A/N: This is best going along with the 'Famed Genius' ending for the tactician. There are multiple endings. This is in Eliwood's story.

Lucius: The-Lady-of-Lucius does not own Fire Emblem.

A/N: On with the fic!

"After the Rain"

After the rain...

'I'll see you again... my friend...'

But he hadn't. Never would he, as far as she was concerned. Years ago, she had smiled and bid the young Pharaen Marquess a fond farewell, and she saw tears in his eyes. They had traveled together, she had given them amazing battle advice, and undoubtedly, grown closer than most tacticians had with their soldiers. She had sailed from Elibe on a ship and had settled in a foreign land, but had never planned to go back to Elibe. Never. But now, sitting along, the tactician realized how she missed the company. Flirtatious Sain, invading her personal space, Serious Kent dragging him off and apologizing, talkative Wil, chattering to her when she was upset, sweet little Nils, playing a nice tune for her when she was down, everyone cheering her up so much, now, when she cried, no one was there, when she was lonely, no one was there, never before had she realized that she needed them as much as they needed her, and it tore at her heart to realize it.

It had been a good fifteen years, and now, she had made up her mind, she was going back. Going back if it killed her to go, she would. And she snatched her bag and dug out enough gold for the fare, and headed towards the dock, smiling to herself.

As she walked through the town she had settled in, she realized how much she would miss this place. The dashing young man that so desired to court her, Cedric, the kind hearted lady that was her friend most of the time, oh. She was torn, and before leaving, she looked at the tiny town that stretched out before her.

"Leaving already, Lady?"

"Cedric!"

"I knew you'd go. I always did. But I hoped you'd stay, oh, I hoped so much it shattered me inside... and now, you are going, and all I hoped for.... it was folly."

"...I..." she turned slowly and looked deep into his amber eyes, "I must go. ... I cannot stay."

"I understand, Lady. Pass."

She walked slowly away from him. Once out of eyesight, she ran. Tears streamed from her face as she remembered everything. Indeed, people cared for her here, indeed, no doubt, someone longed to see her there...

Drying her tears, she stepped into the port town of Bagon. Handing the scruffy sailor the fare and stating, "I am going to Elibe, sir." she walked onto the ship, favoring staying on the dock, as opposed to going below deck, at least for a while. She strolled to the edge of the boat and looked over the vast, blue sea, a seemingly endless expanse of water, eventually touching the sky far off...

"Miss?"

She was jerked from her thoughts as she turned to face a sailor, with a king face and considerably cleaner than the pirates back in Elibe. "Yes?"

"You seem troubled, and since, for a while, my duties are done, do you wish to tell me?"

"...Oh. ... I see not any harm in it, yes, I will tell you."

And there, she told the sailor of the fight with Nergal, the company she so longed to return to, and how badly she missed all her friends there.

"That's indeed a tale, miss. Am I to believe it?"

"... No. I suppose you wouldn't... but it is the sole truth and, well, the reason I'm going back."

The sailor left her and returned to other duties, and she spent the rest of the trip on deck, watching the sky. When they dropped anchor for the night, she favored staring at the stars to going below deck. She heard herself singing softly, "After the rain, what will occour, after the rain, it's all just a blur..." She was stunned as a familiar voice picked up the tune.

"After the rain, no one can know, but after the rain, there's the rainbow..."

Turning, she looked at the sailor from earlier, who had sung the final bit of the song. "...You... you're from Elibe?"

"Yes, I am. I believed you, you know, but I acted as though I did not. I knew the truth, honestly. I just wanted to tell you another time, you seemed upset."

She smiled a bit, then looked back over the ocean. "So, I suppose you know all about me?"

"No. Since you disappeared, not many heard even a whisper of the Tactician's name."

"...oh..."

She sighed, and it all fell to silence. She heard the sailor leaving and sighed. "After the rain, I must say I know, after my rain, there is no rainbow..." and a single tear dripped down her cheek, and splattered to the dark waters below.

There is no rainbow.

-=- le finne -=-

A/N: One shot with a gloomy ending.... yay.