"Ninety-eight… ninety-nine… one hundred!" Effie grunted before using the last of her strength to drop the gigantic boulder over her head and shoulders safely onto the ground. "Hah," she dusted her hands off as she took a moment to catch her breath and let her muscles relax, "that should do it."

"I'd say," Ananias said. "If lifting boulders doesn't do it, then I don't know what will."

Effie chuckled at Ananias' rare instance of playful banter. "That's the idea." She then glanced back at the boulder and thoughtfully frowned. "But now that you mention it, maybe it's about time I raise the intensity of my work out a little bit."

Ananias raised an eyebrow in surprise. "Seriously?"

Effie gave him a reassuring smile and nodded. "Yeah. Believe it or not, I've been doing this same routine for a while now, and it's gotten to the point where I'm pretty sure I can do it in my sleep. I think it's about time for a change, don't you think?"

Ananias simply shrug. "Well, I mean, when you put it that way, it makes the decision pretty obvious, doesn't it?"

Effie giggled. "That's the spirit!" She then held her chin thoughtfully and murmured, "Now the only thing left is to figure out what the next step of my training should be."

"How about I give you some of those weights that I got?" Ananias dully suggested. "I hate to admit it, but I'm pretty sure that I ordered a bit too many of them. I could lend you some of them, if you want one."

Effie shook her head. "No, that's okay. You should use them to focus on your own training, and besides, I'm pretty sure lifting weights isn't exactly the step up that I'm looking for."

"Humph," Ananias grunted while folding his arms defensively, "so that's how it is, huh?"

"Aw, don't take it too personally!" Effie replied. "Everyone's got to start somewhere and stick with it, you know? I wouldn't be where I am today if I hadn't vowed to get stronger all those years ago."

"To protect Lady Elise, right?"

Effie nodded. "Yeah."

Ananias looked at her thoughtfully for a moment before asking, "You really are truly dedicated towards her, aren't you?"

Effie gave him a soft smile and nodded. "I am," she said softly. "Lady Elise's smile… nothing gives me greater joy than seeing it and knowing that I can protect it."

"I know what you mean," Ananias replied. "Lady Elise's energy is pretty infectious, isn't it?"

Effie chuckled and nodded. "Yeah. That's why I've got to constantly try and train as hard as I can and do whatever I can to protect her. If anything were to happen to her, I don't know what I, or anyone else in Nohr, would do."

"I get that," Ananias said, "but what about you? What would Lady Elise say if she heard you right now? I mean, I imagine that she values your life just as much as you value hers. What would she say if she were to find out that you were sacrificing such huge chunks of your life and willing to throw the entirety of it all away for her? I doubt that she'd like it too much."

Effie gave him a small, sad, but peaceful smile. "Funny thing is, I'm pretty sure she already knows. I mean, it's not like I'm making an attempt to hide it."

"And she knows that she probably couldn't stop you even if she begged, right?"

Effie frowned dejectedly. "Well, when you put it like that, it makes me sound terrible, but," she gave him a firm and resolute look, "that doesn't matter! As long as it is for Lady Elise's sake, I will do what I must! There's no changing that!"

Ananias let out an exasperated sigh. "So that's how it's going to be, huh?"

Effie raised an eyebrow in surprise. "Huh?"

"Effie," Ananias began, "I know I said that I would stop trying to be your spotter, but now it seems to me that you're in more dire need of a retainer yourself."

Effie let out a small gasp of surprise. "W-Wait, what?"

Ananias crossed his arms as he calmly began to pace around his now stunned and fellow retainer. "Effie… there's no doubt that you're really strong, probably one of the strongest people I've ever met, capable of protecting Lady Elise all on your own if you had to," he then stopped and looked solemnly towards her, "but you're only human, you know? You can block all of the attacks coming to Lady Elise all you want, but eventually, something's got to give. Eventually, one attack is finally going to hit its mark, but the mark isn't going to be her, it'll be you."

"I'm aware of that," Effie solemnly remarked. "And like I said before, I'll be prepared to do it if I have to."

"Yeah? Well… I can't."

Effie's eyes widened in surprise. "What?"

"It's true... that if Lady Elise were to fall in battle, it would be horrible news for everyone, but…," Ananias clenched his fists and shook his head as a very thin frown appeared on his face, "I think you underestimate how powerful your death would be if you were to die instead." Ananias averted his eyes to the side and continued, "Everybody would be crushed, Lady Elise especially."

Effie frowned. "…."

"You constantly act as if being Lady Elise's protector and retainer is all that matters, but in all honesty, that couldn't be further from the truth. While Lady Elise's presence and energy is definitely intoxicating and infectious, yours is extremely calming and reassuring."

"Do… do you mean that?" Effie asked, clutching her heart and looking down at the ground as she did.

Ananias nodded. "Yeah, I do. When Lady Elise smiles, she lights up the entire room… and everybody's hearts, but when you smile, it's as if you're reassuring everyone that everything will be okay in the end. And I would hate to imagine a world in which a smile such as that is taken away from us, so with all due respect, if you won't protect that smile of yours, then I plan on protecting it for you."

Effie was trapped in stunned and astonished silence for a moment before giving Ananias one of the very smiles Ananias had just described. "Wow, Ananias, I'm flattered. To think that you thought about me that way… I'm honestly at a loss for words right now."

Ananias blushed a bit before scratching the back of his head and replying, "W-Well…."

"And after hearing all of that, I can definitely understand why you were so adamant on being my spotter."

Ananias' eyes widened in surprise. "H-Huh?"

"It's because you were concerned for me, wasn't it? More than two retainers normally would, right?"

Ananias gulped nervously. "U-Um… well…."

Effie lightheartedly chuckled. "Well, since you were so forward about your feelings for me, it's only fair that I do the same."

"W-What?"

"To tell you the truth… your smile isn't too bad either."

Ananias blushed even harder at this. "S-Since when have you ever seen me smile?" he quietly demanded.

"When you were finally able to lift that bolder," Effie nonchalantly answered.

Ananias' eyes widened in surprise. "Wait… what?!"

Effie nodded. "Yeah. For a moment, you were acting like such a little kid, being so proud of yourself and all. It was actually kind of cute."

"C-Cute?"

Effie nodded. "Yep. Cute enough to protect even."

Ananias was stunned silent for a moment before asking, "Um… no offense, but… are you trying to… come onto me right now?"

"Huh?" Effie said with a genuinely surprised look on her face. "But weren't you just trying to do the same thing to me just a few moments ago?"

"W-Well, I…."

"S-Sorry, did I end up reading too into it?"

"N-No! I mean, I kind of was, but…."

"And here I was, thinking that you actually had feelings for me or something."

"I… well, I DO."

"… Really?"

Ananias nodded. "Y-Yeah, I just…," he sheepishly scratched the back of his head, "I didn't expect things to go this fast, you know? I thought I'd have to kind of work for it a bit more. I didn't think that you'd figure me out this quickly."

"I mean, you were kind of laying it on a bit thick with that whole protecting-your-smile-thing," Effie pointed out.

"I… I guess I kind of was, huh?" The two of them were silent for a moment before Effie burst out laughing, causing Ananias to embarrassingly blush in response. "H-Hey! Don't laugh!"

"I'm sorry!" Effie attempted to say despite herself. "But… you really are just too adorable sometimes, you know that, right?"

"Y-Yeah, well," Ananias racked his brain in an attempt to make any sort of comeback against her, "you're surprisingly beautiful and delicate looking despite how strong you are, you know?!"

"Oh!" It was now Effie's turn to blush. "D-Do you really mean that?"

Ananias blushed just as intensely at the impulsive blunder he had just made against himself. "Um… well… yeah, I do."

"…."

"…."

"… Heh heh."

"… Pfft."

"Ha ha ha!"

"Pffffft!"

"W-Why are you trying to hold it in like that?" Effie questioned as she wiped the tears of laugher away from the corner of her eyes.

"S-Shut up! I've… I've got a little bit of a reputation to uphold around here, alright?!"

"Bwah ha ha! That is so stupid!"

"S-Shut up! It's not that funny!"

"It kind of is!"

The two of them kept laughing uncontrollably for a moment before a calmed down Ananias looked toward Effie with such bliss and rapture before asking, "So, um, I know that this isn't exactly the most romantic time, but… do you… want to get married?"

Effie let out a surprised gasp and stared at Ananias in shock for a moment before smiling sweetly at him, nodding, and saying, "Sure, why not? We'll protect Lady Elise together."

"While also protecting each other."

Effie then grabbed Ananias' arm, pulled him toward her, laid her head against his shoulder, and whispered, "And that way, everyone can be happy."

Ananias smiled. "Couldn't have said it better myself."

Ending: Ananias and Effie

Ananias continued with his humble life as a messenger almost immediately after the war had ended, his home being the only guaranteed place anyone looking for him could find him. Effie retired after getting married, but she and Elise remained best friends for the rest of their lives.

Author's Note: Sorry for the long wait! I hope this support made the wait worth it! Next supports will be Female Corrin followed by Benny, Anna, Ophelia, Camilla, Gunther, Setsuna, Kanna, Selena, Beruka, Xander, Azura, Flora, Odin, Laslow, Rinkah, Arthur, Silas, and Leo. Got someone you want to support with Ananias? Request it. Remember, all Nohr first generation characters, Soliel, Ophelia, Anna, Kanna, Rinkah, Subaki, and Setsuna are allowed to support with him as well and it is a first come, first serve system.