Throughout her life, Aversa found that very few things tended to actually bother her. Whatever little she remembered from her childhood was mostly spent in rooms; reading books while the background noise of parental figures fighting became a blanket which weighed down her thoughts. But she never got angry. When a little white-haired boy supplanted her as the favorite "child", she was more than supportive, and she grew to like the rapscallion.

She was responsible for killing his future wife's comrades-in-arms. Judging by the nightmares, that one stuck with her a little bit. But she never really felt all that guilty. Not even letting the princeling's sister take a nosedive into martyrdom really phased her, though she did attempt to make amends later.

So Aversa felt very concerned and self-aware when she realized that her hands and fists were clenched and her teeth were grating. Her silvery hair, making a rare appearance from under her crown, whipped around like a frenzied mane. She turned to Myrrh, who seemed to be extending her distance from the sorceress. Time was short, and the witch's patience was shorter.

"What?" Aversa snapped, "If I wanted to shoot the messenger I would've done so already." Myrrh jumped slightly, but didn't respond. The sorceress rubbed the bridge of her nose, attempting to alleviate a newfound pressure. "I'm sorry, you're much too pinchable and cuddlesome to actually be in Grima's service. Who are you, and why in the gods names would you deal with that unreasonable woman?"

"I-I'm Myrrh." the Manakete offered, shaking in her little boots. Aversa crouched down, and patted her head.

"Well, aren't you adorable?" She replied, "How about you tell me where Grima is, and you can go play or something?"

Myrrh shook her head. "Lady Grima promised we would play after I take you to her," she insisted, "So I've gotta take you."

"And you believe her?" Myrrh nodded, to which Aversa smirked. Oh, you poor, poor thing. The chances of Grima doing anything remotely nice was less than none. It was a stellar piece of persuasion by the fell dragon, and one that Aversa couldn't help but admire. "Well, then I guess I'll allow you to lead the way." She finally stated. Myrrh's little wings flapped as she hovered ahead of the witch, who adjusted her robe to look ten percent more respectable and fifteen percent more alluring; she then followed the child into another wing of the fortress. Maybe she could tease this sweet girl more later. The manakete did look quite teasable.

The room Grima sat in couldn't have pleased the fell dragon better if she had specifically ordered her own personal lair. It was gloomy, there was broken glass on the ground, and she was in a corner, muttering and giggling to herself. Aversa has grown used to this during the later stages of the Plegian madness. She sighed. It was all so … predictable. "What do you want, Lady Grima?" She asked, pouring as much saccharine sweetness into her voice as her gag reflex would allow. As long as it wasn't anything too objectionable, she could get it done and be back to socializing before nightfall.

"Ah, yes!" Grima approached Aversa and patted her hair, as if attempting to be personable but missing the concept entirely. "Aversa, my sweet, sweet, obedient, ready to jump off a bridge for me…"

"You can save the pleasantries," Aversa remarked, "We both know the words are meaningless."

Grima coughed awkwardly and looked away. "Yes, yes. At least you're here." Aversa looked around the room, assessing everything around her. Something was … off about this Grima. She seemed to be distracted, swatting at imaginary flies in her head. "Good. Let's start immediately."

The fell dragon moved the cot to the center of the room, and lay down on it. Aversa looked down at Myrrh, who was now starting to hide behind the sorceress. "What is your wish, exactly?" She asked.

"Make me whole!" Grima snapped, "There's an annoying worm bouncing in my head, back and forth, buzzing away like there's no tomorrow!" Aversa's eyes widened in interest. No, certainly not. The ritual had to have been completed in her world, which means the vessel lost her soul, right? "Get rid of this voice, and both of you will reap great rewards!"

Aversa thought about it for a brief moment. If what Grima implied was true, she was in an unprecedented situation. The Robin that was used in the ritual hadn't fully merged, and was still in the fell dragon's psyche. The possibility of that was… well, improbable didn't even begin to describe it. And onward to the next problem: Fully incorporating the two so that Grima was in full control was possible. It would also cost lives numbered in the thousands to pull off; and while it was easier, she had great doubts that anyone would be so eager to be around her if she did that.

The other option was trickier. She had learned of it after joining the Shepherds, from an ancient Valmese scroll that Virion had been rather eager to procure for the witch. The reactions from Miriel and Cherche were enough to make Aversa's week. The scroll detailed a way to seal a creature. Well, as much as one could seal an ancient evil monster. Aversa had poured over it, perhaps as a way to atone for past sins. It had significant differences to the other ritual. For starters, the potential death toll dropped from literal thousands to a potential 6. Really, it was a minute detail.

The important thing was that one person could awaken Grima, but sealing and limiting it needed six of equal measure. And where was Aversa bound to find six people that were equatable to her? She shook her head. It was unlikely, to say the least. And now she was sober and frustrated…

Aversa gritted her teeth. Stalling seemed like her only real option now.

—————————————————————

"Excuse me!"

"Pardon our intrusion."

"Get the hell outta the way!"

Stahl heard the gaggle of women before they were even within sight. While Clarisse's hellion screech was easily identifyable, it was a particular voice that set in his panic response.

"It's quite likely that Gaius will be in the kitchen right now, as most of the sweets were put out to appease our two newest acquisitions."

Lute. Stahl immediately looked for Panne, or anyone, to help fend her off. But Panne was out playing with Selkie and Velouria, and Gaius… well, he wouldn't be much help. Robin and Chrom were nowhere to be seen as well, and Oscar had settled in for a nap after cooking breakfast for everyone.

Stahl started running; if he could stay one step in front of them, the chances of ending up tied up in a closest dropped to minuscule levels. That was appealing, to say the least.

He passed by the kitchen first, and peeked in. It wasn't the smart choice, but it was absolutely the normal, Stahl-like thing to try to warn his best pal.

Except Gaius wasn't there. In fact, the kitchen totally empty. There was a faint cinnamon scent in the air, but whatever made that smell was long gone. He cursed his average nose; if he had even a Taguel's sense of smell…

"Ah, I smell something sweet."

"Your confectionary radar is something to behold, Empress."

Stahl looked around. The kitchen wasn't as large as the one in Askr proper, but there was still a large walk-in pantry. If anything, he could bar the door and hope Clarisse didn't care enough to break it down. If she was that mad, though…

"It is nothing to be especially proud of!" Sanaki shouted, likely intentionally, "I mean, I suppose if I enjoyed partaking in sweets, it would be; but I do not-"

There was no time to debate the situation. Stahl ripped open the pantry door, and flung himself inside. He landed on something soft - thank Naga for small miracles - and managed to close the door. The cavalier prayed with all his might that those girls didn't hear anything.

"Please get off of me."

The firm, dead tone initially sounded like Tharja, and Stahl immediately began to debate his options. Tharja might give him a cold for a week or two, while Lute would subject him to humiliation for a few hours. Begging for forgiveness might get him off easy, maybe just a sneezing hex. He decided to go for that.

As he turned around, he realized that the voice was a little too soft and a little too high pitched to be Tharja, and there was a good reason why.

The owner of the emotionless voice was definitely on the younger side, though her stony eyes seemed to have years of experience etched into them. Her hair seemed to glow with a fiery ember. Stahl noticed she had some crumbs on her face; he also noticed a certain thief sitting a few feet back. Gaius gave him a slight wave.

"Hey-o, Cowlick," he said, "Laying low from Lute too, huh?"

Stahl was incredulous. "How did you know she was headed this way?"

"It's part of my business," Gaius replied, "Have you met my friend Ember here?"

The girl puffed up slightly. "My name is Laevatain," she said, "and I am not friends with a thief."

"Riiight, sure thing Ember," came the response, "I'm guessing you haven't met Cowlick here; he's a good friend of mine."

"Is he a thief too?"

Stahl extended his hand. "No, and the name's Stahl." There was a long pause. "It's a pleasure."

Laevatain turned to Gaius. "What is he doing?"

Gaius smiled. "It's a handshake; you've definitely done a handshake before, right?"

"I've removed most hands placed in front of me."

Stahl slowly moved his hand away. "Errr, right," he said, "Handshakes are off the table." He turned to Gaius. "So what are the two of you doing here anyways?"

"Same as you, bud," Gaius responded, "Hiding from that gaggle of people. You know how they are."

"Yeah, we need to talk about that …"

"Absolutely, after all this blows over." Gaius waved Stahl over. Stahl noticed a plate was set between Laevatain and the thief. It was too dark to properly see, but Stahl could smell the cinnamon. "Smells good, right? Teal-bob made em for us!"

"Teal-bob?"

Laevatain spoke up. "My sister Laegjarn made them for me. I was told to tolerate this man's presence, but if you want a cinnamon bun…"

Stahl waved his arms frantically. "Not me, I'm okay with just smelling!"

Gaius chuckled. "As much as I'm loving this, we have company." The three went silent, and they could hear rummaging on the other side of the door. A sizable selection of pots and pans clanged on the floor, which was followed by a unique stream of profanity.

"Who needs so many damned pans?" They heard Clarisse yell. Goodie, Stahl thought, She's in a good mood.

"I think someone was baking earlier," it was a voice Stahl recognized, but only barely, "The ovens are still cooling down."

"So we just missed them," came the reply from Clarisse, "What are even doing, following these idiots?"

"It's quite simple." Ah, there was Lute. "Both of them are dispensaries of gossip and directions." Stahl looked pointedly at Gaius, hoping to get any hints as to why Lute was chasing him again. The thief shrugged and looked at the cavalier apologetically. Great. Very helpful.

"How about … big door?" Another unfamiliar voice. This one was ridiculously melodic in nature.

"Leanne, that is very astute!" Lute called out, "Yes, we should investigate that room as well."

Curses.

"Clarisse, if you could move all the pans you dropped?" There was a grumble, and some muttering. The sound of metal scraping on tile filed through the large wooden pantry door. Stahl cringed. An angry Clarisse mixed with Lute had disaster written all over it, and Stahl was in the crosshairs. He closed his eyes, bracing for the inevitable.

"Ah, hello? Prince Alfonse didn't think many people would visit this part of the fortress." A new voice had entered the fray. This one was quietly powerful, holding an air of command.

"Oh, it's you," Clarisse stated, "Didn't expect you to be lurking around."

"I'm merely looking for Laevatain," came the response. Laevatain grabbed Stahl's shoulders at the mention of her name. "Why are there six of you here?" The question lacked an accusational tone; Stahl felt like it held a similar tone to Robin when he wanted to lead you to an answer. It was kind, but a little sly.

"Nuh-uh." He heard Clarisse say. Stahl could only assume Lute was about to speak, and the sniper wasn't about to let that start. "We're just looking for our friend. Silver hair, face tattoos? Has a pout similar to rich girl over here?" Rich Girl? Stahl didn't hear Maribelle…

"I do not pout!" came the response, "Do I?"

"I'll be honest," Clarisse replied, "You're like a perpetual raincloud right now." There was a horrendously long silence then. " … Sorry. That was too much."

"You are not… incorrect."

The powerful voice intervened. "I did see a woman of that description pass by here. She was following a small … dragon girl?"

"That is Myrrh," Lute affirmed, "Which direction are they headed?" Another pause.

"They headed down…" Stahl assumed there was a lot of pointing going on, which would explain the long silences. Unfortunately, the distance between the group and the door was too great to hear much else. He heard the door close again, and somebody walk over towards the pantry door. While it was probably not Lute, Stahl still felt uneasy. He didn't have the best luck in these situations.

"Gaius, any clever escape plans?" He asked.

"Oh, the thief left." Laevatein noted. Stahl rolled his eyes. Of course he did. "And he took my buns again."

He heard a voice come from outside the pantry, "Ah, so that's where you went."

The door was flung open, and Stahl had to shield his eyes from the light flooding in. Blood red eyes met his, glowing like embers in a fire pit. Laevatein was at this woman's side at a blinding pace, embracing her tightly.

"Goodness, Laevatein!" She chuckled, "I was only gone for a moment."

"The thief brought an accomplice and took all the cinnamon buns again." Laevatein replied, hugging her sister tightly. The elder sister looked at Stahl, who stood up slowly and offered his hand.

"Um, I wouldn't call myself Gaius's accomplice, but it's nice to meet you… um?"

The sister took his hand firmly and shook it. It reminded Stahl of Sully's handshake, or maybe Flavia was more accurate. It had the strength of a fighting woman, but the precision of a seasoned politician. "Laegjarn," she replied, "and you are?"

"Oh! The name's Stahl."

"A pleasure." Laegjarn said. She patted Laevatein's head, which elicited a purr from the smaller muspellan. "If I may ask, why were both of you in this pantry?"

Stahl didn't really know how to answer that. "Well, I was hiding from Lute," he said, "Girl with the purple hair, talks like an encyclopedia?"

Laegjarn nodded sympathetically, "I assume the two of you had a bad experience?"

"Several run-ins that never ended well." Stahl corrected. "And I'm not sure my wife would be so kind to her."

"And Laevatein? Why were you in the pantry?" The younger sister didn't respond initially. Laegjarn smiled. "I promise I won't be angry, I just want to know."

Laevatein muttered something under her breath.

"I can always make you more, you don't have to try to hide from him."

"He's a pest." Laevatein countered. Laegjarn patted her head softly.

"We have to try our best to have good relations with these heroes, Laevatein," Laegjarn replied, "Pest or not."

"If you say so, I'll do so." Came the emotionless response. Laegjarn sighed and shook her head. Clearly this was a frequent issue with the sisters.

Stahl shifted awkwardly. "Well," he said, "it was nice to meet the two of you. Knowing Lute, she'll come back around again and I don't want to be around for that…"

Laegjarn turned to the cavalier. "Before you go, what do you know of a creature named Grima?"

Stahl froze. Of course he had heard rumors and saw the loud woman that had been shouting about fire and brimstone on her hill, but he assumed it was just a silly gimmick; a plot designed by the tacticians to gain some sort of advantage. "Um… you mean that angry girl that claimed to be Grima."

Laegjarn shrugged, "I have no knowledge of anyone named Grima, the others just mentioned having to help their friend Aversa."

"Wait," Stahl grew pale, "You don't mean 'Cursa Aversa'?"

"Again, I am not familiar with the names."

"Silver hair, face tattoos? General aura of 'puppy kicker'?"

"Yes, I believe the description was somewhat similar."

Stahl rubbed his temples. "Well," he said in a strained voice, "That could be bad news… I mean, she's Robin's sister, and he vouches for her and all, but she's really creepy!"

Laegjarn looked puzzled. "And this is a cause for concern?"

"The creepy thing, not so much; but she used to work for a Grima, who was a big problem. But that thing is long gone..." Stahl trailed off. It was clear he has concerns.

"What if that actor you mentioned wasn't acting?" Laegjarn asked the question on the trio's mind. Stahl grew pale. "I thought so." The general clapped her hands together. "Alright, Mr. Stahl. You will take Laevatein and report this to whatever commander you can find."

Laevatein spoke up. "Sister, what are you planning to do?" She protested. Laegjarn didn't answer, and turned away from the duo. Laevatein began to follow her, but the elder sister turned towards her and shook her head.

"Laevatein," she said strongly, "I need you to do this for me, okay?"

"But…" Laevatein didn't say any more than that. Laegjarn smiled, ruffled her sister's hair, and left the room. Stahl looked down at the Muspellan, who was now pouting.

"Is everything alright?" He asked.

Laevatein regained her cool composure, but still answered in a childish tone. "Sister just scolded me." She muttered. Stahl chuckled at that. It reminded him of when Yarne would come home after playing with the other kids…

"Come on," he said, "Your sister gave us a mission, right?" Laevatein nodded in affirmation.

The cavalier felt a twinge of nervousness. Grima wasn't exactly something to sneeze at, and if good ol' Cursa Aversa happened to be involved…

"Panne always said my nerves were like Yarne's…" he muttered.

—————————————————————

"Aversa, what in the gods?!"

"Why is that woman on a table?"

Grima opened her eyes. Aversa was arguing with… six other women? She recognized three of them: The lavender haired woman with a large magical aura, the blonde girl with a temper, and her purple-haired friend. She growled, "Is there something I can help you worms with?"

Nobody answered her. How horrifically rude! She had merely asked a simple question. The fell dragon decided to listen in on the conversation being held across the room.

"You know, we're lucky Grima is in a weakened state," Aversa commented, "I normally wouldn't be able to hex her like this."

Hex? Grima? She chortled. She appreciated the confidence that her servant had, but it seemed like she had a lot to learn. The fell dragon cleared her throat.

There was no response. Grima coughed loudly, perhaps she wasn't loud enough. If they were pretending to not hear her, they were succeeding. Succeeding in irritating her, at least. Enough was enough, though. She decided to get off the table. Perhaps that would scare Aversa into actually helping her.

She lifted herself from her resting position, and smirked at Aversa. But nobody seemed to notice or care. Grima frowned, and felt a nagging force below her, as if gravity was pulling her downwards. She looked down.

"Unbelievable."

Grima's body was still lying on the table, her face unmoving and still. Sitting at the end of the table was that woman, the petulant vessel. She looked at Grima with a hate the fell dragon admired.

"So," Grima said, "What do think our treacherous servant is planning to do?" The vessel didn't answer, but the fell dragon was infuriated by her expression. Was that… satisfaction? "I asked you a question, worm." She snarled.

The vessel looked back at Grima, and smiled. "I find it rather funny that you think this Aversa even respects you." Grima tilted her head. Whatever did this puny insect mean by that? She continued. "You realize that this Aversa came from a world where you lost? Where she knows the Exalt? Or am I the only part of your brain that understood all of that?"

Grima snarled. "Careful, worm," she replied, "Your words could have worse consequences than you think."

The vessel stood up, glowering all the while. "No." She stated emphatically, "My name is Robin, and I've had enough of you!" She walked over to the fell dragon's spectral form. "Why do you think I even accepted your offer?"

Grima felt a tinge of dread. She had thought it was too easy to convince her vessel, but she had never considered that she was plotting something.

Robin smiled. "If we merge, what's the likelihood that Aversa will let your personality take charge?"

"She is a loyal servant, she will obey." Grima answered nervously.

Robin laughed at that. "Loyal? What does she gain from being loyal to you? To us? You said it yourself: your power has been greatly inhibited here. Do you think so low of humans that you assumed they wouldn't notice?"

Grima didn't reply. She hadn't really thought about it; after all, humans were always nothing more than pitiable insects to her, even from her first moments in that dark and clammy room. But now she was being held down by the soul of a human and the only human she still thought had any loyalty to her. It was absurd.

"How can we help you with Grima?" Grima looked over to the group beside her body. The question had been posed by the lavender haired girl, who seemed to be looking over the fell dragon with a sense of sorrowful familiarity. It was uncomfortable, to say the least.

"Stop looking at me, you insect!" Grima roared. Of course, nobody heard her, but it was an instinct. The fell dragon felt an arm wrap around her waist. Her vessel stared at her with steely eyes, clutching to her desperately. "What are you doing?"

Robin squeezed tightly. "I'm comforting you, you jerk," she mumbled, "I know how you're feeling."

"You can not possibly comprehend how I feel." Grima shot back furiously. She attempted to pull away from her vessel's spirit, but Robin clung on. Grima began to feel something wet on her cheeks. "I - I don't want to change…" she muttered.

"Well, now you know how I feel." Robin replied shortly. Grima didn't reply. She was infuriated, and she also felt something she hadn't felt in a long time. The fell dragon also hated that her vessel was right. The shoe was on the other foot, and it was not pleasant.

—————————————————————

"So, if I understand correctly, we're using this magic circle you drew to change this girl's personality?"

Aversa sighed. "Close," she said, "What we're doing is bringing out the original personality, and then merging the two."

Clarisse nodded her head in mock understanding. "Uh-huh," came the reply, "I'm gonna be honest; that sounds really messed up."

Aversa smiled wryly. "We could discuss the moral implications of this, but as it stands, Grima is the largest potential threat in this kingdom."

"I mean, She's bound by a contract."

"A contract that lasts as long as a human life," Aversa replied, "And a dragon's life is significantly longer than that. And considering the state of our summoner… Well, I would rather be safe than sorry."

Ishtar crossed her arms and glared. "The medics said Kiran is stable, Aversa."

"Stable, yes. Alive,yes," she replied, "But how long can you guarantee that?"

Ishtar didn't reply, choosing to look at the person lying in front of her. She looked like a normal woman. In fact, it was hard to believe that she was carrying something so sinister and cruel. Well, it would be hard to believe, if she hadn't known better. She bit her lip in frustration.

"Aversa, I am assuming you have an affinity for dark magic," she heard Lute state, attempting to break the tension, "Not all of us have that level of skill in that particular field."

Aversa nodded her head. "Yes, that could be a problem," she agreed, "but I don't see many other choices. Failing now rather than later is merely academic."

Clarisse stepped in front of Katarina. "And what will happen if we fail?"

Aversa grinned slightly, "Well, if we fail, we won't have to worry about it for too long."

"Why is that?" asked Sanaki, eyeing the dark mage cautiously. Aversa frowned, and looked at the empress.

"Dearest Empress, if you're asking, don't you already know the answer?" She replied. She then moved towards the still Grima, and ruffled her hair gently. "Alright then," she announced, "How many of you are willing to help me?"

Lute stepped forward. "You have piqued my interest," she answered, "So I'm willing to participate."

Sanaki sighed. "As Empress of Begnion, it would be uncouth of me to abandon a friend in need." Clarisse scoffed at this.

"Are you guys seriously going to risk your lives for this?" She asked, "We honestly don't know if Aversa's even telling the truth!"

Ishtar stepped forward. "I believe her, Clarisse." She stated, "For what it is worth, Aversa has made an effort to be open and honest with me." Clarisse grumbled in response, but said nothing. Ishtar turned to the girl behind the sniper. "How about you, Katarina? What will you do?" She asked.

Katarina looked at Clarisse hesitantly, eyes pleading for her to accept her decision. The sniper bit her lip and turned away.

"I don't like this one bit," she finally said, "But if you wanna do this, Reese, I'm not about to stop you." She turned to Aversa. "Alright, what do you need me and Birdbrain over here to do?" She got two wings in the head for that comment, but Clarisse still smirked.

"Not nice!" Leanne barked, "Not birdbrain!"

Aversa looked over the two extras. "Are either of you good with any kind of magic?" Leanne raised her hand eagerly while Clarisse shook her head. "Alright, what sort of magic do you know, Leanne?"

"Song!" Came a chirp of delight, "Music powerful magic!"

Aversa chuckled despite herself. "It's not exactly the magic I was looking for…" She said apologetically. There was a sound of metal boots coming from the doorway, which had been missed due to the loud conversation within. Laegjarn stood in front of the mages, eyes like flaming spheres.

"What sort of magic were you thinking of?" She asked.

—————————————————————

Grima found herself lying in a shallow pool of water. The sounds of songbirds echoed in her ears; but for once, she didn't find it… unpleasant. There were two silhouettes near her, one of which she recognized as her vessel. The other stood a little farther away from the two, hidden by a large hood. The fell dragon looked at her surroundings. A lavender sky with golden clouds surround the trio.

"What is this place, worm?" Grima finally asked her vessel.

Robin shrugged, her twintails moving in some imaginary wind. "I imagine it's somewhere in our shared consciousness."

"A shared dream?"

"Sure, let's go with that." Robin sat next to the fell dragon. "We ended up here after Aversa and the others circled my body."

Grima sneered. "My body."

"It's a rather moot point right now." Robin replied, looking at the cloaked figure in front of them. "Who is that, anyways?"

Grima squinted. It wasn't like she could see past the cloak, but there was something familiar about it. Something…

"Father." It came out distorted, as if two voices were speaking at once. Grima turned to her vessel. Robin was slowly losing her corporeal form, and she was crying. "Father!" They both cried out in frustration. "I thought you were proud of me! I thought…" Grima felt something on her cheeks. Her eyes were leaking again. She turned to her vessel, but she was no longer there. A flash of pain struck the fell dragon between the eyes, and she began to wail in anger and pain. The cloaked figure began to dissipate into the purple sky, and Grima reached out in vain.

She nearly leapt off of the table, some of her white hair stuck to her forehead from the sweat. Grima looked around again, breathing heavily and nearly growling like a caged animal. Her eyes focused on Aversa, who took a step back nervously. Grima approached her, shaking with fury. "How dare you…" she growled, "This is unforgivable… you… you…". She raised a hand threateningly. "You big jerk!"

Aversa felt a pair of fists lightly tap her shoulders. "You said you'd be loyal, Aversa, but you're a big jerk!" Grima cried out. "This is unacceptable! You worm! You insect! You jerk!" Aversa felt several pairs of eyes look at her and the pathetic fell dragon. Aversa looked at Grima's distraught face, and felt her hands slowly move.

In one quick strike, Aversa clamped her fingers on Grima's cheeks, and pinched. The fell dragon squealed in shock, and struggled against the dark mage's grip.

"You insect! Worm! Old haa-ahhh!" Aversa pinched harder, "My lovely sister! Please let go!"

Aversa smiled cruelly, but released her hands. Grima rubbed her cheeks tenderly, and glared. "You should be thankful you released me, Aversa; you were risking severe injury."

"Hmm." Aversa hummed mockingly. Grima glared at her, and rushed off. The dark mage heaved a sigh of relief. She heard a couple others do the same.

"Did it work?" Clarisse finally asked. Aversa tentatively nodded.

"I believe so," she replied, "At the very least, Grima has rarely called me by my name."

Clarisse grumbled. "That doesn't exactly make me feel better…"

"Could sing? Would make you feel better!" Leanne piped in. Clarisse shook her head.

"Uh, I appreciate it, but no thanks," she replied, "I think I'm gonna go back to my drinks."

Aversa smiled. "I had the exact same thought." She turned to others, and smiled sheepishly. "I… uh. Thank you all for helping me."

"Naturally," Lute spoke up, "It's no surprise our intellect won out," she turned to Sanaki, "But I am glad that it did."

Ishtar looked at the others. "I'll join you later," she stated, "One of us should report to Kiran."

"Go for it," Clarisse replied, "But try to keep it strictly about reporting." She gave Ishtar a wink and laughed maniacally. The Friegian blushed furiously, but couldn't find a retort.

"I have business with the summoner as well," Laegjarn announced, "If it's not too much trouble, may I accompany you?"

"I- of course!" Ishtar replied, "I have no objection."

"You should join us as well, Laegjarn," Aversa noted, "You look like a bourbon woman."

"I don't drink when I'm on duty." Laegjarn stated stiffly.

Clarisse snorted loudly. "You aren't on duty now, are you? Once both of you finish your business, come drink with us!"

"If you insist." Ishtar replied quickly. She motioned to the General. "We should go now, they will drink everything if we take our time."

—————————————————————

"No, that won't work; Lucy hates me… us? She'd never go with us willingly. We need a plan of attack. We could break her legs… no… no, that won't work in the long term. Oh, this was so much simpler when we were separated!"

Grima paced the kitchen frantically, muttering schemes and plots in her head. Ever since Aversa merged her and Robin a mere 10 minutes ago, a tidal wave of thoughts had hit her brain non-stop. Plans and observations and memories, along with a nearly encyclopedic knowledge of bear meat preparation. She also noted that she felt more energetic, perhaps… even happy? The fell dragon also felt incredibly anxious, and she didn't enjoy that one bit.

She looked in the mirror. Physically, she looked the same. Blood red eyes, pale white hair, a frown that could peel paint. And she still had a hard time talking to others. In her short trip from her room to the kitchen, she called four different people "worm" or "insect". It wasn't really her fault; she didn't know their names, and those words came out easily. So it wasn't like she wasn't Grima…

"Maybe she's just being defensive!" She finally shouted, "Yes! She spent her whole life trying to kill me, but maybe I can convince… oh, who am I kidding." The fell dragon took a seat on a small chair. "I'm going to have to capture her if I want her to listen to me."

She tapped her chin thoughtfully. It would be a lot easier if there was someone who knew Lucina, who could maybe convince her…

"I'm telling you, Leo," she heard a voice from around the corner, "There must be a trick to it."

"If she is your daughter, is it really surprising that she's adept at philogyny?"

"Do we even know she is my daughter?" came the reply, "and what does that mean?" The two speakers turned the corner and froze at the sight of Grima.

Grima didn't recognize the blond boy, though his general attire and demeanor was rather fetching. But she did recognize the other boy.

"Inigo, what a lovely surprise," she cooed, "I was just thinking about you."

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"We'll be heading out for home tomorrow, then?"

"That's what Prince Alphonse said."

"There's no need to be so formal with him. He gets flustered easily, and it's fun to watch."

Ishtar pressed her ear against the door, listening intently. Kiran was already awake, somehow, and talking to someone. It wasn't difficult to determine who it was, either.

"So… where is Ishtar? I was certain she would be here, with you." The Friegian grit her teeth. Fjorm was a clever one, asking it like an innocent question.

"I'm not sure." Kiran replied. Ishtar could hear that he was slightly crestfallen, and she fought all the urge to burst into the room right then and there. "I'm a little worried about her."

"Oh? Why is that?" Ishtar couldn't help but be curious herself. What did he mean by that?

"Well, Ishtar tends to carry everyone's burdens on her shoulders, whether or not that's fair to her," came the reply, "If I wasn't so reckless she wouldn't have hurt me; but I don't think she feels that way."

Ishtar stifled a small sob. Kiran really did care, even though this was definitely her fault.

At this moment, she felt the white hot gaze of Laegjarn upon her. She turned towards the general, who was looking at her with a mixture of pity and impatience. "What?" Ishtar asked quietly.

"This doesn't seem especially productive." Laegjarn replied. Ishtar frowned, but didn't give a verbal response. "Why don't we just go in, get our business done, and be on our way?"

"Because it is rude to interrupt."

"But it's not rude to listen in?"

Ishtar blushed at that. It seemed like she was doing less ladylike things by the day in Askr, but nobody had called her out on it before. She heard armor clank as Laegjarn moved towards the door. "Wait!" She hissed, standing up quickly. "Let me prepare myself." Ishtar smoothed our her dress quickly, and checked her hair. Everything seemed to be in order. Laegjarn didn't wait much longer than that, and opened the door quickly.

Fjorm nearly fell out of her chair in surprise, while Kiran seemed unrattled.

"Pardon the intrusion," Laegjarn stated, "I have some business with the summoner that will not take long."

"O-of course," Kiran replied, his focus more on Ishtar still trying to look presentable, "What can I do for you, General?"

"I would request that you keep an eye on the hero known as Grima, if possible." She replied, "We had a minor situation with her, involving several of us. Lady Ishtar can go into detail, if you wish."

Kiran pondered it for a moment. "Will this affect our march tomorrow?"

"Unlikely, though I don't know her well enough to be certain."

"And how are you and your sister getting along?"

Laegjarn stiffened slightly. "Laevatein has made a couple of friends, and seems to enjoy the comaradarie." She replied. "I must thank you for giving me access to the kitchen, as well."

Kiran laughed, "It's no trouble at all. In fact, I'm glad to hear it."

Laegjarn bowed quickly, and made her way to the door. She stopped by Ishtar. "Um, where is the bath again?" She asked quietly.

"Just find the open atrium," Ishtar whispered back, "You can hear Clarisse from there."

Laegjarn chuckled at that, and took her leave. Ishtar turned to Kiran and Fjorm. The Princess of Nifl looked nervous, but Kiran looked positively ecstatic.

"Should I take my leave as well?" Fjorm asked cautiously.

"You may stay, if you wish," Ishtar replied, "You were having a conversation with the summoner, were you not?"

"Well, yes; but…"

Ishtar gave Fjorm a devilish smile. "I'm not so cruel as to monopolize Kiran's time, I won't take long." She turned to the summoner. He had definitely seen better days, but he was physically intact, and his idiotic grin suggested that he was mentally sound as well. "I'm sorry I wasn't here earlier," she expressed sadly, "We were preoccupied."

"Do you want to… elaborate?"

"Aversa wanted to seal Grima's powers, so she got us to attempt a ritual to do just that."

"Did it work? Is that even morally okay?"

Ishtar paused, "I am… not sure it worked, and I hesitate to condone it."

Kiran looked unsure. "What was her reasoning?"

"She wanted to have a plan…" Ishtar paused, avoiding the summoner's gaze, "In case you were killed."

Fjorm made a small noise, which Ishtar empathized with. It was certainly not a pleasant topic, and Kiran seemed to reflect that with his face. "Well, I guess that's a good point. I certainly didn't give anyone confidence in my survivability, huh?"

"It was my fault," Ishtar replied, "If I hadn't attacked so brashly…" She felt a hand clasp hers. Kiran gave her a small smile, kindness reflected in his eyes.

"You missed," he replied, "but I'm the one who put you in that situation. I'd trust you to be on target next time." Kiran laughed at that, and squeezed Ishtar's hand. "I'm sorry, I know it's been bothering you, but I never blamed you for this. Plus, I don't plan on dying anytime soon."

Ishtar felt her eyes water, which she wiped away. "You are much too kind, Kiran." She said, giggling a little. She leaned over and gave him a kiss on his forehead. "And I will never miss again."

"I'm counting on it."

Fjorm coughed loudly. She was covering her eyes with her hands, and was blushing profusely. "I'm sorry, but could that wait until both of you are alone?"

Ishtar blushed as well. "You didn't have to stay if you did not wish to!" She protested. She turned to Kiran, her face had become a red mess. "I have some business with Clarisse. My apologies for having to leave so suddenly!" Ishtar nearly fell over herself rushing from the room, leaving a dazed and happy Kiran in his hospital bed.

The summoner quietly laughed to himself, and struggled to focus for the rest of the day. Ishtar couldn't do much better.

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Hey everybody! I know it's been a long time since my last chapter. The last month and a half has been filled with a lot of stuff, and it just took much longer to write than I had hoped. I'm really sorry about the wait, and the next chapter is already coming along, so the wait will not be even close to as long.

As always, I appreciate all of you for reading this. It really helps me go when I don't feel motivated.

And also as always, comments, critiques and questions are always loved and appreciated! Thank you all!