"Are you sure you have everything? Everyone?" Robin asked, walking beside me as I made my way over to the street we'd be traveling down to make it to the Barracks.
I looked over to him, smirking. "Everything we need, Robin. Quit fussing."
"You're heading into what could possibly be the most obvious trap in existence," Robin pointed out, frowning. "I'd rather you head in with everything you don't need as well, but that would require a pack and I don't think we can spare anymore of those."
"Robin, look." I stopped, placing a hand on his shoulder. "We'll be fine. We'll be back before we storm the castle, at the very least. What's the worst that could happen?"
"You could all be tortured and murdered, leaving us without a capable Knight-Captain and Flight-Commander, as well as cutting Rosanne's head off and sending the remnants of an entire race to extinction," Robin mumbled.
I shook my head. "Details, details. We'll be fine, Robin. We're made of sterner stuff than that. Just like you said, eh?"
"Gods, why must you use my own words against me?" Robin groused, running a hand down his face. "Alright. Go, then. And I order every single one of you to return. We'll need every able body when we assault the castle and put an end to this."
"Well, yeah, that's the plan." I held my arms out as I walked backward away from Robin. "And then we'll have an awesome party. You know, after this whole Fell bullshit blows over and Ylisse begins rebuilding. Can't wait for that. Hope you'll be there too."
Robin's lips thinned and said nothing. I ignored that and waved.
The group gathered just at the entrance to one of the many barricades we'd set up. Bits of carts, broken stones, and other parts comprised it, giving it a haphazard appearance. Still, it would be good enough. It had to be good enough. A small staging area did wonders for our plan to assault the castle, but only if it was secure. Luckily for us, even with their master leading them, the Risen were as stupid as they came.
Me, Cordelia, Virion, Cherche, Panne, Lucina, Inigo, and Owain stood at the precipice into uncharted territory. We knew the way, of course, to the Barracks, but we had no idea what we would find on the way there. That roar from earlier, so far on the wind, echoed in my ears. I shook it off as I kept my iron hand on Sol's pommel.
"The road will not grow easier as we wait here, manspawn," Panne grumbled, stepping forward. "If you all simply stand here, I have no compunctions going forward without you."
"Worry not, Panne," Virion declared, "You shall not have to! Not with the Archest of Archers around. We shall break through whatever the Risen and Fell Dragon have erected. Let it be known that my arrows fractured their lines as we pushed through the gates!"
"I hardly think this is the time for grandiose speeches, my love," Cherche lightly chided, unhooking her axe. "I doubt the Risen will be impressed. Minerva certainly isn't."
"I will follow you all," Lucina said quietly, "I will not let another friend be taken. I refuse."
"Gods, I cannot believe I am doing this," Inigo whispered, "But it is too late to retreat now, I suppose. Lead on!"
"Fear not, my friends!" Owain exclaimed, "With the sword hand on our side, there is no possible way we can lose!"
Cordelia looked at me. "Despite their oddness, I do feel safer with all of our friends on our side."
I nodded, smirking. "Why do you think I let 'em all come along? Nothing'll be able to stand in our way. Not while they're here. Oh, and Cordy," I took a deep breath, "Before we go, are the Pegasus Knights, all good to go? Just in case?"
"They have their orders," Cordelia replied, patting Aurora's mane. "Should the need arise, they will help. With Cherche and I protecting you all in the skies, however, I doubt we will need them. We must maintain a low profile, however. We do not want to draw the Fell Dragon's ire or the ire of any of his Deadlords."
I shivered as I remembered Verrat's screams. Screams of pain.
"Is everyone ready?" I called out, receiving a cry of affirmation from everyone in return. "Good. We have at most an hour before we charge Castle Ylisse. We need to get to the Barracks, get the kids, and get out before then. Stop for nothing and no one. Move out!"
We charged out into the street. Cordelia and Cherche were in the air, wyvern and pegasus working in tandem to help maintain clear skies. It wasn't long before we encountered resistance; the city was still crawling with Risen, even if we'd likely taken out the largest horde. I tried to not look at them as we cut them down. How many of them were former citizens of Ylisstol? People who worked from day to day, doing their jobs before Grima came through with his army and destroyed them? Remade them? I saw the clothes they wore as Sol tore through their purple flesh, saw the makeshift weapons they carried that practically fell apart upon contact with my armor. It was sad. Maddening, even, to see the senseless death through those blood-soaked streets.
Still, we had to move forward. For the sake of our loved ones. True to his words, Virion's arrows struck many Risen before they'd even reached us. Astra did wonders for him, it seemed. Panne had transformed, and her monstrous rabbit form tore through the undead monsters with an ease I'd grown used to. Lucina carved through them with precision and grace that showed how familiar she was with fighting the purple-skinned freaks. Only Owain and Inigo, swords drawn and fighting alongside her, could hope to match that style. As for me, I did what I always did: slashing and hacking through the Risen with all the strength in my body. It wasn't pretty, my fighting style, but it'd worked for me ever since the Plegian War, and I doubted I'd ever grow out of it.
On our way through, we passed by broken buildings and sundered street corners. I wondered how long it'd take to repair the damage to the city. Of course, I didn't wonder that for long what with all the undead between us and the Barracks, but it was a thought nonetheless. An idle one. A hopeful one. One of the few I still had as I cut my way through dozens of turned citizens. A well-placed stroke here, a disarming blow and slash upwards there, all of it methodical. Brutal. My mind was a blank, settling into that near-serene state of combat. I'd felt it before. I only hoped that it would be one of the last times I did. I hated it. It was proof that I'd grown used to killing. Even if the men before me were no longer alive, I was not disturbed whatsoever anymore.
A Risen pegasus knight slammed directly in front of me. Cherche swooped in overhead, her axe cleaving a path through the air as if the undead pegasi were nothing but obstacles. Cordelia wasn't far behind, her lance striking straight through an undead wyvern's flank, setting it on a path straight to the ground. Watching them was like staring at two dancers mesmerizing a crowd. Mesmerizing me. It was beautiful. That was one thought I could hold onto, at least, through the hazy white noise that had become my mind.
I found an opening in a charging axe wielding Risen, stabbing it directly in the chest before roughly yanking Sol out and slashing across the neck. Not a decapitation, but good enough to put an end to another accursed monstrosity. Grima's forces were almost pitiful. It was like wading my way through a rat nest, callously stepping on vermin with each step.
We made it as far as the Shepherds' Barracks, then. They were within our sights. The Barracks were never very pretty to look at; it was a converted warehouse; it wasn't meant to be pretty. But even then, through my foggy mind, I could see it as it was. It may not have been beautiful, but it still deserved better than what Grima had given it. The structure had been assaulted, it seemed, on all sides. Walls were broken in, exposing the interior in several places. Risen must have climbed onto each other to get to the higher areas. Or perhaps those were hammer blows from the inside, caused by some great battle. Maybe with the other Shepherds, wherever they were. Nonetheless, we made our way there. Our children were waiting for us.
At least, that's what I thought. We never made it to the Barracks. We never had to.
A person stood out in front of me, running from a street corner and directly into my line of sight. My weapon was ready the instant I saw them, but my breath left me the exact instant I saw rustled red hair. She no longer had twintails, leaving her long hair to gently glide along the breeze, or as much of it could with it tangled like it was. When she saw me, she gasped, holding out a rusty old sword, prepared to defend herself. I stopped myself, clarity returning to my mind as the others stopped around me.
"Severa!?" I called, my jaw nearly dropping to the floor. Cherche and Cordelia stopped in their tracks, landing on the roofs of the buildings around us.
"D-Dad!?" Severa gasped, trying to catch her breath. Her breath was raspy, with bruises around her throat, and she looked rather dirty, but beyond that, she seemed mostly fine.
I didn't wait for anything else. Moving forward, I enveloped her in a crushing hug. I tried my best not to poke her with my armor, thanking whatever gods were listening that she was safe. I didn't know how she got out, nor did I care. In that moment, I had her in my arms, and I'd never let anything hurt her. I'd protect her, just as I'd protect her younger self back in Valm. No matter the cost.
She tried her best to push me off. Her whole body was shaking. "S-Stop!" She stammered, looking down the alleyway. Following her gaze, I saw Yarne and Gerome laying on the ground. One of them, Yarne, looked to be passed out, while Gerome seemed to be on the verge of doing so himself. I cringed, looking to the other's wordlessly. They instantly sprung into action, gathering them up.
"Stop?" I said incredulously, nonetheless allowing her to detangle herself from me. That didn't last long, though; she used me to prop herself up. Her blue eyes stared up at me, filled with unshed tears.
"You need to get out of here," She croaked, nearly falling over. She coughed, rubbing her throat before looking up at me again, "Please, you need to go! Leave! Gawddamnit, go!"
"What the hell are you talking about!?" I demanded, watching as Cordelia descended beside us. "Severa, look, it's okay! We came here for you; we came to get you outta here!"
"Don't you think I know that!? Gawd, stop being so daft for a second!" She snarled before entering another coughing fit. The others were on their way out with Yarne and Gerome in tow as Cordelia dismounted and walked up beside me, "He knew you'd come here! Forget Yarne and Gerome, they were just collateral damage. He wants you! He wants you and mom and he knew you'd come for me! You need to get out of here right now, damnit, before he-!"
An arrow sailed right in front of my face and Severa's face, screaming through the air until it slammed into the wall nearby. Instead of splintering upon contact, it stuck into the hard stone. I whipped my gaze to where it had come from, feeling a deep frown forming on my face.
Verrat.
There he stood, clad in pristine black armor, a far cry from what he'd looked like before. His head was completely covered by his helmet again, with two fiercely red eyes glaring directly at me from beneath the visor. He held a bow, but quickly discarded it once he caught my attention. I sneered as he took a single step closer.
"It is time, Alexander," Verrat stated, his voice like sandpaper to my ears. "Our long-awaited, true meeting has come at last."
Cordelia leveled her lance at Verrat. "You will not take one step closer," She growled.
"My quarrel is not with you, nor my daughter. Or any of you. It is with him," Verrat replied simply. "All of you are unnecessary. Leave while you can."
"Like hell they will," I replied, Sol glistening in the little light available. "There's no way you can win against all of us. I saw you get demolished trying to fight Chrom and his family."
"Indeed, and only one of them stands before me now," Verrat pointed out, drawing Requiem from his back. "Even if you all were to destroy me, there is an entire army of Risen coming this way. The ones you fought on your way here were nothing but the lowest dregs of our army. The true, elite horde will rend the flesh from your bones, along with those you came to save. But should you flee now, you will be spared. A small vanguard will no doubt catch up to you, but the bulk of the legion will slam into your army and be vanquished."
I looked down at Severa who refused to look forward. If anything, she looked like she was trying to hide behind me. The man – no, the monster – in front of me had such an effect on her, and I felt raw, ferocious rage seep into my blood. I resisted it; anger could be a boon when controlled, but if it ran out of control, well, the aftermath stood before me.
Turning to Cordelia, I lightly grabbed Severa and gently pushed her into her arms. "Take her," I said, "and get the hell out of here. All of you. It's me he wants."
"Alex, what in Naga's name do you think you're suggesting!?" Cordelia hissed, "I will not leave you! Not to this… this thing!"
"You aren't," I said quietly. "As soon as you get Sev the help she needs, fly like hell back here. I'll distract him for as long as I can, and when you get back, we'll destroy him together."
Cordelia looked from me to the stoic Deadlord across the street, and to our daughter who shivered and hid her face in her chest. Cordelia gave me a light glare and said: "You will live, you hear me? I will be back."
I nodded, smirking. "I'm counting on it, Cordy." I pat her shoulder. "Don't rush for my sake. I'm tougher than I look."
Cordelia's lips thinned as she held Severa and mounted. I received a few uncertain glances from the others as they retreated, and soon enough, I was left alone with Verrat. The sky was as black as ever and he was almost too dark to see, if not for the glowing red eyes staring at me. I took a deep breath, Sol still in hand.
"You weren't lying, were you?" I asked, almost conversationally.
"No," Verrat replied. "Everything I said was true. She will not make it back in time, you know. I will be done with you long before she arrives."
"Give me some credit," I chuckled back, although beneath it was a touch of nervousness and anxiousness that refused to go away. "I'm not the pudgy little kid I used to be. That you used to be. I should've known this would end with me killing myself."
"You have never changed, Alexander," Verrat refuted, as we began circling each other. "You are still that idiotic, useless child you used to be. You can hide it underneath armor and swords, but beneath it all, you will always be that pathetic, sniveling worm."
"Are you talking about me or yourself?" I bit back, readying Sol. "'Cause those're the words I'd use to describe you, fucker. Only a mongrel like you could leave Sev the way she is. Only a moron would refuse to raise her and instead run again and again into a war he knew he couldn't win. Do I still have some of that in me? Maybe. But I'm not you. I never will be."
"You are me!" Verrat shouted suddenly, hand suddenly shooting out and punching a wall, sending bits of it towards me. I dodged them as best as I could, although one of them banged me in the side. "You are me. We share a history. A world. A past! We stepped off the same bus! The difference is that you were granted the easier path. I had to come here through the filth! The decay! And the bloodshed! Were you to see what I have seen, you would have done no different!"
"Bullshit!" I snarled. "I don't care what crap you went through, that's no excuse! You left her to fend for herself! You failed her!"
"And yet she has been one of your strongest combatants, has she not? I made her strong. She survived the future because of me!"
I roared as I surged forward, swinging Sol with all of my might. It clashed with Requiem, sending a scattering of sparks across the ground. "Fuck you! Fuck you and everything you stand for! You failed her! You failed her, you bastard! Did you see her when she saw your face!? Did you pay attention!? Or were you too busy fighting for a worthless cause!?"
"You are a fool," Verrat replied coldly, pushing me back. "You act as if you would do differently. You walk as if my actions would never be yours. And yet here I stand, the result of a path you took in a different when. Had you seen what I have seen-"
"Stop saying that!" I demanded, clashing with him again. "Stop it! Just stop!"
"Ah, but you have seen it, haven't you?" Verrat claimed, blocking a blow from Sol as if it was nothing. "Do not deny what is clear to my eyes, as fogged as they are. You have seen her, haven't you? Stabbed from all sides, her lifeblood flowing onto the sandy ground. I checked, Alexander; her death was not quick. She had been bleeding out for minutes before I got to her. She died moments before I reached her. I may not have died that day, but my heart did. Before I saw that pale imitation, I had all but forgotten what the color of her eyes were."
"And you're using that as an excuse, huh!?" I asked viciously, trying my best to block Verrat's strikes. They came in hard and fast, hitting with enough force to nearly knock me off my feet. There was no way in hell I'd win against him, but all I had to do was delay for long enough. "You loved her, goddamnit! I know you did, because I do too! But that's not an excuse to be what you are! To become this broken man they keep telling me about! All that anger, all that rage, it may've been caused by her death, but that's all us! That's all me! You let it consume you. I'm done letting it consume me."
"The rage was a mere byproduct, Alexander," Verrat snarled, pushing me back farther and farther until I was up against a wall. "Do you truly believe that you and I are so different? We are not. We share a body, a mind. What will become of you once this war is over? What will you do if Grima is destroyed? Do you truly believe there will be peace? Look at our father, Alexander. Remember him and look me in the eye and tell me that peace will reign. There is no such thing as peace. It is a lie. A glorified, twisted lie. So long as people exist, there will be conflict. There will be war. There will be chaos. There will be orphans and blood and death and there will be no end in sight. The bloodshed will never end. The cycle will continue until the end of time. There is a benefit to Grima's rule, I suppose; if he wins, there will be no such chaos. Their world will be silent. Mercifully silent."
"You fought against him for years and you have the fucking gall to say that shit to me!? What was the point to it all, then!?" I roared, kicking Verrat in the stomach and causing him to inch backward, giving me enough room to slash him through his sword arm, spraying black blood across the road. "Hypocrite! Idiot! You've given up! There isn't any goddamn fight in you, is there? You let Grima do this to you, didn't you? You let him twist you until you turned into nothing but a dog, barking at the end of his chain! You've betrayed everything you stood for! All of it was for nothing, then. Severa's problems? Nah, fuck it, right? She'll survive. Or wait. No she won't. She'll die along with the rest of us because you weren't strong enough to face reality! To accept responsibility! You let them die and you don't have the balls to accept it!"
"Enough!" Verrat screamed, Requiem flashing through the air as it narrowly missed my side, nicking me. A small amount of blood dribbled through the wound and through my armor. "Fall!"
Verrat redoubled his onslaught until I was on the defensive again. There were no openings and every blow felt like a landslide against me. I was surprised my limbs hadn't snapped under the immense strength on display, but even then, I doubted it'd be much longer until they did. In the back of my mind, I prayed for Cordelia's return. Or anyone's return. I hoped they made it past the army approaching. By Naga, did I hope.
There was finally a small opening, right as Verrat's swing missed me. I swung forward with my right hand, catching him across the helmet and causing my ears to ring with the metallic 'clang!' that rang out. Verrat's head swerved to the side before turning back to me quickly. His own right hand aimed lower, hitting me directly in the stomach. I was flung like a sack of rotten potatoes through the air, bile forcing its way out of my mouth as I slammed into a wall. I coughed, holding my wounded belly as Verrat approached, his armor clanking with each step.
"You have grown strong, Alexander. But Grima is beyond strength, and he is a part of me," He said, his voice gravelly and quiet. A far cry from a moment prior. "His blood burns in my veins. There was never any hope for you. He would have taken you as well, had he the chance. He is a twisted being. But I will not allow it. No, you will die. Mercifully. You and I both know that there are worse things than death, after all."
I coughed, "Fuck you."
"An appropriate response," Verrat replied, with a distinct feel of amusement in his tone. "You are right to despise me. I despise myself. What you have said is the truth. There are no excuses for my actions. But they are my own, and they are also yours. Whether you have truly changed does not matter. You will die, but go in the knowledge that the others you sent on their way have survived. Cordelia will live. Severa will live. And perhaps it is a mercy that they will live on without you."
I saw her, then, riding on the wind, nearing us. She soared through the air, heading directly towards us. I smiled, keeping my eyes on Verrat as Cordelia silently approached.
Raspily, I said, "I know I've changed. I'm not you. And even if I was, I have something you never will."
"And what might that be, Alex- Hrkh!" Verrat was interrupted by a lancehead skewering him straight through the chest. He fell forward, stumbling as black blood flew from his faceplate. He turned around, slowly and shakily, towards Cordelia. Her face was marred by fury, her eyes glaring daggers as Verrat shuddered in his armor.
"Her," I stated simply, getting to my feet.
Verrat snarled, twisting his body around to swipe at Cordelia with his iron hand. She brutally yanked her lance out of him, causing a spray of blood to stain the ground. With him distracted by Cordelia, I made my move. I tackled him from behind, sending us both to the ground. Grabbing him by his chestplate, I raised my own iron hand and smacked him across the helmet, twice over. I was cognizant of Requiem, though, and when he began to swing it upwards, I pushed him away. He raised himself as Cordelia landed beside me, his red eyes glowering at us.
"Gods damn you all," Verrat seethed. "Why throw away your life so recklessly, Cordelia?"
"You have no right to speak my name, Alex," Cordelia growled. "Not after all you have done. Not after what you did to our daughter."
"I… did what had to be done. It was the only way-"
"Silence!" Cordelia demanded. "No more. I never want you to speak to me as if you know me. Clearly you never did if you decided to go down this path after my death."
"I loved you," Verrat said quietly, his voice almost sounding broken as he limped forward slightly. "All I truly wanted was to live with you. And when you died, that was taken away from me. All the Shepherds were. I was the last one, the phantom possessing this body. You were always right. Were you here with me, I have no doubt your future self would revile me, too. Such is my sin. This is why I cannot allow myself to die. There will be no forgiveness, not even in death."
My eyes widened as Verrat began tearing into his own flesh, just like he did at Valm Castle.
"Cordy, we need to get outta here! Now!" I shouted.
Cordelia nodded wordlessly, glancing at me softly as I jumped onto Aurora. Wrapping my arms around her waist, we took flight.
"There will be no atonement," Verrat chanted. "There will be no life. Let my demons fall upon the earth like pillars of darkness. No light shall touch this scarred face again. Release me!"
Verrat's chest exploded outward as his blood soaked the ground beneath him. Volleys of darkness slammed into the buildings around us as Aurora galloped through the air for dear life. Rock was smashed and melted beneath balls of black fire. The very earth itself seemed to grow sickly under its influence, and for just a moment, it was darker than the vortex that was generated from Castle Ylisse.
We narrowly avoided the onslaught. Whatever that thing Verrat did was, it was powerful enough to level a small army. Something told me that it couldn't be used often, though. Not with the amount of power behind it. I knew Verrat was not dead, though. He survived it once, crawled out of the wreckage of Valm Castle just after doing it. I had a feeling, though, that that would be the last time I saw him. A reflection of myself. A vision of what I could have become had circumstances been different. The furious red eyes would haunt me until the end of my days. I would see them in my dreams for years to come.
But, even if only in just that moment, I was free of him. I felt lighter, more relaxed, despite the world around us still being a dark nightmare. Tightening my embrace just a tiny bit, Cordelia saw me through that blackness.
I was free.
We said nothing as we soared through the air. What was there to say, really? Anything we could have said waited until we found our way back to the base we set up. We gently soared down when we were just above it. Tents had been erected, battle lines had been drawn, all of the things that needed to be done before we assaulted the castle itself. The time was near. I could feel it. In my bones and in my blood.
Landing at the back edge of the base, I dismounted before Cordelia and nearly stumbled. Before I could even say anything or pick myself up off the ground, Cordelia raised me by my shoulders and gave me a crushing hug. I almost felt my neck snap.
"Thank the gods," Cordelia whispered, fearfully. "For a moment, I believed I wouldn't make it in time. I thought you would already be…"
Despite the pain, I hugged her back, with all the strength I could muster. I was exhausted, but still combat ready, at least. "I'm fine, Cordy," I replied quietly, running my hand down her back. "I'm just glad you swooped in when you did. Not gonna lie, I thought he had me, too. Luckily for me I have a war goddess on my side, huh?"
"War goddess? Naga, what a title," Cordelia sighed, releasing me but still holding me by the shoulders. "I'm just glad you're safe. I shudder to think what would have happened had I been a second too late."
"Yeah, well, don't. I'm here. I'm okay," I reassured her, cupping her cheek. Looking around, my focus shifted to the tents. "Where's Severa? The rest? Is she alright? I saw those bruises. It looked like she'd been…"
Cordelia nodded. "She will be fine, love. She was malnourished, and the bruises were clearly from… from strangulation, it seemed, or so the healers told me. But she will make a full physical recovery if given enough rest."
"Naga," I murmured as I ran a hand down my face. "To go through that and still have the strength to move around and get her friends out of that hell pit. Cordy, I need to see her. Before we march on the castle."
"There," Cordelia said, pointing to a tent on the far side of the base. "We will be making the final assault before long, so I would hurry. Alex, my blood is boiling just thinking about what has been done to her, but we cannot allow it to get in the way. We're too close. So, so close."
I looked back at her. "Yeah, I know. I've gotten used to dealing with my anger now. Doesn't mean I'll forget, though. I will never forget. I'll see you on the other side, Cordy."
"I love you, Alex."
Staring down at the ground as I walked, I replied, "I love you too, Cordy."
Our wounded were housed in the tents Cordelia pointed me to. Severa wasn't the only one in there, obviously, but she was easy to spot. Having red hair like Cordelia's would do that; you tended to stand out. Even if she didn't have that, she was one of the few within who were conscious. I heard pained moans as healers attended to those whose wounds were hard to look at. I made my way to Severa, feeling a lump in my throat as I did so.
"Dad," Severa croaked as I took a seat. "I didn't think you'd have the time to see me."
"I'll always have time for you, Sev," I replied quietly, scooting over a bit. Severa looked at me, her blue eyes glistening in the dark. "I wanted to see how you were doing. Make sure you were holding up alright."
"Do I look like I'm 'holding up alright' to you?" Severa lightly snapped, her brows furrowed. "I haven't slept in days but I can't sleep now. Not with all this racket. And, Gawd, my hair is driving me nuts."
I chuckled, "Well, if you're complaining about your hair, you must be alright."
"Hmph," Severa sniffed. "I wasn't done, idiot. My throat hurts something fierce, and every muscle in my body feels like it's been stretched beyond imagination. Does that sound like I'm 'alright'? Gawd, you are daft."
I shrugged, sighing, "I ain't the best at this kinda thing, Sev. I'm just glad you're alive and breathing."
"Yeah, well, I'm not," Severa remarked before clamping her mouth shut, apparently realizing what she'd said. "I didn't mean that," She amended quietly. "Not really. I could never mean that. Gawd, I'm sorry. I didn't-"
"Sev, it's okay. You've been through a lot." I leaned back. "I'd be really daft to think you wouldn't be a bit prickly after all you've been through."
"I wish I wasn't," She replied, her voice still quiet and scratchy, "I wish I wasn't like this, y'know. Always sniping and chiding people all the time. I hate it, but I can't stop. I don't want to…"
I raised my left hand and lightly patted her head. "It's okay, Sev. It's okay."
She shook her head, but she didn't retreat from my touch. "It's not okay. It'll never be okay. Not with me, anyway. I'm too damaged. Hell, broken, even."
"A broken person wouldn't have pulled off what you did," I countered. "You escaped from the Barracks with your teammates on your back with nothing but a rusty sword. You're strong, Sev, you just don't see it."
"Is that what you think, dad?" Severa asked, her tone accusatory. "I didn't make it out of there. The place they put me in was locked tighter than my purse when I go shopping. The only reason why I got out is because he let me."
"He?" I tilted my head and raised a brow. "Wait, you mean-"
She nodded, "Yeah, him. He let us all out, but Yarne and Gerome must've had it harder than me, 'cause they could barely move when they were released. I knew what he wanted: you and mom. He wanted to lure you towards the Barracks and kill you in the streets. He didn't do that, though, because you're still here, talking to me."
"It's not your fault."
"The hell it is!" Severa snapped. "I was careless! That fucking flying bitch came outta nowhere and plucked me up! She got Yarne and Gerome before she was satisfied, damnit! There's no excuse for that! Oh, but wait, it gets better! Then that bastard, Grima, he spoke to me, you know. Told me all sorts of things I did not want to hear."
My lips thinned. "Grima spoke to you?"
"How do you think I got these bruises on my throat? Yeah," Severa lightly coughed. "Could barely hear him while I was gasping for breath, but he told me about you. About dad. What he did to him. I couldn't… Gawd, I hated it. I hated him. And he knew that. He knew that and he wouldn't stop talking. I couldn't hear myself think but I held on. I need to do something but I can't while I'm trapped here-!"
"Severa!" I shouted suddenly, causing her to flinch and look at me with wide eyes. "Please, stop! Let me get a word in, for fuck's sake!"
Severa looked down at the cot she'd been granted, her lips quivering. "I-I'm sorry, daddy. I can't- I told you I was messed up. Can't even hold a conversation anymore without ranting like a madwoman."
"You're not mad," I stated, grabbing her by the shoulder. "You're a young woman who's gone through far more than she ever should have at this age. By God, most of that is my future self's fault, but I'm not going to leave you like this. I will always see you as my daughter, Severa, always. No matter what comes, I love you. Even if you never truly see me as your father, even if you secretly hate me, I will always believe in you. Those few months of peace we had before Valm invaded were some of the happiest of my life, and it was because of you and Cordelia. Please, stop saying these awful things about yourself, Sev. It hurts when you say that shit."
"D-Daddy…" Severa sniffled. "P-Please don't make me cry again. I c-can't. Please."
I gathered Severa in a hug, and unlike so many times previously, she did not resist. If anything, she buried herself. She wrapped her arms around my midsection and squeezed with strength she, by all rights, should not have had. But my lungs were being crushed all the same, and I didn't care. I lightly stroked Severa's hair as I held her. She didn't outright bawl, not that time, but she was definitely as close as she could be to it.
I sighed after a while. "Much as I hate to say it, Sev, I need to go."
Severa refused to let me go.
"We're about to start our final march," I explained, not truly making any motions to try and push her away. "Robin's probably gonna come in here hollering, demanding I be with him when we do so. It's almost over, Sev. I swear it."
"Can we," Severa sniffed, "Can we just stay like this? For a little longer? Please?"
I said nothing. All I did was hold my daughter in my arms for as long as I was able.
Robin was there when I finally left. I took a deep breath as he approached.
"I thought you'd never come out," He said, patting my shoulder as we walked side by side. "I'm glad to see your little side mission was a success, but we're about to start the final assault and we'll need every able body for it."
I chuckled humorlessly, "And you need the one-handed man at the front of the formation, don't you?"
"I will be there as well," Robin replied, as if he was defending himself. "This is my fight, as much as it is everybody else's. I'm not sure what will happen within the castle, but whatever the outcome, it ends here."
"Yeah," I breathed out, looking at him. I wondered if I should ask about what decision he made regarding the ways to put Grima down. Were we going to seal him away? Or was Robin going to put him down for good? In the end, I left that up to him. As much as I wished it was, it wasn't really my business. It was his decision. "Anything else on the horizon, do you think?"
"We've gotten reports of roars coming from somewhere nearby, though nobody seems to know where they are originating from." Robin shrugged, "I'm willing to bet it's Grima, regaining his draconic form. If so, we don't have any time to lose."
I nodded then, steeling myself.
"Then let's go."
I can see the light at the end of the tunnel. I can see it! It's so bright I'm gonna go blind! AAAAAAAAAAAA-
Ahem.
Quick late addition to this doc, but Stormtide_Leviathan has written a fic based on Aberration titled 'Fever Dream' on Ao3. Go read it. It's so fucking good.
Here's a link to our Discord server: discord .gg/9XG3U7a
Hope you guys have an awesome rest of your day!
