Sweat formed and beaded on my brow as I slashed and stabbed at the training dummy that had been set up on the outskirts of camp. I felt my arms grow tired but I kept going.

The rays of the setting sun glinted off my sword as I swung again, getting it caught in the wooden pseudo-armor. I wrenched it free, nearly cutting the dummy in half when I did. Training was, if it wasn't obvious, one of the many coping mechanisms I'd taken up. It was certainly healthy physically. As long as I didn't overdo it, of course. Still, no matter how hard I swung my sword or destroyed the training dummy, I just couldn't get my confession to Robin out of my head, and it had been well over a week since it'd happeneded.

I gritted my teeth as my sword cut through the dummy again, the memories flowing through my mind.

"…and that's it," I finished, finally. Strangely, despite what I'd expected, I didn't feel any lighter from what I'd just done. If anything, I felt an intense pressure.

Robin's red eyes glared at me. His fist was clenched so tightly I could see blood seeping through his gloves. I winced. Maybe there was some part of me hoping he wouldn't be angry, but even though I'd never seen it, what I was looking at was a very pissed off Robin.

No, actually, more like livid.

I held my hands out and bowed my head. "I-I know this is a lot to take in. Honestly, when I first came here I c-couldn't really believe it myself, but there. I just couldn't hold it in anymore, I must think I'm pathetic, right?"

Robin snarled, nearly jumping out of his seat and grabbing me by the collar of my tunic. Despite me having a few inches over him, I could still feel myself being lifted a bit.

"You were going to let my best friend's sister die all because of- what in the world kind of explanation was that!?" He shouted. I looked away, unable to stare him in those damn eyes. "What do you think I could possibly think of someone who would do that!?"

"I know, damnit, I know!" I yelled back, in spite of my instinct to just take it like I deserved. "I-I wanted everyone to make it out of this alive, for fuck's sake! You know what I just told you! If-if I let her die, then that was virtually guaranteed. At least, that's what I told myself."

"And yet, the other evidence you've provided attests to the contrary!" Robin countered savagely, moving his face closer. "The damned Deadlord. And your very presence! Whatever legends or prophecies you may or may not have read, you should have done something the instant you knew- No, you should have done something the instant you had the chance! Dastard!"

Robin pulled a fist back. I readied myself and closed my eyes, waiting for it-

I growled as my sword got caught again. That time, when I pulled it out, the dummy crumbled into hay and splinters on the ground. Breathing heavily for a moment, I focused on the next dummy just to the side. Luckily for me, there were a lot of them. There had to be, considering the amount the Shepherds broke. Including me.

At least we had them at all. Fairly easy to put up, too.

The whole caravan was a bit under-stocked. That had to do with our hasty exit from Bellator after the news that Ylisstol had fallen came. It happened the morning after my talks with Lissa and Robin, too. If I hadn't already been dealt a metaphorical gut punch that night, I might've reacted more to it.

The punch never came, although I was completely aware that I deserved it. It all felt so much clearer when it's laid out by someone else.

I opened my eyes and felt the grip on my tunic loosen. Robin backed up, his footsteps sounding like bombshells to my ears.

A few moments of silence followed, until Robin broke it. "I never expected this," He said quietly. "Just, this. How could you do something like this? I trusted you. I considered you a friend, and then you- you try and let someone die because of your own fear."

"I know," I replied sullenly, sitting down and looking into nothing. "Looking back on it, I wonder why I didn't say anything. I just… Yeah. Yeah, I'm really fucking horrible, aren't I?"

"My opinion is hardly unbiased at the moment, but I would agree," Robin's face curled into something unpleasant to look at. "Alex, these people, my friends, my family, were about to lose someone dear to them because you said nothing. I cannot remember anything prior to several months ago. You, although I'm questioning it now, and everyone in the Shepherds, are the only family or friends I've ever known, and despite my complaints, I consider Emm one among them, too. And you were about to let her die," Robin looked at me like he was staring at a stain on the ground. "I can honestly say that I've never been this angry in my entire known life."

"Yeah," I said hollowly.

What could I even say to that?

I snarled as my sword cut the dummy's head off. It's patchwork head of fabric and hay rolled on the dirt as the wooden bucket used as a helmet rolled around before settling on its side.

I was wheezing at that point, a sign I should've probably stopped. Something in me wanted to answer a question, though: what would give out first, our training dummy supply, or my body? A difficult question, and time consuming. Luckily, it was going to be answered soon.

The last thing I thought about, before I went back at it, was what Robin asked me to do before I left that night.

I sat there, the stifling silence washing over me. Despite what I came to do, I didn't feel any less guilty or angry with myself. In fact, those feelings were only amplified. It wouldn't be wrong to say that's all I felt. In my mind, I just kept asking myself how I could've been so blind and stupid.

There was nothing more for me to say; I'd said everything I needed to. Whatever Robin did with the information I gave him, I wasn't really sure I cared anymore. As long as Emmeryn didn't die because of my inaction, I'd be satisfied. That was what mattered, not my feelings or my fear, but that. I preferred it that way.

The chair creaked as I got up and motioned to leave.

"Where are you going?" Robin rasped.

"Where else? My room. I've told you everything."

"We both know that's not true," Robin rebuked, getting up himself. "As much as I want to let you leave and tell you to never speak to me again, there is one crucial part that I need your help with."

I turned around, frowning. "What?"

Robin placed his gloved hands on the table, looking at a map of the continent. "You know how Emmeryn is going to be executed, as well as the pegasus knights that are with her. Therefore, you are going to stay here and help me plan this operation out. I will not do everything while you sit by and let me fix your mistakes. You will help me stop this tragedy from happening. Whatever plan of inaction you had regarding the future is stopped here, Alexander."

I couldn't choke any words out as I walked back and stood opposite of Robin on the table.

Robin stared daggers at me. "I also know you haven't told me everything you know. Those amazingly contrived explanations on how you know all of this is frankly insulting. I don't care about them, though. Help me save Emmeryn, and you can keep all the secrets you want," He pointed at Plegia's capitol. "You told me this is where she's going to be executed…"

I nearly collapsed as the last rays of sunlight vanished over the distant horizon. Despite the sweat dripping off my brow and chin, I forced myself to stay standing.

At that point, I'd been out there for hours.

Even though it all happened well over a week prior, it was so fresh in my memory I could recall it with a snap of my fingers. That was saying a lot, because I forgot a majority of the conversations I'd had. I still clutched my sword tightly at the memory of it.

I sheathed my sword, finally, and went back to my tent, leaving the training dummies to the elements. I shared the tent with several other people, but I just always labelled it as 'My Tent' in my head.

I told Robin a lot of what would be happening in the near future, but not a lot about what would be happening in the somewhat distant future, although he did know of Grima's resurrection, as well as how Grima could return. The Valmese were still a mystery to him, but I was sure he suspected more conflicts just by dint of me having precognition in the first place. He may've also suspected that I knew his past, but he didn't say anything about it.

In hindsight, the explanation that I gave on how I knew everything was weak. Prophecies and myths? A kindergartener could've come up with a better explanation than the one I gave. I may have been influenced by what Lucina told me about my future self, but that was a poor excuse, and I knew it.

Just like all the ones I used to justify letting Emmeryn die.

I entered my tent, and to my surprise, it was empty save for all our sleeping cots. Sharing a tent with Donnel and Vaike could get a bit much at times, so I welcomed that change, even if I was sure they wouldn't be far behind. I took off my armor and laid down. Cots were uncomfortable, but it was better than sleeping on the floor.

Trying to focus on getting to sleep, I closed my eyes and tried to block out any sounds. Southwest Ferox was less of a quagmire than it was during the Summer months, and many of the bugs I was sure called that place home were dead or dying. It was October, as far as I could tell, and autumn in Ferox could be just as brutal as Winter in certain areas.

I tossed and turned, unable to get even an ounce of shut-eye. Groaning, I sat up, feeling sweat roll down my back in streams. It wasn't even hot outside, especially considering it was night, but I was still sweating like a pig.

"God, fucking, damn you," I growled out, noticing that neither Vaike nor Donnel were around still. I would've been worried if I didn't think those two were out playing poker or something like that. Hopefully.

Unfortunately for me, I wasn't in the mood for poker. I would've been a downer at that week's session anyway.

I perked up when I heard footsteps outside the tent, alongside the gentle clinking of steel plate. My first thought was that we'd been ambushed in the middle of the night. It would've been hard to pull off, but not impossible. Since canon was likely to be thrown out the window completely soon, I felt like I couldn't take any chances.

The footsteps stopped at the flaps to my tent, standing there for several seconds. Was it hesitation? Or maybe they were waiting for me to come to them?

Despite my better judgment, I got up, making as little noise as I possibly could, before slowly approaching the entrance. Quickly, making the person on the other side yelp lightly, I forced the flaps open, revealing the moonlit landscape in front of me.

It also revealed Cordelia on the other side. A fact that took me a couple seconds to register.

"Cordelia?" I asked, flabbergasted. "What're you doing here?"

Cordelia's red eyes looked at me like I was some sort of mutant. "What are you doing?"

The flaps of the tent covered my torso, making me look like I was a head attached to the cloth itself. Well, that and the fact I over-dramatically swished the flaps open probably made her question my sanity. I couldn't exactly blame her for that.

"Nothing," I replied after a moment's silence. "Just, I thought you were someone else. Did you need something?"

She bit her lip and looked from side to side like we were about to deal drugs or some shit. "You said I could come to talk whenever I was, erm..."

Realization struck me, and I cringed inwardly at my own stupidity earlier. "So, you came here for that," I stated, feeling slightly awkward.

She nodded. "Yes."

I mumbled incoherently to myself for a few moments. Not being in the best position myself made me question if I should've gone through with it. However, I recognized that look in her eyes; Cordelia wasn't in a good place right then, either. What kind of monster would I be if I told her to go away, or to come back some other time?

The same kind of monster who-

I shook my head. Not like I had much else better to do. Might as well spend it with someone I liked..

Despite myself, I looked from left to right myself, before motioning for her to come in.

Cordelia followed me. For a few moments, she looked around the interior of the tent. Must've not been very interesting, because her eyes were back on me soon enough.

"Go ahead and have a seat on one of the cots or something," I waved off. "Might not be the most comfortable but it's better than sitting on the ground."

"Yes, well, thank you." She replied, her armor clinking a little as she did so.

My eyes trailed along her intricate armor, wondering why she was wearing it instead of normal clothes. I shook it off either way before sitting in front of her.

"Well, I'd offer you tea, but I don't have any. So just keep talking until you can't anymore," I said, rubbing the back of my head. "Whatever you have to say, I'll listen."

Cordelia's brow furrowed as she took a deep breath. "Yes. Allow me to collect myself." She breathed out. "I have had some time to think, since you first offered to hear my worries. I really do appreciate it."

"Don't mention it," I replied easily. Almost on reflex, really. "Thinking, uh, thinking about your squad, right? The one at the border?"

She grimaced. It looked unnatural on her pretty face. "Yes. Losing them has affected me in ways I didn't anticipate."

"I'll say," I commented. "For those first few weeks I don't think you slept. Losing friends'll do that to you."

"Pah, friends!" Cordelia parroted, almost mockingly. "I certainly didn't feel like a friend to any of them. All the name-calling, the hazing. And yet, their deaths were the entire reason I worked myself so hard, just as you said," She tucked a loose strand of red hair behind her ear. "It's confusing. They all sacrificed themselves so that I lived, for a reason only the gods know now. That… That is so very confusing to me."

I paused for a second, mulling over her words. "Well, lemme tell you a little secret of mine. Just a few months ago I was taken away from everyone I ever knew or loved. All of them, gone," I snapped my fingers. "Just like that. The first few months I spent here, I worked my ass off; training, testing my endurance, stuff like that. Basically, doing everything in my power to make sure I didn't have time to think. Hell, I'm still doing it!" I chuckled to myself lightly. "It's just that, I think that's what you were doing. Even if you don't think they saw you as a friend, you still cared about them. And that always hits hard."

Let's ignore the fact you will never do anything to change that, boy scout. Might as well help her with her problems while you still have a shit ton of your own to sort through, huh?

"I'm sorry to hear that, Alex," Cordelia said, shifting her weight a tad. "I can see the similarities, but also the differences. I doubt your loved ones called you names to you face, much to the amusement of the others?"

"Honestly, you'd be surprised," I replied. "Sometimes a little group hazing can be a sign of acceptance. At least, I hope it is. Otherwise I think I've been living a lie my entire life."

"Heh," Cordelia laughed a little. "I certainly hope that is not the case for me. That would be, well..."

"Er, depressing, probably."

"Perhaps," Cordelia acknowledged. "Still, my problem regarding this still stands. They're all gone, and I'm still here. I'm still left wondering why they felt the need to sacrifice themselves for me. All of them were strong and capable in their own right. The things those Plegians did to them…! Surely, they wouldn't feel the need to… to…" Cordelia clutched her head, tears falling down her pale face. "Oh gods…!"

"Woah-kay, let's just calm down, alright?" I said as soothingly as possible, putting a hand on her shoulder. "Take deep breaths. Slow and steady, okay?"

Cordelia nodded. I let go of her shoulder as she collected herself again. Once it seemed she was not in danger of breaking down again, I spoke.

"I'm not in any position to say what they might've been thinking," I began. "But I heard Phila say that they let you go because you were young, right? You have your whole life ahead of you. They wanted it to be long and lived to the fullest, in place of the ones they gave up," I rubbed the back of my head awkwardly. "That's just what I think, though. Can't really speak for them."

Cordelia looked me in the eye for several moments. They were still wet and puffy, but funnily enough I had no problem looking at them. For a second it seemed like she was about to break down again, but she was able to hold it back.

"I-I don't know what's worse," Cordelia whispered. "The fact that I may have misinterpreted their treatment of me, or that they died for me. So that I could live, like you said," She sniffled, shaking her head before looking back up at me. "I really do appreciate this, Alex. We should continue this some other time."

I wasn't sure how long we had stayed there talking for, but I imagined Vaike and Donnel wouldn't be much longer. How in the hell was I going to explain to them why Cordelia was there? I'd never hear the end of it.

"Yeah, I've enjoyed this," I admitted. "Don't be afraid to come talk again if you ever feel like it, Cordy."

"I will be certain to- Wait," She had stood up and began walking to the tent flaps when she turned around. "'Cordy'?"

"Oh, shit," I muttered to myself. "Er, yeah, a bit easier to say than Cordelia, you know?" She stared at me for a few moments. "U-um, if you don't like it, I won't call you it again."

"It was just unexpected," Cordelia said, before turning back around. "See you later, Alex."

I waved awkwardly. "Y-yeah, see ya!"

Once she was gone, I sighed to myself. "That could've gone better."

It also could've gone worse, as Robin could attest.

Many things went through my mind as we crossed the Feroxi-Plegian border wall. Mostly being of the battle ahead, and of the plan I made with Robin. Robin himself hadn't so much as looked in my direction since the plan was drawn up, and I couldn't blame him. If I were in his position, I would've done the same thing. Hell, I would've punched me in the face given half the chance. The longer I thought, the more I realized that there was no good excuse for keeping shit like Emmeryn's death a secret. Robin was right. I should've, at the very least, said something once the Deadlord came around. Yet, I did nothing.

It was pointless dwelling on it, though. What was done was done. I ruined my friendship with Robin so that Emmeryn had a chance to live. Hadn't even said more than a couple words to the woman herself, but that didn't absolve me of guilt.

"Okay, you do know everything, right Gaius? Nothing I need to explain?"

Gaius waved his hand lazily. "I got it, Sailor. Isn't gonna be the first time I've dealt in unsavory business like this. 'Sides, if it's to save the Exalt, like Robin said, I won't have a problem doing it."

I massaged my temples as I tried not to look at the noon day sun, as well as try to ignore the sweat dripping off of me. "I know. I know you do. Just saying, this is important. If we fuck this up, Em- the Exalt is dead, alright? I really don't want that to happen."

The Plegian badlands were fucking awful. It wasn't humid, but it still felt hotter than hell itself.

"You know, you're really worrying me, Sailor," Gaius said. "You've been different lately."

"Er… what?" I asked, confused.

"You have these bags under your eyes, see?" He pointed at my eyes like I could actually try and look at them. "And you're always looking behind your shoulder like someone's about to jump you. Starting to think you've made enemies of the wrong people."

"I'm just gonna ignore how you know all that crap, especially the part about looking over my shoulder," I turned to him, nearly tripping over in the loose sand. "Maybe it's because of shit like that that I look over my shoulder. Ever thought of that?"

Gaius chuckled. "Someone's snippy today, huh? Just pointing out what I see, Sailor, no need to snap like that," He paused. "But seriously, starting to get a little worried. You haven't even shown up for game night for two weeks."

I sighed, rubbing my forehead. "Just haven't felt like it," I grunted. "And this sand is gonna fucking kill me. We're moving so slow!"

"You've also been complaining a lot more." Gaius pointed out. "And obsessed with going faster. 'Course, Blue also wants to go faster. All this sand makes it a bit difficult, yeah, but it ain't so bad."

"I can feel it in my pants, Gaius."

"Eesh, didn't need to know that," Gaius coughed awkwardly. "Anyways, unless we have a full wing of pegasi, or a convoy of mages, it's slow moving from here on out. All the way to the capital of Plegia itself. Medlun's an interesting place, as long as you don't get the attention of those Grimleal dastards. Saw them drag a poor soul out in the middle of the street and take him to one of their safehouses. Never saw the guy again. Shame, too. Good man who could drink anyone under the table."

I squinted as the wagons were dragged up a sand dune. It was a good thing we stocked up on water before we left Ferox, and that the Shepherds were still a small private army. Otherwise, we'd be fucked.

"They drag people off in the middle of the night?" I asked curiously, looking off in the distance. "Sounds, well, it sounds awful. What kind of government are they running here?"

"Grimleal rule through fear, Sailor," Gaius explained easily. "Bet you a lollipop half the people you'll meet in this desert don't even worship Grima. Guess 'God of Destruction' doesn't really cut it unless you're really touched in the head, eh? That's the only good thing that's come from Gangrel's rule: Grimleal've taken a backseat politically. For now."

I looked at Gaius strangely before looking back at the desert. "You know a lot about Plegia, huh?"

"Had my fair share of jobs here, yeah," Gaius waved off. "Need jobs wherever you can take 'em, and Plegia has no shortage. Think after this war there'll be a whole lot more, though."

"You sound disappointed."

"Just because I like what I do, doesn't mean I like the circumstances surrounding it, Sailor." Gaius said coolly.

I mumbled something incoherently. Sounded like a cross between 'yeah', and 'sorry'. I was a bit busy looking at what had stopped the caravan cold in its tracks. Off in the distance were people; men in what looked like red and black hooded robes. The sun highlighted their forms, making them look like fire ants scurrying over the dunes. Couldn't make out much beyond that, but I had a pretty good idea who they were.

Did you really forget about Chapter 8?

Why wouldn't I forget about Chapter 8? It was just a filler chapter as far as I could remember. One that introduced Gregor and Nowi, after I thought about it for a moment. Beyond that, nothing of note.

Gaius followed my vision and whistled once his eyes met the skulking fire ants. "Now those are Grimleal robes if I ever saw 'em. Even from this distance. What say we get to the front and see what the hold up is?"

Wordlessly, I followed Gaius.

When we got to the front of the caravan, I saw Chrom, Robin, and Frederick talking to one another. Chrom seemed distressed, while Robin and Frederick were calm.

"-I knew we were getting too far unhindered," Chrom claimed. "We should've seen this coming eventually."

"We have the advantage in this engagement, either way," Robin consoled. "The sand will slow us down, but they appear to be a small force at best."

"An astute observation, Robin," Frederick agreed. "Only mages and fliers will be able to traverse this desert unimpeded."

"Yes, which means we'll be making good use of them. Robin, let's discuss-" Chrom looked around Robin. "Oh, Gaius, Alex, what are you two doing here?"

"Sailor and I noticed those red folks down the dune, wanted to see what the problem was," Gaius explained lazily. "Grimleal by the looks of 'em."

When Robin turned around, I looked away. Keeping my vision on the Grimleal going across the desert like a swarm of ants. Had to have someone keeping an eye on them; never knew when Gregor and Nowi'd show up.

"Grimleal? Yes, I've seen references to them in the books I've read," Robin said thoughtfully. "You know these are Grimleal, Gaius?"

Gaius was silent for a moment. "Yeah, ran into 'em a few times. Hard to miss those damned robes they wear. Horrible sense of fashion, you know. Not like 'em to just go wandering the desert like they are, though. Unless they're trying to find something."

I scanned the desert, noting that the Grimleal were going in a single direction.

"If they're looking for someone, I doubt it's for anything good," Chrom said, hearing him begin pacing in the sand. "What my father did to Plegia wasn't right, but the Grimleal really are a force of evil. We need to stop them."

"Agreed, milord," Frederick replied. His armor clanked as he walked. "At your orders, I will mobilize our troops."

"Good. Robin?"

"They're scattered," Robin pointed out. "Most likely to search for something or someone, as Gaius said. I suggest we-"

My eyes widened as I saw two differently colored dots against the desert, running along the top of a dune before falling down its steep side. This seemed to attract the attention of the fire ant-looking Grimleal, who were immediately drawn in their direction.

"Gaius!" I called, turning back around. "Said they might be looking for someone, right?"

Gaius shrugged. "Well, said they'd be looking for something, but sure. Why? See something while you were all brooding over there?"

I sputtered. "I-I'm not brooding, asshole! Look over there!" I pointed to the specks on the sandy horizon. "Think those guys are what the Grimleal are going after."

Robin and Chrom stepped forward, shielding the sun from their eyes.

"Yes, all the Grimleal are converging on them," Robin said, pointing a gloved finger at them. "See? And that other one, the brown-haired one, looks like one of them. They're…" Robin stopped.

"They're chasing a little girl," Chrom finished grimly, taking a step back. "Robin, we're going to do something."

"This actually doesn't change the plan all too much," Robin replied. "I hesitate to think what Grimleal would want a little girl for."

"Trust me, with the Grimleal, it's nothing good," Chrom said. "Quickly, let's discuss strategy…"

Robin's strategy, as it turned out, was simple. There weren't very many Grimleal traveling through that desert, and they were also spread out. We didn't outnumber them, but we did have something they didn't: Pegasus Knights. Only two, but for the purpose they had, they were enough.

The main force would cut straight through the main groups of Grimleal, while Sumia and Cordelia, along with two others who would be going with both, were going to take out individual targets. Sumia and Chrom were going to a group that seemingly had the leader of the Grimleal force, while Cordelia was going to help Gregor and Nowi.

I was chosen to go with Cordelia, something I started to think was petty revenge on Robin's part.

Or maybe you're looking for justification, boy scout. How pathetic can you possibly be?

I doubted I'd ever know why, but as we soared through the hot air, I couldn't help but think that the petty revenge theory wasn't so far off.

My arms were around Cordelia's waist in a near vice-like grip, while my legs were too stiff to even move. With my teeth chattering, I tried to avoid looking down. I failed. The yelp I let out made Cordelia giggle.

"First time riding a Pegasus, I take it?" She asked dryly, taking a look back for only a moment.

"F-f-fuck-!" I screamed. "W-what gave you that idea, my screeching voice or my arms!?"

"Both, really! Hehe," She laughed. "It's a bit uncomfortable moving like this. Perhaps you could loosen your grip around me?"

"I-if I do that, I'll fall!" I replied, panicking.

Despite my better judgment, I looked down. I nearly pissed my pants at the sight of it. The sandy ground looked so far away, and I could imagine myself plummeting through the clouds. I'd be flattened by gravity, becoming nothing more than a bloody pancake against the earth. I shut my eyes so tightly tears appeared at the corners.

I shivered at the thought of it.

"Don't worry; I won't let you fall," Cordelia said comfortingly. "Besides, we're almost above the target."

My eyes widened so fast I was afraid my eyelids would sheer off my face. "O-okay, does that mean what I think it means? We're not g-going to just dive straight do-?"

"Hold on!" Cordelia shouted as she moved the reigns.

Next thing I knew, the air passing by us grew so loud that I couldn't hear anything. Not even my own heartbeat. It sounded like the roar of a giant monster. The Pegasus hadn't quite taken a nosedive, as far as I could tell, but we were heading towards the ground at ludicrous speeds.

The two dots I'd seen back at the convoy were now surrounded by a group of Grimleal. That was all I could make out before I closed my eyes out of abject terror.

Gregor. Nowi.

There was a sudden stop as I heard a squelching sound, like somebody stabbing a tomato with a knife. I opened my eyes to see that we were just a few feet above the ground, and Cordelia had pierced one of the Grimleal through the chest. Her lunge was perfect; the spear went directly through the Grimleal's chest, killing him instantly.

"Alex, you know what to do!" Cordelia shouted. "Go!"

"R-Right-!" I stammered, all too eager to get off the flappy horse. Almost tripped while trying to get off it, but once my feet were firmly planted on the ground, I had no trouble. I unsheathed my sword and charged towards Gregor and Nowi's position.

"Gregor not go down so easily, yes?" Gregor's heavily accented voice rang out above the clashing of blades. I saw him effortlessly parry a Grimleal mercenary, slashing him across the chest before decapitating him. "No worry. No challenge here!"

His voice was on point. His appearance was that of a mercenary, obviously, with armor covering his tunic. Behind him was a panicking Nowi, clutching a stone tightly.

"Hang on; I'm coming!" I shouted, startling a Grimleal before my sword found its way through his neck. I didn't have time to finish him off before another came in front of me, trying to stop me from getting any further. Bad move on his part, as I blocked his first swing and swung at his legs, sending him to the ground. A well-placed stab through the chest ended him.

Cordelia flew through the air like a jet, easily cutting through several more Grimleal.

"Heh, reinforcements! See little lady, no worry! Just let Gregor do with the talking," Gregor said, turning back to Nowi before continuing the battle.

"Yeah, yeah, lucky for you they sent Mr. Happy Pants over here to help you!" I shouted, cutting through another Grimleal's defense and stabbing him through the chest twice. He fell to the sand twitching.

"I'm sick, sick, sick of this!" Nowi screamed. "Just get away from me! All of you!"

I didn't see it, because I was fighting hard to not die, but it'd be hard to not notice the near-blinding light that erupted from Nowi at that moment. It stunned all of us, even the remaining Grimleal. What came out of that light almost made me gape in awe.

Dragon.

A dragon. A fucking dragon. I knew I'd see one eventually, considering Nowi and Tiki were bound to show up, with Nah down the line, hopefully. Still, I never expected it to look quite like it did. Light green scales covered most of her reptilian form. Lightly feathered wings sprouted from her back, flapping to keep her aloft. Four muscular limbs dangled from her torso, and her head, that was the coolest part. An elongated snout, opened and breathing heavily, showing a row of sharp teeth, greeted me.

The dragon breathed in, and out came fire. Incandescent flames billowed from her maw, scorching several Grimleal right then and there. Their charred corpses were all that remained.

At that moment, I really hoped that Nowi realized we weren't the enemy.

The Grimleal remaining were easy pickings among the four of us. Luckily, it seemed that Nowi did see us as her rescuers, or at least her allies. It wasn't much longer that the remaining Grimleal were dead. Surprisingly, none of them fled.

"Haha!" Gregor laughed jovially, coming up to me. "Is good exercise, no? The red-hoods employed Gregor before, now see why!"

"Uh huh," I replied, parsing his speech as best as I could. "Anyway, what about the dragon we just fucking saw!? Anyone gonna mention that?"

"I saw it, too," Cordelia said, dismounting her Pegasus and joining us. "Could it be that- is the little girl a manakete!?"

"You mean little miss?" Gregor asked. "Turn into big scaly dragon when holding stone, see? Former employers liked to make her do with the tricks and the jokes and jives. Gregor good guy! He see little miss in trouble and break out! Sadly, former employers not big fan of heroism."

Nowi walked shakily up to us. "I-I didn't know that. I'm sorry for calling you all those mean names earlier."

"Is no big problem, yes? Haha!" Gregor laughed, putting a hand on Nowi's shoulder. "Is as they say, water being under bridge!"

Nowi was small. Maybe even smaller than Ricken. Greenish-blonde hair framed her youthful face and was tied into a ponytail. The most uncomfortable fact, the one I'd completely forgotten, was that she was basically wearing just a bikini and thong, with shoes that seemed to be added as an afterthought.

Mind you, she looked like she was fucking ten.

"For fuck's sake," I whispered to myself, looking up.

"Hey! Why'd you look away like that?" Nowi pouted. "It's rude to ignore someone!"

"You're not wearing any clothes!" I exclaimed. "Cordy, look, she isn't, right?"

Cordelia's brows furrowed. "She, er, does have a distinct style."

"That's your problem, not mine!" Nowi claimed, crossing her arms. "I'm over a thousand; I can do what I want!"

"Yeah, I'm sure that explanation will go well with the police," I muttered.

"Heh, little miss is like Chon'sin firecracker, yes?" Gregor said. "You not alone, correct? There are more."

"Prince Chrom is leading a charge against the Grimleal," Cordelia explained. "We should be heading back there now."

I agreed. Better to get it all over with. The last battle before shit hit the fan for real.

The battle was over before we even made it to Chrom's position. To the surprise of no one, he had little trouble bisecting the Grimleal leader. I saw the corpse, and I was certain he was smiling when Chrom cut him down. It was an unnerving sight, like he was grinning from beyond the grave and laughing at us.

After the battle, night descended. The moon's light cast an ethereal glow over the sandy terrain as we set up camp, getting rested for the massive undertaking that would come in the next few days. Our plan was ready, all the groups had been chosen. The final hour was appraoching.

With the addition of Gregor and Nowi, I would've said we had better chance than we had before. One was a fucking dragon, while the other was a seasoned mercenary who'd been holding his own long before Cordelia and I arrived.

It may have only been two people, but it made me feel better.

I was walking around the camp when I came across him. Robin stood in my path, staring me down with those goddamned red eyes of his. He didn't look like he wanted to cave my face in. If anything, he looked a little more relaxed. I wanted to turn around and never look back, but despite myself, I kept going.

"So," I started. "This is it, Robin."

"Yes," He replied, standing straighter than before, like someone addressing a subordinate. "I am confident Emmeryn will be saved. In just a few days we'll be marching back to Ylisstol with her. Alive." He leaned forward. "As long as you hold up your part of the plan, everything should go right. No plan survives contact with the enemy, of course, but then again, our enemy doesn't know what we know."

"Yeah, they don't," I sighed, looking up. "Listen, Robin, I'm-"

"Save it, Alex," Robin interrupted, putting his hands behind his back as he walked around me. "All that matters to me right now is getting Emmeryn out alive. Whatever you want to say, it can wait until after."

I had nothing to say to that. His footsteps grew quieter until I was left alone, the night sky and sand my only companion.

It was very possible that we would save Emmeryn, and oddly, I didn't care about the effect this would have on the future. In the end, my justifications were, again, horrible. Things were already derailing in small ways from the moment I arrived. If I'd just said something before-

It didn't matter anymore. What mattered was that Emmeryn would live.

All it cost me was one of my best friends.

Kinda wishing I'd waited just a few months, played all of 3H, and then wrote a SI fic for Fire Emblem. Seriously, that fucking game is the best game I've played all year, and I'm only just about halfway through the GD route now. Already played the BE route, and thoroughly enjoyed it. I wonder what a SI from me for that game would look like? I have a few ideas but I doubt anything will come of it. I'm still dedicated to this fic 100%. I refuse to leave it unfinished like all the others before it.

It helps that I actually have an end to go for. All the other fandoms I wrote for before this didn't have a definitive ending, and you had to plan very far ahead for them. Not for this one!

Anyway, we've gotten to a point I've wanted to address. Mainly, foreknowledge. A good portion of what Alex knows, Robin now knows as well. Wonder how they're gonna save Emm now...

Not much else to say. Hope you enjoyed!

Edited on 2/14/21. Not bad, if a bit dry. Also it's funny; I absolutely despise 3H now lol.