Chapter 15: Human

Severa had a lot of injuries. A broken right arm, a couple broken ribs, a piece missing from her ear, one long scar up her inner right thigh, and much more. Those were just the prominent ones that Lissa and Elisa told me about. I sat in a chair by her bed with Gaius. He never took his eyes off her once he snuck in here. Cordelia didn't know about Severa at all. We made sure it stayed that way. I didn't even want Gaius know but he snuck in. He looked hurt. He immideatly loved her the moment he saw her. I feel so bad for him. His daughter was out cold because of injuries and I can't do anything.

"I wonder if this is what Bubbles and Blue felt like?" He asks quietly. I give him a sympathetic look he couldn't see.

"I bet it was different Gaius." I say and rub his shoulder. He slowly nodded.

"How did she get here?" He asks. I gulp and try to think up a lie… but that is a terrible idea.

"I wish I could tell you, but if I tell you, or any of the Shepherds for that matter, it would just cause you to worry and lose sight of the immediate future. I'm sorry Gaius but I will not tell you." I say sadly. He turned to look at me and I now see the fact that he is hurting. His eyes are red with tears that have yet to fall.

"It better be a damn good reason Jordan." He says with bite on my name. I cringe and remove my hand from his shoulder. He turns back to her and clasps her hand in his. He rubs it softly. "Do you know the mother?" He asks.

"I do."

"And you are not going to tell me I'm guessing."

"Yes."

He stares at Severa for a while before answering. "I'm fine with that."

"I'm sorry for not telling you but I want you to exp-"

"I get it Blazer. That's why I'm okay with it." He interrupts me. Severa shifted in her sleep. Gaius was next to her in an instant. She went back to sleep. Gaius sighed and laid his head on the bed. I never knew he had such powerful paternal instincts. There was a lot of things I didn't know about these people that I now know. He lifted his head and looked at her. "What is she like?" He asks.

"She is very snarky and rude but that comes from an inferiority complex. Once you break down her walls she is really sweet and geniune." I answer him. He turns his head towards me with an arched eyebrow.

"Inferiority complex?"

"If I explain any more it will give away the mother." I say but in retrospect that might have given Cordelia away. He nods and sits back down. He sighs and adjusts his headband.

"You know Blazer…" he pauses and lets his hand fall to his side "… I should be mad at you for hiding stuff after hiding a lot more things from us. You should be more open than this to your friends. But at the same time, I can't help but trust you because you know what's going on. I can't help not being mad at you."

"Gaius I am so sorry tha-"

"That might be why. I know your sorry."

"I am."

"I know." He turned and looked at me. "I know." He then examined my face. "Get some sleep Blazer. You look like shit." I scoff at him.

"Thanks for the reassuring words." I say. He shrugs.

"You look like how I feel." He says. It was my turn to examine him. He had large bags under his eyes with messy, unruly hair. His eyelids dropped often and he flicked the lollypop in his mouth, not lazily, but slowly. We were two halves of a full mess.

"Then we must look like crap. That's why Olivia is worried." I say.

"I'm surprised she stayed behind with you instead of joining Bubbles, Blue and Blue Jr." They all left to Plegia to finish this war. Lon'qu and Panne stayed behind to recuperate. Gaius stayed for obvious reasons. Olivia and myself stayed as well. Basillio was told by Robin and Flavia to stay behind for different reasons. Robin wanted someone strong, just in case Grima shows up again and Flavia didn't want Basillio cramping her style I think. It was her own way of showing concern over him and Ferox. Emmeryn was last person here. After I broke my leg she poured all her time and effort into becoming a better healer. I believe she feels guilty over my leg fracture and I wish she wouldn't but I can't control what people feel. I think she is going to start training in tome use as well. Probably for self-defense.

"I am thankful for her staying but did Basillio have to make me share a room with her? We aren't even married yet." As I say it I feel my face heat up.

Gaius wagged a figure at me. "Yet Blazer. Keyword, yet." I slump down in the chair after he said that.

"I liked it better when he was overprotective." I mutter.

"That's not something I thought I would here… well ever when talking about a girl." He says.

"It's what I would want to do for my sisters."

"Ohh gotcha." He pauses and then chuckles. "You are going to be the overprotective father, aren't you?"

"I won't be egging it on that's for sure." I mutter and his chuckle blows out into full blown laughter. He keeps laughing and I raise an eyebrow. "What's funny?"

"Imagine if my daughter and one of your kids get together. Could you imagine?" He started laughing harder. I chuckle and pray that if it does happen that Gaius doesn't kill Inigo. I slowly stand up and grab my crutches. I crutch towards the door but stop next to him. I place a hand on his laughing shoulder. I waited to speak until he calmed down.

"If you need anything at all, please ask. I want to help you." I say with sincerity. He slowly nods and looks away.

"I'll keep it in mind Blazer." He says cryptically. I sigh and crutch out the door.

"Get some sleep Gaius." I yell over my shoulder.

"You too you sleep deprived bastard." He yells back and I close the door.

"Get sleep you sleep deprived bastard." I mock as I make my way through the empty halls of Castle Ferox. "As if I could get sleep." This was the first time I have failed to get sleep on a regular basis. Even when my parents got divorced and we lived in a friend's basement I still slept well. Even when I was in a Plegian jail cell. Even though my two sisters failed at getting sleep for different reasons. I still slept at least six hours a day but now… I hate nightmares. Grima has taken over my conscious and subconscious thoughts. I see my earth family and my family here getting killed over and over in different ways. Burning in purple fire, impaled, electrocuted, decapitated, frozen alive, tortured, I've seen my sweet little sister Kelly get each finger smashed by a hammer one at a time. Seeing my earth family slaughtered in front of my face in Ylisse is not healthy. Hell if it's a dream because my dreams are becoming hell.

Olivia is killed every single night at 1:54. Same way every time. Stabbed threw the head like what Logan did in Logan. I feel as if this one is more real than the others. I wake up screaming. I wake up sweating profusely. I wake up with a massive headache and a scared girlfriend right beside me. She tries to help me, she really does but I can't say anything. MY mouth literally won't do anything besides sob. She just holds me for the rest of the night and I hold her right back. She falls asleep but I don't. I stay up, afraid to see my nightmares again, afraid to let her out of my sight for the rest of the night. I tell myself each night that this night will be different, but do you know the definition of insanity? Because I am sure finding out quickly.

"Naga fucking damnit." I swear under my breath. I hate what my life has come to. I thought that after I told everyone that it would be sunshine and rainbows but it sure as shit isn't. I can only hope that these go away after we win this first war, and plan for the next one. Hope… is that all I have left now. Well yes and that's a good thing. Lucina and co. only had hope and they made it. "Think positively Jordan."

"Ohh yea that's not going to work out for you brother. Sorry." I flip off the voice to my right before looking. Grima is standing next to me with a smile. She is dressed like one of the Feroxi guards with an iron lance and all. "Well that's quite rude."

"It's what you get for giving me these damn nightmares." I say to her. I continue on crutching and she walks besides me.

"You want me to take them away?" She asks. I stumbled a little bit. I wasn't implying that she was giving them to me but that she caused these.

"You gave them to me?" I ask her. She shrugged.

"Not really but I can take them away." She says indifferent while twirling a strand of her black hair. I narrow my eyes at her.

"What is your game Grima?" I ask. She claps her hands together.

"Now you're learning." She said cheerfully. "Robin did pawn to E3 so it's my play now. Knight to C6." I tense up and start praying. "I'm not hurting anyone this time dummy." She pokes my nose and walks in front of me.

"What are you playing?" I ask.

"Sentiment. Relationships. Humanization." She states matter-of-factly. "I am trying to connect with you and such." She stops and looks back at me.

"Yea how about no." I say and crutch pass her.

"I never wanted this at first." She said with a sad tone.

"Same here." I say blowing off her attempt of connection.

"You are different than your counterpart." I stopped. I was? In what way? Damnit I'm intrigued.

"Explain." I say turning around. She was standing looking out the window into the night sky, watching the light snowflakes fall.

"You were cold to everyone besides Olivia and the children. We still lied to the Shepherds but our relationship wasn't like what it is between the other vessel and yourself." She slowly shook her head and walked up to stand in front of me. "I think you closed yourself off because you knew what was going to happen. You focused on what mattered. Getting that bitch Naga to send the children back in time and praying for yourself to have another chance."

"That doesn't sound like me at all."

"That's what I remember. Once you found out about Chrom's death and my corruption you immediately took action to protect the children. You became the leader and savior of those children. A lot of the Shepherds last words were that they were glad their children were in good hands with you and Olivia." I grimace at her words. She sadly looked back at the outside world through the window. "I never wanted this but what you want is not what you get. It is so rare when you do, that if you make one wrong move and it's destroyed. Like a snowflake landing on your hand. But…" She then grew and evil grin and grew some purple fire in her hand. "… I will make do with what I have. I just hope you can put up a challenge little brother." She looked at me and the fire disappeared and her tone became solemn. "Because it won't be worth losing what family I have left without a fight."

"That's morbid." I deadpan.

"That's why I am trying to find Morgan. He is the last family I have yet to lose." She slowly sighs. "I lost Chrom, and Lucina, I can't lose him."

"You didn't mention me?" I asked. She chuckled darkly.

"Oh no I hate you so I could never lose you." I was taken back by that.

"You hate me? Why?" I ask.

"I hate all of humanity straight up…" She shoots me a look. "… but I hate you most of all because of the great lengths your counterpart took to hide him from me. So…" She looked me straight in the eyes with an evil grin and purple fire flaring out the right side of her mouth. "… I'll give you two years to make up a plan that you think can beat me. But once Valm invades Ferox expect hell brother. Expect hell." I couldn't help but shudder and step back which betrayed my intention of showing no emotion. I'm staring death in the face. I chuckle as I realized that her whole goal was to try and humanize herself and when she threatened me, she failed.

"Good try on humanizing yourself. It almost worked until you started threatening me. Solid props though." I say sarcastically. She stepped back and blink a couple times. She sneered and grit her teeth.

"Fuck you brother." She said and disappeared. I stare in the spot she was at. After a minute I sigh and wipe the sweat off my face. While I shouldn't trust her, I really hope I lose the nightmares. Humanize herself. You just can't humanize evil and good. You just can't. Motivation and a backstory won't make me feel bad for the reincarnation of Satan, like she is basically Satan. But while Satan thought he was above God, Robin gave into Grima for some reason. Probably trying to resurrect Chrom or something. I started crutching towards my room.

I knock when I get there. "Come in." Olivia says. I open the door and crutch in. She was lying on her bed with a book in her lap. Her room wasn't very different than the one I had when we first came her. She had one queen size bed, a small nightstand to the right of her bed, a bookshelf on the opposite side next to a chest with clothes, and medium sized window in the middle of the back wall. She had a candle lit on the nightstand. My small amount of stuff was in a messy pile in the far-left corner. Her expression shifted into a sad smile.

"Hi." She says quietly. She was wearing a black nightgown with her hair down. Ridley is laying at the edge of the bed. Her head lifts up and her tail starts wagging. I softly smile and crutch over to her. I carefully sit down on the bed and lean my crutches on her night stand. Ridley scoots over so her head is in my lap. I slowly stroke her fur.

"Hi." I answer.

"A-are you alright?" She asks me. I sigh and shake my head.

"No, not really. I feel guilty over Severa and keeping the truth about it from Gaius. I hate the fact that Grima can just show up and talk to me like she did tonight." Olivia gasped after I said that.

"She spoke to you."

"I flipped her off when I heard her." I chuckle. "But yea we spoke. She said she was trying to humanize herself for some reason. She did a poor job at it."

"H-Humanize herself? Why is she doing that?" She asks. I throw myself back so I'm looking up at the ceiling. I accidentally land on her legs and she pulls them out from underneath me quickly. Ridley shifts her head so it is on my chest.

"That's the other thing. I don't know what she is doing or what I can do to stop it. I feel so useless right now. I have no control on what happens right now and I hate it. I can't sleep because I have repetitive nightmares. I can barely look my friend in the eye because I feel guilty over the current condition of his daughter. Grima is coming after me and I hate that I can't fight back. I hate it. I hate it. I hate it!" I shout at the ceiling. I then cover my face with my hands and feel the tiny teardrops trickle down my cheeks. I hate that I've become this shell of myself recently.

I feel my hands get gently pried away from my face. I open my eyes to see Olivia staring down at me with a sad expression and red eyes. She leaned forward and kissed me on the forehead. "I know how you feel Jordan." She says when she pulled back. "I feel as though I have nothing to add to the Shepherds and for Basilio."

"You have plenty to add Olivia. You are a-"

"You lift me up when I say that I am useless so now it is my turn." She interrupts me. "You aren't useless Jordan. Never have been. I can't say I know what is going through your mind right now but everything you said has happened in the past couple days. You have done so much in the past six weeks you have been here. Many things have changed for the better and you can still change them. Jordan…" She pauses and cups my face in her hands. Her beautiful amethyst eyes staring into my stormy blue eyes. "…no matter what. I will always be by your side. No amount of depression or self-loathing will stop me from loving and helping you. We will make it. Grima won't be able to stop us. Every problem can be solved by making a plan and following the steps. Trust in us Jordan as we will trust in you."

I stare at her. I know she is right but it's just hard. I feel so useless but she is right. Focus on the future, that's how Lucina and Co. survived…right? I sigh and look away from her. I was usually more positive than this but things have never been this bad. Actually, that's a lie. I've been suicidal once, I'm not now I'm just more… frustrated. Yea frustrated. I close my eyes and take a deep breath, hold for five seconds then exhale for five seconds.

"I'm sorry Olivia. I'm just very frustrated right now." I admit.

"I understand." She says and began running her hands through my hair.

"Thank you." I say while enjoying heaven.

"You're welcome." She says. After a minute of quiet she speaks up. "What were the nightmares about?" She asks. I wince but know I should explain this to her. So I do.


"Gawds, they ruined my beautiful face." Severa says once I handed her a mirror. She had just woken up after eight days unconscious, maybe more. Gaius was elated when she woke up. She on the other hand was surprised and shocked. I wasn't there for her waking up initially but she and Gaius had bonded in the fifteen minutes I wasn't there. "I'll kill those dastards." She spat.

"Do you remember what happened sweetie?" Gaius asked. I can't tell if that's her normal nickname or what. Severa scowled at the mirror and put it down.

"I remember… I remember… I went to sleep in a tree on an island off the south coast of Plegia and next thing I know I am in a prison cell. They made me fight other prisoners to survive, and obviously I won every fight. I never killed though. They didn't like that but they allowed it. Until they didn't…" She trailed off and Gaius took her hand. She flinched but soften when she looked at him.

"You don't have to continue. We understand." He said softly. He looked at me. "What now." I shake my head.

"Once Robin and the others get back we will decide then. Till then…" I turn to look at her. "…do you know where the others are?"

"We separated pretty quickly once Morgan and Lucina started screaming at each other. Gawds they didn't have to start fighting then jeez." She said.

"So no?"

"What do I look like? Their sitters?" She barked.

"Their friend." I state roughly. She deflated a little and looked away.

"Not really no. I traveled with Inigo, Evelyn, Brady and Owain for a while until Inigo and Evelyn got separated from us in a fight. Brady went looking for them, and Owain ditched me to go on some quest to and I quote 'Quench the thirst his sword hand has for battle.' I cannot believe that jerk left me for something stupid like that." That was news to me.

"You were with my children? What are they like?" I ask excitedly. She leaned back and blinked.

"You should know Mister I know all." She scoffs. I grimace but don't say anything. Luckily Gaius intervened.

"Blue Jr. will be happy to know you are awake." He says.

"Lucina is here? With you?" She perks up.

"Yes she is. She joined the night that Validar…" He looked to me for confirmation and I nod. "… tried to assassinate Blue's sister."

"Is she still alive?" She asks softly. She doesn't want to come off as curious about what has happened but she secretly is. I think she just wants to spend more time with dear old daddy. I slowly and as quietly as I can hobble out of there. I should have brought my crutches but I dropped them on my way in. I slowly close the door behind me and pick up my crutches. It has been one week since the Shepherds had left for Plegia. They should be back soon.

I crutch outside. The crisp winter air hit my skin and I immediately regret not grabbing a coat. I follow direction that Olivia told me for her favorite place in the palace courtyard. I take a left and then a right and feel my breath hitch. It is beautiful. There is a fountain that, while frozen over right now, I know is beautiful with a view over the city in both directions. Towards the colosseum and the gateway to enter the city. There is a garden that has been lightly snowed over and trees with no leaves standing over it in a protective manner. There was one dying lantern hanging on a pole that reached my shoulder. The sky was the best part. Little light pollution made it so that every single star popped out of the sky and the galaxy show itself. The moon was over the gate and bright with only half of it illuminated. I can't remember what the scientific term for it was called but it sure was pretty.

I crutch over to the bench near the east wall. The light crunch of snow under my feat was the only sound. I take my crutch and brush off the snow on it and sit. I know have a cold and wet ass. I lean forward and stare at the moon. Right now, the moon was half illuminated. That's how I described it in my head. I give a small chuckle. Me describing the moon as half illuminated not half dark should be the way I look at my situation now.

These past six weeks have been crazy. I killed a man and a zombie. I met royalty and flipped off the devil. I fought in a large arena and joined the militia. I broke my leg and stopped an assassination. I met wonderful people and terrible people. I met a time traveler which would be the craziest thing if I didn't already hopped dimensions. All of this is crazy the more I think about it, but the thing I never would believe is that I fell in love at the age of eighteen. I always thought that I would have my feet underneath me when I did but I guess things change.

"Jordan?" There she is. I turn and smile at her. She pulls the large coat, my coat actually, closer to her body and walks over to me. I brush off some snow and she sits down. She tries to take off the coat but I wrap her in my arms, stopping her from taking it off.

"Keep it. I'll hold you to keep me warm." I whisper into her ear. She squeaks and blushes and I pull her into my lap making my effort to clean the seat useless. She leans back and I rest my head on her shoulder. We sit in silence for a minute before she starts up a conversation.

"Your nightmares have stopped." She says.

"Thank Naga." Well more like thank Grima but I'm not giving her that luxury.

"You look better."

"And feel better." She giggles when I say this. I smile.

"Ar-are you doing better Jordan?" She asks hesitantly. Am I doing better? With help from Emmeryn on my leg. I'll ask Robin to help me with some therapy sessions. Good friends like Donnel, Stahl, and Gaius to support me and keep me in check. And the best girlfriend I could ever ask for. Who will be there for me with love and support.

"I will be." I say softly. "I will be." We stay quiet, enjoying the quiet and the view. "Thank you, Olivia." She turns her head to look at me. "You have done so much for me and I am thankful for you. You are hands down the greatest thing that has ever happened to me." I can tell she is blushing because she immediately looks away.

"I-I'm sure there is something b-better than me in your life." She stutters out.

"Nope. It's you. I wouldn't be getting better without you. So, thank you Olivia. Thank you for believing in me and trusting me even though I broke that trust like my leg." I get swatted on the top of the head for that one. "Kidding, kidding."

"Don't say things like that." She pauses. "I should thank you Jordan. The first time I saw you, you were staring at me, wide eyed in the bar." I chuckle. "I thought you were just one of the others until you came and saved me from those men. I might not be alive right now if it wasn't for you."

"Don't say that Olivia." I say sadly.

"But i-it's the truth. You saved my life. More than once. We became friends and soon fell in love so quickly that I thought it couldn't be true. I never thought that this amazing, selfless, funny, intelligent, skilled, strong, handsome," by now we were both blushing. "man would talk to me, let alone save me and love me. Even though you lied about where you come from you didn't lie about who you are. All of those traits are still you whether you came from Earth or Ylisse. So, Jordan…" She then turned my face so we are staring at each other straight in the eye. "… thank you." I smile and kiss her. Sweet, love driven, and content. Those were the words that came to my mind. Once we pulled back I smiled at her. She smiled back and rested her head against my chest. I rested my head softly on top of hers. I can see dots of light making up a line starting to enter the gate. Robin and Co. are back. I smile and point it out to her. She nodded.

I sit content for a minute just thinking. I think about Earth and Ylisse. What the differences between each version of me there was. It has to be around December, there right?

"What day is it Olivia?" I ask.

"December 29th." She answers. I start laughing. "What is so funny?"

"I turned nineteen two days ago and I didn't notice." Olivia shifted on my lap.

"Oh my gosh I didn't know! What do you want for your bir-" I silence her with a kiss.

"That." I say once I pull away. "And many more to come." She slowly nods and lays back down on my chest.

"I still feel bad." She says.

"Don't. I don't really care this year. A whole lot of better things happened this year. This month technically." She nods but doesn't respond. I start humming the first song I think off. Before long I start singing.

"I know I took the path that you would never want for me, I know I let you down, didn't I? So many sleepless nights where you were waiting up on me, Well I'm just a slave unto the night

Now remember when I told you that's the last you'll see of me, Remember when I broke you down to tears, I know I took the path that you would never want for me, I gave you hell through all the years

So I, I bet my life, I bet my life, I bet my life for you I, I bet my life, I bet my life, I bet my life for you


AN: Holy shit! What a month. I would like to apologize for this being almost a month since the last update. Spring break came and I went to visit my family in another state, so I was busy all week long last week. Before that was finals week. Proud to say I have a 3.4 cumulative GPA. Better that high school. Anyway, y'all don't care about my life, you just care about the story. Now a few things first. 1: I tried to use a different song but this one fit the best. I can't find a place for a RHCP or Gorillaz song and I have done three Imagine Dragons songs with out touching my favorite album. Sorry my other favorite bands. 2: I only plan on having two or three chapters over the two year time skip. Olivia and Jordan's wedding and their children's birth. I might do Chrom and Robin's wedding to show some planning for Grima and Valm, plus tell some details that might get lost if I don't. Let me know what you think. 3: I hope I have portrayed each character accurate. Severa and Olivia are hard to do for different reasons. 4: 56 Follows, 40 Favs and over 10,000 views! You guys are the frick-fracking best! I love each and everyone of you and thank you for your continued support of this story. I have lost motivation and ideas several times during this project, but your support has pushed me through it. Shout out to Thesayian21 for continuous support and reviews. Godspeed sir, Godspeed. 5: I'm sorry for the lack of action but hey, what can you do with a broken leg. 6: The chess analogies won't be a focal point in this story. It is what it is, an analogy.

And that is pretty much it. Again, thank you for your support and love. I can not stress enough on how much all of your Fav's and Follows mean to me. Next chapter will either be one of two weddings and some things before that. These might be longer than the normal chapters, might be. Okay love you all. bye!

-3008


Reviews:

Thesaiyan21(Ch.15): I'm glad that you found it as funny as I did. And remember, Jordan and Robin aren't blood related so it could have happened. Might be a fun little side story. Grima is back and after this chapter she is gone for a while. maybe. See you on the flipside brother.

DarknessLink(Ch.15): I have the new Macbook pro, so I am scared of ruining it. There is this store near me that sells Gameboys though.