The earth crumbled where they stepped, and the trees were broken by the force of their blows.
Ashton could remember the day he last fought Maurice so clearly that even fighting him in his beast form was enough to make him feel as if he had been transported back in time. He almost felt as if he could turn around and see Seiros in her golden regalia, with Arawn still a boy with wide green eyes and messy dark green hair. He would go home to Enbarr and talk to Roland about how the battle went, and they would sit by the fire and reminisce about how they met before turning in for the night with a belly full of wine and a warm body to sleep beside. And the next morning, he would train with Saladin as always while Ella heckled them-
And then Ashton would hear the distant sound of demonic beasts, the dull 'thwack' of an arrow striking flesh, and see Marianne nearby, her hands aglow with golden holy light, and he would know that such days were long gone all over again.
Ashton wondered if Maurice felt the same thing. The man was clearly in possession of his mind, at least for the most part. Beneath the bestial muscle and eyeless face, the grunts of exertion and roars were human, and his movements were too deliberate and precise to be those of an unthinking beast.
Ashton narrowly ducked underneath one of Maurice's claw swipes as they cut through the tree behind him. He swung upward with his left hand, the Axe of Ukonvasara cutting into the scaly hide of Maurice's arm, before Ashton swung downward with the Aurora Hammer and felt the dull quake of it slamming into the ground with the force of the blow. Maurice snapped his head forward, attempting to bite Ashton and narrowly missing, so close that his teeth tore into Ashton's breastplate.
Ashton and Maurice's final battle went like that for some time, neither truly gaining the upper hand. Even with Ashton using two Saint Relics, he could not deal enough damage to Maurice to either kill or incapacitate him, while Maurice could scarcely land glancing blows upon Ashton. It was just like the Battle of Gronder; they were evenly matched.
Maurice's blows would shatter the earth wherever they landed, splitting it apart as if he was tearing through tissue paper, meanwhile Ashton was nearly completely red with blood not his own.
However, after what felt like a century of back and forth, Ashton finally felt as if he gained the upper hand. He swung the Aurora Hammer against Maurice's muzzle, sending teeth and scales scattering across the forest floor and Maurice snarled. Not waiting for the beast to regain his composure, Ashton swung the Axe against Maurice's neck. Blood spilled to the ground, soaking the earth and coloring it a rusty red.
Unfortunately, Ashton had lost track of one of Maurice's legs, and he was sent careening through the forest. He struck a tree, knocking the wind out of him as the trunk folded in on itself and nearly split in two. He fell to the ground, moaning as he got back to his feet, holding the same side that Nemesis had split open with the Sword of the Creator a thousand years before.
When Ashton looked up, he was surprised to see that Maurice wasn't bearing down on him, teeth gnashing with anticipation. Instead, he stayed where he was, one claw holding onto the grisly wound Ashton had dealt him, while the other one shook with exertion to keep him from falling to the ground.
Ashton couldn't help but let out a chuckle at that, catching Maurice's attention.
"How many times have we done this?" Ashton asked, "You know, my wrist never healed properly from when you stepped on it. It feels weird whenever there's a cold wind."
"Four times. We have done this four times, counting now. And there won't be another," Maurice breathed out. "My human body has long faded away to almost nothing, but I can still feel the nicks on my bones."
Ashton stood up fully, taking a few more deep breaths. "Why did we ever fight in the first place? Do you even remember?"
"I remember, though only vaguely," Maurice replied, letting his stance straighten up. "I cannot remember why I followed Nemesis, why I let him lead me to this. I cannot… I cannot remember what led me to this point. Why I am here. Why am I here?"
"I have asked myself that question more times than I can count," Ashton admitted with a sigh. The world had gone silent around them. "I wish you disobeyed Nemesis, you know. Part of me wishes Nemesis just left my body on that battlefield. Maybe then I wouldn't have…"
"To disobey him would have been suicide, but perhaps that would have been preferable to this. We are relics, you and I. Lost memories in a world that no longer remembers us."
Ashton let out another laugh, though it was more like a hollow cackle that rang out through the forest. "Truer words have never been spoken."
Ashton readied himself for another bout as Maurice let out another roar, blood dripping from the deep wound on his neck. Forgoing being cautious, Ashton charged just as Maurice was. The night grew hazier, but the full moon still hung in the sky like an all-seeing eye. He felt as if hundreds, maybe thousands were looking down from the sky, like each individual star was a person's eyes staring down at the battle.
When Ashton and Maurice clashed, they struck each other dead on. Both of Ashton's weapons clobbered Maurice's head, while Maurice's claws ripped through Ashton's breastplate and flesh. The sound of rending flesh and breaking bone reverberated throughout the forest before settling down into an eerie silence.
Ashton would be the first to admit that taking Maurice head on was a stupid move. It took away his only real advantage and left him open to be torn apart. It wasn't the first time he had made a completely boneheaded decision, and as he regained his bearings and pulled himself out of the muck where he had landed, he wouldn't have had it any other way.
His armor completely shredded and warm blood seeping through the openings, Ashton knew he wouldn't be able to go on forever. When he saw Maurice, however, he knew that he didn't have to. Ashton had hit him just as hard, if not harder than vice versa, with the monster laying on his side, its face nearly crushed in and soft underbelly exposed for a final strike. The world around them had grown quiet.
Though Ashton still held onto the Axe of Ukonvasara and the Aurora Hammer, he could feel himself slipping. Thankfully, he held on long enough to stand before Maurice, though his head felt particularly clouded and the edges of his vision were dark.
"As I thought… this body was found lacking," Maurice breathed out, a huff living his monstrous mouth. "Do it. End this nightmare of a thousand years."
Despite Maurice's plea, and Ashton's own closing in on unconsciousness, he found himself hesitating. He had clashed with Maurice so many times - and beyond Seteth, Flayn, and Seiros, Maurice was the only remnant of a life that was long gone. The only other two beyond those four were Macuil and Indech, and out of them, none of them were human besides Maurice, but even that was up for debate.
"End me, Ashton, please," Maurice pleaded, "I would rather die by your hand than live another moment like this."
"I…" Ashton breathed out, closing his eyes. "But you…"
"Our time is over. This is the only way to keep my dignity. Do not take that away from me now!"
Ashton hesitated for only one more moment before he shouted, holding both of his weapons high, and then swinging down. He felt Maurice's blood against his hands as flesh gave way to bone, and bone gave way to the ground. Maurice's final breath left him, a small 'thank you' falling from his mouth before even his crushed face evaporated into nothingness.
Ashton fell to his knees, then, completely losing sight of all around him. Before him stood a pristine, pale-white human skeleton, with the twisted Hero's Relic in its boney grasp.
He didn't know how long he sat there, staring at Maurice's body. It felt like one of the few connections to his old life was severed, long after he had thought it already had been.
"Father…"
Arawn. Who else could it be?
"Father, are you alright?" Arawn asked, and Ashton could feel a presence walk beside him before looking at the skeleton before him. "I see. It is over."
"Yes," Ashton croaked. "It is over. Maurice is gone."
"And yet, you do not sound happy- Ah, perhaps it is because of your gaping wounds."
Ashton shook his head. "I don't feel them at all, son."
"Nonsense, you are bleeding profusely," Arawn said, gripping his father's shoulders. "Perhaps I can find Marianne, have her begin healing-"
"Let go of me."
Arawn stopped in his tracks, and Ashton could feel his emerald eyes on him - so much like his mother's, though he would never admit it. Gingerly, Arawn stepped back, releasing his hold on Ashton.
"There can be no purpose in staying here any longer, father," Arawn stated, though there was a slight tremble to his voice that Ashton had never heard before. "We must leave, bring that sword with us, as well."
"Leave it here. And leave me here," Ashton said, his voice barely above a deathly whisper.
Arawn did not respond, and Ashton for a moment foolishly believed that he had acquiesced. A few seconds ticked by before Arawn spoke again.
"What is this foolishness? I'll not leave you here, father," Arawn said, sounding more and more like the boy Ashton remembered him as.
"Look upon those bones there, Arawn," Ashton grunted, pointing one shaky hand to the skeletal pile before him. "That was a man, once. I fought with him, over and over again. I thought being with Seiros and the others would help, but being here now… I can hardly bear it. I should have died long ago. I should be there with Maurice, turned to naught but ash. I should have been in a burial crypt after living a long and full life with my friends, not put in a freezer like some sort of slab of meat."
"You are more than a slab of meat! You are more than a corpse!"
After hearing Arawn's voice barely raise above a conversational speaking tone, were it any other time, Ashton would have been taken aback. However, he barely moved, only instinctually moving his head away.
"What point does this serve? What about mother and I? Do you think mother would even be close to the person she is now without your help?" Arawn continued.
"You said so yourself, yes? Back in Fhirdiad," Ashton said, "I have barely made a dent in this world. Before I came back, it was like I had never existed. And then there is this talk of an Agarthan god. Would he be here if I was not?"
"Get up, father. I will not back down this time," Arawn stated, grabbing Ashton's shoulders again and hoisting him to his feet. Ashton let out a groan, holding his bleeding chest and stomach. "You are coming with me. I will not let you die here. Not now. Not after all of this."
"It is a terrible thing you are doing, dragging a corpse alongside you," Ashton remarked.
"I see not a corpse, but a father who is clearly delusional," Arawn snapped, holding the assortment of weapons close to his chest, while holding onto Ashton's under armor sleeve so hard that his bare knuckles had turned white.
Ashton went silent.
"After everything we have talked about," Arawn seethed, struggling to hold the weapons in his arms while guiding his wounded father, "you are just going to give up? What about everything you have said?"
Ashton was still silent.
"I will tell mother of this," Arawn declared. "And when she hears of what you have said-"
Ashton gave Arawn a withering glare. Arawn suddenly stopped and stood silently, the darkness of the woods nearly suffocating.
"Father," Arawn began, "I cannot hold onto these weapons and lead you at the same time."
Sighing, Ashton stood up fully, such that Arawn couldn't keep his hand on his shoulder.
"Fine, then," Ashton stated. "Perhaps I shall reach Marianne before I keel over, perhaps not. We will see."
When they made it back to camp, it was abuzz with activity, though Ashton did not pay it any mind, stuck in his own mind as he was. It was like he was underwater; everything around him looked faded and blurred, and the noise had no meaning. The next thing he could remember clearly was sitting on a chair in a tent - the very same tent he shared with Seiros, though she was not there.
Given time to fully process Maurice's final death, Ashton realized how stupid he had acted in the aftermath, perhaps because of grief, perhaps because of blood loss, or a combination of the two. He felt somewhat better after being bandaged up and given time to really think, but Arawn had not been there to see it.
Ashton felt like a child that had been put in time-out. With every passing moment, the tension grew. He fully expected Seiros to burst in through the entrance of the tent and slap him across the face for what he had said at Maurice's grave, to berate him for vowing to break the promise he had made to her and their son. Arawn's reaction still echoed within Ashton's head. It had been one of the few times where the half-Nabatean had shown any sign of vulnerability.
Ashton's hands were against his wounded stomach, feeling the gashes through the bandages. Maurice had not dealt a mortal blow, it seemed, otherwise he would have been on the floor dying by that point. He was going to make a full recovery, albeit with more than a few new scars.
Of course, that was secondary in Ashton's mind, and doubly so when he heard footsteps outside of the tent.
He was unsurprised when Seiros entered, her face completely void of all emotion as she briefly looked around the tent before her eyes landed on Ashton.
"Has Arawn told you?" Ashton said, his voice shaky. "For what it's worth, I - well, I cannot say that I did not mean it. But I-I have had time to process and I realize that what I said was foolish. I did not mean to…"
He stopped himself as Seiros took several steps closer, her clenched fists shaking. Even after all of the time they spent together, Ashton could not help but look at her and feel his heart fluttering in his chest. For a moment, he was back in time again, looking at her when her hair was still a greenish-blonde and her eyes as fierce and determined as ever, only to soften when they were alone.
Ashton expected something, anything. He expected her to snap and he would find himself on the floor; she had never done something like that, but he wouldn't have blamed her if she did at that moment. Goddess knew that he wanted to do it to himself.
Instead, Ashton saw tears begin streaming from her eyes as she knelt and wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him towards her in a nearly bone crushing hug.
"You are an absolute dolt," Seiros whispered, "if you had something on your mind, why did you not say so?"
Instinctively, Ashton hugged her in turn, which only caused her to crush him even more. Were he a normal human, she would've broken several bones by that point.
"I-I've already talked about it so much, I didn't wanna seem like I was whining," Ashton murmured, "You're the one who deserves the support! Why should I worry about my own contemptuous feelings?"
"You are a dolt," Seiros reiterated, releasing him for a moment to stare him in the eye. "What did I tell you, when you rescued me from the Empire? Your feelings are no invalid because of my own suffering. Must I say it, again and again?"
"W-well, it would be, er, appreciated?"
After that, things fell into a comfortable silence for the first time in a long while. Ashton could feel Seiros' hand on his bandages, causing him to shiver.
"Talk to me," Seiros said, finally releasing Ashton from her iron grip. "I want to hear it. Everything."
"Will you leave once I am done? Because I do not want that," Ashton said quickly. "I think I- I really need you with me right now. Honestly I-I expected you to come in here and punch my head off my shoulders."
"Why in the name of the goddess would I do that? I love you," Seiros asked, concern etched in her tone as she looked at Ashton with a furrowed brow. "And no, I will not leave you, certainly not now. I may have my moments, but I am not cruel. And as I said, I love you. And the rest of this night will be all about you. So tell me. Everything."
Ashton took a deep breath, feeling the aches and pains in his joints and muscles easing away as he began.
"I don't feel like I belong here," Ashton finally said, "here, in this world, this time. I almost feel like a ghost sometimes. Most of my friends are dead, with only you three still around from that time. Arawn is an exception. None of them are human like me."
Seiros nodded. "Do you feel as if you are the last of your kind?"
"I was the last of my kind the minute I found myself dumbfounded in the middle of a strategy meeting I had no reason to be in," Ashton replied, "Think about it. There any other people from my world here? Maybe. Maybe Liz and Alex are out there after all, or maybe they died a thousand years ago, without knowing that they weren't alone. And I… I haven't thought about my own father in a long, long time. The entire reason I wanted to find a way back to my own world was because of him."
Seiros nodded along, pulling up a chair right beside Ashton. "I remember it well. You know I searched, Ashton. I could never find anything - even our furthest scouts of the time could not find anything related to traveling between worlds."
"It's not just that," Ashton said quietly. "You remember, I am the experiment of some Agarthan machine god. I'm not even supposed to be here. All that time, from the moment you and I became a couple, to when we traveled to Zanado, to when my group and I rescued you from Enbarr, I thought there had to be some reason I was here. Perhaps the Goddess knew, of course, because I had a dream about her! But maybe it was just that: a dream. Make believe. A way for me to rationalize being here."
Seiros' arm wrapped around Ashton's shoulders, helping to ground him as he continued.
"And I know I've told you all this before," Ashton said, wiping his eyes. "I know I have. But I can't get it outta my mind. It feels like a damned tumor, just sitting in my head and constantly growing. And when I saw Maurice, I couldn't… I guess that was the straw that broke the camel's back."
"I understand," Seiros replied, her voice soft. "One moment, you are calm and composed, and in the next, you are possessed by a fury so strong you no longer feel in control. And when the deed is done, and the world becomes quiet, you realize what you have done."
"I guess we both have problems with that, huh?" Ashton chuckled humorlessly.
"We both have more experience with it than most, I fear," Seiros said, laying her head on Ashton's shoulder. "Such is the way of war."
"Makes sense," Ashton said, leaning his head against Seiros'. "Over a decade of war can't be good for a person, huh? And it's not like either of us had a decent time before then."
"Indeed, but it does not have to be that way in the future," Seiros said, "You feel it, Ashton. We have discussed it before. It will not always be like this. One day, we will be free of this. I will no longer be the archbishop of the Church, or the Saint of legend, but simply Seiros. And you will simply be Ashton."
"Is that even possible?" Ashton asked, looking up toward the roof of the tent. "How? How can we do that?"
Seiros let out a deep breath. "I do not know. But the fact we are both here is a miracle, and perhaps we can perform another?"
"Well, you are a Saint," Ashton pointed out, letting out a more genuine chuckle. "How many miracles have you performed? Two, right? That's what you need to do to become a Saint in my world."
"Mmm. And who judges whether a miracle has been performed or not?" Seiros asked.
Ashton scratched his scalp. "I actually can't remember. Has to be some way, though, obviously, otherwise nobody would be a Saint."
"Your world must be a confusing place, Ashton," Seiros noted.
"Maybe. If I ever go back there, I think I'd stick out like a sore thumb. Have to make sure nobody gets the chance to put my blood under a microscope, I'm not sure what it'd look like with this Crest in me."
Seiros opened her mouth to say something before she closed it with a small 'pop' and turned to the side. "I actually do not know what it would look like. Nobody has tried, or at least, nobody has thought to look. Not that I am surprised, after I…"
Ashton ignored her trailing off and continued. "I like to imagine my white blood cells are tiny dragons, eating whatever virus and bacteria tries to enter my body."
Seiros turned to Ashton with a furrowed brow. "What?"
"Think about it, you gave me your blood," Ashton said, chuckling to himself all the while. "And I haven't gotten sick since you gave me your Crest. Ergo, dragon white blood cells."
"Ashton, you are a strange, strange man," Seiros replied.
Ashton pursed his lips and nodded. "Guilty as charged, I'm afraid."
"I suppose it adds to your charms," Seiros replied, "I am serious, Ashton, some of the things you have said have really made me wonder sometimes."
"Do you find it pleasurable to verbally stab me in the chest like that?" Ashton said, sniffling. "It hurts, Seiros. It hurts right here."
He tapped his bandages before wincing and stopping. "Or maybe that is the feeling of Maurice's claws nearly gutting me. Just a few more scars for the pile, I suppose."
Before Seiros was able to respond, the tent flaps opened up, briefly letting in the light of early morning before two people became visible. One Ashton recognized instantly was Marianne. Her blue hair was loose and messy, but she looked none the worse for wear. And the other was clearly Arawn, his placid expression having returned.
Seiros tilted her head. "My son. And Marianne… what are you doing here?"
A moment later, Ashton noticed the weapon at Marianne's hip. Maurice's sword hung there from a makeshift sheath, while Arawn had the two weapons Ashton fought against Maurice with: the Aurora Hammer and the Axe of Ukonvasara.
Raising a brow, Ashton spoke, "And what's with the weapons? You're not planning on killing us, are you?"
Arawn snorted. "If I wanted you dead, father, I would not make my presence known. And besides, mother is with you; she and I are equals in our true forms."
"I-I just, I wanted to thank you," Marianne stammered out, bowing her head. "I don't know what you were doing out there, but I wouldn't be here right now if it wasn't for you. Thank you."
Ashton waved a hand. "Don't mention it, kid."
"I don't have anything to offer you as a reward, I'm afraid…" Marianne said, looking up.
"Don't worry about that either. Byleth and I will have words later. By the way, make sure you thank him, too," Ashton said, "he was the reason we were there."
"A-ah, I see. Well, thank you again. I will leave now; I have a feeling I walked in on a moment."
Almost as quickly as she had arrived, Marianne was gone. Hopefully, Ashton would have a better, less pressed chance to talk to her. In the meantime, his attention was left solely on Arawn.
"Listen, Arawn, I-!" Ashton began before Arawn interrupted him.
"There is no need to speak of it, father. I see mother has been doing a good job at keeping you from falling apart. Far better than I ever could," he admitted, shrugging. "Besides, I will be gone just as Marianne is as soon as I fulfill this duty."
"Interesting how both of you came in at the same time," Seiros noted.
"I was ambushed," Arawn said, snorting. "I would have preferred to come alone, but she entered at the exact same time I did. There was nothing I could do. Anyway, the point is, I have come to give you something, father."
Arawn stepped forward, unhooking the Aurora Hammer from his back.
"Mother will soon be rejoining us in full on the field of battle," Arawn said, "Am I correct? You put in an order for a suit of armor to be made for you."
Ashton turned to Seiros, who nodded. "Indeed. I am done merely using magic. And if I get what I want from Edelgard, perhaps we could fight side by side for the rest of this war."
"Saint Seiros and her Champion," Arawn sighed, "A champion deserves a champion's weapon. And while you may not be the Champion of old, father, this weapon once belonged to you. It was made for you, and you will no doubt receive more from it than I could ever hope to gain."
Arawn held the hammer out, waiting for Ashton to take it. Ashton stared at it warily for a few moments.
"Are you sure about this?" Ashton asked quietly.
"Very sure. If you are wondering what I will be using, I believe your old friend's axe will suffice. It is a good weapon, even though I do not have the Crest it yearns for. For you, father, this hammer will be far more powerful," Arawn explained.
The hammer laid before Ashton, and while he used it in the fight against Maurice, there was something different about Arawn willingly giving it over. Ashton turned to Seiros one final time to see an encouraging smile on her face and a warm hand on his shoulder. Sighing, Ashton stood up, and grasped the hammer with both hands, but did not take it away.
"You know, when Lycaon gifted me this hammer," Ashton began, "I never thought it would still be there a thousand years later. I suppose I'll take it and smash that machine god's head in, yeah?"
Arawn laughed and Seiros chuckled as Ashton took the hammer into his hands.
They can't really help each other's issues in a way that'd get rid of 'em entirely, but they can give unconditional love to each other, which is definitely appreciated.
See you guys next time!