And just like that, Ike had re-entered her life. Older, perhaps. But with a beautiful young woman who he wanted to marry.

Mist could hardly believe it. Ike had no interest in marriage before leaving. He had rebuked all offers- from Elincia, from Lethe, from Ma. Even Micaiah, she was told, had considered marrying him after the war, before deciding to marry Sothe.

But here he was, laughing, with a woman she didn't know. It made her feel warm and fuzzy, to be sure. But there was also a lingering curiosity. Who exactly was Samus Aran, and why did her brother choose her, over all others?

She broke the news to Boyd, her husband, who promptly rushed back to the Greil Mercenary headquarters to tell Titania and the others. It would not be long until the entire continent knew Ike had returned. Friends from all over would be coming to visit. Mist had told this, expecting him to not like this had all, but he had simply laughed.

"I can't wait to see everyone again." He said. "It's been too long." She stared at him, hardly daring to believe her ears. The old Ike, the one she had known, would never have said such a thing. He hated all forms of attention and praise for his accomplishments and brushed them all aside. But this new Ike had changed.

She supposed that Ike had changed a lot in the four years he had spent leading the Greil Mercenaries. He had developed into a fine leader and fighter, and become one of the greatest swordsmen on the continent.

She wondered what had changed. Had he simply grown up? Or had he gotten used to the idea of being the center of attention? She was about to broach the subject when her attention was taken by Samus, who lay her hand across his and squeezed it affectionately.

"When should our friends come?" She asked. Mist gave a little start and stared at Ike.

"Whenever they like." Ike responded. "I mean, Falco might not show up until the wedding is over, but…."

Samus giggled. "That sounds just like him."

"Falco?" Mist asked curiously. "Who is Falco?"

Samus turned to look at her. "He is a friend of ours." She responded. "Truth be told, I knew him long before Ike did."

"And he's coming here for the wedding?"

"Well, we haven't decided on a location yet." Ike said casually. "We knew that we wanted you to know about it before anyone else, so we came here." Mist nodded, although she felt as if he had dodged her question about this Falco character. Perhaps Samus would be more willing to talk… if they could get a moment or so together.

"I'm glad you came to see me, I really am…" She cast a look at Samus again. "But you don't even have an idea of where you want to get married? Really, Ike?"

To her surprise, it was Samus that answered. "Neither of us ever expected to be married." She said. "So we haven't really thought about it before." She smiled sheepishly. "Honestly this is all very new to me… I've only been to a handful of weddings, and all of them in the past few years or so."

Mist was quite taken aback. Ike, she knew, had never really thought about marriage, and brushed off the topic whenever it was brought up. But it seemed that Samus had been the same way. Could that have been what drew them together? Their complete lack of interest in marriage?

Even in her head that kind of sounded stupid. She still knew next to nothing about Samus as a person. She had no idea whether she was nice, whether or not she was a good match for Ike, or even whether she was a Beorc or a Laguz. Mist needed to learn more about her, but had no idea where to even start. She still found herself feeling a little shy and awkward around her. There was something about her that intimidated her. She didn't seem the sort to talk about herself.

"I've never thought about it." Ike said. "Now that I'm back, though, I think we should get married in Gallia."

"Gallia?" That sounded so like him, and of course he would be more than welcome. Ranulf would love to see to him, and Lethe… well, Lethe wouldn't be happy but…

He nodded at her, smiling. "Yes." He said. "I'm not sure where in Gallia, though. Have you been in contact with Ranulf?"

"He drops by every three months." Mist responded. "He's always going to visit Elincia on behalf of his King."

"Good." Ike said. "When's he next due?"

"Um, probably another two months." Mist answered. "But I'm sure he'll coming running once he hears that you've returned."

"This Ranulf…" Samus interrupted. "He is one of your close friends?"

"The very best." Ike said.

"Then I would like him to be my friend too."

Mist found herself smiling somewhat. Maybe, perhaps, Samus wouldn't be such a bad fit for Ike after all.

"Samus." She said. "Would you like to come with me to the market? You could help pick out our dinner."

"Oh-" Ike seemed about to object, but Samus shook her head at him.

"I would love that." She said. "Although… I'm afraid I'm not much of a cook. I suppose I could help you carry your things, though."

"It's settled then." Mist said, beaming at her. "Ike can go see the others, and we can get ready for a feast."

"Are you sure you're going to be alright?" Ike asked Samus. He seemed somewhat concerned.

"I'll be with Mist." Samus answered. "And she'll be doing the shopping. I'll be fine. Go see your friends."

Ike nodded, but somehow seemed unconvinced. But he left the house before they did. He was off trotting down the road to the Greil Mercenary HQ.

"We should go too." Mist said. "Before they close for the day."

Samus nodded at her, and once again Mist was taken aback by how much bigger she was than her. Mist had never been a big woman, but Samus towered over her more than any other woman she had met in her life. It reminded her of facing down a soldier on horseback.

They set off as well, down the opposite way. Samus took long, powerful strides. Mist looked down and noticed her boots. The heels were high, but made of a strange elaborately designed metal that she had never seen before.

She wondered whether it could be more than a shoe, perhaps a knife or some other kind of weapon, but thought it would be rude to ask. Instead she decided to ask about Samus herself.

"So." She said. "Where are you from?"

Samus looked at her as if she had never been asked that question before. There was a very long, awkward pause.

"Far away." She said. Mist huffed.

"Yes, I had gathered that much."

Samus turned away. "Forgive me." She said. "But I have no home of my own. I am not truly from anywhere."

"Really? Are you a War Orphan?"

The question came before she considered whether or not it would be insensitive to ask.

"My parents were killed by pirates when I was a baby." Samus said. Mist let out a sympathetic sound. "It wasn't in a war, but-"

"I understand." Mist said quickly, worried their conversation had gone down an uncomfortable path. "I'm so sorry to hear that… Um, where did this happen? Was it in Begnion, or….?" Samus's strange beauty might be attributed to simply being a Begnion noble. They tended to look rather different than the rest of the population.

"Far, far away." Samus echoed. Mist suddenly began to feel as if she were deliberately avoiding the question.

"How did you meet Ike?" She asked curiously. In hindsight she probably should have just started with that one. She had let her curiosity over Ike's mysterious new lover get in the way of the one thing they had in common.

"The Smash Brothers." Samus said. Mist quirked her eyebrow.

"The…. What?"

"Have you not heard of it?"

"Well, no." Mist admitted.

"I see." Samus said. "The Smash Brother are… a sort of fellowship, of sorts. Great Heroes from all walks of life are summoned and brought together to fight for the higher cause. Some years ago Ike joined our ranks, and…"

She raised her hand to her mouth and covered it. Mist knew that she was hiding a wide smile.

"We realized we were in love." She said. "Lots of our friends were getting married… or had been long married, in a lot of cases. And the idea started sounding really appealing to us."

She lowered her hand, and her face was set back in that familiar, almost stony expression. Mist found herself bursting with questions.

"The Smash Brothers." She said. "What do they do? What do you fight for?" She had never heard of them in her life. And even stranger, she had heard no rumors that Ike had appeared in battle since the war had ended years ago. If Ike had really joined this group, surely she would have at least heard rumors about it?

"That is a difficult question to answer." Samus said. "Anything that needs to be fought, I suppose."

Mist smiled at her. "Well, there can't be a whole lot of work for you." She said. "The continent is at peace now. Our Mercenary company hasn't been working much at all."

Being the most highly regarded band of mercenaries on the continent, the Greil Mercenaries had become extremely famous and well known. They would easily be the most sought after group of sellswords for any nation that needed them, but there was no demand for fighters or warriors. All of the world was at peace, and it seemed it was going to stay that way.

"There's always work." Samus said. "For us, at any rate." Mist frowned at her.

"No one is at war."

Samus didn't respond. She was staring straight ahead. She seemed as if she were trying to decide what to say.

"Perhaps Ike would be able to explain better what we do than I can." She suggested. "I'm not sure how best to explain this to you. We are not mercenaries. We do not fight armies on behalf of a lord or kingdom. As I said before, we are a Fellowship."

Mist wrinkled her nose. She was growing increasingly confused at her evasiveness. But she sensed no malice from her. Quite the contrary, Samus herself seemed somewhat conflicted on what and how to tell her this.

"So Ike…" Mist said. "You met on the battlefield, didn't you?"

Samus looked at her. "How did you know that?" She asked, surprised. Mist giggled.

"I'm his sister." She said. "I always knew he would fall in love on a battlefield." Samus, for a reason that Mist could not place, looked very sad for a moment before returning to her stern expression.

"You know him well then." Samus said. "Yes, we met on the battlefield. We were comrades in arms long before we were… we were lovers." Mist had to stop herself from giggling as the tall, powerful looking woman's cheeks turned pink. "I trusted him with my life, and then… well… Things changed."

"Oooooh, you have to tell me everything." Mist said as she grabbed her arm. Samus, surprised, leaned away from her. Mist had to stop herself from pulling away in shock. Samus looked like a rather tall and powerful woman, but not particularly bulky. Yet the muscles she could feel under her sleeve were some of the firmest and most powerful she had ever felt. "Ike would never tell me. You're going to have to do it."

"I… perhaps I will." Samus said, taken aback. "Yes, you should know… you are his sister, after all. But I am…. I have never been much of a story teller."

"Please?"

Samus looked down at her, and Mist was surprised to feel a powerful hand patting her back.

"I will." Samus promised. "To the best of my ability."