Once again, I have to mention how playing the game while typing some of these chapters has really helped to move things along faster. Anyway, here is one of the big emotional points of the story… at least the ones that you know about. There is going to be about another chapter or two after this before Tiki's ritual and a few filler chapters before the final confrontation with Walhart. Anyway, I hope you enjoy! And don't forget to review!
In the mountains south of Fort Steiger, the Shepherds had finally stopped running and Say'ri looked back the way they came.
"Just as I thought: the turncloaks only made a show of us." Say'ri said. "We're clear of them. But Yen'fay's forces approach swiftly. It won't be long now…"
"We should hasten south to meet them and distance ourselves from Walhart." Robin suggested. "This battle will be challenge enough without the Conqueror breathing down our backs."
"… Another concern: the dynasts who betrayed us." Say'ri added. "They attacked us and let us go both, because it suited their purpose. Should they attack us from behind as we battle Yen'fay, it would be an easy victory. They would curry favor with the empire without risk of injury. This is how they think."
Robin looked around and noticed the smoking, red mountain in the distance. "Hmm…"
"We cannot defend two fronts." Chrom stated. "We'll need to choose our battlefield carefully…" He then noticed the mountain himself. "Say'ri, that mountain… I've seen it smoke for hours, but I see no trees on it anywhere?"
"What…" Say'ri looked in that direction and noticed it. "Ah. That is no forest fire, sir. It's a volcano. Have you never seen one? That one is called the Demon's Ingle. It is known and feared by all people of Valm. Few dare even get close, lest they anger the wicked fire god."
"Hmm…" Chrom said. "Robin? Are you thinking what I'm thinking?"
"Only if you're wondering how quickly we can reach the volcano." Robin answered.
"G-go to the Demon's Ingle?!" Say'ri exclaimed. "Do you know what you're saying?"
"I'm saying your opportunistic former friends wouldn't dare risk following us." Robin explained. "And we can use the flames as barriers to limit how your brother's army approaches."
"Mmm…" Say'ri thought about it for a moment. "And my brother will still come. His stubborn pride will force his hand…"
"Then it seems we have our strategy." Chrom said.
"… 'Tis a risky plan, but I can devise none better." Say'ri stated. "And you two seem t have a peculiar talent for performing miracles."
The Shepherds continued making their way up the volcano until Say'ri signaled them to stop.
"What's wrong, Say'ri?" Robin asked.
"… They're here." Say'ri said.
After some smoke cleared, the Shepherds could see Yen'fay and his soldiers were waiting for them several meters away.
"…" Yen'fay said nothing.
Excellus then appeared next to Yen'fay. "Why, Gneral, such a melancholic air about you today. Whatever is the problem? … Oh, is today the day you face off against your beloved sister? Dear me, of course it is! Well then, of course you'd be in a foul mood…"
"She is a rebel and traitor to the empire." Yen'fay said coldly. "I have no sister."
Those words caused something inside Say'ri to snap, as her eyes widened from shock that her own brother would say such a thing.
"Oh very good, very good, right out of the book, General Yen'fay!" Excellus laughed before whispering. "And I commend your acting ability… very convincing! I think your men all heard you." He then spoke up. "In any case, I'm SO glad I can trust you not to take it easy on her ragtag little troupe."
"…" Yen'fay remained silent.
"Yes, we BOTH know why you'd never let any of her comrades escape, don't we?" Excellus asked. "Oh, I know it must be so difficult, General. But think of it this way: You still have a family. A big one! The whole imperial army is your family now! … Well, I should run. Do tell your little sister I say hello? Ta ta!" Excellus then disappeared.
Yen'fay simply turned toward his sister and pulled out his sword.
Robin looked at Say'ri and it was as if he could feel the exact same sadness that she was feeling at that moment. "… Say'ri…"
"Robin…" Say'ri spoke. "… I will be the one to face Yen'fay. Promise me you and Prince Chrom will keep Yen'fay's soldiers at bay until our battle is finished."
Robin looked to Chrom and they nodded in assurance.
"Be careful, Say'ri." Robin told her.
"Aye, you too, my friends." Say'ri nodded as she pulled out her sword.
"Shepherds, attack!" Chrom declared to his soldiers. "Those of you on foot, watch your footing!"
The battle commenced as Chrom was the first to take down several soldiers. The unstable ground made it difficult for them to traverse, although the units that could fly over them had a particular advantage on this battlefield. After several minutes of fighting Say'ri had cut her way through several Valmese soldiers, she managed to finally make it to her brother.
"Brother." Say'ri spoke. "I won't ask you why… We are well beyond that point now. I will speak it plain: I cannot forgive you, and neither can I let you live."
"I've asked you for nothing, Sister, least of all your forgiveness." Yen'fay said.
"But you will have my justice, like it or no!" Say'ri exclaimed. "You, who stood by in silence while everyone around you suffered! While villages were razed and fields burned, you watched but said nothing… When Father and Mother were murdered, you said nothing! Nothing, before you ran to the arms of the one man responsible for all of it! Your silence was deafening. Maddening. Even now… have you nothing to say?!"
"…"
"Damn you, Yen'fay! Then I will make your sword answer for you! Draw your blade, and let it sing your final words!"
As the two siblings repeatedly clashed blades, it seemed as though the rest of the world didn't exist. It was as if they blocked everything else around them to focus solely on their battle. The fight seemed to go on for what felt like an eternity until Yen'fay had kicked Say'ri in the stomach and pushed her back. Say'ri somersaulted back further to recover from the blow and looked intensely at him.
"… 'Tis time I end this…" Say'ri said to herself.
Say'ri quickly closed the distance between herself and her brother. Yen'fay tried to block it, but Say'ri slashed him across the chest before he could properly block. Blood came gushing out of the wound as he fell backward onto the ground.
"Say'ri…" Yen'fay muttered. "You have grown… so strong…"
"… Do… do you mock me?" Say'ri asked. "I have seen your best swordplay… that was not it. You ent easy on me… but why?"
"What I could not tell you in life…" Yen'fay said. "I say with my death…"
"But, Yen'fay…" Say'ri was about to say.
"You have found… strong comrades… I no longer need fear for you… I die… in peace…"
"Yen'fay, wait! What do you mean? Why?! Don't leave me with more silence, not this time! Yen'fay!"
Yen'fay's breathing had ceased as Robin and Chrom joined Say'ri while she picked up her brother's sword Amatsu.
"Our victory is secured…" Say'ri told them. "Yen'fay has fallen. I will never understand why he joined Walhart… His reasons die with him."
Just then Excellus had appeared. "But oh, what a death it was! Did you see the grief etched on his face? The mix of longing and pain in the eyes? He had become such an accomplished actor, but that was all too real, hee hee!"
"Excellus…" Say'ri gritted her teeth and clenched her fists. "What would you know of my brother, you loathsome toad!"
"More than you, princess of Chon'sin." Excellus said.
"Wait!" Robin exclaimed. "You're-"
"Yes, the princess of her country!" Excellus stated. "What? You've been fighting together all this time and not ONCE did she tell you? Anyway, princess, I would watch that mouth of yours… I am honoring Yen'fay's sacrifice by not killing you now… but even I have my limits."
"… What?" Say'ri was a bit confused. "What do you mean 'sacrifice'?"
"Oopsie!" Excellus laughed. "Did I just spill the beans? Hya ha ha ha ha! I'm sorry, but I promised your dear brother I'd never tell…"
"Explain yourself, snake, or die!" Say'ri pointed Amatsu at Excellus.
"Bah!" Excellus groaned. "As if YOU could harm ME! YOU only live by MY grace, you ungrateful WRETCH! I could have had you killed countless times! And I would have, if not for him…"
"Enough talking around it!" Say'ri shouted. "Say what you mean!"
"Oh, did Yen'fay not groan out the trutjh as you cut him to bloody pieces?" Excellus asked. "No, I suppose not. He always was so quiet. And proud… honorable, I think they call it? Yet he swallowed his ride and cast aside his honor… all to protect his beloved kin. That's right, Little Sis. He did it… to save you."
Grief started to creep on Say'ri's face. "What?! … Lies… You're lying!"
"No, I'm telling the truth, which I admit is a rare treat, so you best shut up and enjoy it." Excellus said. "Before you met these Ylisseans, I could have had your head with a word. In Chon'sin, at Valm Harbor… Did you really think yourself so elusive? You were my leverage for Yen'fay. Unwitting and unbound, but a hostage all the same. I let you live; he fought for us. That was our deal. And he kept his end, right TO his end!"
Say'ri looked like she was starting to fall apart. "No… NO!"
"Phew…" Excellus sighed. "Well, I don't know about you, but I feel MUH better having that off my chest. Maybe I will give this truth telling a try more often! Yes, I shall resolve to do so! In any case, good-bye, friends! I wish you safe travels, and so sorry about Yen'fay… Oops!I broke my resolution twice already! Tee hee hee!" Excellus then disappeared in a flash of light.
Say'ri fell to her knees and looked like she was about to start crying. "N-no, this isn't… This can't be… Y-Yen'fay, no…"
As Say'ri seemed like she was about to sob, Chrom and Robin simply remained silent as they both knew that she needed a bit of time to herself.
"Gods…" Say'ri sobbed as she held onto her brother's blade, Amatsu. "The things I said to him… The things I did… I have wronged him beyond imagining. If only he had spoken! Told me! I could have joined the ruse, I… I am wretched! I've repaid my brother's kindness with death! Oh, Yen'fay, forgive me… Please, oh please… Please…"
After the battle, the Shepherds decided to set up camp in a forest just down and past Demon's Ingle. Night had come and Robin was on his way back to his tent after Flavia had returned from the north. He couldn't believe his ears when she told them that Basilio was killed at the hands of Walhart.
*Lucina's prediction was right…* Robin thought to himself as he continued walking. *Basilio fell in battle? … I didn't think it was possible.*
Robin stopped when he heard the sound of sobbing coming from one of the tents.
"Excuse me?" Robin knocked on the tent flap. "Are you okay?"
"Sniff! Aye…" Say'ri's voice spoke from inside the tent.
"Can I come in?"
Robin entered the tent and saw that Say'ri was sitting on her cot. Her eyes were bloodshot; she must have been crying ever since they finished setting up camp. She could only hold back her tears for so long.
"Say'ri…"
"Robin, I killed my own brother…" Say'ri continued sobbing. "My own flesh and blood… I… I…"
Robin noticed that Say'ri hand was moving toward her sword.
"What are you-"
Say'ri picked up Amatsu and pointed the blade toward her chest. "I can't live with myself knowing I murdered him!"
"Say'ri!"
"I can't go on like this!"
"Say'ri, stop!"
Robin ran to Say'ri before she could impale herself in the chest and tried to hold the sword's blade back with his bare hands. His grip on the blade was causing his hands to start bleeding.
"Say'ri, calm down." Robin said. "How many times do I have to tell you that if you need to talk to someone, I'm always willing to listen?"
Say'ri was struggling to push the sword into her heart until she finally broke down, let go of the sword and fall into Robin's chest crying. "All this time… I thought my brother had turned his back on his country… But it was all to protect me… Why?"
Robin gently rubbed Say'ri's head as she continued crying into his chest. "Say'ri, I know, especially now, how much you loved Yen'fay and how much he loved you. He gave up everything in order to see you safe. But he's not the only one. Everyone in the Shepherds is willing to put their life on the line for their friends and allies. You're one of us, Say'ri. We all care for you. I… especially care for you." Robin's face became a little flushed after saying that.
"Please… Robin… stay here with me… Just this one night… You're… you're the only one I can turn to right now…"
"O-of course. Walhart and Excellus are going to pay for this. I promise you, your brother's death won't be for naught."
"Th… thank you, Robin…" Say'ri said, finally standing straight and looking right at his face.
The two just looked into each other's eyes for some time until Say'ri felt a strange surge of emotions caused her to move her face closer to Robin's and kiss him on the lips. Robin felt completely surprised by this sudden action and once Say'ri had realized what she had done, she immediately pulled back and furiously blushed.
"Oh, um… I'm sorry!" Say'ri stammered. "I… I just…"
"N-no, it's… quite all right." Robin blushed a bit, too.
The two remained in an awkward silence for a few seconds before Robin took a step toward Say'ri and kissed her on the lips. Say'ri was a bit surprised at first, but after a second she started kissing him back.
"Robin… How long have you felt this way?"
"I'm not exactly sure myself… but once I definitely knew, I knew. How long has it been for you?"
"I am not sure either… but I know this is more than a fleeting attraction. Robin, I do miss Chon'sin dearly, but I have found a way forward. I am no longer sad. I feel as though I belong here because… I have found a new home at your side. I'll never be far from home as long as I'm with you. Please… stay with me."
"Say'ri… I want to spend the rest of my life with you, too."
"I… I would be honored."
"As soon as we get to the next town, I'm going to get you the most fitting ring I can. And I'd love to see Chon'sin once the war is over. I want to see the place that could produce someone as amazing as you."
"Then I will show you."
"Then it's a promise. You can bring your new home to your old home."
"Perhaps under the cherry trees we can be joined. Together, as one…"
Just outside of the tent, someone was listening in on them. It was Morgan and she was doing her best to make sure she wouldn't get caught.
*Somehow I knew it!* Morgan thought to herself. *It was just a feeling I had, but I knew she was my mother! … But… what about Severa?*
