Chris: Well, here's the next chapter! What will happen with Rachel now? You'll be able to see it! And read it! So, onward, faithful readers!


Chapter 4: Endless Spirit

"There it is. Dragon's Gate…" Theo breathed as he looked at the marvelous ruins in front of them, Even though it was worn with age, there still seemed to be some magical power that surrounded the ivy-covered stones. He flashed a reassuring grin towards Eliwood and Hector, flipping both of them a thumbs up. "All right! Let's go get your father, Eliwood!"

"Right!" Eliwood gripped the hilt of his sword tighter, preparing himself to rush inside the ruins to save his father. He dashed towards the cavernous entrance to the ruins, his bright blue eyes shining with determination as he crossed the threshold.

A javelin flew out of nowhere and clattered to the stones at his feet. Eliwood stopped suddenly, drawing his sword and holding it cautiously in front of him. "Who's there? Show yourself!"

"You cannot be allowed to be. No one can disturb my master, Nergal." A woman holding a spear walked in front of him, her dull green eyes gazing out at the assembled army. Her wheat-blond hair fell in messy ringlets that framed her face and she seemed to not notice anything else besides the army that stood in front of her. "You will all have to die."

"Rachel!" Fiora cried out from the air, spotting the pegasus knight from the skies. She immediately directed her pegasus downwards and dismounted, staring at Rachel in disbelief. "What are you doing? Why are you protecting Nergal?"

"He is my master. It is a servant's duty to protect her master." Rachel said tonelessly as her eyes flicked towards Fiora. She snapped her fingers once and suddenly the army was surrounded by troops from all sides. Eliwood grimaced and took a step backwards, his sword positioned diagonally in front of his body. He cast a worried look at the rest of his army. He, Hector, Lyn, Theo, and Fiora were currently surrounded by enemy soldiers while the rest of his troops were outside of the ring, desperately trying to find some way in.

Theo brought out his own sword, holding it unsteadily in front of him. It was a simple blade, one that matched the simple techniques of the wielder. He cast a quick look at Fiora before returning his attention back at Rachel. "I bet you anything that the bastard, Nergal, changed her into this unthinking machine."

"Ah, how astute." Nergal warped into the scene, appearing behind Rachel and enfolding the mindless knight within his robes. He gave a little chuckle and slowly ran a gloved finger across Rachel's neck, causing Theo and Fiora to shout at him angrily. Nergal ignored them and continued running a finger across Rachel's jawbone, smiling to himself as he saw that the knight didn't resist in any way. "Your friend truly is a lovely specimen, isn't she? She would have made a great morph if I didn't find it so entertaining to torture you all like this."

"Let her go!" Theo shouted.

"Ah, ah…Don't get ahead of yourself." Nergal said, smiling knowingly. He released Rachel from his grip and bowed mockingly to the assembled troops. "Anyway, I require some more time before I can fully appreciate your arrival, so Rachel will just have to attend to you. Rachel!" Nergal's smile grew darker and turned into a smirk. "Kill them all."

"At once, milord." Rachel said as Nergal warped away. "Soldiers, attack!"

The units that surrounded Eliwood and his friends charged, attacking in an orderly and frighteningly silent approach. Rachel watched from behind the horde, a placid smile on her face as she watched the battle unfold. Hector scored the first kill, his axe biting deep into a soldier's helm. He quickly yanked it out, cursing at the unnaturalness of their foes.

"Why don't they say anything?" Hector shouted. "This is creeping me out!" He swung his axe hard at another soldier, busting through the flimsy wooden shield and slicing off the arm that was holding the tattered remains.

"I don't know…" Theo grunted, raising his sword to parry a slash aimed at his neck. "But I know there's something unnatural about these troops."

"Enough talking! We have to get to Nergal!" Eliwood shouted, running his sword through the gap between his enemy's helm and breastplate. The lord grimaced as another soldier rose up in front of him. He swung his sword angrily, annoyed at the delay that prevented him from reaching his father.

"Hold on! We're coming!" Matthew shouted as he flipped over his enemy and threw his dagger backwards, piercing the neck. "Last for a little longer! And watch out for Raven! He's coming from your left!"

"Left! Got it!" Theo grunted as a lance thrust grazed his side, ripping through his robes and causing an angry, red gash to appear. He involuntarily fell to one knee, unused to the pain of combat. He frantically swung his sword at his opponent in a futile hope to drive him off, but to no avail as the soldier simply dodged his inaccurate strike and brought his lance down for a killing thrust. Before it could connect, however, a javelin flew from the sky and struck the soldier in the chest. Theo gave a grateful glance at Fiora before rising to his knees and continuing the battle.

Eventually, Eliwood's outside forces managed to pierce the outer circle of units and join up with Eliwood and the others. It was only a matter of minutes before only Rachel remained, the same smile on her face. The knight stepped forward, holding her lance in front of her and waiting for one of the assembled soldiers to attack. Eliwood and Hector exchanged glances before rushing at her, attempting to coordinate their attacks in order to catch her off guard.

"Wait! She's enchanted somehow! Don't attack!" Theo shouted, but his warning was in vain. Eliwood attacked first, a quick thrust that caused Rachel to sidestep right in the path of Hector's axe. However, Rachel flipped over Hector's axe and brought the wooden haft of her lance cracking against Hector's left shoulder. It was only because of his armor that the lord didn't suffer a dislocated shoulder. Even so, Hector's left arm was growing numb and he retreated, staring amazedly at Rachel.

"How can she do that? She can't be that strong." Hector asked incredulously.

"I told you! She must have been powered up by Nergal somehow. I don't think there is anyway to remove the enchantment. It probably has to do with the reason why she's acting like a mindless puppet." Theo said. "Let me give it a shot."

"What?" Hector's eyes widened. "You're a tactician! You're definitely not qualified for this kind of stuff!"

"Oh…Right…" Theo flushed self-consciously. "I forgot for a moment. Anyway, since it appears that Rachel won't move unless we make an attempt to get past her or attack her, let's see what we can do for a plan. Obviously, she's fast enough to avoid most conventional attacks. Hector, I hate to say it, but I think you're out of the battle for now."

Hector looked away, grumbling angrily to himself but admitting that he wasn't in the best shape to fight. "Fine, fine. But if you look like you're in trouble, I'm not going to ask your permission to enter the fray."

"Thanks." Theo looked at Rachel and shook his head. "I'm confused as to why she hasn't gone airborne yet. It would obviously provide her with a huge tactical advantage, yet she doesn't move a muscle."

"Maybe she's afraid we'll get past her while she's in the air?" Lyn offered, but Theo shook his head.

"No. That can't be right. It would be easy to intercept us. No…She's holding back. She's toying with us. I know it." Theo grimaced angrily. "I hate that. Okay, here's the plan. Eliwood, attack from her left. Don't try to land any large hits. Just try to land something. Lyn, the moment her attention is diverted to Eliwood, you charge in from the right."

"But I tried that and it still didn't work!" Hector protested.

"Shhhh!" Theo hissed. "She might be mindless, but I still think she can hear us. Now, I'm changing it a little. I want Raven to go through the middle and Fiora will waiting to intercept her from behind. Hopefully, catching her in the net will be able to let us defeat her." He looked uncertain for a moment. "If you can, don't kill her. I want to speak to her first."

"You're the tactician." Hector shrugged. "Anyway, good luck everyone!"

Theo nodded at Eliwood and the red-haired lord began his attack, using his rapier to make quick thrusts that made Rachel keep moving to avoid any injuries. In a flash, Lyn was at Rachel's other side, drawing her blessed sword and cleaving downwards. Rachel used her lance to deflect Lyn's katana while continuously avoiding Eliwood attacks. Theo motioned to Raven, who let out a battle cry as he swung an axe at Rachel's lance, intending snap it in half. Rachel just smiled again and jumped backwards, where Fiora swooped down on her pegasus to spear Rachel on her lance. Rachel flipped over Fiora's head in an astounding feat of acrobatics, not letting out a sound. Theo looked on amazedly as Rachel vaulted on her pegasus, already set for battle.

"W-What?" Theo said, stunned that Rachel had been able to avoid every single attack that had been launched her way. "That can't be right…"

"Theo! Watch out!"

"Huh?" Theo looked upwards to see Rachel swooping down on him, a fierce grin on her face. He knew there was no way he would be able to avoid the strike, so at the last second, he managed to twist away to avoid the main brunt of the attack. Instead of plunging through his stomach, the lance pierced his shoulder, causing him to let out an agonized yell and fall to the ground.

"Priscilla! Serra!" Hector shouted, calling the two healers to his side. "Heal Theo! Now!"

Rachel had turned her pegasus around to attack Theo once again. Smiling wickedly, she positioned her lance so that it would strike straight through his heart. She flew downwards, ignoring everything around her besides the writhing man on the ground. That single-mindedness was her downfall as she didn't realize that Fiora had slowly been maneuvering on an intercept course. Thus, it was a great surprise when the teal-haired pegasus knight appeared in front of her.

"Rachel! Stop!" Fiora cried out, aiming her lance at Rachel's heart.

Suddenly, Rachel's head snapped upwards and her eyes regained their normal brightness. Her lance fell out of her nerveless hands as she saw Fiora charging at her and Rachel screamed, "Fiora!"

The shock was enough to jar Fiora's aim so that her spear lanced through Rachel's left arm and knocked Rachel off of her mount. The blond-haired knight crashed into the stones, coughing up blood as feeling flooded back through her limbs. She took in a deep breath of air, crying silently as her blood slowly leaked out of her wounds.

"Priscilla…" Theo coughed harshly, blood flecking his lips. "Please, you must heal her. She's just been controlled by Nergal. She didn't mean to do any of this."

Priscilla nodded and ran to Rachel's side. The healer softly placed the healing gem at the tip of her staff on Rachel's bleeding arm, causing the knight to let out a cry of pain. Murmuring a prayer, the gem glowed with a faint blue light and the wound on Rachel's arm closed. The knight calmed slightly as she took in another deep breath, shuddering slightly.

"Phew…" Theo staggered to his feet, clutching at his healed arm, which still ached with pain. "Thanks Serra."

"No problem!"

"Thank Elimine that we're finished here. Come on, Dragon's Gate is waiting." Theo turned to Eliwood. "Nergal certainly would have used the time that Rachel has given him. We'd better hurry." He looked back at Rachel and her pegasus, who was worriedly nosing Rachel's side. "I'll take care of those two. The rest of you go on ahead. Hurry! We don't have much time!"

"Right! Come on, Hector, Lyn!" Eliwood said, motioning to the two other lords. "Let's rescue my father!"

The rest of the army followed Eliwood into the ruins, except for Fiora, who was staring at Rachel's body in horror. Small tears were forming at the edges of her eyes and she couldn't say anything. The teal-haired commander slowly dismounted her pegasus, walking towards Rachel in a slight daze. Theo joined her and placed a compassionate hand on Fiora's shoulder.

"Don't worry. Priscilla's a good healer. Rachel will be just fine. She's just tired."

"I…I know that." Fiora whispered. "B-But…I did that. I nearly killed one of my friends. I never thought that…that somehow, I would actually try to kill her. Even when we fought earlier, I wasn't trying to kill her. But now…But I actually tried! I nearly killed her!" She turned to Theo, her eyes wide and shaking.

"…There was no stopping it. You were doing what you thought was best, protecting a friend from imminent danger. Besides, during that time, Rachel wasn't herself. She was under the control of Nergal's spell. In a way, you could think that you saved Rachel. If you hadn't tried to kill her, she might still be under the control of Nergal."

"T-Thanks!" Fiora snapped chokingly. "That really makes me feel better!"

Theo sighed. "I'm sorry…That was a callous thing to say. But you have to remember. You didn't kill Rachel. At the last second, you changed the direction of your strike to hit her in the arm."

"B-But I didn't…"

"You changed your aim to hit Rachel in the arm." Theo said sternly. "That's what it looked like and that's how it will be. Now, come on. We have to get her to the infirmary tent that Merlinus will undoubtedly set up. You can get her pegasus. I can't handle animals very well. I'll carry Rachel on my back."

"Are you sure that will be okay?" Fiora asked, her rational nature coming back to her as she slowly recovered from the shock. "You were just injured."

"I can handle it." Theo scoffed. He looked down at Rachel and paused, his hands held out in awkward positions. "Wait…How am I supposed to grab her?"

"Let me show you." Fiora chuckled briefly and helped Theo lift the unconscious girl on his shoulders. As they walked back towards the others, Fiora gave Theo a grateful glance. "By the way, thanks."

Theo smiled back. "No problem."

---

The first thing that Rachel felt was an intense throbbing through her left arm. Groaning slightly, she opened her eyes and looked around, taking in the new sights. 'Where am I?'

Rachel leaned forward on her bed, pushing back the plain white blankets that covered her body. Her surroundings were different, new, with some sort of aura that made her feel at peace. 'Obviously, someone rescued me…But who?' She tossed off the blankets and stood, feeling slightly refreshed.

"Ah, so you're awake."

"Huh?" Rachel turned to the voice and saw the flap of the tent open, admitting a brown-haired man of normal height. He smiled when he saw her and motioned to a couple of wooden stools nearby. Sitting down on one, he gazed at her with interested blue eyes.

"Theo, was it?"

"Ah, you remember my name!" Theo's smile widened slightly as he motioned to the seat again. "Please, take a seat. Don't worry. I won't do anything to harm you. I believe that last time, I actually tried to stop you from doing something foolish."

Rachel blushed, embarrassed. "I'm sorry. I just thought…"

"Yeah, well, don't think of doing anything stupid like that again." Theo said sternly, his eyes narrowing slightly. "Anyway, I'm glad to see that we're pretty much in tip-top condition."

"We are?" Rachel asked quizzically.

"Oh, I meant you are." Theo chuckled. "I'm sorry about that."

"Hey, don't you have a battle to conduct or something?" Rachel asked.

"Oh, that…" Theo shrugged. "Actually, by now, Eliwood and the others know enough about tactics that they practically don't need me out on the field anymore. I draw out the basic plan and everyone else improvises for changing situations. Obviously not the most complex of plans, but so far it's worked out to my advantage." He raised an eyebrow. "But if you want me to leave, I certainly can."

Rachel shook her head. "No…No, I'd like you to stay. I haven't talked to someone so…earnest in a while. Not including my friends from Ilia…"

"Well, okay. What do you want to talk about, then?" Theo said.

"Can you tell me…why you seemed so adamant when you told me not to return to Nergal? It's puzzling. Nobody has reacted that strongly to me before. I'm just a mercenary. There's plenty of others like me. Why should you care?"

Theo shook his head. "That's where you're wrong. There's only one Rachel that I know and that's you. No matter who you are, how low or high you may be, you are irreplaceable. I cannot find another knight who would go so willingly to her death on the concept of honor. Sure, I wouldn't doubt for a second that Fiora or Florina would do so, but there seems to be some other angle that you're getting at. The reason you're fighting is more…personal, right?"

Rachel started in surprise and looked at Theo. "How'd you know that?"

"It just seems to be the way you carry yourself. I don't know, just call it a hunch. I'm usually good with those." Theo shrugged, blushing slightly. "Anyway, if you don't mind, would you tell me why you fight?"

"Well…" Rachel looked thoughtful. "Half of the reason is Fiora. She's always been an inspiration to me…I've always looked on her as a sort of hero, I guess. When I grew up, my parents would tell me all about her and her adventures to help save Ilia. When I grew up, I joined the Knights so I could be just like her. The other half is for my brother, Samuel. He recently got sick and I've been trying to scrape up the money to get him healed. He's the only family I have left…" Rachel murmured.

"But why am I telling you that?" She laughed awkwardly. "Surely you aren't interested in my affairs."

"Actually, I'm quite interested." Theo replied. "Such loyalty…Such loyalty to country and family. It usually can only be found in the hearts of heroes such as Eliwood, Hector, and Lyn. Utter dedication to others, ignoring whatever may happen to yourself." He quirked a small smile. "That's really admirable, Rachel…I really like that."

"O-Oh…Thanks…" Rachel said. "Um…What about you? Why are you still fighting?"

"I don't know actually…" Theo scratched at the back of his head. "I guess it's just because I have to. I mean, I guess there's no specific reason. It just feels right. Another one of my hunches, I guess."

"Theo?" Rachel's voice was soft, confused.

"Hmmm?" Theo looked up and saw that Rachel was leaning closer to him. "What is it, Rachel?"

"Why? …I've always wondered…Why do people do the things they do? Why do I continue living in Ilia, even though I've always wanted to leave? Why do people fight? I don't know why, Theo. Can you tell me?"

"…I don't know myself…" Theo replied. "It's just something in the human mind…Something that demands victory, dominance. Why would you live in Ilia, other than to prove that it's possible? Why do you fight, other than to show that you are stronger than someone else? Human instinct to feel superior, I guess." Theo laughed lightly. "We always wanted to prove we were better than the common animal."

"And why…? Why do people fall in love?" Rachel's voice had dipped lower and Theo had to strain to hear her voice. "Why do I feel like holding you? Why do I feel like never letting you leave my sight? Why do I feel like I need to stay with you forever?"

"R-Rachel…" Theo stammered, caught off guard by her question. He felt Rachel's hands clasp his shoulders and he felt the heat rush up to his cheeks. "Rachel…"

"Please…answer me. We've only met…And we've only talked to each other twice? Why do I feel this way?" Rachel got off of her chair and slowly moved towards Theo, pulling the tactician closer to her.

"I…" Theo gulped. "I don't know…But I know that I don't want to lose you. I know that…that I found your courage and dedication so…beautiful."

"Why…?" Rachel whispered one last time. Not giving Theo a chance to answer, she softly placed her lips on his, moving her hands from his shoulders to the middle of his back. Theo closed his eyes, savoring the kiss. He ran a hand through her tangled, wheat-blond hair, simply relishing the sensations that ran through his body. He wanted the feeling to last forever, but eventually they had to separate.

"U-Um…" Theo blushed heavily. "I…I have to get back to Eliwood. I'll be back. Just…Just stay here and don't do anything dangerous, okay?" He smiled briefly. "I still want to see you when I return." He dashed out of the tent, his face still as red as a ripe tomato. Rachel watched him leave, a disappointed smile on her face.

"Bye Theo…It was nice meeting you. But…I can't ever forget my anger, my rage. I…I'm sorry…" Rachel ran out of the tent, searching for her trusted lance. She didn't want to betray Theo's trust like this, but she could never truly rest until she saw that Nergal was dead and that she had done something to do make him suffer. Rachel spotted a javelin lying on a cluster of weapons. She quickly picked it up and raced towards the Dragon's Gate. Her work wasn't finished yet.

---

"Nergal, you bastard!" Eliwood shouted as he faced the triumphant druid. "Stop your evil schemes!"

"Like you can tell me what to do!" Nergal laughed again. "Besides, since you were so kind to deliver Ninian to me, I think I should allow you to witness the power you have just unleashed! Ninian! Open the Dragon's Gate!"

"NO!" Eliwood shouted, but the dancer paid no attention to him. Ninian slowly walked towards the Dragon's Gate, her blood-eyes faded and dull. Hector didn't wait for Ninian to wake up from the spell. He simply raised his axe and charged at Nergal, reasoning that the simple solutions were often the best.

"Jaffar!" Nergal shouted.

Hector stopped his charge when a black-cloaked man dropped in front of him, holding a pair of bloody daggers in his hands. Hector's expression grew furious as he saw the dripping blood on the dagger blades. He raised his axe again, his eyes blazing with hatred. "You killed Leila!"

"No, you musn't!"

"Father!" Eliwood turned at the voice to his father, Lord Elbert, run up to them. Elbert shook his head rapidly at Hector.

"Don't! He is too skilled for you now! Hector, retreat!"

"Grrr…" Hector backed away slightly, still holding his axe out in front of him. "Then what do we do? We can't allow him to open the gate!"

"You have no choice, boy!" Nergal shouted. "Ninian! Enough waiting! Open the gate!"

"Yes…Master…" Ninian whispered as she looked at the gate, a towering stone arch decorated with carvings of various creatures. She opened her arms wide and began speaking. "Children of the flame…Come to me…Heed the call…"

An orange light sparked in the center of the gate, slowly spiraling in a huge circle that slowly overtook the whole opening. Huge roars erupted from the gate and the lords were pushed back by the sound alone. Eliwood put an arm above his eyes, squinting at the blinding light that was erupting in front of him.

"No! We can't let him succeed!"

"There has to be something we can do!" Theo looked around wildly, trying to piece together a reasonable plan in the time they had left. "Somebody must stop Nergal's spell! I'm certain any wound will interrupt the spell and allow Ninian to snap out of it!"

"Nergal!" A loud, confident voice echoed through the halls, overcoming the ferocious roars of the dragons for a moment.

Theo felt his heart plummet and he turned. "No, Rachel! What are you doing? I told you to stay behind!"

"I'm sorry, Theo…" Rachel offered a heartbroken smile before returning her attention back towards Nergal. "Nergal! This is where you pay for your treachery to my friends!" She hefted the javelin she held her hands and smiled. "Revenge!" She did a quick hop-skip and threw the weapon with all of her might. Nergal quickly dodged out of the way, feeling the javelin rip through his robes. His eyes narrowed and he pointed at her.

"Jaffar! Kill her!"

Like a flash, the assassin disappeared, only to reappear behind the knight. Before anyone could react, one of Jaffar's arms was wrapped around Rachel's neck and he had lifted her into the air. With one quick thrust, he plunged a dagger through her back, straight to her heart.

Rachel gasped, feeling something burst inside of her body. She could dimly feel the pain, but other than that, nothing. There were no sounds, no sights…just a calming darkness. She felt her whole body grow cold and she knew that this time, she was truly going to die. 'I'm sorry, Theo…'

Jaffar released her. Rachel was dead before her body hit the ground.

---

"NO!" Theo let out an agonized scream as he saw Rachel's body fall to the ground. "NO!" He sank to his knees, shaking.

While everyone's attention was focused on Jaffar, Lord Elbert took his chance. Drawing a sword he managed to confiscate, he charged at Nergal and managed to drive the weapon through the druid's chest, smiling in victory as he saw the druid flinch in surprise.

"Huh? What's going on?" Color returned to Ninian's eyes and she looked around quizzically. With the spell gone, Ninian had ceased opening the Dragon's Gate, setting off a chain of reactions that shook the whole ruins. With the portal closing, the dragons trapped behind it were justifiably angry and their roars reverberated around the ruins, shaking off loose stonework and causing a miniature earthquake. The earthquake further triggered more collapsing of the ruins, with dust and huge chunks of stone falling from the ceiling.

"Damn you, Elbert! I will kill you!" Nergal thrust his hand around Elbert's throat and squeezed tightly. "I will use your quintessence to craft me a monster than will tear apart Lycia, all because of you!"

"Father!" Eliwood cried out, running towards his father.

"Grr…" Nergal threw Elbert's body at Eliwood before turning to Jaffar. "Come! We must leave before this whole place collapses on us!" The druid warped away, right before a huge chunk of stone crashed into the same place where he had been standing.

"Father! Father!" Eliwood shook his father brokenly, tears running tracks down his eyes.

"Eliwood…You must go…" Elbert breathed, his skin growing dangerously pale. "There's no time…"

"Come on, Eliwood! I've got him." Hector lifted Elibert's too-light body onto his shoulders. "We've got to escape!"

Eliwood snapped back to his senses. "Right! Come on, Ninian!" He took the dancer's hand and rushed for the exit, feeling the ground behind him shake. They rushed back Theo, who was still on the ground, uncomprehending. "Theo! We have to leave!"

"Rachel…" Theo whispered to himself. He shook his head furiously and stood up. "Yeah, you're right. I'll be there in a second." Eliwood paused, waiting for Theo, who just glared at the lord and waved him off. "You can always find a different tactician! There's only one Eliwood! NOW GO!"

"Fine, but I'll be waiting for you!" Eliwood shouted before running off with Ninian.

Heaving a sigh, Theo knelt down to Rachel's pale face and brushed aside a strand of hair. "Why…There's only one of you, Rachel…There's only one." He slowly picked her limp body in his arms and walked out of Dragon's Gate. He didn't bother watching as the ruins collapsed from behind him.

---

Afterwards, Lord Elbert soon succumbed and died due to Nergal's magic. The demoralized army traveled back to the mainland, where Theo paid a couple of clerics to transport Rachel's body back to Ilia, so that she could be buried in her homeland. Paying the clerics a couple of extra coin to make sure that the body wouldn't decay on the long trip, he returned to Eliwood's army to resume his official duties as tactician. There was no change in the tactician, other than a certain wistfulness that came to his eyes whenever he took time off for himself.

After the war, Theo traveled to Ilia to visit Rachel's grave. Once there, he met up with a friend of Rachel's, Callista, and the two of them went to a local tavern to relate stories about their friend. The fact that they had a common connection in Rachel brought the two closer and it wasn't long before the two of them were married. The two of them unofficially adopted Samuel as their son and using the money that Rachel had left behind, were able to ensure that he would have a good education in Etruria learning about the complexities of magic.

---

Ten years later…

"Theo…You're thinking of her again, aren't you?"

Theo turned around to face his wife, a smile on his lips. Callista was standing in front of him, a knowing smile on her youthful face as she regarded the former tactician. She had let her hair grow out in the past years and now it reached her waist, a shining purple curtain. Her brown eyes twinkled with the same merriness that she had retained throughout all the years, although it was tempered with sorrow and experience. "Yes…I am, Callista."

"You still love her, don't you?" Callista walked up to Theo and stood next to him, staring out at the landscape of Ilia.

"No…You know that I only love you, Callista." Theo gave her a quick peck on the cheek. "No…It's not that. I just miss her sometimes. She's not easy to forget."

"No…She isn't." Callista replied. "Did you hear about Samuel? He got accepted into the Etrurian Council for Higher Magics. He sounded so excited in his letter, it seemed as if he was standing right next tome. He always was excited about achieving new things."

"Hehe, I know…" Theo chuckled, still looking out. A knock on the door disturbed him from his reverie and he opened the door, revealing a young girl that immediately leaped into her father's arms. He let out a big whoof of strain and slowly carried her to the living room, where he deposited her on a couch. "Whoo…You're getting heavy."

"That's mean, daddy!" She hit Theo lightly on the arm, pouting a bit. Theo laughed, ruffling her hair, colored a strange combination of purple and brown that bordered on a black color. Her blue eyes shined with enthusiasm and excitement as she took off the thigh-high boots that she was wearing.

"So, how was the academy today, Rachel?" Theo smiled down at his daughter.

"Yeah, tell us all about it." Callista walked up to the couch and looked down at Rachel, smiling broadly.

"It was so fun! They let us ride the pegasi for a while! The instructors said that I flew so well that I could become one of the best pegasus knights that Ilia has ever seen!" Rachel smiled excitedly at her parents. "Do you think I'll be a good pegasus knight?"

"Of course I do!" Theo said, picking up his daughter. "You see, you're named after a very brave woman. And I'm certain that you will be just as brave and strong as she was, right?"

Rachel nodded happily. "Yep!"


Chris: Ahem, I am sorry to say that this fic is now completed. Probably a world's record for me, finishing a story this quickly. Anyway, I had a lot of fun toying around with this story idea and I hoped you had just as much fun reading it! Please review and tell me what you thought of this chapter or this story as a whole! Thank you all for reading!