Final chappy!

Hector woke once more to the sound of screaming. Everything was pitch black, even with his eyes open. He opened his mouth to yell, but remembered he couldn't speak. He lay there listening to the fighting. He strained his ears to listen. Yes, it was fighting.

A reddish glow illuminated the tent. He noticed that the sounds were becoming fainter. He guessed the battle was moving further away. A bolt of fear shot through him. What if that glow was from an enemy?? And here he was, defenseless and alone.

He squeezed his eyes shut in fear of that possibility.

The intruder stood next to the bed, torch in hand, looking at the young lord.

"Hector, is that any way to greet your brother?" Hector opened his eyes, he was thankful his vision had returned, although a slight bit fuzzy. He could finally see Uther, and was happy. Finally a face he knew really well. "Can you talk yet??" Hector again tried his voice, to no avail. Uther gently slid one arm under Hector's shoulders and the other under his knees and lifted him. "Have you gained weight??" Hector glared at him. "OK, ok, I'll be nice." Uther turned and with that left the tent to rendezvous with Mark outside of Ostia.

Hector was lucky enough to be able to see his surroundings. There were dead bandits and soldiers everywhere. Uther answered Hector's question, without it even being asked.

"The Black Fang came at night, we weren't prepared. The castle has fallen. They've one. The only thing we can do now is escape, and hope to get away with out lives." Hector sighed. They had lost to a surprise attack. Ostia was taken, now all of Lycia would fall to the Black Fang. Hector gazed back at Uther who seemed to be staring intently at something to the left that Hector was unable to see. "Mark said we could pass behind the Black Fang troops, but there's more of them then we thought. I hope we can make it without being seen." He walked in between the trees. He would often stop, assess their situation and continue on. Hector held his breath when Uther stopped, he was afraid even his silent breathing would attract the enemy.

--

Mark paced the ground nervously. Every person that passed by he would stop and ask if they had seen Uther and Hector. Every time it was the same answer. He had sent out Marcus alone to find them. Lyn walked up to him and placed her hand on his shoulder.

"They'll be here." Mark nodded.

"I hope nothing has happened. After Eliwood and Oswin...."

"I know, you're plan failed. But it doesn't fail often... that was just unluckyness. You do a wonderful job as a tactician. Without you we wouldn't be here." Lyn tried to sound cheerful to help Mark, but it was the opposite of her mood. She was still grieving for Eliwood and Oswin. She felt bad about Hector too.

"Without me Eliwood and Oswin would still be alive. I'm a horrible tactician."

"Nonsense. But I still say Sain or Kent should have gone with Marcus."

"See, even you can see my mistakes."

"Don't be so hard on yourself." Lyn sighed inwardly and strode away to check up on Florina. Mark shook his head.

"I really don't want to be responsible for the deaths of Marquess Ostia and the only heir to the throne of Ostia. Hector, Uther, you had better come back alive." Mark walked away, wallowing in despair.

--

Speaking about Hector and Uther, the two were still heading towards the rendezvous point, sneaking through one of the many clearings that left you completely open to an assault.

Hector noticed they had stopped moving. He moved his head to try to see why. When this tactic had proven itself useless he looked up at his brother. He seemed to be squinting at something.

"It'll be back." He put Hector down in the grass and disappeared out of his line of vision.

Hector strained to listen for the shuffling noises that would signal his return, but it would be a long while before he heard them again.

--

Uther stopped in front of the tree, looking at the body strapped to it. A horse lay mangled not far away, by the looks of it, it was the owner of the horse who was strapped to the tree. The owner was naked and savagely beaten. Uther closed his eyes and looked away. He cursed bitterly and asked himself why the bandits had to be so damn savage with their victims. The only reason the kill wounded him so was because he knew the paladin. He knew he couldn't just leave him there. He fingered the ropes carefully and untied them. With a certain miserable sadness he lay the man next to the horse. Removing the bloody covering from the horse he lay it on it's owner. Before the cloth fell he caught sight of the wounds. The skin on the arms was torn savagely by claws, his chest was littered with stab wounds. His stomach was, oddly, untouched. Bite marks littered his neck and Uther thought he was going to be sick. Had they gone that far?? He had been whipped, obviously, and his face had been adorned with several well-placed gashes. Uther's hand fingered the scar on his face nervously, he could still remember the white hot pain of the blade, and the warm blood streaming out. He could hear Hector's screams when he fell, hands on his face, his mind reeling in agony.

Uther stood and prayed silently for the man. He felt the sting of tears threatening to well over and cursed his emotions. How he wished he was as strong as Hector! He turned on his heels and ran back to where he had hid Hector, hoping the bandits had not gained to much on them.

--

Hector opened his eyes to see Uther picking him up once more. Hector wanted to ask what was wrong; he looked upset.

"Marcus is dead." Hector sighed. His mind turned back to Eliwood's dead body, the pale prince lying dead in his arms, skin a pale, eery white. Uther started walking again, deject. Hector wondered how much longer they'd be wandering the forest and secretly hoped they were close to the rendezvous point.

Uther walked one step after the other, walking over branches and roots all the while watching his little brother who seemed to be resting in his arms. He was snapped away from his thoughts by an arrow whizzing by.

"They found us!" Uther broke into a run in the general direction of the rendezvous point, hoping to avoid the advancing archers. "Maybe we can catch the road, it would be easier." Hector nodded despite his paralysis.

The archers let loose many arrows, and Uther did his best to avoid them. He was successful until one planted itself into his arm. He dropped Hector for a moment and removed it, only to find arrows raining down on them. Luckily none hit their mark. Uther picked up Hector once more and continued towards the road.

"Not much further now, I can see the break in the trees!" Uther ran onto the road. All relief left him as his eyes fell on the cavaliers blocking the roadway. "Ah shit. Hector, I don't know what to say besides we're dead." Hector squeezed his arm reassuringly. Uther re-found his lust for life and ran across the road, narrowly missing the lance of the cavalier. He couldn't let Hector down, after all.

He jumped down the slight ravine and ran forward, missing the trees and arrows along the way. They were extremely lucky, all the shots had missed their mark.

Thick for rolled in, reducing Uther's vision to a few feet. Ignoring his better judgment he continued running. The fog mad him loose his bearings thus he was south of Ostia and not east. If he would have known he could have avoided the steep hill in front of him. Sadly he couldn't, and the brothers found themselves tumbling down into the trees.

--

Hector again regained his consciousness. His view of the fall came to mind; the fall, the helplessness and the darkness.

His eyes shot open when he heard the horse neigh. He watched as the paladin drove his lance into Uther's back, the latter screamaing as the weapon embedded itself into his flesh, tearing and breaking everything in it's path. Hector wanted to scream, or die. He didn't care which one, he just didn't want to watch. The paladin repeated the move much to Hector's horror and he heard the sickening crack of bones being crushed.

Uther's eyes fell on Hector laying there helpless and wished he could do something to let Hector avoid this fate. He winced as the lance delved once more and caused more burning pain. He let his head fall helplessly, he could no longer support it. His eyes began to close against his will. The lance fell a third time, at least he thought it did.

Against everything he did to avoid it, Uther's mind reeled as he gave into the horrid darkness that was death. His last thought was of his little brother lying there defenseless. He wished he could have told him he loved him, to comfort him and tell him it was ok., that death was something unavoidable, unstoppable. But he couldn't reach him now. Hector was alone.

Hector watched Uther's eyes close. He narrowed his eyes to make it seem like he was dead. The clopping of the hoofs on the gravel caught his attention. The panic he was suppressing suddenly flared up again and he opened his eyes unwillingly. The paladin was string at him, grinning.

"Ah, I see you are alive. I was going to leave you there, but now that I see you're alive I will kill you much like I did your brother." Hector glared at the paladin, he would oppose him to the end. "Goodbye, little lord Hector." With the final word the paladin lifted his lance and drove it against Hector's armor. It penetrated simply and tore the flesh, finding his rib cage and then his lung. Hector screamed in agony. Too bad his voice came back a little too late. He felt the lance remove itself from his torn torso. The paladin drove the lance into his chest once more. He smiled sadistically as Hector face twisted, he relished killing people, especially helpless children.

--

Hector woke up to a flame haired man observing him, his blue eyes shining in the sunlight.

"Eliwood!!" Hector jumped to his feet, able to move again.

"Hector." Eliwood nodded with a smile on his face.

"Wait... this can't be.... you're dead, I saw you die!"

"You did. Hector, I know this is hard to hear, but you're also dead. That paladin killed you and your brother, as you know." Hector nodded solemnly.

"So, is this heaven?"

"No, the place in between. We're still in the living world, but...."

"We're ghosts?"

"Perhaps, you could call it that. No one can see us, we have no physical or mental form. We do not exist, yet we do."

"Stop, you're confusing me. This feels so weird. It's like my whole body is made of air. I feel so... light." Eliwood grinned.

"I know. So, what shall we do now?" Hector smiled as an idea formed in his head.

"Can I.... no, never mind, it's a silly idea...."

"Let me hear it. Oh, just so you know you can do this, I saw my father and your parents earlier while I was waiting for you."

"Mom and dad? Really?! Wait, you were waiting for me?"

"Mm." Eliwood looked somber. His eyes clouded over with sadness and his features dimmed. He took in a deep breath, readying himself for the long explanation he was going to have to give. But for now, he just wanted to see Hector happy, to see the upside of being dead.

"Can I see my parents and Uther??"

"Sure, let's go." Hector followed Eliwood onto the field and the two faded into nothingness. Not a trace was left of the young lords, save a legacy and memories left forever in their friends and families' hearts.

C'est la fin
SniperR: Well, there we go! Story over!

Hector: O.O

Eliwood: O.O

Marcus: O.O Nooooooo!!!!

Oswin: O.O

Uther: O.O Hey!!! I can't die I'm the Marquess!!!

SnierR: Ah forget you!! I hate you anyway, you made me go to that damned desert when I wanted to go to Bern in the opposite direction. I HATE YOU!!!

Uther: But-

SniperR: NO!!! Hector, get the anthill ready.

Hector: Do I have to?

SniperR: Yes. Well, that's that. Seeya! thanks for reading, you nice wonderful people. And if you're wondering C'est la fin means It's the end Yes, I am french, yes I can speak french fluently, I sure hope I can, I go to a french shool after all! O.O Little too much info... So: Aurevoir les gentil personnes qui vont laisser des mesages en me demandant ce que cette phrase veut dire!
LOL!!!!