I'm so excited to post this last chapter... I could hardly wait... I just got ten hits and I felt that I really should put it on, so, here goes!
Chapter 12: A True Hero
The old General heaved a great sigh: "As far as I know, Bryce eventually calmed down about his views towards Gawain, mainly because many years passed... Zelgius, however, swore that he'd kill your father. As you know, he succeeded..."
"So Zelgius... Zelgius was my father's killer! Why didn't I see this?!" Ike groaned.
Tauroneo looked at the ground: "And that, dear nephew, is all I have to say..."
"Hmn, so that's how you knew Greil." Soren spoke suddenly. Both uncle and nephew were shocked, and began to turn their heads and look around them.
A crowd had gathered around Tauroneo and Ike, but the two were so busy talking that they didn't even notice the others.
"My lord Ike... I'm so sorry... Yet, Sir, no General Tauroneo, thank you for informing us all about my lord Greil... Or Gawain..." Elincia spoke.
"Ike... So that's all there is to know about Greil..." Titania muttered.
"Uncle Tauroneo, thank you so much... I never knew much about father, but you helped all of us understand him better." Mist spoke.
Boyd could only stare at the older general with his mouth agape. Oscar and the other officers all seemed more knowing, as though an amazing secret had just been revealed to them. So many of Ike and Tauroneo's comrades were there. The laguz, Lethe, Muarim, and, heck, even Ranulf showed up. Gawain was Ike's father, and since Ike was such a great hero, they all wondered what kind of man his father was. Now, thanks to Tauroneo's tale, they had a much better idea of the man called Gawain.
"Volke." Tauroneo turned to one of the listeners. "Volke, you told me that Elena was slain by Gawain's hand... Had only I been there... Had only I fulfilled my duty as his brother..."
Titania seemed shocked, as did the other listeners. "Tauroneo, you... Forgave Gawain so quickly?..." Titania was honestly stunned. "No matter how he betrayed me, or our compatriots, or even (forgive me, Jill, Haar) Daein, he did so to save our world. He did so for an even more noble cause. For him to lose his wife in such an endeavor... It is much too terrible..." Tauroneo sighed.
"But you had no idea that such things were going on, and I'm sure that, at the time, you were still hurt by Gawain, so you'd have no desire to go and help him then, even if you knew." Titania explained for him.
Tauroneo turned towards Titania, a little confused and surprised by her statement.
"Well, I'm not surprised that Gawain was your friend. For you to be so forgiving... It's quite amazing, really. Aeolus was a fool to even fathom the reasoning that you would be disloyal." Ranulf spoke. Everyone else seemed to agree.
Tauroneo was moved. Rarely did he see so many people care about him or honor him. After his fall from grace from a Steadfast Rider to a Knight, people seemed to despise him in Daein. Yet, here, among those whom he would have called enemies in his youth, these people honored him.
"Gawain was a hero..." Shinon began with awe.
"But I think we know who is an even greater one." Titania smiled. Many of the other listeners smiled and nodded as well.
Even Ike smiled, and turned towards his uncle. Tauroneo was confused: "Hmn? Who are you talking about?" He asked with surprise.
"Of all the years I've been in combat, I have seen few warriors with a strong sense of loyalty. True, there are warriors who stand by their rulers, but neglect them, and they sometimes turn their backs on their rulers. Some even turn traitor. Even Gawain turned his back on his comrades, without giving them any due warning or an explanation. He even killed Julia, his sworn sister. Bryce, obsessively in love with Julia, would be willing to strangle Gawain whenever Gawain was involved with her.
"Yet you, General, have kept steadfast to your values. Your loyalty to Daein is amazing. Your loyalty to your dear friends is also commendable, and you've been able to juggle both those loyalties extremely well. For anyone not to trust someone like you, well, they must either be an enemy, or be a true imbicle..." Titania spoke.
Tauroneo shook his head: "You give me too much credit, General Titania. I am merely a man who supports people. I am not a true hero. Gawain was... He had to bear the burden of his wife carrying such a horrible medallion." (1.)
"But I wonder what would have happened if it was Mary, not Elena, who carried the medallion... I'm sure it would have a similar fate, in the hands of Reyson and his sister..."
"What do you mean?"
Ranulf answered for her: "What she means, sir, is that you and Gawain aren't that far off. You both are men who will do what you are asked to do by society, friends, or family. Yet there's a fundamental difference between you and Gawain that makes you, well, greater than him."
"And what would that be?" Tauroneo gasped, unwilling to believe it.
Titania heaved a deep sigh, and spoke: "Gawain was reckless, stubborn, and sometimes confident to the point of arrogance. This arrogance, in fact, led him to his death at Zelgius's hands. His stubbornness caused him to try to forget everything about you and Bryce, and he would have, if you hadn't stopped him. His recklessness got him caught in hard places scores of times.
"But you are quite different from Gawain. You are much more prudent, and much more careful about your abilities. With that prudence, you defeated Danomill. You are also so loyal. With that loyalty, you saved Julia's life, even though your own was threatened. You are also quite wise. With that wisdom, you've changed all of us here..." Titania smiled.
"What do you mean?" Tauroneo was shocked.
"When we first entered this war, we were certain that the Daeins were our enemy, that they were all evil, that they had no sense of justice or morals. After all, they viciously attacked Crimea, and they had such an intense hatred of laguz.
"This tale you've recited to us tells us a different story. It tells of a story of an evil military who tormented so many innocent lives and forced them to become heartless killers. So many idealistic youth were turned into mindless and vicious warriors. And, furthermore, it told the story of three idealistic young men who, above all odds, stood together for such a long time. Yes, they were divided in their opinions, and in their emotions, but in the end, they remained friends... No, not merely friends, brothers! Your story is the story of a nation ruined by wars, from external threats to civil wars, yet this very nation rises and becomes powerful... You told the story of a King who turned from an idealistic youth himself into a tyrant, and we all know how that King's son turned out to be..."
Tauroneo bowed his head: "Again, you give me too much credit."
"Cease your humility, Tauroneo! It's too extreme for a hero like you! You told Julia that she would not be lonely any longer, yet you feel that loneliness, don't you, Tauroneo? I heard you talking with Rolf about the pain of your personal past... How Mary left you... Yet now, you are a changed man. The inklings you once had about scholars helping Daein restore itself are not lost dreams, Tauroneo... They can still come true." Titania spoke with conviction.
Tauroneo looked at her. They were both much older than Ike and the other youths. Tauroneo himself was almost 48. Titania had just turned 31. Yet, even though she was much older than dames like Mia or Tanith, Titania still held that powerful elegance, and a kind of beauty unmatched by Nepheene or Calill. (2.)
Yet, Tauroneo could see some longing in her eyes. "Longing for what?" He wondered. Based on his predictions, Titania was lonely too. She was 31, and most people in Tellius were already married in their 20s. Titania was unmarried, her purity quite obvious, yet even Gatrie had enough dignity and self-control to not chase after her. In many ways, she was the mother to the rest of the Greil Mercenaries, and Greil was like a father to them...
Tauroneo began to feel something in his heart. Something that was lost to him so many years ago. He felt that feeling when he held Julia close in the girl's last moments... He felt that feeling when Mary kissed him on their wedding day, and he felt it now, staring into the eyes of a strong woman, a warrior with a pure and caring heart.
Titania saw Tauroneo's longing for companionship in his eyes, and she eagerly grabbed his hand. "Tauroneo, we'll go through this together. We'll make sure that Crimea and Daein will have a better future... You are one of Daein's greatest generals, and I... Well, I'm the person who trained one of Crimea's legendary heroes... It's not easy for me to say this, but... I guess I'm just like Julia... I spent all my time chasing after that chest of silver, that I did not even see the mountain of gold before me..." Titania blushed awkwardly, and Ike and the others began to hold their breaths.
Tauroneo looked into Titania's eyes. For some reason, his loneliness, his sorrow began to melt away. Now, he was staring into the eyes of a person who would stand by him and help him recover from those years of accumulated pain, someone who could understand him... Without thinking, he darted forward and his lips pressed against hers. Realizing what he had done, Tauroneo pulled back, and found Titania smiling and blushing bright red.
Cheers echoed throughout Castle Crimea that day, and finally, Tauroneo felt that fate had given him a kind reprieve...
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Years later, a young man would often stroll along the walls of Castle Crimea. He was the Daein ambassador in Crimea, and was well known as one of the greatest political scholars of the era. He was the one who helped Daein change its public opinion of the laguz into a better light, and helped cure the tensions between Daein and Crimea. After all, he once spoke to the students of the Daein Military Academy: "How can I just let my father and mother continue their quarrels?" As the son of one of the Four Riders, and the son of one of Crimea's national heroes, this scholar truly had ground in both Daein and Crimean affairs, making him the perfect diplomat for the two nations.
He would walk beside the castle walls and point them out to anyone walking beside him:
"Here, my father's nation was finally soothed by my mother's nation, and the cruel Ashnard was dead. Yet here was also where the feud between Daein and Crimea ended... My parents stood by each other in the hope of gaining peace between the two nations, and ensuring that our peoples would never have to engage in conflict again. I've spent my life in the pursuit for this goal: for prolonged peace between the regal nations of Crimea and Daein..."
Who were this man's parents? I'm sure there is no need for an explanation...
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And so, in summer of the year 646, Generals Tauroneo and Titania of Daein and Crimea were united as one. Heroes from all over Tellius, including Sigrun and Tanith of Begnion, as well as Nasir and Ena of Goldoa, were present. Throughout Tellius, the tale of the noble hero Ike, the brave Queen Elincia, the mighty warrior Gawain, and, finally, the wise and loyal Tauroneo and his caring and steadfast wife Titania rallied the populace of the continent. In the years following this epic war, their tales inspired many future youths to work for a noble cause and ensure that they, too, could aid their world somewhat. After all, a true hero is measured not by his strength, nor his cunning, nor his skill in battle, but by his heart and soul...
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1. Yeah, yeah, I know that Titania is a Commander based on the game scripts, but considering that she's General Ike's second, shouldn't she also be the rank of General, in order to have some sort of authority? At least, I'm sure Elincia wouldn't regret making Titania a General.
2. My reading of Rolf and Tauroneo's supports suggests to me that Tauroneo's injured son was either 19, or in his early twenties. Though Tauroneo's statement of being "alone, for years" would have only been alone for around 3-5 years, being alone for such a time can be hard, especially if you were married and you had some kids. I've always thought of Tauroneo as having a caring heart, so being alone wouldn't be that easy for someone like him...
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And that, my dear friends, is the ending of one of my absolute favorite fanfics to write. It pains me to know that the tale is over, yet you can be certain that I'm not going away any time soon! More fics are coming, just you wait...
