Author's Note: I have no clue what the formatting of this chapter is going to look like once it's been uploaded. If the layout ends up making it difficult to read, a more legible version is available on AO3, so I'm probably not going to take the time to troubleshoot it here.

Severa, her arms crossed, looked over the square and shook her head. "I'm impressed, Laurent."

The mage tipped the brim of his hat, a faint smile coming to his face. "Coming from you, that's high praise indeed."

"Hmph," said Severa, rolling her eyes. "I didn't think you'd be able to get it done so quickly, that's all."

"Well, we had quite a bit of time to perfect the process when we were rehearsing," said Laurent. He extended a hand to encompass the square. "Quite the change, isn't it?"

"Yeah," said Severa. "It really is."

With the exception of a few food stands along the edges, all of the stands had been cleared away. In their place was a long, low stage, roughly fifty feet wide and thirty feet deep. Wide sets of stairs at either side led up to the stage. The wings were blocked off from the eyes of the audience by wooden screens painted to resemble the walls of a castle. That pattern was continued by small scaffolds stretching onto the stage, and a canvas backdrop painted to resemble the night sky hung behind the "castle." It's better than I expected it to be… guess they're really taking it seriously.

Laurent cleared his throat, and Severa glanced at him. "What?"

"What?" He looked back, a somewhat confused expression on his face.

"Were you going to…?"

"Was I…" The mage blinked. "Ah. No."

"Then… what?"

"Nothing." One gloved hand shot up to the stem of his glasses, making an adjustment that appeared wholly unnecessary.

Comprehension dawned on Severa. "You're nervous."

Laurent shut his eyes tightly, letting out a long breath as he nodded. "Now that it comes down to the moment of truth, I will admit to experiencing some feelings of trepidation."

"Seriously?" A broad smirk came to Severa's face. "Laurent, we stole the Fire Emblem from the Grimleal and smuggled it across half the continent. This should be easy."

"Perhaps, but all the same…" Laurent shook his head. "This sort of undertaking is not a familiar one."

Severa gave Laurent's shoulder a playful punch. "Come on, lighten up. I'm sure that you'll blow everyone away."

He raised an eyebrow. "Yourself included?"

"Ha. You wish."

Laurent chuckled softly. "Well. One can always hope."

"E-e-excuse me, sub-commander?" The timid voice behind them made both Laurent and Severa turn to see two of the pegasus knight recruits behind them. Ellen stood stiffly at attention, while Zoe merely looked bored.

"Oh good, you two made it," said Severa.

Zoe looked over the stage with her usual bored expression. "What was it you wanted us down here for?"

Gods, would it kill her to show a little more enthusiasm? "The two of you will be on guard duty tonight." Severa pointed toward a bench in the center of the front row, near the foot of the stage. "Her Grace, the Exalt, will be seated there for the duration of the play. Although I doubt that anyone would dare to attack her in the presence of so many of her comrades, we must never relax our guard."

Severa pinned down both of them with her gaze, impressing upon them the importance of her words. Ellen bobbed her head in nervous agreement. Zoe merely sighed. "So… how do we go about it, then? I assume you have a plan."

"The two of you will be seated a few rows back, on either side of Her Grace's position," said Severa. "From there, you should be able to spot if anything troublesome is on its way. You can handle that, right?"

"Y-you can count on us, S-Severa," said Ellen.

"Sure, whatever," said Zoe. "But what are you going to be doing in the meantime?"

"I," said Severa irritably, "will be at Her Grace's side, as I always have been. Should the need arise, I am sure that I will have no problem defending the Exalt. But if you do your jobs properly, I should have nothing to worry about."

The lanky recruit gulped. "Uh. Right." At another withering glare from Severa, she snapped off a salute. "I mean, yes, sub-commander."

"Very good," said Severa. She waved a hand. "Dismissed."

As the two recruits moved off, Laurent glanced over at Severa. A slow smile came to his face, and Severa flushed. "Hey, what are you looking at?"

"You're nervous."

"Am not."

"Don't bother denying it. You can't fool me." Laurent tapped the stem of his glasses with a finger.

Severa twitched. "All right, fine, I'm nervous."

"Severa, you stepped between Lucina and the Fell Dragon itself. Compared to that, something like this should hardly be significant." The somewhat condescending tone in Laurent's voice was—probably purposefully—almost identical to the tone she had used on him earlier. I should learn to keep my mouth shut, since everyone else seems to be so talented at deflecting my own words back at me…

"Yeah, I remember," she said gruffly. "That was then. This is now."

There was an odd note to Laurent's voice. "You're not the only one who—"

"Laurent!" Gerome, already armored and masked, strode towards the pair. "The Shepherds are waiting in the wings, but we still need to go over your checklist."

The mage clicked his tongue. "That's right."

"A checklist?" Severa glanced up at the sky. "But it's still more than two hours before the play's supposed to start!"

Laurent shrugged. "Proper preparation always takes a significant amount of time." His hands went to the brim of his hat, straightening it out. "Sorry, Severa. We'll talk more later." He hurried to Gerome's side, and the two of them headed off to the other side of the wooden screens, leaving Severa alone once again.

I'm not the only one who… what? Severa bit her lip. What was he trying to say? Ugh. How typical to be left hanging.

Shaking her head, Severa turned back towards the palace hill. Whatever Laurent meant, it would have to wait until later.

An air of hushed anticipation hung over the square. The sun had fully set, but stage and seats alike were awash with magically-created light.

She glanced to her left, where Lucina was seated. The Exalt shifted in her seat from time to time, seemingly unable to sit completely still. I knew she had a cute side, but I didn't expect it to be quite this prevalent…

"Excited, Lucina?"

The Exalt turned to her with an almost giddy grin. "Incredibly. Aren't you?"

"I'm withholding judgment until I've figured out whether or not Owain wrote a play worth watching," said Severa. She winked mischievously and shook the bag of hazelnuts she'd bought from one of the stands. "If not… I'm going to see how many bullseyes I can score while he's onstage."

Lucina stifled a laugh. "I'm sure the play will be fine."

"And if it isn't?"

The princess's hand darted into Severa's bag and snatched a hazelnut, and her eyes glinted wickedly as she bounced it on her palm before popping it into her mouth. "Then we'll make it a contest."

The low buzz of conversation began to fade away as the lights in the audience dimmed, and Severa felt Lucina's hand close around hers, squeezing tightly in excitement. Severa, blushing, kept her eyes forward. She doubted Lucina was even aware of the effect that she had, and she knew it would be for the best if matters stayed that way.

The lights faded to almost nothing, and Severa found herself squinting slightly, trying to see through the darkness. Then, quite abruptly, two beams of light—cast from mirrored towers at the far end of the square—illuminated a single figure standing in the middle of the stage: Owain.

The co-captain of the Shepherds raised one hand in front of him in a declamatory gesture, and Severa fought the urge to roll her eyes. This is already ridiculous… She was reaching for a hazelnut to throw when Owain began to speak, his voice almost mesmerizing. She froze, transfixed by the rhythm of his words.

OWAIN

"Before the fall, the steps of heroes strode

Upon our homeland's green and grassy fields.

Their deeds live on in legend and in song:

The battles that they fought, the wars they won,

And most of all, the friendships that they made.

Throughout the years, the Shepherds shielded us,

The Exalt and his bride, their captains bold.

You know their names, our heroes one and all

Who gave their lives, that we might all live free

From Grima's shadow, and the dragon's ire."

As Owain spoke, Severa gradually became aware of movement behind him: the shadowy outlines of men and women. They moved slowly, as if through water, their movements smooth and deliberate, and sang softly as they danced: a song without discernible words, its melody halfway between a hymn of triumph and an elegy, full of shifting harmonies and open chords. She lost herself in it as Owain spoke on, telling of the death of the Exalt and the long war in which so many had died, of the seemingly futile hope for defeating Grima that their parents had held, and of the repeated failures.

She was close enough to see the agony in his eyes when he spoke of his own mother's death: the last of the original Shepherds to die, bereft of her comrades, wishing only for her children's future. Yet he spoke on, unhesitating. The music became jarring and discordant, and the movements of the dancers swift and violent, as Owain told of the first attack on the capital, the furious defense, and the desperate plan to retrieve the Gemstones and the Fire Emblem. But suddenly, there was silence: the others withdrew, and once again Owain stood alone on the stage, under the light. His voice was solemn, almost quiet, but Severa had no doubt that everyone in the square could hear his words, so rapt was the audience's attention.

OWAIN

"And so we parted, knowing in our hearts

That all of us might never meet again.

But pressing onward, with determined stride,

We sought salvation in the wilderness.

With steadfast voices raised unto the sky,

We made it known that hope would never die."

Owain stepped back, and the light from the towers began to fade—seemingly, the first scene was at an end. Severa took in a long breath, letting it all out in an instant. "Gods… that was…"

"Amazing, right?" Lucina barely managed to keep her voice to a whisper. "I never knew Owain could write like this! It's… there are so many different things about—"

"Shh! The next scene's starting!" Severa hushed her Exalt with a brusqueness that she knew would embarrass her later. But the lights are coming back up, and I don't want to miss a single moment of this!

Severa lost track of time, completely absorbed in the play, seeing events that she had heard about but not seen re-enacted in front of her. Despite knowing the final outcome, she was still on the edge of her seat in white-knuckled suspense as Kjelle's party was backed into a corner. She cheered with the rest of the audience when a group of angelic warriors, their masked faces seeming to glow with otherworldly light, appeared to strike down the Risen.

I guess that they're supposed to represent our parents? Well, it's certainly a pretty-looking metaphor, at any rate…

Along with the rest of the audience, she watched the final scene of the first act in mute horror: a dark figure, wreathed in shadows, striking down the Voice of the Divine Dragon in the heart of Ylisstol itself. She knew that the young woman on stage was not Lucina, just as she knew that the Voice was only Nah, a longer wig covering her hair. But all the same, the actress's scream of loss as Tiki's life slowly slipped away—the lighting on stage fading away with it—was heart-wrenching.

As the mage-lights slowly faded back in—apparently, it was intermission now—Severa stood, swaying slightly with lightheadedness. "I'm going to stretch my legs for a bit. What about you?"

"Go on ahead, I'll catch up," said Lucina.

"I can wait for you—"

"There's no need for that," said the Exalt.

"Really, it's not a problem…"

"Just go," said Lucina, with an abruptness that made Severa jump.

"Huh?" She managed to get a good look at Lucina's face, and her eyes widened in shock: the princess's eyes were filled with unshed tears, and her shoulders shook slightly with suppressed sobs. "Lucina, are you—"

"I just…" Lucina took a deep, shaky breath. "I need a moment to myself."

Severa took a step back. "Sorry…"

"It's fine," said Lucina. "I'll see you shortly."

"Yeah." Severa moved off, chewing on her bottom lip as she went. Idiot. Of course she wants some time alone—she was the only one there when Tiki died. And I only made her feel worse by pressing her about it…

She meandered through the rows of seats, giving an approving nod to Ellen as she passed. The young knight didn't notice: she was too busy staring fixedly at Lucina's spot to make sure that nobody suspicious was approaching. How admirably dutiful of her.

As she reached the edge of the crowd, she noticed two women in front of her, hand in hand. It took her a moment to realize that both of them looked familiar. "Teresa? Lily?"

Lily dropped Teresa's hand as quickly as if she had been burned, whirling to face Severa as the pair edged apart. "A-ah! Severa… f-fancy seeing you here. What a coincidence." She giggled with uncharacteristic nervousness.

"What else did you think I would be doing tonight?" said Severa. She glanced over at Teresa, whose cheeks were heating slightly. "Good evening, Teresa."

"Good evening, sub-commander." Teresa clasped her hands in front of her. Severa, glancing down, could see her subordinate's fingers twitching nervously, but she was also quick to note the bracelet around the soldier's left wrist. So she got Lily's gift. How sweet. These two couldn't be any more obvious if they tried.

"So, how are you enjoying the play so far?" said Severa, a smug smile creeping to her face.

"Ah, the play!" said Lily, relieved. "The play is… I like it. It's great! Very well done."

"Yes, I agree," said Teresa, also too quickly. "It is definitely quite good. Though you have not been given very much focus yet, sub-commander."

"I'm sure that will change later on," said Severa. "After all, we're only halfway through."

"Of course, you are right," said Teresa.

Lily bobbed her head in agreement. "Yep, yep, that she is."

Severa imagined that if she stood there much longer, she would be able to see both women break out into a sweat. She let the awkwardness stretch on for a few moments longer before finally taking pity on them. "Well, I should get back to the Exalt. You two enjoy the rest of your date."

"Thanks, we will—" Lily realized what she was saying a fraction of a second too late, and clapped her hand over her mouth with a comically horrified expression on her face. Teresa, blushing even harder, stared determinedly at the ground as Severa, chuckling merrily, made her way back to her seat.

Lucina looked up as Severa approached, hastily bringing down the sleeve she had been dabbing at her eyes. "Welcome back."

"Thanks." Severa cleared her throat. "Do you… uh… Are you feeling better?"

"I am," said Lucina, giving Severa a wan smile. "Sorry that I snapped at you earlier. I—"

"Stop," said Severa, holding up a hand. "Lucina… You don't have to apologize to me, all right? I know that I'm not always the easiest person to deal with. I've never been the best at dealing with other people… I've been getting better at it, but I still have a long way to go."

"Severa… thank you," said Lucina.

Severa settled back into her seat, gingerly. "Is this… very hard for you?"

Lucina shook her head. "Well, I won't pretend it's easy. But seeing it like this, now that everything is over… It's almost calming to be able to think back on it and know that everything turned out all right."

"I know what you mean." Severa timidly put a hand on her princess's shoulder. "I… I wish I could have been there with you. I can't imagine what it was like, dealing with that by yourself…"

"You were there for me when it really counted," said Lucina, smiling more warmly now. "When you all came back… There's nothing that has ever meant more to me, and there's no amount of thanks in the world that would be enough." Their eyes met, and Severa saw unshakable sincerity stamped onto Lucina's gaze as firmly as the brand in her eye. Once again, Severa was tempted to confess—but just then, the light began to fade, and she returned to her senses.

"Looks like the play's about to start again," she said, hurriedly breaking eye contact and looking forward with simultaneous relief and disappointment.

"Yes," said Lucina simply. "I can't wait to see how they wrote the ending."

The second act began at a breakneck pace, with Owain's group fleeing from a massive army of Risen. Facing seemingly insurmountable odds, Owain and Inigo sent the other two ahead across a bridge before cutting it down behind them, stranding themselves on the far side. Everything seemed hopeless, and Severa found herself growing absurdly worried despite knowing there was no way that Owain and Inigo were going to die. Gods… they act like such idiots all the time, I almost forget how brave they are. I'll have to remember to say something nice to them later.

After a long fight, punctuated by intensely stirring music, the "angels" appeared once again, driving away the Risen and helping their sons to escape. As the scene ended, Severa suddenly realized that the play was almost over: all that remained was the final battle against Grima, and the part that she had played in it. She shut her eyes tightly. I'm not ready for this…

She felt a hand on her own shoulder, and opened her eyes to see Lucina smiling encouragingly at her. "Hey, don't take a nap now! We're almost to your big moment!"

Severa laughed, quietly and nervously. "Heh. Right, wouldn't want to miss that."

The beginning of the scene was just as she remembered it: the actress playing her entered, flanked by Laurent and Gerome, and presented the Fire Emblem to Lucina with a speech far more flowery than she remembered. The Exalt's actress responded with an equally long monologue, detailing how now that the Emblem was in their hands, they were on the path to saving the world. However, it was not long before a massive figure, shrouded in black, appeared as if out of nowhere and spoke in a deep rumble.

GRIMA

"Child of the mortal race,

You know not the power you face.

Cling to false hope if you must:

Soon your dreams shall turn to dust."

Taking a bit more artistic license, I see… Severa thought. The vessel of Grima she remembered had been a woman with a slight build, not the behemoth on stage. Still, she had to admit that the effect was rather imposing: the actor playing Grima—she thought it was Malcolm under the cowl, but wasn't completely certain—towered over everyone else on stage by a good head.

Severa heard a loud rushing above, and there were screams from the audience as a massive black shape descended on the stage, eyes glowing red with bloodlust. Severa was close to leaping to her feet before she realized it was only Minerva, the wyvern's familiar form distorted by a crown of horns. The wyvern raised her head to the sky and roared in time with "Grima's" booming laughter.

There was a flurry of movement onstage, dyed red hair dancing like flame, as the Severa in the play placed herself directly in front of the figure of Grima, eyes flashing determination. "Lucina, run! I'll handle things from here!"

The Exalt on stage cried out, extending a hand towards her friend. "But Severa—"

"Don't argue! Get away!"

Grima loomed tall over her, but the Severa on stage stood unafraid. In her right hand, she held her sword, point towards the enemy; her left was outstretched to one side, warning Lucina back. She spoke in a ringing voice, words of unbelievable courage that the real Severa could scarcely believe were based on her own.

SEVERA

"I'm not a knight, but I can still protect you!

My mother and my father served your house

Until their dying breath, and so shall I."

LUCINA

"Don't do it! If you fight him now, you'll die!"

SEVERA

"My life and loyalty are mine to give.

I'll give my life, if by my death you live."

Laurent and Gerome stepped up behind Severa, mute but determined. The Fell Dragon's vessel let out another long, booming laugh, punctuated by a roar from Minerva. He extended both hands, and shadows seemed to rise behind him like a cloak.

GRIMA

"Foolish humans, come, and die.

Bid your friends a last good-bye."

He raised his hand, and the darkness reared up like a wave, about to crash down upon the lone figure opposing him. Suddenly, however, the wave dissipated, thrown back by a flash of light that left Severa blinking and disoriented. The angels had arrived again, and this time they assailed the Fell Dragon, light against shadow. Voices rang out in a triumphant hymn as the otherworldly figures hemmed in the Fell Dragon with blades that shone with a light of their own, and rose to a crescendo as the rest of the Shepherds appeared behind Lucina, the Gemstones glowing in their hands.

The Exalt stepped forward, raising the Falchion to re-enact the Awakening.

LUCINA

"O Naga, hear me in my hour of need!

I bear with me your sacred covenant's proof!

With fire, baptize me: make me your true daughter,

And grant me strength to strike this evil down!

Severa felt goosebumps rise on her arms as she remembered the way that Lucina's voice had rang out on that day, all those months ago. The actress can try all she wants, but she'll never match the passion that was in Lucina's voice that day. Still, it's not that bad, I suppose… Blue flames—doubtless some device of Laurent's wizardry—erupted from the stage, drawing awed exclamations from the crowd as the Exalt leapt forward and struck. Grima, screaming in impotent rage, fell, his "corpse" borne away by the hands of the otherworldly warriors. The battle was over.

Once again, the lights dimmed, leaving Owain standing alone once again. His voice gentle, he began his final speech.

OWAIN

"By Naga's power, the Dragon was defeated,

Its victims avenged by the Exalt's hand.

Tonight, we praise the memories of those

Who taught us all that hope will never die.

Our hard-won future, built on sacrifice,

We'll evermore defend, from age to age.

From now, whatever cruel fate may portend,

We'll fight on, and achieve a happy end.

Let all rejoice: by Naga we've been blessed.

We have, at last, our long-deserved rest."

The cast stepped forward, bowing as one. As the lights faded away, the audience erupted into cheers. To her own surprise, Severa was the first one on her feet.

It took quite some time for the hubbub to die down, but Lucina and Severa eventually managed to make their way behind the screens to join the cast. Owain, flushed with success, wrapped both of them into a crushing hug the moment that they arrived. "Did you see that? Did you see that?!"

"Yes, Owain, we were in the front row," said Severa dryly.

"They loved it!" he said, flowery speech forgotten in his euphoria. "Like, really loved it! I can't believe…I never thought that it would really be that much of a success…"

"Wait, what?" said Inigo, tugging at the neckline of his shirt to cool off. "But you said the exact opposite of that during the whole rehearsal process!"

"Now what th'hell would ya say somethin' like that for?" said Brady simultaneously. "Weren't you the jackfart who was going on about how this was going to be an experience like no other?"

"Well, uh, that could be taken in multiple ways…" said Owain with a nervous laugh.

"Why, you—" said Brady.

"Now then, leave the poor man be. Let him savor his moment of triumph." Laurent stepped in, an unusually broad grin on his face. "I'd say that you've all earned the right to some self-congratulation."

"Well, I mean, we haven't gotten the full review from the audience," said Owain. He turned to Lucina with eager eyes, the movement echoed by both Brady and Inigo. "So? What did you think?"

"It was… incredible," said Lucina.

"…and?"

The Exalt blushed. "I… um… I'm having trouble gathering my thoughts right now…"

"Because you were totally blown away, right?" said Inigo, grinning broadly.

"I… guess so?"

Owain scratched the back of his neck. "Incredible. Huh. That's… not a lot to build on."

"What do you mean?" said Lucina, puzzled.

"I was thinking more along the lines of…" He snapped his fingers. "Ah, I know. Severa."

Severa blinked. "What?"

"You know…" Owain waved a hand vaguely.

"No, I don't know."

"What, you ain't got anything to say?" said Brady, scrunching his nose. "Nothin'?"

"No criticisms, no concerns?"

"Oh." Severa crossed her arms huffily. "Why is it that you always assume that I'll find fault with everything? I'm not always looking for reasons to dislike things, you know…"

"…but you do have some things you want to say, right?" said Inigo, his tone wheedling. Severa rolled her eyes.

"Ugh, fine. If you insist."

All three young men simultaneously beamed in triumph. Gods, what weirdos…

"I guess, first off, I was kind of confused by the whole angel thing you had going on," she said, pointing over their shoulders to where Jun'yi, his hair gathered into a tightly wound knot, was pulling off bits of the blindingly white costume.

"Oh, yeah, that," said Owain. "Two reasons, actually. Number one is that it meant we could make a bunch of identical costumes."

"It was easier to sew from a single pattern," Gerome supplied.

"And secondly…" Inigo frowned. "I guess… because it was easier to explain than the truth. Easier just to say that it was Naga watching over us."

"If I hadn't seen Ma and my old man myself, I'd think it was all a big fat lie," said Brady.

"And as incredible as it was to see our parents in their prime… well, no substantial proof remains, anyway," said Laurent. He shook his head. "Although I disapprove of such dramatic devices as deus ex machina on principle, Owain and I agreed that couching the whole business in metaphor would make the subject matter much more accessible to a wider audience."

Severa, as satisfied as she was likely to be with that explanation, nodded. "Right. On to number two, then. The ending seemed a bit… rushed. Like everything happened at once. Especially that last speech."

Five pairs of eyes immediately went to Owain, who grinned sheepishly. "Yeah, the last speech is… still somewhat unrefined?"

"He rewrote the damn thing ten times," Brady muttered, just loud enough to be heard.

"Most recently, this morning," Inigo added.

"It is fortunate that he was the one who had to memorize it," said Laurent, straightening his glasses ominously. "Another actor would not have been nearly as forgiving."

There was a long pause, which Owain tentatively broke. "So… anything else?"

Why was I the only one who spoke up in defense of Lucina? Severa shook her head. That was dangerous ground for her to tread, especially with Lucina right next to her. She might slip up, and admit more than she meant to. "…Nothing that I can think of, at the moment."

"We should probably go meet the people," said Inigo. "You know, to let them congratulate us properly."

Owain grabbed Lucina by the arm, his customary aplomb returning. "Come, my Exalted cousin! The adulation of the masses awaits us beyond yon stage: we must not leave them waiting!"

As the others moved off, Severa leaned against the side of the stage with a sigh. I guess they forgot about me… makes sense, I suppose. They have better things to be excited about…

"Severa?"

She yelped involuntarily and glared in the direction of the call. "Gods, Lucina, would it kill you to sneak around less?"

"Sneaking around? I didn't think that's what I was doing…"

"Well, what were you doing then?"

Lucina coughed awkwardly into one hand. "Gerome pointed out that you hadn't joined the rest of us, so I thought I'd come look for you."

Severa glanced over her shoulder, towards where Owain and his fellow Shepherds were being quickly enveloped in a laughing crowd. "I don't really like being around lots of people, that's all."

"Severa…" The Exalt's tone was disapproving, almost accusatory. "There's something else bothering you, isn't there?"

There are a lot of something elses bothering me. Would you like them alphabetically, or chronologically? She sighed. Well, at least there's one that I can admit to. "I just… I feel like they gave me too much credit. Like defending you was all my idea. I'm nowhere near the hero they made me out to be. Not like my parents were."

Lucina raised a hand to cover his mouth, her shoulders moving slightly. At first, Severa thought that he was coughing again, but a moment later the princess let out a small noise of amusement.

She's laughing at me?! "Hey, what's so funny?" Severa demanded, clenching her fists. "I'm being serious, you idiot!"

"Sorry…" said Lucina, biting her lip. "But Severa—it was your idea. You were the first one who stepped in between me and the dragon. You are a hero. If you don't believe me, I'm sure that there are plenty of people out there who would be glad to back me up."

"I…" Severa, at a loss for words, stared at the ground.

"Severa…" The Exalt sighed, shaking her head. "Forgive me. I should not have… mocked you, as I did. I sometimes forget that my advice is not always welcome."

"It's not… it's not that," said Severa.

Lucina's tone grew gentler. "Severa, do you remember what you told me when we spoke two nights ago?"

Severa thought back. "Not exactly."

"You told me that before I was anyone's child, I was my own person." Lucina smiled. "Hearing that meant so much to me… it helped me come to a realization that I never would have found on my own. So I want to help you the way that you helped me."

Her eyes stung, and Severa distantly realized that she was tearing up. She hurriedly scrubbed the tears away with her sleeve, laughing softly. "I guess I'm the idiot, aren't I?"

"If you say so." The Exalt shrugged. "But can you do me a favor?"

Severa raised her eyebrows. "That depends."

Lucina nodded toward the adoring audience. "Come with me. Just for a little while. They're waiting for us."

"They're waiting for you," Severa said.

"They want to see you just as much as they want to see me," Lucina corrected her. "Maybe more."

"Oh, don't be ridiculous…"

"Remember what I said, Severa? You're a hero: the hero who stood at the Exalt's side, and saved her life." She held out her hand. "So come with me, and let's be heroes together."

Severa blushed, letting out a somewhat derisive laugh. "You sound like Cynthia trying to flirt." She regretted her choice of words immediately. Flirt? Idiot! Why did I say that?

Lucina went crimson as well. "I… I assure you, that's not what I was trying to—"

"Take it easy, I'm just teasing you," said Severa. She took Lucina's hand, "Don't worry, Lucina, I'll come with you."

The princess brushed back her hair with her free hand, a self-conscious gesture. "Thank you, Severa."

"Anytime."

Hand in hand, the two heroes walked out to meet their admirers.