*Final chapter of the game! You all know what that means! More depressing stuff! . Next chapters will be lighter, I swear. And who knows? Maybe a girl will take interest in Henry? Ohhh, whatever will he do?

Plus, I'm not too well at fighting scenes dealing with magic. I'm working on that with a book of mine I'm currently writing since it has magic users in it, but it's difficult. Bear with me!*

The sky was dark and ominous as the Shepherds fought on top the Fell Dragon's back. Dangerous, gale-force winds and chronic lightning strikes added to the intensity and difficulty as well. Enemies came from all around, and just as it seemed they had managed to cut their way through them, more would teleport out of nowhere and crowd their way again. Already, Grima had nearly done away with Elena, but thanks to her friends and family, she pulled herself out of her doppelganger's grasp. Through the enemies, she and Henry fought; at times, he would grab her hand and pull her through with him, somehow managing to get farther and farther ahead little by little. Just before they were to reach Grima, a horde of enemies came their way, blocking them off. They began to fight, and behind them, fiery breath and Katarina's Bolt flew at enemies, slaughtering them. Ricken and Nowi had made their way to aid them so that they could get closer to Grima.

"Go!" Ricken ordered. "We'll handle these guys!"

"Yeah! They're no match for an all-powerful mage and a kick-butt dragon!" Nowi said in her manakete form.

Elena and Henry nodded, and once again took off toward Grima, leaving Nowi and Ricken behind to battle the horde. Back with the main group, Morgan and Chrom had lost sight of Elena, and this scared them; they knew exactly what Elena would do if she got the chance, so they began to try to advance with their wives by their side. However, more enemies were inbound, making it practically impossible to move onward without having to battle every step of the way.

When they approached Grima, Elena's grip on the hilt of her sword tightened. The look on Grima's face as she stared her down was enough to make her blood boil, and even Henry wanted nothing more than to wipe it off her face. Behind them, they could hear the all-too-familiar sounds of battle and the cries of their comrades as they fought or were wounded. If one thing was ever certain was that Elena had to end this, and do it now, by her hand. Countless lives depended on her to do so, and she would not let them down.

"…RETURN TO ME… COME… WE ARE ONE… AND THE SAME," Grima spoke loudly.

"Not a chance!" Elena yelled as she ran forward, Henry following suit. She swung her blade at Grima, whom blocked it with her spell of giant black thorns.

"Ooo, me, me, me!" Henry cackled as he cast Goetia. Grima turned and snarled as she barely dodged the spell in time. "Aww…"

The Fell Dragon then raised its head and opened its mouth wide, revealing numerous jagged teeth. It unleashed a powerful breath of fire at the two of them, which they either dodged or rolled away from. They came back together and stared at Grima and the Fell Dragon; it was clear that while they knew this battle would not be easy, the fact that they had to evade Grima's and the Fell Dragon's attacks proved to be a precarious challenge. Again, Grima gave them the same haughty expression as she stepped closer to them. She threw out her arm, the black thorns shooting up from the ground in a straight line at them. Quickly, they moved away from the attack, only to have the Fell Dragon expel its pyre attack. Henry grabbed Elena and pulled her behind him, then threw his arms out, a magical barrier enveloping the two; however, the barrier could only block so much, and the explosion of the attack knocked them off their feet. Without wasting any time, they jumped back on their feet, Elena charging at Grima, Henry closely behind. When she reached Grima, she raised her sword, which Grima was ready to block; with stunning agility, she ducked (the shocked look on Grima's face was a sight for the both of them), only to have Henry emerge from behind her and cast his spell in immediate proximity. A cry was heard from their enemy as she reeled back and blindly threw her hand out, black thorns once again shooting out. Since they were so close, the attack would no doubt hit them, but Henry pushed Elena out of the way, the some of the thorns piercing him. One shot through his stomach and back, holding him up in the air. Elena's eyes were wide in horror, but Henry merely laughed it off as she cut him down; pain was nothing to him anymore. The Fell Dragon shot out a massive fireball at them, which Henry was not prepared for in order to cast another barrier- another barrier was cast on them, and a powerful lightning spell hit the beast's face.

"Hey, you big bully! Over here!" they heard Nowi yell. They looked over to see Nowi and Ricken; they had managed to fight their way through the horde and come closer to join in on their fight with Grima. Grima turned her attention to them and raised her hand to cast another spell.

"Take THIS!" Ricken shouted, Katarina's Bolt cast again. Grima snarled and cast her thorns, which blocked off the attack. The Fell Dragon then unleashed another attack, but Ricken and Nowi dodged it. Henry and Elena ran to the two and nodded a quick thanks, ready to fight together.

"Come now. This is unfair," Grima maliciously grinned. She snapped her fingers, and more enemies teleported behind them. Nowi groaned as she and Ricken turned to face the enemies, leaving Elena and Henry to again deal with Grima and the Fell Dragon.

Elena charged at Grima and sliced her blade at her, only to have to draw back to avoid thorns. Grima again cast the thorns, which Elena evaded deftly- out of the corner of her eye, she saw the Fell Dragon's massive fireball coming her way. Henry jumped in front of her and tried to cast a barrier, but Grima repeated her action, which he could only avoid one or the other. The fireball crashed into Henry, which knocked him into Elena, and the two tumbled briefly. When they came to a stop, with a groan, Elena rolled Henry off her to see that he was still conscious and that he struggled to get back up on his feet. A nasty burn was on his arm and leg, and the wound from Grima's thorn was bleeding at an alarming rate. He was on his hands and knees, and she watched him as he shakily tried to get back up. A small growl escaped her lips as she rose to her feet and began to walk toward Grima; the blast had wounded her as well and had made her braid fall out, her long red hair whipping in the wind.

"H-hey, wait," Henry said through gritted teeth. She felt him grip her shoulder. "We'll do this together."

They nodded and ran toward her, Henry casting as many Goetia spells as he could, shrouding the area in darkness. Grima began to blindly cast out her thorns, and the Fell Dragon started to breathe fireballs all around. Ricken and Nowi, having fought through the horde, started to pick up on what Henry and Elena were doing and started to cast spells and expel dragon's breath together, filling the area with darkness and smoke. In a panic, Grima scanned the area, unable to see past the smoke and utter darkness. Behind her, Elena emerged and stabbed her sword through Grima, whom grunted in both pain and surprise. Elena cried out as well, and when Ricken heard this, he used Wind to clear out the smoke and darkness to reveal what had occurred. The enemies stopped fighting and stood still, and the Shepherds looked to see Elena, gripping her sword that was impaled in Grima.

"Mother?!" Morgan called, horror written all over his face.

"Elena?! Wait, what-"

"…WHAT… WHAT ARE YOU DOING?" Grima hissed, interrupting Chrom.

"For once, I'm glad you and I are the same," Elena said with a smile. She looked over at Henry, whom was now on a knee, holding onto his wound, his eyes on Elena. "Now I can give my life to protect those I care for."

"…YOU WOULD… NOT DARE!"

"I would and I will. The evils you would visit on this world are unthinkable… In some way, I- we share the blame. It's only right we meet our end together!"

"NO!" Grima screamed, utmost fear in her voice. Elena then jerked the sword out of Grima, whom jerked upward, and agonizing scream erupting from her. Elena cried out as well, and a light burst from the two of them, and the wind intensified, nearly knocking everyone off their feet. For Henry, the struggle for him to remain on his feet was becoming harder and harder, but when he watched as his wife resisted the best she could against her pain, the hurt inside his chest was unmistakably worse than any he had ever felt. His mind thought back to their conversation before the battle, when they had a brief moment to themselves…

Elena stood before him, her hand clenched around something he could not see. The Shepherds were waiting on them in order for the battle to begin, so they knew they had to make the little time they had remaining matter. Her hair flowed down her back, and she reached up with her free hand and put a lock behind her ear.

"Henry," she began. She hesitated, then looked up into his eyes. "There is so much I want to tell you… I just… don't know where to begin."

With a smile, he gently grabbed her shoulders and turned her around. Confusion wracked her until she felt him start to braid her hair. Olivia had taught him how to braid, and it had become a morning ritual for him to braid his wife's hair. This would be the last time he could do it.

"You don't have to tell me anything," he spoke. "Words during a time like this have little impact. I'd like to believe actions speak more."

"I don't want you to doubt anything," she whispered.

"What would I doubt?" he asked. "I never doubted anything with you. You know this."

"I do," she smiled.

"Hey. You remember when we danced at our wedding?" Henry randomly brought up.

Elena giggled. "I sure do! We were terrible at first, but we got the hang of it pretty quickly."

"You also remember the song Basilio sung while we danced?" He tied the end of the braid with a ribbon then placed his hands on her shoulders.

"…I do, but faintly," she nodded, feeling his calloused but gentle hands on her skin. "I should ask him to sing it again before we head out."

Surprise took her when she heard Henry start to faintly sing:

"The heart of a man is made to be strong

Never to break, hard as a stone

Yet, the gentle touch of a woman can change

The coldest of man to one with a passion wild like flames

If such a person is ever met, the only question to be

Is to ask her-" at this, she turned and faced him, joining him, "-would you

marry me?"

They laughed together for a moment. It had been so long since they had laughed together, and it was like a refreshing breath of air. "It's such a corny song, but I can't help but to love it," she giggled.

"Made my crows sick just by listening to it, nya ha!" Henry chuckled. "He only sung it at our wedding. He must think I'm some cold guy or something. Can't say he's wrong, though. I'm pretty CAWllous."

"That's not true at all," Elena denied, shaking her head. "You are one of the best people I have ever met, Henry. You help anyone and everyone. Sure, you're a little dark and a whole lot of crazy, but I wouldn't change a thing about you." She looked down, sadness in her eyes. "And… I'm really going to miss you."

"…Yeah," Henry whispered. "I'm going to miss you, too..."

Their enemies collapsed, dead now that Grima was as well. The Fell Dragon, with a shrill shriek, fell from the sky and crashed onto the ground; it was a miracle that the Shepherds were not killed when this happened. As they climbed off the beast, it was apparent that all were wounded, some worse than others. Elena stood before all the Shepherds, whom gazed upon her with sadness as she began to fade away.

"Elena, no… oh, Gods, no…" Chrom whispered.

"Mother, no… I just got you back! You can't leave me again!" Morgan sobbed, Noire's hand in his.

"Thanks again, for everything," she spoke to the Shepherds. "I couldn't have done any of this without you." She looked down at the ground for a moment then looked up at them. "May we meet again in a better life." Her eyes fell on her son. "I love you, Morgan."

Some of them cried out loud, some silently. Some, no tears were shed, but the grief and pain was just as potent. Noire simply held onto Morgan's hand as he wept, and Sumia comforted Chrom as he struggled to maintain his composure. Quietly, Henry walked to his wife and looked down at her with the utmost love in his eyes. She smiled warmly at him as he placed his hand on her cheek, which was fazing in and out. A lump rose in his throat; he knew this was to happen, and yet, the pain was still as harsh and brutal as if he had not known.

"…Henry…" she whispered. "…I was very happy with you the short time we had together. I only wish… that we had more time."

"Yeah," Henry said sadly. "So do I."

"This isn't goodbye," Elena said. "I'll come back to you. I promise."

Henry smiled at her. "I know you will."

"Henry?"

"Hmm?" She didn't say anything, which told him everything. He reached out and took her in his arms, to which she put her arms around him as she continued to fade away. "Don't be scared. I'm here. I always will be."

She closed her eyes and smiled. "I'm glad."

"And when you come back, we'll be together forever. Okay?"

"Yes," she nodded. "Thank you, Henry."

"…No more leaving."

"Mmhm," she smiled. "Thank you so much, Henry… for loving me."

His arms suddenly felt empty, and she was no longer there. He wanted to cry, but instead, he stared out at the horizon, the setting sun giving it an assortment of hues. Ricken walked up to Henry and put his hand on his shoulder.

"This was for the best… right?" he asked.

A sad smile spread across Henry's face. "She was happy in the end. That's all that matters."

"So, now what?"

"I don't know," Henry said.

Everyone knew Henry had no home of his own, so Chrom stepped up. "Elena has a house in Ylisse, Henry. You can stay there."

"You could also come train new mages at the barracks," Frederick chimed in. "Ylisse does not technically have a teacher for mages, so you would be a welcomed sight."

"I can do that," he agreed. "It's going to be weird, being a teacher."

"You're good at it," Ricken smiled. "You were my teacher, and look at how awesome I am now."

"Right," Henry said. "But, remember what Naga said? She could come back, right?"

"Exactly," Chrom affirmed. "Which is why I'm going to look for her."

"Count me in, too, Chrom!" Lissa beamed. "We'll look all over this stupid world if we have to!"

"Don't forget about us," Stahl spoke up, he and Sumia walking up to their spouses. "We're going with you."

"Then… I'll look, too," Henry said. "I'll even put my crows on the search."

"What about the school?" Frederick questioned.

"I'll do that, too. In my downtime, I'll search. I'm sure you guys get all sorts of missions, so I'll go with you on those," Henry replied. He smiled. "I'm never going to give up on her. If I have to search for her my whole life, I'll do so."

"I see," Chrom smiled back at Henry. When Henry looked at the place Elena had been, he saw her wedding band on the ground. He bent down, picked it up, and held it in the palm of his hand. He turned around to see Morgan in front of him, tears rolling down his face. Tenderly, he embraced his son, whom cried bitter tears on his chest. It was at that moment he made a promise to himself that he would find Elena again, if not for anyone else but Morgan. No hex, no enemy- nothing- would stop him.

Time passed, just as it always does, and it took some time for various Shepherds to heal. After the war, they all spread out, doing diverse things with their spouses by their sides. For Henry, it took him quite a while to heal, and Morgan and Noire stayed with him at Elena's house until he was restored to health. To be in his wife's house without her there was an oddity, and he dared not change anything, not even move furniture. True to his word, he went to the barracks and helped Frederick with the magic-users who otherwise would have no teacher at all. On his own, he chose to start a school at the barracks for magic-users of all ages. His oddness and love for darkness, curses, and hexes certainly was terrifying at first, but soon, everyone came to love and respect him, even if his crow jokes and awful puns made their eyes roll (some, however, enjoyed them). On missions, he would search for his wife as well as train and protect the mages. During the day, he was so busy helping Frederick and teaching, he had no time to himself. But, at night, when he was alone at the house, he would think about Elena all the time. Chrom and Sumia, and Lissa and Stahl had made it their mission to search for her, and Henry hoped that she would be found soon. He remained optimistic that Naga's words were true.

Ricken and Nowi were also on his mind. Ricken had decided to study abroad in order to become Chrom's Royal Advisor, and Nowi went with him, naturally. Often, he would receive letters from the two, and he would write back; his crows made the retrievals and deliveries. As a matter of fact, Ylisseans had wondered why so many crows had shown up, but when Henry revealed it was in due to his friendship with them, they found it both odd and heartwarming.

It was strange how in Plegia, he never had a home to call his own, but in Ylisse, he was accepted warmly and with open arms. If only… if only Elena could have been there to share it with him.