Though Noire had joined the group, Alex felt that the connection was apparent, but he didn't want to rush it and force her or Tharja to believe otherwise, that his feelings were not returned in some way first. During that time, his eye often caught the wandering of Princess Lucina, but one too many times, she would glance toward him and hastily hurry on, like she... was afraid of him all the sudden.

He didn't know how long it took, but Chrom got wind of it and he calmly asked Lucina to talk to him if she had something to say, she brushing it off, but the rumors circled again and Chrom didn't take 'no thank you' for an answer the next time around as he opened his eyes and looked at the seated princess before him, their next place of interest was actually in the Plegian territory, there were minor rumors coming from the island south of Plegia and some have even said that Valm was in control of the landmass, drawing concern to it as Valm having a foothold was a bad thing to have, thought it was confusing as they could have struck there, why Ferox then?

Lucina broke the silence as she answered. "I would like to apologize for my behavior..."

"What behavior, Lucina?" Alex asked as he rolled a wrist and spoke. "You looked more worried than calm, you have Chrom and Sumia, so whatever burden is weighing on your shoulders, shouldn't be carried alone."

"It's..." She paused with a displeased hum before starting it again. "It's... my father; In my time, he was... betrayed by his closest friend." The puzzle started to piece itself out as Alex found the ground, Amirg feeling the same change.

"Betrayed...?" The dream echoed to them both as Alex spoke on. "Betrayed for what...?"

"I don't know..." The blue-haired princess answered as she lightly held to Falchion. "But I do know that it is connected somehow to the Fell Dragon rising up and destroying the world." Alex hummed as the two of souls conversed.

'This is not looking good, the catalyst for that dream...'

'...Is us, but we need to understand how it works, piece out what exactly would be the turn of our behavior, to strike Chrom a fatal blow.' Alex turned in his thought and chat. 'If only we could figure it out, prevent it from happening to us, but I don't...' Alex stopped and the shift caught Lucina by surprise as Alex answered his own question. 'That must be it...'

"Alexander, are you... okay?" Alex turned to Lucina and spoke.

"Besides the notion of time-bound children coming here and an emperor wanting to conquer the world, I would have to say that it is fine." Alex answered as he continued. "I was just thinking about your words, it just doesn't seem likely that a close friend of Chrom's would just betray without a reason, I would prefer to hear that out than just jumping at the dark." Lucina looked confused to the meaning, it must have been in her mind that the betrayal came out of nowhere and without reason, most people would do it for reasons of personal or national interests.

"I... suppose..." Lucina answered and, with extra food for thought, she stood up. "I thank you for giving me your input on my issue, I was just not sure who I could trust with this..." She jumped out of the carriage to walk with the others as the boat ride there, using what usable ships they could, was when Chrom repeated the chat with his daughter.

"Who to trust..." Alex chuckled as a fair bit of the world is not trustworthy, but he knew better that those that follow him and Chrom will stick to their blades than turning and running away, they were a force without equal so far, Tharja is just as determined to hold true to her loyalties to one person and the company of Shepherds.

He stopped the thoughts before a voice yelped. "This can't go on, Elder!" Alex jumped out as the convoy came to a halt on the edge of the village that they had found. "We barely have enough to get us by as it is!" He headed over as the older man replied with fear in his voice to the younger villager.

"This leader is a former Valmese general! We'll be crushed if we resist..." That caught Chrom's attention as Alex rolled his eyes with a smile as the Exalt approached the pair.

"What's that about Valm?" Both turned as the people either came out to see or turned to the convoy's direction as the younger man spoke up.

"Who are you?"

"My name is Chrom." The Elder's eyes widened as he exclaimed.

"The ruler of Ylisse?!"

"Elder! He may be able to help us!"

Chrom breathed as he asked. "Um, I can hear you." Both turned meek as more people came closer with... joy in their eyes as Chrom continued. "But tell me your problem, and I'll see what I can do." The Elder bowed in glee as he spoke.

"Oh, thank you, sir!" With that, he explained that a former Valmese general by the name of Nelson had organized a taxing faction of bandits from the local abandoned fort to the west, draining the life from the people and Alex suddenly felt a need to say something as he turned and walked back to the mid of the convoy; Tharja, Noire, Olivia, and Christian peering from the cover of one of the wagons as Alex approached Cordelia tending to her Pegasus as he spoke.

"Hello, Cordelia."

"Oh, Alexander, how wonderful... and strange that you would talk to me."

"Yeah, but something strange crossed my mind." He looked down and pulled forward her hand, Tharja gripping the wood in rage as he asked. "Did Lon'qu have your rings magic-proof?" That caught everyone off-guard as Cordelia hummed before she answered.

"No, I don't believe so, why do you ask?"

"It was just something strange that popped into my head, I didn't mean to bother you." He released and headed off, Chrom double-checking before he yelped.

"Alex? Alexander!? Where are you!?" Christian took off with the three girls behind him as they followed Alex into the shifting sands, Lucina slipping out from the front to see the same as she was confused...

Alex paused before the fort and could see the shift of activity in the halls, his trained eye from practicing some archery allowed him to peer down and detail all, even a young woman with an frown on her face, her hair that of Lon'qu's own, as she marched off to the front while the leader who must be Nelson flaunted a ring to his view and his gaze hardened before breathing, his breath puffing out violet flames as he spoke. "Ready?"

"Ready as ever, but can your body handle it this time?" Alex smiled as he removed his gloves and pocketed them.

"That's why I want to practice and let's give them a fair warning." His brown eyes closed before reopening to violet-greens as Christian rushed over and nearly yelped before a sandstorm surged, enveloping all there as the girl screeched.

"What the blazes is...!?" She peered past her arms and her heart dropped in fear as a golden form surged from the storm and coiled into the sky before its roar echoed across the fort before blasting a torrent of flames, melting the very walls to mush as the brigands and bandits looked scared and terrified, even their leader who was petrified before the voice boomed.

"NELSON, FORMER GENERAL OF THE EMPIRE, YOU HAVE BEEN TOO IGNORANT TO THE POWERS THAT COMMAND THE HEAVENS, AS SUCH YOU WILL FACE PUNISHMENT HERE AND NOW!"

"N-Never!" Nelson yelped as he angrily shouted. "Someone, anyone, kill that thing!" The forces marshaled while the girl ran, finding her friend and tackling him to the ground just as another torrent blazed through, barely missing them as the man conscripted yelped.

"W-What's going on, Severa!?"

"A monster is among us and is tearing the fort apart!" She quickly got both of them up before she yelped. "I'm leaving, Holland, and you're coming with me."

"Severa,I... I can't. You know I can't. I have a wife. If I don't earn Nelson's coin, she'll starve. I know it's blood money, but-" Severa countered.

"Your wife is PREGNANT, Holland! You know that, don't you?!"

"Of course I know that! And it's none of your concern!"

"Do you love your child, Holland? Do you love your wife?"

"Of course I do!"

"Then stop making excuses!" Severa hissed back as she recounted her tale. "I know that parents will do anything for their children... But I also know how it feels when a child loses her parents. This world's got far too many kids who've gone through that." She continued to scold him as the blasts of the attack continued. "If you stay, you'll be killed or worse. And your child deserves better!" This took Holland was shocked as he tried to answer.

"Severa, I... I'm sorry. I didn't know. That must have been hard for you." He paused in thought before he answered with his heart found again. "You're right. My child deserves better. Let's get out of here." Severa replied in glee.

"Really?!"

"Yes, really. But we have to hurry!" They made a break for the back before they were stopped.

"Not so fast, you fools." Nelson had stopped them short as Severa grimaced to the odds. "Traitorous wench! How dare you think you could escape!" Severa countered as he gripped her blade.

"You've got to be loyal before you can be a traitor, you idiot! And you're one to talk, extorting a poor innocent girl like me..." She pulled it free as Holland grimaced as well. "It's time you learned just how deadly this innocent girl can be!"

"Your corpse will clean the blood from my boots, you are severely outnumbered, whelp!" Severa frowned as it was going to be impossible to win against the force surrounding them and a sandstorm still going on before bolts of lighting ripped through the back and the two leavers turned to terror as Alex hovered there with the winds before he spoke, carrying authority unsurpassed.

"Move aside, I will have words with the coward." He landed on his feet and stomped closer, both of their hands trembling as the brigands started to move back some as Alex continued, his face hidden under the hood somehow. "As of right now, your empire, your wealth is reaped from your cuffs, any more action against me or the forces of Ylisse and you will be subjected to exile within the distant northern wastes of Regna Ferox. Refuse, and you will perish here where only the sands will burrow your corpse and that of your men if they follow a fool's errand."

The words shattered the brigand resolve as the weapons dropped and rushed out the back as Nelson fired and missed as he shouted. "What are you useless fools doing?! Get them! Somebody get them!"

"Your men have abandoned the fight..." Alex spoke once more. "Surrender."

"Never!" Nelson primed another spell, but Alex was quicker as, with a thrust of his hand, a blow of winds surged and smashed Nelson into the remaining wall, the crack not coming from the wall as Nelson crumbled in death before Alex walked over and pilfered through the man before he pulled out a bag, Severa getting wide-eyed as Alex turned and spoke, his companions speechless to his sudden power over something insane.

"Let us head back to the village, your mother will be glad to know you are safe." Severa looked confused as to what... Her eyes widened again and her jaw dropped in disbelief, how did he... how... THERE WAS NO WAY...!

"You've saved the village from starvation! You're a true hero of the people, sir." Chrom didn't say anything as he was actually surprised, the moment that Alex returned with his companions, it was a sudden amaze that one man took on what equaled a small army and destroyed them, sparing only those that had nerves of grass as Severa picked through the things before plucking the bag that Alex carefully hid in the large bundle of supply.

"Yes, here it is!"

"Is that a ring?" Chrom asked and Severa countered.

"It's my ring, and I'll thank you to stop staring so lustily at it!" Chrom raised a brow as Severa looked back to the ring and held it close. "It's worth more to me than anything in the world to me... That rat Nelson stole it one night while I was sleeping."

"Well, I'm glad you were able to get it back." Severa graced that with a huff and Chrom didn't fight that as Cordelia walked over and spoke, having heard of the young woman that stood against the vile Sage before Alex somehow intervened.

"Oh. ...You."

"Wh-What do you want?!" Severa stammered as Cordelia hummed before she spoke.

"Just to thank you for helping us." Well, Alex really, but no one wanted to talk about what had happened there and even the scouts couldn't as a sandstorm surged on while all of the loot and spoils were hauled out of there. "You fought bravely, er..."

"Severa. ...My name's Severa."

"It suits you somehow. Oh, and my name-"

"Cordelia. I know." The red-haired rider was perplexed as she spoke.

"Er, yes, that's... But how did you...?" She paused as she asked. "I'm sorry, did I introduce myself before?"

"I guess you must have if I know your name. Gods..." She mumbled the last part under her breath as Cordelia mused.

"I... I see. Well, thank you all the same, Severa."

"You already said that! And besides, it's not like I did anything special. I was just fighting to get back what's rightfully mine." Cordelia took notice of the bag and paused as Severa, without a word, shoved it at her, as she turned it over and popped out... a ring.

"Are you referring to that ring? Oh, goodness. It looks exactly like..." She paused as she pieced it out, Alex certainly felt something was up and, wouldn't they know it, his request had some merit, she never did ask Lon'qu if the rings were magic-proof in any way. "Ah I see. That would explain how you know my name." She smiled as she turned to Severa, putting the ring in the bag and returning it. "You're a friend of Lucina's, aren't you?" She winced as Cordelia was more spot-on about it, more so than her friend or Tharja, the woman was getting better, but still there are moments. "...And you're my child. Isn't that right?"

Severa grumbled a bit as she let slip a single word. "...lonely..."

Cordelia paused as it sounded like she said 'lonely', did something deeper happen for her to mumble that? "What was that?"

"I SAID, I thought you'd might be lonely, so I came here to see you!" Cordelia hummed as Severa crossed her arms. "...You're welcome."

"That's very sweet." Severa stammered back, clearly she had... a feeling of being lesser to Cordelia, what did she do to provoke that?

"D-don't mock me! You don't care! You don't care at all!"

"How could you possibly think that? I'm thrilled beyond words to meet you." Severa had tears in her eyes as she screeched, the two of them having made some distance to converse.

"...Then why'd you leave me?" Cordelia frowned as she heard the story, or the short version, as her daughter just spoke. "You said you had to go off to fight for what really mattered, and you never came back! You picked Chrom over me!" Chrom... he was something out of a fairy tail and Cordelia had no full time for that, she was in love with Lon'qu... but did her feelings never leave for the prince, did she linger so long on them that she would hurt her own daughter with that knowledge?

"You have me at a disadvantage, Severa." Cordelia answered with a frown to her own future, a future that lost so much and what hope Severa had for her was lost to and hidden behind this pain of concealing all of it. "I can't answer for my future self. But when I said I was fighting for what mattered, I probably meant you." Severa just looked with tears falling as Cordelia continued, not wanting to lecture Severa at all, she was strong enough to get there and hold strong to her belief and faith. "I'd want nothing more than to build a world where you could grow up happy and strong. At least, that's what I want right now."

"You think I don't know that...? I mean, I DO know that, but..." Severa was at a loss as she tried to wipe away the tears.

"I'm sorry I wasn't a better mother to you."

Severa tried to regain a solid footing as she spoke again. "Well, you're still MY mother, which makes you the best mother in the world."

"And the luckiest, it seems." That shattered the dam as Severa charged over and hugged into Cordelia, holding tight with remorse and emotion.

"Oh, Mom, I missed you so much! I... I'm sorry I was so mean..." Cordelia ran her hand through the girl's long pigtails as she gripped onto her. "I just... I didn't want to lose you again... Promise you won't leave, okay? Promise!"

"I promise." Cordelia answered and Severa just wept, everyone be damned, she was free to see her mother again and the heavens will not take this from her...

"Well done, I didn't think that all that training would have paid off that well, no smoking limbs!"

"Geez, thanks..." Alex remarked as he rested for a short bit. Though the power was controlled, he was still drained a bit, he contributing to his own 'Thunder' display in Ferox and moved to talk about it before Amirg spoke.

"Nope, it was not your mind playing tricks." Amirg formed and rested on the bed as Alex rubbed the spirit's skull and getting a purring sound. "You were surging with emotions and let them go to overwhelm your power, that is why you were drained so much in Ferox. With this, you just channeled the power and it was yours to start with, you trained hard enough for it, so you have done well."

"Still..." Alex grew serious as he removed his hand and spoke. "You felt my thoughts, so do you think...?"

"Alexander sir, are you decent?" Alex turned as Amirg returned and spoke.

"Yes, you can enter." Noire entered and Alex held his hands together as he continued. "Hello, Noire, how can I help you?"

"W-Well... it's just... I was wondering..." She breathed as she sat on the bed and continued. "I-I don't... want to be..."

"It's okay, Noire." He reached out and gripped her hand with his own as he spoke. "Just tell me, Tharja will understand it as well."

"O-Okay..." Noire breathed before she turned and spoke. "Sir... are you Grima?" A silence filled the room before Alex hummed before he spoke.

"In a way, I am." Noire felt her eyes widen as Alex spoke. "...And it all started before the Shepherds even entered the Plegian War."

"B-Before!?"

"Yes..." He released and laid back on the bed. "I felt his presence in my mind and, before long, I had reformed a solid bond with him."

"Reformed...?" Noire asked as she listened a bit more as Alex nodded.

"My mother... helped me through the early years of life, helping to understand his purpose and how I could change it, those memories lost somehow, but I regained some through my own actions here and now, even the liver-and-eel pie your mother made helped me greatly." He chuckled as Noire mouthed 'the Devil's Food'. "It's okay... I haven't given up, he is part of me as I am a part of him, his life was made to destroy and no one was willing to give him a chance to be different, he is not Grima to me, Noire, he is Amirg."

"Amirg...?"

"It is possible that this is all overwhelming, but what I say is true." Alex hummed as he started to rest. "After all, Lucina changed fate, it can be changed for others, don't let it be etched in stone that you never tried to change it... my daughter." Noire nodded as she headed out as Alex slumbered, only after she was a foot from the tent did she pause and feel her eyes widen.

"D-Did he just say...!?"

"I heard him loud and clear." Noire jumped as Tharja arrived, coiling an arm onto her daughter's shoulder and kissed her cheek. "Your father is a bold one, I suspect that he is bolder than all of us, but let's not waste too much time, we do have some lessons I want to teach."

"Y-Yes, Mother!" Tharja smiled and lead the way as Noire followed behind, both not fully sure what Alex meant, but they would find out later on...