Garland Moon: Lingering Regret

After a long march, Ingrid halted. "This is where Count Rowe said the Twilighters were."

Khalid stated, "It shouldn't be hard to find the soldiers in this desolate place. Not many people live here."

Caspar shivered. "I'm really going to have to get used to the cold if I'm going to live in Dominic land with Annette and Gustave."

Gustave reassured, "I'll give you a warm coat."

They continued on the beaten path until they came across a squadron of weary soldiers. Owain waved. "Salutations, esteemed walkers of justice! Is there any foul lair of evil that must be banished into the abyss?"

One of the guards deeply sighed. "Look; we've traveled a long distance; we're lucky to be alive after an encounter with powerful enemies, and they're currently hunting us down. We don't have time for games."

Camilla stated, "He is asking to help you. Point us toward the naughty little blighters."

The soldiers gestured farther north. "They're to the northeast. Watch your back. The freaks are stronger than any foe we've encountered. Already they slaughtered our battalion."

Shiro laughed. "Bring it on! We've already chased them down! We're the best people for the job."

Linhardt warned, "Just because we've always defeated them doesn't mean that we'll automatically do so this time. They're started to feel cornered, which means they'll lash out even harder than they ever have. You're kidding yourself if you think otherwise."

The soldiers provided clearer directions, and they continued the march. Sophie kicked a pebble out of her way. Ophelia noticed and headed toward her. "Is the fiend of loneliness attacking?"

Sophie blew a tuft of hair out of her face. "Yep. I don't know how you manage it for so long. Being so far apart from Siegbert is eating me up."

Silas overheard the conversation and joined in. "Don't feel too bad, Sophie. After all, you're still on the adventure of a lifetime with the most important man in your life, me!"

Sophie pouted. "Be serious! Father, you were separated from Mother for an ungodly amount of time when you were little. Don't you understand what I'm going through?"

Silas divulged, "After Corrin and I snuck out of the Northern Fortress for a picnic, I wasn't allowed to see her again until I joined the army a decade later. The only reason I became a knight was for the chance to see her again."

Ophelia complimented, "That epic tale warms my core! I can feel the fizzled-out powers invigorating! Now when we face the last Fódlan stronghold, I can unleash my most powerful move, Luminary Uppercut!"

Sophie blushed at Ophelia's excitement at her parents. "Okay Daddy; no need to be all mushy! But you should know how I feel."

Silas admitted, "It's not a good one. But Siegbert is going to recover and will back on his feet in no time. This is only temporary. You handled massive enemy invasions more than once. This is easy in comparison."

Sophie shrugged. "I don't know."

Ophelia proposed, "Focus the inner workings of your mind on the upcoming battle. Let your sword and lance hand twitch with anticipation as the sheer volume of power pulsates in your bloodstream!"

Sophie's feet dragged against the dirt road, hopes deflated. Without Siegbert, she wasn't so sure if she should be going up against the enemy. Certainly, she didn't want to without him. She lamented, "Before we connected, I didn't think I was fit to be a princess. I didn't understand how Mother and Daddy could proudly call me their daughter. I had to sleep with a teddy bear and couldn't keep Avel under control."

All of that changed when she started talking to Siegbert. "Then Siegbert found my teddy bear one time and gave me encouragement. I realized that maybe it was okay that I liked stuffed animals and had trouble with Avel. After a while, he asked me to be his partner . . . Become the next Nohrian queen. I felt like I would doom the country to a horrid decline, but Siegbert just looked at me and said that I already had the essential qualities of being a queen."

Sophie's chest became fuzzy at the memories. How precious they were to her.

Suddenly Caspar squinted to get a better look in the distance to a looming seemingly abandoned structures. "THERE IT IS!"

Camilla jumped at the noise. "Goodness! Do you have to shout like that and give the Twilighters a signal that we're here?"

Caspar said, "I don't know, but I'm a pretty loud guy!"

Shiro dashed forward. "The only way to keep up for it is to not let them get a chance to prepare!"

Inigo chased after him. "Let's not get reckless! We're trying to keep the casualties to a minimum!"

Dorothea shook her head. "We might have a bit more trouble this time with everyone so rowdy."

Everyone hastened to the fortress to cover the impulsive High Prince of Hoshido. Caeldori threatened, "If you get killed, Shiro, I'll never forgive you!"

When he got to the entrance, Shiro slashed the lookouts with his naginata. "Heh. That was a good warm up." He kicked the doors open and hollered, "This is some kind of raid!"

Inigo scurried over and brandished his sword. "It'll be all over before I know it. Then I can get back to resting in Rosanne with Azura forever . . ." When the inhabitants gave him a disgusted look, he yelled, "STOP STARING AT ME LIKE THAT! We're married!"

Caeldori caught up to them. "Didn't you learn your lesson when you almost went up in flames to save that foal!"

Shiro argued, "That foal would've died if I didn't go in! One more animal for you to look after! I want that foal in our animal sanctuary! It's what brought us together, isn't it?!"

Caeldori facepalmed. "Please, not in front of the enemy . . ."

Byleth barged in. "Alright! It's time to crush you all and free Fódlan from your grasp once and for all! Once this base falls, you'll never set foot on this continent again!"

Ferdinand added, "That trick about a mole in our ranks failed to rattle us! Paltry games will not save you from your fate."

A dark mage threw her hands up in the air mockingly. "Ooh, congratulations. You figured out a puzzle a child could solve. That Gristonne guy would say anything, no matter how stupid. You'll meet your end here anyhow."

Bernadetta breathed a sigh of relief. "Really? There isn't a mole?! I'm so glad! I was really nervous for a while there."

Dorothea blushed. "I have to confess that I fell for it, hook, line, and sinker. You won't fool me again!"

Khalid pumped his fist in the air and cried, "Everyone ready?! To arms! For the future of Fódlan!"