In the end, Robin and I decided to wait a little while longer on the future children, until the Lucina of our time was born, at the least. It would be easier to explain that way, what with Lucina technically not existing yet. I didn't know this, but Sumia was, well, Sumia was showing some pretty big signs that she was pregnant. Signs I didn't know about, since I hadn't seen her since a little while before I left for Khadein. And considering it was March, and Lucina was due for the 20th of April, it left us with a small window of time.

Unfortunately, with that new plan, we were left with having to decide what to do with Yarne and Nah. Like I'd said before, keeping them locked away was too cruel, but they were easily the most conspicuous of the whole bunch. Hell, I was sure Panne would be able to smell Yarne from halfway across the continent. An exaggeration, obviously, but with her lurking around we'd have to keep Yarne under wraps. Manaketes were also rare as all fuck, so we had to hide Nah as well. It was easier then Yarne, at least.

In the end, we decided to hide them outside the city. They were surprisingly on-board with the idea, although Yarne hid behind Nah, someone a third his size.

There was some serious irony in that.

With that out of the way, I was free for the rest of the day. And considering who I saw storm out of Robin's office when I arrived, I knew where to go.

Cordelia and I had begun sharing a room. It was something we didn't talk about; it just sort of happened. In all honesty, I loved it. Going to my room everyday either meant I was coming home to her, or vice versa.

Nothing quite like going home to the one you love, eh?

I found her sitting on my bed, her eyes closed. She was taking deep breaths, as if to calm herself down. If she noticed me enter, she didn't show any sign of it. Sighing lightly, I walked up and sat down right beside her, still no words between either of us.

I didn't know how to start to conversation, so I settled for action. Moving my arm, I put it around her shoulders. She shivered at the contact and leaned into my side.

"I don't understand that man, Alex," Cordelia finally said, quietly. "How he could keep something so important a secret for no other reason than because he felt like it. He acts as if he is without a single emotional bone in his body. And because of his unnecessary secrecy, he- Commander Frederick was on a mat with a hole in his chest and he just-!"

"I'm not gonna say I know why Robin does what he does, Cordy," I began, running my fingers through her silky hair. "He's my boss, so I don't feel good talking about him behind his back, but he has a lot on his mind right now, is all I can say for certain. Being the Grandmaster Tactician kinda puts you on the spot when we're not at war."

"And I don't have a lot on my mind?" Cordelia asked pointedly. "Everyone doesn't have a lot on their mind? Children – our children, from the future – come bringing us ill tidings; we are all dead in the future, and our world collapsed. Everything and everyone is gone! And I'm supposed to believe that Robin has it the worst of all? Even if he somehow does, could he at the very least summon the common decency to tell me that the man we were to face within Dolorous Guard was the selfsame one who murdered my sisters-in arms!?"

Her own arm snaked around my waist, bringing me in closer. Truthfully, I was too stunned to make a real note of it.

"He's preparing for war, Cordy," I pointed out quietly. "He's- he's trying to make sure we all get out of it alive. He has to decide who knows what. I won't defend his decision, but that's the closest I can get to putting myself in his shoes."

Cordelia was silent for a moment.

"I will not forgive him," Cordelia asserted adamantly. "Oh, I will follow his orders. If nothing else, he is an effective commander on the battlefield, but I will not forgive him. It was something so small, and he could not muster the will to do it. No, I am done with him."

What could I say to that, really? Even Robin himself admitted that he had made a mistake. A miscalculation. I could tell it was weighing on him heavily. It may not have resulted in Frederick's injury; that was likely to happen, considering Bakar had Knightbane on him, but I had a feeling that wasn't the real issue.

"Can we…" Cordelia began quietly. "Can we stop speaking of this? Please, just hold me for a while."

I obliged.

In the end, I knew it all trailed back to Cordelia's experiences during the Ylisse-Plegian War. In all honesty, it was a marvel to me that she was able to keep going after what happened to her sisters-in-arms. I wasn't sure how I would react in the present, but back when it actually happened, I knew that it would have destroyed me. I supposed that was one of the many things I admired about Cordelia; she always found the strength to keep going. Despite her traumas, her demons, she always kept moving forward. Even then, she didn't come out of it unscathed. Back during the war, she once said to me that she could still hear the screams of her fellow pegasus knights being mercilessly slaughtered, as clear as day.

Protectively, I held her closer to me.

It was something that would only be healed with time, and even then, it would only scar over, never disappearing. Bakar had blown it open. And Robin's secrecy only exacerbated it.

I couldn't blame her for exploding on Robin. God, I couldn't. I would've done something similar in her shoes. There was no way I was going to be able to mend that bridge, not on my own. That duty laid solely with Robin. All I could do was what I was already doing: holding her close to me, and never letting go.

If Severa has taught me anything, it's that things can get better. I will do everything I can to make them better. I've already made that promise, after all.

"My parents should be here within the moon, Alex," Cordelia said quietly, still holding onto me for dear life. As she said that, my heart skipped a beat. "I told you that my father was the advisor to a Lord up north, right?"

"Yeah, you did." I nodded, feeling a small lump of nervousness claw up my throat. "I'm not sure about the etiquette of this kinda thing, though. Is this like a gathering or something?"

Cordelia giggled softly, nuzzling into my neck. "I wouldn't worry so much about that. They may be minor nobility, but my father was not born into that position. I think they'll just have dinner with us, and if they… well, I assume you know what to do if they ask about your intentions?"

Despite my nervousness, I smiled. "Yeah, don't worry about that. I'll take care of it." I cringed a little. "God, I hope they like me."

"Heh, I know they will," Cordelia said, not a hint of doubt in her voice. "You got me to fall in love with you, after all."

I felt my cheeks warm up at that. Goddamn her and what she did to me! It may've been comeuppance for all the teasing and crap I did on our way to Dolorous Guard, but goddamnit, I was only telling the truth!

I had no right to complain and I knew it. Besides, it was romantic as hell and made me want to kiss her until the end of time. Realistically, I couldn't do that, but fuck if I wasn't going to try.

I let out a breath. "Guess you sent a letter. Hah, hope you said some nice things about me in there."

"Only the nicest things, love. Don't worry."

"Well, good."

We drifted into comfortable silence after that, just basking in each other's presence and touch. I could stay like that forever, honestly. However, I remembered something. A small plan. A plan to bring something from my old home to my new one.

I smiled. "Hey, Cordy, have you ever heard of pizza?"

The future children integrated well enough into the Shepherds; training and patrolling when necessary, and occasionally taking an odd job. Technically, officially, the Shepherds were recognized as a militia, a volunteer group led by Chrom, most of the time. In the relative peacetime of post-war Ylisse, though, it resembled more of a mercenary company than anything else, only they technically worked for free. Even though I was still a part of them, my job as Robin's knight made it so I didn't really participate in their activities very often. That was going to change relatively soon, but for the moment, I'd lost contact with many of those I used to spend so much time with.

There was one unforeseen consequence to having the future children with the Shepherds, though. She had been the subject of many of my nightmares ever since I first saw her.

"Manspawn, stop. Now," A low voice demanded, making me stop in my tracks.

I was planning on gathering ingredients for that plan I'd been concocting. I was going to leave the castle to go look in the marketplace for them when Panne all but ambushed me.

The hairs on the back of my neck stood on end as I turned around and regarded the taguel. "Panne. Nice to see you too."

"Where is he?" She asked.

I raised a brow. "Where's who?"

"Do not play coy with me, manspawn. I know the scent of taguel," Panne said, prowling closer to me, her bare feet pitter-pattering against the ground. "There is one here. I can smell it on your children, especially yours. Tell me now, where is he?"

Jesus H. Christ what the fuck-!

Panne was scaring me, and not just because of her presence. She dropped so many bombs on me in such a short amount of time that I didn't know how to respond. Instead, I just stood there with my mouth hanging open like a dying goldfish. Panne looked at me like I was the dumbest creature on the face of the planet. Either that, or she was thinking. Couldn't really tell.

"Speak, manspawn," Panne growled.

"I-I don't know what the fuck you're talking about!" I replied as forcefully as I could. "They aren't our children and Severa isn't-!"

"Do not lie to me, manspawn," Panne said, her lips curling up slightly. "The red-haired one smells of you and your mate. The smell of the Shepherds hangs onto the rest of them like moss to a rock. I know of their flight through time that brought them here, and I know that they can be no one else's but ours."

I tried to keep a brave face. I really did. But whether it was because of my past experiences with Panne, or something else entirely, I caved. "Fine. You win. They're ours. And that taguel you smell? He's yours. Your son. With who, I have no fucking clue."

Panne nodded, then, all pretenses of hostility melting away. "I see. Then there is hope for the taguel yet. I assume he must be of mixed heritage. Hmm. Perhaps the odd one. Stahl."

I tilted my head in confusion. "Stahl?" My eyes narrowed. "Wait, what do you mean perhaps?"

"That manspawn wishes to mate with me," Panne said, her red eyes staring up to my own, unblinking. "Of course, if he wishes to mate with me, he must catch me first. That is how the taguel court. I would not have it any other way."

"Well that answered one question I never wanted to ask." I sighed, massaging the bridge of my nose. "Did you just call Cordelia my 'mate'?"

"Is she not?" Panne's nose twitched. "Your scents are so often mixed, that I assumed it so."

"We haven't even done it yet," I squeaked out.

Panne slowly blinked at me before shaking her head. "Your manspawn courtship rituals will never cease to confuse me."

I went to respond, before I realized what I was going to say, and what I had already said, and promptly shut my mouth before I could make an even bigger fool of myself.

"You know, I could ask why you've figured this out and why you never asked about it-"

"I have a great many questions regarding the manspawn. I have learned to keep them to myself unless asked."

'-Or," I continued, powering through Panne's interruption. "Or, I could do what I was going to do, and go to the marketplace. Goodbye."

"Stop," Panne ordered, grinding me to a halt. "You have yet to answer my question, manspawn."

"Go ask Robin, for fuck's sake!" I nearly shouted, really just wanting to get the fuck out of there. "We've agreed to keep that secret under wraps for a little while longer before we go and fuckin' tell everyone, and you snooping around will make that a helluva lot more difficult. So please, leave me alone."

Panne regarded me differently then, for a moment. She scanned me, as if truly looking at me for the first time. "I am aware that you are afraid of me. When I walk by, you act as a mouse in the presence of a cat. You are like prey. Always thinking that I may reveal my true form and devour you whole."

I pursed my lips. When she said it like that, I felt ashamed.

"There were many who felt as you do. That led to the near-extinction of my kind," Panne continued, her voice emotionless. "If you are so wary of me that you cannot answer a single question, then perhaps your rightful place is within the kitchens, and not the battlefield."

I don't know why, but that felt like a serious blow. I grinded my teeth together in frustration, trying to find the right words to say but coming up completely dry.

"I shall remove myself from your presence, then." Panne said, turning around. "Farewell, manspawn."

"Panne," I called suddenly. "It doesn't have anything to do with you personally."

Panne twisted her head around to look at me again.

"I saw you eat a person, Panne," I began, sighing. "I saw you tear a man apart right in front of me and rip his throat out. He wasn't a good man by any stretch of the imagination, but," I nearly fumbled then before finding my voice again. "I've seen a whole shit ton of fucked up crap since then. Most of it probably worse than what you did to those guys, but whenever I see you, I can't help but be reminded of how out of my depth I was, back then. I wasn't prepared. I know it shouldn't affect me anymore but it still does, by God." I looked her straight in the eye. "I just thought- I just thought you should know that. I don't hate you for what you are, Panne. I'm not scared of you either. I'm just… I don't have a fucking clue."

Panne was as silent as the grave, still staring at me, leaving me with no small amount of tension. After a moment, however, her gaze became lighter. "Interesting," She mumbled.

I shrugged. "That's all I gotta say, so, yeah, think I'll go ahead and leave now. Hope you keep the kids to yourself. Goodbye."

I waved as I walked away, towards the entrance to the castle. What Panne did after that, I had no clue.

The marketplace in Ylisstol was a fickle thing. It was open all year round, at least, most of the stalls were. They sold all kinds of things from clothing, weapons, armor, food, ingredients, pretty much everything I could think of. All of it was made right in the Halidom, too. Most of it. Ylisse didn't have a lot of trading partners, and ever since Valm had gone dark towards the middle of last year, that left even less. Even though it was nearing the end of Winter, though, there was still a ton of goods on sale.

Knowing Chrom, he'd try to get Ylisse out of that isolationist mindset. Bit hard to do that though, considering the distinct lack of places to open up to. Something that'd be fixed once Grima was destroyed, I was sure.

I signed off ingredients on my mental checklist as I acquired them: Tomatoes, yeast, some really good cheese I saw that we'd have to grind down, garlic, shit like that. It felt somewhat nostalgic, actually, to just be out there and basically doing what amounted to grocery shopping. It reminded me of when my family went to the supermarket. Usually we'd go for one thing, but then end up buying a bunch of junk food and devouring it throughout the rest of the week. A small smile found its way to my lips as I gathered the last of the items I needed.

I may have not been able to do that anymore, or ever again, but I could do something similar, someday. It was strange, having a family again. It felt good, though, and I never wanted that feeling to go away again. I was going to leave and get everything set up in the kitchen within the castle, but I spotted a familiar head of green-brown hair within the crowd. It felt like it'd been ages since I spoke to him last, and hell, I just figured out that he was essentially a father.

"Stahl?" I called out in disbelief.

The most average of the Shepherds looked up from the food he was ogling and waved in greeting. "Alex, nice to see you here! Buying some food too?"

"In a way, I guess. Planning on cooking something in the kitchens." I shook my head. "But holy shit, man, it feels like it's been ages since I've seen you! Since before we left for Khadein, at least!" I shook his shoulder, a big, goofy grin finding its way to my face. "How's life been treating you these last few months?"

Stahl chuckled awkwardly, running a hand through his hair. "Gods, you've missed a lot! Almost forgot you even came back; you always spend so much time at the castle since you were knighted. It's, uh, actually related to why I came here today. I mean, if I wanted to ogle food all day I'd just go the kitchens in the Barracks, but..."

Panne.

"I don't know if you know this, but Panne – You remember Panne, right?" After I nodded, he continued. "Well, I've been trying to make her feel more comfortable around us for a while now. Started with food a while back."

"Right. Heard you talking about that at Chrom's wedding," I said, the memory fuzzy but still there. "She can't eat potatoes, or something like that, right?"

"That's right, yeah!" Stahl confirmed. "Potatoes are poisonous to taguel, which is awful because usually potatoes are tasty. You can put them in almost any dish and it'll be better, in my experience. Anyway, taguel really like carrots, so I've been hanging around here looking for carrots and hearing about recipes involving them. Even asked to go to Castle Ylisse's library to look for a cookbook, once. Didn't really find anything that would work, though. I did find a lot of cookbooks about pies, though. So it wasn't a total loss."

I stared at him for a second, mulling over his words. Did he even know what Panne thought he was doing? I didn't expect him to know that he had a son from the future, but there were some things that I'd think were obvious.

Says the man who took the better half of a year to confess to the one he loved. Judge not lest ye be judged, boy scout.

In the end, I decided to just say what I was thinking. "Stahl, I ran into Panne earlier today."

"Oh, did you?" Stahl asked, genuinely curious. "I know she likes to go to the castle sometimes. The guards block her, but I think she just sneaks in." Stahl frowned. "They just don't understand her. They're scared of her. That's why I want to make her feel welcome with us, with the Shepherds. She'll always be one of us. Don't you think so, Alex?"

"Uh, yeah, I do." Despite my apprehension, I really did mean it. "Hard to imagine the Shepherds without her, really, but back to what I was saying." I looked around conspiratorially, as if she would pop out of the bushes and maul me to death for what I was about to say. My rational mind knew that that would be difficult at best, what with all the people around, but it still made me a bit jumpy. "I was talking with her, and well, Stahl, I hope you know this, but she thinks you're trying to mate with her."

Stahl blinked once. Then twice. "I mean, I guess I kind of am? I wouldn't be averse to the idea, but…"

I looked down, relief spreading through me for some unknown, god-forsaken reason. At least Stahl knew what he was getting into. It was stupid of me to assume he wasn't in the first place.

I sighed. "Well, that's good, because she seemed pretty adamant that that was the case. Anyway, it's been good talking to you, man-"

"Er, can I ask you one thing?" Stahl asked awkwardly, stepping forward. "It's related to the, uh, mating thing."

I looked around at the people around us. "Stahl, you realize we're in the middle of the marketplace, right?"

"It'll be real quick, I swear!" Stahl pleaded.

I sighed again. I dug this hole, and I was going to have to dig myself out. "Fine. Lay it on me, man. Nothing held back. Shoot. Go."

"Alright!" Stahl clapped his hands together and took a deep breath. "Whenever I try to get close to that topic, Panne just stands up and runs away from me. I've tested this out! Every time I get even close to addressing it, she just sprints away! I can talk to her and eat with her like usual; she even seeks me out sometimes, but whenever I-"

"She- She runs away?" I asked, stupefied.

"I know, I know! It sounds stupid, doesn't it?" Stahl let out a breath. "I even bought a ring, Alex. I'm ready to take our relationship to the next level, even if it's definitely more human than she's usually comfortable with-!"

"Alright, alright, hold up," I stopped him, placing both hands in the air. With the positioning of the fingers on my iron hand, it looked kind of ridiculous, but I ignored it. "I'm- Fuck, Stahl, I'm not an expert on this kind of shit," Even less so for taguel. "But… Alright, I think I know what's going on. When I talked to her, she said something about, fuck, what was it? 'He must use the way of the taguel' or some shit like that. My advice, though I really don't think it'll be useful, is to chase after her."

Stahl raised a brow, perplexed. "Chase after her?"

"Literally, of course. I think she gets the idea." I rubbed the back of my neck. Goddamn, was the conversation awkward. "Just, ya know, chase after her. Catch her. That's what rabbits do when they… when they mate- Oh just fucking kill me already."

"That's," Stahl seemingly stopped for a moment, his higher brain functions apparently ceasing because of the absurdity of my idea. "That may just work, actually. I'll have to try that! Thanks, Alex!"

I blinked. What in the fuck was even happening anymore?

"Uh, yeah, you're welcome, man. I gotta… I gotta go ferment some dough, though, so I'll see you later, then." I managed to get out.

Stahl waved, turning around. "Yeah, see you! Thanks again! I'll let you know if it works out."

"Please. Don't," I mumbled.

Despite the day beforehand, I was in a good mood. I lightly hummed a tune I couldn't remember the name of as I got all the ingredients ready. Cordelia and Severa were standing by, looking at me oddly as I walked about like a goofball.

"Mom." Severa said.

"Hmm?"

"Do you know what a 'pizza' is?" She asked.

Future me, you never even told her what a pizza was? Shame. Shame on you.

I could imagine Cordelia opening her mouth to explain, only to pause and close again. "Now that you mention it, no. I think it might be a dish from your father's homeland."

"He always used to say that he couldn't do anything like that in the future!" Severa said, bemused. "After, uh, well, I never got much out of him about where he came from. He told me about a 'cheeseburger' once and I have no idea what that is, either."

"My future self is a liar, too?" I said out of the blue, surprising Severa. "Making pizza is simple! In fact, I did a lot of the stuff that takes time yesterday. All we really need to do is get an oven going, assemble all this stuff, and voila, we'll have some of that good shit."

"I feel I need to ask this before we continue, but what is a pizza, Alex?" Cordelia asked, moving towards me and looking into the bowl I just uncovered. "It involves putting raw dough in a bowl?"

"I've gone this long without explaining it?" I asked, raising a brow.

Severa shrugged. "You were always air-headed."

"Cordy, our daughter is bullying me again."

Cordelia attempted to keep a straight face, although I could see the cracks forming. She was seconds from bursting into laughter. "I-is she wrong though? You do have a tendency to say things no one else knows the meaning to."

"So, this is what betrayal feels like." I sulked, hanging my head low over the table.

It didn't take long for me to laugh. Cordelia and Severa followed suit, although Severa tried to downplay it. I shook my head before continuing.

"Alright, so a pizza. Hmm. I guess you could call it a kind of pie," I began, sitting on the counter. "You form the dough in there into a disc shape, fill the inside of it with tomato sauce, cover it with shredded cheese, and put it in an oven. Heh, back home you could get one pretty much whenever. Just had to… Actually, I've forgotten how you actually ordered them, but it was expedient and convenient, most of the time. Anyway!" I jumped off and put my good hand on the counter. "Today, we're gonna make some. I've made sure to tell the castle staff that we'll be in here for a little while, so we don't need to worry about being interrupted."

"Well, what're we waiting for, then?" Severa asked, clapping her hands together to get attention to herself. "Let's do it!"

The next few hours were some of the most fun of my entire life.

"Sev, use your knuckles, and kinda-" I did a motion with my own hands, although it looked rather awkward with my iron hand. "Roll it out from below. Don't worry, I know it looks like it'll fall apart, but it's sturdier than it looks."

"I-it feels so weird!" Severa stuttered, trying her best not to recoil from the dough she rolled on her knuckles. "If you know what to do, why aren't you doing it!?"

I gave her a flat look as I raised my right hand. "You really want it to taste like iron?"

"Point." Severa sighed, continuing to roll the dough for a minute longer before placing it on the floured wooden board. "Gawd, I can still feel it trying to go through my fingers!"

I chuckled lightly before turning to Cordelia. "How's it going over there?"

Cordelia was stirring the tomato sauce in a bowl. "Just about done, I think." She looked to me. "Did you already shred the cheese?"

"Yup," I confirmed. "Also just got done helping Sev get this dough under control. Just waiting on you now."

Cordelia nodded, turning her attention back to the bowl in front of her. After a few more moments, she smiled and tapped the wooden spoon she was using against the side of it, before bringing it to us. "Alright, all done. Now we just need to put it all together, right?"

Cordelia spread the tomato sauce evenly across the middle of the dough, making sure no area was too thin or thick. Severa waited impatiently for her turn before sprinkling the cheese on top of it. Despite her complaints, she seemed to want to continue almost as much as I did.

Good. That's the entire reason you're doing this.

I marveled at the domestic nature of the whole scenario. We eventually put the uncooked pie inside the oven. The oven itself was a domed looking thing, and I made sure to set it up before we finished. Had to, really. With everything done, I found myself grinning like an idiot.

"And now we wait," I said, crossing my arms while looking at the bread oven. "Soon, we'll get a literal slice of home. Heh."

The redheads looked at me, confused.

"You don't get it. Alright, lemme explain. You know, we gotta slice this thing up into pieces, right? And since it's kinda like-!"

"Oh," Severa caught on. "That has to be the lamest joke I've ever heard in my entire life." Severa's eyes widened and looked at Cordelia, who was quietly giggling. "Did you- Are you serious? You found that funny?"

"Maybe just a bit." Cordelia raised a hand and pinched her thumb and forefinger together. "Just a tiny bit."

"Gawd, both of you are just so lovey-dovey, I almost can't handle it." Severa sighed. "I guess it's better than the alternative, though." Severa paused. "Either that, or you're both just insane."

"I'll have you know I only ask myself if I'm insane about fifty percent of the time." I replied, sounding genuinely offended.

Severa crossed her arms. "Oh yeah? And what's the other fifty percent dedicated to?"

I turned to Cordelia, and without missing a beat, said, "It's dedicated to admiring just how beautiful your mother is. Still can't wrap my head around it."

I saw Cordelia's cheeks gain a healthy blush and turn away from me, an embarrassed smile on her face. Meanwhile, Severa gawked at me like I'd just revealed the secret to eternal life.

"I-I just can't right now," Severa managed to stutter out. "Just both of you! Being like this! How do you stand it!?"

"You would be surprised, Sev." Cordelia said, regaining her composure and placing an errant strand of hair behind her ear. "I, for one, could get used to all these compliments."

"I've got plenty more where that came from, gorgeous." I smiled.

"Is this, like- Do you even hear yourself speak?"

"I do." I nodded, eyeing the oven to make sure the pizza didn't get burnt. "You should give your old man some credit; he's not as airheaded as you think, I'm sure."

Severa went to say something but decided against it in the end and simply mumbled to herself.

I decided to look at the oven again, memories flooding back to me. I tried to remember what, exactly, I had to do to order a pizza back home. It had something to do with a phone, I knew. I threw mine into the southern sea over a year ago, and before that it had shut off for good because of low battery. Wouldn't have been able to get information out of it anyways.

"I'm glad both of you decided to do this with me," I said out of the blue, filling the quiet that settled around us. "I know it isn't exactly exciting, but it means a lot to me. Us, just being here, talking." I found my gaze drifting towards the ceiling, looking at something that wasn't there. "There's a lotta shit we gotta get through here soon. I'm not sure what'll happen when it comes, and I don't like thinking about it. But, it's good to have moments like these, in my opinion. Reminds us what we're fighting for. Once it's all over with, I hope we get to spend more time like this."

After my whole speech was over, I gauged their reactions. Cordelia looked stunned for a moment, before gently nodding. She didn't need to say anything for me to know that she had the exact same perspective as me. Severa, on the other hand, just continued to stare at me, like she was searching for a sign of dishonesty. Maybe she was trying to prove something to herself, but I doubted I'd ever really know. I couldn't read her thoughts, after all.

"If it's so important to you," Severa trailed off for a moment, awkwardly trying to avoid my gaze then. "I-I guess I wouldn't mind hanging out with you two. Every once in a while. N-not that I'd enjoy it or anything. Don't get that idea in your head! I don't-!"

"Severa," I stopped her. "Do you just want another hug?"

Severa didn't say anything. I'd be the first to admit that I probably didn't understand her as much as I wished I did, but that was probably the closest thing I'd get to affirmation out of her. Chuckling a little, I wrapped her up in a hug. Unlike the last time, however, she didn't start bawling her eyes out; it wasn't as serious as last time. She did, however, get her arms all the way around my waist and started squeezing.

"O-oh, Jesus!" I wheezed out. "C-Cordy, help! Our daughter's trying to kill me!"

Cordelia stood to the side, smiling. "Oh, really? All I see is a father comforting his daughter. How could she be trying to kill you?"

"Oh p-please…!" I managed to get out before Severa, somehow, squeezed even harder. I couldn't tell if she was doing it on purpose or if that really was just how strong she was, and she didn't mean it. If it was the former, I should've expected it. If it was the latter, then, well, damn. Either way, my ribs were about to cave in.

Cordelia sighed dramatically. "I suppose I should save my lover, shouldn't I? Very well."

"T-thanks."

Cordelia walked up us and put her hands on Severa's shoulders. "Severa, dear, your father can't breathe."

Severa slowly untangled herself from me and looked to Cordelia. Severa let out a small cry before lunging at her. Cordelia gasped as Severa caught her in a hug just like the one she gave me.

"T-there, there…" Cordelia choked out, looking at me pleadingly. "A-Alex…!"

It took me a few moments to catch my breath, before I looked up and gave Cordelia a grin.

"What's that? I've gotta go and check the pizza?" I said, cupping my palm to my ear. "Why thank you, Cordy. I'll be sure to do that."

Vengeance was sweet.

After a little while, we took the pizza out of the bread oven. All three of us stood around it and looked at it in all its simmering glory. I, for one, almost started crying right then and there at the beautiful majesty of the pie in front of me. Cheese melted to perfection, with the edges seared a fine brown. Small parts of the sauce were visible. They were a bit chunky, but nothing out of the ordinary. And the crust, damn, the crust. It felt fluffy. Light. The yeast really did do the trick.

"So," Severa began. "Who's gonna take the first bite?"

"Hang on," I stopped her, grabbing a knife. "Let me cut it up into slices first."

I had to prop my iron hand against the cooking board so that it didn't move around while I cut the pizza. Even still, my left hand felt shaky as I cut into the glorious specimen of Italian cuisine before me. I felt like an addict who'd just been given the fix he'd wanted for months, only in this case it had almost been years. In the end, the slices were imperfect; some were bigger than others, while others appeared to be a little lopsided. Even then, though, it didn't mar its beauty in my eyes.

The minute I was finished, Severa was apparently done with waiting. "Alright, alright, you know what? I'm taking the first piece. You've hyped this thing up for the last few days. Besides, you wouldn't let your daughter starve, would you?"

I gestured to the pie. "Sure, have at it, sweetheart."

Severa didn't waste any time. I watched as she took a slice by the crust, and bit into it. She actually bit into the side of it, at an angle, which made me chuckle slightly. She chewed for several seconds, her eyes slowly widening.

"Well, dear?" Cordelia asked, holding a hand to her mouth to halt any unwanted giggles. "How is it?"

I stood back in satisfaction as I watched Severa fumble with her words. "I-I mean, it's nothing special-" She took another bite. "It's a little bit dry, and somehow it's kinda greasy-" Another one. "-And… and… Ah, screw it. It's delicious!"

Severa then proceeded to devour the whole thing. Cordelia stared wide-eyed at her before turning to me in bemusement. All I did was gesture to the pizza. Cordelia pursed her lips and moved forward. Taking a slice of the pie, she, somewhat timidly, ate the tip.

The way her face lit up as she chewed was almost too much for me.

"This is…!" Cordelia gasped, before taking another, larger bite. "This is really good! Why didn't you tell me about this sooner?"

I shrugged, still smiling. "Didn't think I'd get it right. With all of us working together, though, I guess we did."

"You never told us about this in the future, either!" Severa said, glaring at me with accusing eyes. "What the hell, dad!?"

I held my hands up in a gesture of surrender. "Hey, can't account for my future self. Who knows, maybe he had a good reason. Whatever the case, you get to enjoy it now. So." I held my hand out to the pizza. "Enjoy it!"

They went on to eat the entire thing. It wasn't a very big pizza in the first place, so I doubted it would affect them much. Honestly, watching them enjoy something I made – well, I had their help, but it was my idea – was a reward for me in and of itself.

I wasn't even mad that I didn't get to have a single slice. I'd always be able to make more, since we had everything down.

The sound of my clanking armor and the whisperings of those behind me was the only sound that filled the hallway.

Lucina was going to be born in just a few short days. It was the 16th of April, then, and her birthday was on the 20th. That was one of the few things I remembered from canon; almost everything else except for the broadest strokes was lost to me. We couldn't keep the children's secret forever. We always knew Panne would be the biggest problem, and apparently, she'd figured it before pretty much everyone. I was certain she was traveling the countryside of Ylisse, looking for Yarne. The little rabbitman knew enough to move spots when he smelled her coming.

I turned my head back to look at him, among his companions. When I got a good look at him, I could tell he was Stahl's kid; he had his face. It was taguel-like, what with the lines and off-color skin, but his eyes, the shape of his mouth, his nose, it was all Stahl's.

"Why's he keep looking at you, Yarne?" Kjelle asked, loud enough for the entire universe to hear.

That made the rabbitman jump nearly ten feet in the air. He answered in a stuttering voice that was incredibly different from Panne's usual low tones. "I-I dunno, b-but I don't like it! I-I feel like I'm being hunted every time he looks at me! M-maybe he's taking us to be butchered-!"

"Sweet Jesus" Severa sighed, exasperated. "I thought you got over this whole thing back on Kallis. Why're you acting like this again?"

I raised a brow at that. Kallis was a large island off the western coast of Plegia. Beyond that, though, I didn't understand what sort of connection that'd have with any of them. Or why Yarne would've grown out of his cowardice there. I shook my head; a story for another time, perhaps.

"Your father and Panne were never the closest of comrades, Severa," Laurent added. "Yarne's senses are keener than ours; perhaps he senses something we can't."

"I'm just wondering where we're going," Noire trailed off. "Sir Alex was in a hurry."

"If he gathered us all together again, then it must be for something important," Lucina finally said, turning to the others. "Why else would he be in full armor-?"

"You know," I began. "I'm right here in front of you. You could just ask me."

Lucina blinked owlishly at that. "My apologies. I did not mean to speak as if you weren't there. I am curious, however. Why have you called for us?"

I chuckled. "You'll see in a second. Most I'll tell you right now is that Robin has a plan for all of you. He wants to have your blessings, though."

"Is he planning on marrying one of our moms? Or dads?" Nah asked out of the blue.

I nearly tripped over my own feet, before spinning around. Thankfully, we were already at Robin's door. I just hoped he didn't hear that. "I- what? What the hell are you talking about?"

…Where is Morgan? Does she even exist here?

Nah let out a sigh of relief. "Thank Naga for that, then."

"I don't-" I rubbed the bridge of my nose. "Nevermind. Let's just get in there, kids."

I opened the door and we all entered. Robin sat at his desk, looking like Emperor Palpatine for a moment before his face brightened up at our presence. I bowed my head to him briefly, before standing beside him.

"Took a minute, but I got 'em all," I said, looking to him.

"I can see that. Thank you, Alex." Robin nodded, looking at the future children.

"What has the noble Grandmaster Tactician summoned us for, I wonder?" Owain wondered aloud. "Mayhaps there's a creature lurking within the wood, butchering innocents? Fear not! If that is the case, the sword hand may finally be sated-!"

"Nothing so crass, Owain." Robin interrupted before Owain could really get going. "I merely want your consent, and maybe your presence, in what Alex and I are going to do."

"And what is that, Tactician?" Lucina asked suspiciously.

Robin folded his arms together on his desk. I knew enough about him to tell that he was incredibly nervous. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath before finally spilling it out.

"As I'm sure you know, your birthday is within a fortnight, Marth." After seeing Lucina's lips press themselves into a line, Robin continued a little more tactfully. "Sumia has been pregnant for some time. It would not be insanity to assume that your birthday and this new royal family member will coincide."

Severa was the one to step forward. Knowing her, I assumed she'd figured out everything already. Cordelia and I already knew she was our daughter; she had nothing to lose or gain from this situation. "Alright, spit it out. It's obvious dad has told you about us. What do you want?

"I want to reveal your true origins," He answered. "You are all children of the Shepherds, and I believe it will be the right time to do it. As soon as Marth is born, we will gather your parents here and have a chat."

I cringed. It wasn't the best way of putting it, in my opinion, but it got the point across.

For several moments, nothing happened. It was like all the air had been sucked out of the room. The children stood as still as statues, as if they'd been frozen in time. A couple of seconds, however, changed all that.

The hairs on the back of my neck stood on end as I heard the sound of Falchion being unsheathed from its scabbard.

Bewm. Cliffhanger. Hope you enjoyed pizza time, because we gotta go through some serious shit next chapter... and then the chapter after that as well.

Actually, the entire fic is gonna take a fucking nosedive in tone here soon. Hope you enjoy this while it lasts.

Here's a link to our Discord server: discord .gg/9XG3U7a

See you guys next week, hopefully!

Edited on 3/9/21. Damn this chapter is good.