Yes, I Remember

by HopelessRomantic1020

When an unknown enemy drags the Lycian army's tactician to the realm of Ylisse, Lyn gives chase in an effort to save the life of the man she adores. Now stranded in an unfamiliar land, the Lady of the Plains finds herself in caught up in yet another war, once again fighting alongside her precious Robin. A rewrite/expansion of "Do You Remember?" AU. Canon-divergent slow burn.

20. One Last Dance

Okay, so... This has been a long time coming. It's also a really long chapter as you can see! I'll explain later ^^;

As always, a big thanks to Branded_King for his stellar beta editing skills! Go check his profile out sometime! He does great Robin/Cordelia stuff.

Onwards!

---

The Khans had taken it upon themselves to throw a feast in celebration of the Shepherds' allies returning. Kellam and Virion were welcomed back in full force while Libra found himself garnering far more attention than he would have preferred.

Robin joined in on the festivities with a smile, but he took his leave soon afterwards to brush up on his tactical knowledge. There were too many unknowns at the moment—how many Feroxi warriors would join them, how big Gangrel's army was, the exact location and terrain in which they'd fight—but he still wanted to make himself useful in any way he could. He didn't have Chrom's strength, Lyn's speed, Miriel's magical expertise or Vaike's sheer vitality. If all he truly had to offer was his mind, then it needed to be sharp as a nail.

His heart ached as one of his friends lingered in his mind. Robin cherished them all dearly, but Lyn… Lyn was something else altogether. She was strong, fast, clever, beautiful… and she was kind. So, so much kinder than he deserved. From rescuing him on the plains of Sacae when he was nothing more than a stranger… to standing by his side even now.

He wished he could be half the man she deserved.

"Robin?"

A warm, comforting voice made his heart race. Robin glanced up from the strategy book he was reading and spotted a smiling Lyn. She stood in the doorway of the war council room he was in, wearing the usual Sacaean garb he'd grown to love so much.

"Heya," she greeted, her arms behind her back. "How are you holding up?"

"Uh… fine, thank you." He placed the book on the desk and cleared his throat. "What about you?"

"A little anxious, but excited all the same. Chrom's supposed to make a grand speech to the Feroxi army in a few days." Lyn chuckled. "I guess he's even more nervous right about now, huh?"

"You think so? I always thought he was a natural when it came to this stuff."

"Heh… Well, maybe. He's as tough as Hector, but… more dignified. Like Eliwood."

Lyn smiled nostalgically at the thought of their friends back home. She and Robin would see them again in due time, she was sure of it, but Chrom needed them more right now. They were both fully devoted to his cause, and Lyn was certain Eliwood and Hector would tell them to stand by him in his time of need anyway.

"I miss them," Robin admitted, propping his head up with his fist. "I mean, I don't really remember much about them, but… They sound like good people. Brave and strong… and kind."

He smiled at her. "Just like you, Lyn."

"Wha? M-me?"

Her heart skipped a beat. Maybe it was the tenderness of his voice, or the praise itself, or both, but she felt her knees grow a little weaker all the same. She wanted to confess then and there, to get all of her feelings off her chest in the hopes that he really did feel the same way… but she just couldn't get the words out.

"I… Um… Th-thank you, Robin." Lyn blushed and glanced off to the side, rubbing her arm. "That's very kind of you to say… but I think you're plenty brave too! And kind, and… Well, you might not think you're strong, but strength is so much more than just how well you do in a fight anyway!"

"Really?"

"Really really," she reassured him, hands on her hips. For some reason, throwing the praise back at him made her feel less shy. "That you're still here with us after everything that's happened… if nothing else, I'd say that makes you strong of heart."

His chest ached at her words.

"Lyn… Thank you." Robin beamed through it with a brilliant blush. "That means more to me than you know."

"You're welcome." Lyn smiled back, but she looked away again after a few seconds. The heat continued to flood her face as an awkward, painful silence surrounded them. "Um… W-well… It's getting late. I guess I'll see you tomorrow?"

"I guess you will," Robin replied, still smiling. "Good night, Lyn. Get some rest."

"Heh… Likewise. Good night, Robin."

Robin watched her leave without another word. Once he was sure she was gone, he sank back in his seat with a sigh. Even if she had only said what she said to cheer him up, he'd be lying if he said it didn't work. He felt a little better about himself… Yet even that couldn't keep him from his thoughts for long. Thoughts of the impending battle. Thoughts about the friends he might lose as a result.

Thoughts about Lyn, and just how much he adored her.

"This is maddening," Robin groaned, running a hand through his hair. His eyes fell on the open book in front of him. "I need to get back to work…"

---

Within a few days, Chrom found himself staring down at hundreds if not thousands of Feroxi citizens. He could see men and women of every class and creed looking up at him from the streets of the capital. The Shepherds were sprinkled throughout the crowd, but Robin was at his right as Flavia stood alongside Basilio in front of them.

"Citizens of Regna Ferox!" Flavia's voice boomed as she addressed her people. "That mad dastard of a Plegian king has ruled long enough! Will we stand by and allow him to ruin our people's lives for even a second longer?"

"NO!" came the unified response.

"Would you lend your swords and shields to our Ylissean allies, that we may usher in a new age of peace for all?"

"YES!"

Flavia smiled. "Then you know what must be done. Everyone, I give you... Prince Chrom of Ylisse!"

The crowd roared in anticipation as she stepped away. Basilio placed his hand on Chrom's shoulder, and Robin gave him a thumbs-up. With their encouragement, Chrom approached the balcony and cleared his throat.

"I cannot thank you enough, people of Regna Ferox," he began. "The kindness you and your leaders have shown my people in these trying times cannot be understated. This war is one that I never wanted to drag any of you into, but you've stood tall in the face of adversity."

"With that said," Chrom continued, "we've all endured much to make it here today. We've loved, lost, and learned to rise again from the ashes of defeat. Exalt Emmeryn may have died, but she lives on through each and every one of us."

He saw many nods. Chrom looked back and saw the others similarly nodding in agreement. He faced the crowd again and said, "My sister lived for peace and longed for the day when she could give it to Gangrel, but he rejected her at every turn and it ultimately cost her her life. Today, in the name of Ylisse, Regna Ferox, Plegia and all mankind…"

He raised his fist in the air. "We take the battle to him!"

The crowd erupted in approval as the soldiers lifted their weapons into the air. It pained Chrom to use Emmeryn's memory to rally people for violence, not peace, but Gangrel had made it abundantly clear that peace was never an option. That it was only through violence—through his death—that their people could know peace.

The time for parley was long over.

"Fantastic speech, boy!" Basilio cheered, giving Chrom a rough pat on the back when he walked back to them. "Spoken like a true Feroxi!"

"Heh… Thanks. I know it's not what Emmeryn would have wanted, but she would have wanted us to defend the innocent, and Gangrel's madness is a threat to them all."

"Damn right." Flavia nodded and placed a hand on his branded shoulder. "The trip back to Plegia will be a lot longer with our larger numbers, but we've left plenty of soldiers scattered across both Regna Ferox and Ylisse. If Gangrel even thinks of launching a surprise attack while we're gone, his men'll be sent home in a box!"

"The caravan should be fully stocked by the end of the day, Commander," Basilio told him. "Just say the word and we'll be on our way to the border!"

"Commander?" Chrom quirked an eyebrow at him. "What happened to 'boy?'"

"Don't worry about it, boy. You've more than earned the right."

"But you just… Never mind." He shook his head. "I still want to give everyone a little more time to prepare… or to back out. We leave at dawn tomorrow."

"Understood, Commander," Flavia said, shooting Basilio a pointed glance. "We'll spread the word at once."

The khans left, exchanging sharp words all the while. Chrom smiled after them, as did Robin.

"That really was an excellent speech, Chrom. One for the books, even!"

Chrom chuckled a little. "Oh, stop… You'll make me blush. In all seriousness though, I think I only managed to pull that off because you were up here with me."

"Huh?" Robin frowned, thoroughly confused. "But all I did was stand nearby…"

"And yet doing so still helped me steady my nerves." He grinned. "Thanks, Robin."

Robin grinned right back. "Anytime, Commander."

"Gods, not you too…"

---

That evening in the Khans' dining hall, several of the Shepherds were still gushing over Chrom's morning speech.

"Did you see him, Lissa?" Ricken asked, munching on a piece of steak. "He was awesome up there! He didn't even stutter!"

Maribelle grimaced. "Ricken, please don't talk and eat at the same time. It's simply unbecoming of one such as yourself!"

She closed her eyes as a graceful smile grew on her face. "Still… The way Chrom carried himself was nothing short of gallant. Why, I nearly swooned!"

Now it was Ricken's turn to make a face. Lissa smirked as she looked back and forth between them, but Maribelle only raised an eyebrow in perplexion.

"... What? What did I say?"

At another table nearby, many of the older Shepherds were also discussing their prince and leader. When he approached them, their faces lit up one by one.

"Chrom, that was one hell of a speech," Sully complimented, scooting away from Vaike to let him sit. "I get all fired up just thinking about it! I'm sure my brothers would've felt the same way."

"You think I might have overdone it a little?" Chrom asked with a small wince. He sat between them. "I don't want people to be out for blood… I just want to bring the war to an end. The cycle of violence has to stop."

"You sound just like your sister," Cordelia mused, staring at him. When he looked back, she flushed and realized what she'd just said. "Ah! I'm sorry, Chrom. I didn't mean to—"

"Peace, Cordelia. It's fine." He smiled. "Truthfully, those words have made me happier than you realize."

"R-really?!"

Beside her, Sumia giggled. "Cordy, your face is all red! I can hardly tell it from your hair!"

The comment only made Cordelia blush further. Sully, Kellam and Stahl all chucked as Chrom looked on in confusion.

Vaike chortled at his right. "But I gotta say, Chrom, Sully's right big time! Even ol' Teach can give credit where credit is due. You knocked 'em dead this morning."

"Heh... If you say so. I just hope our combined strength will be enough…"

"What are we, five-hundred strong? At least?" Stahl grinned. "Heh. I'm not expecting an easy fight—or even a fair one—but I've got a good feeling about this."

Kellam nodded with a similarly jovial look. "Our luck's been turning around it seems. The only thing that could make this any better would be if Gaius and Anna came back."

Chrom stared down at the table, frowning. The roguish duo had been a great help all around—from getting them disguises to sneaking them inside the castle, locating Emmeryn and even buying them all some time when things went south.

For all that had happened since, though… They still had yet to return.

"Chrom?" Sumia's soft voice brought him back. He saw genuine concern pooling in her deep gray eyes. "Are you alright?"

"Hmm? Oh, yes." He cleared his throat and looked away from her. "Sorry."

"Chrom, if you're worried about 'em, don't be. They'll be fine," Vaike reassured him, grabbing his shoulder. "They've made it through worse, I'm sure of it."

"You're probably right. Still... I can't help it, Vaike. We were never all that close, but they did so much for us all the same. Wherever they are, I'll never forget them."

"Cheery as always," Sully snarked. "Well, Mr. Leader Man, I'd say we're still riding high from your last speech, but… How 'bout one more for the road?"

Chrom cringed. "Do I have to? I nearly stuttered this morning…"

"Aww, yeah!" Vaike started banging his fists on the table. "Speech! Speech!"

His boisterous voice carried across the room, and soon most of the others present began to chant along as well. Chrom shook his head with a tiny grin as he got up from the table. The cheers and applause he received when he stood in the center of the dining hall were nothing short of impressive.

"Alright, alright…" He cleared his throat; the room fell silent soon after. "Friends, I can't thank you enough for being there for Lissa and me in our time of need…but this is it. Our final battle. While I have the utmost confidence in each and every one of you, Gangrel is not an opponent to be taken lightly. Robin, Lyn and I can attest to that ourselves."

Chrom looked to his right where they sat at a table with Lon'qu and Olivia. Robin and Lyn both nodded in earnest at his statement.

"That's why..." He paused, licking his lips. "If anyone here wants to back out now, you're more than welcome to do so."

To his surprise, not one person got up from their table or even raised their hand. Chrom could see the conviction in everyone's eyes—Lyn, Robin, Sumia, Lissa, even young Donnel and Nowi. Not one of them was willing to abandon him even knowing they'd be facing the Mad King himself.

His heart swelled with pride.

"I would follow milord to the ends of the earth and beyond!" Frederick declared.

"Yeah! We're with you, Big Bro!" Lissa smiled.

"Hear, hear! I won't rest until we've brought peace back to the land!" Maribelle exclaimed.

"You have my sword, Chrom," Lyn told him, standing up.

Virion echoed her gesture. "And you have my bow, good sir!"

"And my axe!" Vaike yelled, throwing a fist in the air. "Ol' Gangrene won't know what hit 'im!"

Chrom gave a relieved laugh as his friends and allies cheered, clearly intent on seeing things through to the end. There was no telling what the future would hold for them, but one thing was certain. Whatever challenges they would face, they would face them head on.

Together.

---

Reinvigorated by Chrom's surprising oratory skills, the Shepherds spent the rest of the evening gearing up for travel and battle. As Chrom drank and ate in the Feroxi dining hall alongside his friends, he felt truly at ease for the first time in weeks. The bright smiles on their faces warmed his heart far more than any fire ever could.

Yet, when night fell, he found himself alone on a balcony once more. Tomorrow, hundreds of warriors would march towards Plegia… and when the time came, Chrom would be leading them all into battle. He appreciated their help more than words could express, but the Shepherds had been little more than a volunteer militia not even a year ago. To have an entire army at his back… The thought was harrowing. So many people would fight and even die for him…

"You're going to catch a cold if you keep coming out here without a cloak, you know."

Chrom hung his head and grinned as he heard a familiar gentle voice behind him. It truly seemed as though when he wasn't looking after Robin, Robin was looking after him.

"It's not so cold out here, really," he said over his shoulder. "I've almost grown fond of the snowfall… mainly when it's as light as tonight."

Robin joined him at the railing overlooking the Feroxi capital. To think that hundreds of people lined the now-empty streets below not even a day prior. Robin didn't especially care for the hustle and bustle of the city during the day, but it made sense—the castle was built where East and West Ferox met, and the colosseum wasn't far away either.

"So what brings you out here, Robin?"

"I could ask the same of you! I was just about to, in fact."

"Heh…" Chrom's grin vanished, but his eyes kept to the city streets. "Well… I'm not sure. Can't sleep, I guess."

"But we leave at dawn tomorrow," he reminded him with a frown. "I suppose you could take a nap during the march, but you'll feel better regardless if you get a good night's rest first."

"I know, but… I just can't fall asleep no matter how hard I try. It feels like it's all moving so fast, you know?"

Robin chuckled in response. "Oh, I know. One day I wake up in a field, the next I'm the tactician of a militia that's fighting against a whole other kingdom..."

"I think that might've been the same day, actually." Chrom cracked a smile. "Still… Wouldn't be the first time, right?"

"Heh… I suppose not, in a sense." Robin closed his eyes, leaning forward on the railing. "I wish I could remember more of my time in Elibe, but even with Lyn's recollection it's all just one big blur to me…"

"I'm sure you'll get your memories back one day, Robin. And until that day comes and even after, you'll always have a place with Lissa and me back in the capital. You and Lyn both." Chrom draped an arm around his shoulder. "Count on it."

Robin couldn't help but smile. "Thanks, Chrom."

His ears started to heat up as Lyn stayed on his mind. "So… Uh…"

"Yes?" Chrom leaned back against the railing to face him. "What's on your mind?"

He shook his head and avoided eye contact. "Never mind… It's probably not something I should bother you with. Especially now of all times..."

"Robin, if it's bothering you in some way, I want to help. What is it?"

"Well, er…" Robin shivered, and he couldn't be sure it was due to the cold. "Do you remember that talk we had in that Plegian village so long ago? You know... the one we saved from the Grimleal?"

Chrom thought for a moment. Details of both the location and their chat began to fill his mind, and he grinned softly at the memories. "Yes, I remember. You asked me if love could bloom on a battlefield."

"Yeah… that." Robin blushed as he cursed both his flowery wording and Chrom's startlingly good memory. "Honestly I'm starting to wish you forgot about that…"

"Never mind that now. I also seem to recall the conversation turning to Lyn at some point… Right?" He gave him an expectant glance.

"It did…" He sighed and stared off into the distance. "Chrom, I… I think I'm in love with her."

"Robin, that's great!" Chrom cheered, standing up straight.

"No, it isn't."

"What?" He furrowed his brow. "Why not?"

"Whenever I'm with her, my chest hurts," Robin explained, "but whenever we're apart… It hurts even more. I know this isn't the time, but… What if she doesn't feel the same way? I want her to be happy, but I also want to be the one to make her happy if that makes sense. She's done so much for me and… and…"

"Breathe, Robin." Chrom held a hand out. "Breathe."

He nodded and took a few deep breaths, calming himself down. "Right. I just… I'm sorry, Chrom. You're probably so stressed out about the coming battle and here I am just being a nuisance."

"You're not a nuisance. You're my friend, and I'm glad you came to me about this. I'm no expert on romance—not in the slightest—but I do care about your well-being. If this conversation made you feel even a little better, that's more than enough for me."

"Heh. You always know just what to say… Thanks, Chrom." Robin flashed a tiny, fleeting smile. "Still… What do I do now? I want to tell her, but we're weeks away from a battle that'll determine the future of the entire continent. It'd be selfish of me to act on my own feelings without considering my responsibilities, right? And romance is a distraction when it comes to war anyway..."

Chrom closed his eyes and reflected on his words. For as much as he wanted to tell him to follow his heart… It was difficult to disagree. He himself had set aside any thoughts of romance for the exact same reasons. They truly were two of a kind.

"Well," he said at last, "I'm… not sure what to tell you, Robin. When you're right, you're right."

"Then it's decided." Robin nodded, his face stern. "Whatever my feelings for her might be… I have to be responsible. I have to see this war through to the end. And hopefully, by the time we've seen peace restored to the land… Maybe then I'll have enough courage to tell Lyn how I feel."

"And I'll be with you every step of the way," Chrom said, placing a hand on his shoulder. "Er… Just not while you confess, of course."

"Heh. Right… You know, I'm feeling better about this whole thing actually. Thanks for listening to me."

"Think nothing of it. If you're feeling better, then so am I. I feel better enough to sleep, even!"

"Really?"

"Truly," Chrom said with a smile. "I think I'll head in now, actually. Good night, Robin."

"Good night, Chrom." He smiled back. "Sleep well."

---

The Ylissean-Feroxi army mobilized at the crack of dawn. Rows upon rows of horses lined the streets of the capital; the wagons they pulled were stocked with as many provisions and weapons as they could carry. The Khans rode in a grand carriage near the front, and Chrom mounted a horse in front of them. He was clad in silver and blue armor; the Fire Emblem shone as it sat on his left shoulder.

As Lyn climbed into her own saddle and held the reins, a nostalgic rush of adrenaline filled her body. She'd invited Robin to ride along with her at dinner last night, but he politely declined since he wanted to give himself more time to devise some strategies.

Oh well... There'll be plenty of time for that after we win.

When everyone else was ready, Chrom lifted Falchion into the air, his horse rearing up with a mighty neigh.

"Everyone... Together, we ride!"

---

In the weeks it took Chrom and his allies to reach the border, Gangrel continued to march northwest of the Plegian capital. The Mad King was hellbent on hunting them down like dogs. His fiery red hair had grown wild and unkempt, the tips now falling below his shoulders. Gone was the odd outfit he'd worn so often as king. In its place was a suit of black and gold armor; sturdy enough to take a hit, but light enough to fit his fighting style. A brown hood shielded his face from the sands, and the stolen Grimleal sword—Darksaber, as he called it—was slung over his shoulder.

In its hilt, the Darksphere slept soundly.

Gangrel wanted nothing more than to skin Chrom and his friends alive one at a time, but when he found himself standing atop a familiar hill, he stopped in his tracks and stared at the barren plains below. Once a thriving community of humble little villages, the area was now devoid of any and all life. Any semblance of human settlement had long been reclaimed by the desert.

Gangrel closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "The Border Wastes. It's been far too long."

"Have you been here before, Your Majesty?"

He looked behind him. Campari and some of his soldiers stood below at the foot of the hill. The rest of the army trailed behind them save for the wyverns that flew overhead. Gangrel turned his attention back to the land.

"Campari, do you remember what this place was like twenty years ago?"

"Uh…" The old general scratched his chin. "... Sandy?"

"It was a myriad of villages," he explained, "populated by merchants, farmers and peasants. And among those villages was Tenda; a town so seemingly irrelevant that it didn't even have a place on the Plegian map."

"That village," Gangrel went on, "was one of many that fell during the Crusade, and that bastard Chronos was the one leading the assaults. All of them. I saw him here with my own eyes when it happened…"

Campari's jaw dropped. Some of his men looked at each other in shock.

"You… You were…?!"

"That's right." Gangrel was largely talking to himself now. He threw his head back, grinning from ear to ear. "But it doesn't matter anymore! My neighbors, my friends, my family… Gone. Reduced to ashes in the wind, and for what? The mere suspicion that they were aligned with those Grimleal dogs?! The insanity; the sheer insanity of it all!"

He calmed down, if only a little. "Their deaths were senseless, and for the longest time they went unavenged and forgotten… But not anymore."

Gangrel chuckled, red irises glimmering with hope and fury. "No… Soon the dead shall have their due. I will have my revenge. They will have their revenge. Chronos's brat and his ragtag band of idiots will meet us soon enough, and that accursed bloodline will end with their brutal demise! Valiant Chrom, and sweet little baby Lissa..."

His irises shrank to an inhuman degree.

"I will take those heads from their shoulders... and hang them from the gates of Paralcya!" he screeched at the sky. "Never again will an Ylissean royal taint my beautiful world! One world, one people! One world, one people! Eeyahahahahaha!"

As he continued to rant and rave, a lone soldier in roguish brown clothes and a hood stared at him from within enemy ranks.

"Just you wait, Gangrel… Just you wait."

---

While the combined might of the Shepherds and Feroxi army ensured that no harm would befall them before reaching Gangrel's army, their numbers slowed their travel time a considerable amount. Three whole weeks would pass before they crossed the border into Plegia. Once they had, Sumia and Cordelia had flown ahead and reported that there were numerous military camps near the west coast; undoubtedly Gangrel's men.

At the rate they were going, the two armies could have clashed in a matter of hours… but the sun was already approaching its descent, and fighting in the dark seemed foolish at best. And so Chrom resolved that they would set up camp for the night, arm themselves for battle early in the morning and meet their foes head on.

Robin had already taken the liberty of devising a plan during the trip. The army's cavaliers would lead everyone else into battle, followed soon afterwards by their armored and infantry fighters. Chrom would fight on foot, as would both khans, and the army's few fliers would assist in dealing with their airborne counterparts to the best of their ability. The army's main objective was dealing with Gangrel, but his soldiers would be given the chance to formally surrender first.

If they didn't… They had to die.

While Robin continued to draft contingency plans on his own, the others entertained themselves with stories and promises of rest and relaxation after tomorrow's battle. Lyn had largely been content to listen, but she noticed Sumia go off on her own after a while. There weren't any enemies in the area, but she decided to follow her just to be on the safe side.

Reaching a sandy clearing in the desert, Lyn spotted her sitting on a large rock. She hadn't expected Sumia to go there to admire a daisy. She especially hadn't expected her to start plucking its petals away one at a time.

"Sumia?"

She gasped, her long curls flying as she whirled around. "Lyn, don't scare me like that!"

Lyn winced. "I'm sorry… I just saw you wandering off and got worried."

"It's fine. I'm just… nervous, I suppose." Sumia sighed, turning her attention back to the partially petaled flower in her hand. "I know I shouldn't be since we have so many strong fighters with us, but… Seeing all those enemy soldiers down there, well..."

Lyn took a seat next to her on the rock. "I understand. I felt like that when my friends and I had to fight a sorcerer named Nergal. I was even more nervous when we fought my granduncle long before then."

"You fought your granduncle?!"

"He left me no choice." Her face darkened. Hatred blazed in her eyes as she remembered the first family member she'd met since losing her parents. "If I didn't stop him, he would have kept poisoning my grandfather until he died. Lundgren was a monster... and I'm glad he's dead."

"Oh… I see," Sumia mumbled, fiddling with the daisy. "Um… Sorry."

"It's not your fault, Sumia," she told her, calming down. "I guess what I really wanted to say is that it's normal to be nervous when so much hinges on your victory."

Lyn's gaze fixated on the item in her hands. "Still… What's with the daisy?"

"Oh, this? I do flower fortunes sometimes." Sumia's eyes lit up. "My senior pegasus knights all thought it was silly, but… I dunno. It just makes me feel better when I get the answer I'm looking for... especially if it comes true. Right now, all I want is for all of us to make it out in one piece."

"... I want that too."

It was a lot to ask for from such a big battle—too much, perhaps—but they could hope.

"What about you, Lyn? Is there anything else you want to come true?"

"Well, I have no doubt we'll come out on top tomorrow, but…"

Her mind instinctively drifted back to Robin. The two had been through so much, but she still had yet to tell him the depth of her emotions and it was growing unbearable—like an itch she desperately needed to scratch. They had always been friends, but… Wasn't there something more between them? Didn't he feel it too? Was it just wishful thinking on her part?

One glance at her face told Sumia all she needed to know. She blushed a bit. "Ehehe… I think I get it. It's about someone you like, isn't it?"

Lyn turned her head away, but she couldn't deny how she felt.

"Hehe… Well, I have a pretty good idea who that could be, but I won't pry." Sumia tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear. "Truthfully, there's someone like that in my life too, but… Well, now's just not the time. We're all so busy, and him most of all..."

"Who… Oh. Oh! I understand," Lyn said, nodding. She blinked in surprise when Sumia presented her with a fully-petaled daisy. "Hmm? What's this for?"

"For a flower fortune, silly!" She glanced at it expectantly. "You just pluck the petals off one at a time and see if your wish comes true!"

"Sumia, I'm not sure if…"

Lyn paused when she saw the giddy, childlike expression on her face start to fade. Something about Sumia reminded her of Florina in that brief moment, and she felt a wave of remorse wash over her. The concept of flower fortunes was new to her—Sacaeans typically used flowers for things like medicine or ceremonies—but the flower had already been picked, and there was no sense in letting it die without fulfilling some purpose in life...

"Well, okay." Lyn took it from her with a smile. "Thank you, Sumia. That's very thoughtful of you."

"You're welcome!" She beamed. "I'll just leave you to it then."

"Er… Okay…"

Sumia returned to camp, humming softly. Lyn didn't understand why she thought a flower fortune of all things needed the utmost privacy, but maybe it was for the best. Now that she was alone, she could close her eyes and concentrate on what she wanted most of all. She wanted them to be victorious tomorrow, but that was a given—everyone wanted that, and it was almost certain as long as they worked together.

Lyn felt the stem in her fingertips. The soft white petals reminded her of Robin's hair. Even the smell was subtle and pleasant… just like him. Even now, even with all they'd gone through in Elibe and everything else since… She still had her doubts about his feelings.

She brought her index finger and thumb to one of the petals before plucking it off.

"He loves me."

She plucked away another with a small frown.

"He loves me not…"

Lyn continued the flower fortune, alternating back and forth between the two possible outcomes, before being left with one last petal.

"... He loves me."

A brilliant smile spread across her face. Of course the flower itself had no power, but Sumia was right; the fortune predicting the outcome that she wanted did give her a boost of confidence. In her joy and haste, Lyn hopped off of the rock and rushed back to camp.

When she found Robin's tent, she burst into it in a fit of excitement. Lyn froze in her tracks when she saw that he was passed out over his desk, snoring quietly. Numerous papers and chess pieces littered the tent, but a single candle on the table kept the entire place illuminated.

That's so unsafe… He should know better than that.

Lyn crept over and blew the candle out, but not before admiring the serene expression on his face. She adored his charming little nose and innocent boyish smile as he snoozed. Whoever his parents were would surely be proud of the man he'd become.

"Heh. Good night, Robin…"

Lyn left the tent without another word. In hindsight, him being asleep was a blessing. She wanted nothing more than to finally confess, but… Then and there? While their final battle was on the horizon? What had she been thinking?

"I'll tell him tomorrow after we win," she resolved under her breath, "and not a moment sooner. This is about the future of Ylisse… of everyone. I have to stay focused."

When Lyn reached the tent she shared with some of the other female soldiers, she took the time to go over her inventory one last time. She packed several vulneraries for her and her companions, and both of her sacred blades rested by her cot. The Mani Katti that had chosen her soon after she met Robin… and the Sol Katti, given to her by the almighty archmage Athos. Last but not least was the silver bow Robin had bought for her; a quiver full of arrows sat by its side.

"Oh, Mother Earth and Father Sky…" She clasped her hands together and closed her eyes. "Please grant us the strength to bring this war to an end..."

Hoping they heard her prayers, Lyn soon fell asleep with two things on her mind.

Victory… and Robin.

---

In the early hours of the morning, they made their move. The army packed up and armed themselves for battle before marching towards the coast as one. The size of their ranks gave their position away; Gangrel's wyvern riders were quick to spot them from above their camps.

"Lord Gangrel!" one called out to him, landing in the middle of camp. "It's the Ylisseans… They're here."

"Wait a minute..." A nearby soldier quickly put two and two together, panicking. "The Ylisseans don't have those kinds of numbers on their own… Exalt Emmeryn disbanded their army years ago! They march alongside the whole Feroxi army!"

"It's true," a second wyvern rider stated. "I'd wager we have another hour or so at best before they arrive."

Gangrel didn't even bat an eye at the news. He sat cross-legged on the ground, smiling as he admired the wicked sword in his hands. The blade was dark as night, its pommel black with gold accents just like his armor. Even the six eye-shaped holes in the center couldn't detract from its beauty, nor could the presence of the Darksphere in the hilt.

"... Rally the others," he said at last. "It's time."

---

"... And so it comes to this," Gangrel addressed his men. "Our final battle. Some of you may die, yes, but it is a sacrifice… I am willing to make. It is one we must all be willing to make! For the future! For the glory of Plegia!"

Most of his soldiers cheered and applauded, but some were more reluctant than others.

"Air Commander Vasto! I leave you in charge of our aerial forces," he declared, pointing to his left. When Vasto nodded, Gangrel pointed to his right and said, "General Campari, you will lead our ground forces into battle. I'll be one step ahead of you the entire time!"

Finally, he looked over at the white-haired mage in their ranks. "And you… Harry, or whatever."

"Yessir?"

Gangrel grinned. "Kill as many of those subhuman cretins as possible."

"Sure thing! Nya ha ha!"

---

The two armies stood far across from each other. They converged on dry desert plains, but to the west of the battlefield were sandy shores and rocky bluffs overlooking the ocean. An island loomed in the distance, crows swarming overhead.

Chrom squinted as he scrutinized the enemy from afar. Even from a distance, he could easily spot Gangrel amongst the Plegian army. His hair was longer, and he was clad in black armor, but the oddest thing of all was how he moved. He meandered around like a puppet on strings, his entire body limp.

"He's wrong," Chrom muttered, shaking his head with silent rage. "Everything about him is wrong..."

"I've been waiting for this day," Sully grumbled, fist in hand. "Every bandit raid… Every skirmish… It's all been leading up to this. I can't wait to gut 'im like a fish!"

"Don't get careless, Sully," Frederick warned her. "We cannot underestimate him. Not ever again."

"Right…" She calmed down a little and turned towards their tactician on her left. "What's our game plan, Robin?"

By now, the Khans and Shepherds had all gathered close enough to hear him. Many Feroxi soldiers stared at him with interest on the outskirts of the group. All eyes were on him now; while he hated being the center of attention, he had to put his feelings aside and do his job.

"We split our main force in three." His voice took on a more serious tone that Lyn had heard many times back home. "Both Khans lead one side of the army, and Chrom leads the centermost troops. Our most mobile soldiers should take point—cavaliers, fliers and anyone else who can reach the enemy fastest."

Sully and Stahl nodded, as did Panne. Sumia and Cordelia understood as well, and Nowi gave a cheerful thumbs-up as she stood in a brown cloak.

"Sounds easy enough," Vaike said, shrugging. "What about the rest of us?"

"We send in our armored and infantry fighters next," Robin explained. "Archers, mages and anyone else who struggles in close combat should keep to the rear. Noncombatant healers should avoid enemy confrontation altogether."

"What are we gonna do 'bout those wicked wyverns of theirs?" Donnel asked. He wore light armor befitting a mercenary, but a spear stood upright next to him. "Those things are somethin' else!"

Robin opened his mouth, but Tharja beat him to it. Black robes and a hood shielded her from the sun. "Magic and arrows. Their repulsive scaly hides are notoriously weak against both."

Frederick raised an eyebrow. "... And what of Gangrel himself?"

"He's mine," Chrom told him. "If anyone else reaches him before I do, though… Be careful. Keep your wits about you. Do not underestimate what that man is capable of."

"... Duly noted," Robin said. "If no one else has any questions… Then I guess this is it. Good luck out there, everyone."

"Pfft!" Sully chortled. "Is that your idea of a pep talk, Robin? You can do better than that!"

"Um… Go team?"

She rolled her eyes. Many of the others chuckled at the scene, and Robin gave a sheepish grin in response. Lyn's soft laughter in particular made his face redden, but he felt oddly at ease when she placed her gloved hand on his shoulder.

"Let's win this for everyone here and back home, okay?" She smiled.

"R-right!"

"I have faith in you, Robin," Chrom told him, placing a hand on his other shoulder. He looked over at the others. "I have faith in all of us… So let's do this! Together!"

---

The skies above were blue and cloudless as the two armies stared each other down from a considerable distance. Anxious for battle and growing weary of the dry heat, many soldiers on both sides shuffled in place. Their leaders stepped forward to address each other.

"My, my! Back for vengeance so soon, boy?" Gangrel taunted from across the battlefield. "Not soon enough methinks. I've been growing ever so bored waiting for you and your little lapdogs."

"Not vengeance, Gangrel—justice," Chrom answered. "Justice for all the lives you've claimed and damage you've caused our nations!"

"There is no justice! Not in this or any world! But enough talk… If you would stand against me even now, you're as good as dead!"

"You know, it's not too late to surrender!" Basilio hollered at the Plegian army. A double-bladed axe was slung over his shoulder. "Just throwin' that out there!"

"Defect and you die on the spot!" Gangrel snarled, facing his soldiers.

Not one of his men moved.

"... Fine. Then it looks like there's nothing more to be said." Chrom lifted Falchion and pointed it forward. "Everyone… Let's win this for Emmeryn! For humanity!"

The army charged forward with a unified cry, the Shepherds and Feroxi warriors sprinting alongside each other in accordance with Robin's plan. Gangrel didn't even bat an eye as he spotted both Khans among their ranks.

"Our orders, Your Majesty?" a soldier at his side asked.

"... Kill them." He stared at the ground, flashing a manic smile. "Kill them all."

"Milord—"

"KILL EVERY LAST ONE OF THEM! KILL THEM AAAAAAAALL!"

Vasto whistled and led his wyverns into the sky in a V-formation. A heavily-armored Campari gave the order for their archers to line up and take aim. Henry chuckled to himself and as his hand crackled with electricity.

The final fight was on.

---

After several Feroxi fighters were struck by a rain of arrows, numerous soldiers clashed in the middle of the battlefield. Gangrel was among the first to arrive. When a cavalier lunged at him with his lance drawn, he darted off to the side and stabbed his mount. The horse collapsed on its side, pinning its rider by his leg. Gangrel held his sword in a reverse-grip before bringing it down though his chest.

Seeing this, a nearby barbarian roared and swung an axe at him. Gangrel rolled aside before running him through. His grin grew as he saw the blood exiting his body, but it wasn't enough to sate him. His sword emerging from the warrior's back, he sent a searing blast of dark magic through him and into a cluster of soldiers.

"Yes, that's it... Bleed for me! Ahahaha!"

"Gangrel!"

As he tossed the corpse aside, he heard galloping behind him. Gangrel turned and saw a red-clad cavalier charging at him, a determined scowl on her face.

"For Emmeryn!" Sully cried. "For my brothers!"

She leapt off of her horse with her spear clutched in both hands, the blade aimed right at Gangrel's head. He stood with his chest puffed out, and the blade bounced right off his face without leaving so much as a scratch.

Sully's eyes widened in disbelief. "What the hell?!"

As she landed on her feet, Gangrel tutted and shook his head. "Is this truly the best Ylisse has to offer? Lamentable!"

"Damn you... " Sully grit her teeth as she hopped back on her horse. "I'll send you straight to Hell, Gangrel!"

"Keep the throne warm for me, princess!"

She roared and charged at him once again, but he didn't enter a defensive stance; he didn't even flinch. Gangrel only cackled as each of Sully's attacks bounced off of him. Stahl and Panne flanked and lunged at him, but their attacks too did nothing.

"Eeyahahaha! How quaint! I love seeing subhumans band together only to fail!" He held his blade in both hands, sizing up Panne with shifty eyes. "This one will make a most fetching rug…"

Panne snarled in response, but Gangrel could have sworn he saw her tremble for a moment. "Yes, that's it… Give me more! Your fear nourishes me!"

On his left, Vaike ran at him with a silver axe in his hands. "Fear this, you son of a bitch!"

He brought the axe down. Gangrel darted backwards before jumping onto the handle and backflipping off of it, kicking him in the chin. Vaike staggered, and it wasn't long before Gangrel slashed him across the chest with his sword. The Mad King reveled in the pain scrawled across his tanned face.

"Vaike, you're hurt! Fall back!" Stahl yelled.

"Heh… What, this?" He winced as his hand flew over his bleeding cut, but he shook his head. "This ain't nothin'... I've had worse from an alley cat!"

"Loudmouthed fool," Gangrel snarled, bouncing back and forth. "You'll die first!"

"Gangrel!"

The timely arrival of Frederick stopped Vaike from being skewered. As his lance blocked the oncoming attack, Chrom leapt from the saddle with Falchion in both hands. Gangrel cartwheeled out of the way. Standing, he beckoned the prince forward as Vaike and the others reluctantly withdrew. More Feroxi soldiers moved to take their place.

Gangrel grinned from ear to ear as he blocked Chrom's swings with ease. "Yes, that's it! Give in to your hatred, boy! It'll make it all the more satisfying to watch the light leave your eyes…"

"Rrgh… Damn you!"

Gangrel wasn't even fighting back at this point; he only dodged or deflected the blows. He was treating it all like a game, mocking him whenever possible. At one point he even blocked an attack with his back turned.

Finally, he whirled around and clashed his blade against Falchion. Chrom glared and defiantly pushed back with all his might, but Gangrel kept his footing. When one of his archers saw an opening and tried to shoot Chrom, Frederick was quick to impale him.

"You will know the pain and suffering you caused my sister… and our kingdoms!"

"Don't try it, Princey!" Gangrel warned as if scolding a child. He kicked Chrom in the stomach before leaping and striking him with both feet. While he fell to the ground, Gangrel did a backflip and landed on his feet with a cat-like grin.

"Give it up, boy," he taunted. "You can't win against Gangrel. You can't even scratch me!"

Chrom got right back up and charged at him anyway with a yell, the Fire Emblem still resting on his shoulder. Gangrel blocked the first few swings, but he cried out when Chrom broke through his defense and delivered a harsh slash to his face. He stumbled backwards and held his cheek.

When he withdrew it, blackish-red fluid coated his palm.

"No…" Gangrel frantically examined his sword. His gaze landed on the sphere in the hilt. "No! That can't be right! I'm supposed to be invincible!"

"What the hell are you talking about?!" Chrom barked. He failed to notice the glowing light coming from the Fire Emblem's lone orb.

Gangrel's eyes found their way back to him. Then he chuckled, shaking his head. "Oh, no, no, no… Hell no. I'm not going out like this. Not in some godforsaken field!"

He turned tail, running back into the crowd of Plegian soldiers at his disposal. Chrom nearly chased after him, but he stopped himself as he remembered his little stunt in the Midmire. Even with the silver armor protecting his body, it would almost certainly mean death without the others backing him up.

"Captain!" a voice cried from above. Chrom glanced up to see Sumia looking no worse for wear. "Need a lift?"

"Is it safe for you?"

"Safe enough!" She lowered Belfire to the ground and offered Chrom a hand. "Where are we going?"

"Wherever Gangrel is." He took her hand and climbed into the saddle behind her. "We shouldn't have too much trouble tailing him from the air… Thank you, Sumia."

"Don't mention it. Let's go!"

---

Near a series of dunes on the eastern side of the battlefield, Lyn grappled with a few enemies of her own. The Mani Katti proved useful in cutting down a couple of Plegian cavaliers. She hated having to strike down horses, but it was inevitable when the enemy fielded them in a life-or-death situation. She'd learned this as far back as fighting Lundgren.

On Lyn's left, Lon'qu cut down a couple of mages as Olivia encouraged him with her dances. On her right, Virion and several Feroxi archers filled a wyvern with arrows. Right in front of her, a Plegian myrmidon charged Lyn with his sword in hand. She crouched, her hand on Sol Katti's hilt as she focused, before rushing past and slicing him through the side. The myrmidon collapsed a few seconds afterwards.

"Sloppy," Lyn criticized. She rid the blade of his blood with a single stroke.

She glanced all around her. The nearby Feroxi soldiers and Shepherds were doing a good job keeping their frailer members safe while also fighting the enemy. Far ahead of her, Flavia was approaching an armored general with her troops.

Lyn moved to join her before a trio of sword fighters blocked her path. Two of them wore leather mercenary attire, but the man in the center wore segmented red and gray armor made of metal. His left arm was covered by a bulky shield, and he carried a silver sword in his right hand.

"For king and country… Have at you!"

The first two mercenaries went down in seconds. Their leader, on the other hand, proved a formidable foe. She darted all around him, but even the Sol Katti had difficulty cutting through his reinforced shield. When he threw his sword in the air and caught it in a somersault, Lyn knew better than to take it head on; with her allies occupied, she had to fight smart and dirty. She sidestepped the attack, immediately following up with a swipe to his face. Then she slashed at him several more times before finishing him with a final slice to the throat.

He hit the sand with a gurgle. Lyn wiped the blood from her face before looking ahead at the numerous enemy soldiers on the horizon. Sheathing her swords, she grabbed her bow from her shoulder and nocked an arrow, intent on picking off as many soldiers from afar as possible.

Mother, Father… Guide my bow!

---

On the western side of the battlefield, desert terrain gave way to sandy plains that stretched to rocky shores and cliffs near the ocean. Far from the water, Tharja assaulted enemy Plegians left and right with her magic. Though she'd never admit it, she was happy Chrom had secured enough soldiers to provide adequate backup. Basilio and Gregor charged ahead into a group of enemies, cutting them down with their backs to each other. Nearby, Kellam blocked an oncoming hit from an axeman before bashing him with his shield. Even little Nowi seemed to be having the time of her life as she shot wyvern riders from the sky with her dragonbreath.

Yet, in spite of all of that, one of them still managed to approach Tharja.

"Well, well, well! If it ain't the countess's runaway daughter," Vasto greeted, winked at her from above.

"I know you." The venom in her voice was clear as day. She was already clutching the Elthunder tome in her cloak. "You're the treasonous pig who murdered a fellow general after he was already spared."

"Like you're one to talk about loyalty! Joining up with the enemy after all they've done to our people… Tsk tsk, girly. Tsk tsk."

"If you want to die so badly, get on with it. I didn't wake up early this morning to converse with idiots."

Several Plegian soldiers were now fighting Feroxi closer to her, but Vasto held a hand out to the wyvern riders behind him. "You know, there's quite a bounty on your head right about now. I've half a mind to hand you over to Mother Dearest myself and collect that sweet, sweet reward..."

"Still," he continued, "I could be persuaded to let you off the hook if you were to reward me instead..."

"Ugh! You're as loathsome as they come." Tharja's face scrunched up. She drew her tome from her cloak. "Now shut up and hold still; I'll be doing the world a service."

"Pfft," Vasto scoffed. "Your loss, lady. Just don't cry when I chop you to bits; I'm only doin' my job here, after all!"

He pointed his axe at her with a deranged, toothy smirk.

"It's nothing personal… bitch!"

One of his wyverns rushed Tharja on her left. It received a face full of lightning for its troubles; both beast and rider came crashing to the earth beside her in a smoking heap. She had no trouble shooting the second one down, but Vasto circled around her as she did. His axe thirsting for blood, he lunged at her.

"Tharja, look out!"

She whirled around just to see a blade of wind magic strike Vasto's wyvern in the side. Tharja looked over to her right where Robin stood with an Elwind tome in his hand, his other arm outstretched.

"Of all the filthy no good…"

Vasto perked up once he spotted Robin glaring at him. "Heeey, I know you! You're the goody-two-shoes who convinced Chrom to spare me! I should be thanking you for such generous hospitality!"

"You won't be in a minute."

Robin sent another spell at him, but his wyvern flew out of the way this time.

"Woah, woah! Why so serious?" Vasto smirked. "Oh, wait, I think I get it. It's the weight of all the people who are now dead thanks to you dragging you down, isn't it?"

While he talked, several ground soldiers advanced on their position. Cordelia took notice from the skies and, when a few drew too close for comfort, she swooped down from above and stabbed one of them. Robin and Tharja took down the rest with their spells.

"C'mon, Robin! Where's your sense of mercy?" Vasto taunted, indifferent to his fellow soldiers' deaths. "Ain'cha gonna take them prisoner?"

When he got no response, he growled and swooped down towards him. Robin was quick to roll out of his path. As Vasto's wyvern turned, however, Tharja wasn't so lucky. Its tail hit her right in the stomach and sent her flying a fair distance before she hit the ground.

"Gah!"

"Tharja!" Robin cried. He rushed over and helped her to her feet. Once she assured him she was fine, he drew his Levin Sword and faced Vasto once more. "No more games, Vasto. If you surrender, I'll end it quickly."

"Pfft! Like I'd really forfeit my life to the likes of you!"

His wyvern let out a low, pained growl. Vasto frowned and rubbed her head. "Tch… As much fun as it's been, I got places to be. But don't worry… I've still got more friends to keep you both company!"

Vasto flew away, but not before Robin nicked his mount's wing with a well-aimed lightning bolt. The Plegian ground forces were rolling in, clashing with the Feroxi soldiers ahead of them. Far to his right, Robin spotted Gangrel running towards a series of rocky cliffs to the west. Chrom and Sumia tailed him from above on her pegasus. They struck down any wyvern foolish enough to get in their way.

A pit formed in Robin's stomach as he watched them fly. Tharja briefly followed his gaze before glancing back at him. "Are you alright?"

"... Tharja," he said without looking at her. "Will you and the others here be alright without me?"

"Don't tell me you're planning on following them by yourself… Gangrel's a lunatic! Now more than ever it seems."

"Whatever happens next, I at least want to know I did all that I could for Chrom."

"But…" Tharja gave a slow, reluctant nod after a few seconds. "I understand."

"Thank you." Robin flashed a smile that made her heart melt. "If something goes wrong, I'll cast a fireball into the air as a signal. I'll be back once I'm sure he doesn't need me anymore; hold your position until then!"

With that, he ran off in pursuit of Gangrel and Chrom. Tharja watched him leave with a small lovestruck grin before turning to the approaching enemy forces with a snarl.

"What are you louts leering at?!" Her Elthunder tome was already open. "Come on then… Your eyes will be the first to go!"

"Hey, hey, hey!" an irritatingly familiar voice called. "Don't start the party without me!"

Tharja could only groan as a younger mage in a sweater approached her. "Gods no, not you. Anyone but you…"

"Tharja, hey!" Henry greeted, oblivious to the confused expressions of the soldiers behind him. "I thought I might find you all the way out here. Your parents must be worried sick!"

"I don't care," she told him with a scowl, "and before you ask, I'm not going back. Ever."

"Whaaaat? You can't be serious! What about—"

"What about you?" Tharja fired back. "After everything he's said and done, why are you still that madman's rabid lapdog? I can't believe that someone with your level of talent is throwing it all away on a lost cause!"

"Aww, you really think I'm talented? That's the nicest thing you've ever said to me! Still…"

Henry's grin persisted even as he took on a stance resembling a praying mantis. Several other mages and soldiers behind him brandished their weapons. "I've always wondered which of us would win in a duel... Whaddya say?"

Tharja, now flanked by several Feroxi soldiers herself, readied herself with a look of disdain. "Don't say I didn't warn you. Who knows… Maybe a few jolts to the brain will do you some good after all."

"Hee hee, yay! Let's dance!"

Tharja sent a bolt of lightning in his direction. He disappeared in the blink of an eye; the attack hit an enemy soldier behind where he once stood.

What?!

Within seconds, Henry reappeared behind her and hit her with a tiny orb of magic before vanishing again. The attack only made her stumble a bit, but the mere suspicion that Henry had deliberately used such a weak spell against her was enough to infuriate Tharja. When he rematerialized in front of her, she dropped her tome and assaulted him with lightning from her fingertips.

"Yeowch, hey! That tickles!"

Tharja stopped and placed her hands together, forming a dark purple orb between her fingers. When she cast it at Henry, he held both hands in front of him and let loose a powerful stream of fire. The heat licked at Tharja's face, but her spell powered through the flames and struck him square in the chest.

"Gah…" He still smiled even as he held a hand to his sternum. A trickle of blood escaped his lips; one he was all too quick to taste. "Heh… Not bad!"

"Damnit, Henry! This is pointless and you know it! Don't you even care that Vasto's lying to you?"

"What? He would never! He's my friend!"

"Do friends kill their friend's other companion and pin the blame on someone else?!" she snapped. "Do they?!"

"What?!"

"He killed Mustafa, Henry," she told him. Blazing anger had become icy fury in seconds. "Chrom and Robin spared the man out of kindness… and Vasto killed him. I saw it from afar with my own two eyes."

"I… N-no! You're lying!" Henry let out a nervous laugh. "He… He'd never do that! We were friends, all of us!"

"She speaks the truth!"

As the other soldiers fought around them, Henry glanced to his right. Panne slowly approached them in her taguel form. "Tharja speaks the truth, Henry. Mustafa died at Vasto's hands, not Chrom's. If you hold any love for the old general, then face his true killer!"

Henry paused. Both Tharja and Panne stood before him ready to attack, but… they didn't. He looked further to his right and saw Vasto in the air again. He was fighting a manakete of all things, cackling all the while. This whole time, the Air Commander had insisted that the Ylisseans were to blame for Mustafa's death. But… Were they right? Had he really lied to them all? Lied to him?

He stared at his right hand. It trembled as a dark mist swirled around his fingertips. The same thing happened to his left hand. Before either Tharja or Panne could even move, Henry thrust both hands into the air and sent a volley of purple spikes flying into the sky. Nowi saw and flew out of the way, but Vasto had been so caught up in dealing with his airborne foes that he didn't even notice until it was too late. The spikes filled his wyvern's body from below; some of them even tore through its wings. The beast shrieked and bled as it spiraled out of control towards the ground.

"Henry?!" Tharja cried. She watched in shock as Vasto's wyvern hit the ground, a large dust cloud rising from the impact.

Henry said nothing. He warped away, reappearing closer to where they'd crashed. Tharja and Panne shared a wary glance before they decided to follow him.

Separated from his fliers, Vasto groaned and coughed as he pulled himself to his feet. His eyes widened when he saw his wyvern bleeding out on the sands in front of him.

"No, no, no, no, no," he muttered, kneeling by her side. "Damnit! Don't you die on me, Bruta… Not here!"

His wyvern let out a final low whimper before she shut her eyes and stopped moving. Vasto stared at his dead partner in disbelief. When Henry warped in front of them with a smile on his face, he grew enraged.

"So that's it, huh?!" He sprang to his feet. "You're a filthy traitor too?! No one else in this whole damned army knows magic like that!"

"Did you kill him, Vasto?"

"What the hell are you talkin' about?"

"Did. You. Kill. Mustafa?"

"... And what if I did?" Vasto grabbed his axe from his wyvern's side. "He was weak, kid. A poison. A softhearted guy like that has no business in the army, let alone as a general. I did us all a favor."

"He had a family!" The corner of Henry's mouth twitched as his smile grew. "If they can't avenge him… then I guess I have to."

Vasto chuckled before charging at him with a yell. Henry didn't even move from his spot as he stunned him with a blast of lightning from his fingers.

"Ack! D-damnit…!"

The magic coursed through Vasto's body. He dropped his weapon, but the electric assault continued as Henry drew closer, grinning all the while. He stopped after a few more seconds, and Vasto coughed up some blood as he fell to one knee.

"What's wrong, Vasto? You look positively shocked."

"You stupid bastard," he spat, more blood coming out. "Jokes? Now?!"

A final bolt struck him in the stomach, keeping him down for good. Vasto groaned and writhed as he clutched his wound in agony. It wasn't long before Henry stood over him, shadowing him from the sun.

"Hey, that looks like that hurt. Do you think Mustafa felt like that when you killed him?"

The crackling in Henry's hands stopped, and he knelt down to better see Vasto. "Oh, hey! I just thought of another joke. What do you get when you betray your friends, kill an innocent man and leave his family heartbroken?"

Vasto rasped and wheezed as his face paled. "... What?"

His blood ran cold when he saw a serrated dagger in Henry's hand.

"One hell of a sore throat."

Without another word, Henry plunged the knife right into his neck. He pulled it out only to bring it back down again.

And again.

And again.

"Nyahahaha!" Henry cackled, egged on by the warm blood hitting his face. "Ahahahahaha! Die, die, die!"

Nearby soldiers on both sides of the conflict stopped and stared at the scene in shock and horror. Henry dragged the knife across Vasto's neck one last time, and his struggles came to an end as he gurgled and choked on his own blood. Henry sat up, wiping some of the blood and sweat from his forehead.

Behind them, Panne looked away from the grisly sight. Tharja, meanwhile, could only stare and clutch her tome with tense hands. It was no secret that Henry enjoyed killing people with magic, but she'd never even seen him hold a physical weapon before, much less use one… and certainly not like that. Large gray eyes darted between the bloodied knife in Henry's hand and what was once the former Air Commander.

"... Had enough?" She tried to sound as deadpan as possible.

Henry turned to her with his arms outstretched, almost as if asking for a hug.

"Tharja… Please come home. Please."

"You know why I can't do that, Henry." She sighed. "Look, if you stop fighting us, I can convince Chrom and the others to give you a chance. It may not work, but they're not the kind to cut down a surrendering enemy. Believe me."

He shook his head with a humorless chuckle. "No… No. Not after everything I've done. Oh, well. See ya later, Tharja!"

"Wait, you idiot—!"

Tharja ran at him, but his entire body was enveloped in a giant cloud of smoke. She dispeled it with a gust of wind magic only to see a murder of crows flying off towards the island to the west.

"Ugh… What a nuisance."

"I doubt we have seen the last of him," Panne said, walking towards her on all fours. "Even so, the day is not yet ours. We must press on."

"Indeed..."

Tharja looked south of their position. Many of the Plegian soldiers who'd witnessed Henry's actions were now moving back behind enemy lines, some of them running for their lives. What wyverns remained would surely suffer without Vasto's leadership.

With tome in hand and Panne at her side, Tharja resolved to finish what Henry started.

---

Having caught up to her, Lyn fought back-to-back with Flavia against the Plegian army. The two women cut down anyone who dared to challenge them. Further ahead of them, several Feroxi soldiers found themselves being speared, crushed or otherwise swatted aside by a single hulking figure.

When Lyn's eyes landed on him, she gasped. He was encased in bulky red armor similar to that of generals she'd fought back home. His head was covered by a cylindrical helmet, massive pauldrons protected his shoulders, and his weapon of choice—a silver lance on a chain—was lodged in one of many Feroxi warriors at his armored feet.

"Today," he declared, withdrawing his weapon, "you face General Campari! The Indestructible Wall of Plegia! Now come forth... and break your weapons against me!"

"That title supposed to mean something, old man? I've never heard of you before in my life!" Flavia yelled. She stepped in front of Lyn and brandished a giant war hammer in both hands. "I can take it from here, Lyn. Just sit back and watch while I pound that helmet of his flat!"

Before Lyn could open her mouth to argue, Flavia charged ahead anyway. When Campari hurled his spear at her, she leapt right over it. She brought the hammer down onto his helmet and continued to slam it into the general's armor over and over again, swinging it with reckless abandon.

While Flavia attacked him from the front, Lyn took the opportunity to sneak around and slash at him with all her might. Her blades left a few scratches and dents here and there, but Campari turned and batted her away with his own weapon.

"Lyn!"

She hit the dirt with a grunt, rolling. One of Flavia's remaining troops helped her to her feet, but Campari had enough of Flavia herself and slammed the blunt end of his lance into the side of her head.

"Flavia!" Lyn yelled. The East Khan tried to push herself to her feet, but ultimately fell unconscious. Seeing this made Lyn charge at Campari with a sword in either hand, consequences be damned. "Hiaaaaa!"

Campari defensively held his lance with both hands and took the blows. Lon'qu, Virion and some of the others approached him from behind. When he shoved Lyn back with his weapon, he took the time to grab her and throw her at them.

"Mon dieux!" Virion cried as he and Olivia helped Lyn to her feet. "Are you alright, Lyndis?"

"I… I think so." She nodded.

Several Feroxi soldiers carried Flavia back to safety. Campari scowled at them and gave a boorish snort. "Frankly this 'old man' expected better from the East Khan!"

His gaze lingered on Lyn as she glared daggers at him. "Those sword strokes, weak as they are, are still far more interesting than anything I've faced fighting these Feroxi dogs… You could have made a fine Plegian officer."

"I'd rather die than serve someone like your king," she told him, now wielding the Mani Katti in both hands.

Campari stepped forward, armor clunking and lance already poised. "Then die you shall!"

Just as he was about to launch his weapon at her, a weak blast of lightning struck him in the shoulder from behind. The jolts danced across his armor as he stumbled.

"What the hell?!" He turned. "Which one of you morons did that?!"

The culprit wore roguish brown clothes and carried a Levin Sword, but a hood obscured their face. They made a mad dash towards Campari, darting out of the path of his spear, before leaping over him and frying his helmet. As the general staggered, the mysterious figure turned towards Lyn's group and unveiled themselves.

His orange hair and dark headband gave him away.

"Kept you waiting, huh?"

"Gaius?!" Lyn blurted. The others were just as slack jawed. "When did you… How did you—"

"Let's just say I'm real good at blending in." He winked. "Can't say I'd be here without our clients though!"

"... Clients?"

Gaius brought his fingers to his mouth and let out a loud whistle. The nearby Plegian soldiers panicked when a ferocious roar filled the air. A dark wyvern emerged from the dunes to the east, a black-clad masked man riding it.

"What the hell?!" a soldier yelled. "That's not one of ours!"

When the rider neared General Campari, a bespectacled mage on the saddle behind him sent several wind spells in his direction. Each of the saucer-shaped blasts collided with his armor and staggered him further as they circled him from the skies.

Surprised as Lyn's group was, a cry to their left got their attention. Enemy soldier after enemy soldier fell as a masked warrior sprinted past them onto the battlefield. She struck down several of Campari's men with her blade of choice.

The Falchion.

"M-Marth?!" Olivia cried, hands flying over her mouth. "Wh-what's she doing here? What's going on?"

"... Marth is a woman?" Virion asked.

"ENOUGH!" Campari roared, his voice straining. His helmet was partially scorched. "Honorless curs… I don't care how many of you there are! On my honor as a general, I won't stop until I've killed each and every last one of you mongrels! For Lord Gangrel! For king and country!"

He charged ahead. Everyone got in position to either dodge or defend with the exception of a smirking Gaius. Just as he'd planned, a much stronger blast of lightning struck Campari from behind. He cried out as the electricity surged through his armor and forced him to his knee.

Gaius glanced over him and smiled. "That's my girl."

Lyn and the others gasped. Standing behind Campari was none other than Anna, dressed in her normal clothes and carrying another Levin Sword. Her usual friendly face, however, was gone in favor of an incredibly incensed scowl. The anger she radiated was more than enough to deter Campari's men from attacking her, to say nothing of the sparking sword in her hand.

"This is what happens when you mess with our friends!" She showed no signs of strain or remorse as she continued to shock him. Anna ran forward, leaping high above him. Gaius tossed her his own blade, and she caught it before landing in front of Campari and electrocuting him with both of them. "You get what you pay for!"

"Marth!" Gaius called out to her. "Time to end this!"

She understood at once. Marth broke into a full sprint towards Campari. As he stumbled, she leapt into the air with all her might and did a somersault with Falchion in both hands. Anna rushed at Campari, and the two women ultimately struck him at the same time; Anna rising from the ground and Marth descending from the air.

They dashed backwards, not letting their guard down, but the combined force of their attack and his injuries proved too much for the old general. Campari fell backwards with a ground-shaking thud. As the dust cleared all around him, he didn't even have the strength to lift his arms.

"Long live… Plegia..."

Anna, satisfied with their work, walked over to the others with a bright grin. "Well? How was that?"

"Holy shit," Lon'qu swore in shock. Olivia gasped beside him.

"General Campari has fallen!" a Plegian soldier cried. "Retreat!"

He and the rest of Campari's men fled, dropping their weapons in the hopes they'd be spared. The dark-haired wyvern rider glared at them beneath his mask, but Marth held a hand towards him as she approached Lyn's group. Far behind them, she spotted a blonde priest holding a glowing staff to Flavia's head.

"Well, that went a hell of a lot better than I thought it would," Gaius admitted, chuckling.

"Wait, wait, wait." Lyn held her hands out. She glanced at him, Anna, Marth and her two companions, and then back at Gaius once more. "... What just happened here? You've all been working together?"

Anna giggled and rested a finger on her chin. "You could say that. I'm sure you've got loads more questions, but I don't think this battle's done just yet."

Lyn continued to look at the odd group in utter confusion. Marth sheathed Falchion and nodded at her, the masked rider scratched his wyvern's head, and the bespectacled mage gave a polite smile and bow before adjusting his rather large hat.

"In any case," Virion cut in, looking at Gaius and Anna, "it is good to see you all alive and well."

"Likewise, Virion!" Anna smiled. "Honestly, we kinda worried you were a goner back there at the castle…"

"C'mon, you lot." The group heard Flavia's powerful voice behind them. She grinned as she walked forward, a sword in her hand. "We'll have plenty of time to catch up after we win."

Lyn frowned. "But Flavia, your head—"

"Is perfectly fine, thank you for asking. Turns out you lot have quite the competent healer in your ranks!" She gestured to Libra behind her with her thumb. "If this side of the Plegian army's done for, we need to help brothers and sisters west of here!"

She looked over at Gaius's group of five. "Can we count on your assistance?"

He grinned. "You know it!"

"Aye aye!" Anna answered.

"You need only ask," the mage said in a calmer voice.

"I will help in any way I can to see your army succeed." Marth bowed her head.

"... Hmph." The masked rider scowled, but he seemed to glare at Lon'qu in particular. "This is the man who nearly bested you, Marth? I don't believe it."

"Michalis, please." Marth turned to Lon'qu. "I apologize for my companion's behavior. It is good to see you again, Lon'qu."

Lon'qu looked downright offended, but he kept his composure to the best of his ability. "... Likewise."

Now that Campari was dead and his men had retreated, their main objective was supporting the rest of the army and securing victory. Lyn still had so many questions for their allies old and new—and she imagined the others did too—but they would have to wait until after the battle.

She just hoped Robin was facing less dire circumstances.

---

Gangrel scaled the cliffs to the west with a crazed grin. Chrom and Sumia pursued him from above on Belfire. Back near the shores, Robin reached the foot of the formation and frowned. He could see numerous ledges and roots jutting out from the side, but they were out of reach. As Cordelia and Nowi were too far away to ask for assistance, Robin decided he'd have to make do on his own.

But how...?

"Think, Robin, think… There has to be a way up there!"

He drummed his fingers along the side of his coat. When he tapped on one of his tomes, his eyes widened in realization. Robin reached into his cloak and pulled out the Elwind tome he used before, staring at the green book in his hands. Miriel always did say that magic had more applications than just combat… and Ricken's little stunt at the border all those months ago made its way back into his mind.

If he could just do something like that to himself…

Robin opened the tome, feeling its magic resonate through his entire body. He was grateful the physical and mental fatigue hadn't set in yet. This would be one of his riskiest moves yet, but they'd all be one step closer to victory if it worked.

He took a few deep breaths to steady his nerves. Once he was ready, Robin leapt into the air before casting the spell at his feet.

"Elwind!"

The blast sent him flying upwards a considerable height. He used his free hand to grab the closest ledge. "Aha!"

Robin pulled himself up without a second to lose, feeling more elated by the second. Once he was sure the ledge was sturdy enough, he leapt up again and cast another spell below him.

"Yes!" he cheered, grasping another ledge. "Hang in there, Chrom… I'll be there soon enough."

---

When Gangrel reached the wide top of the highest cliff, his face-splitting grin became a serene smile. Even the ugliness of Carrion Isle in the distance couldn't stop him from admiring the bright blue skies and the ocean below. Happy as he was in that brief moment, his good mood was soured when he heard someone land far behind him.

"Oh, it's you again." He yawned, his back still turned. "Still not satisfied, mmm?"

"No more talking, Gangrel," Chrom said, Falchion in his hand. Sumia flew overhead, keeping a close eye on them. "Today you die, and peace is restored to Ylisse and Plegia alike."

"Heheh! Spoken like a true dimwitted optimist!" Gangrel exclaimed with glee. He crouched and held his sword, the eye-shaped holes glowing purple one by one. "Come, little princeling! I've sharpened this juuuust for you!"

Chrom stayed put, clutching the Fire Emblem in his left hand like a shield. Gangrel snarled, spun and swung his sword. The action sent a wave of dark magic flying at his feet. Chrom sprinted at him and jumped over the attack.

"Rah!" Once he was close enough, Gangrel brought his blade down hard. It clashed against the Fire Emblem; when the sword bounced off, Chrom stabbed him in the stomach. Falchion didn't make it very far in. "Pesky brat…!"

Gangrel jumped away from him, a hand over his wound. It stung considerably, but the blood that oozed from it was thick and blackened. He licked his palm before beckoning Chrom forward with a wicked grin.

"What the hell…" Chrom glared. "No. It doesn't matter anymore. For Ylisse!"

His blows were heavy, but Gangrel proved himself far more agile. He kicked him twice in mid-air before slicing him across the chest. Never before did Chrom feel more grateful for his armor; his normal outfit wouldn't have withheld such an attack.

After a few more minutes of fighting, both men were panting and drenched with sweat. Between the heat of the desert and their combat, it was astounding neither had fainted. Chrom, feeling the exhaustion in his left arm, stood up straight and reattached the Fire Emblem to his shoulder. Then he took Falchion into both hands.

"Such a bore!" Gangrel complained. The middle of his sword glowed a bright purple as he plunged it into the ground. "This oughta spice things up!"

The magic from the sword traveled through the ground and erupted underneath Chrom. Up above, Sumia gasped as he was launched high into the air.

"Chrom!"

Belfire immediately soared towards him with a neigh. Sumia grasped his hand once they were close enough. A grateful Chrom still clutched the Falchion in his other hand, and Gangrel sneered at the scene as she lowered him back to the ground.

"Quit being an eyesore!"

He launched a blast of magic at them, but they broke away from each other. Sumia flew far out of Gangrel's reach as he focused on Chrom. He put a few dents and slices in his armor before Chrom spun and bashed him in the face with Falchion's pommel. Then he stabbed at Gangrel's torso a few times before kicking him to the ground.

He plunged Falchion into Gangrel's stomach deeper this time. The Mad King let out an agonizing scream and hacked up blood. Some of it landed on Chrom's face.

"Get up…" Chrom withdrew the blade, his face dark. "I'm not finished with you yet. Do you hear me, Gangrel?! Get the hell up!"

He rose to his feet, wiping some blood from his mouth with a smirk. "Heh… You sure don't know when to give up, do you, boy? You're just like your father..."

"Quiet!"

"Oh, but it's true! I was just a lad when he murdered all my friends and loved ones. Isn't that hilarious?"

"What the hell are you talking about?!" he demanded. "The Crusade didn't start until after the Grimleal killed our mother!"

At this, Gangrel threw his entire body backwards and let out a tremendous laugh. "Is that what they told you?! Those idiots you call a High Council?! They lied to you, boy! They tried to cover up Ylisse's actions for years! I saw Chronos burn down my village himself! He killed my parents! He took everything from me!"

Gangrel continued to laugh his head off, but Chrom stared at him with wide eyes. He'd been told for years that his father had only done what he'd done out of retaliation. It didn't make it right, but that was the truth… Wasn't it?

"But why, then?! Why would he do such a thing?! Why would he…"

"Beats me." Gangrel shrugged, oddly at peace. "Maybe he was afraid of the Grimleal. Maybe he knew they were trying to resurrect their dark god. Maybe he just didn't like us… but it hardly matters anymore."

He crouched, his blade glowing a deep purple." All that matters is that he's dead… and that you'll be with him soon enough. Be a dear and make this easy for me, would you? I've got sheep to slaughter!"

With a smirk, Gangrel added, "Perhaps I'll skin your pathetic friends alive one by one and feed them each other's flesh…"

The thought made Chrom's stomach turn, but Gangrel was upon him at once. His blade clashed against Falchion a few times. When Chrom went on the offensive, Gangrel lifted his foot and deflected the impending strike. Chrom lost his balance as a result, and the Mad King nearly ran him through before feeling a sharp pain in his side.

"Gah!"

Chrom's eyes widened in shock. Sumia and Belfire were now pushing Gangrel backwards; the former's lance was still embedded in him.

"Ugh! How rude!" Gangrel snarled. "No one likes a third wheel!"

Sumia and Belfire darted backwards, pulling out the spear in the process. Sumia's glare became a look of fear and disgust when she noticed the black blood coating her spear.

"What the—?!"

Gangrel saw an opening and lunged, but Chrom tackled him to the ground. "Sumia, I'll handle him! Fall back!"

"But…"

"Eyaaaah!" Gangrel screeched, kicking Chrom off of him. He leapt to his feet and pointed at Sumia. "After I'm done with you, I'll tear that horse's wings clean off!"

Before anyone could make another move, a fourth figure flew up from the eastern side of the mountain. Chrom and Sumia gasped as Robin rolled along the ground and landed on his feet between the combatants, no worse for wear.

"Robin!" they cried.

"Robin," Gangrel repeated, repulsion in his voice. "So you're the esteemed tactician of Ylisse, are you? I've seen smarter-looking cattle!"

"Robin, what are you doing here?" Chrom whispered once he was close enough. "It's too dangerous to be up here without backup!"

"My thoughts exactly," he replied. Robin clutched his Levin Sword in both hands as he smiled at him. "Now you don't have to be."

"Heh…" Chrom smiled back. "Well met."

The two stood side by side, weapons drawn. Even as Sumia circled around him, Gangrel barked an uproarious laugh at the sight in front of him. "Oh, now this is simply delicious! I get to kill three birds with one sword! And a pegasus!"

"Still," he continued, "I feel as though I should thank you, Robin. If not for your absolute failure of a rescue mission, Emmeryn might still be alive!"

Sumia gasped. Chrom saw Robin tense up out of the corner of his eye. "Don't let him get to you, Robin. We both know who's really at fault here."

He said nothing. His eyes were locked on Gangrel, but the Mad King chuckled as he sensed a shaken resolve.

"Come on then, wonder boy. I can't wait to hear you scream when I clip your wings…"

Robin held his sword high above his head. A lightning bolt came down from above, but Gangrel sidestepped it. He sprinted at Robin, but Chrom caught him head on. While the two fought, Sumia flew above them with a short spear in her hand.

Don't hit Chrom, don't hit Chrom, don't hit Chrom…

Gangrel shoved Chrom away, but a surge of lightning courtesy of Robin struck him head on. He roared as it surged through his body. Robin's nose began to bleed, but he powered through and continued the assault with a fierce glare. The attack forced Gangrel to his knee.

Just as he stopped, Sumia hurled her weapon with all her might.

Gangrel cried out as he felt the spear pierce his right shoulder. The taste of bile and copper rose in his throat, but he stood back up, grabbed the weapon and tore it right back out. The pain was immeasurable… but so too was his desire for revenge.

"I don't believe it," Robin muttered, shaking his head. "How are you still standing?!"

Tossing aside the spear that wounded him, he lunged at Chrom and Robin with an animalistic screech. Even with his injuries, Gangrel proved more than a match for them at close range. He fought dirty, clawing and headbutting whenever he could.

Their fighting brought them near the edge of the cliff. A blast of magic from the Darksaber knocked Chrom onto his back, but as Gangrel brought the sword down to finish the job, Robin rushed forward and blocked the attack.

Sumia flew down to check on Chrom, but Gangrel continued to push back against Robin with a malicious grin. Even using both of his arms against just Gangrel's left, Robin was still struggling.

Chrom got back up with Sumia's help. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Gangrel reach for something on his person.

Something shiny.

"Robin, look out!"

He didn't react in time. Robin cried out when a flash of pain rushed through his stomach. He froze in fear and disbelief, his eyes trailing down. Gangrel had plunged a dagger into him just below his ribcage.

"No!" Chrom and Sumia yelled.

Robin staggered, the knife still in him as his blade clattered to the ground. Gangrel smirked and kicked it off the edge before leaning in close.

"You're so weak," he taunted in his ear. "I'll never understand Aversa's fascination with you. Oh well. So long, failure tactician!"

He kicked Robin off the side of the cliff, elated by Chrom and Sumia's cries. When Sumia mounted Belfire in an effort to save him, Gangrel fired off a dark red blast of magic from his sword. The attack struck the pegasus in the side, grounding and forcing a whinny from her.

As he fell through the air, fear seized Robin like never before. Fear of heights. Fear of helplessness. Fear of being just as weak and pathetic as Gangrel said he was. And for the first time in a good while… Fear of dying.

Robin was jarred from his thoughts as he hit a ledge back-first. He grunted and coughed up some blood. His skin would almost certainly bruise from the impact; he'd still be lucky to survive with broken bones. A hand flew over his wound in an attempt to slow the bleeding. His Levin Sword laid ignored and in pieces on his right.

Robin turned his head to his left, his hand stained red. From the ledge he could see many of Gangrel's men retreating, the Khans' soldiers still going strong. As he coughed again, he drew a single red tome from his cloak and laid it open beside him.

"I hope this works…" His mind seared as he focused with the last of his strength, placing his hands together. "ELFIRE!"

Several pages flew from the book and ignited high above him, forming a burning sphere that grew more and more by the second. When Robin threw both hands into the air, the fireball soared high into the sky. He hoped Cordelia or Nowi would see it in time, but even more than that… He hoped Chrom, Lyn and all of their companions would survive regardless of whether or not he did.

Lyn… Everyone… I'm sorry...

---

From her position on the ground, Tharja struck down yet another soldier with fire magic. When she saw a bright light out of the corner of her eye, she looked to the skies. Her worst fears were confirmed when she saw a large fireball rise from the cliffs to the west.

"No...!"

Tharja glanced all around as she desperately sought a solution. Sumia was long gone, and Maribelle was tending to Nowi after the latter took a few nasty blows. Tharja's eyes landed on Cordelia above her, the pegasus knight doing everything in her power to defeat the last of Vasto's men.

"Cordelia!" Tharja shouted. "Robin needs help! He's on a cliff near the ocean!"

"He's what?! I'm on it!"

Cordelia swiped a wyvern rider away and speared another before jumping off of Aurora with lance in hand. She fell a good distance, slashing and stabbing a few more airborne enemies before landing back in the saddle.

"Double time, Aurora! Let's move!"

They soared in the direction Tharja had pointed them towards. Cordelia flew until she spotted Robin on a ledge a bit further down. When she neared him, she gasped at the sight of his blood.

"Oh, no. Oh, no, no, no…!"

Aurora lowered herself towards the ledge where Robin was. Cordelia managed to carefully help him off the cliff and into the saddle behind her. Now ignoring the blood completely, she set her sights on Lissa and Maribelle in the distance as Robin wrapped his arms around her.

"You're going to be alright, Robin," Cordelia whispered. "... I promise. Just don't let go!"

"Cordelia… Thank you…"

---

On the peak, Gangrel smirked as Robin disappeared from his line of sight. "Was that really the infamous tactician of Ylisse? What a waste of gold!"

"I'LL KILL YOU!"

Chrom charged at Gangrel with frenzied, unrestrained swings. The sheer strength and rage behind his attacks chipped away at the Darksaber, leaving noticeable cracks in it. Sumia, meanwhile, calmed Belfire down a sizable distance away. She tended to her wounds as much as she could.

When Chrom's lungs finally forced him to stop and catch his breath, Gangrel didn't bother attacking him. He ignored him entirely as his gaze drifted to the sea beyond Plegia. The sun shining on the waters brought happier days to mind.

"What a lovely sight," Gangrel mused, his voice growing soft. He looked over at Chrom and grinned. "Too bad Emmeryn couldn't be here to join us, huh, Princey?"

Out of breath and patience, Chrom glared up at him and growled the two words he hoped never to say to anyone.

"Fuck. You."

Gangrel gasped in genuine surprise. "Good heavens! Such language is simply unbecoming of royalty!"

"I don't give a damn anymore!" Chrom grasped Falchion in his right hand and the Fire Emblem in his left. "Phila, Mustafa, Emmeryn, Robin… You really won't stop until you've taken everyone, will you? It doesn't even matter whether they're Ylissean or Plegian! Everyone is disposable to you!"

"Well, come on then," he continued, lifting his left hand. "For years you've been trying to get your disgusting hands on the Fire Emblem. You want it so badly?! Come over here and take it!"

"Hahahaha! You really are the dunce of the family, aren't you, boy?! Even your annoying kid sister has more brains than you!"

Gangrel laughed for a few more seconds before stopping, but his grin never faded. "No… It was never about that stupid golden trinket. All that talk of wanting the Fire Emblem? Bullshit. Complete and utter bullshit! The only reason I spouted that schlock was because of the Grimleal! They're the ones who've coveted the damn thing for so long. Probably to stop some halfwit hero like you from meddling in their idiotic affairs!"

Chrom held his defensive stance, but the words he heard baffled him to no end. "What are you talking about?! I thought you and the Grimleal were allies!"

"You're an idiot, Chrom! Haven't you ever heard the expression, 'the enemy of my enemy is still potentially my enemy?'"

"But…"

"Bah!" Gangrel rolled his eyes. "Lumping me in with those fanatics because I'm Plegian… You really do take after your father, you know that?"

"But why, Gangrel?! Why didn't you ever tell us about the Grimleal?! Why didn't you ever accept Emmeryn's offers for peace?! All of this bloodshed could have been avoided… We could have worked together. We could have been allies! Friends, even!"

Gangrel's gaze drifted to the sea once more. Despite himself, he sniffed. "Yeah. We could have been, once upon a time... But we both know it's too late for that now. Some men don't deserve redemption, and some don't want it. Some crimes can't be forgiven… and some simply shouldn't be."

"So…" He crouched, his blade at the ready. "... You ready to finish this, boy?"

"... I suppose I have no choice." Chrom sighed, still glaring. "Prepare yourself... Your end has come!"

The fight wouldn't last much longer. The exhaustion had set its roots in both men long ago. Every time Chrom went for a decisive blow, Gangrel blocked it still. For as much as he bled, he simply refused to die.

Belfire was back in the air, but she too had grown weary. Not helping matters was how Sumia was out of throwing spears; the one she'd hurled at Gangrel had been her last. For as scared as she was, though… Sumia would never abandon Chrom. Not in a million years.

Mustering as much courage as she could, she pat Belfire on the head before the two of them swooped down, her lance shining with hope. Gangrel saw their descent from the corner of his eye.

This time, he was ready.

He kicked Chrom to the ground. In one swift motion Gangrel jumped over Sumia, slashing her across the back as he did.

"Gaaah!"

"Sumia!" Chrom cried, fear gripping his heart. He tried to stand, leaning on Falchion for support, but his legs felt swollen with blood. They glued him in place. "Gah…"

"Pathetic," Gangrel criticized, frowning as Belfire frantically tried to stay in the air. He swung his sword and launched a purple wave of magic at them. "Simply pathetic!"

"No!"

The attack hit Belfire head on. Some of the magic spread back towards Sumia. The white pegasus neighed in agony as she fell to her knees. Sumia fell off the saddle and landed on the ground next to her, bleeding where she'd been struck.

"Belfire…" She reached a hand out to soothe her injured friend. "Shh… I'm here… You'll be okay…"

Chrom was on all fours now. Every muscle in his body ached, but his heart ached most of all. It ached for Robin, Sumia, Belfire, Emmeryn… Every single innocent being who'd suffered thanks to them. Not just Gangrel, but himself too. Had he been stronger, he could have protected them all.

He looked up. Sumia and Belfire were on his right; Gangrel stood farther away on his left, closer to the edge of the cliff.

"Idiot girl." Gangrel sneered at the sight of Sumia comforting her pegasus. He grinned again just as quickly, cackling. "Looks like you both lucked out today! Chrom doesn't have to die alone… and you can join the rest of your pegasus knight friends in HELL!"

The Mad King moved his crackling blade in a circle and readied a concentrated bolt of blood-red magic. He aimed right at Sumia. As he did, something awoke within Chrom. Despite every muscle in his body screaming for rest, every fiber of his being told him to save her. To save her no matter what... even if it would cost him his life.

Sheathing Falchion, Chrom forced himself to his feet and sprinted towards Sumia as fast as he could. The Fire Emblem and its lone orb gleamed on his left shoulder as he did. Sumia glanced up at him with exhausted gray eyes. She reached a weak hand towards him just seconds before the bolt of darkness flew.

"Chrom…!"

"NOOOO!"

Time slowed to a crawl. Chrom leapt in front of Sumia just as the Mad King launched his final attack. The magic bounced right off of the Fire Emblem and was sent flying back at a wide-eyed Gangrel.

"Aaagh!"

A few dark drops of blood hit the ground near his feet. The bolt had pierced his chest.

Chrom felt lingering jolts dance up and down his body. He looked over at Sumia, smiling when he was sure she was safe, before glaring back at Gangrel. The Mad King stumbled back towards the edge of the cliff. He placed a hand to his wound, still clutching his sword in the other one. Sticky warm blood seeped through his spindly fingers. His grip on the blade loosened; it fell to the rocky shores below and shattered.

"Heh…" A trickle of dark fluid escaped the corner of Gangrel's mouth. "I guess that's it then… Not even the Darksphere could save me from myself..."

He looked over at Chrom and grinned. From where he was standing, the young prince was the splitting image of a storybook hero: his sword and shield were in either hand, he stood tall and unflinching, and a fair maiden was at his side.

"... It's over, Gangrel."

"So it is, princeling…" He nodded twice. "So it is. Don't think your victory is permanent, though."

"What?"

"Listen to me, boy." Gangrel licked his lips. "... Far across the sea, there's a man who's stronger than us both. Stronger than you. Back in my younger days, I once dreamed of uniting the continent and stopping him… but it was a fool's dream. Nothing can stop him. He is… inevitable."

He laughed a little; a bitter, exhausted chuckle. Gone was the mad look in his eye he'd possessed for so long. In its place was a mixture of relief and remorse.

"You might have beaten me," Gangrel rasped, still smiling, "but don't you believe for even a second that you've ensured a life of peace for everyone. After all... Where there is man, there is war…"

Chrom and Sumia stared at him in bewilderment as he continued to chuckle, swaying. He chuckled and chuckled until he was laughing at the top of his lungs. Tears sprang from his bloodshot eyes as he took one last step backwards, letting himself fall off the side of the cliff.

His mad laughter all the way down would haunt them for years to come.

"By the gods," Chrom rasped, staring at the spot where he'd fallen.

"Chrom…"

He turned his attention back to Sumia. She and Belfire had gotten back on their feet, the pegasus still neighing a little bit. They were bruised and bloodied, but alive all the same.

"Did… Did we win?" Sumia asked, a tear in her eye.

"We did." He nodded with a small smile. "... We did."

She threw herself at him without warning. Sumia held him as tight as humanly possible, sobbing into his chest. Chrom gently returned the embrace and shut his eyes. Beside them, Belfire reared up and let loose a triumphant neigh.

They'd won.

Chrom pulled back after a few seconds, but he gasped at the sight of blood on his arms. "Sumia! You're—"

"I'll be fine," she cut him off, wiping away a tear. "It only stings a little bit…"

Sumia looked up at him and smiled. "Thank you, Chrom. You saved us both."

"You saved me first," he softly told her. "I just hope everyone else is in better shape than we are..."

Her eyes widened as her hands flew to her mouth. "Oh, no! What about Robin?!"

"Gods, you're right!" The guilt welled up inside him. "I… I shouldn't have let Gangrel get so close to him in the first place. This is all my doing!"

"It wasn't," she reassured him, putting a hand on his arm. "We… We should get back to the others. I think I saw Cordy flying this way, so… So maybe she got to him in time!"

"I sure hope so…" Chrom sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "I'm sorry you got caught up in all of this, Sumia. You and Robin both suffered because of m—"

"No." Sumia placed a finger to his lips, a rare stern expression on her face. "No. He and I both did what we had to do. We chose to fight by your side, Chrom. And… and I have faith he'll be alright! So you should too!"

"I... Thank you, Sumia. Truly," he said, relaxing a little. "I'm still worried about him, but… I have faith too. I want to believe."

"Y-you're welcome…" She smiled just a bit, looking at the beautiful sight of the ocean in the distance. "Um… Should we get going then?"

"Yes…" Chrom looked at the spot where Gangrel had fallen one last time, grimacing. "... Let's leave this place far behind us."

---

"Robin… Robin…"

Robin's head ached as his eyes fluttered open to a brown ceiling. He was shirtless, his upper torso covered in bandages. The pain pooled in his stomach and back, but even that was nothing compared to the emotional pain he felt. A new voice in his head had joined the others. The words "failure tactician" rang in his mind over and over again. He could hear everyone calling him that: Chrom, Lissa, Lyn, Gangrel… Even Emmeryn.

He sat up from his cot with a wince.

"Robin!" Another jolt of pain surged in his brain at Lissa's voice. "Be careful, okay?"

"What…" He rubbed his temple with two fingers. "What happened?"

"Gangrel stabbed you and hurled you off a cliff, remember?" Lissa looked at him somberly. "Maribelle and I did the best we could, but you should still take it easy for now. You could have died!"

"I… I see." Robin blinked in surprise. Only then did he realize they were in a small tent. "Thank you, Lissa. I'll have to thank Maribelle later too."

"Don't forget to thank Cordelia and Aurora too! They're the ones who brought you here, after all."

"Right…" Robin shut his eyes in remorse. He hoped she and everyone else weren't too worried about him; the last thing he wanted was to inflict more pain on them. "I'll do that. Thank you."

Lissa giggled. "No prob, Rob! I'm just glad you're okay. You do have a visitor though, so I'll get out of your way…"

She hummed as she left the room. Robin looked ahead and spotted Lyn sitting on a chair in the corner of the tent. Her longcoat was hung on a nearby rack along with his cloak, but she faced away from him with her arms folded.

Uh-oh.

"Lyn," Robin croaked, his throat suddenly dry. "I—"

"Don't."

"Huh?"

After a few agonizing seconds of silence, she finally turned to look at him. Her eyes were red and puffy, and her nostrils flared as she gave him the most scathing scowl he'd ever seen.

Robin gulped and sank back in his cot. "Um… I can explain—"

"What were you thinking?!" Lyn sprang from her seat with clenched fists. "You're still not that skilled at fighting yet and you thought it'd be wise to chase after Gangrel of all people?! Alone?! What the hell, Robin? How could you be so reckless?"

"Chrom could have died out there, Lyn!" Her words stung, but he refused to back down. "What was I supposed to do, abandon him and hope things turned out for the better? Is that it?"

"Couldn't you have come up with a less dangerous plan? Maybe send some more troops after them instead? I know you're smarter than that." Lyn folded her arms again and glanced off to the side with a gentler look. "I just… I worry about you, you know? You're stronger now, but you're just not ready for such dangerous opponents, Robin!"

"Have you always been this much of a mother hen?"

"What?!" She gaped at him in anger and disbelief. "... What did you just say?"

"I'll never improve if I don't face some level of hardship along the way!"

"Oh, and I suppose this was something of a training exercise for you, was it?!" Lyn snapped. "Not a serious battle with lives on the line? Your life included?"

"I… That's not what I..." Robin sighed in remorse and shame. "Look, I'm sorry, Lyn. That wasn't fair of me to say at all. I acted on impulse, and it was foolish of me, but Chrom could have died if I didn't—"

"He can handle himself, Robin. How do you think he felt when Gangrel hurled you off a cliff? You could have died out there and Chrom would've been heartbroken! I would have been heartbroken!"

The fire in Lyn's eyes subsided. Now there was nothing but pity. "Don't you see that? Don't you value your own life at all?"

"I…" He shut his eyes. "I can't. Not anymore."

"Robin, if this is about Emmeryn, no one blames you for her death. Not me, not Chrom, not Lissa—nobody! Her death is solely Gangrel's fault, but we beat him! We stood side-by-side and seized victory just like we always have!"

He shook his head. "You don't understand, Lyn… You're not the tactician whose failure cost her her life."

"Robin, you need to forgive yourself!" She drew closer. "How can you be happy if you don't?"

"I don't deserve to be happy…"

"Robin, I swear to Elimine—"

"Why do you care so much about me anyway, Lyn?" He glared at her with glistening eyes.

"... What?" Lyn's jaw dropped. That was the absolute last thing she expected to hear from him. "After all this time, everything we've been through… How could you even ask me something like that?"

"Back in Elibe, I was dead weight. I couldn't even lift a sword to protect myself! You told me that my tactical skills helped you and the others, but how do I know you're not just saying that to make me feel better about myself? Even now... even though I can finally fight, I'm still not strong enough to protect the people I care about."

"I… I'm weak," he muttered. "I'm nothing. So why would—"

"Because I love you, okay?!"

Lyn shook where she stood, hot tears blurring her vision. After all this time spent keeping her feelings inside, watching Robin tear himself apart and nearly losing him on several occasions, she had finally reached her breaking point. She hated crying in front of him, but she hated seeing him like this even more.

Robin's throat grew even more dry. He could feel his chest tighten as his heart thumped.

Did… Did she really just…?

"I… I love you, Robin." Her voice broke. "I always have…"

"... You do?"

"Was there ever any doubt?" Lyn smiled sadly. "Did you ever really think I didn't?"

"I just... didn't want to get my hopes up," Robin admitted. He felt the heat rising in his cheeks. "From the moment we met in that arena, I was entranced by your skill with a blade and your beauty. I thought it was just infatuation at the time, but then I got to know the real you. You're strong, but compassionate. Stubborn... but well-meaning."

"Robin…"

"Lyn." He gazed into her eyes. "... I love you too."

She blinked back a few tears. "... Really?"

"... Really really." He smiled.

Everything happened all at once. Lyn practically flung herself so that she was as close to him as humanly possible. As they held each other, they wept tears of joy and relief. They'd both survived in spite of everything… and now they finally had each other.

After a few moments of holding each other in silence, they pulled back a bit to look into each other's eyes. When Lyn leaned forward, her eyes fluttering shut, Robin met her halfway. She sighed in contentment and melted into the kiss as she gently draped her arms around his neck. Robin's arms snaked around her waist as he held her close.

Finally…

Lyn pulled back from the kiss after what felt like ages. She felt as if she was on fire—her body, her mind, her heart and soul. In her deepest heart of hearts, she knew that the blazing love inside of her burned for Robin and Robin alone... and now she was certain he felt the same way.

"Lyn," Robin rasped, face flushed and out of breath. "I… That was…"

"I'm sorry…" Her cheeks were similarly red as she looked away from him. "I've... never done anything like this before…"

"It's okay… I've never kissed anyone either," he admitted. With a cheeky grin, he added, "At least as far as I remember, anyway."

Lyn smacked his arm with a smile, getting a small laugh in response. "Very funny…"

She pressed her face to his chest and sighed, tenderly wrapping her arms around him again. "I'm sorry I yelled at you, Robin. I shouldn't have lost my temper, but I just worry about you so much. I know it's a habit I have to shake, but…"

"You don't have to apologize, Lyn. You were right." He stroked her back. "If anything, I'm the one who should apologize. I was so caught up in my own grief that I didn't care if I lived or died. I had no idea how much my death would hurt the others… or you. I was selfish and ignorant."

"Don't say that," she whispered. "You were just hurting…"

"It's true though. I was far too reckless out there... Can you find it in your heart to forgive me?"

She nuzzled her lips against his neck. "Only if you can forgive me."

"Heh. We'll call it a draw then…"

They kissed each other again and again, each one longer than the last. Lyn's hands buried themselves into his soft white hair, and Robin cupped her face with one hand. The other hand rested on her waist.

"Hey Robin, how are you holding—Aaah!"

They broke apart, still clutching each other. Lissa stood in the entranceway with bright red cheeks and eyes the size of dinner plates. Lyn's legs were on either side of Robin's hips, and the two stared at Lissa with equally mortified expressions.

"I… Um…" Robin cleared his throat and hastily withdrew his hands. "L-Lyn here was just, uh… examining my eyes! R-right, Lyn?"

Lyn sat up with a sigh, bowing her head in shame. "No. We were kissing. And it was nice."

Lissa giggled even as her blush persisted. "Well, it's about time! I know the gang's gonna be ecstatic when they hear about this!"

"Lissa, please." Robin's voice was devoid of joy. "Please don't tell anyone about what you just saw..."

"Whaaaat? I was just kidding! How much of a blabber mouth do you think I am?"

"Lissa."

"Okay, okay, geez! I won't say a peep, I promise." She winked. "Your dirty little secret's safe with me!"

"There's nothing dirty about it!" Lyn yelled, her cheeks aglow. "I… I mean…"

"Sure, sure." Lissa beamed. "I'm happy for you guys though!"

"Thanks, Lissa." Robin smiled as he and Lyn held each other. "That really means a lot."

"Does this mean I get to babysit your kids?"

"Get out!"

Lissa giggled as she ducked, dodging the pillow Lyn had thrown at her. Lyn glared after her as she left, but she sighed as she relaxed in Robin's arms soon afterwards. Robin kissed her forehead with a smile, and the two sat in joyful silence once more.

It would be the first of many times.

---

With his few high-ranking members either dead or missing, Gangrel's death signalled the end of both the battle and the war. News of his death spread across the battlefield, prompting his remaining soldiers to surrender. As they fled, the Khans saw to their numerous dead soldiers and vowed to throw a warrior's feast in commemoration of their sacrifice. Chrom and Sumia were given medical attention as soon as they reunited with their allies. Afterwards, they and a recently patched-up Vaike were some of many that came to check up on Robin. He was relieved to see them alive and well, and most of the Shepherds were overjoyed at Gaius and Anna's return.

The mysterious figures who'd helped them, however, were long gone.

Hours after the Ylissean-Ferox army had departed, a dark vortex formed near the shores where Gangrel had fallen. Two shadowy figures emerged from it; one of them wore a hooded mask with a black beak. They found themselves standing in front of a bloodied mangled figure on the rocks. The former Mad King of Plegia's eyes were closed, but he had a content smile on his face as the waves kissed him. Beside him, the Grimleal blade he'd stolen laid in several pieces; the hilt containing the Darksphere was the only part fully intact.

"Is… Is he...?"

"Yes," Aversa told her subordinate. She strode past Gangrel's corpse and knelt down to examine the broken sword. "You were never meant for his grotesque hands… but the scales have tipped in our favor all the same."

She caressed the hilt in her hands with a smile. The Darksphere almost seemed to smile back. "You have done well, Gharnef."

"Lady Aversa… What shall we do now?"

"We return to the capital and inform everyone of Gangrel's death." Aversa stood tall. "With him truly dead and gone, there shall be none to oppose our rule in Plegia. I shall continue to occupy the throne until Father returns… Hopefully you and the others can fix this blasted blade by then."

"Understood." He nodded. "And what of the shapeshifter?"

"We can send Tanya to spy on the Ylisseans later. For now, she stays in her cell."

"Very good," the dark mage said, nodding again. "And… the body?"

"Hmm…" Aversa turned to look at Gangrel's lifeless corpse. She thought for a moment, contemplating, before flashing a smirk. "Well, as much as I'd like to pull up a chair and watch the crabs feast on his remains, there's no sense in letting a potential asset go to waste."

"Milady?"

"Have our men take him to our base on Carrion Isle," she ordered. The corners of her mouth curled up again as her gaze lingered on him. "Who knows… He may prove more useful to us in death than in life…"

---

After the Khans saw to their dead, everyone packed up and traveled back into Feroxi territory. Once they reached the Feroxi capital, the Shepherds bid farewell to their northern allies and returned to Ylisstol. Emmeryn's body had survived the trip from Castle Ferox thanks to Tharja's hex. Once preparations were finalized, black-clad citizens from all over Ylisse visited the capital to pay their respects.

The funeral service was a modest one, just as Emmeryn would have wanted. She was buried at the base of a tree in the castle courtyard between her parents' gravestones, though neither of their bodies had ever been found. The remains of some of Cordelia's fellow pegasus knights had been recovered from the Ylissean-Feroxi border where they were ambushed long ago, but Phila's corpse was not among them.

As the service concluded, many of the grieving Ylisseans left the area. Chrom held Lissa close and rubbed her shoulder as she quietly cried. Robin, Frederick, Vaike and Maribelle stood behind them with somber faces. Even Miriel had to remove her glasses to wipe away a tear or two as she walked away from the scene.

"I feel so bad," Olivia mused from a respectful distance. "I don't think I ever got to meet her, but I've only ever heard good things about Emmeryn…"

"I wish we could've done more for her," Lyn admitted beside her, shutting her eyes. "…You know, I've always hated funerals. I understand why they're important, but… it's always sad having to bury a loved one. I'll never forget the time I had to bury my grandfather."

"Lyn…"

"I'm fine," she said, though she didn't meet her eye. "I know he'd want me to look forward in life, and I think that's what Emmeryn would've wanted for her siblings too. I'll be there for them both every step of the way."

"... You're a good friend, Lyn."

Soon both women took their leave as well. It wasn't long before the only two left in the courtyard were Robin and Frederick. They stared at Emmeryn's tombstone. Frederick held a bouquet of flowers in either hand; sunflowers in one and white roses in another.

"Frederick…"

"It's not your fault, Robin."

"But—"

"No. I'm not discussing this any further." Frederick winced at the tone of his own voice. "... My apologies."

"... I'm sorry too."

Robin walked away with slumped shoulders, his hands in his pockets. When Frederick was sure he was alone, he approached Emmeryn's grave with the bouquet of sunflowers in front of him. A framed portrait of her rested at the foot of the stone, surrounded by dozens of colorful flowers. As he knelt to leave his own, the tombstones of her mother and father seemed to glare at him.

"... I'm so sorry." His voice broke as a tear fell from his eye. "I failed you. You trusted me… and I failed you."

Behind a nearby tree, Robin felt a familiar pang in his heart as he watched him. He was certain he'd heard those words somewhere else before...

---

"... I'm sorry, my liege," Kent apologized, bowing at Hausen's tombstone. "I have failed you. You trusted me with your life… and I failed you."

---

Robin parted his lips as the realization crossed his mind.

Marquess Hausen… Lyn's grandfather…

A fresh tear escaped as the weight of Hausen's death rushed back to him. So this was what Lyn was referring to when she mentioned her grandfather's death so long ago! He'd been there. He'd been right at Hausen's bedside when he died… and Lyn was there too.

Robin walked away from the courtyard, dejected. To think that Lyn, Chrom and Lissa had all lost their family… Had he too? Did he just not remember?

When Frederick was truly alone, he approached the opposite side of the tree. More flowers were left there to pay tribute to the fallen pegasus knights. He placed the bouquet of white roses among them—Phila's favorite. Even if she couldn't be buried, she'd be remembered and mourned all the same.

He left shortly afterwards, but not before reaching into his pocket and leaving one final gift at their resting place.

The silver band he intended to give Phila so long ago.

---

A week after Emmeryn's funeral, the High Council gathered and insisted upon throwing a royal ball in her honor and to celebrate the war's end. Chrom was initially reluctant and still refused to accept the title of Exalt out of respect for her, but as he considered the low mood of both his citizens and his companions, he eventually agreed on the ball under one condition: that anyone could attend regardless of station. It was what she would have wanted, after all.

Many members of the council were openly against it at first, but seeing as how Chrom had risked his life on numerous occasions to bring about peace when none of them had, they relented. And so the ball was held a week later to commemorate Emmeryn's life and Gangrel's death.

At the party, commoners and nobility alike were enjoying themselves. Chrom's relaxed dress policy came as a shock to the nobles, but no one complained within earshot of him. Many of the Shepherds got in on the festivities as well: Ricken and Maribelle slow danced, Vaike and Lissa danced wildly to a much more upbeat tune, Gaius and Anna shared drinks with Kellam and Sully, and Gregor impressed his companions with what could only be described as an energetic squat dance.

"Ohohohoho! Hey!" He kicked his right leg forward, and then his left. "Come, sing with Gregor!"

Basilio chuckled at his old friend's antics before looking to his left at Chrom. "How come you're not cuttin' a rug with anyone, boy?"

"I'm… far from the best dancer, really," Chrom admitted, chuckling. "Truthfully I'm not even sure anyone would be interested in dancing with me…"

"You're joking, right? Not one person would wanna dance with a prince and war hero? That's ridiculous!" Basilio laughed more noisily. "You know, when I was your age… Hoo boy! You couldn't keep the ladies off me if you paid 'em!"

"Which is why you're still single after all this time," Flavia snarked, walking up to them. "Right, oaf?"

"Khans who live in glass castles shouldn't throw stones, Flavia! I'm surprised you haven't learned that in all your many, many, many years of life."

"And yet, for all my many, many, many years of life, I still have a full head of hair!"

While the two went back and forth, Chrom surveyed the dance floor. He'd never been much for parties or dancing, but seeing the common citizenry enjoy themselves alongside his friends and the Ylissean nobility put a smile on his face.

"Um… Chrom?"

He glanced over at his right and nearly did a double-take. Sumia had foregone her normal outfit in favor of a form-fitting lavender dress. Her hairstyle was the same down to the wing clips atop her head, and she had just the faintest bit of makeup on her face.

"Uh… Hi," Chrom uttered. He shook himself back to reality. "Er, I mean… Sumia! What brings you here?"

"You invited me, remember?" She gave him a funny look. "You invited all of us, actually…"

"... Right." He smiled an awkward smile. "You look… different. A good different! Not that you look bad normally, of course…"

Sumia couldn't help but giggle. "I'll take that as a compliment. Honestly, though, you should really thank Cordy for this. I'm such a fashion disaster without her…"

She shook her head. "But enough about me. How come you're not dancing right now? Isn't that the whole point of these balls?"

"I'll admit, the music is rather catchy," Chrom said, smiling. "I just don't think I should embarrass myself any more than I already have…"

"Oh! Well, um… You can dance if you want to!" Sumia reassured him. "Just don't leave your friends behind. I think Cordy mentioned something about wanting to dance with you… And I'd like a dance too afterwards, if that's alright with you."

"Oh, er… Okay! I certainly don't mind," he blurted. Chrom rubbed the back of his head with a frown. "I'm a little concerned about Cordelia though. I feel like she's been avoiding me lately. Like I've done something wrong…"

"Oh, Chrom, you could never! Not the point where she'd avoid you, in any case…"

"Heh… If you say so."

They chatted for a little while longer before Sumia suddenly excused herself to grab a drink. Chrom made the rounds, talking to some of his friends and subjects, before bumping into Cordelia. She wore a modest red dress that fit her to a tee.

"Hello, Cordelia," Chrom greeted with an innocent smile. "Are you enjoying yourself?"

"Ah!" She startled upon seeing him. "Y-yes, I am!"

"Good, good. I was just wondering if you'd like to dance with me. I'm… still not very good, but—"

"N-n-no!" Cordelia blurted, her cheeks matching her hair and dress. When she saw his brow furrow in confusion, she frantically began to wave her hands. "I… I mean… I just had some really bad shrimp not too long ago, th-that's all!"

"... Oh." Chrom blinked in surprise. "Very well then. I suppose I'll get my chance another day… Still, I hope you feel better soon, Cordelia. After all you've done for us, you've more than earned the chance to unwind."

"R-right… Thank you, Chrom."

Cordelia watched him leave. She smiled as a slightly-tipsy Vaike pulled him into a hug with a massive arm, the other around Robin's shoulders. It did her heart good to see that all three of them had survived their final battle, something Robin expressed profound gratitude towards her for since they'd left the sands of Plegia behind.

The atmosphere in the ballroom shifted dramatically as the musicians played a slower ballad on their string instruments. While most of her allies made themselves scarce, a few of them took to the dance floor: Virion and Olivia (much to the latter's nervousness), Robin and Lyn… and Chrom and Sumia.

Cordelia's heart sank as she watched them glide floor. Seeing the tender smiles on their faces bothered her in particular, loathe as she was to feel that way. These were her friends! Why should she be so upset at their happiness? They'd more than earned it...

"Are you alright, Cordelia?"

She jumped. Frederick was standing nearby with his arms folded behind him. In a downright bizarre sight, he wasn't wearing his usual armor. Instead he wore a cream-colored suit befitting a nobleman.

"Frederick!" Cordelia exclaimed with a gasp. "You look… normal. Er, not normal! For you, that is."

He nodded, grimacing a little. "Yes, I know. Milord insisted I dress a little more casually despite the potential danger. Still…"

He couldn't help but smile at the dance floor. "It would seem that everyone here is in high spirits, even the commonfolk. Perhaps he made the right decision after all."

"Heh… Indeed. Sorry for freaking out at you... The suit's quite a nice look, actually."

"It's quite alright, milady. You look quite stunning yourself."

"G-goodness!" The blood rushed to her face. "When did you get such a silver tongue?"

"I fear I've no idea what you're referring to… Perhaps it's the festivities getting to me."

Cordelia chuckled a little, but soon she stared at the dance floor with a pensive, yearning expression. Frederick stopped smiling when he noticed the distinct lack of joy on her face. She seemed oddly fixated on Chrom and Sumia in particular…

"... Frederick," Cordelia said all of a sudden. She stared at him with bright ruby eyes. "This may seem a bit odd of me, but… Would you like to dance?"

"Milady?"

Cordelia held her hand out to him with a small smile. Unlike with Chrom earlier, she felt no rush of anxiety or embarrassment with Frederick. As he graciously took her hand and led her to the dance floor, she felt oddly at ease.

It helped that he turned out to be quite the dance partner.

As they waltzed, Robin and Lyn dance in perfect sync on the center of the floor. They held each other close, gazing longingly into each other's eyes. Unlike the dance they shared in Plegia, they could enjoy this moment to the fullest. With the war officially over, now nothing could stop them from spending time with each other…

Robin's hands rested on her waist, and Lyn's arms fell around his neck as they turned and swayed to the music in each other's loving embrace. Soon Robin grew bold and leaned for a kiss; one Lyn was all too happy to give him.

At last the song ended, and the couples split as a livelier piece began to play. Lyn kissed Robin on the cheek before stepping out for some fresh air. Chrom smiled as he approached him.

"Well, it's about time."

Robin laughed a little bit, blushing. "I'll say…"

"How are your injuries?"

"Much better now. There's still a bit of soreness here and there, but… I'm just happy to be alive, Chrom."

"So am I," Chrom said with a grin. His face grew serious soon afterwards. "Robin… Can I speak with you for just a moment? Something has me concerned."

"Sure thing." He nodded. "Lead the way."

The pair left the ballroom. They walked until they reached the tree in the courtyard where Emmeryn had been buried. The orange glow of the sunset enveloped the land.

"What's on your mind, Chrom?"

"Before Gangrel died… He said some things to me," he admitted. "He said that the Crusade my father started had gone on for much longer than I thought."

"... How much longer?"

"He said they killed his parents, Robin. This whole time I thought that my father only did those horrible things after my mother died. That didn't justify it at all, but…"

Chrom sighed. "Robin. I get the distinct feeling that someone in the council lied to me. Lied to Emmeryn, even."

Robin nodded slowly, his face falling as he took in the implications of his words. "... I see."

"Worse still… I'm afraid this war may not be the last we fight."

"Huh?"

"Gangrel said there's a man across the sea who's stronger than us all," Chrom said, frowning. He clenched his fist. "Should he threaten us one day, or even others… We have to be ready. We can't rely on the Khans' strength forever. We should never attack the innocent… but we have to be prepared to defend them."

Robin's eyes widened. "So what you're saying is…"

"Yes." Chrom nodded with a firm expression. "We need to assemble an army."

"I agree."

"You do?!"

"I trust you, Chrom." Robin smiled earnestly. "I know you would never do what your father did even with that much manpower at your disposal. As long as you stand by your principles… I'll stand by you. Now and always."

"Robin… Thank you." Chrom sighed in relief. "I thought you'd call me some sort of warmonger!"

He laughed and shook his head. "That's not you, Chrom…That's not you."

"I'm not going to jump into this right away, of course. My first order of business is to heal the damages caused by Gangrel's reign. Once Ylisse is more stable… Then we can start our plans in earnest. I know this is no small undertaking, but I think we'll succeed in due time. And we'll bring those in the Council who deceived us to justice while we're at it."

"I know we will," Robin said, grabbing his hand and giving it a firm squeeze. Chrom squeezed back in return. "I know we will."

"Indeed." He grinned. "Ah, but enough talk of war and work! We should take the time to relax while we still can."

Robin grinned back as Chrom wrapped an arm around his shoulder. "Heh. Well said… Commander."

"Not this again…"

---

It was almost midnight when Robin and Lyn finally bid their friends goodnight. Elated by the festivities, the two continued to engage in lively chatter as Lyn escorted Robin back to his room on the second floor of the castle.

"Well, here we are," Robin said as they neared the oaken door.

"Here we are," Lyn repeated with a small laugh. She grabbed his hands and held them, green eyes aglow with glee. "I had such a fun time tonight, Robin… I wish every day could be like this."

He smiled back at her. "Me too, Lyn. I think I'm at my happiest when I'm with you…"

"Robin…"

Even though it'd been at least a month since they confessed their feelings, Robin couldn't help but blush whenever they were alone like this. It felt like his entire head would burst into flame any moment. He truly hoped she wouldn't take his words the wrong way, but…

"Um… Lyn…"

"Yes?"

Robin moved off to the side, not meeting her eye. "You don't… happen to have a room here in the castle, do you?"

"No." She shook her head. It was then that Lyn's mind traveled elsewhere; the implication made her face flush as well. "Oh. Oh! You mean—"

"Forgive me. I didn't mean anything untoward. I'm sure there's more than a few guest rooms Chrom can—"

"No!" Lyn repeated more forcefully this time. She rubbed her arm. "Er… I mean…"

Focus, Lyn. Get it together…

"I trust you, Robin," she said at last, standing up straight. "I know you're a gentleman… and I want to be near you too."

Robin stopped wincing. "... Really?"

"Of course!" Lyn grabbed his hand, smiling. "I've always kinda wondered what your room looked like anyway."

"Well, alright then…"

When Robin entered the room, he lit what few candles he had with the snap of his fingers; a parlor trick Miriel had taught him long ago. Meanwhile, Lyn's eyes lit up when she followed him in. It might've been called modest by royal standards, but to someone who hadn't much gold to her name, the place looked inviting and then some. There was a wooden desk near the door, a large mirror set atop a dresser, and a giant bed with the softest-looking sheets she'd seen in quite some time. Light blue curtains hung in front of the windows; moonlight shone through.

It wasn't anything like the gers she grew up in, but there was beauty to it all the same.

"Make yourself at home," Robin said with a smile. He hung his cloak on a chair near his desk and sat on his bed. "It's… a bit much for me, isn't it?"

Lyn giggled. "Not at all. It's comfy!"

Robin laughed, but he soon found himself out of words to say. Lyn had placed her gloves on his desk and left her boots by his chair. Robin felt his heart beat faster when she sat down next to him.

When he glanced at her and saw a smiling face, he relaxed and smiled back at her.

This time it was Lyn who initiated the kiss. She buried her hands in his hair as she savored the surprisingly soft texture of his lips. Robin laid backwards, his head hitting the pillow. He cupped her face with his hand as he deepened the kiss.

The two stayed that way for quite some time before they parted. Lyn propped herself above him with either of her hands. Robin's cheeks were just as flushed as her, but as he stared into her eyes, he saw an emotion within her that he'd never seen before.

"Robin…" Her voice was breathy. Needy. "I… I've never felt this way about anyone before..."

"Me neither…" He cupped her face, brushing her cheek with his thumb. "I love you, Lyn. You live in my heart."

A tear escaped her eye as she smiled. "And you live in mine…"

Lyn reached up and pulled off the hairband that kept her ponytail in place. Long viridian hair now flowed down her back completely unrestrained. Illuminated by the candles and the moonlight, Robin thought she could rival a goddess.

As they kissed and held each other all night long, one thing was certain between them. No matter what strife or how many wars they faced, nothing could ever break the bond they shared.

Not even death.

---

As the Ylisseans celebrated the peace they fought tooth and nail for, they remained blissfully unaware of their neighbors across the sea. The continent of Valm sat west of Plegia. Once known as the One Kingdom of Valentia, the continent had long since split apart into several countries. The snowy northwestern territory of New Rigel, once simply named after Valm itself, housed a magnificent castle. It had stood for at least two-thousand years and was now under the thumb of another ambitious emperor.

Imposing crimson armor encased a massive body as he drummed his fingers on one of his throne's arms. Lengthy white hair cascaded from his head like a river of death. Most intimidating of all were his eyes, pupiless and devoid of warmth.

It wasn't long before one of his generals burst into the room, clad in dark armor and clearly out of breath.

"Y-Your Excellency! Sir!"

"Speak, Farber. Quickly."

"Negotiations with Chon'sin were… less than successful." Farber placed his hands behind his back and made eye contact with him. "Of the thousand men sent there, only about half returned... and most of them injured at that."

The emperor closed his eyes and released a deep sigh. He startled Farber when he rose from his seat, grabbing the massive red axe resting at its side.

"Fine."

He slung it over his shoulder effortlessly.

"I'll do it myself."

---

The End.

... of Arc 1. C'mon, you guys think I'd really end it here? No!

But seriously... almost two whole years have passed since I started writing this story. It's kind of insane really... but I'd just like to thank all of you for making it this far and everyone who ever gave my story the time of day. I never expected to get anywhere near as much support as I did, and... Well, it moves me to tears that people cared that much and maybe still do. So thanks for that. ^^

Incidentally, some of you might know that I really wanted to finish this chapter by 10/20. The reasoning behind this is that it's my birthday and I wanted to give instead of get for a change. If this made so much as one person smile, that's more than enough for me. :)

Big thanks to Branded_King once more! He's the best.

I really didn't expect this chapter to be as long as it is, but I felt that splitting it in two wouldn't be a great idea and that having the ball scene before the funeral would've been weird. I also thought that ending with the funeral would've been too sour of a note to end on, so... Yeah! That said, I'm always open to honest feedback; let me know what you liked, didn't like or just thought could be improved! Knowing my flaws is a great way to correct them in the future. It probably goes without saying, but given how the past four chapters have been really long, future chapters should be much shorter, so... Yay!

And before we go, time to reply to guest feedback!

Chicosai: Yes, indeed! I do love me some references, as you've probably guessed by now. ^^;

Guest: Indeed! I love Earthbound and the Mother trilogy on the whole; Giygas is probably one of my favorite villains based on design and concept alone. To say nothing of his dialogue... Spooky stuff!

Toyosatomimi: That's a very interesting question! I will say that Morgan and Sue won't be sisters here; that said, there's still the very real possibility that they would develop a sisterly bond if they met in the far future. I'm not saying that'll happen here, but I like the idea all the same! As for your second point about Morgan having a sibling... Well, we'll see! ;)

Big thanks to everyone who read and everyone who reviewed! You guys are great. Chapter 21 should be much shorter and less complex than this one, but I can't say when it'll be out for sure. I can say that I've already started writing it, 22 and 23 though, so yay again!

As always, I hope all of you are staying healthy and safe out there. Be sure to check out Branded_King and the other writers I have listed on my profile too if you can! They're wonderful. ^^ Ciao~!

- Angel/Hopeless