Good day! Thank you for reading this story! This was initially going to be a one-shot, but I couldn't sleep for having an idea...and instead of writing another one-shot, I figured it could be a good ending for this story. Hope you like it!

If you're interested, check out my other story "How to Make a Friend". For once, it's not a romance! Have a good one!

"Of course, Sir. Please wait a moment and someone will escort you up."

Bell stood outside the gates of Twilight Manor. It's tall, slim spires were imposing...and a little confusing. It was beautiful, certainly, but there was a distinct lack of symmetry in its construction. It looked as if towers and arches had been added at the whim of a madman, with several seemingly barely connected to the main building. It left its young viewer scratching his head, wondering how on Gekai the entire thing didn't just fall down. On the other hand, the discomfort he felt since Tione's visit grew exponentially. This place was the embodiment of Loki—convention meant nothing here. In this place, they played by their own rules.

"Bell!"

A voice drew Bell out of his head. The gate guards respectfully stepped aside as the doors swung open and an instant later his vision turned gold. Confusion returned for an instant before he nearly melted at the realization that Ais was hugging him. His spine creaked at the strength of her embrace and his toes may even have been lifted off the ground—not to mention the fact that he couldn't breath all that well—but none of that mattered to the boy. Reaching around to return her hug, Ais held him even more desperately. Her body molded into his, every curve pressed dearly against his chest. He was warm, warmer than he'd ever been before...and he felt that maybe it had been a long, long time since Ais had hugged somebody. Entirely too soon, Bell found himself releasing the young woman as she stepped back, brushing her dress down with flushed cheeks.

For her part, Ais was beyond relieved to see him again. Several nights ago she and the others had engaged Freya Familia; Ais had fought with a vengeance to free her rabbit, but had been pulled back before breaching Folkvangr's walls. Finn and Riveria had stopped her, informing her of the War Game. Loki Familia had immediately withdrawn and Ais wasn't afforded the chance to see the young man now before her. Knowing he was back with his familia was one thing; seeing him in the flesh, quite another. Hooking her arm through his, Ais began the march to Finn's office. "I'm happy you're back," she said, ignoring her companion's blazingly red face, "but you're not safe yet. Freya Familia is nothing to joke about. We need to get you to Finn. I won't allow Freya to get away with this."

"Uhh...'I'..?!"

Before he knew it they were standing outside Finn Deimne's office. Listening to Ais' instructions to enter the office and that she'd be waiting for him after, he was again surprised when she brushed his cheek. Ever so gently, she held a palm to his face, giggling when Bell subconsciously nestled into her touch. Hand falling away, she began to step back when Bell stopped her. Focusing on the gravity of the situation they were forced into, Bell reached to grab her hand.

"Ais..." Bell met her gaze squarely, not shying away. "This talk with Finn...your help in the War Game...why?"

The blonde knight cocked her head. "Why?"

Bell nodded. "Why would you help us? Loki and Hestia don't get along. I need to know—is this just an excuse to fight Freya? Why is your familia getting involved?"

Bowing her head, Ais adjusted the hand Bell held so she could hold his properly. It felt so nice, she thought. Even now, even after so much, this young man still nurtured that white flame. His purity and innocence...she felt unworthy of holding his hand, yet couldn't bring herself to tear away. It was hope in her heart—hope that, maybe, she could chase after this boy who had left her so far behind. Hope that she could be better. In her head, Little Ais lay in a sunlit field, basking in the warmth of Bell's light...a guilty expression painting her features as she looked sadly at a box full of secrets. But she couldn't—Ais wouldn't lie to the young man who meant so much to her.

"Yes." The simple answer didn't seem to rock the boy; it was as if he expected it. Still, Ais felt guilty. Her companion deserved a bit more truth. "But...you need to know. Loki Familia has issues with Freya Familia, certainly, but..." Gods, why was it so hard to say? "...I'm not fighting for those reasons." Squeezing his hand, Ais leaned in to wrap Bell in another hug. "I'm fighting because Freya tried to hurt someone I hold dear."

The sincerity of her words touched Bell deeply. Were it not for all the lessons Hedin had drilled into him he may have passed out at this point. Instead, he tenderly held the young woman of his dreams, giving one last squeeze before parting. Meeting her gaze again, he couldn't help but repeat the words from the last time they spoke. "I'm glad we met."

Smiling as the boy turned, Ais set herself down on the bench outside her Captain's office, watching the pure white flame enter. "Me, too," she whispered.

Finn's office was an interesting place, Bell thought. There wasn't much around; for being the headquarters of Loki Familia and the personal space of one of the most renowned adventurers in the world, it was rather spartan. The exception was one small section of wall where Phiana's shrine lay. Bell frowned for a moment. He had no problem with Finn's beliefs—indeed, he admired the Pallum for his dedication to a noble cause. Still, it was was a reminder that Finn was a man of deep devotion...and he had an agenda.

"I'm happy you could accept my invitation so quickly."

Recovering from a very rabbit-like jump of surprise, Bell turned to find Finn standing beside him.

"Don't worry," Finn laughed. Pausing to observe the shrine, he lowered his voice. "You know what this is?"

"Phiana," Bell promptly replied. Despite himself, he did love heroes and stories. "Prum Goddess of Bravery. Her knights swept the surface in ancient times and were amongst the bravest, strongest, and most renowned heroes ever to fight against the monster hordes."

"You know your history," Finn smiled. He gestured to the shrine. "And you know my goal?"

"To rejuvenate your race." Bell hesitated, but didn't detect any malice from the man next to him. "When the gods descended and Phiana wasn't with them...the Prum's fell."

"Incorrect." Finn waggled his finger almost like a disappointed teacher. "The Prum's are still here; what we lost was our pride. I'm not trying to rebuild the Prum race; I'm trying to rebuild it's spirit. As you may imagine, it's a far more difficult task." Bell edged away from Braver; for an instant his entire visage darkened and there was a hint of red in his eyes. "To achieve my goal, I've done many things. For the longest time I held a hard line—do whatever it takes, regardless of cost. Recently...that's changed." Finn laughed, surprising Bell with a brotherly clap on the arm. "Watching you and the Xenos...that was something else. Casting off the will of the gods to be the author of your own story? It was incredibly appealing to me. I realized that I was too...narrow. By trying to accomplish my goal through the path of least resistance I was limiting myself—I can be a better man, a better adventurer, a better light for the Pallum race. In short, I can be Braver by taking the path less traveled."

Hope sprang in Bell's chest. If Finn was really opening his possibilities..? "Then...you'll help us?"

"Of course!" Finn's enthusiasm was obvious.

"No," Bell held up a hand, shaking his head. "I mean, you'll help us. With our plan. We don't want to beat Freya Familia."

"...pardon me?"

Bell could tell Finn was genuinely confused; the older man looked as if he had heard a strange sound that didn't quite fit, like a bird barking like a dog. He hastened to explain. "We discussed it earlier—we're a gathering of small familias. Hephaestus Familia has been ordered to abstain from hostilities. Loki Familia stands a chance, but it would be a terrible battle that could potentially topple your familia. What happens to Orario after that?" Shaking his head, Bell rushed forward, praying Braver would listen. "We never had a hope of victory and even with you our chances are uncertain, but that was never the goal. Not for me."

Shrugging his shoulders in a way that could only be described as bristling, Finn asked what he meant.

"I don't want to defeat Lady Freya," Bell managed to get the words out despite the heavy glare aimed his way. He spread his arms. "I want to save her."

"Save...her..." Speaking slowly, mulling the words over did nothing for the Prum. He wasn't sure he understood, and that terrified him immensely. "Bell, what on Gekai are you on about? 'Save her' indeed!" He shook his head firmly. "That kind of talk makes me suspect there may still be some effect from Freya's charm lingering." Ignoring the young boy's sputtering protests that his goddess had removed Freya's machinations, Finn bulled over the boy. "No. There is no 'saving' Freya, Bell. I don't know what fool notion got in your head, but Freya crossed the line by messing with people's heads." Rubbing his thumbs against his temples, Finn did his best to calm down and speak evenly. "She messed with my head, Bell. My head. The way I think...it's me. It's my strongest ability. My brain is the machine that drives my quest to restore pride and honor to a downtrodden people. And she demonstrated an ability to take that entirely away! Without even knowing it, I lost a piece of myself." Calm be damned, Finn thought. There's nothing to be calm about here. "Freya thinks she can take what she wants and get away with it. True, she only acted out because of you, but that doesn't stop the fact she could play with our minds with total impunity. What's to stop her from doing it again, hmm? From taking away our hopes and dreams? From removing any sense of who we are and reducing us to drooling slaves who come crawling at her beck and call?"

Bell didn't have an answer.

"Goddess or not, I cannot abide a creature who can play with my mind and shape my very being to its whim." His eyes definitely held an angry red glint. Knuckles cracked as he made a fist. "We'll win this War Game...and Freya will be sent back to Tenkai for all time."

"I...I don't..." Despite his feelings, Bell couldn't deny Braver's point. He had a very valid concern...but Syr was not some creature. And she certainly wasn't the kind of girl who would hurt people the way Finn suggested. Lady Freya was Syr...he had wrapped his head around that. But he felt there was more—Syr wasn't a role, a kind of mask or costume. Syr was part of Freya. Maybe the goddess was in control now, but his friend, that lonely young city girl, needed help. No. He respected Loki Familia's Captain and the man's vision, but he could not condone the murder of his friend. Squaring his shoulders, Bell got a much better look of what must have been on Finn's face that terrible night when he stood between him and Weine. Braver was angry, concerned, confused...and accepting that he and Bell were not on the same team. "I cannot agree to that. Freya is...my friend."

If he weren't so angry or hadn't expected some foolishness from Bell Cranel, Finn's eyes may have gone wide. Some voice deep inside whispered that the boy might be attempting something noble, something worthy of the Braver...but the logical and emotional part of his mind refused to listen. His mind was sacred; anything that held the power to destroy it had to be destroyed first.

In short, Finn was scared; terrified, actually, was closer to the mark. He almost missed Bell's next words.

"...if that's how you feel, then as Captain of Hestia Familia I must refuse your offer of help."

"...what?"

Cringing, the boy didn't back away from Finn's glare. "We refuse your help. If you are focused on revenge and want to kill my friend, then I do not want to see you on the battlefield." Lowering his voice, Bell idly clenched his fists. His fingers had gone shockingly cold at their encounter. "We'll find a way. Lord Miach and Lord Take...losing is fine, I just need to get past Ottar. If I can speak to Lady Freya...I can end this. I have to at least try."

Silence stretched taught over the heightened emotions in the room. Bell could practically hear the electric crackling in the air from their exchange. Though the atmosphere didn't change in the slightest, Bell was confused at Finn's sudden smile.

"That's just fine." Waving a nonchalant hand, Finn seemed to shoo the issue away. "It's really not a concern. You're approval, that is." Turning his back to the boy, Finn made his way to sit behind his desk. Though he had only moved a few feet away, Bell felt the gap between them was now incomprehensibly huge. "We don't need your approval or acceptance, Bell. The War Game is an open affair. I had hoped to take the field as allies, but no matter. We will be there...and Freya will fall."

Ice covered the young man's heart, a dagger of cold piercing his core to plunge his body into a frozen hellscape of emotion. He had hoped Loki Familia might...but no. Finn Deimne was adamant. He wanted Syr dead; and his familia would follow their Captain. There was nothing left to say.

"You're wrong."

Bell put all he had into those simple words, but Finn didn't bat an eyelash.

"Good day, Bell Cranel." Pulling paper from his desk and inking a quill, Finn disregarded Bell entirely as he began drawing up instructions. "Ais will see you out."