The End.
IceBlade28: It's been three years. I don't think any of you really expected this story to come back at all, and, in a sense, it isn't. I've moved on from fanfiction as a writer and from Fire Emblem as a person. However, I worked too hard on this story to just let it wither and die in the black vortex of 'meh, whatever'-ness.
So, essentially, I've decided to put my fic to rest.
What will follow is a true Fire Emblem style 'roll credits' ending of the fates of the characters encountered throughout the journey. As for the events that transpired between Chapter XXV and now, well . . . feel free to draw your own conclusions. Or, even better, honour them with your own fics! Send me a PM or mention it in your review, and I'll let you have at it.
So, from myself as a writer, my muses, and all of us here (well . . . 'all of us' meaning myself and my muses xD) . . . thank you. Thank you for the support and the critiques and the guidance and everything.
And without further ado . . . roll credits.
Matthew – Thief and Spy: Matthew was tempted to continue his service as a spy for House Ostia, yet a psychological break caused by signing a Fell Contract at the Battle of the Dragon's Gate has tormented him since. The memory of Leila still lingers in his heart, and after destroying the enhanced morph of Leila that opposed them at the Dragon's Gate, Matthew quietly announced his retirement to Marquess Ostia and General Oswin. No-one has seen him since.
Guy – Mounted Swordsman: Guy continued to hone his skills as a swordsman, and returned home to Sacae, where he became Lyndis' unofficial bodyguard after she returned to the grasslands she loved so much. His form became so perfected that he was known as the Saint of Swords, and he defended them loyally until the Pheraen government petitioned Lyndis for Guy's aide in the Massacre at Horned Ridge, where Guy fought bravely and was one of the few survivors. He returned to Lyndis' cottage as her bodyguard, living out a surprisingly long life.
Oswin – Impregnable Knight: Oswin continued serving faithfully to House Ostia, moving up through the ranks to become the ranking military General of their armies. He continues to provide a calm, reasonable voice in the Lycia's ruling government.
Serra – Outspoken Cleric: Serra continued in the service of House Ostia, where she and her husband, the one-armed monk Lucius, built an orphanage/convent for abandoned youths. She remains her stubborn self, yet her arrogance has been tempered by her position as the Mother of the Convent. . . . but only slightly.
Lucius – The Light: Lucius overcame his depression with the aide of the cleric Serra, whom he married after the long and costly campaign. The two of them built an orphanage/convent for abandoned youths. He met Raven shortly after their wedding and just prior to the Massacre at Horned Ridge. Though Lucius insisted on accompanying Raven into battle, the mercenary adamantly refused.
Raven – Sublime Mercenary: After the conflict, Raven revealed his past to Hector. The new Marquess Ostia offered to rebuild Raven's shattered home, but Raven declined. He attended Lucius' wedding, before vanishing. He only reappeared after the Pheraen government declared war on the Sword Demon. He was present at the Massacre at Horned Ridge, where he fought Karel's followers, eventually succumbing alongside Guy to overwhelming odds. At Lucius' request to the Pheraen government, he was entombed beneath the altar at the convent Lucius and Serra ran.
Marcus – Knight of Pherae: Marcus returned to Pherae with Eliwood, where he remained as the head of the knights of Pherae until Lowen finally bested him in a duel, and replaced Marcus in his position. Marcus remained a close friend of Eliwood's throughout the rest of their days.
Lowen – Swift Knight: After his surprising trounce of the arena champion at Badon, several recruiters came looking for him in the hopes of recruiting the cavalier. However, Lowen remained loyal to Pherae and eventually replaced Marcus as the military leader. His endless zeal and patriotism to his house served it well throughout his life.
Rebecca – A Wildflower: Rebecca and Sain had a shotgun wedding on Captain Fargus' ship, and the two of them returned to Caelin and started a family after Eliwood and Lyndis gave them their blessings. She makes a living from the local archery tournaments, while Sain continues to receive his commission as a knight beneath Lyndis. They live happily in a cottage in the suburban hub of Caelin.
Dorcas – Serene Warrior: Dorcas' death at the hands of a Black Fang Sage was never forgotten by his companion Bartre, or by his Caelin friends. Upon the news of his death reaching Natalie, it is heard that she lost the will to live, and succumbed to the disease that ravaged her body before the week was out. Final reports indicate that Dorcas and Natalie are living comfortably in the waiting area of the afterlife, and that she is able to walk again.
Bartre – Wild Axefighter: Bartre continued his quest from country to country, making a name for himself in arena's and unofficial fight clubs. He fell in love with his own mortal enemy, a raven-haired swordswoman named Karla. One of their children is named Dorcas, in honour of his friend. Rumours that he is an expecting father again are unconfirmed.
Florina – Pegasus Knight: Florina's brush with the psychic plane ended upon the closing of the Dragon's Gate, yet the damage to her psyche was done. While physicians recommended that she be committed to the Caelin Asylum's, Lyndis would not have it. Florina resided in the bedroom adjacent to Lyndis', where she recovered- slowly. After Caelin was annexed by Ostia, Florina travelled with Lyndis to the Sacaen grasslands, where she continued to make a slow recovery of her mental faculties. She is aware of very little beyond her immediate surroundings.
Fiora – Wing-Borne Warrior: Fiora survived the campaign, yet had become hardened and bitter by the end of the battles. After losing her leg in the battle in the Nabata desert, she was fitted with a prosthetic leg and underwent physical rehabilitation in Pherae. Once recovered, she decided to face the music and returned to Ilia to report the deaths of her Pegasus Unit at the hands of a green-clad assassin. Arriving in Ilia, Fiora was arrested for evasion of justice and cowardice in the face of battle. She committed suicide in her prison cell prior to her execution.
Kent – The Crimson Shield: Kent's death at the hands of X rocked the member's of Lyndis' legion to their core. While the unofficial funeral of Kent was held in the port town of Badon, the official ceremony for the Caelin Knights went ahead in Caelin afterwards, so that the public could grieve. Notably, Lyndis, Florina, and Fiora were not in attendance, presumably from emotional trauma. Last reports of Kent state that he had moved beyond the waiting room where Dorcas, Natalie, and others inhabited. No-one knows to what place he has gone.
Sain – The Green Lance: After a shotgun wedding upon Davros' vessel to Rebecca, he returned to Caelin with his wife in tow. At her insistence, Sain remained under Lyndis' command in order to continue earning money for their daughter and two sons, named Kent and Wolt, respectively. His love of women is unchanged, yet he reports that he is surprisingly happy with Rebecca. After Ostia's annexation of Caelin, Sain hung up the sword and lance and became a diplomat between the two houses. It is widely stated that without his charm it was entirely possible that tensions would have escalated to the level of bloodshed.
Wil – Archer Without Equal: Wil was felled in the same battle as Dorcas and Guy. He was last seen in the waiting area of the afterlife. He was last reported sending his love to Rebecca.
Erk – Studious Mage: Erk returned to Etruria with Priscilla, where his natural talent and link to Pent earned him the peerage and finances needed to earn the permission of Count Caerlon to marry Priscilla. The two of them lived happily together, and though Priscilla's memory issues began to worsen over time, it was nothing the two of them could not handle.
Priscilla – Secluded Princess: Priscilla returned with Erk to the land of her birth, where she implored her adoptive parents to let the mage marry her. After Erk had proved himself to them, she found herself wed to the man she loved. The name of Serra was never mentioned between the two of them again. Her memory began to deteriorate over time, though she was, by all reports, content, and assisted her husband in opening a magic school.
Nils – Child of Destiny: After bidding goodbye to his sister, Nils stepped through the Dragon's Gate in order to seal it from the other side. Meeting Eliwood warmed the heart of this ice dragon, and the hope that man and dragon could live in peace was firm in the boy's heart as he stepped into the portal- yet his dealings with X had thawed it again. Upon leaving Elibe, those who saw him will never forget his look of pain and sorrow.
Canas – Seeker of Wisdom: Canas followed Hawkeye to Arcadia, hoping to repair their perceptions of elder magic and to follow his studies. He was welcomed hesitantly at first, but soon became a beloved member of the city. He sends occasional letters to Pent and Erk, updating them on his frequent successful breakthroughs in magical theory and fundamentals. The palace in Etruria partly blames Canas for Pent's retiring as Mage General.
Hawkeye – Desert Guardian: Hawkeye returned to Nabata with an unusual companion, where he lived peacefully in Arcadia with his daughter, whom he trains to be guardian of the desert. His brief spell outside of his home does not appear to have fazed him whatsoever.
Wallace – Crag of Caelin: Wallace intended on returning to Caelin, but he wound up lost and found himself in Ilia. Upon viewing the frozen wastelands, he immediately about-faced and went back the way he came, somehow winding up back in Bern, where he lived among the mountains and cliffs he was named for. It is rumoured that he wiped out the Taliver bandits singlehandedly, but this has yet to be confirmed.
Pent, Mage General; and Louise, Lady of Violets: Louise sustained a mortal injury taking on a magically-enhanced Vaida outside the castle of the Bern royal family. Pent returned home immediately with Louise, and spends his days caring for her in Nabata. Though their time with Lyndis, Eliwood, and Hector was short-lived, Louise and Rebecca bonded particularly strongly, and she became the godmother to Rebecca's children. Pent remained as the Mage General for a while, yet ultimately resigned after corresponding with Canas as they continued their study of magic. This put the palace in an uproar, but the two endured.
Legault – The Hurricane: After the campaign, Legault travelled the lands looking for refugees from the shattered Black Fang. He helped them ease the pain of his own loss. Upon years of searching, he came upon the realisation that he was, in fact, the only surviving member. He later entered the arena circuit and was struck down by the Sword Demon, Karel, in an infamous match that pub patrons still debate over.
Isadora – Escort of Pherae: As a Knight of the Imperial Guard, Isadora served as guard to Lady Eleanora. She continued to study to be a lady until she eventually wed Marcus, and the two of them assisted Lowen in taking over the Knights of Pherae.
Karel – Sword Demon: Karel entered the arena circuit, where he gained wide fame and acclaim. His bloodlust was insatiable, and eventually he found himself in Pherae, where he became a legendary mass murderer and wound up inspiring an insane cult of sword-wielding followers. Ironically, Karel himself killed his followers whenever they crossed paths, though this only swelled their ranks. He was brought down after the government declared war against him, and the fight which finally destroyed the Sword Demon and his cult was said to take six straight days and nights. The battle became known as the Massacre at Horned Ridge. Only the combined might of the Angel of Death and the Saint of Swords was capable of ending the life of such a demonic man.
Nino – Pious Mage: Nino travelled with Jaffar after the Battle of the Dragon's gate, where they found a quiet cottage in an undisclosed location. Bounty hunters, seeking after the famed Angel of Death, continued to dog them, and eventually the Lycian government (at the urging of several key members) agreed to take both Nino and Jaffar into protective asylum if they would halt the bloodbath of the Sword Demon. They did so. No-one has heard word of them since, yet it is assumed they live in peace and quiet with their two children, Lugh and Ray.
Heath – Wandering Knight: Heath returned home to Bern, with Vaida alongside, where the two of them sought to protect Prince Zephiel as unofficial guards. They continued to clean up the town together until Heath answered Eliwood's call to aide against the Sword Demon. Heath fell in the Massacre at Horned Ridge.
Jaffar – Angel of Death: After the Battle at the Dragon's Gate, Jaffar retired with Nino to a cottage in an undisclosed location, where they were married in a private ceremony. Jaffar continued to ward off bounty hunters effortlessly, yet agreed to be placed in protective custody under the Pheraen government after he learned of Nino's pregnancy. He stood in the Massacre at Horned Ridge alongside Guy, and the two of them were able to destroy Karel. Jaffar sustained only minor injuries, and vanished after the battle to be with his wife and love. Historians agree after viewing the fight that Jaffar was truly worthy of the title Angel of Death.
Renault – Burdened Bishop: Only X knew the old him. No-one knew the new him. Renault vanished in the Dread Isles as suddenly as he had appeared.
Vaida – Flying Fang: Vaida returned with Heath to Bern, where she remained adamantly supportive of Prince Zephiel. Unbeknownst to the Prince, she foiled many outside assassination attempts. It is rumoured that her heart was broken when Heath left her to help destroy the Sword Demon, yet few will vocalise that rumour, as Vaida's presence in the land is still active and powerful.
Archsage Athos: Athos died in a foreign land, by the side of his good friend, Bramimond. Those who saw his face said that he seemed to have found true peace.
Merlinus – Cheery Merchant: Merlinus, after a grant from Lord Eliwood, managed to open his own shop. This spread into a nationwide corporation, bringing in more money than Merlinus knew what to do with. Due to poor investment choices, Merlinus is currently petitioning the Lycian government for a bailout.
Rath – Wolf of Sacae: Rath returned to the Plains of Sacae, where he became a silent guardian of Lyndis' cottage. He remained behind when Guy was called to defeat the Sword Demon. He remains his quiet, antisocial self, and protects Lyndis and her lover with his life.
Kishuna – Magic Seal: After X's pleas, Kishuna's life was spared by the nobles. The magic seal assisted in the defeat of Nergal and eventually followed Hawkeye and Canas back to Arcadia. He was allowed entrance to live life in peace, on the condition that he never created a morph again. To this day, he has never done so.
Lyndis – Noblewoman of Sacae: After the harrowing and emotionally devastating quest to prevent a second Scouring, Lyndis retired to Caelin, where she cared for the now mentally-unstable Florina. She recorded her experiences with X in a journal which has been sealed in the castle vaults for posterity and protection. It is unclear whether X's proclamation of love had any effect on her. After the journal was completed and her grandfather finally passed away, she requested Caelin to be annexed by Ostia. Lyndis took Florina back to the plains of her birth, where they were protected by both Guy and Rath. It is rumoured that Kaira, the tactician, joined them soon after, and that the two became lovers while caring for Florina. These rumours are unconfirmed.
Hector – General of Ostia: Hector succeeded his brother in becoming the Marquess of Ostia, but his relative's death weighed heavily on his mind. His marriage to the mercenary Farina only added pressure to his calling from the more conservative-minded members of the court, yet her irrepressible spirit only served to lighten his in return. Hector eventually annexed Caelin at Lyndis' request, and placed Sain in the position of Caelin's steward. He has grown to become an enlightened leader, and still keeps in touch with Eliwood. His daughter, Lilina, inherited much of her mother's stubbornness.
Eliwood – Knight of Lycia: Eliwood and Ninian were wed after the conflict, and their marriage was received ecstatically by the Pheraen community. They had one son, named Roy, and ruled in peace. Upon the discovery of the Sword Demon's bloodbath in their realm, they tried to assassinate, extradite, and bargain with Karel, to no avail. Harried and hassled, Eliwood placed a Lycia-wide call to mercenaries in an attempt to destroy the bane to Pherae. He also put in calls to several of his friends in other areas of Elibe, and feels personally responsible for the Massacre at Horned Ridge. His citizenry, while downtrodden, have never questioned his politics, and hail him as an acclaimed and wise leader.
Ninian – Child of Destiny: Ninian gave up her people and her immortality for a short, yet joy-filled life with Eliwood. Her pregnancy and birth of her son, Roy, was heralded by a new calendar holiday. Ninian spent many nights in quiet debate with Eliwood as to whether unleashing her dragon form would aid stopping the river of blood unleashed by Karel, but Eliwood would have none of it. She became a godmother to the children of Nino and Jaffar at Nino's request. After the Massacre at Horned Ridge, she opened a fine arts school where she taught dancing lessons in her spare time.
Kaira – Famed Genius: Kaira dutifully attended the weddings of Eliwood and Ninian and Hector and Farina, respectively, before vanishing. Though Lycia, Etruria, Bern, and other countries all sought the mind of the tactician, she evaded all requests by retiring to the plains of Sacae. She met Lyndis there, where the two of them resumed the quiet life they had before all of this, living in an old cottage in the grasslands, where they cared for Florina, watched over by Guy and Rath. Eventually, Kaira admitted her love for Lyndis, and the two became a couple. She followed Guy to the Massacre at Horned Ridge, at Eliwood's request. She is reported to have died at the hands of Karel, but no body was ever recovered.
X – The Mistake: X revealed his identity to them all only after confronting his father, Bramimond. X admitted that he was a soulless morph created by Bramimond as a servant and as a weapon for use against dragons. X refused to serve his father and fled after the Scouring, stealing the Kéye Li'ink (one of the legendary weapons) and seeking to make his own way in Elibe. His personality shifts around each person, as does Bramimond's, but to a much smaller extent. X eventually went insane after viewing the self-destructive cycle of history, and developed a cynical joy for tweaking with people's destinies, which is why he chose to pursue Lyndis in the first place. X's confrontation with his father ended in bloodshed with X killing Bramimond. Athos chose not to interfere, stating that it simply wasn't his fight. After X's aide in defeating Nergal and the Fire Dragon at the Battle of Dragon's Gate, he proclaimed his love for Lyndis, insisting that while he may not have had a soul, she held his heart. X followed Nils through the portal and closed it from the other side. None have heard from him since, though it is rumoured that a green-clad assassin was seen standing alone in the aftermath of the Massacre at Horned Ridge.
Reviews much appreciated.