Ike hurries back to Melior, accompanied by his faithful paladin companions and Marcia. Marcia's feeling was not something Ike wanted to take lightly, with both Queen Elincia and Dame Mia left at the capital. They choose not to spare time for Geoffrey. They don't know if they will arrive to a capital in chaos, or one in peace.

And the thought eats away at Ike, as he desperately attempts to arrive and make sure his wives are safe from harm.


Ike led the party of five to Melior, to notice flames alight around it. Soldiers in white were fighting against soldiers of a variety of colours, all with a peculiar red hue. Like the soldiers Zard had mentioned…

"We have to get to Ellie!" Ike commanded.

"I'll go from above!" Marcia said, before flying up. Ike galloped his horse forward, and rushed inside. He stopped, a horrible sight unfolding before him.

Mia was fighting viciously against a Risen paladin. All Ike knew was that his name was Jagen. A Zanbato was in Mia's left hand, and she was swinging it viciously. However, it was clear as day that using her non-dominant hand was taking a toll on her ability, and her dodges were significantly less effective than expected- though that was probably her edge having been lost over the years. Jagen reared back, before driving his lance through her, knocking her to the ground. Ike ran to her side, while Titania stared down Jagen.

"Another challenger? I suppose I should take you on… mustn't let Marth get distracted by this woman's guard," Jagen said, raising his lance. Titania raised her axe, and Jagen's face fell.

"Be as it may that you have the advantage of axes… but do not suggest that I will be an easy foe!" Jagen said. Titania charged, as did Jagen. Jagen aimed at Titania's shoulder blade, the blade wobbling a bit. Titania didn't even need to dodge. Jagen took in a deep breath, preparing for his second pass.

Only there was no second pass.

While Jagen was hung up over his failure, Titania still had an axe to grind, and nothing hindering it. Titania's axe came up swiftly, striking Jagen in the back, and knocking him off his horse. Jagen got to his feet, and faced Titania. Titania remained on her horse, looking down upon him.

"So, you have no trouble fighting a woman with the triangle disadvantage and heavy wounds, but come up against a woman with the triangle advantage and some experience and you're completely pathetic?" Titania asked.

"How… how dare… I am Sir Jagen, Altea's greatest champion!" Jagen said.

"Dame Titania, second-in-command of the Greil Mercenaries. It was nice meeting you," Titania said, charging up, and swinging her axe again.

"Lord… Marth…" Jagen said, dropping to the ground, turning to dust.


Ike, meanwhile, was rubbing at Mia's wound with a vulnerary. Mia looked up at him, and stopped his efforts with her hand.

"Ike… it's all over for me… I'll never fight again…" Mia said.

"That doesn't mean much, Mia. You couldn't exactly fight before," Ike said.

"Ike… leave it… I'm passing here…" Mia said.

"Mia, don't leave…" Ike said.

"Ike… Ellie… Ellie's in trouble… you need to save her… I'm already done for," Mia said. Her head fell back, and her eyes lost their light. Ike gave her body a quick hug, before laying it back on the ground. He noticed a card in her pocket, and quickly took it.

"…We'll have to press on," Ike said. He looked up, and noticed Soren appearing before the group.

"Ike… Renning and his team can't hold out forever. We need you to come and protect Elincia!" Soren said. Ike nodded, and Soren led the paladins through the castle to Elincia's courtyard. Titania looked back at where Jagen fell, her lip curled in disgust. His attack was cowardly, and his only help was telling the group the name of the enemy commander, a fellow named Marth. It was easy for Titania to resent him… yet at the same time, she felt a strange sense of camaraderie.


Ike appeared in the courtyard of Crimea, the battlefield on which he fought the Mad King Ashnard. Elincia was darting away from a group, another woman on a pegasus giving chase. A lord was standing where Ashnard waited, giving orders to his band. Duke Renning, Lucia, Bastian and Nephenee were all fighting valiantly against the lord, struggling with his troops.

"So you're Marth!" Ike bellowed. Marth looked around at him.

"…Allow him to approach," Marth said. The soldiers parted, and Ike approached Marth cautiously. Now that he got a good look at him, he noticed that he looked somewhat familiar…

"What is it you want with Ellie?" Ike asked.

"The queen? We are here to liberate this land from her tyrannical rule. You seem like a reasonable enough man… want to join our cause?" Marth asked.

"Tyrannical… ARE YOU INSANE? Queen Elincia's rule is far from tyranny! Where on earth have you been to miss the memo?" Ike asked.

"I hail from the land of Altea… I am its prince, Marth. I have fought long and hard for peace in the continent of Akaneia, even against my old allies to do so. What makes you think Elincia is a kind ruler?" Marth asked.

"She puts her people first, she always shows mercy… I could go on. If anything, she needs to be more tyrannical. I don't know what Akaneia is… but I know enough. You need to be taken down, Prince Marth of Altea," Ike said.

"If that is to be how it is… I cannot lose," Marth said, drawing the Falchion.

"Prepare yourself!" Ike said, drawing Ragnell.


Elincia ducked another of Shiida's strikes with the Wing Spear, annoyed she had not been able to claim Amiti before this duel in the skies. She knew that eventually, she or her pegasus would tire. Shiida, on the other hand, was full of energy, her strikes never seeming to stop coming.

"You cannot hold out forever…" Shiida said.

"That's why I'm here!" Marcia said, appearing beside Elincia, and drawing the Alondite.

"Soldier from the unknown! I am Dame Marcia, Queen of the skies! If you have anything resembling common sense, you will step down from your attack on Queen Elincia for your own welfare!" Marcia said.

"…Good thing I don't have any of that," Shiida said. She reared back on her pegasus, and charged with the Wing Spear. Marcia dodged, and Elincia pulled back. Marcia swung Alondite in a complicated manner, sending a web of shockwaves in Shiida's direction. Shiida reared back, and used her pegasus' wingbeats to weaken their effect. Marcia readied another attack, before feeling something strange. She looked at her pegasus' flank, and noticed an arrow.

"Archers…" Marcia realised. She dropped to the ground, unable to fight.

"Sorry about that," Marcia said to her pegasus. She looked around for the offending archer.


Gordin was cheering. He had finally hit something with his bow, and had helped Princess Shiida in her battle. His cheer was short lived, however, when he suddenly found himself facing a knight in red.

"You…" Kieran said, all business. Gordin shivered, before a pair of paladins came to his side.

"You stay back on this one, Gordin…" Cain said.

"We'll take care of it," Abel added. Oscar rode up to support Kieran, looking between the two paladins.

"…Hey, Oscar, look! These guys look just like us!" Kieran said excitedly.

"…They look nothing of the sort," Oscar said dryly. He raised his sword, and charged Abel. Kieran swung his axe around, striking Cain. The two paladins moved back, and Cain and Abel came forward. The pair lanced in unison, and Oscar found himself ducking an arrow from Gordin.

"Need a hand?" a deep voice asked. A man approached, clad in a turban and brandishing a silver sword.

"I sure hope you're not planning on outnumbering my force more than needed," Duke Renning said, approaching directly opposite the new paladin, Hardin. He drew his own sword, a blade with a gold-trimmed hilt. The opposing paladins all turned to the great knight Renning.

"…Everyone charge him at once!" Cain suggested. Abel and Hardin complied with Cain's suggestion, and Renning chuckled. He pulled his horse back a few steps, causing the three to crash into each other as they converged. The three scrambled to get up, their horses too tangled to be concerned about. Renning raised his blade again, and Hardin followed suit.

"Retreat, boys. I will take this soldier on," Hardin said. Cain and Abel ran off with Hardin's urging, as he faced Duke Renning. Renning's horse leaped forward, cleaving down upon Hardin. Hardin focused, and allowed a barrier to deflect the blade. Renning snarled, but he had an answer running his way.

"Marcia, could I borrow the Alondite briefly?" Renning asked, as Marcia ran along in the direction of Gordin.

"Go nuts," Marcia said, tossing the Alondite to the ground, and pulling out a silver lance for Gordin. Renning looked at the sword on the ground, as Hardin realised what was going on, too. Renning jumped off his horse, and the two paladins grabbed onto the sword's hilt at the same time.

"Get off the sacred blade of Begnion!" Renning said, pushing the blade towards Hardin with all his might.

"You're not exactly one to point fingers. I know all about your queen's treachery. Your breaths are numbered, dark knight!" Hardin said.

"I will never betray my niece. I am a knight of Crimea, and I will be one until I die," Renning said. He let out a low roar, and pushed into Hardin's turban, into his head. Hardin sunk to the ground, turning to dust, and Renning could claim the Alondite properly. Renning looked up at Marth's soldiers, of which there were still many. Of course, there were a few soldiers falling- a pair of warriors here, a pair of generals there. Renning looked up, to see some pegasi forming overhead.

"Not good," Renning said, before reaching into his pack, and pulling out a bow. He was not confident he would be good at aiming, but he didn't have time to warn Geoffrey or Oscar. He could only hope that they would notice in time.


Ike and Marth's duel led them across the high balcony on which Ike's duel with Ashnard took place. The two traded blows easily- Marth keeping his distance with the Falchion, and Ike making use of the hefty weight of Ragnell. Marth had landed many critical blows, but Ike wasn't about to give up and die like a dog. His Aether art had saved him many times, and he intended to keep it that way. He roared, and charged in, slashing Marth around with a sword aflame, before sending him flying. Marth hit the castle battlements, before jumping back down, landing lightly on his feet. Marth struck again, sending Ike back a small distance, the card Ike had grabbed flying out of his pocket. Ike looked up, to see Marth standing over him.

"I have watched countless allies die on the field of battle. Each and every one… but, to defeat your army here and today, I must strike at their commander," Marth said.

"Prepare yourself…" a feminine voice cried out.

"Who's there?" Marth asked, jumping back, and looking around. The sky turned dark for the briefest of moments, before a strike that cleaved the very air appeared before Ike. Marth was struck in the chest, and sent soaring into the heavens. Ike was left staring in awe at the swordswoman standing over him. She turned her head slightly, showing her smile to Ike, before dissolving into dust. The dust she left looked different to Jagen's, somehow.

"How did…" Ike said nervously, before shaking it off. He looked over the courtyard, and saw Marth's soldiers start to falter in combat. He looked up, and realised that Elincia was still in danger. There would be time for mysteries later.


Elincia noticed the trio of pegasus knights making their approach, and quickly made her rush to dive down. Shiida dived quicker, keeping her in the air, while the trio were unfazed by altitude change anyway.

"Girls… please…" Elincia asked. Two of the girls in the front dodged arrows with ease, barely looking at them.

"We are the Whitewings of Macedon," the one in green said.

"We have been hired by Sir Marth in order to take you down," the one in blue said.

"Come on, sisters! Triangle Attack!" the one in pink said. The three raised their lances, and Elincia realised all too quickly that there would be no dodging this. The red pegasus knight's lance landed, and Elincia fell from her pegasus. She heard the sounds of people running to her position, only for

*Crack*

Ike and Renning looked between each other in shock. Neither of them had made it underneath Elincia in time. The three pegasus knights dispersed, their mission complete. Either due to the death of Marth or Elincia, the foot soldiers followed suit, disappearing into dust and light alike, leaving no trace of their presence other than the damaged battlefields and the fact that Elincia lay dead in her courtyard.

"No…" Ike said weakly.

"Your Majesty…" Renning said.

"Soren, do you know what Marth and his soldiers were?" Ike asked.

"I have an inkling," Soren said.

"Find out. I want to know what they are, where they came from, and who they work for. And then I want them dead," Ike said. He looked towards Begnion, thinking of his daughters. The poor girls would be devastated if they knew… but there was no one else to take the message. Ike hoped they'd be happier not knowing of their mother's fall. His mind turned back to the stranger. Who was she… and why did she come to his rescue?