BLEEAARRGGGHHHHH FINALS. Curse them. And now, to make myself feel better, I'm going to rant about the VERY UNHELPFUL anonymous review I got. No one has to read this, but...Really, zzzzz? If it's nonsense, WHY DID YOU BOTHER TO READ THROUGH TO CHAPTER 8 TO REVIEW? I have no particular aversion to anonymous or negative reviews, but I'd prefer to know WHY someone doesn't like my story, if they dislike it enough to leave a review inferring so, not just that they DON'T. In fact, PLEASE tell me if you don't like something, but tell me WHAT. And if you're going to ASK A QUESTION, sign in or get an account or DON'T USE RHETORICAL QUESTION FORM, so I can RESPOND somewhere OTHER THAN THIS SPACE HERE, because NO questions are entirely rhetorical. Of course, I'm wasting my metaphorical breath, since I'm sure my dear friend zzzzz (really, are you that bored and unimaginative?) won't read this.

On to the chapter (I do feel better now, though).

~o~O~o~O~o~O~o~O~o~O~o~O~o~O~o~O~o~O~o~O~o~O~o~O~o~O~o~O~o~O~o~O~o~

Soren stared at the closed door, the sound of it slamming shut echoing like thunder through his mind. Ike was fighting the Black Knight, and he couldn't be there. He felt numb. What if all their battles over the past year came to nothing here, because Ike had to satisfy his honor? They wouldn't come to nothing, actually. At this stage in the war, they could finish it with or without Ike. But they shouldn't have to.

Soren shuddered, shaking some of the frozen numbness from his mind. Delayed rage melted some of the rest. Titania had stopped him from following Ike, but allowed Mist in? Their commander was fighting for his life with only his kid sister beside him? This wasn't how it was supposed to work.

He should have figured out a way to avoid this scenario entirely, Soren thought, numbness and rage receding in panic. Barring that, he should be there with Ike. He should–

"Soren!"

He should tear apart the offending voice, so he could think in peace–

"Soren!"

Someone was shaking him. He opened his eyes–when had he closed them?–to an entirely white field of vision. Well, not completely white. There was some pale green, and gold, and more gold... Reyson. Soren's gaze traveled up to the heron's concerned face.

"Are you all right?"

No. Of course he wasn't. He had failed to keep Ike safe. Ike could die, because he hadn't thought of a way to keep him out of that room alone.

"I'm fine."

Reyson sighed. "Come over here."

Soren let the heron lead him over towards the wall–but not out of sight of the door. If he tried that, Soren had a very nice Elwind tome with him...

As they moved, Soren noticed that everyone else was watching warily. Boyd even edged backwards as they passed. Soren would have derived at least some pleasure from that, in any other circumstances.

"General Ike will be fine, Soren."

Soren glared at Reyson. "How do you know? We don't know anything about this enemy. Ranulf could barely scratch his armor, and as much as I'm loathe to admit it, the cat isn't to be scoffed at. We don't even know if the Black Knight was telling the truth about the holy sword!"

"Calm down!"

Soren realized that he had been nearly shouting, and was grateful for the columns blocking some of the sound from the others. They all seemed to have retreated to the other side of the room, too.

The heron still hadn't let go of his shoulders. Soren jerked away, glaring harder and rueing Reyson's resilience to his best murderous stares.

"I don't know why your faith in him doesn't extend to this," Reyson remarked calmly, holding Soren's gaze with his brilliantly green eyes. Somehow, Soren couldn't tear his own away.

"I'm not there to help him," Soren retorted, sounding far more helpless and afraid than he wanted. He was angry, curse it, not afraid!

"He doesn't need your help for this. You wouldn't be able to hurt the Black Knight, if what he says about his armor is true."

Soren couldn't think of an appropriate response with Reyson's eyes injecting calm straight into his soul. Finally, he managed to look away. It was like Ike trying to get supplies from Aimee, a dazed part of his mind suggested. Impossible to get her to let go. Oh, yes. Ike.

"He shouldn't have to do this at all!" Soren snapped, relieved that he sounded irate and not pathetic.

"We've had this conversation," Reyson reminded him, trying to catch his eyes again. "He needs to do this to satisfy his honor." Soren stared at the floor, determined to stay angry. It was safer that way.

"To Ashera with his honor!" Soren cursed. "It's meaningless!"

"It's important to him," Reyson said softly, brushing his fingers against Soren's arm. Soren had to remind himself not to look up. In fact, he wasn't going to argue anymore, either. He was just going to shift his stare to the door, and ignore the heron. What good would calming down do? Not less than staying terrified, some part of his unnaturally wayward mind responded. He quashed that thought with all the violence it deserved. He was not terrified.

"Look at me," Reyson commanded, just as Soren started to shake. He was not afraid, Ike would be fine, everything would stay as it should–

"Soren."

Somehow he couldn't bear to disappoint that voice. The functional fragments of his mind–why couldn't he focus?–screamed no, that the heron was using seid magic, he mustn't look. He had to watch the door.

Suddenly, Reyson's hand was under his chin, forcing his head up. When their eyes met, it was as much the anger in the gesture as the motionless calm in the heron's eyes that settled Soren's own emotions. His eyes narrowed, and he searched through that unnatural calm.

Yes, there was anger there, deep down. And worry. That made Soren feel a bit better; Reyson wasn't as collected as he seemed.

"Let go of me," Soren snapped, more to say something than any other reason. The heron's touch wasn't exactly unpleasant. Really, his hands were quite warm, and his skin was very soft...of course, he never had to do anything with his hands, there was no reason for–Bad thoughts. Yes, the heron was very pretty. Yes, he was generally nice, not that that mattered, and he was intelligent. But right now, Soren hated him, and had to worry about Ike. Not worry. Watch for Ike.

Reyson hadn't let go. "You can't do anything now. All you can do is believe in him. You're very good at that; now use it."

Soren took the advice, allowing himself to dwell on memories of successes. Ike hadn't needed his help, once actual fighting began. Ike could handle himself in a fight. He closed his eyes again. Ike would be fine.

Reyson was humming something, and had slipped an arm around Soren's shoulders. The humming was deepening the safe place in his thoughts. Soren distantly felt the nervous tension leave his body. The heron's arm around his shoulders felt nice. He felt his head hit Reyson's shoulder, thinking remotely that this was not right at all, but it certainly felt right.

"Are you feeling any better?"

The humming had stopped. Soren's mind cleared, but the idyllic calm remained. He debated moving. Really, he shouldn't be letting Reyson hold him like this. But he could still see the door, so maybe it was alright. Obviously his mind hadn't cleared all the way, part of him suggested.

"It seems so," he whispered into Reyson's shoulder. "Never do this again." He was aware enough to realize he was going to regret this moment later. Even if he had to convince himself to.

Reyson didn't respond, but Soren suddenly felt him stiffen, and heard surprised shouting from the others. The others. Soren winced. They wouldn't be able to see this from where they were, would they...?

Such trifling matters were shoved from his mind–he could always threaten anyone who had seen with death–when Nasir practically flew across the room, wrenched the door open, and dashed inside.

Pushing away from Reyson, Soren swore for the second time in less than fifteen minutes. There were much better ways to express himself than curses, but he couldn't remember any of them.

"Was that Nasir?" Reyson sounded as amazed as Soren felt, just without Soren's characteristic wrath that something so unexpected could occur.

"Yes," Soren snarled, shocked into full awareness. "What is he doing here? Where did he come from? If he hurts Ike, I'll–"

The entire castle started to shake. Ike and Mist, bloodied but alive, erupted out of the door, followed closely by Nasir, carrying the dragon girl they had fought in the Daein capital. Soren was too nonplussed for more than a brief flare of relief.

"Everyone out!" Ike shouted, waving his sword. "The castle's collapsing!"

Soren ran. There wasn't anything else he could do; he would have to berate Ike later. And question Nasir, and have Rhys take a look at the dragon girl; she looked to be in bad shape. And have a talk with Titania, and Mist. But not Reyson. He wanted to forget the past half hour. He knew he wouldn't.

A few breathless minutes later, everyone was standing outside, watching the castle crumble into a mountain of rubble, faces etched with horrified awe. Then everyone was crowding around Ike, shouting questions and accolades, demanding to know how he had beaten the Black Knight. Everyone assumed that he had; otherwise, how would Ike be out here, alive, and the Black Knight be–presumably–buried underneath the crumbled castle? Eventually Soren pieced together the whole story, and left Ike to his admirers. He would be able to talk to Ike alone later. Some of Reyson's calm must have stuck, he mused. He would expect himself to be unable to leave Ike's side now, not walk away. Of course, Ike wasn't in any danger, except perhaps of being smothered by the affection of the rest of the army. Or importuned by someone like Aimee. Soren smiled ironically. Ike was too oblivious for that.

He would have to deal with Nasir and the girl, even though it sounded like they were allies now. They would probably be in the healer's tent...

"Soren?"

Soren flinched. Unmistakably Reyson's voice. He turned reluctantly.

"Are you upset about what I did?"

He didn't sound like he was apologizing.

"Just don't do anything of the sort again," Soren snapped halfheartedly. "You were trying to be helpful, but I need the use of my wits."

Wrong answer, Soren knew before it left his mouth. He'd been a wreck, he could admit that now. Reyson had known it all too well at the time, and hadn't likely forgotten.

Reyson was smirking. "You weren't exactly in top form, earlier." He hated it when the heron smirked. He only did it when he was right.

"Shut up!"

"Your hair smells nice." Reyson spread his pearly-pure white wings, and vanished oddly quickly for a white bird at night.

Soren barely stopped himself from cursing again. What was that supposed to mean? Was the heron flirting with him? If so he wasn't doing a very good job, even if Soren could feel his face flushing. At any rate, it wasn't possible.

~o~O~o~O~o~O~o~O~o~O~o~O~o~O~o~O~o~O~o~O~o~O~o~O~o~O~o~O~o~O~o~O~o~

Ummm yeah. So I took liberties–from babies and similar sources– on the subject of what Reyson can do with his voice. Do forgive me, as I don't own Fire Emblem, and if I did such things would be more canon. And I need a break from serious exams. Hope you enjoyed; thanks for reading !