Author's Note: This is Ending A. I did voting between a lot of friends and people who read this; and this ended up being the first ending choice. I'll write Ending B once I have the time.

Chapter 41: The Start of the Ending A

Mist ran as hard as she could, as fast as she could. She darted between bandits, pushing a few priests aside. She found Ike busy with two bandits, and decided that he couldn't help. She looked around; Soren seemed to be free of battle for the moment. She ran up to the mage; instantly regretting to do so. Would he even help Trigger?

"Soren!" She cried out. Soren looked at her, almost angrily. "Soren please, you have to come with me! Trigger's in trouble!" She said. The mage simply stared for a while, then nodded.

"Show me the way." He said. She nodded and began to run back, and found themselves stopped by two priests. Soren raised a hand and opened his spell book; but Mist stood in his way. She held her hand on his book; making it impossible to read the incantation. "What are you doing?" Soren said angrily.

"They aren't the problem. He's over in the far corner; go! I'll get these guys." She said. Soren bit his lip, then ran past her. He darted under the arms of the priests, who opened holy books. They began to chant the spell for a Shine spell, and Soren nearly slowed down.

Mist ran up as fast as she could, tackling one of the priests down. He dropped his spell book and the other looked to see if he was okay. Mist quickly stood and slapped the standing priest hard. He looked at her, shocked, then noticed something from his hands was missing. He looked back at Mist, who had the Shine book in her hands.

The priest half expected to be torn apart by balls of light; but instead found something blunt hit the side of his head. He fell to the ground, unconscious. Mist stood over him, heaving. She dropped the Shine book on the ground, and turned around. She had forgotten about the other priest.

She found herself being encased by light. She punched at the walls only to find them as solid as stone. She yelled, and suddenly the light shattered. She stood, breathlessly, wondering what happened. Her yell didn't break the barrier, did it? She looked around to find the priest knocked out on the ground. She smiled when she saw who did it.

"Muarim!" She said happily. The laguz looked at her with a warm smile.

"Careful now." He teased, but Mist looked at him with seriousness. "What's wrong?" He asked. Mist took a deep breath, and blurted everything out at once. The laguz didn't understand everything she said, so he stopped her mid-sentence.

"Start over. You're speaking too fast." He said. Mist took another deep breath.

"Trigger's here! And he's in trouble! You've got to come with me to save him! Soren's already on his way to help!" Mist said. Muarim began to scan the area; where was Trigger? He felt a soft hand grab his arm and pull. Mist knew exactly where she was going. She felt the arm disappear, and soon found a green tiger by her legs. Instantly understanding, she hopped on. Muarim began to bound off towards the fray once more; with directions from Mist veering him towards Trigger.

---

Trigger breathed heavily. His left arm was hurting; the Feral One noticed the weakness of his left side and began to take advantage. He suffered scratches and bites on that arm, not to mention the probable breaking of it after the fall. He held his right arm up weakly, as the Feral One growled at him.

He stepped back, finding himself in the corner. «Great...» He thought. «This is JUST what I need right now.» He began to look warily at the Feral One. It reared back for a killing strike, and leapt at him; jaws agape. Trigger turned around and leapt at the wall. He bounded off one wall, then the other, in a triangular-jump; over the Feral One. The beast stopped just short of ramming into the wall, and whirled around.

Needless to say, his landing was much less graceful than his leap. He fell to the ground, tumbling about. It didn't help that his left arm began to flail, and smack against the ground. He opened his eyes and saw the Feral One in the corner, ready to strike. It leapt in the air again, and Trigger knew he wouldn't be able to leap out of this one.

He closed his eyes, awaiting his impending death; when he heard a fizzle and a crack. He opened his eyes to see the ground charred, and the Feral One thrown to the side. He got up weakly, until a hand was offered to him. Soren stood above him, and for the first time Trigger saw a smile on his face. Trigger took his hand and was helped up, and smiled back.

"That was a close one." Trigger said. Soren shrugged, and the two held their breath as they heard something like a soft mewling. How the Feral One survived a head-on blast from Soren's spell; neither knew. They only watched in horror as the beast rose to all four legs, shaking off what had happened to it.

"Damn..." Soren said, stepping back slightly. He heard soft clinking behind him, and soon the two were pincered between the Feral One and a bandit. The spell had created a sort of light that drew the bandit here. "I'm not going to be able to defend us from both. Which one would you choose to fight, Trigger?" Soren said. Trigger grumbled. He was in no shape to fight either.

"I'll take the bandit. At least he's stupid." Trigger said, loudly. Soren instantly knew his plan. They whirled around to face their respective enemies, and Trigger saw the bandit becoming angrier and angrier. The bandit rushed prematurely, out of his rage, and left himself easily open. Trigger darted under his axe easily, and turned around. He kicked the bandit in the back of the knee, making the man crumple to the ground. Over the bandit, he could see as Soren began firing off bolts of lightning, not letting the Feral One get close to him.

He felt his ground being taken away as the bandit grabbed his leg and held him upside down. The instant vertigo hit like a brick wall, and he found himself feeling sick. The bandit brought him up to his face and smiled; breathing out. His breath reeked of decay, and his teeth showed the same thing.

"Stupid, am I? At least I'm not about to die!" The bandit said. Trigger watched as the bandit's axe rose in the air, then made its descent.

Chapter 42:

Trigger felt something hard hit his head, and instantly pain began to rush up his entire body. He felt something warm trickle past his ear, and opened his eyes. It felt pained to do so; but he wanted to see.

The bandit held him, smiling. His head racked as if he had been run into a full-speed horse. The bandit held up his axe; one of the flat sides of it covered in crimson blood. Trigger wanted to say something; but the pain made his mouth unmovable.

"Can't have you dying on me that fast, can I?" The bandit said. He leered at Trigger, then let out a hearty laugh. Trigger felt his body being whirled in the air, as he hit his head again; this time something harder. He felt walls on both sides of his body; so he must have been in a corner of some sort.

The bandit leapt at him, landing a few feet away. Trigger looked up weakly, one of his eyes closed shut. Blood trickled over that eye, and he knew he was nothing more than a mess. The bandit smiled, and brought his axe in the air; flat side once again about to be used. He brought it down, and Trigger closed his eye again; giving up. But the hit never came.

---

Soren hopped back, avoiding a couple of swipes from the Feral One. It was agile and powerful, and hunted like a beast. Though, even with all the feral instincts, it still wasn't the smartest thing he'd ever fought. It did, however, learn quickly.

Every time he opened his tome, the beast lunged; not allowing him to cast a spell. He kept dodging whenever the beast leapt though; aware that the creature was attacking. It always did the same thing; a lunge for the book; and Soren anticipated the move easily. However, if he had to keep dodging, he would never get his spell off.

He opened his book one last time, and the beast lunged. He stood, unmoving, until the creature was right in front of him. He then closed the book and brought it up at an alarming speed, heading the crushing of the beast's head as he flung it full-force to the side.

Mist always was someone you could learn the oddest things from.

He opened the book and faced the dazed creature. He moved his hands in a memorized motion, muttering the incantation. Soon, his eyes glowed a faint yellow and he glared at the creature.

"Elthunder!" He bellowed, as clouds appeared out of nowhere. Three lightning bolts of immense power came rushing down at the creature. They all hit dead on, and it cried out horribly. Soren didn't let up; calling down more lightning as the creature continued to shriek.

He stopped the spell, falling tired to his knees. He looked back up; at the charred remains of a Feral One. He stood up weakly, then heard a sickening thud to his side. He whirled and found Trigger knocked into a corner; bleeding from the side of his head and the front.

He raised himself off the ground and opened his book weakly, but something green rushed past him. He suddenly felt invigorated, and was soon covered by a white light.

"He'll be okay." A voice said from behind. He caught someone in his peripheral vision nodding, and soon the green blur rushed off again. Soren smiled faintly, then fell back.

Mist caught him, though unprepared, and nearly fell back herself.

"Soren! Soren! Come on!" She said, shaking the mage. He mumbled a bit, and she smiled. At least he was alive. She set him gently against the wall, and hoped he would be okay alone.

---

The bandit brought his arm down, ready to smash Trigger's face into nothingness; but found it stopped. He looked behind him to see a man holding his arm firmly. He tried to wriggle his arm free, but then the man brought his arm back hastily, and in a direction it was never meant to go. The bandit let out a scream, as Trigger opened his still-clean eye.

"You okay there, Trigger?" The man said. Trigger smiled faintly, as the bandit fell to the ground. The man looked down at him, and the bandit looked up in pain; only noticing the man had stripes on his face. "You're still here?" The man said, throwing the bandit to the side. The man walked over to Trigger and held him up; looking at his face.

"You sure took a beating... I'm sorry I couldn't get here earlier." The man said. Trigger smiled, and his head lolled to the side uncontrollably. The man held it up firmly, and shook Trigger slightly. "Trigger! Stay awake, you hear? Don't you die on me!" The man said.

"I wouldn't... be dead..." Trigger started, as his bitter blood began to enter his mouth. He coughed it up, along with more blood, and watched it spatter on the ground and somewhat on the man's arm. "If you were here... Muarim..." Trigger said. He smiled, and Muarim hugged him.

"Sorry to ruin your reunion, but this isn't over!" The bandit muttered, getting up. He held is axe in his other hand; apparently he was ambidexterous. He threw his axe at the two, and Trigger saw this over Muarim's shoulder. His eyes narrowed and he fidgeted.

"Trigger?" Muarim said, as he felt his younger brother move slightly. He heard a yell from his side, and turned. He saw Mist ahead, trying to tell him something.

"Watch out!" She yelled, as Muarim turned around. He saw the axe coming; but knew that there was nowhere to run. They were still in the corner, after all. The axe closed in quickly, and he was about to tell Trigger to stay put. He felt movement and watched as something blurred in front of him for once. Trigger hugged his brother hard, getting in the way of the axe.

The axe pierced Trigger's back, making a disgusting sound as it did. Trigger jerked against his brother; pushing him into the corner. As the axe entered, blood exited from his mouth, staining Muarim's shirt. Muarim fell off balance, ending up back in the corner. Muarim could only shake his brother, and Trigger looked at him, eyes already glazed and blood slowly pooling in his mouth.

Trigger heaved himself up, and whispered something in Muarim's ear. Then, he fell limp, and the older laguz shook violently. He hugged Trigger hard, and let out a roar.

"TRIGGER!"

Chapter 43:

"Trigger... Trigger!" Muarim said, shaking his brother. The last words his brother said to him... The last things he whispered into his ear... They couldn't be the last words he'd ever hear from his mouth! "Trigger..." Muarim said, as he noticed his hand being stained with his brother's blood. Then, his gaze fell on the axe.

Tears streaming down his face, Muarim took a grip on the axe's handle. He pulled it out of Trigger, and then shot a glare at the bandit. Mist came running down, trying not to break down, and Muarim handed her Trigger's body. He stood up, his gaze on the ground, and started to walk over to the bandit.

---

"Trigger!" Mist said, crying. He didn't move, he didn't smile, he didn't respond. He didn't do anything. She lay him on his stomach, and pulled forth her staff weakly. Her hands trembled, and she breathed erratically. Her staff began to glow, and she directed the magic at Trigger.

But the wound didn't close. There was no pain to heal, no blood to stop flowing. The heal staff could not heal what could no longer be healed; and Mist broke down. She dropped her staff, and lifted Trigger weakly in her arms. She looked at his face, and began to wipe away the blood from his face.

"Trigger..." She said solemnly, then looked back at Muarim.

---

"Are you alright?" Ike asked, as he helped up a priest. The priest nodded, and got up, brushing off his robes. Ike turned back to the bandit, who was strewn shamelessly on the ground. "Call off your men. You have lost." Ike replied. The bandit began to shake.

Then, laughter erupted from the bandit.

He rose quickly, trying to make a final attempt at Ike's life. The Lord sighed then barely made a movement; as the bandit soon found himself impaled on Ike's sword. He made a weak swipe at Ike's face, then dropped his axe. It fell to the ground, making a sharp clang as it hit. Then, life left the bandit.

"It's over." Ike said, pushing the bandit off his blade. He walked back with the priest, towards the opposite side of the church, where most of the others had fought. Then, his gaze fell on Muarim, slowly advancing on a bandit.

---

The bandit stepped back casually, but slipped after a couple of steps. Then, he started to flail and squirm, trying to make any possible distance between himself and the horror before him.

"You... you killed my brother... my only family left... you attacked priests and children, without any hesitation! You are... are a disgrace to life, and do not deserve to live!" The laguz said, raising the axe. The bandit quickly curled up into a ball, but the strike never came. His axe fell in front of his face, and he looked back up.

The laguz was crying.

"Do you know... what he said? What Trigger said?" Muarim replied, his tears falling near the axe. The bandit didn't move, didn't avert his gaze, and didn't even breathe. "He saved your life, with his last words! You... his killer, he chose to save you! And you're damned lucky... that I... that I respect his words..." Muarim said. The bandit got up, and took his axe.

He opened his mouth to say something, but then held his words back. He began to run away, when he found himself knocked on the head by a fist.

"I never said... you could leave..." Muarim replied, biting back tears. He trudged back to the corner, and noticed Mist cleaning up his brother's face. He smiled at her, and took his brother.

"Thank you." He said, solemnly lifting him up. Mist nodded, and stepped back. Muarim turned around, and met Ike's gaze. Soren moved in behind Ike; both sharing a sombre glance.

"Muarim..." Ike started, but the laguz shook his head. "I know, that... nothing I can say will take away the pain. But... don't hold it all on yourself... we're all feeling it..." Ike said. Muarim looked back at the Commander, and nodded solemnly.

"Are..." Muarim started. "Are... you willing... to hold a funeral?" Muarim asked. He sighed, and shook his head. "I'm sorry, this isn't the time. We're so close to the capital..." He started, but Ike's hand fell on his shoulder. He looked up, and saw the Commander's eyes agreed.

"We can stop..." Ike said. Muarim smiled, and tears flowed again from his eyes.

"Thank you.." Muarim said. Ike turned to the priest who followed him, and whispered something. The priest nodded, and ran off; making preparations. Muarim looked at Trigger again, and heard the words flowing through his mind again. The priest returned, with others, and silently stared at Muarim.

"We'll have to... clean him and..." The priest started, but Muarim nodded. He walked over to the priests, and looked back at Ike. The Commander smiled, and agreed silently, and Muarim walked away with the priests.

---

"Hey... bro... don't kill out of revenge, or anger... It gets you nowhere... take it from someone who... who has had to learn the hard way... I don't want you... to end up... like me..."

Chapter 44: The End of Ending A

The funeral stopped all attacks. Even Daein did not trudge on the camp's soil, even if they were wide open. Trigger was to be buried by the chapel; a monument to be made in his honor. If he were alive, Muarim knew that he wouldn't agree to such a flashy thing to be done.

But the Mercenaries wanted to remember him.

He had only been with them for a short while; and yet he had made his impact on many people. Everyone in the company knew who he was, though most hardly spoke to him.

After the readings, and as Trigger was being slowly let down into the ground, people walked up with their flowers.

Mia was the first.

She held back her words, and tried to hold back her tears. She dropped her flowers in, and then broke down. She walked back to the camp, and didn't come out of her tent until they moved out again.

Rhys and Mist were next. They both held purple tulips; they had convinced everyone to buy purple or white flowers from the nearby towns to honour him in some way. They dropped their flowers in, and Mist fell into tears on Rhys' shoulder.

"He was much more than a Branded child, much more. And we never even looked at him at what he truly was. For that, I feel ashamed. But I am glad to have known him, to have learned these lessons from him." Rhys said. Mist nodded in his shoulder, and the two walked off.

Soren was next, and he laughed silently. Though; his laughter was mixed with sobs. He sluggishly threw in a couple of flowers, and stared at the hole.

"At first, I thought you a monster. Then, I thought that you and I were the same. But I've realised, that you're much better than me. I wish I had never said those things to you; but know now that I respect you. I'm... sorry..." The mage said. He walked off, and Rolf, Boyd, and Oscar were next.

Boyd hadn't known Trigger; not any more than what he had seen through quick glances on the battlefield. Rolf, however, threw in a bow along with some flowers.

"I... I made this the night I found out... at first I thought to strike you with it... but then I realised that you were still you. I... I want this bow to shoot a guiding arrow for you, Trigger." Rolf said. Oscar smiled, and placed a hand on his youngest brother's shoulder.

"Couldn't have said it better myself." He said, as the three walked away. Mordecai had gone up, growling a few words. Muarim understood it as an old laguz prayer, and then the giant lumbered off.

What surprised Muarim, was that Reyson was present. He wondered if they knew each other; but Reyson said he didn't.

He did, however, grace Trigger with a song. When Reyson usually sang, Muarim felt invigorated; as if he could go on forever. But the Heron's song was sombre and slow, and Muarim felt as if Reyson was singing Trigger's true pain.

Soon, only he and Ike were left.

"I... I accepted you into this giant family. You had... nowhere to go, and... we welcome you with open arms. And now... you have to leave this family; but we'll never forget you. Even if we were scared... we were still your family. We shall forever stand behind you, Trigger." Ike said. He dropped in a crest along with his flowers, and left.

Muarim walked up slowly to the gaping hole, and sighed. He sat down; as if he were gonig to have a long sermon with his brother.

"Trigger..." Muarim started. "I want to say things like: 'I wish I was there for you', or 'I could have stopped this', but I know that you'd tell me that I'm being stupid or something, and you'd make me stop."

"You were... I guess, a beacon of hope. I wanted to go back... to Gallia... with you and Tormod. But saying that, you'd probably come back telling me to get up and go back anyway."

"Just because you're dead, doesn't mean you're gone. I know that. I'm going to keep going; for the both of us." Muarim finished. He stood up, and held out the green pendant that had been left with him when he was injured. He dropped it down the hole. He left, and soon the priests filled the hole.

Near the tombstone, Trigger's double daggers were jutted into the ground; crossing in an X.

On the tombstone read:

A valiant warrior,
A cherished brother,
A friend to us all.

Rest In Peace, Trigger.

---

At camp, things continued on in their sombre fashion. As Muarim walked back, people glanced at him, but he smiled.

Things weren't over.

Ike suddenly started ordering people to get ready. The fight was nowhere near from over.

Muarim heard him say a speech, but didn't bother to listen. One line, however, did make an impression.

"If you want to stop anyone else close from dying, we have to stop this! We can't let this death hang on our shoulders and weigh us down! Trigger wouldn't want that! He'd probably be there, pushing us up!"

The line was followed by cheers, and Muarim smiled. Trigger wouldn't want that.

Not at all.

For once in his life, Muarim suddenly felt warm inside. He had felt cold, and shivered, ever since Trigger died.

But now, he felt warm. As if he could melt all the snow around him.

He looked up to the sky, and smiled.

"Thanks, Trigger."

---

Epilogue to Ending A:

Muarim headed back to Gallia, once Ashnard had been defeated. Not much was recorded about him; but that he became an emissary of Gallia.

He was noted to start sporting double daggers on his back. Few people really knew why.

---

Muarim found himself back at the grave of the Daein church, from two years ago. He smiled; the daggers still there, and placed a hand on the ones on his back.

"... Things have changed since then." He continued "And... Your work isn't finished. Our work isn't finished. Not yet. But you'll be there... right?" Muarim asked.

"Muarim!" A voice called. Muarim looked down the hill, to see Tormod running up. He smiled. The young boy had become a fierce mage; and was helping bridge relations between laguz and beorc. "Oh, I'm sorry if you were busy..." Tormod started. Muarim smiled, and ruffled his hair.

"Nah. I think Trigger's bored today. Probably would tell me to go away, or something. Say I'm rambling on like an old man." Muarim said. Tormod chuckled. The two began walking away.

"Yeah... then again you're not very young." Tormod said. Muarim laughed, and Tormod bolted forward. Muarim gave chase, and Tormod laughed too. "I was kidding!"

He didn't notice the rusty daggers in the grave, or how Muarim sported Trigger's daggers on his back.