Dun dun dunnnnnn! I've been waiting for this chapter in a while, so I'm super excited to finally post it! We finally get to the execution! Woohoo! (I apologize if it's on the shorter side.)

Adding Inigo in was initially a surprise, but ever since he charmed his way in back in Ch. 8, he's sort of become the third main character of this story after Chrom and Grima. I don't mind, though, we love our mini blueberry! Sad as this chappie might be, his fortunes are going to finally take a turn for the better! He deserves it, poor sweetie. Also, I kinda envision Grima dealing out his infinite Expiration spikes in a style reminiscent of Hela in Thor: Ragnarok because he's just that powerful and just that extra. An Preson Peepul, it absolutely is a Star Wars reference! Most of the chapter names are some sort of reference or play on a saying. (I'm surprised you didn't point out the Ch. 8 one though, that was a Star Wars ref too.)

"... Hmm, Caeda's Distant Counter would make excellent fodder... although do I want that, or Swift Sparrow 3? And maybe Renewal 3... or Special Spiral? Gah, so many options! How do I build him into his strongest form?"

You got baby Marth too, didn't you.

"Of course! Fairly decent IVs, too! Though he wasn't a five-star... but that just makes building him easier. I might try to pick up some merges while the banner's here."

Please tell me you have yourself and that you've Supported the two of them.

"Obviously, who do you take me for?"

Don't own, otherwise baby Grima would be a thing, not to mention a unit in FEH. I got baby Marth without too much trouble though, so that's a first step!

Sand, sand, and more sand, as far as the eye could see. Having been to Plegia a couple of times, Chrom had learned to expect such from the desert country, although Dad had said that it hadn't been quite like that back when he had first come down to the southwestern end of the continent. In fact, Altea had been a lush island kingdom in its prime. Of course, a lot could change in two thousand years, like the climate. Still, the bluenette held out a bit of hope that they'd get to pass through the former nation at some point—even though Dad would probably rather not revisit the area he had once called home.

Speaking of Dad, he had sidled up to Frederick during the journey and started making small talk with him. The knight looked a bit worse than he had yesterday, which was really saying something. Chrom frowned. Was the older man getting enough sleep? He must be worried sick about Emmeryn.

"Gee, you look exhausted, Frederick," Dad remarked. "Did you not sleep well last night?"

The brunette scowled at him. "I did not sleep at all, as a matter of fact. I'm afraid I disturbed Virion during the night."

"Oh dear, what happened?" The albino dragon's voice sounded the wrong side of pleasant. Just what was he doing? "Strange noises keep you up at night? Insomnia? Nightmares?"

"It was nightmares, no doubt," Virion chimed in. "Only a nightmare could produce the dreadful thrashing and screaming that assailed my senses last night." The nobleman sighed and shook his head. "'Twas most upsetting, really. I was forced to tie him up and gag him so I could get any semblance of beauty sleep."

Was it his imagination, or did Dad look a little too innocent? "Goodness, really? They must've been pretty awful nightmares to wake the mighty Frederick." He held his chin in thought. "I wonder… what could possibly disrupt your sleep so badly? Were they nightmares of your fair Emmeryn? Or maybe Princess Lissa? Or… were they of my darling Chrom?"

Frederick twitched at the mention of the bluenette's name. Chrom frowned. What is he doing… has he been doing that?! "Hey, Dad? Could I speak to you a minute?"

The older mage waved at Frederick before skipping up to the boy's place in the column. "Yes, my little blueberry?"

"Can you please stop antagonizing Frederick? The poor guy is worried sick about Emmeryn on top of his usual duties, which he goes above and beyond to complete, and on top of that he isn't sleeping well."

Dad rolled his eyes. "He tried to kill you last night."

"Don't you think maybe he sort of snapped under the pressure? I don't think he would've done that with a clear mind!" Chrom narrowed his eyes. "Did you… have you… were you dream-planting?"

To his credit, the albino looked faintly sheepish. "Um… maybe?"

"Father! You can't just do that right now, we need his help to rescue Ciel and Lady Emm! He won't be able to do that if he's sleep-deprived!"

"Well, I can't just kill him!" The man flung his arms out. "You pleaded for his life! I'm not about to go against that!"

"You can't just give him nightmares, either! That's not resolving this like adults!" A thought struck the bluenette. "Is… did you do this with the bullies before?"

Dad glanced away, biting his lip.

"Dad. I appreciate your concern and how much you care for me, but you can't punish everybody that doesn't treat me right, you see?"

"Chrom, sweetheart, I have to so they won't hurt you again. You're far too forgiving—though I don't want you to change that. So if you can't deal with them, I have to."

The bluenette sighed. "Well, in this instance it's really unwarranted. Aren't you kind of in the same position as him? You know, trying to save somebody you love while also trying to protect somebody else you love at the same time? Would you want somebody taunting you and putting you down all the while?"

Dad flinched as if slapped. His expression twisted in nausea. "I… I guess I hadn't thought of it like that."

"See?"

His father's shoulders slumped, and the man looked downright miserable. "You… You do have a point…" He scrubbed a hand over his face. "I'll stop until we're done with this mess."

"Father."

"He was going to kill you," the dragon hissed. "I think in this case I'm being merciful."

Chrom shook his head and facepalmed. How he loved his father, but the man had a protective streak a continent wide and a fierce sense of justice where the bluenette was concerned. He might have to sit down with him afterwards and get him to realize the mage-healer could take care of himself now. Mostly. His bladework was still only partly decent. Maybe Dad did have a right to worry. Hmm…

Either way, they both would have to figure out what they wanted to do after the war. For now, though, the two trekked side by side as the company continued onward to the capital.

"Master Grima, the Exalt is to be executed tomorrow, as well as a boy believed to be Prince Chrom. Events have been trifled with, but they will soon be back on course."

"…"

"I really should never have doubted your words, my lord, heheheh. One cannot simply cast the yoke of destiny off! Even in their resistance, the Shepherds write your future for you, O mighty one!"

"… My future… is not what we believed it was. My destiny is to rule the world and to make everything right in it! I will accomplish this without fail!"

"Ah… er… are you certain? My lord? … Master Grima? My lord?!"

Inigo lay on the cold stone floor of the dungeon, trying and failing to get to sleep. His thoughts kept going round and round in circles. He'd finally remembered when Aunt Emmeryn's assassination was and what the date was in relation to that. She was alive this time around! The assassination hadn't succeeded! But who was responsible for thwarting it? Had Lucina gone to warn the Shepherds and gotten there in time? Had his father been there? Had she seen him? What was he truly like? All these and many more questions darted around the bluenette teen's brain. He could only hope that the Shepherds would be able to rescue him and Aunt Emm in time.

The blonde Exalt sat in the cell opposite him, probably to help dissuade them from comforting each other through touch. Gangrel might be insane, but he sure understood basic human psychology. At least the boy still had his mother's ring. He took the ring off of his finger and studied it in the dim light like he had so many times in the hours and days since he'd been brought here. Despite the thin layer of grime it had accumulated, the ring still sparkled in the flickering glow of the lone torch. Inigo put the ring back on and sighed. Mother… Father… please stay safe and live… for Luci's and my sake.

A clanging and voices echoed through the hall, and the door at the end of the cell block jiggled open. Several guards and the Grimleal advisor, Aversa, strode in and unlocked the two inhabited cells. One of the guards dragged Inigo out, and he spotted Aunt Emm being brought out as well before Aversa told hold of his chin, capturing his attention. She scrutinized the boy, lips pursed in thought.

"… Well, he certainly looks like he might be the prince, but his face is all wrong," she decided. "He definitely came from the wrong father. How about that? The Exalted queen doing her fair share of treachery behind her husband's back? Ha!"

The other guards laughed and jeered. Inigo trembled, whether from fear or indignation he didn't know. The tan woman brushed the skin underneath his Branded eye with her thumb, cocking her head. "He has the Brand. I personally don't think he's the prince we're looking for, but he'll do in a pinch. Come on, false princeling, off to your death!"

Two burly soldiers seized his arms and led him out of the prison, with two more bringing Aunt Emm along. As they walked out, a crowd of Plegian soldiers greeted them outside, mocking the two Ylisseans and throwing insults at them. The bluenette shied away from them and shrunk into himself. One of the guards cackled. "Betcha miss yer mommy now, don'tcha, squirt? Well, guess what? Yer mommy's dead, same as ours!" An uproar of howls and hoots went up from the assembly. Inigo whimpered and closed his eyes, biting his lip hard.

"Stay strong, Ciel." Aunt Emm's quiet voice stood out in the crowd. "Don't let their anger and hatred tear you down. Acknowledge their suffering, but don't allow it to dishearten you."

The teen opened his eyes and glanced at her. "D-Do you think we're gonna make it out of this alive?"

"I don't know." She gave him a sad smile. "But I have faith we will anyway."

Grima caught Chrom favoring Robin with a worried look. "Are you sure you're all right, Robin? I mean, that must've been some nightmare."

The younger albino shrugged. "I slept fine the rest of the night. Although hearing Validar talk to Grima about the execution was pretty unnerving. I mean, they should both be dead, right?"

Whoops. He'd forgotten that the young vessel was still connected to him via his Heart. He'd have to take more secure measures when speaking to the old Hierophant next time. The talk with Validar had been a bit strange, though maybe not enough for concern. Perhaps it had slipped the man's mind that Grima's purpose had changed. After all, he should've received the letter detailing the Fell Dragon's new plans before the assassination, right? He wondered if maybe the man didn't actually want to work underneath him in his future kingdom. Odd, but not unlikely. Oh, well, in that case, he'd have to figure out a replacement for the man, just in case. Nowi might be a good idea—then again, she was still a teen by dragon standards. Robin, he'd now decided, might not have to give himself up as the dragon's vessel. The tactician would do much better as Chrom's right-hand man, the High Priest's Protector. He was the bluenette's friend now, and a good one, it seemed, so there was no way he was getting rid of the mage. That was fine; this vessel worked just as well anyway.

The streets of Occasus simmered in the desert sun, sand-packed thoroughfares empty and foreboding. That could only mean one thing: everyone was at the execution. The dragon grit his teeth. As the Shepherds reached the courtyard of Plegia Castle, he made out three figures standing atop one of the horns of his true form's skeleton. His superior eyesight zeroed in and resolved the figures into Emmeryn, Inigo, and an axeman, likely their executioner. The thought of his sweet little grandbaby being murdered over his literal dead body caused bile to bubble up on his throat. As he looked on, he noticed the blonde woman clutching the blue-haired teen to her chest, away from the axeman. Well, that was curious. What was she doing? Did she think the executioner would care? He could just as easily throw them both over the edge and let them fall to their deaths! The albino shuddered. Not good, not good, not good.

Gangrel came out in all his jestery finery and addressed the crowd in the courtyard. "Good people of Plegia! Peasants, soldiers! Welcome, all of you! I can feel your anticipation rising!" The crowd cheered. "Now, we all remember the crimes Ylisse has paid us, yes?" The cheering turned into boos and jeers. "How about we have their witch-queen and their devil-prince answer to us for them? How about today? Here? Right now?" More cheering. "Yeeee-esssssss! Finally, justice will be served!"

Grima growled, fangs coming out and pupils narrowing into slits. How dare that pathetic worm slander his poor mini blueberry! Inigo couldn't be even more of the farthest thing from the devil if he tried! "I'll show you a devil," he muttered under his breath. Chrom's shoulder brushed up against his, injecting clarity into his mind. His wits sharpened, and his power began to build.

"Now, executioner~? If you would do the honors, please~!"

"Raven, now!"

The white-haired dragon hurled a lethal purple spike through the air, and it sank into the axeman's chest, knocking him off of the massive horn. Grima grinned in wicked satisfaction.

And Robin gave the order: "EVERYONE, GO!"

The Shepherds burst out into the open and met the Plegians head on. Lissa's voice carried above the clangor. "Everyone deal with the soldiers first, we'll handle Gangrel later!"

"Oh, will you now, little princess?" The Mad King cackled. "We've been expecting you, you know, hahaha! Men? Kill her. Kill her friends and her troops and anyone else with her!" His cackling grew louder. "KILL THEM AAAAAAAAAALLLLLL!"

"I'LL KILL YOU FIRST, YOU PATHETIC WORM OF A DASTARD!" Grima roared. "THAT BOY IS MINE TO PROTECT!"

"Dad! Focus! We need to get them out of there!" Chrom cried, slinging Umbra spells at the onslaught all around them. "Rage at Gangrel later! Emm and Ciel come first!"

Right… he was right. Inigo needed him. He glanced at the bluenette mage, who gave him a nod, and then took off running for his dragon form's skull.

The fighting grew thick and heavy around them. They were on the Plegian's home turf, so it didn't much surprise Chrom. This was supposed to be a trap, after all. As he and Olivia cut and blasted their way through, the bluenette noticed a person nearby with long blonde hair, white clothing, and a Mend staff strapped to their back, wielding a sharp axe through the enemy throng. One soldier snuck up behind the person, however, and raised his dagger to stab them. Chrom blanched and sped towards the person.

"UMBRA!"

The spell slammed into the soldier and knocked him back. Chrom's momentum carried him past the blonde axe-healer, whose eyes widened in shock. He gave them a cute smile and whipped around, blowing another swordsman back.

"Young Chrom?! Is that you?!"

The person recognized him? Olivia covered his back while he turned to the person—and then his eyes lit up in recognition! "You're that healer from way back in Valm! The one who let me learn how to use a Heal staff!"

"You remember!" The man swung his axe and hooked it around a nearby lancer's weapon, yanking them forward. Miriel, who had fought through with them, blasted the lancer in the face with a fireball. "Oh. Thank you, miss."

The redhead straightened her glasses, a small smirk on her face. "You are welcome. My pleasure."

Eventually, the fighting in their area wound down enough to allow the four a reprieve, and the axe-wielding healer offered his hand to the bluenette mage in thanks. "I appreciate you coming to my aid, young one. Have you perchance come here to save the Exalt and the prince?"

"You bet! But what are you doing here, all by yourself?"

The taller man's countenance fell. "A contingent of my Nagalyte brethren and I had heard of the Exalt's and prince's capture. We crossed the desert with their salvation in mind, but… the Grimleal ambushed us." He sighed. "I am afraid I am the only one left of our party."

Chrom laid his hand on the man's shoulder. "If you want, you should come with us! The Shepherds could use your help, umm…"

"Libra," the axe-healer supplied.

"Libra! Excellent! So you're with the church of Naga now? We should let our tactician, Robin, know you're joining with us."

"Oh, praise the gods," Libra murmured. "At last my purpose is renewed! Their favor gives me strength!"

Chrom spotted his platinum-haired friend striding over to them with… was that woman a dark mage? She sure had eyes for Robin, that was certain. The older mage reached the group and waved to them. "Hi, guys! Guess what, Tharja here has decided to defect! She's gonna fight with us!"

"Charmed," the woman snarked.

Robin glanced at the blonde. "And who's this person? You look kind of like the clergy I've seen around Ylisstol."

"Libra's part of the priesthood of Naga," the bluenette explained, "and the one who first sparked my interest in healing. Way back in Valm, that is."

Miriel cocked her head to the side. "I believe Libra's addition would bring up our efficiency and effectiveness. Religion is often a potent motivator as evidenced by the existence of military chaplains, and skill with both a weapon and healing has proven to enhance our performance in battle, Chrom being our first and foremost example."

"Ooh, sweet!" The tactician brightened. "I think Princess Lissa would really appreciate having such an awesome woman of the cloth!"

"… Man, Robin, man of the cloth." Chrom giggled. "Libra is a guy."

Robin's face went bright red. "A-Ah, so sorry, ma'am—sir! Sir! So sorry, sir!"

"It's no trouble." Libra smiled. "It is a mistake oft made by those around me." He winced and cried out, hand going to his hip. Tharja blasted the offending assassin with a flick of her wrist and her open tome. "Ah, thank you. I should have kept a more wary eye."

"Here." Chrom gathered his power into his hands and pressed them to the man's bleeding side. The magic flowed from his hands into the priest's body, sealing up the wound without a trace. Libra glanced down at his now uninjured side, then back at the bluenette, shock and awe clear in his green eyes. The teen shrugged in response. "I'll let you know the long version later. Short version, my mana channels apparently got broken wide open."

Libra stared at him as he made to leave, and only moved when Miriel tugged at his hand. "Truly, that child must be of the gods himself," he breathed.

Grima streaked across the ground, impaling soldiers left and right. Up ahead, his left horn loomed, Emmeryn and Inigo still on top. They saw him and dashed down the horn, only to stumble and back up at the sight of more soldiers. The blonde Exalt reached out towards his grandson, but she missed as he ducked a swipe from a swordsman and lost his balance. Grima's heart froze as the boy screamed and slipped off the horn.

"INIGO!"

Within moments the Fell Dragon was in the air, wings beating furiously as he shot up to meet his falling grandson. He reached out and caught the boy bridal-style, clutching him close to his chest, and shrieked at the Plegian army in rage. The boy sobbed and curled into the older man's embrace.

"You saved me, you saved me, you came for me, you saved me…"

"Of course I did, mini blueberry," Grima cooed, soothing the boy. "I made a promise to myself and to your father that I would protect you. You mean so much to me, little one."

Inigo glanced up at him, shock and, surprisingly, hope glimmering in his teary eyes. "R-Really?"

"Yes, little one. I love you."

The bluenette teen stared at him before biting his lip and nodding. "Okay. I… I think you do. B-But we have to save Aunt Emmeryn still, so…"

"Right, right."

"She looked out for me, you know," the boy whispered. "She tried to make sure I was hidden away when Ylisstol was attacked. She… She stood in front of me to protect me from the enemy, e-even though she knew I'm not her brother."

Huh. That was… interesting, indeed. So the wishy-washy peace monger wasn't quite the wuss he thought her to be, and she'd kept his mini blueberry safe to the best of her abilities. To his surprise, Grima's respect for the blonde Exalt ratcheted up a few notches. Maybe letting her die here wasn't such a bright idea. And if Chrom ever found out his relation to her, and Grima hadn't ensured her safety? The thought made him shudder. He adjusted his hold on Inigo, wrapping his arm around the boy's waist while the bluenette flung his arms around the dragon's neck. "All right, then, let's rescue her!" With his free hand, he swept a wave of spikes out towards the soldiers who had backed the Exalt upon the tip of the horn, killing them instantly. Emmeryn turned and saw the flying duo, the shock on her face morphing into gratitude. She waved at them, and Inigo gave a tentative wave back. The white-haired dragon snuck a peek at the courtyard, where Chrom and the Shepherds had broken through and defeated General Campari. Hey, they'd picked up Libra and Tharja! Now there were only three more Shepherds left to find to make the complete set.

A trio of pegasus knights landed in the courtyard as Grima continued spearing wave after wave of Plegian soldiers away from Emmeryn. They readied their mounts, and the dragon deduced they had been sent to rescue the Exalt. Well, couldn't he just teleport her away? Although as he continued casting, his arms and heart began to burn. Uh-oh, not good. I didn't realize I've used up most of my power. Ugh, I can't do this for too much longer… and I still have Inigo to think about.

Gangrel yelled in fury at the trump card Robin had played with the pegasus knights. But wait… what was Aversa doing? Grima's eyes widened, and he hollered, "EVERYBODY GET DOWN!"

An entire platoon of Risen swarmed the courtyard in an instant as the Plegian king cackled in delight at the new development. The undead archers shot at the flying pegasus knights, and the Fell Dragon gasped in pain as an arrow caught him in the stomach—he'd dodged too slow. If he stayed up here, Inigo would surely be killed. Giving an apologetic glance to Emmeryn, he swooped down and settled on the ground underneath the horn, snapping off the majority of the arrow shaft. The bodies of the pegasus knights and their mounts followed soon after. Setting Inigo down and gripping his hand, Grima took off to regroup with the rest of the Shepherds. He fished an eye bandage out of a pocket in his cloak and tossed it to the bluenette, who caught it and put it on with his free hand.

Chrom, it's up to you now. My strength has waned too much…

"Come on, now! Beg for your pathetic, useless lives!" Gangrel jeered at the surrounded Shepherds. Chrom had managed to obliterate several of the Risen (Umbra version two had been engineered to destroy undead enemies since they couldn't be put to sleep), but more took their place. Olivia guarded the bluenette's back, and nearby Libra and Miriel stood back to back along with Tharja and Gaius, as Robin had paired the four into two duos. In the front with Robin and Sumia, Lissa stood holding Falchion in a guard position.

"I'm not gonna beg for my own life from you, I'd rather give it up first!" she hollered back.

"Oh-ho-ho! Would you like that on your gravestone, perhaps? I'll carve it in myself!"

Great, now the two had gotten into an antagonization contest. Chrom sighed and glanced at his father as the older man slipped through with a blue-haired eyepatch-wearing teen. That had to be Ciel… or Inigo? He'd have to talk to Dad later about that, clearly the man hadn't meant for that to slip out. Ciel Inigo… Hmm…

Wait, was Lady Emm still up on the horn of the giant dragon skull?! Why hadn't Dad gotten her down, too? But the platinum head clutched his hand to his bleeding stomach, exhaustion evident in his features. Chrom made to move towards his father, but the Risen around them pointed their weapons at the dragon and the other bluenette. A sick feeling rose in the mage-healer's throat. They couldn't fail here, they had to get Lady Emm to safety! He looked up to where she stood, wishing he had a Rescue staff.

Actually… he technically did have a Rescue staff, didn't he! Well, true, he'd tried the teleportation spell that one time and knocked himself out using it—and he couldn't tap into his father's power when the older man's supply was running low. But he did have access to all the ambient mana the place was thick with, the massive dragon skeleton practically glowed with how much it gave off. Maybe… maybe it was possible…

He had to make a decision, and quick, because Gangrel had once again demanded the Fire Emblem. If any of the Shepherds moved, Emmeryn would die. And then he remembered: he had the Fire Emblem, not Lissa! "Princess!" he spoke up. "No matter what, you can't sacrifice your sister!"

"Chrom's right!" Robin added. "There's gotta be another way we can save her!"

"Well, if there is, I'm not seeing it!" she yelled back. "Oh gods, I can't do this…"

Chrom looked into his father's eyes, fear and hope and despair warring within him. Red orbs met blue, and Dad mouthed, I believe in you.

Okay. Okay. He had to do this. It was their only hope. Lissa had just ordered them to throw down their weapons, maybe he could use that as a distraction to gather his power—

"Enough!"

Gangrel turned at the sound of Emmeryn's voice. "SHUT UP!"

"King Gangrel, is there no hope of you listening to reason?" she continued. The king sighed, annoyed.

"You mean reason as in your self-righteous, sanctimonious, goody-two-shoes harping?! No thank you! I want to listen to the thunk of the arrows hitting your body and the splat as you splatter all over the ground!" He sneered. "Take one long final look from your perch up there, your Gaudiness. I'm surprised you aren't enjoying yourself, you do love looking down on people. After that, prepare yourself to meet your maker—on the ground! Unless, of course, somebody gives me the Emblem right this instant!"

"OKAY!" Lissa shouted. "Okay… I'm sorry, Emm, but… this is the decision I feel right making." Her shoulders sagged. "You know, maybe in the future there'll be a time where we might need it… but… but we need you more! Our people need you! I need you! You're all that I have left, Emm!" She took a breath. "If we need to face a threat later on, we'll do it together! With you!"

"Lissa…" From her position, Emmeryn straightened. "Thank you. I know what I have to do now."

She stepped forward on the jutting horn and raised her voice. "Plegians! I beg you, listen to me and the truth in my words! War rewards you with nothing more than pain and suffering, whether in you own borders or out of them! I ask you to free yourselves from this cycle of pain and hatred and vengeance! Free yourselves and heal! Do everything you must… as I will." She took another step, and Chrom suddenly felt a nauseating wave of foreboding wash over him.

"See now that one selfless act has the power to change the world!"

Lissa gasped. "Emm! Emm, no, don't—!" She bolted, running for the base of the skull. Chrom drew as much power as he could inside of himself—from the environment, the skeleton, even the Fire Emblem—as he kept his eyes fixed on the Exalt. She strode to the very edge of the tip of the ledge and clasped her hands in prayer.

And then… she fell.

The bluenette opened himself wide and reached out for her signature, her words ringing through his head and all around him.

"Chrom… Lissa… and all my people…

"Know… that I always loved you."

He grasped and pulled—

Something passed through his body—

And Lissa stood looking down at the ground before falling to her knees with a sob.

Chrom gulped down the rising bile and dashed over to her, dread growing with every step. He stumbled to a halt next to her and found himself staring down into the maw of the dragon's skull. A torn white and green robe, splattered with blood, hung on the inside, caught one of the teeth.

"N-No…"

He'd failed.

He'd failed.

Absolute silence. Then,

"GANGREL!" Lissa shrieked. Chrom gave a sob, as did Inigo. Grima clutched at his wound, swaying a bit, as Gangrel howled with laughter.

"How disgustingly, pathetically noble!" he mocked. "Such a lovely, graceful fall! And I thought death was only supposed to be ugly!"

"I'll show you an ugly death!" the albino snarled, teeth grit in pain. Inigo motioned for Libra to come over and slipped his shoulder underneath the wounded man's arm, supporting him.

The Mad King sighed, wiping tears of laughter from his eyes. "Ahhh, what a lark… Truly a tragedy fit for the finest stage! So ends Emmeryn, the most exalted of Ylisse! Your sacrifice will be remembered, your Shininess—but how do we make it so?" He leered. "Why don't we gather your dead body and put it up on display, hahaha!"

"I'M GONNA KILL YOU, GANGREL!" the princess screamed.

"Not today!" Basilio ran up along with Flavia to the Shepherds in the courtyard. "We've got an escape route, we need to get out of here now!"

"But her body—"

"Your body'll join hers if you don't run! Now go! Robin, make sure she doesn't do anything stupid!"

Chrom ran back with Lissa and slipped his arm underneath the older albino's other shoulder. "C-Can't heal—drained—power," he choked out. "Gotta get—you out…"

Grima took one last look at the Plegian king before acquiescing. Then they fled.

As the Ylissean-Feroxi group began to retreat, a lone figure ran up and then stood watching from a distance.

"No! No… I'm too late… Our bleak future is written once more… And darkness awaits us all."

We failed… Inigo, Cynthia, Morgan, everyone…

I'm so sorry.

Darkness.

Pain.

Softness.

Light?

She blinked and found herself staring up at a patched wooden ceiling. Her side throbbed—she must've scraped it. She eased herself up into a sitting position and glanced around the room. Sunlight filtered in from a window in the wall in front of her, and to her right stood a dresser with knickknacks scattered on top. Over on the desk under the window lay a familiar navy-bound tome, and a shelf above the dresser held a variety of old tomes ranging from Wind to Arcthunder, all of them used up. She glanced down at herself and found her side a bloody but mostly-intact mess. Wait, why was she in just her undergarments?!

She squawked and stumbled out of the soft, cushy bed, clutching her side. Slipping out of the bedroom, she found herself in a cozy living room and kitchen area. To her right—oh good, a bathroom! She hurried inside and rinsed the blood off as best as she could. She searched the tiny cottage, for that was what it was, and found a vulnerary in one of the kitchen cupboards. It tasted different from what she was used to, but the pain went away and her side healed up. She made a note to apologize and pay back the owners for infringing on their hospitality as she went back to the bedroom for clothes. The ones in the dresser were a bit… hmm, small. So she went into the room to the left of the bathroom, another bedroom, and looked in there for clothes. These were a bit bigger; they would have to do.

As she pulled on a beige tank top and gray pants, the picture frames hung up around the room caught her eye. They all portrayed the same boy, from childhood to young adulthood. It had been many years, but she had not forgotten that sweet, sweet face.

"Oh! It is you!" she breathed.

"Chrom!"

And that's a wrap! Next up: Mud, Sweat, and Tears! The Shepherds flee through the Midmire but are stopped by Mustafa's company. Chrom strikes a deal to prevent more deaths. Tharja fixates on Chrom's shoulder. A spell is undone, and the truth of the bluenette's heritage finally comes out!

Feel free to review or feed me concrit! Anything to let me know I'm brightening your guys' day!

"CRavenson527? Why are you friend-requesting—oh! Oh! Is that Chrom?!"

Hee hee! He wanted to play with you, so I helped him download FEH and got him started.

"Ooh, looks like he's already pulled baby Marth, too. His normal Chrom could use some work, though."

Hey, I bet he'd love your help~~!

"Good point. Chrom, get over here! We need to make your units stronger! Oh, this'll be so much fu~un..."