Chapter 23-Cleaved

A Black-hooded Lark on the windowsill chirped, which caused me to start awake. Based on the light outside, it was early in the morning before the sun even cleared the peaks of the mountains ringing the Sunstone Keep. I blinked in surprise and then exhaled in bemusement at the situation that I was literally trapped in.

Two lamia maidens slumbered on either side of my body. To my left, Lily snuggled into my side as she softly snored with her spiked red hair in even more disarray than normal. Her red scaled arm was curled under my neck and her massive tail had entwined the my entire upper body. To my right, my dark-haired daughter softly murmured, "Never leave me papa...mama." Her own tail had ensnared my legs.

I would normally rub my forehead in exasperation but my arms were gently pinned to my sides. Strangely, being trapped did not set off an anxiety attack. I felt strangely enfolded in a blanket of warmth and affection. These two precious ladies loved me absolutely; without conditions. I sighed and gently chided my strange little family, "Isn't this overdoing things a bit?"

"Hmm, what was that love," a sleepy red-eyed young lady replied with a huge yawn, exposing slightly pointed canines. She blinked a few times and then broke into amused giggles, "Ah, sorry Mimicutie."

I flashed an expression of mock sternness as I shook my head, "No you're not."

Lily blushed slightly and beamed, "Ya, guilty as charged." The red and tan-scaled coils released their hold as she averted her gaze and softly inquired, "That kiss last night...did'ya mean it?"

Heat bloomed into my cheeks as what happened the prior evening come rushing back. Last night, after having a heart to heart chat with Lily, I had actually flirted with her and given her a tentative kiss! My heart fluttered as I felt dizzy from the memories of the affectionate encounter. I had endured crushes before but I had never kissed anyone in a romantic manner in my entire life. I stammered out, "Well...I." I paused to steady my breaths. I gently reached out and touched Lily's soft scales adorning her cheek. How strange that only a few weeks ago I had seen this absolute sweetheart as a terrifying monster. How could I ever have had such insipid thoughts? I soothed, "Miss Lilith...I would never make sport of your feelings...ever. I am deeply taken with you." I kissed Lily's forehead and smiled shyly, "Why you see such worth in a miserable, self-loathing, reprobate like me I'll never understand-"

"Mimi, don't," Lily snapped. "Enough with the put downs! I love ya as you are!"

I flinched slightly at her well meaning rebuke, and replied, "I think I may love you too." I continued in a sincere tone, "I w-would seek to court you, if you will allow-"

"Yay! I want'cha babies!" She beamed brightly as she yanked me into a crushing hug, which roused Lydia.

Our daughter burst out laughing as her luminescent blue eyes watched with elation at the sight of her lovebird parents gushing over each other. She giggled girlishly and joined the snugglepile, "Morning mama! Morning papa! If you have a kid, how does Lydia sound as a baby name?"

Lily and I both nodded in unison at the teasing suggestion.

A knock at the door suddenly ended the intimate movement. Lissa's lively voice issued through the oaken door, "Hey! Are you guys up? Can I come in?"

"J-just a second, Lissa," I replied as we all dressed, and my family used their beaststones to revert to their human guises. I rubbed my scalp in embarrassment as courtship was a skillset completely out of my comfort zone. I glanced back at my maid and bodyguard smiling back at me with openly adoring sappy grins. I sighed and wearily inquired, "What?"

"Nothing," they chorused happily.

I reached the latch and pulled open the door only to be startled by a loud popping sound and shower of colorful confetti all over my hair and tunic.

Lissa giggled impishly as she walked in with a little conical party hat on her head, as she gave me an effusive hug, "Congratulations Mimi and Lily! I knew you two looked good together. Big sis told me that she wanted to promote your bonds as you both obviously were moon-eyed over each other."

Lilith blushed deeply and beamed radiantly as she took my arm, "Awww, thanks Liss. I never imagined that Mimi would love me back."

I huffed, "Please treat a princess with more respect, Miss Lilith!" I protested stridently to the blond royal, "Lissa, we are merely at the first step of courtship."

Chrom came in as well barely suppressing his laughter, "Aw come on, Mimika. You two have been a couple for a long time. Everyone could see it from leagues away. Its time you acted like one."

I flushed in impotent shame as I respectfully curtsied. "I…er…thank you for your concern for my welfare Chrom."

"Besides if you two tie the knot, we'll be in-laws too," Lissa gushed. "That would be awesome! No one would dare look down on the Paraglaive name again."

Chrom sighed unhappily, "Unfortunately, Emm was adamant that our blood ties to the lamia beastkin clan or with Iniabi the Mage cannot be acknowledged. We cannot have unnecessary internal strife and confusion within Ylisse during this turbulent time. Perhaps someday after the Mad King is dealt with can the issue be revisited. I am deeply sorry Miss Lilith and Miss Lydia. We can only be kin in private."

My daughter curtseyed gracefully, "No need to apologize Your Highness. Being born a Paraglaive is honor enough. I will always treasure my papa's good and noble name."

Lily bowed and nodded seriously for once, "I agree with ya completely, Chrom. I'd rather be a noble through my mating with Mimi. I don't care to be a royal…no offense."

Chrom stifled a chortle at the redhead's utter lack of a filter, "None taken."

I sputtered, "M-m-mating? Lily, we are engaged in c-courtship, and not anything indecent!"

Lily winked, "Ya the hanky-panky comes later. Looking forward to it, cutie!"

I buried my face in my hands as my face burned.

Soon enough we walked past the guards into the hallway only to be greeted by a most unwelcome sight: my raven-haired Mage dressed in Robin's old cloak. Lilith's face looked a little green at the sight of her stalker about to endlessly pester her with questions on how she tied into the bloodline of Naga's Brand.

He bowed as his green eyes burned passionately, "Miss Lilith, I have waiting since before sunup to speak with you again about matters of vital significance regarding our shared genealogical…ack! Prince Chrom, put me down! I assure you this issue is not resolved yet! I will get to the bottom of this mystery!"

The muscular prince had effortlessly hoisted the slender Mage and future grandson over his shoulder and proceeded to cheerfully walk away as his little sister burst into hysterical giggles.

…

Soon enough after exiting into the courtyard, I saw Sonya, Revellia, Sumia and Calithea astride their mounts amiably chatting with the newly promoted Cordelia aboard her jet black mare Aurora. Chief Knight Matilia spied me and motioned for the castle guard to form an honor guard in front of the two story tunnel cutting directly through the keep leading out to Plegian territory.

Robin and Chrom had insisted that I focus on mobility, flexibility and ranged combat for our future encounter with the King of Plegia. This meant I was taking only roughly half of my followers to the rendezvous. I gazed warmly at the Scouts I would have to leave behind and uncharacteristically invoked a prayer to Naga for their safety. I saw a mixture of tearful waves, brave smiles and stoic expressions from my warriors that I knew would safeguard my home. Just as we departed Moon handed me a prophetic note in his illegible scrawl.

Wordlessly I handed it over to Iniabi, who smirked as he recited, "As the aurum spear tip is assaulted by the vainglorious King, watch for a stalwart maiden riding upon the ebon wing, a young man trussed up as a pitiable puppet on strings, and a sorcerer praying for his bloody demise to join his wolfling." He rolled his eyes in annoyance, "Honestly, Mimi. All that dandy scribes is nonsense. And his poetry stinks."

I glanced over to him and realized he was still in a bad mood over being thwarted from interrogating Lily over their shared blood. I calmly replied, "And yet he unerringly predicted the appearance of the two Cynthia's."

Calithea burst into merry giggles as her dearest friend grumbled under his breath.

He glared at me with narrowed green eyes, and then broke into a soft chuckle as he handed the note back, "Touché, Mimi."

Emmeryn emerged alongside of her siblings and the Shepards. I noticed their ranks had swelled in the weeks since our journey had begun. With her Pegasus Guard headed by Philia, Exalt Emmeryn gave a cheerful wave and smile before heading through the heavily fortified passageway that allowed the free flow of traffic and trade between Ylisse and Plegia in times of peace. We paraded out into the pass bisecting the foothills past tree-lined cliffs on either side as we all entered Plegia for the first time…excepting Sonya and Lilith of course. We were purposefully traveling light as the rendezvous was barely a day's walk away from the Keep. I felt deep foreboding as I had never set foot in Plegia before, even though I had a fine vista of its borderlands stretching to the horizon from my bedroom window for my entire life. I also reminded myself that this path was trod on my luckless parents on the way to their ill-fated rendezvous. The Arrowhead Scouts soon took off ahead to reconnoiter our welcoming committee at the base of the Skodylos Ridge...the horrid location where my parents had been ambushed and murdered.

Less than six hours later we were diverting through the woods off the main path and at Lily's suggestion we made our way around the sawtooth pile of massive stones into a clearing on the opposite side from the meeting spot.

I felt my blood curdle as I saw a desolate sight; a depression leading up to a pile of rocky scree and into a cavern entrance. This foreboding spot was the exact spot where my parents had been ambushed and cut down. I shivered as I looked over to Lily and saw her hands were trembling too. I looked over to her with concern and inquired, "Lily, what's wrong?"

She wiped a tear away and smiled bravely back at me, "S-sorry. This is where my brave Paraglaive fell. Right in this spot."

Ah. I guess Dia, Vanny or Siff must have filled her in. I squeezed her shoulder, "I know. My parents didn't stand a chance. I also know that their blind hatred of Exalt Emmeryn caused then to walk right into a trap."

Her brick red eyes widened slightly as she shook her head with a trembling lip, "N-no way. Your folks bought it here too? What are the odds? I meant that this is where my beloved Mimikins detonated a Crystal Shard bomb to save the children of the Ruined future from a horde of rampaging Risen."

This is where I had blown myself up in Mika's memories? Oh Gods.

Lily continued as her eyes misted up, "Kasrin retrieved your ancestral blade. Years later after he recruited me, I went to look for your remains, but all I found was the sword hilt." She sighed, "Well enough doom n'gloom. Let's outflank the Mad King's forces, ya?"

"R-right."

We waited for several hours in the cavern system that Lily had known intimately from her service to the Irregular's in the Ruined Future. Eventually Zeno returned and reported with a slight bow. "It is time, Lady Mimika. Both the Exalt's party, and the King's forces are already getting into position. Lady Maribelle is thankfully unhurt."

"Many thanks, Zeno. Scouts, let's get to it."

My loyal comrades exchanged looks of quiet tension as we exited the concealed cave system near the peak. We could not have foreseen what we encountered, unless Moon's prophesy was on the nose again. Arrayed well back from the cliff's edge was a ragtag assembly of Mercenaries and regular soldiers in the Plegian army! Based on their hasty moves into an aod hoc battle formation, it was clear they had not expected any confrontation with the Scouts.

As bickering between the Ylissian royals and Mad King Gangrel echoed up over the cliff face, the black armored Mrymidon leader of the reserve forces lifted up his visor and peered at us curiously with unusually friendly brown eyes. He broke into a smile as he bowed slightly and walked fearlessly towards our battle line, "Lady Paraglaive and her legendary Arrowhead Scouts, I presume? Welcome to Plegia on behalf on his Majesty."

With Lily right at my side and Dia tightly clinging to my back, I rode up to meet with the enemy leader and his bodyguard Wyvern Rider, and addressed him as calmly as I could manage, "Commander of the Plegian forces, please bear in mind that we are not at war yet. We are here as a backstop to her Majesty."

Up close I could now see the young man was attired in head to foot black leather armor with black gauntlets and boots. Metal armor protected his head, chest, arms, and shins. A cloak that was eerily similar to Robin's was draped over his shoulders. I shook my head and could only assume it was common attire amongst the warriors of Plegia. He spoke in the same mellow tone as one would address a friend over tea rather than as a mortal enemy, "Capatin Alago Giostougrima, Lady Paraglaive. It is a true honor."

The Wyvern Rider guarding him was clearly a woman with a dark green tunic over black pants and boots. Black armor covered her chest and arms. Confidently astride her dark grey mount with cream belly scales and blue eyes, she hefted a wicked-looking two faced black war axe. Her lower face was obscured by a black metal beak-like mask, but her green eyes bored into us with deep mistrust, and her unruly shoulder length raven hair billowed in the intermittent arid breezes. She seemed unusually antsy at her superior's reckless disregard for his own safety. It was almost as if she liked him as more than a comrade.

I suggested as my heart pounded, "May I propose a temporary truce between our forces providing our respective monarch's can come to terms?"

The Wyvern Rider scoffed, "Captain Alago! Do not be naïve like these soft Ylissians. War is at hand. It cannot be stopped."

Lily sniffed the air around her and openly gawked at the Wyvern Rider with a look of utter confusion.

The Plegian captain sighed, "I fear you are right dear Kitrinos. However there is always hope that bloodshed can be averted if his Majesty can be satiated."

I blinked as those names sounded very familiar. Alogo was a references to horses, and Kitrinos was the Plegian term for the color yellow…or amber! That mean the Alogo pseudonym was a sly nod to the Morgan breed of mount. I sucked in my breath as I couldn't believe my fortune. How did these inexplicable coincidences keep falling on my head? I remembered the Mage Iniabi's nostalgic description of his parents, and based on both the cover names and their physical description I realized with a feeling of stunned disbelief that I was standing in front of Iniabi's parents, and Marth's kin!

Even with his face concealed I could see the smile lift up into his eyes as he extended a friendly gloved hand, "Fare thee well, milady…and good luck."

I tentatively shook his hand, even as my mind reeled at the prospect of fighting Chrom's scion. Just as we returned to the lines a loud sound of clashing metal echoed from a few hundred feet down, and I heard the screech of the Mad King's voice bellow, "Bwa ha ha! I have my war! Captain Orton! Remain here, and take down as many Ylisseans as you can! Now, do your best—at doing your worst! Bwa ha!"

Oh horse plop!

…

There was no time to think about regrets as I powered up my tactical magic as I spotted the enemy Captain doing the same. My Archers Raquelle and Ronna as well as my Sniper Regulus loosed a volley of precision shots that struck a mercenary and one of the charging Wyvern knights. The felled beast tumbled to the ground spilling its rider head over heels.

I commanded my Pegasus Knight trio to sail forwards into the fray, but Captain Alogo and a silver-haired Dark mage combined their magic to cast a blinding violet-hued magical aura that featured a 'V' shaped symbol overlaid with six severe-looking eyes in its center and arcane symbols in the outer ring. It was the Mark of Grima!

Instantly all three Pegasi dropped back to the earth looking dazed. I felt cotton-headed as my wits were muddled and my insides ached dully. I heard Revy start to cry in shock and call out to her collapsed stallion Serendipity. My own faithful steed trotted in an unsteady circle and then toppled to the ground wedging me under her collapsed body. I grimaced as I realized our forces and mounts had been put under a dreadful curse; the Scouts were now earthbound and hobbled.

Lydia lifted up Slate's body with her immense strength as she freed me from being pinned. Still I knew my throbbing ankle was broken as I couldn't stand on it.

Just as another Wyvern rider roared at us with his axe held high, Xolette cast her horrifying Mortisflos spell enveloping the adversary in a petal like ethereal shards of magic that caused him and his black wyvern to plummet into the ground with lifeless eyes.

A volley of return fire came from the enemy ranks and struck Siffra's shoulder, Moon's arm, and Mitsuji's breastplate as he shielded the silver-haired Dark Mage from a deadly missile.

Xolette gasped, "T-thank you Master Mitsuji!"

"Thank me later," the Myrmidon Archivest growled.

The foe charged at our still stunned forces, but Lydia finished incanting a mighty spell that showered the surprised Plegian forces with a deadly force of exploding rocks! How in Naga's name did my daughter know the high level Meteor spell?

Siffra cursed as she got out from under her beloved mount Butternut and skewered a charging mercenary in the throat with her lance. Unfortunately for her, Wyvern knight Kitrinos struck her lance with her axe and then her side, sending the dazed Cavalier tumbling.

Revy turned from healing my leg and screamed in despair, "Oh Gods! Siff, no!"

Garud screamed with white hot rage as he engaged with a lancer with his battleax and made short work of the hapless Plegian.

Moon incanted Elfire catching another Wyvern Rider in its blast. The beast and rider bore in on the Blue-robed Mage with a throaty roar just as Raq leveled a deadeye shot right though the poor sap's eye! Moon fired off a second burst that sent the Wyvern toppling over the cliff's edge. He panted with effort and flashed a pained smile to his savior, "A most fortuitous intervention, Mademoiselle Illunis."

Raq wobbled but fell to her knee as the potent curse sapped her strength, as she cursed, "Shite!"

A dismounted Calithea paired with Iniabi as she ran a Sniper through and then collapsed in agony.

I saw the forces under Captain Alago prepare another charge, and I knew we would soon be slaughtered if I didn't take extreme measures. I flipped open a small leather pouch hanging off my waist belt and felt a smooth egg-shaped gemstone that was cool to the touch. I focused my fogged up brain out of deep resentment, and I activated the Crystal Shard bomb. I screamed out, "Lily!" I tossed the infernal incendiary to the lamia just after she had body tossed a hapless Beserker over the abyss.

She caught the brightly flaring crimson stone and giggled as she hurled it with horrific force at the opposing side.

Much to everyone's astonishment, Kitrinos actually hit the projectile square on slicing it in half. Half sailed in a lazy arc about a dozen paces to her left, where it promptly detonated with a booming thunderclap that sent the closest victims sailing helplessly though the air. The other half fell into the cave entrance and there was a muffled explosion far below our feet atop the stony mesa.

The Captain barked out, "Carry the wounded to the back lines! Everyone else we have a duty to crush our-" Everyone suddenly stopped in mid-motion as the entire mountain began to violently shudder, as the vertical leaves of rocks from about twenty paces out split wide open with an unearthly roar! I heard curses and screams from below as both the Shepards and Gangrel's forces frantically ran for their mortal lives. A helmetless raven-haired Alago locked eyes with me and smiled sweetly as if to say, Well played. Right afterwards, the table like slab cracked in half and the sundered cliff top fractured apart into an avalanche of rock off both faces of the crag. It took less than half a minute for the back two thirds of the rocky projection to collapse in a heap of shattered boulders, and a billowing cloud of dust overtook us in no time at all. The other Scouts coughed violently as the dirty brown haze obscured our vision to less than a foot for endless seconds. Much to my astonishment the face of the cliff facing towards Ylisse somehow remained intact. I had fully expected to die with Gangrel's reserve force.

Bhavin finally reached my side with his shirt wrapped around his mouth. He coughed an applied a healing balm that lifted the curse. His brown eyes were nearly shut from the aggravating dust swirling all around us as he remarked, "I never thought I would thank Naga that your father was such an evil dastard, Mimi! That horrid bomb saved us again."

I still felt deeply conflicting feelings. I felt glee at having soundly routed our enemies, and despair that I used my father's evil device to save our skins. In addition I had just slain Iniabi's parents. I yelled back as the haze changed from brown to an unearthly amber, "How are we still alive, Vanny? This section should have collapsed as well!"

Iniabi coughed as he used his grandmother's cloak as a breathing mask, "Mimi! We survived because this section wasn't above the cave system!"

I squeezed his shoulder in despair, "Iniabi. I'm so sorry. That Tactician and his Wyvern Knight guard were your parents Morgan and Amber!"

He surprisingly looked completely unimpressed as he nodded, "I know Mimi. I knew the moment we spotted them who they really were."

I burst out into tears as I sobbed, "I killed them. It's all my fault!"

He growled with his green eyes aflame, "King Gangrel is the dastard who will pay, and not you. Thank you for saving both Cynthia's life and mine."

I swigged down a Vulnerary and winced as I stood upright again. Somehow all the Scouts and their mounts had survived the collapse. However we were now stranded atop a five hundred foot tall spire of rock.

Revy tied her torn off tunic sleeve as a filter as she desperately healed her beloved Siffra and then made her way over to Calithea.

A voice so close to me made me jump as my vision was so badly occluded by the dust, "Nya-haha! That was fun! Too bad I didn't die!"

A revived Calithea staggered over with her lance hovering over the prone Dark Mage who had somehow made it onto the mesa top with only a broken leg. She seethed, "Your curse was a nasty trick and totally unheroic! I promise your end will be swift!"

I used a water bottle and finally got my eyes cleared out and heard Iniabi's gasp as he hollered, "Cindy stop! That's Henry!"

Despite being covered in dust, the short, lithe Dark Mage with short silver hair and black robes trimmed in gold and white giggled and gave Calithea a cheerful thumbs up and peered at her curiously through squinted eyes.

She dropped her lance and clutched him to her side, "D-daddy! I've missed you so much!"

"Gya-haha…huh?"

Iniabi wiped away a tear and sighed with a bittersweet expression as he dusted off his cloak. "That is Sumia's future husband, Mimi."

In a daze I shook hands with the Plegian Dark Mage with a crazed goofy grin plastered on his face and politely made introductions, "Greetings Henry. I am Lady Mimika Paraglaive."

"Plegian Mage Henry Mavraima at your service, and at your mercy…gye-hee-hee!"

I remembered having nightmares like this. I smiled shakily and tried to be cordial despite the surreal circumstances, "Charmed. I guess you're in our custody now. That was quite the effective curse you used to hex us."

"Aww stop it, milady…you're making me blush! Making things die in horrible ways is my specialty!"

"I'm Cynthia," my Pegasus Knight from the future giggled, "Still as crazy as ever, daddy. Never change."

He beamed up at the teary-eyed maiden and looked intrigued, "I won't. My you grew up a bit fast. When did father you?"

She giggled and shrugged, "Two years from now, more or less."

Iniabi calmly exhaled and asided to me, "Now all I need do its steer Sumia and him together."

I shook my head ruefully, "You don't have to."

He smiled fiercely and shook his head firmly. He had earned my leave to meddle in other's romances, and meddle he would.

Lydia returned to my side and curtseyed, "Mama, I am pleased to report the Shepards have assembled about a mile away. They look a bit battered but all yet live."

"I nodded as anxiety flared, "What about the royals and Lady Maribelle?"

Lily tousled my dusty hair and giggled, "Relax cutie! They all made it out."

My Scouts finally got their mounts revived after the curses were lifted and everyone stood uneasy on the precarious rocky outcropping. I knew my Pegasus Knights and Wyvern Rider could simply fly down the mountain, but how were the ordinary horses and ponies going to get down?

Before I could voice the suggestion that we use Warp magic, a grey Wyvern suddenly flew over the lip of the rim and hopped to a stop just short of us. Kitrinos, or more properly Amber dismounted and then took her Captain's limp body off her mount. She bowed hastily and pleaded, "Lady Mimika, kill me if it pleases you but please save my Captain!"

I waved Bhavin over as a huge wave of relief washed over me. I gratefully replied, "Done. Vanny?"

He used his healing stave on the clever Tactician and soon the short young man with navy blue hair groaned and sat up. He glanced up at his ally and noted, "Hi Amber. Is your head killing you too?"

She tearfully nodded as she hugged him tightly, "Yes Morgan. Never do that again."

I was stunned that they apparently remembered their true names now…and that they had somehow survived the disaster.

The man with unruly short hair and warm brown eyes looked at us with a bit of a jolt, "Naga's breath! That's Lady Mimika and the Arrowhead Scouts! Why do you have two eyes milady?"

I groaned softly and tried to deflect the topic, "What do you remember last?"

"Traversing the mirror of Grima about twenty years hence and then nothing. My memories are all but obliterated."

Iniabi crouched in from of Morgan and softly squeezed his shoulder, "You do not remember Chrom, Robin or your elder sibling?"

His eyes lit up with delight, "Robin. That's my mother! Yes I can remember her. Tall, pretty, silken flaxen hair and my shade of eyes? The best Tactician of all time?"

"Indeed." He wiped away tears as he bowed, "I am glad to see the brainwashing the Grimeal subjected you to was broken, father and mother."

Morgan blinked a few times and then looked up in confusion at his comrade in arms, "Hey Amber, are we a couple?"

She sputtered and flushed pink, "N-no my Captain. I remember little, but I am certain we are not involved…unfortunately."

Morgan smiled and hugged Amber affectionately, "Hooray! We made it back to the past! I can't wait to tell Lu-"

"Father," Iniabi sharply interjected. "Marth."

"Erm, right. We'll have to tell M-Marth that we made it."

"Who's Lou," I asked with a puzzled frown.

Lilith sniffed the air again and then her brick red eyes erupted into tears as she clung to my side. She whispered into my ear, "Mimi. I know that scent. Amber was…is my mama."

Both Lydia and I had wore the same dumbstruck reaction? The lamia sisters and Iniabi were half siblings? What in Grima's hellfire was up with this crazy family?

And who by Naga's breath was Lou?