A/N: Lllllllllladies aaaaannd gentlemeeeen! We are back with the third arc of the Noble Strength trilogy-

Deadpool: With your co-host, De-

Goodralisk: No. No. No! Fuck you! Why are you back?!

Deadpool: Because cats.

Goodralisk: …..if there is any solace in this, it's that you'll find this as boring as most others do.

Deadpool: Don't think that'll happen, especially with plot-

Goodralisk: NO! ENOUGH!

*ahem* Anyway, I've been out of things for quite a while. One reason why is because I've been going back to training instead of writing. I've been putting off my more dedicated routines and sessions for this craft and I really want to get back to my top.

Another reason is because I've wrote out several chapters ahead of time, so I can edit it all for your viewing pleasure.

Deadpool and Goodralisk: ….Hahahahahahaha!

Deadpool: Ah, viewing pleasure. Where do you get these ideas?

Goodralisk: Insanity, Deadpool. Insanity, ha ha...

I don't own anything.

"Come on, old man! Show me your moves! You're not going to beat me that way!"

"Alright, you're asking for it!" I clashed swords with the younger warrior, a loud wooden whack reverberating throughout the field. My opponent was certainly energetic and spry, that's for sure.

The opponent was a boy the age of seven with a good head on his shoulders, covered with a mop of jet black hair that was tied back, leaving a single slim bang hanging from the right side of his hairline. He wore dark, shadowy blue leggings with metal shin guards of an ornate design to match his boots, and a sleeveless shirt of the same colour, a lamellar armoured vest over it. The child also wore pure white gloves that went halfway up his forearms and silver pauldrons protecting his shoulders.

With a second of time and a exhaled breath of effort, he jumped away from me with a backflip, landing silently and darting at me with great speed. He lunged in on me low, forcing me to defend my legs with a vertical blade. Flicking my wrist to the right, I parried his blade for an opening, giving me a chance to land a thrust. Unfortunately, my sword only sliced through air and stuck the ground. The kid was agile enough to dodge it and get behind me, and that's not an easy feat. But with a very effective pivot, I placed a good kick on him and gained some distance.

"You have skills, I'll give you that.", I said to him, the kid taking a knee after recovering from the hit I landed. "But you've got a far way to go to land a hit on me. You're pretty fast. But so am I, so it won't be easy for you."

"Then I'll just have to become faster!" He got to his feet and brought up his clenched fists before the loose dirt and dust on the ground began to swirl around him. Thickening clouds of dust swirled faster and faster until it focused around his feet, taking a green-blue hue.

"Wind magic to amp up your speed, huh? You're manipulating magic." I placed a hand on my hip. "And at your age too. Impressive. The question is: will it be enough?"

"Let's find out!" He made movements with even greater speed than before, darting from side to side with afterimages following him, he was a falcon in flight. Once he approached a certain distance away from me, he turned the corner, encircling me with a large number of afterimages. My eyes darted around constantly, trying to track his movements. He was moving at speeds that rivalled a bullet train, making it difficult for me to keep my eyes on him.

"Amazing. You can move at speeds that even my eyes have trouble keeping up with." I took a deep breath and closed my eyes shut, listening to the rhythm of his movements as he circled around me. Focusing, I slowly opened my eyes and found him in his dash. Gradually, his swift movements were becoming slower, making my job of following him a lot easier. The young fighter seemed like he was moving at a fraction of his top speed to me now, until he stopped completely. Wasting no time at all, the boy took a light stopping step on the dirt, almost too quiet for me to hear, then he turned on his toes and lunged straight at me.

"Yep, there's no doubt, you're very skilled indeed." I raised my weapon in front of my face, holding it up ramrod straight in a vertical fashion. "But the student never defeats the master." Coming at me from my left side at first, he attacked me, only to block his hit with the broad side of my blade. Regrouping as quickly as he struck, he tried to slash me at my right leg. The boy moved quickly and was attacking from all different sides and angles, leaving me only fractions of a second to register his attacks. Soon enough, I was only reacting to his onslaught, not even seeing where he was going as I blocked each and every hit. He wasn't using speed to his advantage. He was the speed. He moved with the speed of lightning racing towards the ground and he struck just as hard.

The final strike of his onslaught was deflected and redirected by my own sword, allowing me to follow up with a punch, forcing him back several meters. Landing on his feet, the child held up his sword, the weapon breaking in two. With a frustrated growl, he tossed it aside, throwing it to the ground beside him.

I pointed my wooden edge at him. "So I guess I win th-"

Only for my own weapon to break in my hand. I sheepishly rubbed the back of my head and uttered a small chuckle of laughter, looking at the sword that lay in pieces.

"I guess this sparring session will be called a draw, Dad.", the kid smiled.

I flashed my son a toothy grin as a reply. "I guess so."

It had been over seven years since I've come back to my kingdom. Unfortunately, my land had been left in shambles after the small battle with that damned wannabe tyrant. Economically, of course, though physically and geographically, it stood as strong at it would ever be. Nevertheless, I was forced to build it back from close to the ground up, making me glad I had Cordelia and Say'ri to help me bring my country-or rather, our country-back to it peak. A lot of events took place within those seven years, like my marriage with Cordelia, my formal coronation as King, but one of the bigger ones were the day my son's birth.

Oh gods, that day.

Flashback, seven years ago

Sweat took its place on my forehead as beads, rolling down my face. My heart rate was higher than normal and my breathing far too erratic. I paced about in the small hallway outside of the labor ward, unable to sit down for even a second to wait for it to be over.

Say'ri was in labor, ready to give birth.

A scream of pain echoed from the room into the hallway, making me jump in my spot before I nearly lunged at the door, but I was halted by Cordelia, now turned Queen. She held me back from getting inside behind me, trying to calm me down. "Calm down, Eric!" Her voice was stern, but somehow still soft, and as she held me, my breathing slowed back down to its normal.

She guided me back down to my seat, placing me down gently. I'm not sure what I did at that particular moment, but Cordelia uttered a small chuckle, to which I replied with a quiet, confused glance at the scarlet haired knight. "It's quite amusing. You fight armies and kingdoms all your life. You're faced with unbelievable odds all the time and you're always composed, but the moment Say'ri goes into labor and you lose your mind."

I sighed with a small smile. "I know it sounds silly. I know it'll be fine, but I can't shake the feeling. I'm worried that something wrong will happen with the child. I really want it to be healthy."

Taking my hands in hers, she used her garnet orbs against my brown ones. Those same ruby red gems that broke down my shields and left me defenceless every time. The expression on her face, warm enough to melt any ice and softer than silk, the melodic sound her voice carried out ever so smooth. "Of course it would be healthy. There's no reason why it wouldn't."

That's where my mood dropped to a near all time low. "Actually, there is or may be a reason."

Cordelia tilted her head in confusion. "What do you mean?"

"Do you remember the Second Plegian War? Specifically, back when we fought Gangrel at the Border Wastelands?"

She nodded after a second of thought. I raised my hand to my stomach without a thought in my mind. And with only a split second of thought, Cordelia finally realized what I was referring to, shock and worry written all over her face like ink. "Is that thing inside haunting you again? That...demon?"

"Not since the war. But ever since then, I don't feel like I've been myself. I don't know how, but I just don't." I remembered that time now, and so did Cordelia. The final showdown between Gangrel and I, the object of my vengeance. The Mad King still defeated me, even after all of my efforts. They were nothing. I could remember the life slowly draining from my body as my vision gradually disappeared. And then that's when it happened. It possessed me. That same demonic version of me. Glowing red eyes, darkened skin, sinister red and purple aura. Nearly every night since then I saw it in my dreams. Its evil, soul piercing glare paired with its warped, two toned laughter that could instill fear into the heart of any man.

"Oh my gods…" Cordelia's voice brought me out of my thoughts, leaving me to focus my attention on her. "Could it possibly pass on to your child? Is it going to face it the same as you did?"

"I know it's a possibility, but what I don't know is how likely the possibility is." I pull Cordelia close into a hug, holding her tightly. "All we can do is hope."

"ERIC! GET IN HERE NOW!"

That scream sent a jolt throughout my body, but now I more so felt a shred of fear more for me than her. It wasn't worry or fear in her voice. It sounded like red hot anger, extremely out of Say'ri's normally composed character.

"If I don't make it back, Cordelia...know that I loved you.", I somewhat joked, entering the room.

The room was a monotone gray, the only brightness coming from the open window and the lighter gray drapes that billowed in the light breeze that flew into the room. The most noteworthy details: the midwife who sat at the foot of the bed, and the Chon'sinese princess that lay in the hospital bed, bringing new life into the world.

"Say'ri?" I walked up to her slowly. "Is everything alrig-"

"You…", she growled after pulling me by my shirt to where our faces were inches away from each other. "You did this to me. You put this child in me..! This is all your fault!" She cringed and cried out in pain, holding her enlarged abdomen with her free hand.

"I see the head, Miss Say'ri!", the midwife called. "Just one more push!"

"Come on, Say'ri, it's almost over, one more.", I encouraged, taking her hand in mine. I immediately regretted that decision as I felt the skin on my hand instantly tear apart where her nails dug into. My hand, caught in the crushing vice grip of Say'ri's hand, and I could feel the bones being crushed.

All of the sounds, sensations and voices stopped at the sound of a single crying voice.

"It's...here…" I breathed.

After cutting the umbilical cord, cleaning the infant of the amniotic fluid that coated its skin and using magic to remove any fluid in its mouth and nose, she wrapped it in a light blue cloth and cradled its head as she held it. "Your Majesty…", started the midwife. "...say hello to your newborn son."

She handed me the child delicately, placing the head in the crook of my arm as I held it. He was so beautiful. With nary an imperfection on the small baby boy's face, he now began to calm down and his cries of life became small breaths.

"He's completely healthy. Eight pounds, three ounces, and he's functioning very well."

I paid no attention after I heard the word "healthy". My focus was completely on the little boy I held in my hands. I felt the tears build up in my eyes as I gazed at the infant, unable to process anything else aside from one thing. I was finally a father. I raised a delicate thumb and brushed it against his cheek, little to no friction against his flawless skin.

"He's beautiful.", Cordelia smiled. She looked down at the infant, then at me. "He looks just like his father."

I handed him down to Say'ri gently, to which she immediately start crying happily at the baby she birthed. The baby started to get a little restless in her arms, his face contorting a little bit like it was going to cry again. She simply uttered a small hiccuping laugh, handing him back to me. "It seems like he takes quite the liking to you, Eric.", she joked. I saw her pause, her face frozen in thought. After what seemed like hours, Say'ri finally spoke up. "I have his name."

"Do you plan on naming him after your brother? I don't mind it. Yen'fay is a rather nice name.", I admitted.

"It is a nice name, though you are incorrect.", she answered.

"Then what?"

Cordelia and Say'ri both looked at each other, the child, and me in that order simultaneously. "Eric.", they both stated.

"Really?", I asked somewhat happy with a hint of question. "You want to name him...after me?"

"Why not? He's a spitting image of you.", the Chon'sinese woman smiled. "Besides, I can see it, the strength this child has deep down inside. He's named after the strongest man I know."

"I see." I looked long and hard at the child before raising it up slowly skywards in front of me. "Eric Jr. it is. Welcome to the family. You'll love it. Your dad can get a little crazy some-Well, all the time." I spoke, earning a laugh from the two women. "But you'll be happy."

Flashback over

My son and I both shared a fit of laughter after trying to beat each other with wooden weapons, resting and taking a well deserved break from training when we heard a call.

"Daddy!", was the call that came from the mouths of two little girls who came running down the field to me. I held out my arms to catch them, bringing them into a hug once they reached my arms. Both of them were no older than four and they both wore a sundress. One was of a splashed dye colour of a myriad of warm colours, varying in different hues and saturations while the other one wore a simple lavender coloured dress. The two twins had vibrant pigtailed red hair that could put a tomato to shame, but what really stood out was their eyes. The eldest twin had two different coloured eyes; her left was ruby red, and the right was a deep brown. The younger of the two had different eye colour just the same as her sister, except the colours were reversed for each eye.

I lifted them up close to eye level, putting Serena on my shoulder while Severa rested on my arm. "Severa! Serena! What have my two favourite princesses been up to?"

"We were with Mommy and we made flower crowns!" Severa, the elder one chirped.

"We made one for you too!" In Serena's small dainty hands was a braided crown of flowers, made very with painstaking detail, although one could still tell that it was made by a child. There were also flowers that stood upward, mimicking the upwards prongs on a real crown. She placed the crown on my head, giggling quite a lot with her sister and brother.

"Fear not, for I am Dad, King of all flowers.", I said in a mock hero voice, causing laughter to erupt from the three children.

"You seem to be having fun.", the redheaded Pegasus Knight smiled, walking in our direction.

"What can I say?", I shrugged. "I have a thing for kids."

"You definitely do have your ways with children, yes.", she chuckled.

"Don't I?", I grinned. I then noticed the blank white envelope in Cordelia's hands. "What's that, another annoying noble wanting an to cut our army?"

"Nope, not this time. It's from Chrom."

"Chrom?" I hadn't heard that name in years. It's been so long since we've seen them. Ah, nostalgia. "What's it for?"

"He wants to invite us over to Ylisse. It's for Lucina's birthday. She turns five in two weeks."

"Five already? Time really does fly.", I put down the twins. "Feels like yesterday they just wrote to us about her birth." Kneeling down to the kids' eye level, I asked them, "Who wants to go see Uncle Chrom and Aunty Sumia?"

All three children gave an affirmative answer to that question.

"Then that settles it. To Ylisse we go!"

A/N: Now….I know it's been awhile since I've wrote anything, but it's not my fault.

Deadpool: Oh, like anyone gives a damn. People have more interesting things with their lives to do.

Goodralisk: Oh? Then if that's true, then why are you here instead of doing something apparently better with your time?

Deadpool: Because… I… You… …...Go to hell.

Goodralisk: Wow, you finally don't have anything to say this time. Guess I win.

*Deadpool pulls up a drawing board that has the tallies of my wins against his. Deadpool: 283. Goodralisk: 2*

Goodralisk: Huh. I really need to bump up that number. Which I will start next time. Goodralisk out.