There would be time for proper burials. Of that, Robin was certain. Still, as he looked down at the covered bodies laying upon the ground, he couldn't help but feel that it was disrespectful.

Proper funerals, of course, were a ways off. That didn't mean no came to pay their respects, though. A few came, such as Sully, Vaike, and Robin, who was certain that he saw Ricken around. The boy had grown into a young man, but the gaunt expression he held shook Robin. He had been through much, and if what he heard was true, then he had also lost more than most as well.

Robin felt a pang in his chest again, but he ignored it, like he always did. He shook his head, massaging his temples as he looked down at one covered body in particular.

Most of the Shepherds had long returned to the encampment to heal their wounds and prepare for the march ahead. That was still a week at the least away, but Robin had a feeling that it would be the last. There was little doubt of that, considering the state Grima left in. Cordelia had disappeared, and he had no idea what was happening with her or Severa.

Robin was not lying when he said he would have easily taken Alex's place. He did not order him to take the blow that was to be his, but he had done so anyway. The look on Alex's face would always haunt him. The blood slowly dribbling from his lips, the spasms of his body as Grima savaged him, he could see it all so clearly.

That was three families Robin had failed. He wondered how many more would join them before he and Grima were finally slain.

Robin sighed before turning around. He wanted to find Tiki. Needed to find Tiki. Something, anything to get his mind off current events and what was to come. He remembered the shot of lightning she took to the side, the blood that poured onto the streets from her dragon form. Now that his job with the bodies was done, he needed to-

"Faaaaaaatheeeeer!" A voice shouted as a green blur rushed him. "Father, it's really you!"

The air in Robin's lungs rushed out of him as he was nearly bowled over by the girl who seemingly came out of nowhere. He wasn't able to get a good look at her before his lungs were crushed, and he instinctively wrapped his arms around her as he looked down, eyes wide.

"W-What in the…?" Robin gasped, seeing a head of short, green hair. "Who are…?"

"Father!" The girl repeated, giggling as she squeezed tighter. "Thank the gods I finally found you! I know it's not the best of times; those bodies don't look very inviting, you know? But it's you! I finally found you after all this time!"

Robin's heart skipped a beat as the girl looked up, smiling at him with tears in her green eyes. A name he'd almost forgotten was dredged up from the back of his mind. A name he thought he would never speak, for fear that it would truly break him.

"Morgan?" Robin whispered, placing his hand on the girl's head. How was this possible? She was - or perhaps he only assumed. Lucina said they never found her body. But how…?

She nodded, snuggling into his chest. "Hah. Good thing you don't have amnesia too! For a second there I thought you wouldn't recognize me! But wow, you look a lot younger than what I remember. I'd say the air around here agrees with you, but uh, well, I don't think the air here agrees with anyone, quite frankly."

"Wait, I thought you were." Robin swallowed a growing lump in his throat. "I thought you… you were dead. They told me you disappeared! I thought you were…!"

"Geesh, who said that?" Morgan asked with a quizzical look on her face. "I mean, c'mon! I can use magic and I can turn into a dragon! How could anyone take me down? Hey, you should've seen me earlier! Me and this other dragon had this big fight, and there were tons of flames and claws and stuff! And we won, of course, but it was cool! I wonder where she went."

"You," Robin shook his head, trying to keep tears from falling. It was too much. Way too much. So much had happened in a single day, he could barely hold himself together. After what happened to Alex, he had no right to feel such relief and joy. Not after he got him killed. And yet, as he gazed upon his daughter's face, smiling as if the world around them didn't exist, he couldn't help but smile back. "Gods… I almost can't believe it, but… you really are her, aren't you? You're really Morgan. You're really m-my daughter."

"Well, yeah, duh." Morgan tilted her head. "I mean, that's the name you gave me anyway. Don't tell me you can't remember! I'm your little girl and all that, right? Your pride and joy! There's no way I made that stuff up, right?"

"No," Robin sniffled, hugging her at last. "There isn't. Thank the gods!"

Morgan giggled and returned her father's embrace, happy to finally be reunited at last. They stayed like that for several moments, Robin crying tears of relief he hadn't known he'd been keeping. Despite everything that happened that day, at least he had her. At least he could grasp onto something, something that was good and pure.

"Ah, I see you've found each other."

That voice was much more familiar to Robin. As he detangled himself from Morgan, he saw Tiki approach, a small smile on her beautiful face.

"Tiki!" Robin exclaimed, happiness clear in her voice. "L-Look! It's Morgan! She's our-!"

"Our daughter from the future?" Tiki chuckled. "Yes, I know. I knew the instant I looked upon her in the battle above," Her smile grew softer as she looked at the young half-manakete. "You're absolutely beautiful, you know that?"

Morgan's face quickly turned a healthy shade of red as her own smile grew meeker. "S-Stop it, you're gonna make me blush, mother!"

"It appears I've already succeeded at that, hmm?" Tiki wrapped her arms around Robin from behind. "I wished to speak with you. See if you needed a good talking to, but I believe we should savor this moment while it lasts. Though perhaps somewhere more appropriate?"

Robin led his family to a tent at the corner of the encampment. Considering the state of the buildings around them, it was decided to make their former forward-operating base into an outright staging area. The remainder of their armies gathered in the ruins of Ylisstol.

Ruins.

The word had no true place when referring to Ylisstol. The city was in a sorry state, yes, but they would rebuild given time. When Grima was finally gone, he had no doubt that Chrom and the others would ensure that the capital would prosper once more, along with the rest of the halidom. A bitter thought made Robin remember that he likely wouldn't be there to see the city he'd come to love and call home be restored. It was enough to know that one day, it would be, he supposed.

But those were thoughts for later. At that moment, all he wanted to do was spend time with Morgan and Tiki. The daughter he thought he'd lost and the woman he thought near-dead.

"Gods, Morgan," Robin murmured, hugging the green-haired girl to his chest as she sat in his lap, happily humming. "I thought you were dead. The others said that you were lost before they traveled back in time. What happened?"

"Eh, I dunno," Morgan shrugged. "Only thing I remember is you, actually. You taught me everything you knew about tactics, us traveling up a dark mountain… Come to think of it, you looked kinda sad, but that's neither here nor there. I'm here now! And you're here and mother's here! That's all that matters to me."

"Hah, I've gathered two amnesiacs now," Tiki sighed dramatically. "Am I next? Will somebody conk me on the head and suddenly I will forget the past thousand or so years happened? Hmm, not a bad idea, come to think of it."

"Please, Tiki, no," Robin groaned. "Please don't go slamming your face into posts. I beg of you."

"Yeah, I wouldn't recommend that," Morgan said. "All that gave me was a splitting headache. That was a pretty awful day."

"You…" Robin looked down. "I was just… You didn't seriously do that, did you?"

"Uh, no?" Morgan looked up. "Um, whoops! Looks like I forgot what I was talking about again! Hehe, shame how that happens, right?"

"And so similar as well!" Tiki said, "I wonder what, if anything, you got from me other than your ears, eyes, and hair color."

"Aw, mother, that's not fair! I got plenty of things from you!"

Tiki crossed her arms, a smirk trailing across her face. "Oh? Do tell. I would love to hear it."

Morgan opened her mouth to respond, but after a few moments of silence, she scratched her scalp and avoided her mother's gaze with a nervous smile. "I'm sure I do! I just can't remember it. Hehe."

"Well, that is a shame, then," Tiki chuckled, sitting beside Robin. "Though I do find myself curious. What have you been doing all this time? I doubt you would be able to lay low as you have if you used your dragon form."

"Oh yeah! Gods, I haven't used it in months! I almost forgot what it felt like!" Morgan exclaimed as Robin looked on silently. She separated herself from him and began pacing around. "Oh man, I've been all over the place, really. I actually woke up in some ruins up north. I think Mikael called them the 'Ruins of Time' or some such. Can't remember. Anyway-!"

"Mikael…" Robin repeated, his voice low. "Why does that name sound familiar?"

"Father, that's so rude, interrupting me!" Morgan pouted.

Robin waved his hand. "Sorry, Morgan. Please, continue."

"Hmph!" Morgan sniffed. "Alright, anyway, as I was saying, woke up in these weird ruins with these purple monsters all over the place. He called them Risen, but eh, looked more like revenants to me. Ghosts. Either way, I fought them off with his help and then we went travelling all over the place, looking for stuff while you were in Valm. Not like we could've taken a boat because they were all gone, and he helped me so I thought, hey, why not?"

"So you traveled across the continent, then?" Tiki asked. "I'll ask who this Mikael fellow is in a moment, but what places did you go to? We were at war for many months, after all. Plenty of time to get a gist of Archanea, at least."

"Oh yeah, I'm talking all over the place! Went to a few ruins, a few villages here and there," Morgan chirped. "We did that for a few months 'till our buggy got destroyed. Had to march on foot, and I swear I can still feel blisters on my feet…"

Robin's eyes narrowed. "And I suppose that leads us here, huh? You wandered around for a while longer until you saw Ylisstol under attack, correct?"

"Oh yeah! Nice catch, father!" Morgan gave him a thumbs up. "Yeah, that's what happened! I just knew it had to be you, so I came in as fast as I could! I saw mom fighting that other dragon, and I guess I kinda got carried away after not using it so long, hehe."

Tiki smiled warmly, patting Morgan's head. "The help was appreciated. Without you, well…"

Morgan shivered. "Yeah, I'd rather not think about that. It's awful."

Robin leaned forward, his gaze near-piercing as he started to remember who 'Mikael' was. "…Morgan. This Mikael. Was he… dragon-like?"

"Dragon-like?" Morgan tilted her head in confusion for a moment before her eyes lit up. "Yeah! He was all covered in scales and stuff when I first met him. He's gotten a lot better, though, trust me!"

Khadein.

Robin knew of Mikael through Alex's reports of what happened in that infernal city. It was good to know that he was still alive. Truthfully, he was a bit worried when he'd been told that the last draconian fled the ruins; just as the citizens had been twisted into nightmares and driven mad, the same could happen to him. That madness was a form of degeneracy that all dragonkind faced, and Mikael would be no exception. Still, if what Morgan was saying was true, then he had nothing to worry about.

"Speaking of me are you, young Morgan?" I gravelly voice asked as a tall, gaunt figure walked in through the tent flap. "What have I told you of talking about people behind their backs?"

Morgan rubbed the back of her neck shyly as Robin studied the figure closely. A fairly average-looking, human face with grey eyes stared back at him. Dark grey, straight hair framed his face, along with a light beard. He was covered in dark robes, and an ornate staff ran across his back.

"Mikael, I presume?" Tiki crossed her arms. "Awful rude to be barging into our home, no matter how temporary."

"My apologies, but I needed to speak with you urgently," Mikael replied easily. "Specifically your tactician here. Morgan has said much of you. Of course, I already knew of you because of Alexander."

Robin winced. "A-Ah. Good, I suppose? What did you want?"

Mikael drew the staff across his back and held it out. "I have come to figure out how best my debt can be repaid, of course."

Cordelia always liked riding her pegasus.

It soothed her nerves when the hazing from her old knight-sisters became too much. Cordelia could always mount Aurora and glide upon the wind, feeling the cool wind upon her skin and through her hair. She felt alive, in a way that was hard to describe.

Alex.

Not even flying could erase that feeling, though. The horrible pain within her chest that threatened to tear her apart. When Sumia had offered to fly with her, under the excuse of making sure that there were no Risen stragglers around the ruined city, she jumped at the chance. Anything to get away from Ylisstol for a while. Anything to get her mind off of what happened there just a few hours before.

The sun slowly fell below the horizon as she and Sumia landed in a clearing, far from Ylisstol's walls. Vivid yellow and red hues trailed across the sky, marking the end of what might've been the longest and darkest day of her entire life. She dismounted, letting out a breath as a gentle breeze blew across her. Sumia wasn't far behind, already walking up to her with a small smile.

"Guess there aren't any, huh?" She asked, looking around. "Still, it's beautiful out today, isn't it?"

Cordelia slowly nodded. "I suppose it is."

Both of them were silent as they gazed at the sunset, their pegasi delicately grazing on the grass. How there was still vegetation after months of no real sunlight was beyond Cordelia's understanding. No doubt Sumia would have a good time with her flower fortunes, at the very least.

"Heh," Sumia began playing with a stray lock of greyish-brown hair. "It's funny. It's been so long since I have had the time to just… look. Watch. Listen. This sunset is beautiful. Hey, remember when we'd sneak out just to watch it? Back when we were little?"

Despite the darkness that threatened to swallow her whole, that fond memory still allowed itself to show. Cordelia remembered, alright. How could she forget? The tongue-lashing she received from her mother at the time was well worth the spectacle. After a long day playing hero, they'd just sit and watch as the sun dipped below the horizon and disappeared. What she wouldn't do to get those days back. To relive them, with a childish innocence to match.

Alex would have loved to see this too.

That struck Cordelia like a slap across the face. She blinked, holding a hand to her chest. Her eyes wandered to the withered rosebush just near the treeline. It wasn't enough. She couldn't forget, not so soon. The way Alex looked at her on their first date, the way his eyes softened whenever he gazed upon her, it all came flooding back. The way he held her as she slept, so that she would forget everything else except for the two of them, for a little while. The way he so earnestly promised to marry her at the first opportunity…

"Cordelia?" Sumia called, snapping her out of her downward spiral. "Cordelia, are you…?"

Cordelia looked to Sumia, eyes wet, before looking down at the twinkling band on her finger. A promise for a future that would no longer be possible. "Sumia…"

Wordlessly, Sumia embraced her. Quickly, Cordelia squeezed back, feeling all the bottled up emotions spill out of her like a pressurized bottle. The tears fell, unbidden and unwelcome.

"I-I couldn't save him, Sumia," Cordelia confessed, her breath hitching. "I wasn't fast enough. I couldn't stop him or save him, and now he… he…"

"It wasn't your fault," Sumia said gently.

"He saved me, Sumia," Cordelia cried. "He saved me, when I thought I'd fall apart. He hugged me close and expected nothing in return! I failed him!"

"You didn't fail anyone, Cordelia."

"I-I-" Cordelia stuttered, sniffling. "The day he proposed to me… Gods, Sumia, it was as if my heart would explode in my chest. The man I loved wished to spend the rest of his life with me. This man who came out of nowhere, who helped me when I was at my lowest, this man who captured my heart… I will never be able to do the same. To hold him tight. To keep him close when no one else wishes to lend their ear. I'll never be able to do that again!"

There was nothing Sumia could say to make Cordelia feel better. Not really, anyway. She'd lost her fiancé; there wasn't much that could be said. Cordelia continued to cry, her tears staining Sumia's clothes.

"And we have a child…" Cordelia said after a moment, quietly. "We have two. Gods, what am I to do? He promised me we would raise her together, that we would ensure that she'd never have to grow up without her parents. I hate him, Sumia."

Sumia raised a brow, concern flashing across her features. "You hate him? What do you mean?"

"Robin," Cordelia hissed venomously, her sadness giving weight to anger. Fury. "Because of Robin, he died. I saw him. Alex took a blow that was meant for him. Why did he do that? Why would he do that!?"

Sumia knew all too well the road Cordelia was traveling. She saw it once before, when Stahl died. She was looking for something, anything to blame for her heartbreak. Sumia couldn't let her go down that path. Even if it took months for Cordelia to begin mending her broken heart, she would be there for her.

"Cordelia, it's not Robin's fault," Sumia said slowly. "It's not any of ours. Grima is the one who killed Alex."

"Did you think I was not looking? I know that! I just…" Cordelia wiped at her face. "It was a mistake to come here. There are too many things that remind me of him. Gods, Sumia, it hasn't even been a full day!"

"I just wanted to make you feel better," Sumia whispered.

Cordelia opened her mouth as if to retort, but no words came out. She shook her head, wiping away the tears on her cheeks. "I know you did, Sumia. You were always good at doing that. That's why Chrom chose you. But I look around here, and all I can think about is him." Cordelia held a hand close to her chest, and with the other gently caressed the ring on her finger. "He asked me out to picnic, years ago now. Just after you and Chrom's wedding. I can still remember the way he looked at me. Nobody had looked at me the way he did, not then, and not since. He looked at me as if the sun rose with me every morning, and set with me every night!"

Sumia watched as Cordelia's lips trembled.

"He would have loved to see this," Cordelia continued, quietly. "He would have loved to have seen this sunset. Sometimes I would catch him gazing at the sunrise and sunset, every morning and evening, with this smile on his face. And now I'm here, and he's not. I shouldn't have come here, Sumia. Not when there's still so much at stake. Not when… not when Severa is still in Ylisstol. I can only imagine what she must be feeling, to say goodbye to her father twice ."

"I'll be here for you, Cordelia," Sumia suddenly said, adamantly, standing tall. "If you need anything, anything at all, I'll help you. We all will."

Cordelia frowned. "I… I don't deserve such kindness, Sumia, but…"

"Oh shush, of course you do!" Sumia rebuked. "You're my best friend! And what kind of best friend would just leave you like this? Not me, that's for sure!"

The earnestness in Sumia's tone struck Cordelia, and she couldn't help but smile. Lightly, but it was a start. "T-Thank you, Sumia. I am truly lucky to have you. I just wish…"

Sumia looked down. "We may not be able to bring him back," She whisked her gaze back up. "But we can make sure that his sacrifice wasn't in vain."

"I wish he hadn't had to make that sacrifice at all…" Cordelia trailed off. "This is not a wound that can be mended within a day, Sumia, but I appreciate you for trying. I'll be able to fight, for Severa's sake, but I…"

"I know that," Sumia replied quietly. "I just wanted you to remember that there are people who care for you, Cordelia. Who are willing to help you."

Cordelia covered her mouth with her palm, nodding as she looked to the two pegasi, still gently grazing. She would never be able to thank Sumia for everything she had done for her. Especially not then. But one day, she would return the favor.

Sumia opened her mouth as if to say something more, but she was interrupted by a new arrival. A Pegasus Knight flew over both of them, landing near the other two pegasi and stopping their peaceful grazing. The Pegasus Knight, a petite woman with blond hair, ran over to Cordelia and Sumia, completely breathless.

"Miss Cordelia! Lady Sumia!" She gasped out. "T-The Grandmaster Tactician and Prince Chrom wish to see you at once!"

Sumia and Cordelia exchanged a glance. "What for?" Sumia asked. "Did something happen?"

"T-They wouldn't say, ma'am!" The Pegasus Knight replied. "They just told me to fetch you! They said it was urgent!"

Neither of them could guess what would come next.

Lucina stood silently outside the medical tent.

There were many people injured in the fight against Grima and the Risen. Lucina would be lying if she said that it didn't remind her of even darker times. The pitch-black sky, the unearthly and ungodly power that dwelt within the very soil itself, all of it brought her mind back to the final days of her future. Fighting a hopeless battle against an insurmountable foe. Things were different in the past, then. There was hope again. Naga was on their side. The Fell Dragon, while not slain, was weakened and desperate. Lucina was ashamed to admit that she gained some amount of satisfaction from watching that spectacle.

Yet, there were some things that made her heart weep. The loss of a close friend, and the deaths of Sir Frederick and Sir Alexander. Lucina hadn't had the time to properly process what had happened, but once the fighting had subsided, and the sun shone brightly once more, it finally dawned on her. She no longer had any tears to shed, but her grief was beyond words.

And there she was, prepared to tell one of her closest allies that her father had been murdered.

Lucina didn't allow herself to show her grief. Not when she had an important job to do. Sir Ricken was nowhere to be seen, and Sir Frederick had no family to speak of. That left only one person worth telling of what happened who wasn't there.

The future princess took one last deep breath, and entered the tent.

"Finally! I thought-!" A voice called out, only to stop when they noticed her. "You? The hell are you doing here?"

Lucina wasn't so sure she could do it anymore. There was something different about it, compared to the loss they experienced in the future. She never personally had to tell one of her friends that another of their parents had died. Many of them already had by the time she came of age, and those that died afterward were, to put it bluntly, easy to confirm. But it wasn't just that. Seeing Severa bound up to her, eyes wide with expectation, she almost fell apart then and there.

It was almost too much to bear, and yet, she had to. For her friend's sake, if nothing else. To honor what they once had.

"Lucy? Are you in there? Damn space case," Severa grumbled, crossing her arms and ignoring the looks she was getting from the injured. "Do you have anything to say or have you finally lost it?"

"Severa," Lucina began, her tongue feeling foreign in her mouth. "I… I've come to tell you something important."

Severa looked as if she was about to go on a mocking tangent, but she stopped before she even started. Her face grew serious and her eyes glared lightly at Lucina, expectantly. "Well," She said, "Don't leave me in suspense. I hate suspense. Too much of it around here recently."

Lucina pursed her lips and looked down at the ground, preparing herself. After a moment, she drew her gaze upward and looked Severa in the eye. "Sir Alexander died."

Severa looked at her, unblinking for several moments. It was as if she had suddenly turned into a statue. After a moment she finally said, "That's not funny, Lucy."

She should have expected it. Lucina held up a hand. "I am not the best at this, Severa. I know that. But I am sorry. Sir Alexander died in the line of duty, battling the Fell Dragon. I'm sorry."

"Bullshit," Severa rebuked quietly. "I don't believe you. My dad's been through more shit than any of us. You mean to tell me that he died? Fuck that! I need to-!"

"Severa, no!" Lucina pushed the red-haired girl back, keeping her from leaving the tent. "You need to rest!"

"I need to see my dad! I need to see mom! I need to make sure they're okay, gawddamn you!" Severa nearly screamed, trying her hardest to push past the blue-haired princess. "I don't fucking believe you! I don't! I-!"

After a few moments, she took a step backward, covering her mouth with an open palm. Her words came out as a frail whisper, "He's not dead. I don't believe you."

"I'm sorry," Lucina repeated.

"Oh, are you?" Severa growled, her eyes striking a glare as cold as ice. "You're sorry? Oh, well, that makes everything okay, doesn't it?" Severa quickly turned back to the other wounded. "What the fuck are you all looking at!? Mind your own damn business!" Whoever was still listening quickly turned away, and Severa reset her sights on Lucina. "That's easy for you to say, isn't it? Your dad wasn't turned into a monster! Your dad didn't die again, did he? No, you wouldn't be here if he did!"

"Severa-!"

"No, shut up, I'm talking!" Severa quickly snapped. "You said it was Grima who killed him, huh? Bullshit. I bet it was Robin. It's always Robin! He's been trying to steal him away from us all this time!"

"That is not true!" Lucina pleaded, "Sir Alexander gave his life protecting-!" Her jaw audibly clamped shut.

Severa arched a brow. "Oh, he did, did he? Probably gave his life to protect Robin, huh? Tell me I'm wrong."

Lucina was silent.

"I fucking knew it," Severa hissed viciously. "I should've known it was him!" Severa shook her head, slowly turning around. "Well, you told me all you're going to. Go."

"What?" Lucina asked, confused.

"I said leave," Severa waved her hand. "Goodbye! Farewell! Pleasant days and all that bullshit! Get out."

"Severa, please-!"

"I said get the hell out! I don't want to see your stupid mug!" Severa cried out, blue eyes glaring. "Geez, can't take a hint. I don't want to even look at you right now. I don't want to look at anyone. Just leave me alone!"

"…Am I interrupting something?" A voice asked, as someone pushed through the flaps into the tent.

"Robin?" Lucina looked to see the white-haired tactician entering. "No, you need to go-!"

"You!" Severa snarled, whirling around and jabbing a finger into the tactician's chest. "You're the reason my dad's dead, you absolute bastard!"

Robin's lips quivered as he looked down at the furious redhead. "I… I will not deny that. But I have a solution."

"A solution? He's dead, you daft bastard!" Severa rebuked, looking as if she'd throttle the tactician with her bare hands. "How can you fix that!?"

Robin regained his composure in the face of absolute fury. He folded his arms behind his back. "I actually came here to get you," He said, "Something has been brought to my attention and we're ready to make a decision before the day ends."

"Sir Robin?" Lucina began, "How do you mean? What decision?"

"It'll be easier if you came with me," Robin replied.

Severa laughed. An odd, forced laugh that only showcased her utter contempt for Robin. "Oh yeah, nice joke! Trying to kill us too?"

"Severa needs rest, Sir Robin," Lucina protested.

"Quit talking for me," Severa growled. "I'll go where I want. Fine, then. We'll have it your way. I'll follow you. This better not be a complete waste of my time!"

Robin looked down. "I hope so as well."

Robin and Severa left the tent, leaving Lucina alone for several minutes. Her head hurt. Not a migraine, but something approaching one. She had no idea what Robin meant, but for her own sake and for Severa's, she had to go as well. If only to see. Despite Severa's words, Lucina would not abandon her. Not when she so clearly needed help. Needed someone to vent to. She may not have been the best at understanding others feelings, including her own, but she knew that much, at least.

With another deep breath, Lucina followed in the others' footsteps.

Robin marched through the ruined streets of Ylisstol with Lucina and Severa at his back. He could feel Severa's piercing glare, so much like Alexander's, but he ignored it. Soon enough, that gloom would be aimed at somebody else.

There were no words spoken during their small trip. As was so often the case, there was no place for them. The moon shone over the broken city, casting its blue glow across destroyed buildings and stone-littered streets. Nonetheless, their path was certain, and before long, they made it.

The selfsame clearing they faced off with Grima in, in the shadow of Castle Ylisse. Chrom, Sumia, Cordelia, Tiki, and Morgan were already there, along with their new grey-haired friend. Lucina became flabbergasted at the sight of the half-manakete.

"Morgan!?" She said, unbelievingly. "But we thought you were… dead. What happened to you!?"

Morgan looked to Lucina, confused as she scratched her scalp. "Uh, sorry, but if you know me, well, I can't remember you. Weird how that works, right?" Morgan lightly knocked her head. "Amnesia's awful, ya know?"

"Amnesia?" Lucina repeated before shaking her head. "Gods, can this day grow any stranger?"

"You really should not have asked that," Tiki giggled. "Believe me, Lucina. You really should not have asked that!"

Lucina couldn't even summon the will to ask what the Voice meant by that.

Severa, on the other hand, took one look at those gathered and then towards the ground. "…Is this it? You wanted to show me my father's dead body?" She glared at them bitterly. "Is this some sort of twisted joke? If that's the case, ha. Ha. Ha. I'm laughing so hard right now. A real gut-buster, guys. I fucking hate all of you."

In the center of the group laid Alex's body, covered lightly by cloth. Who it was was unmistakable; he still wore the armor that he'd be slain in, and Sol, sheathed, was at his side. Robin could feel a cold chill climb up his spine. He'd been the one to keep the cloth on. Mikael suggested removing it, but Robin refused. He could not look Alex in the eye.

"Severa…" Cordelia said softly, causing the redhead to look away. "Sweetheart, please."

"M-Mom, what the hell is this?" Severa asked shakily, her defenses finally broken through. "Why're they doing this?"

Cordelia fixed Robin with a stern stare. "That's what I intend to find out. Robin?"

Robin was silent and only gave a small, curt nod to Mikael. The grey-haired man took a breath before speaking. "I would ask that you all calm yourselves. I understand you have been through a great deal this day."

Severa crossed her arms. "And who the hell are you?"

"My name is Mikael, young one," The former draconian replied, causing Severa to sputter. "I imagine you remember me in Alexander's reports on Khadein?"

Chrom shrugged. "He described you as a lot more scaly, too. As did Sully and Miriel."

"Hmm, quite," Mikael hummed. "How I appear to you in this form now is a story for another day. I shall cut right to the heart of this, as only Robin, young Morgan, and Tiki truly know what I intend to do." Mikael withdrew the ornate staff across his back, brandishing it for all to see. The golden accents glimmered in the moonlight, and the ruby-red ribbons stretching from the head danced lightly in the wind. "This, my friends, is the Aum staff."

"T-The Aum staff!?" Sumia repeated. "The staff wielded by Lady Elice during the War of Shadows and War of Heroes!? The one that is said could-!?"

"It has the power to bring the dead back to life, yes," Mikael finished, nodding. Cordelia gasped as Chrom crossed his arms.

"There's only one place you could have gotten that," Chrom said, a stern stare on his face.

Mikael met his stare and returned it twofold. "Yes. But if I had not gone to such a place, you would not have this opportunity." He placed a hand against his chest. "I would not have this opportunity. The chance to repay my debt to you and yours, for ridding the world of the Pontifex. I will certainly dedicate my knowledge and power to help you against this Fell Dragon, but this is a rather personal issue. As I am sure it is for you all as well."

Robin watched as everyone's expressions changed, particularly Severa and Cordelia. Predictably, a faint glint of hope shone in Cordelia's eyes as she looked down to the body nearby. Severa, meanwhile, had her lips pursed and her brows furrowed in frustration and pent-up rage. Morgan and Tiki were either nonplussed or chose to show little emotion, although Morgan flashing a cheery to Robin ensured him that she really had no clue what was happening. Chrom seemed the most conflicted, although Robin was certain what he would choose in the end. Sumia, on the other hand, had that same hopeful air about her.

Lucina's expression betrayed no emotion, naturally. Although Robin suspected she had connected the dots in her head.

Cordelia walked up to the grey-haired man. "…It brings people back? Back from the dead?"

Mikael nodded resolutely. "That it does."

"Please, tell me. It will bring him back exactly as he was, right? It will be him?" Cordelia pleaded.

"I am certain."

Cordelia looked down to Alex's body, and then to everyone else. Her eyes were watery, threatening to break out into tears once more.

Alex was not the only candidate for resurrection. There were others who could certainly be brought back. Nah, Nowi, Frederick, the list went on. Then again, there wasn't much left of them, and Alex had a relatively intact body. He didn't know how the Aum staff worked, nor did anyone else. Not truly, anyway. If it was only to be used once, he'd want it to be used on someone close to them. Someone close to them all.

He'd allow himself to be selfish. Just this once. Not without guilt, of course, but that always came with selfishness.

"I think we should allow it," Robin said. "We shouldn't look a gift horse in the mouth, after all. Does anyone here have any objections?"

There was silence from everyone. Even from Chrom, who looked off to the side, in his own world. Robin knew who he was thinking about: Emmeryn and Frederick. Two people he'd never have the chance to get back, and yet there Cordelia and Severa stood, about to have a treasured loved one returned to them.

"Do it," Chrom finally spoke, blue eyes focusing on Mikael. "Alex is a good friend of mine. A good friend to a lot of us, and much more to them," He nodded his head to Cordelia and Severa. "I've lost much over these past few years. For once, I'd rather tear someone from death's grasp rather than lose them forever to it."

Mikael nodded once again. "Then we are all in agreement. Legends state that only those of royal blood can wield the Aum staff, but…" He approached Alex's body. "Let us see if such myths have any basis in fact, hmm?"

There was silence as Mikael carefully removed Alex's cloth, exposing him to fresh air. His face looked serene, almost, and yet the paleness of his skin and the growing rigidity in his limbs spoke of his true fate. A fate that would soon be defied.

Mikael held the Aum staff over Alex's body, and the swell of power felt immediate. The red gem inlaid in the head went alight, as if it was on fire. Slowly, the fire grew, until it consumed both the staff and the body underneath. It was so thick, it was as if it had been completely consumed. Robin heard Severa cry out, but soon enough, a horrible roaring sound nearly deafened him and everybody else as a small wave of energy surged past them. Through them.

The light disappeared, and Robin blinked, trying to get a good look. He saw Mikael, holding onto nothing. It was as if the Aum staff had crumbled to dust. Below him, Alex still laid, seemingly no change in his body. Not from where he stood.

That soon changed.

A single gasp of breath echoed in the silent courtyard, and Robin's heart finally settled.

Welcome back, my friend.

And that's a wrap. Guess they'll get their happy ending after all, huh?

Then again, maybe not. HA.

A new chapter of 'Tales From The Summoner's Undercroft' was uploaded! Go and check it out if you wanna see Alex damn-near kill someone. It's on AO3!

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Hope you guys have a good week!