The homestead Isaiah and his family lived on wasn't much, though it was a bit more than the average person in the area had. Isaiah's home was notably made from wood. It had been constructed just years after Grima's rise in a unique time when lumber was plentiful and cheap. With trees dying left and right, lumberjacks weren't even needed to cut them down. As these trees decomposed and the remaining wood was infested with fungal growth however, lumber became a rarity. In modern times wood could only be imported at great expense from the few fertile areas left, and the Grimleal carefully monitored their exports. Isaiah's home was worth much more nowadays than it was when built, but he still wouldn't have enough money to live anywhere better in the countryside if he sold it. It could easily have afforded him a life in a city, but Isaiah didn't want to give up on farming. If he did, it'd be like giving up on his old life completely. Besides his home, Isaiah owned a mule and a small barn for it. He had a well for gathering underground water, and at an intentionally significant distance away was an outhouse. The rest of Isaiah's property was just barren rock, with a small amount of sand and shale having blown in from the nearby badlands over time. Mushrooms would grow every once in awhile, but Isaiah had recently picked most of them.

It was now fairly late at night, and Isaiah's family sat on the porch, waiting for him to return. Matilda was very concerned about how long her husband had been away, but she didn't show it. She just smiled at Sarah to reassure her and rocked her back and forth. "When's daddy coming home?"

"For the fourth or fifth time, darlin', I don't know."

Beside Matilda was her and Isaiah's oldest child, a fourteen year old boy named Paul. His hair was the opposite of his sister's. He had his mother's hair color with the color intensity of his father's, giving him dark blonde hair to contrast with Sarah's radiant violet hair. He leaned against a beam on the porch and yawned. "Come on, Ma. It's late. Can't we just go to bed? He'll be there in the morning."

"I raised you better than that Paul. Your father will need help unloading when he gets back from The Saltworks."

"It's not that I don't want to help him! Gawds! It's just that it's late."

"We're waiting for him."

"If he needs help unloading so bad, he can get here on time."

"I'm sure he has a good reason, Paul."

Sarah gave her mother a concerned look. "And he's okay right?"

"I'm sure he is, Sarah. I'm sure he is."

Matilda was beginning to worry herself. She kept a straight face for Sarah's sake, but a growing fear inside of her wasn't extinguished until she finally saw her husband's carriage on the horizon. She nudged Paul and Sarah to make sure they were awake, and then happily stepped out to greet Isaiah as his carriage finally made its way back home. Isaiah let go of the reigns and stroked his mule along its neck. "Good, girl. I know you hate making that trip, but you did good by us."

Isaiah turned back just in time to receive a hug from his wife. It was followed by an even tighter hug from his younger daughter. "Daddy! You're back!"

"Oof. Yeah, I'm back. Now let go before ya squeeze yer Pa in half!"

Sarah jumped up and down. "What'd ya bring me?! Huh, huh?! You got me a present right?"

"Sure did! Food and supplies."

"Nooo! That doesn't count! That's normal stuff! I mean a present!"

Isaiah fumbled around his pockets. "Nope sorry. Nothing on me."

"Please, Daddy!"

"I got nothing for you!"

"Please!"

"Well… maybe I forgot something. Maybe I…" Isaiah quickly retrieved something from his back pocket and pretended to then pull it out of his ear. "Maybe I forgot to check behind my ears! Woah! Look at that!" Isaiah handed Sarah a small carved figurine depicting a Grimleal 2nd Army soldier. Sarah had a small collection of carved figurines and dolls from The Saltworks. It was about all Isaiah could afford to give her.

"Thank you, Daddy! Thank-you-thank-you-thank-you! I'm going to name him Squishy! He'll be my Squishy and I'll love him!"

"That's not a dolly, Sarah. It's a wooden figure."

"Oh let her have fun with her toys." Matilda responded as Sarah ran off. Isaiah shrugged.

"Just worried she'll poke herself is all."

Isaiah turned to see Paul approaching. He smiled at his son, but he just received a scowl in turn. "Where in all the hells you been, Pa?! We've been waiting for you!"

"Sorry."

"Paul is right, though I'd wish he'd be more respectful with his father." Matilda said, turning to Paul as she finished the sentence. "What kept you? We were worried."

"I uh… well…"

"Something did happen?"

"This is going to sound strange, Matilda, but… we have company for the night… and maybe the next few days."

"Huh?!"

Isaiah walked behind his carriage, Matilda in tow, and opened up the back. Crammed in with the crates of supplies were Chrom, Gaius, Henry, and the girls. Matilda further looked back to see Minerva and Aurora landing behind the carriage; the two having flown after it. Caeldori had passed out from pain or booze or both, and Gaius had been prying open Isaiah's boxes. Isaiah shot him a nasty glare, and Chrom shook his head. "I told you he'd mind, Gaius."

"I thought I'd find some candy. I'll pay you for it, Donnel!"

"Can't you go a few days without sweets?" Chrom growled.

"I have low blood sugar!"

"I'm surprised your blood hasn't turned to syrup by now!"

Matilda took a few steps back, though she froze after remembering there was a wyvern behind her. "Isaiah… who are these people?!"

"Matilda, these are… old friends. From… from my days in the Shepherds."

Matilda's eyes widened, and Chrom noticed. "The Shepherds?"

"Matilda, these are Shepherds."

Matilda apparently knew exactly what Isaiah was referring to, as she stared incredulously at the group. "You told me they was all killed."

"I thought that too. That's why we have to take 'em in. I thought they were gone, Matilda. To see them again after all these years? We have to do something for them."

"They need a place to stay then? We don't have room for six people, Isaiah!"

"We have to do something."

Matilda was clearly upset by everything that was suddenly forced on her, but she smiled through it all and turned to Chrom. "Well uh, pardon me. We haven't really been introduced. Paul! Sarah! Get back here!" Matilda stepped back as her children joined her. Chrom and the rest of the group stepped off the carriage and dusted themselves off, though Caeldori was too out of it to be moved. She just snorted and twitched in her sleep, and even Ophelia's poking didn't wake her. "My name's Matilda. I'm Isaiah's wife. This here is our eldest child, Paul."

Matilda nudged Paul, and he stepped forward and extended his hand. "Pleasure to meet you."

Chrom shook his hand. For a moment, an instant, he saw Kjelle's face in Paul's. He unintentionally recoiled his hand. "Uhh… good to meet you."

"Okay?"

Matilda urged Sarah to step forward. "And this is our youngest child, Sarah."

"So you're a Shepherd?" Sarah asked as she fiddled with her new toy. "Daddy says there aren't any more sheep."

"That's not what that word means in this context."

"Huh?!"

"I'll tell you later." Chrom nodded towards Matilda. "My name is Chrom. The men here are Gaius and Henry. Behind me are Ophelia and Soleil. The… uh… sleeping one is Caeldori." Matilda didn't say anything else at first. She just stared at Chrom. "Is something wrong?"

"Chrom?! T-the Exalt?! The leader of the Shepherds?!"

"Uh… yeah." Though Chrom had long feared he would find himself hunted by the Grimleal because of his identity, it'd been a long time since someone he hadn't known had really recognized him or knew of him.

"I can't believe it. I can't… I can't believe it!" Matilda looked back and forth between Chrom and Isaiah. "I remember what Ylisse used to be like. Before that dragon rose from the ground and brought a shadow of death to our sky. I heard about you, Chrom. I heard about the Shepherds. I never imagine I'd ever meet you!" Matilda looked him up and down. "Though you're not exactly royalty anymore. The world's changed huh?"

"Yes. Yes it has."

"I was already surprised when Isaiah told me about his past. Never thought I'd see anymore of you people!"

"You… told her about your past, 'Isaiah'?" Gaius asked.

"I did."

"All of it? What happened to us?"

"Not… not all of it."

"Gaius!" Ophelia snapped as she elbowed him.

Matilda could tell something awkward was being discussed, and she cleared her throat. "So you uh, y'all need a place to stay tonight?"

Chrom looked over to Isaiah's home. It didn't look like it could fit very many more people. "I don't want to impose."

"Nonsense. It's the least I can do for the Exalt! 'Course, we don't have a lot of room."

"The kids can give up their beds?" Isaiah stated. Matilda responded by vigorously shaking her head. She nudged her husband a few meters away so as to not have the conversation right in front of the group.

"No, no! The kids aren't moving."

"Matilda! It's the polite thing to do."

"The polite thing to do would be giving me advance warning before bringing back six guests! We don't have much room for them, and we can't ask the kids to give up their beds for unannounced guests like that. Especially if they're going to be here a few days."

"Alright. I'll uh… I'll break the news."

"They should be happy to have anywhere to stay!"

Isaiah returned to Chrom and gave him a sheepish look. "So uh… we don't have many beds. We have Matilda and I, the kid's beds, and the one my Ma is in."

Gaius and Chrom looked at each other at the last part of Isaiah's statement. "Huh?! Your Ma?!"

"Yeah. She's bedridden. Can't ask her to give up her bed. We literally can't, heh."

"Your mother is still alive, Donnel?!" Gaius exclaimed. "She's got to be ancient!"

"She's a strong woman. Confined to bed anymore, but she's hanging in there."

"You're kidding me?!"

"You might not think such a long life as impossible if you'd eat better, Gaius. She took care of me, so I take care of her. What else are children for? Anyways, we only have one guest bedroom. Two more of you can probably sleep on the floor. Three of you are going to need to sleep in the barn. I'm sorry."

"That's fine, Donnel." Chrom reassured him. "Thank you for letting us stay here at all."

Ophelia looked back to Caeldori. "I think she should have the bed. She's not going to feel well when she recovers. She'll need it."

"Huh?!" Soleil turned to Ophelia in frustration. "So she gets the bed because she got so out of control! She should get the barn! That would punish her!"

"Soleil!"

"Ugh. Fine. I get to sleep inside though."

Gaius looked around to the others. "Yeah so uh, my back isn't what it used to be. It's also pretty cold out. I don't know that I should sleep outside."

Henry shrugged. "I'm fine with sleeping out here. It'll be just like when I was in the Plegian Army! We didn't always have enough tents to go around, especially since I might have burned some of them down."

Ophelia smiled at her grandfather, then turned back to Chrom. "I'll sleep outside too. We can be together! Like a family reunion. It'll be fun!"

"I don't mind sleeping outside if that's what we have to do. I'm not really in the mood for 'fun', Ophelia. I just want to go to sleep. It's been a very long day."

"Aw come on. You slept through most of it!"

"Please, Ophelia."

"Oh. Alright."

Isaiah nodded. "Sorry about this guys."

"No! No this is very kind of you Donnel. Thank you." Chrom also turned to Matilda. "And you too, Matilda. We're sorry about the burden."

"Anything for the Exalt. We just don't have much is all. We do have a big breakfast waiting for you in the morning though! Isaiah did just get back from town."

Gaius stepped forward. "Ooh. Anything sweet?"

Isaiah smiled, though it wasn't an entirely pleasant smile. "You know what? Just because you said that, no."

"Nice to see you again too, Tinhead."

Chrom chuckled. "Thank you, Donnel."

As promised, Ophelia and the others woke up to a decent breakfast in the morning. It was mainly salted meat with bread and mushrooms served as sides, but Isaiah had managed a bit of fresh fruit on his trip to The Saltworks. Gaius was pleased to finally get something sweet. Ophelia was happy to have any food, but she couldn't remember the last time she had the opportunity for fresh fruit. Ophelia helped to clean the table after the meal, but she also set aside a bit of food and kept it on a tray. Matilda noticed and seemed somewhat annoyed by it, but she didn't let it show in her face. It was just the most subtle of signs that told Ophelia when Matilda was fine and when she was just hiding her feelings behind manners. "Ophelia, was it?"

"Yes that's right?"

"So… having seconds are we?"

"Huh? Oh! Oh no sorry. That meal was more than enough, thank you. I just wanted to bring something to Caeldori."

Matilda remembered the red headed young woman that Soleil and Ophelia dragged inside the previous night. "Oh of course. That's very thoughtful of you to care about your friend like that. Is she one of… erm… Naga's 'special people'?"

"Huh? No, nothing like that! She just uh… she's been hitting the sauce a little. She had an injury, and we didn't have anything better to treat it with than whiskey."

"Oh! I see. Well let me know if you need anything from us."

"Thank you."

Ophelia took the tray of food and walked upstairs to where Caeldori was sleeping. Ophelia had been wondering whether she was awake or not, but the moaning noises that greeted her answered the question. Caeldori was sitting up in bed, rubbing her forehead. She barely turned to acknowledge Ophelia, and she didn't return her friend's cheery grin. "Good morning, Caeldy!" Ophelia said as she placed the food down by a bedside table. She then pulled up a chair and sat beside her companion. "Sleep well?"

"Oh. Argh!" Caeldori rubbed her eyes and lightly banged her head against the headboard. "What time is it? Why are you all up before sunrise?"

"Huh? Caeldori, the sun is up."

"Then why am I so tired?"

Ophelia groaned herself as she remembered what happened the previous night. "Maybe because you downed so much of that palliative."

"Huh?"

Ophelia shook her head. "The whiskey, you big tub of booze."

Caeldori moaned louder and sank into bed. "Gods. My head. I can't think straight."

"Well I brought you some food when you're ready. We figured you wouldn't want to come down yet."

"Mmm. Thank you." Caeldori turned her head into the pillow. "Now if you're willing to do me one more favor, I don't really feel like talking."

"Sure thing. I just… I wanted to know that you're okay."

"I'm fine, Phelia."

"Well… are you sure there's nothing you want to say to me?"

Caeldori looked back to Ophelia with pleading eyes. "Please, Phelia. Can we do this later?"

"Caeldy, I want to talk about what happened last night. I promise I'm not mad."

"Argh! Why is everything so loud?!"

Ophelia reached into her clothing and pulled out a gem. "Hold on. I think I can help you. Your aura is all off. It's murky and wonky, but I can purify it! That'll help you feel better!"

Caeldori sat back up and grabbed her own head. "Oh come on, Phelia. I am too hungover for your talk about auras!"

"No really! My gem magic can help you feel better."

"Ophelia, I've never heard of gem magic. Cordelia never heard of gem magic. She never heard about auras either! I get that you're a gifted mage, but I think you sometimes make things up!"

Ophelia feigned a smile, but she was somewhat offended. "What would Cordelia know of magic anyways? What would you know?"

"Cordelia didn't know much about using magic no, but she was taught about kinds of magic that enemy mages might use against her when she was training to be a Pegasus Knight. Her mentor, Captain Phila, was a veteran of Exalt Caracalla's crusade in Plegia. She faced all kinds of dark magic, and she taught all the women she trained to be able to deal with it. She never heard anything of gem magic or auras."

"Well it's not offensive magic, Caeldy. So… Phila fought in my great-grandfather's crusade?"

"She did. Served in the Pegasus Knight Storm Squadrons."

"What's that?"

"Surely you don't want me to tell you the whole history of the Pegasus Knights, or even of Cordelia and Phila's lives. Back to my original point, I think you're just making things up, Phelia."

"Hey! It's worth trying right?"

"Mmm. I guess my headache can't get any worse. Just no loud noises okay?"

"Err, how do you feel about bright lights?"

"Argh! No-ho!"

Ophelia held her gem high in the air and waved her hand towards Caeldori. "Hear me oh foul curse of inebriation! I am Ophelia Dusk! Chosen heroine! The stars themselves smile down on my arcane power. I now cleanse Caeldori of the Pegasus Knights, so that her aura no longer be tainted!" Ophelia's gem glowed brightly for a few seconds, and Caeldori desperately shielded her eyes, but nothing else happened. Ophelia was grinning from ear to ear though, and Caeldori eventually turned back around and straightened up.

"Huh. I do feel a little better."

"Of course you do! I ungunked your aura, and now you feel a lot better with the corrupting goo of alcohol gone."

"Ophelia that's… that's ridiculous. Are you saying that magic is a cure for a hangover?"

"That's a very simplistic way of looking at it. I cleansed your aura. I didn't affect you in a physical way, but rather in a spiritual way. It's your life essence that's different. It was challenging." Ophelia held out her gem proudly. "But I used my brightest diamond."

"Wait what?! You carry a diamond around with you?!"

"Sure do. I have all kinds of gems for my gem magic."

"Why didn't you tell us that?! We could really use that Ophelia, and you're wasting it on made up magic."

"That's a little unfair, Caeldy. We've never been that desperate for money, and these are mine."

"Your magic is made up!"

"Don't be so skeptical. You feel better don't you? I can hear that spring in your voice."

Caeldori calmed down. "Well bright lights and those loud noises I keep hearing from downstairs aren't as bad now as they were a few seconds ago, and I feel more alert. Huh. Maybe you did do something, Ophelia."

"I think you owe this maiden an apology."

Caeldori smiled. "Alright. I'm sorry I doubted you, Ophelia."

"And… I think you owe me an apology for something else."

Caeldori looked down at the bed. "Right. I'm sorry for how I acted."

"I'm not mad, Caeldy. Really I'm not. I just want to talk about some of the things you said."

"I honestly don't remember all of it, Phelia."

"But I do. I want to see if you meant it."

"Huh?"

"Caeldy… you made it sound like you think yourself apart from Soleil and I. You seemed to think that we're closer to each other than we are to you."

Caeldori shrugged. "But isn't that true? You two fought together for years before you met me. I'm an outsider."

"Caeldy…" Ophelia took her friend's hand. "We haven't known each other as long no, but we've still been friends for years. The three of us work together. You're not an outsider! We need you."

"I-I don't know, Ophelia."

"Come on. We couldn't get this far without you. You're strong and brave, and we both look up to you. You are my friend, Caeldy."

Caeldori wasn't sure what to think. "You really aren't mad at me are you?"

"Of course not."

"But I deserve that. The way I acted was inappropriate."

"No. It's fine. I just want to talk about some of the things you said. That's all." Ophelia looked down. "You thought that we're not as strong as we should be. You said we're not the heroes we should be. What did you mean?"

Caeldori tried to look away. "I don't want to talk about this."

"Come on, Caeldy. I just want to understand how you feel. We can talk to each other about these things can't we?"

Caeldori sighed and turned back. "Alright. I do think that, Ophelia. I just don't think we're as far along as we should be."

"But we've come this far. Why are you so quick to see the flaws, Caeldy? Why can't you see the strengths? You do this with yourself you know. You're one of the strongest people I know, but you don't seem to think highly of yourself. Another thing you said was that you worry about rebuilding the Pegasus Knights. You're afraid you can't do it." Ophelia placed her hand on Caeldori's shoulder. "If anyone can, it's you!"

"If only saying it made it so. I do remember that, Ophelia. Everything I said is true. I don't know where to start. I don't understand how I'm going to rebuild an entire military order!"

Ophelia thought about what she said. "You know I've thought about that too. Cordelia didn't finish training you, so I'm not sure that you could rebuild the order as it was. That doesn't mean you can't rebuild the Pegasus Knights though."

"What do you mean?"

"Maybe you can't rebuild them exactly, but you could reforge it. Make a new military organization that's as close as you can get it."

"No. No! It has to be the same!"

"But you couldn't make it exactly the same. That doesn't mean you can't make a military order that does everything the Pegasus Knights did. You're always looking at what you can't do or what you haven't done, but why can't you see your strengths?" Ophelia looked deeply into Caeldori's eyes. "You're always worried about being perfect, but can't you just see how strong you already are? What you've already done? Maybe you can't completely rebuild the Pegasus Knights, but you can forge something to follow in their legacy."

Caeldori refused to accept what she was hearing. She shook her head and sat up straight in her bed. "Ophelia, I can't do that! I have to rebuild the Pegasus Knights exactly as they were! The Pegasus Knights have fought with the Exalts since the Halidom of Ylisse was founded, and they served the United Kingdom of Archanea and the Kingdom of Altea before that. The order goes back thousands of years. It all dies if I can't rebuild it."

"But things change, Caeldy. Just look at Ylisse. The Halidom of Ylisse isn't the same thing as the United Kingdom of Archanea, and that wasn't the same as the Kingdom of Altea, but Ylisse still follows in the legacy of those kingdoms. The royal family still traces back to Anri. It'll be just like that. Maybe the organization you build won't be like the Pegasus Knights exactly, but it will still trace back to the Pegasus Knights that served the Hero King."

"No!" Caeldori frantically shook her head, as if trying to prevent Ophelia's words from getting to her in any way. "It can't be different! It has to be the same! I have to rebuild the Pegasus Knights exactly as they were, or I'll be failing my grandmother!"

"Why are you being like this?"

Caeldori sighed and thought about it. "You know, Ophelia? I think I will tell you about Phila. This is a story that Cordelia told me, and she was told by Captain Phila."

"So who was Captain Phila exactly?"

"She was the leader of the Pegasus Knights when my grandmother was a young woman. She died in Gangrel's war with Emmeryn. Cordelia was meant to be her successor, and she would have rebuilt the Pegasus Knights after the fight against the Grimleal was over but… well… you know. Phila was just fifteen when she joined the Pegasus Knights, back when Cordelia was only about four or five years old. At the time your great-grandfather was waging his war with Plegia. Phila was young and patriotic, so she joined the military to fight for Ylisse."

"What does this story have to do with what we were talking about?"

"See the Pegasus Knights normally protect the Exalt, but Caracalla used them very aggressively in his war against Plegia. He did something no Exalt had done before. He personally restructured the Pegasus Knights into two groups, the Guard Squadrons and the Storm Squadrons. The two organizations even had different captains. Caracalla turned the Pegasus Knights into his personal soldiers. He had the Guard Squadrons work as a police force and guard supply lines into Plegia, and he used the Storm Squadrons even more offensively. They were shock troops and scouts, but more than that they were enforcers. They were tasked with dealing with Plegian citizens in occupied territories. They had unlimited authority to do anything they wanted in service to the Exalt. They were judge, jury, and executioner rolled into one."

"What?! That kind of power sounds dangerous."

"It was. Those women became brutal enforcers. They were nothing like the royal protectors the Pegasus Knights had been."

"You said Phila served with the Storm Squadrons."

"Yes. That's my story. That's the story Phila told Cordelia. New Pegasus Knights were made part of the Guard Squadrons. Only the best were selected for the Storm Squadrons. Phila had fought with distinction, and so she was given the opportunity to be with the Pegasus Knight Storm Squadrons, also known as the PKSS. She said she was proud of it, until one day."

"What happened to her?"

"Not what happened to her. What she did. See during the war, Ylissean soldiers feared Plegian dark mages more than anything. Imagine an entire army of people like Henry? Tearing people apart with magic and laughing about it. Caracalla eventually made an edict. Dark mages were to be killed, even if they surrendered."

"What?! That's a war crime."

"It was a brutal war. It goes beyond that, Ophelia. Whenever a settlement was captured, anyone that could use dark magic was executed. Caracalla didn't want dark mages attacking his forces."

"So anyone who could use dark magic was killed?!"

"Yes, and that task fell on the PKSS. They 'processed' the people in occupied territory. One day Phila and her squad were doing just this to a Plegian village. The Exalt himself was there watching them. Making sure they were doing their jobs. The Storm Squadrons captain, a woman named Aeneas, was there too. The PKSS they uh… they lined everyone in the village up, and they asked where the dark magic users were. If a villager didn't cooperate… Aeneas murdered them. After three villagers had been killed, one broke down and told them everything. The village had five dark magic users. Four dark mages that had deserted, and a teenage girl who just had a talent for it. Aeneas had them bound, lined up… and executed."

"Just because they could use dark magic?! That's a pogrom!"

"Phila was one of the executioners. She… Corelia said she always choked up at this part… she had to stab her target four times before he stopped moving. After they were all dead… Caracalla… he made the villagers dig their graves. Then he… he exiled the people into the wilderness, and he had the village itself burned to the ground."

Ophelia was stunned. Chrom's father was known for the brutality of his war with Plegia, but she had never made any emotional connection to it before. "You can't be serious!"

"Phila decided then that someday she'd lead the Pegasus Knights. She'd be captain. Do you know why, Ophelia?"

"N-no."

"Because she realized that day how horrible the PKSS had become, and that Caracalla had been responsible. He created the Storm Squadrons. He changed the Pegasus Knights. Phila decided that if she was ever in charge, she'd preserve the honor of the order. She wouldn't let any Exalt change it. Under her, the Pegasus Knights would be the protectors of the Exalt and the people of Ylisse. They wouldn't be enforcers. They wouldn't be stormtroopers. They wouldn't be executioners. She would preserve the honor of the Pegasus Knights, and she would never allow them to become what they were when she was a young woman again."

"So… you think that if you changed the Pegasus Knights, it would be dishonoring the order?"

"It's more than that, Ophelia. Phila told Cordelia that story because she was supposed to be Phila's successor. Phila knew the danger of changing a military organization. Of ignoring tradition. Keeping the Pegasus Knights as they had been for thousands of years, refusing to allow them to change, it was all to keep them from becoming such a brutal organization again. If I don't understand that, if I allow the traditions of the Pegasus Knights to be ignored, then I could create something horrible. Something that would dishonor the millennia of history. I can't do that, Ophelia. I just can't. I rebuild the Pegasus Knights as they were, or I'm failing a military order that has existed for thousands of years."

"Caeldy, I can see why you think that way, but you won't create something like that just because you make some changes. Besides, Caracalla enacted those changes to make the Pegasus Knights into enforcers for his crusade. The changes you would make, the differences in your organization, would be out of necessity. It won't automatically make your organization like that!"

"I don't know, Ophelia. You just have to understand that there's a lot of pressure on me."

"I understand that, Caeldy." Ophelia grabbed Caeldori's hand again. This time she took her prosthetic, caressing it and showing Caeldori that she wasn't repulsed by it at all. "But you need to understand that perfection isn't something you have to achieve. You always see your flaws. The things you can't do. You act like you're failing if you're not completely perfect. You need to learn to look at your strengths. At what you've done. You need to learn that you have inherent value. Not because your Cordelia's granddaughter. Not because you're a Pegasus Knight. Not because you're with us. You life has value because you're Caeldori."

Caeldori just shook her head. "I have a lot to look up to, Ophelia. I don't know."

"Well… I know you're dealing with a lot. Whatever happens though, you'll always have us. You're not an outsider, Caeldy. You mean a lot to Soleil and I, and you'll always have us by your side."

Caeldori tried to hide her emotions, but Ophelia had gotten to her. She seemed to have been harboring guilt over how she acted. Over what she had said. Ophelia's kindness moved her, and she had to fight to stay stoic. Ophelia could tell how her friend really felt, and she just smiled back. "Thank you, Phelia."

"Of course. I'll just leave your breakfast up here for you. Come down when you're ready."

Caeldori's lips slowly curled into a smile, and she almost couldn't look Ophelia in the eye. "I can't believe you really forgive me. Thank you, Ophelia. Thank you."

"Of course. We'll always be here for you, Caeldy. You're not alone. We will always be there for you."

Caeldori didn't say anything else. She knew her voice would come out shaky if she did. She just nodded and smiled, fighting back tears as she did.

Chrom helped Matilda and Paul clean up after breakfast, and both he and Matilda noticed that Isaiah hadn't stuck around to help. Chrom went outside to look for him, and he found his old companion on the porch of his home. Isaiah slowly rocked himself back and forth on an old rocking chair, and Chrom noticed Gaius standing next to him. The once leader of the Shepherds stepped out to greet his old allies, though Isaiah didn't seem overly eager to speak with him.

"Well I reckon Matilda wants me to help her out with the cleaning and what not. She's probably not right as rain seeing me duck out as soon as breakfast was over. I just wanted to catch up with Gaius was all."

Chrom walked onto the porch and leaned against one of the beams. "Actually I helped her and Paul clean up. Don't worry about anything, Donnel."

"Oh. Much obliged. Still, she was probably a little upset."

"Well… I don't know. She won't come out here if that's what you're wondering."

"Thanks fer doin' my chores for me then." Donnel stopped rocking and spoke quietly, so that Chrom couldn't hear him. "Really makes up for taking my family away thirty years back."

"Hmm?"

"Nothing." Isaiah answered. "Nothing."

"You're welcome, Donnel. Thank you for letting us stay."

"I may not be in Ylisse anymore, but that don't mean I can't provide some of that famous country hospitality."

Chrom looked down at Isaiah. He seemed to be so different from the young man he had first met. There was little physically different about him besides the thirty years of aging, but he carried himself differently now. Spoke differently. His innocence and eagerness to learn were gone. Now he seemed jaded and reserved, and there was a firm and commanding tone to everything he said. Donnel had changed a lot, and Chrom remembered that he had introduced himself by another name. If he was anything like Chrom himself, he might not want anything to do with his old life. "Donnel?"

"Hmm?"

"I know you haven't corrected me but… do you want to go by Donnel? Or should I call you Isaiah?"

Isaiah shrugged. "Isaiah, I guess. I haven't been Donnel to anyone but my Ma in years. I thought the Grimleal might be gunnin' for me after… it happened, so I changed my name."

Gaius smiled and finally contributed something to the conversation. "Blue over here went by a different name too, you know."

"Really? What'd ya go by, Chrom?"

"Err… Mercer. I was Mercer."

"The girls tell me he was a real baby about it, too. 'Don't call me, Chrom! Calling me that makes me ANGRY!' It was a little obnoxious." Gaius joked. Chrom glared at him.

"Thank you for that fair and accurate account, Gaius." Chrom said sarcastically.

"Happy to help."

Isaiah ran his hand along the stubble on his face. "Hmm. Mercer huh? Where'd that name come from?"

"I uh, I don't know. It came to me."

"As if by grace of Naga. The stars and the wind just echoed that name in an act of divine providence. Hallelujah!" Gaius jeered.

"Yeah. Thanks for that. Anyways, where'd you get the name Isaiah from?"

"Ma said it was my grandpappy's name."

"You mentioned that your Ma still calls you Donnel?"

"Yeah. That she does. Her mind isn't what it used to be. She can't be learned any new information. I done told her time and time again not to call me Donnel, but she can't remember. I'm always Donnel to her." Isaiah turned to look Chrom in the eye. "That's why I told my family the truth about who I used to be. Ma wouldn't call me Isaiah, and Matilda got curious. Eventually I just came clean. I mean, who'd want to talk about a past like that otherwise?"

"Right." The now very familiar feeling of guilt washed over Chrom again. He now understood that it would never go away. He just had to make amends with the people that brought it on as much as he could. "Donnel… I mean, Isaiah… the two of us haven't really talked about what happened yet." Isaiah's expression became somewhat pained. "Just know that I'm sorry. I know that doesn't sound like much to you, but I am so sorry. With every fiber of my being. Not a day goes by that I don't think about-"

"I don't want to have this talk, Chrom."

"Y-you're sure?"

Isaiah took a deep breath, and his voice became very strict. "It's fine."

Gaius nodded. "The two of us have talked about it. I told him the truth, Blue. He knows you were under an illusion. He knows you thought you were protecting the infants. He knows how much you've been trying to make up for it."

Isaiah nodded, but he didn't say anything more. Chrom was relieved and hurt at the same time. Gaius' words showed that Gaius himself believed all of that. Given how violent their reunion at Cordelia's homestead had been, a part of Chrom had still feared that Gaius resented him. Chrom couldn't help but smile at Gaius' genuine belief in his story. He would have preferred to tell Donnel himself, however. As difficult as the conversation would be, there would be no closure if he didn't talk to Donnel himself. "Oh. I see. You… you don't want to talk about it?"

Isaiah's face twisted with fury, such that even Gaius backed away. He caught himself before it could carry into his tone, but his voice was still anything but friendly. "It's fine, Chrom. I'm just fine as a pig in slop… not that there are any pigs no more."

"I-I see."

Isaiah shook his head and turned back to Chrom. "I know you think talking about it will help, but how? How could I talk about what happened?"

"Well… it could-"

Isaiah hadn't intended Chrom to actually answer, and he briefly lost his temper. "NO! N-no! Horse dung!" Isaiah stood up and rubbed his face, trying very hard to calm himself. Chrom was hurt, but he didn't back away. He hadn't backed away from Gaius or Cordelia when they snapped at him, and he wouldn't just turn and leave now. He deserved Donnel's frustration, and he needed to hear it. Isaiah didn't let his anger get the better of him though. He really didn't want to have the conversation Chrom seemed to need. "Look let's just… let's just calm down."

"Donnel… I mean, I mean… Isaiah."

"Look nothing good will come from talking about it. Nothing! I… I don't want to bring it up again."

"It could help, Isaiah."

Gaius also turned to Chrom. "Blue, can't you just leave it alone?"

Isaiah shot Chrom a considerably more menacing glare. "Look here's the way it is. Gaius and Henry told me about what yer doin' now. You help these girls. You helped Cordelier. Yer trying to make up for what you did all them years ago. After hearing all that about you… it seems that you really are a good man. You really didn't mean to betray us." Chrom didn't answer. He feared this was going somewhere, as Isaiah's tone wasn't friendly. "But now you want to bring it all up? Huh?! You want to walk me down memory lane?! I've built this, all of this, to start over! I don't want to think about my first wife! The daughters you STOLE from me! I-I want to see you as a good man, Chrom. After everything I've heard about you, I want to see you as a good man. I want to help you now when you need a place to stay because you helped me all those years ago. You showed me a life outside my little village. I never would have met my first wife without cha." Isaiah's expression became very pained. "But I can't think that if you remind me exactly of what ya took from me. I've spent thirty years forgetting, Chrom. Don't remind me. DO NOT bring it up!"

"I... I-I… I'm sorry."

"We're not having that conversation, Chrom. You fellers are welcome to stay as long as you need. It's the least I can do for old friends." Isaiah stared daggers at Chrom one last time. "But you won't be an 'old friend' if you remind me why I left Ylisse. Why I don't have my old family. Why I farm shrooms all damned day."

"I… understand."

Isaiah was silent for several minutes, and neither Chrom or Gaius knew what else to say. The awkwardness refused to pass, and Isaiah finally decided to deal with the source. "But err… there is something you can do for me, Chrom."

"Hmm?"

"If yer willing to do a few more of my chores." Isaiah turned to Chrom, his face much friendlier. "I didn't finish harvestin' all the mushrooms round the house. Would you mind getting a basket and helping out?"

"Oh uh, sure. I can do that."

Gaius scowled. "Yeesh, 'Isaiah'. You think he's here to do all your work?"

"No, Gaius, really! It's fine."

"Well I was going to do it myself, but then I had to leave to pick up supplies from them there Saltworks. Closest town we have round these parts. It was already late at night when I started coming back, and then that's where I met you folks again. With all the work I've been doing putting you up and convincing my wife to have y'all round, I just forgot about it."

"No, Isaiah! Really it's fine! I'll be happy to help in any way."

"Thank you, Chrom. Just find a basket inside and pick the little brown shrooms growing by the back of the house. Just pick the small ones. Them big ones are noxious."

"Right."

"And if you see a glowin' one then don't touch it."

"Glowing mushrooms?"

"And tell Sarah not to pick any if she finds any glowing ones."

"I can do that, Isaiah. It's a small price to pay for letting us stay here."

Chrom walked back inside, and Isaiah relaxed back into his chair. Gaius glared at him until he finally acknowledged him. "What?!"

"You just manipulated him! You're making him do your work and you remind him about how you're helping us if anyone protests!"

"Am I wrong? A few chores is a small price to stay for getting to stay here without paying no rent."

"Why him? Why not Ophelia or Soleil?"

"What kind of man would I be if I asked women folk staying with me to do my manual chores?"

"What about me? You could have asked me?"

"Well gee thanks. I'll be sure to give you a holler if I need anything to up and vanish on me."

"Oh that's a low blow." Gaius studied Isaiah, who just stared blankly back. "Admit it, you just don't want to be alone with him."

"Why would I, Gaius? He took Sully from me. Butchered her, even though they'd known each other since they was kids! He took my kids from me! The daughter I got to know, and the one I fathered in this here continuity."

"It wasn't his fault, Isaiah. Believe me, I know exactly how you feel. When I first saw him again I just, I just wanted to put a bullet in him! Sometimes I still want to just… to just hit him in his pampered, royal face! Argh!" Gaius had to take a deep breath.

"Gaius… how exactly did you and Chrom reunite?"

"That's a story for another time. My point is I hated him. I hated him. But… it wasn't his fault. When you come to truly believe that, it gets easier to be around him. You see him and you watch him and… you remember why he inspired you all those years ago. He's not a bad man."

"I want to believe that. I don't want to hate him. You make it sound like he really is helping the world now. You make me want to look up to him again." Isaiah shook his head and went back to rocking himself. "But I can't just look past what happened. My first wife is still in the ground, Gaius! Him being sorry don't get rid of the pain!"

"But… maybe talking about it would help. You'll get mad at first, but it'll help you move on."

"I have moved on. I just don't want him to suck me back in to what I've tried so hard to move past."

"Donnel… he really does just want to talk. Are you afraid he'll ask you to come with us?"

"W-would he?"

"I don't think so. I told you about Cordelia, Henry, and I, but we didn't have families like you have here. Cordelia had Copy, but she chose to come with us. Henry got to meet his family because he went with Chrom. I didn't have anyone. I wasn't leaving anyone behind… except maybe my secretary." Gaius leaned back into his arms. "Aw hell. I forgot about her. Eh, she's talented. She'll find new work."

"What in tarnation did you need a secretary for?"

"That's a story for another time. Anyways, the three of us didn't leave anyone behind when we went with Chrom again. You have a family that needs you. Kids to raise. Chrom's not going to ask you to abandon them to help us. He wouldn't dare. He really does just want to make amends."

Isaiah thought about it, but eventually he just shook his head. "I don't want to talk about it."

"Alright."

Isaiah turned to Gaius, but his expression was somewhat nervous. "Gaius… that's a pretty big arquebus you have. You mentioned a secretary. You said you had all kinds of weapons before them Arch Surg fellers captured you. What… what exactly have you been doing for thirty years?"

"I don't want to talk about it."

Chrom retrieved a basket and walked around the back of Isaiah's house to hear a high pitched, screechy noise. Chrom's first thought was to fear some kind of possibly wounded animal had made its way to the homestead. He drew the Falchion and carefully crept around to find that the noise was actually coming from someone very familiar. "Shrill? I mean," Chrom shook his head, embarrassed that Gaius' nickname for her had appeared in his head before her actual name. He certainly understood where Gaius got it from. ",I mean… Soleil?"

Soleil was crouched down a few meters away. She picked mushrooms from the ground and placed them in a basket beside her. What seemed to be the tortured screams of an animal at the end of its life was actually just her singing to herself as she worked. "Right now the only thing… that keeps me hanging on. When I feel my strength, yeah, is almost gone - I remember mama said." Soleil rose to her feet and sang into a picked mushroom, energetically but awkwardly moving her body as she did. "You can't hurry love! Noo you'll just have to wait! She said love don't come ea-sy! It's a game of give and take! How long must I wait? Hoow much more can I take? Before looonelineeess causes my heart, heart to breaAAAUGH!" Soleil jumped up after noticing Chrom approaching. Chrom had been wondering how to make himself known without it being awkward, but just silently walking up behind Soleil apparently hadn't been the answer. "Holy gods-damn, Chrom! You scared the stat growths out of me!"

"Oh s-sorry. I didn't mean to. What would you have to be scared about?"

"You just appeared out of nowhere!" Soleil's startled expression turned to embarrassment, and she turned back around and returned to picking mushrooms. "I don't like it when people hear my singing. I thought I was alone!"

"I'm sorry."

"W-what are you doing out here anyways?!" Soleil said in an annoyed tone without turning back.

"Donnel… Isaiah asked me to help him."

"Oh? Matilda asked me to help."

"Well that's fine. We'll get it done faster this way."

Soleil stood back up and looked Chrom in the eye. "Or I can just do it. I don't need your help."

"Are you sure?"

"I'm okay." Soleil tried to sound polite, but Chrom could tell she was hiding anger. "I don't want to burden you."

"It's fine, Soleil. I'm happy to help."

"You really don't have to help me." Soleil responded in a quieter, grimmer tone.

"You… don't want me around. I-I get it. I'm… I'm sorry."

The frustration still evident in Soleil's expression made it clear that this was exactly what she wanted, but Soleil didn't want her feelings to be that obvious. "Wait! No that's… I didn't mean it that way. I just…" Soleil went back to picking the mushrooms. "Let's just get to work."

Chrom nodded and began picking mushrooms a short distance away from Soleil and placing them into his own basket. Chrom realized that his fears back in the Arch Surg fort were accurate. Soleil didn't want anything to do with him. She was willing to have him as an ally, to work with him alongside others, and care about his safety, but their personal relationship had soured. Soleil had not forgiven him for what he did to the Shepherds. To her father. Ophelia and even Caeldori had seemed to let it go. Their initial reactions were of shock, but they recovered. Soleil was not in shock anymore. Her emotions had settled into a quiet hatred. Chrom glanced over to her frequently, but she never once looked back. She and Chrom started close together, but she intentionally went after mushrooms that took her away from him. Chrom realized that she was trying to finish up and leave as soon as she could, but he couldn't let her just walk away. A part of him had to speak with her again. A part of him had an even greater fear. If he didn't reconcile with Soleil soon, he'd lose her. Chrom worked very quickly to pick all the mushrooms on his side so that he could justify talking to Soleil again. As soon as the last of the fungi had been gathered, he rushed over to Soleil's side and started picking those mushrooms as a reason to be closer to her. Soleil saw right through it, and she only gave him a bitter side glance, but Chrom had to speak to her again.

"So uh… y-you're a good singer."

"Err… thanks."

"Really. I mean… it needs work… but there's natural talent there."

"I don't want you or anyone listening to me." Soleil snapped. Chrom glanced over to see that her smile was completely gone now. Soleil only relinquished her smile when truly upset. Chrom took a deep breath. He wasn't always good at expressing his feelings, and he certainly never practiced bonding with people much in the thirty years since he had known Soleil's father and grandparents, but he also knew he was terrible at subtle expressions of his emotions. He had to confront Soleil directly, or they'd both live with their feelings forever buried and soured.

"Soleil?"

The third generation Shepherd turned to the man her ancestors had so trusted, and her soft and girlish face became increasingly contorted with rage as the seconds went by without Chrom saying anything else. "What?" Soleil finally turned her whole body. "What?!"

"Soleil I'm… I'm sorry."

"For sneaking up on me? It's fine, Chrom."

"No. No, no, no." Chrom answered, his voice unintentionally trailing off until he was barely audible. He had to calm himself to speak normally again. "For… for not telling you."

"Huh?"

"Soleil… I'm sorry for not telling you the truth of what happened to the Shepherds. What happened to Olivia, and Lon'qu, and Inigo. I'm sorry for letting you trust me without telling you the truth, and I'm sorry for that truth. For taking away your family. For making the world like this."

Soleil's eye twitched, and her expression was as surprised as it was angry, as if she couldn't believe Chrom was bringing the conversation up. "Shut your mouth."

"Soleil…"

"I don't want to talk about this, Chrom."

"But if we don't!" Chrom caught himself. He didn't want to be anything but completely calm with Soleil. "But if we don't then we'll dwell on these feeling forever."

"Oh but that's good for you, boy." Soleil's smile returned, but it was a sinister, angry smile. "You don't want me to do anything but dwell on these feelings. You wouldn't like it if I showed you exactly how I feel."

"We need to work together, Soleil."

"But we don't have to like each other."

Chrom took a deep breath, trying not to let Soleil's words get to him. "I can't make you like me, Soleil. I don't even have the right to say that your feelings aren't justified. I deserve your anger, but we can't hide these feelings. I want to talk about this."

"I don't!"

"Ophelia and Caeldori have forgiven me. They trust me again."

"And I'm supposed to just bend over for you because they ran back into your murdering arms?!"

"N-no! I can't ask you to forgive me, but we need to have this talk."

"How?! How, how could I ever talk to you about this?! How do I talk to the man that murdered my father about it?! I grew up poor because of you! My mother worked herself to the bone to support me BY HERSELF because of you! How do I talk to you about that?! How could I talk to the man that did all of that to me?!" Soleil stood up, and Chrom slowly rose to his own feet. He'd gotten Soleil to open up, but he also knew he had to be careful with what he wished for. "I don't want to talk to you about anything! I want you to just GO AWAY!"

"Soleil… let it out."

Soleil gave an unnerving laugh. "Okay. Fine. Fine! You want to know how I feel? You think things will be better?!" Soleil jabbed her finger in Chrom's chest. "Cordelia and Tiki said you were a hero! They said you could fix the world's problems! They were either deranged or lying through their gods-damned teeth. They lied to us! You're the cause of the world's problems! How is that supposed to make us feel?! We trusted you, and it turns out you're the cause of all my pain! You murdered my father! You let Gangrel and Aversa do this to the world! I grew up with nothing because of you, and you dared to let us look up to you! Gaius was right when he first saw you again, and Cordelia was wrong! You're a bitter old sack of trash, and you should have died with YOUR FAMILY!" Soleil took several deep breaths. "Thank you for fighting with us so far. Thank you for protecting us so far. Thank you for all of that… but I don't want anything to do with you. The two of us? We're not okay. We never will be!"

Chrom's heart sank, and he struggled with his desire to walk away. He didn't break eye contact with Soleil though. He powered through his sorrow and managed the softest voice he could. "Soleil… I'm sorry."

Soleil exploded, as if further infuriated that Chrom would dare to say anything else to her. "YOU'RE SORRY?! Oh well, that makes everything okay then! Do you have any idea how much pain you've caused the people that fight by your side now?! Cordelia loved you, and you could barely give her the time of day back then! You blinded her! You killed Gaius' wife and daughter! You tried to kill Caeldori's mother, and if she is dead now it's because of you! You killed Ophelia's father! You killed Isaiah's wife and daughter! You killed your own children! Your own wife! Your own sisters! The world is ruled by an empire of evil now! They turned the younger Lucina into a slave soldier! They've been forcing Tiki to run for thirty years! They experimented on us at the Rockpile! Tortured us! They've driven us around from place to place, safehouse to safehouse! If not them, then the Arch Surg which, by the way, exist because of them. That means they exist because of you! All of this suffering is your fault, but it's okay because you're sorry?! HUH?! BECAUSE YOU'RE SORRY?! Now you dare to want me to talk with you about it because you can't stand one of your allies not throwing themselves down at your feet? Because all the Shepherds just blindly did what you said, I have to even after everything you've done to me?!" Soleil lunged forward and started pounding on Chrom's chest. Her frantic flailing didn't hurt at first, but it became more powerful with each blow. "You killed my father! I HATE YOU!" Soleil struck Chrom hard enough to almost knock him over, but he forced himself to keep his composure. Soleil didn't look at him anymore after that. She just stood and stared at her feet for almost a minute.

"Soleil…"

Soleil finally looked back to Chrom, but her anger was gone. She was crying to herself, fighting not to break down completely, and her voice was soft and shaky. "I hate you."

"Soleil I… I-"

"It's not fair. I… I believed. Cordelia made me believe. Tiki made me believe. Even Ophelia made me believe. They made me believe that you could fix the world! You were supposed to be better!" Soleil looked down at her feet again, and tears rolled down her cheeks. "It's, it's like a joke! The gods have either abandoned us, or it's all a big joke to them! You know?! You were supposed to help us fix everything, but the hero of legends ends up being the cause of the world's problems. Of my problems! It's like a dark, twisted fairytale! It's like a gods-damned joke! Naga and Grima are, are laughing their asses off together! Seeing how much suffering they can cause us mortals! It's, it's not FAIR! You were supposed to be better!" Soleil's crying became so intense that she couldn't speak anymore. For almost a minute she just cried to herself, and Chrom could do nothing more than stare at her. He desperately thought of something to say to her, but then he realized nothing he could say would make her feel better. Instead he just took a few steps closer to her, and Soleil cautiously looked up. Chrom gazed into her tear stained eyes. They were a very light brown, almost amber. Almost the same color as her father's. Chrom wasn't sure that what he wanted to do was appropriate, but deep down he felt that it was all he could do for Soleil, and he had to do something. Without thinking, Chrom just did what he felt was right. He moved to hug the young woman he'd caused so much harm, and she reciprocated. The two held each other tightly, and Soleil bawled into Chrom's shoulder.

"Shh. It's okay. It's okay." Chrom whispered.

"OH GAAH-HAADS!" Soleil whimpered. "I'm sorry! I'm so sorry!"

"Shh. It's okay."

"I don't… I don't hate you. I don't. I just… it's not fair!"

"Calm down. It's okay. Soleil… I am sorry for what I've done to the world. For what I've done to you. Inigo deserved the chance to meet you. Olivia and Lon'qu deserved the chance to meet you. It's okay if you hate me. I deserve your hatred. It is my fault that the world is like this, but I'm trying to make up for it."

"You… really mean that. Don't you?"

"I want to stand by your side, Soleil. I want to make up for everything I've done by helping you. I can't make you trust me again. I deserve your anger, but I won't leave you. So long as you need me, I will never leave you. You will always have my love."

Both Soleil and Chrom's eyes widened. "You… l-love me?!"

Chrom hadn't meant to say that, but he did feel that way. "Y-yes. Yes. I love you. All three of you. As much as I loved any of the Shepherds."

Soleil slowly looked up from Chrom's shoulder, putting their faces just centimeters apart. "Chrom… after we left Veslil… I said it was okay that you didn't believe in our cause. I said I wouldn't hold it against you if you left us. I was wrong. We need you. You have to stay with us. You OWE that to us! After everything you've done to the three of us! To the world! You owe that to us! Promise me! Promise me you'll help!"

Chrom smiled, and Soleil finally returned a genuine smile. "I will never leave you. Not as long as you need me. I don't know that I truly believe the world can be fixed, but I will make up for what I did by fighting with you now. I will never let anything happen to the three of you. I will protect you." Chrom again stopped resisting his emotions, and he said something he didn't necessarily mean to. "And by protecting you, guiding you, I make up for the loved ones that died by my blade."

Soleil buried her face in Chrom's shoulder again, and the two embraced each other even more tightly than before. "I'm sorry for snapping at you."

"No. Don't be."

"I don't hate you. I don't hate you."

"Shh. Come on. It's okay. Everything's okay."

"I'm so sorry!"

"It's okay."

Soleil just made occasional whimpering noises from then on, but Chrom still held her. He closed his eyes and let feelings he hadn't felt since Lucina and Brady had been alive wash over him. His mind flashed back to memories of his children, and he slowly rocked Soleil back and forth as she slowly calmed down. "I'm sorry."

"Shh. It's okay." Chrom whispered his next words so quietly that Soleil couldn't possibly have heard him. "Daddy's here. Daddy's got you."

After taking the "Grimleal Glide" over to The Saltworks and briefly conversing with the city's garrison commanders, Dartsmoth and the Deadlords took to randomly wandering the surrounding badlands. Accompanying Dartsmoth were the 4th Army reconnaissance troopers he had recruited. Each soldier had years of experience dealing with difficult terrain, and they all represented the peak of human fitness, yet they struggled to keep pace with Dartsmoth. He rarely allowed them rest, and he consumed very little food or water. It was obvious why the undead servants working with him didn't tire, but the scouts were horrified at Dartsmoth's own inhuman stamina.

For the longest time the high ranking Inquisitor seemed to do nothing more than wander the badlands, but he eventually began to walk in a straight line. Dartsmoth followed this invisible trail, ignoring the complaints of the scouts, until he came across an area filled with deceased Imperial Creeper stalks. He had the scouts investigate, and much to their own surprise they were able to find a number of anomalies. The most notable was a pile of Pegasus dung. Dartsmoth took great interest in it, studying it for several minutes. "Yeah. Because a wild Pegasus is definitely living out here." Dartsmoth chuckled as he ran his fingers through it. "I think I've found me a Pegasus Knight."

"Sir! Another piece of evidence!" Dartsmoth stood up and followed the scout to a splotch of dried blood on the ground. He knelt down as the scout hovered over him. "Think it's human blood, sir?" Dartsmoth took the hand that hadn't touched feces, the one sanitation measure he bothered with, and scraped it through the blood. He then stuck his finger into his own mouth, carefully running his tongue over it. "T-the hell you doing, sir?!"

Dartsmoth paid the scout no mind. "Mmm. Human. Male. Middle aged. This…" Dartsmoth grinned. "This is good. This is real good. I've got a message for you, Chrom. This goes for the three bitches trailing after you too. Your day in the sun is over, and your insurrection is going to END!"