"Idunn."

"Yes your majesty."

"Do you recall our last resort, the final gambit."
"Yes your majesty."

"Don't forget it. We cannot fail."
"...Yes your majesty…"

"I… I… Gah… I… alone… Dark...Alone…in…darkness…" Idunn crumpled to the floor, she dared to look at her attacker. He was a mere child, yet he wielded the legendary blade. It was a shame it had come to this.

Idunn curled her fists and muttered something under her breath. A disgusting slime-like purple shadow spilt out of her pores and she began to draw on the ground. Roy tilted his head and knelt down to look at it, "An hourglass?"

Idunn slammed her head against it and then went completely still. Roy jumped back in fear and confusion. A whimper sounded from behind him, "It's n-not fair…" Fae rushed up to Idunn's corpse, "Why did it have to end like this…"

"Move aside."

Roy whirled around to see the mountain hermit, Niime was approaching. She shoved Roy out of the way and kneeled beside Idunn, she then roughly pushed her away.

Fae whined once more but went silent as Niime spoke up, "I should have known… This cannot be good."

Roy tilted his head, "What can't be? What's going on? I don't understand?"

"Of course you don't," Niime snapped, "Your young and stupid, now shut up and let me think."

Roy grunted in annoyance, he turned to his army, "Anyone else have any idea as to what is going on."

Silence.

"Umm… Allow me to enlighten you," Sophia finally says, the rest of the army steps out of the way to make room for her, "A long, long time ago a dragon sought power over-"

"JUST TELL US WHAT IT MEANS ALREADY!" screams Clarine in annoyance.

"Clarine! Be respectful," Her brother Klein scolds. The girl crosses her arms and pouts but doesn't protest.

However, a certain ginger-haired thief was not in the mood for a story. "I hate to break it to you guys, but I'm pretty sure we don't have time for an obnoxiously long story."

The rest of the army mutters their agreement.

Sophia looks at her hands, "Oh… Right… Well… Basically it's a form of time travel. She sent her consciousness back in time, she'll be able to kick someone out of their body and take over."

Silence, again.

"Sooo… What can we do about it," asks one soldier.

Niime looks down at them, "I have located the time she traveled to. Its not looking good for you young ones."

Roy shivers, "W-why is that?"

"Lets just say… You might not be born."

"...What?"

"OH FOR HEAVEN'S SAKE, SHE IS PROBABLY PLANNING TO KILL YOUR PARENTS SO YOU CAN'T DEFEAT HER IN THE FUTURE!"

"Ohhhh…So what do we do?"

"I can send some of you back to stop her."

"Ack! No! Grandmaaaaaaaaaaaa!" whines one of the soldiers, "Are you going to slam your face on the ground too?"

Niime pulls out her tome and walks over to the soldier who spoke out. She hits him on the head with her tome, "Shut up Hugh. Of course I'm not going to. I just need a big enough power source, luckily we have a dragon."

Everyone looks at Fae.

Fae tilts her head, "Fae doesn't get it. Will it hurt Fae?"

"Of course! It'll kill you!"

"W-what? Fae doesn't want to die!"

"And I don't want you to die either, I sent some guys back in time, they'll stop the Dark Priestess, and then this will never happen in the future and you will still be alive."

Roy taps his chin, "Maybe Sophia's story would have helped us understand this better…"

"It's too late for that now," Sophia mumbles as she plays with her hair, "If you want the whole story you can always ask my past self."

Hugh tilts his head, "Past self? Aren't you like a little girl or something?"

Niime whacks him with the tome again, "Why was I stuck with a good-for-nothing grandson like you?"

Hugh rubs his head, "Ow! That hurt! And not just physically."

"You'll live."

Fae looked up at Niime, "Fae's ready. As long as you promise Fae won't stay dead."

Niime nods, "I promise."

Roy looks out at his army, "So who wants to come?"

"Me! I'm coming with you Roy. I don't care what you say."

"Are you sure? You don't have to come Lilina, in fact I wouldn't object if you stay-"

"SHUT IT ROY! I'm coming and there's nothing you can do to stop me."

"U-uh… Of course Lilina. If you insist. But Gunnivere you're definitely staying. You to Sophia."

The girls both nod in respect. Gunnivere's gaze lingers on him for a while longer, "Take care, and good luck Roy."

The red-head nods, "Thank you. Anyone else-"
"ME! I WANT TO FINALLY MEET MY PARENTS!"

"HEY! SAME HERE!"

"ME TO!"
"ME THREE!"

"I WANT TO MEET RUTGER'S PARENTS!"

"I WANT TO COME!"
Niime frowns, "I'm just realizing how many children there are in this army…"

In the end the 'soldiers' that ended up coming are pretty much just a bunch of kids who want to find their parents. Roy, Lilina, Sue, Clarine, Klein, Rutger, Lugh, Raigh, Chad, Cath, Hugh, Wolt and Fir.

Before Niime drained the literal divine dragon of her lifeforce, the group said their final goodbyes. Marcus, the old veteran knight who was planning to retire, placed his hand on Roy's shoulder, "Good luck master Roy, I apologize ahead of time for any difficulty my past self gives you. The pheraen knights hope to see you come back victorious."

Roy says nothing, he simply nods and walks over to Lilina and the rest of the group. He firmly grasps Lilina's hand and Niime begins the spell. The same purple shadow goo shoots out of her hand and engulfs them. They disappear and Fae falls to the ground, dead. A few people cry, but most are silent. Until Niime breaks the silence.

"So, does anyone want to play poker?"