A/N: Hello everyone, and we are back with Decisions. So I know what I said in the update I left a little while back, and it was true for the most part. However, I found myself struggling looking for a job, my girlfriend and I were just trying to make things bearable if at all, and with the holidays, it had been a lot for me to try and handle mentally. So what did I do when everything in my life was going to shit?

I was writing this chapter.

It was the only thing I could do, the only thing not going wrong that I could escape through. Oh, and uh, I guess you could say this is a late Christmas gift for those who still read this. Sorry about that. DP, Saya, Tychon and Lance aren't here with me right now because they don't know this chapter was in production, so I hope they like this too.

I own nothing. As usual.


Music: Sen Ikusa by Wagakki Band

(Instrumental) The Brand of Pandora falls down while spinning, landing on a familiar forehead with bangs. The perspective shifts back slightly to show Eric looking up ahead, while Chrom's side profile is shown facing the other direction behind the former. Their respective brands plaster the background as Chrom stands with a hand on his hip and Eric stands with arms crossed. Then Sumia crouches on one knee in front of Cordelia, an emblem of upward curving wings beside them. Next, Frederick, Raven, and Robin, each with their respective weapons of an axe, sword, and tome in hand, accompanied by a scythe and dragon emblem. Next, Walhart stands tall with Wolf Berg on his shoulder with the emblem reminiscent of his axe beside him. Then the black scene receives two slashes to reveal the black scene to show the title "Fire Emblem: Decisions

(Kataku chikatta yurenai omoi nara koko ni aru darou?) Falchion and Eternity stand in the ground in an X when suddenly, Eric and Chrom run through from each side and grab their respective weapons. With flame emitted from the blade, Eric swung a few times, a torrent of fire torching the scene

(Shinnen aru nara surechigai mo mata hitsuzen darouka kotae wa izuko da) Chrom slashes the screen accompanied by powerful gusts of wind, and a battlefield of troops are blown away with an explosion, revealing the two kings back to back grinning at one another over their shoulder. A familiar background of royal blue is displayed behind Robin as he points forward, Frederick appears on screen with an axe in hand. Raven, armed with Uramasa and a smile, each of the two on Robin's left and right sides. A red background replaces the blue, with Walhart holding his Wolf Berg. Yen'fay, Excellus and Cervantes each appear at Walhart's side before Yen'fay slashes the scene

(Iza, maichire sakura saite inochi no aru kagiri maire) A silver lance, a steel sword, and Uramasa lock with one another, the scene widens to show Frederick, Robin and Raven smiling at the sky, making a pact of sorts. Now, the Shepherds all stand in a group with Vaike pointing up at the screen, then the scene switches to a black background, with both Aversa and Validar standing parallel to each other while a pair of ominous red eyes glow on a darkened face

(Aa, mou dare ni mo inai fuwari, kaze ga naida) Chrom stands beneath a veil of sakura trees, petals dancing along the wind in the glow of the moonlight. Sumia hugs the prince from behind, bringing a warm smile to his face as he places a hand on Sumia's. Meanwhile, Eric looks out at the crescent moon over a cliff. Cordelia looks at him with worry and sadness in her eyes with a hand on her chest.

(Hanate, hanate ikusa he inotte, inotte mirai he) A bolt of Thoron is launched from Robin's hand, Frederick attacks with his lance, then Sumia and Cordelia charge through the sky with their lances in hand. A familiar blue haired swordswoman stands with her hand on Chrom's sword, surrounded by 15 silhouettes before one of them jump out to cut the scene with a purple flash

(Waratte, waratteruyouni douka, chikai no nakade chirasetekure) A young Chrom and Eric run side by side with smiles on their faces before the scene cuts to a dreary looking castle, the two now adult royals charge at Walhart with swords in hand. Chrom avoids a strike from Walhart as Eric jumps in the air and meets the Conqueror's axe, the force cracking the ground beneath them and causing it to explode

(Sono kokoro, makoto ni musou) Falchion and Eternity fall from the skies and land in an X once more. A freeze frame of Eric and Chrom both running is displayed, Cordelia and Sumia appear next near their respective love interests, then Raven appears in the middle in front with a hand on his hip and a smile. Frederick stands on Chrom's side with hands behind his back, Robin, on Eric's side with a hand on his chin in thought. Finally, a large portrait style view of Walhart towering behind them all, ending the opening.


"Don't turn your back on your child…"

Hearing those words dance across the air directly to my ears made everything around me slow to a crawl. I felt a lump grow in my throat with every passing second, making it a tough one to swallow. The hall was so silent, one could hear a pin dropping to the ground, every minute clink of the metal tip rebounding off of the stone floors as loud as the sound of an arrow bouncing off of thick plated metal. I could barely keep myself standing up on my own two feet, my legs gradually getting weaker and weaker beneath me. What had been going so great in my life previously was going to shit. Like fragile glass, everything was shattering in front of my very own eyes.

The only thing to bring me from my doldrums was a dull thud, following that noise was the sight of Chrom collapsed on the ground, to which Sumia went and dragged him out of the nearby area, at least enough to be out of sight and of earshot.

Focusing back on the two women around me, I felt my mouth going dry and my hands becoming clammy. While the feeling was not new to me, I was still at a loss for words nonetheless. Out of nowhere, I find out that I'm going to be a father to a child, that isn't with the woman I am engaged to. What does one do in this situation, I wonder. If only Naga had the answer.

"Say'ri… are you serious…" I kept my eyes away from her sight. "I'm… going to be a father…?"

She gave a small smile. "Yes," she whispered. "I know not its gender yet, but I know so far it is healthy."

She delivered something one would consider such good news, but there was nothing happy about this. This event is tearing everything asunder, all while having a slight grin as if she had this planned down to every minute detail. I drew out a long, pained sigh before turning around to Cordelia, she had been very quiet this entire time, and one could tell just by looking at her. She'd been frozen in spot completely along with her facial features. Her eyes, glazed over with a look none other that deep shock and trauma, stared off into the open air. Not a single sound came from her, save for the light breaths she took in and out at regular intervals. "Cordelia?"

In an almost robotic manner, her eyes slowly fixed themselves on mine, which had me scared on a whole other level, even had me taking a slight step back. I'd been around the Scarlet Ace enough to know this look behind her eyes. Someone was more than likely going to die. And somehow, I had the creeping feeling that I was at the top of that list.

The violet orbs presented an empty void, devoid of any hint of her inner thoughts and emotions, they were hard and they didn't even blink, not a moment's chance was spared from her stare. Then, as if nothing more than a mere flicker, a spark of light shone through them. Life had been restored to the deep, dark pools. In fact, they doubled up and over into one more powerful emotion: rage.

My expression shifted from one of fear to one of compassion and repentance. "Cherry, I-"

A harsh resounding smack echoed throughout the hall, sending my form reeling a couple steps back. Pain spread throughout my face at the point of contact, dulling and intensifying with every pulse of my heartbeat. The sensation brought a wave of pins and needles coursing through my body, adrenaline flushing my system as I held my cheek. I chanced a look at my attacker, and once my eyes laid upon hers once more, I felt grip my heart, something shattered inside.

The previously empty eyes now gave birth to tears threatening to spill over, faltering ever so slightly which gave way to a single stream, the tear rolling down her face. Her chest heaved irregularly as she tried to hold back sobs, and all together, her features, the pinnacle of beauty itself, were marred by the pain and tears of despair that I caused.

I righted my posture, forgetting all about the physical pain of her strike. The hit did more emotional damage to me than anything else, if I were being honest. Never had she ever struck me with such intent before, and I could very well tell you, in all of my years of combat, I'd been electrocuted, impaled, cut open, beaten to a bloody pulp, but that single strike was the single most painful thing in my entire life.

I couldn't even get the words out of my mouth before the redheaded woman fled the scene, her movements leaving little more than a red blur as she sped out of the castle entrance. I had one of two choices: either leave her alone and potentially leave the outcome of this predicament to chance, or go after her and try to salvage what was left. Biting the proverbial bullet, I shot a brief glance at the Chon'sinese princess before bolting after the pegasus knight. The knight in question stomped halfway through the gardens between the front entrance and the gates before I managed to catch up to her.

"Cordelia," I called, trying to get her attention. She didn't hesitate at all, continuing on her path away from me. "Cordelia, please don't do this. Talk to me, damn it!"

No response still. It wouldn't be until I grabbed her wrist that she finally turned to face me. Beneath her eyes were already puffy and red, she had forgone the poorly crafted façade she put up in front of the foreign princess and I and let the tears flow free, rage, hurt and sadness clearly written on her face. "There is nothing I want to talk about right now," she said in a dark, low voice.

I huffed out a breath of frustration. "This isn't something we can just sweep underneath the rug and talk about later."

"Like you did with this Say'ri character, huh?"

I winced at that comment. "That's not fair. I told you that this happened before we were even together, I did not have any inkling of this outcome!" I grit my teeth, biting back the anger bubbling up and instead trying to keep a level head. "I could have just said nothing and left you in the dark entirely! I risked losing you before you were even mine just so we could start off clean! I think I deserve a mature conversation about this!"

The redheaded woman's brow furrowed dangerously, her ill temper rising dramatically. "You want a mature conversation? Okay. Let's go over the facts. You go to a foreign land and fornicate with some random woman, then you come back and claim your love for me," she snapped. "Am I to assume you thought this would blow over and you'd have a happily ever after?!"

"You make it sound like my confession was empty," I snarled. "Need I remind you that even that event was a mistake? I had no intentions of courting another woman, and I had eyes for no one else but you! Hell, I almost got KILLED thinking of you!"

"I'm sure you did," Cordelia spoke, her voice quivering.

I pinched the bridge of my nose for the umpteenth time. "Okay, perhaps we need to take a step back. This is extremely rough, but we can get through this, Cherry," I whispered softly.

She shook her head with a sad smile. "You know… I don't think we can."

My heart sank, tearing its way through the lower parts of my being towards the ground. "What?"

"You don't get it, Eric," Cordelia sobbed. "It was one thing to be involved with another woman in the past, but it's something else completely for her to bear your child. YOUR CHILD. You will soon have a family. And it won't be with me."

Another heavy sob wracked her being. "It hurts. Love really does hurt. Especially when you fall in love with someone you know you can't be with. First with Chrom, and now with you. I really thought I found requited love with you, but I guess I was wrong yet again."

She slowly removed the band around her finger, placing it on the ground at her feet. "I can't take this. Not anymore."

This time, as she left the castle grounds, I made no effort to go after her. I was left petrified, a husk of what used to be a man standing before a relinquished ring. Dull eyes fell upon the object before it was picked up, clenching it tightly in my grasp. There were so many different things I was feeling at that particular moment, and I had no clue which one of them should be used. I felt like crying right then and there. Or I felt like destroying the entirety of the castle that stood before me. As my indecisiveness carried me towards the castle entrance, I settled for a forlorn sigh.

I walked past the Chon'sinese princess with not a single glance her way, lest I set her on fire with my mind. "I hope you're happy, you harlot."

"Harlot?"

The woman had the gall to be offended. "Yes, harlot. You were the one who came onto me. You know, despite knowing my feelings on the matter."

"You weren't complaining that night, were you now?"

"If I knew it would lead to this, I never would have let this happen to begin with." I ran my hand through my hair. "Now look what happened."

"Where did the other one go?" she asked.

"She left," I barked. "She left the castle, gone Naga knows where, and she's far too upset to be reasoned with."

I didn't see it, though I could feel her nodding in agreement, and while I will never know specifically why, it made my blood boil. "You know what your problem is?" I whipped around to face her. "You're godsdamned selfish. You tricked me in all of this, and now that you find out that you're pregnant, you STILL want to catch me in your clutches, no matter who it is you step on next! I'm not going to have this. I'm not going to let you win this time."

"How do you mean?"

"Let me make it clear to you," I hissed. "You are using that unborn child as a crutch. So the solution here is simple. Get rid of the child."

The swordswoman's eyes widened in shock. "What? Pray, did I hear you clearly?!"

"Crystal. Once that thing inside is gone, you will depart back to Chon'sin, and be out of my life for good. I want no part of you, our ties are done after this."

"Fie, you can't-!"

"I believe I just did." And without another word spoken, I walked onward to speak to Chrom. And hopefully, he had some of his liquor stashed away for me to find.


Narrator PoV

It had been three days since the events of that night took place. And let it be said that those three days were certainly… stifling, to say the least. Cordelia and Eric spent that night together, neither one saying so much as a word to the other even up until the morning after. Say'ri had spent her three days in a spare room in the castle, as per Sumia's insistence, and despite Chrom's protest. Their days went on as usual, though the couple rarely saw each other now, perhaps once or twice in the given span of time, and for no more than to share a look of sadness between one another. Adding insult to injury, Cordelia just couldn't seem to stay out of Say'ri's eyesight, the woman was everywhere! They spotted one another when she was working, when she was managing inventory, and even on her spare time going around the capital. And it always seemed like she had this grin of utter triumph on her face, like a child who got their way. It was infuriating!

She still had to keep her wits about her, however. As much as she wanted to grind the princess's face into the dirt with her bootheel, she had to show some tact. Being the captain of the Pegasus Knights, she had a reputation to uphold and an example to set.

"No, no, no," Cordelia huffed, micromanaging a rather plucky knight as she attempted the techniques demonstrated by the redhead. "You don't swing the lance into your attack, you thrust straight on." This was the fourth time today she had nitpicked at the tiniest flaw in her trainees' performances, even she had to admit that this was unlike her. "I need some tea," she sighed, rubbing her temples.

As soon as her head rose, she saw her. The same princess who threw her life into so much godsdamned turmoil. Leaning against the entrance to the fields with her arms crossed and a ghost of a smile on her face. Taunting her. Tormenting her.

"And the migraine continues," she growled. "Take five, ladies."

"Interesting set-up you possess here," the swordswoman proclaimed.

"Look here, I don't want to hear you gloat or do anything of that nature. So unless you've come here with a legitimate purpose, I would ask you kindly to leave," Cordelia barked.

"Gloat?" Say'ri tilted her head, forcing a slight growl to leave the knight's mouth. "Fie, you make it out as if I won something. I came here to ask of Eric's whereabouts."

The redhead turned her head away at the princess. "Apologies, but I don't know where he is at the moment, nor do I really care. If you're that eager to find him, I suggest you ask Chrom. More likely than not, he'll know where he is."

"I see." Say'ri nodded away at the curt response. "Naga knows these plans have to move along with a little more haste."

"Plans?" Cordelia asked, turning back towards the brunette. "What plans?"

"Oh, it appears I ran my mouth far too swiftly," she gasped. "Well, in any case, you didn't think that I came here just to let Eric know of the child, did you? If he is going to raise it, he would have to come with me back to Chon'sin."

One could actually hear something in Cordelia's head snap. "Well, aren't we ahead of ourselves? I don't know what amount of seawater you must have ingested on your way here, but there is no way you will get your claws in him."

Say'ri's brow rose. "Oh? And tell me, what makes you think so?"

"Sadly for you, my dear friend, he is already taken, and is engaged. To ME."

"You weren't singing that same tune a few nights past," Say'ri shot back, alluding to the removal of her ring. "If anything, I'd say that you were on the verge of conced-"

The wall, just mere inches next to the princess's face, cracked at the pure force of Cordelia's fist hitting the surface, quite a terrifying show of the woman's strength in rage. "Like hell I would concede to you."

Murmurs and whispers grew in volume around the two, making the pegasus knight grind her teeth. "Go on, to the barracks, nothing to see here!"

Say'ri's grin almost became predatorial. "Nay, allow them the mercy of being witness."

"Witness to what?" Cordelia asked, not prepared for the moment when steel was flashed in front of her face.

"Your failure."

"Madness," Cordelia declared. "Is Eric really worth that much to you? That you would kill me to get him?"

"And sully my hands with your blood? Good heavens, no," she answered, much to the confusion and ire of the redhead.

"Then what are you talking about?"

"I speak merely of a simple duel," Say'ri hummed, letting her fingers dance on the hilt of her blade. "If you win, you live happily with him, and I shall leave you two alone for good."

Cordelia shot a dead-serious glare. "And if I lose?"

"Then your days with him are over."

Cordelia nodded in understanding, deeply analyzing the terms laid out in this so-called duel as she walked away to grab her lance. As long as it was one on one, she had the advantage. Lancework was her specialty, and it seemed to the knight that Say'ri worked with swords. This would work out in her favour, as her discipline in weaponry gave her an inherent edge. Coupled with the fact that she trained constantly, she had a lot of pride and far too little doubt that she would lose to this foreign woman.

She hefted the metal weapon in her hand and pointed it at Say'ri. "Alright then, you're on. But you best be careful… I can't help if I draw a little bit of blood."

With little warning, much to the horror of the audience they unintentionally forgot about, the two charged at each other. Cordelia with her lance coming low, and Say'ri with her blade coming high. Each were about to make contact with their intended target before both were halted by a third party.

"That's enough," Raven bellowed in a low and stern voice, an extremely rare sight to behold. Cordelia's spear struggled beneath Raven's boot, and Say'ri's pressure wasn't enough against the might of Uramasa on his back. "I may not be either your superior, but I will not tolerate such belligerence."

A sudden powerful wave shot out from Raven's body, blowing back the two women and sending them crashing to the ground. Say'ri ended up colliding with the wall that Cordelia had dented just seconds before while the crimson-haired knight skated across the dirt floor. Huffing in frustration, the loyal Pandorian advisor kicked the spear to the side out of anyone's way before he sheathed his katana.

He clicked his tongue in annoyance. "You heard the woman. To the barracks, nothing to see here." The clamour of dispersing female recruits followed Raven's order, his mouth pulling itself into a straight line as the two women picked themselves off of the ground. "Now then, you two…"

He crossed his arms sternly. "To what is this little scuffle owed to?"

Offering a moment of silence for an answer to be found, his patience came up fruitless. "Well, I'll take a shot in the dark and assume it is on behalf of Lord Eric." Two nods was his quick and concise answer. "If that is the case, then you two are behaving in a rather disappointing manner."

"Disappointing, you say?" Say'ri barked. "Explain."

"What is there to explain?" Raven questioned. "You two were out for each other's blood like animals. If I hadn't stepped in, I'm certain Lord Chrom would have had one of his men mop up your bodily fluids. It's one thing to start a duel, but I didn't think you would have stooped to such levels, Lady Cordelia."

Despite voicing his personal opinion, it elicited no audible response from neither the redheaded knight or the well-spoken swordswoman. Cracking a small grin, he collapsed to the ground, crossing his legs and laying his idle hands on his knees. "Alright… we need to come to a consensus here or this will spiral out of control. I expect that there will be no interruptions, starting with you, Lady Cordelia. You may begin."

She darted her eyes between Raven and Say'ri back and forth for a brief moment before turning her nose up at the two present, huffing with crossed arms. Say'ri did something similar to this, save for an additional inaudible curse that barely managed to weasel its way out of her mouth.

"Whether you two like it or not, this matter will be solved. At least before milord destroys the-" Raven's statement was cut off as the castle and the ground tremored. Not enough to cause massive damage, but enough to knock the other two in the area to their feet. "-Northroad. Just perfect."

"Northroad?!" Cordelia shouted. "But… that's almost three hours away by horse! The hell is he doing?"

"He's releasing some steam," Raven groaned as another explosion boomed in the distance. "Understandably, he's… not coping well."

He clapped his hands twice. "This is why I'm trying to get to the bottom of this. So just take a deep breath in and out." He gestured his permission to the redhead, pushing her to go first, which she wasn't very eager to do. She appreciated that Raven wished to play therapist, but her pride kept eating at her, telling her not to splay her inner thoughts out. She would handle them herself, that wasn't too difficult a task, was it?

And yet, she still had to consider how well her path of direction was going for her. Or rather the opposite. Ultimately, she gave one of her trademark sighs, and relented. "As far as the Shepherds, and even half of the halidom knows, the two of us love each other, and we've been with each other for a few months now. Ever since he got back, actually. He told me about him and Say'ri, but I let it go because he and I weren't together at the time. From that point forward, he and I had little to no problems. The occasional spat here and there, but nothing worth two coins."

Raven nodded once before letting her continue. "Yes, and how did that make you feel Cordelia?"

"Honestly," she breathed. "It shattered me. To think that everything he and I had been through would be swept away in an instant."

"Fie! What nonsense!" Say'ri jumped, attacking Cordelia's statement.

"Princess Say'ri, pipe down, it is not your turn-"

"Curse your turn foolishness," she retorted before turning her wrath on Cordelia. "How dare you! At least you can call him yours! I cannot! This unborn child is the only thing I have of him to call my own! And even in that instance, it may leave my grasp!"

"Now hold on," the knight declared. "You claim to be his long-time friend. If your friendship was true, you would know that he's not heartless like that, he would stand by you and his son or daughter!"

Say'ri's voice wavered on her lips. "Is that the reason he told me to rid myself of it?"

Cordelia's face softened at this revelation, and Raven's eyes widened in shock. Equal distribution of this went to both the pain and vulnerability Say'ri was exhibiting, and the shock that such a thing would dare even leave the Pandorian royal's mouth. "What did he do?"

"He told me to get rid of the child growing inside, just so he and you could live your happy lives together," the swordswoman cried. "He would be willing to hurt me to such a degree just for your sake. That infuriates me. Such disrespect to me as a woman, and as a mother, all for someone he barely even knows."

Cordelia let her gaze fall to her feet. "You… resent me, don't you?"

A lone tear streaked down the brunette's face. "I do."

A tense silence hung in the air, long since overstaying its welcome before Raven cut through it. "I think you both are being selfish."

His comment got him hurt and angered glares, so he coughed into his fist for an elaboration. "You two no doubt have had your demons the last few days in particular, and they've been very stressful to say the least. Now, imagine how milord feels. Not only does he take center stage in this, but he is also pressed with a life changing decision here."

"Life changing decision?" Cordelia asked.

"He may not have ever told you two, but aside from vengeance on Plegia and Gangrel, all he ever wanted was a family of his own. He was orphaned at a very young age, forced to live in agonizing solitude for as long as he's lived. It's part of the reason why he searches for his brother to this day. To fill the void he's had to endure for decades. And now, when he's finally on the precipice of that ambition, it's being torn away from him even worse. He wants to be a outstanding father, but he also loves you dearly, Cordelia. More than his own life."

He taps his knee with a solitary finger. "Yet now he's forced to make a choice between his love or his family. And it's tearing him apart."

Another boom shook the grounds, prompting him to rise. "Well, I better go on and speak some sense into my king before he levels the entire area," he called as he proceeded to take off into the sky. "Try not to maim each other before His Majesty returns."


Eric PoV

"Hi-yah!" Crackling with the power of electricity, my leg splintered the large tree before me like a buzzsaw, sending the larger portion of it to the earth with a loud crash of rustling leaves and cracked timber. Yet another exertion, nowhere near close to ending my problems nor my frustration, but it was a start. It was the closest thing I was willing to go to relieve myself that didn't start with 'a' and end in 'hol'. Though as I looked around, I slowly began to realize that my method was dwindling in effectiveness; there weren't too many trees or boulders left to smash and I had way too much on my mind for the landscape to cover it. Closing my wells of magic, the buzzing light across my leg dimmed down to nothing, as I opted to take a seat against the new stump I fashioned. I figured a little bit of rest would be the best course of action here, lest my brain blow from an aneurysm.

I laid against the wood, strewn limbs out at mercy of mental exhaustion. Panting out breaths, feeling the cooling embrace of sweat on my body, I had a wave of new thoughts rushing through my mind, varying in degree, in importance, and in priority. But the one thought that was at the forefront of my mind, the one at the top of the list at this moment…

I was thirsty as hell.

My tongue felt like it was shrivelling in my mouth, so I decided to psycho-magic myself some water. Luckily, where I was, there was a nearby stream I could make use of. With a clap of my hands and some ingenuity, I waved my hands and pulled over a sizeable orb of water from the stream. Slowly, it floated its way over, the bubble of clear, life-sustaining liquid looking tantalizing with every passing second. It was inches away from my grasp until a sudden gust of wind popped it, sending the water all over my face and torso.

I shook my dampened hair out of my face. "Well… at least I'm somewhat refreshed," I reasoned.

"Milord," Raven began with a with a small frown. "I know you have been a little stressed out lately, but this…" He gestured around him and I, seeing the once green and beautiful Northroad now a range of burnt ozone and blackened soil. "...this is ridiculous. The poor animals…"

"Yes, I know, I know." I spit out a mass of sputum off to the side. "On the bright side, I'm on a resting period, so now's the time to speak while I'm on-"

Suddenly, Raven picks me by the collar firmly, dragging me up inches away from his face. "-break."

Without any warning nor remorse, he planted a fist straight into my cheek, sending me to the ground. I held my jaw in pain. "Raven, what the hell?!"

"You need it." Another growl escaped his mouth before he grabbed my collar yet again. "You cannot keep going like this. Destruction or not, you are still going to be a father, and you can't leave this to magically fix itself!"

"I know that, dumbass!" I shouted. "It's… it's just been a lot to take in. I need to settle myself, okay? It's not everyday you are told you're going to be a parent. And Cordelia, I-"

"I am aware, and while I can't relate, I can try my hand at helping," Raven replied. "It's what I do as your knight and advisor. This isn't who you are, moping around and dragging your feet. You are a take-charge kind of person, I know it and Lady Cordelia knows it. Your ladylove may be hurt, but it will make it worse if you simply ignore her. She loves you nonetheless and she always will."

He let go of my collar, smoothing it out. "So please, milord… rather than eliminate the native species…" He addressed the surrounding area. "...we need you to pull your head out of your ass and be the man and king we know and love."

I couldn't help but chuckle at Raven's miniature speech. "You know… your words have risen my spirits twofold; by your unrivalled charisma and by your rare, yet deliberate use of a curse word."

"Lovely," Raven said with yet another smile. "Now if you would, let us head back to Ylisstol. And no more forest levelling."

I scratched the back of my head. "No promises."


In a short while, my living room had four people in it; Raven, Say'ri, Cordelia and myself, each of us sitting on either a chair or the sofa. The two women, while exhibiting their own symptoms of nervousness and anticipation, their respective gazes were locked on my figure, begging me to break the ever-toughening ice. Me, I had my fingers laced together across my face, eyes closed in thought as I leaned towards the center of our little circle. When I think about it, often times when I was in person with any one of these three, our conversations would seamlessly start up, snowball, and flow into countless different topics, for hours on end at times. Now, you'd be lucky if a cough sounded out to instill some life in the room. The one who would break this silence looming us all would hold a lofty task, the words would be chosen carefully.

And unfortunately, I was the one to do it.

"So," I said, briefly pausing to gather and align my thoughts. "These last three days have not been very kind to anyone. Which, before anything else goes on, I wish to thank you, Raven, being as dutiful as always."

"Dutiful, no," he corrected. "It was a matter of choice."

I shrugged. "Right. Anyway, we need to figure out a way to move forward. It's a very difficult decision to make, but I fear that it needs a clear answer. And should you have one, please voice it."

Cordelia's eyes followed an indistinct pattern on the decorative carpet, still fidgeting with her thumbs. Say'ri tapped her finger on her thigh rhythmically. Telltale signs to me that they had something on their mind, but to afraid or hesitant to voice it.

I sighed. No one was going to like what I had but it was the only way known. "Say'ri, I still stand by what I said to you the night you arrived. In my own personal opinion, I believe the best course of action is for you to rid yourself of it before it is too late."

The swordswoman rose out of her seat. "Gods above, again with this?!" she cried in outrage.

"Milord!" Raven scolded me.

"Don't you 'milord' me!" I barked back. "I said I would be there for my child, and as far as I'm concerned, I do not have one as of this moment! That unborn child is the only thing that is causing this three-way drama, and it's the only weapon Say'ri has to halt things between Cordelia and I."

A sharp exhale left my nose before I hung my head. "The only logical explanation is that she gets rid of it. Plain and simple."

Say'ri ground her teeth together, trying her hardest trying to fight back the tears springing to her eyes. She'd clenched her dainty fists so hard, her knuckles had easily been resembling the colour of clouds in the sky. "How dare you still?! Haven't you come to realize that it is not simply your progeny? It is mine as well! It is a part of me, it beats the same heart as I! I cannot end its life so quickly for the cause of you not wanting to associate with me!"

"Milord, with all due respect, I will not allow this! Your love for Cordelia does not take precedence over your responsibility as a future father!" Raven slammed an open palm on his arm rest as he shot up to standing position. "If you are going to recklessly involve yourself with the likes of women, then you will have to pay the consequences for your actions!"

"Be careful with what you say before you overstep a line, Raven." I said, my voice dangerously low.

Raven furrowed his brow, clearly not happy with my position on the matter, but ultimately, he bit his tongue and relented. It was a heartless thing to do, sure, but could there be another possible solution? I did not see it.

"Why must you be so insistent on this particular answer?!" Say'ri bawled.

I could feel the veins in my forehead pushing to the surface. "Because you are only using this child as leverage against me! You think I'm going to drop Cordelia for you just because you're pregnant with mine and it's not going to work! I wouldn't leave my child to the wayside, but I'm not going to hurt another just to stroke your own satisfaction!"

The room, as quickly as it escalated into the higher end of the volume scale, it died down just as swiftly. A tense moment of silence had played out before the heartbroken Chon'sinese woman fell back into her seat, breaking down into tears with her face in her hands, trembling furiously. The rage, the anger that had filled my heart towards her, had begun to melt and dissipate in that moment. Not the rage I had just now, but every last bit since the moment she and I saw each other months ago. I could feel my breath hitching ever so slightly, my eye and lower lip shaking if even just a little. This woman, she was my childhood friend, she had been many a fond memory and a moving part in my life, and I could honestly say that I probably would not be the same person if not for her. While our meetings had been far between and few, she and I had been through thick and thin.

It was only for a moment that I didn't notice a stream of moisture run down my face. I was far too stubborn and stupid to see it before, now everything had hit me all at once. She gave everything to me, and I had done nothing but trample on it. I yelled at her, I abused her. Toyed with her psyche. It all took the toll on her, and when I saw her, crying like this in front of me, I could only hear three words in my head repeat themselves like a mantra.

I broke her.

"Say'ri… I'm sorry…"

I couldn't keep myself in check, my heart was in control of my body now. I hung my head, heavy with the weight of guilt as I obscured my face from view. "This is all my fault."

She sniffled a breath as she looked up at me, her eyes reddened. "I beg your pardon?"

"I was completely inconsiderate of your feelings, and I've hurt you so much, in more ways than one. I'm the reason you have life growing within you, and I'm here trying to destroy it, rather than nurture it. I suppose it's proof enough that I'm not ready to be a father."

I turned my gaze to Cordelia. "And I apologize to you as well, Cordelia. I thought that simply telling you about what happened months ago would have had us start off well, but as it were, I was naive to think so. Leading you on, I know how much you've had your heart broken before, only to receive this bullshit. And now look at this."

I swallowed a lump in my throat. "You both deserve better than this."

I rose out of my seat, where now my smile was visible. It could have fooled anyone, if not for the thin streaks that lined my cheeks. My body felt like lead now, yet at the same time it felt unbound. Like it had gone completely slack, devoid of life. With the same lifeless steps, I approached the two women who sat opposite of me, each of them wearing their own confused expressions. "Eric…? What's going…"

The redheaded goddess trailed off her sentence as I pulled her into a warm and tight embrace, devoid of any other thoughts aside from sorrow and gratitude, oddly enough. She wrapped her arms around me in return, hesitant in her hold. A second passed before I whispered to her "Goodbye, Cordelia."

A small gasp left her mouth as I faced her with the same solemn expression I wore previously, the smile doing its hardest to deceive the two from the real face inside. Her eyes met mine, widened to the size of dinner plates, and before she could commit to a response, I planted a chaste kiss on her forehead. Pure.

Then I moved to Say'ri. Her sorrowful brown orbs crossed paths with my own soft ones before I reached down to hug her as well. Like Cordelia, she had returned the hug with the same amount of awkwardness, unsure as to how to respond. "Goodbye, Say'ri."

I flashed them a sad closed-eye smile before making my way to the entrance of the living room where Raven had been. He, too, was unsure where this was going, his bemused brow and tilted head gave it away. Wordlessly, I went through my pocket until my hand met what I was searching for. Asking for Raven to hold out his hand, which he openly accepted to doing, I placed the object in the center of his palm before closing his hand around it. His eyes widened ever so slightly at his hand, then at me.

"Hold onto it for the time being," I implored him. "It won't work. I won't be needing it anymore."

The three were left in shock as I took a few of my belongings and left the household, with no particular place in town I was aiming to go. I had brought my pack with me and I was missing only two things, both of which were left to Raven.

My sword that I left at home.

And the ring for Cordelia.


A/N: Does anyone need some rope or perhaps a climbing pick? I reckon it sucks hanging from the cliff. ...Eh? Anyone? No? Okay. Well, in any case, I hope you all enjoy your holidays. Fell Dragonite out.