dawn of a new day, and early morning light washed over him. A bell tolled from a turret nearby, signaling that it was roughly six in the morning. Lyon disentangled himself gently from her slim body. He slept as little as possible, because of his intense nightmares. He probably would have stayed awake until he collapsed from exhaustion if his friends didn't make him go to bed. They were mostly thoughts the demon had placed there during his torture sessions, but parts of it came from his own vivid imagination, as well. The fact that the monsters had pitied him… he supposed that came from how Eirika said he had done nothing wrong, but like in his dream, he could not accept that he wasn't guilty, that he didn't deserve to suffer. As he started to climb out of bed, Eirika stretched, yawned, and blinked sleepily. "Ah… forgive me. I didn't mean to wake you..." He said, hastening to ease out from under the covers before she could stop him. She reached out and grabbed the corner of his silk sleeping tunic, her eyes sparkling with laughter. "You're not slipping away this time!" she chided. "But, Eirika…" Then he saw the genuine concern in her eyes, and lay down again, turning to face her.

She gently clasped his head in her hands and kissed him. He reached out and stroked her face, trying to soothe the anxiety he saw there. She wiggled in pleasure at his caress, and as his hand slid to tickle her neck, she smiled in ecstasy and patted his chest. Next she massaged his shoulders, feeling the tension there, as he tenderly rubbed her back, and they pressed their cheeks together, heads touching lightly. Normally, Eirika was as passionate as he was when they courted or made love, that precious time when they truly became one, but she was not used to waking so early, unlike Lyon, and so she was content to let him be the more active one during this early display of affection. "I really do have to get up now…" he said after a few minutes, and started to rise once more. She gently pressed him back down into the bed, ignoring his protests, and put a finger to his lips to hush him. "Don't make me get Knoll." She teased, but she still looked worried. He comfortingly swept her into his arms as she rolled so that her back was against his chest. "What's wrong?" he whispered into her ear. She trembled when he said this, and that surprised and scared him. He gingerly pulled her closer and ran his hand slowly down her face. "Are you sick? You're not hurt, are you…?" She flipped back over and snuggled against him, secure in his protective arms. "It isn't what's wrong with me… It's what's wrong with you." She said haltingly, looking up at him with melancholy eyes. "These nightmares… are they because you still think you're weak?"

"…No… You made me realize I was strong long ago… it's just… Ah… Eirika… Please don't cry…" Tears fell slowly down her cheeks as she lightly touched his hair. "What is it, then? Oh, Lyon… you've never fully forgiven yourself for what happened, have you? You think you deserve these nightmares…" He couldn't look at her. "Mmm… maybe." She kissed him gently. "That's it, isn't it? The suffering you have endured so quietly, the torment that we never knew about... The pain of believing you alone are solely responsible for this… how it must weigh on someone as gentle and loving as you… Please… stop doing this to yourself! It wasn't your fault… the demon would have possessed you regardless of whether or not you broke the Sacred Stone! And all is back to normal now-no, even better then it was before, because of you!" He raised his head to look at her. "Actually, if you hadn't done what you did, someone else might have, someone who would have been unable to stop the demon! You took a great sacrifice upon yourself, and even when things went wrong, you lived through it, and made things right, no matter what it meant would happen to you! You should be proud of yourself! …I know I am. I look up to you, Lyon. If those things had happened to me… I would have died, and nothing would have been saved. So please… promise me… no more nightmares, alright?"

Lyon felt… painless. Like a great, crushing weight had just been lifted from his heart, a weight that had been there for a very long time. "Thank you, Eirika…" She pressed her petite, limber body against his, and he hugged her. "I promise not to have any more nightmares… I promise to forgive myself… no, even more, too realize that it never was my fault. But you must promise not to believe that you are weak, either. You would have lived through it, and done just as well as I have. Can you do that?" he asked, smiling warmly at her. She smiled back, her heart filled with love for him, just as his was for her. "I'm glad to know that. And I think… I can manage what you ask."
"And I'm happy to hear that. More then you know… And at least one good thing did come of these nightmares… It showed me once again the contrast between a world devoid of your love, and one with it."
"That's my romantic lover."
"I love you with all my heart, Eirika…"
"I love you with all of mine, too, Lyon…"
Lyon slid carefully on top of her, holding himself up slightly with his arms so as not to hurt her with his weight. His hair hung down around her face like a curtain, and he smiled at her again as Eirika playfully patted him on the head. Then he shifted his head downwards, and she shivered in pleasure as he slowly kissed his way up her neck, until finally, their lips met. Then they rolled so she was on top of him. Eirika stroked his face and softly whispered words of love to him, and he gently did the same. She relaxed against him as he ran his hands through her hair, than fell asleep, safe in his arms, breathing calmly. Lyon closed his eyes, still smiling with the deep joy inside his heart, and fell asleep. He would keep his promise, for now and forever. He hadn't slept deeply since his mother died, and even more so since the events of a year ago. But now, he did, and dreamed of peace, friends… and his greatest love, his blue-haired angel…

…And that is the end of one of their stories, and the beginning of another...