Author's Note: This chapter will not be fun, nor will it be nice. It's an idea I've had since the original run of this fic and it survived replanning upon replanning because it was just that important an idea to me. If you are not a fan of flashbacks and character deaths, this chapter is most definitely not for you. Don't worry, It shouldn't affect your enjoyment of the rest of the fic should you choose to skip it.

Guest: Thanks for the review! I'm glad you like Leila being alive and plan to keep reading!

Azreal-Von-Gruber: Another fan of the Leila change. Pretty glad I went with it then.

Pixelsaber: Fog of war is a curse, but I think I've become nostalgic for it in more recent games. I do like planning things, but fog of war was that occasional extra spike in difficulty that kept me invested. Though yeah, BS kills happened cause of that a loot. Jaffar's intentions are his own. Sometimes even I don't think I understand them. Also, the third Leila is alive is a good thing review! Three strikes and you hit a home run? With Hannah, I hope I get the chance to do something with her. Even if it is a short epilogue blerb.

LuminaDawn: Yeah, when I originally wrote the Maria character in the backstory, she was just another spy of Ostia. Then I was like, why not make it more personal. Make her Leila or Matthew's sister. Leila worked better since she was an NPC originally. But since Maria died because of the Black Fang, Leila wouldn't make the same mistakes, right? Or even if she was caught, do we need two dead? Nah, let one be saved. Save the Leila, have cute Matthew babies, all that good stuff. Thanks for reading everything!

Guest: Technically, since Fiora came first, Cordelia would sound like her. It's a fault of similar characterization, probably. Try as you might, you'll run into characters that sound like other characters to you. :P

One final note, this chapter starts a story I plan to finish in the next chapter, which should hopefully come out by the end of this week. As always, review if you get the chance.

Chapter 57: Pride of the Pegasus

Dear Sisters,

Today I leave on the most important mission I will likely undertake in my lifetime. I was summoned by our leader myself and requested to lead this expedition. It's a great honor, to say the least.

We will be flying to an Island known as Valor. We will travel briefly through Lycia along the way and perhaps look for transport to Valor if we get the chance. It would be terrible to risk our pegasi needlessly. As I understand it, we're only to perform a routine scouting of the island. However, the numbers and equipment we've been assigned suggest this is a far more dangerous place than our leader would like to admit.

Farina, please make sure you clean up after yourself. I'd hate to come home and see the house in a giant pigsty. Florina, I know how strong you can be, you just need to believe in yourself. I love you both very dearly.

I don't want to run this letter too long, so I'll end this by saying I hope to see you both very soon. It's been too long since we shared a meal as sisters.

Fiora

Fiora opened her eyes. She still couldn't sleep. When night had descended while they were discussing plans, William had decided to call it a day for them. She had been placed in a tent with Florina for their convenience and while she appreciated the gesture, sleep just wouldn't come. She had been on this island too long it seemed. The nights, to her, were far more dangerous than the daylight.

Pushing the flap of the tent open, she quickly spotted the night sentries. Florina was on duty herself, holding her lance idly while glancing over at William. William continued to pour over a makeshift map they had made that day. She couldn't see how much help it truly was to the tactician, as it was crudely made through guesswork and landmarks they had decided upon.

A small distance further, she saw one of the archers (The brown haired male she didn't remember the name of yet) scanning the trees, while one of the cavaliers (the one wearing green armor and carrying a lance) did the same on the opposite end. If she had to guess, Florina wasn't even supposed to be up right now, but had chosen to be. Perhaps her duties as a back-up tactician required her to listen to all his ideas as well.

"Can't sleep?" The brown haired tactician asked kindly, looking up.

"Oh… yes. I apologize." Fiora said. "I have been… it is difficult to let go of my anxiety."

"I know what you mean." William muttered, looking back down at the map. "Even though I knew we had to come, I wish I had more information on this place. As it is, every plan I have is bound to either be changed or go out the window when fighting starts."

"Plans mean nothing in the face of… whatever those things are." Fiora shuddered.

"Those… things?" William asked. "What do you mean?"

"There are… creatures here. They look like humans, but they're anything but. They're eyes… they glow with a strange yellow power."

"Golden… eyes?" William said. "Like what Leila said about Ephidel. Could it be…"

"Their powers and abilities… no normal human can match them." Fiora said, slumping down next to Florina.

Florina, slightly hesitantly, drew her sister into a hug. "Sister… what happened to you?"

Fiora shook her head. "I'm not sure I can… talk about it. It was…"

"Like having your soul ripped from you." William said. Fiora looked up in surprise. "Miss Fiora, if we're going to survive… I need all the information I can get. If The Black Fang… If Nergal has some new weapon, I need to know about it. Please."

Fiora closed her eyes again. "…I understand. Please, allow me to start from the beginning."

"My Queen." Fiora said, kneeling politely in front of the throne. She had been very surprised at the summons, but happy to be of direct service to the Queen. Most Pegasus Knights never received such an honor in their lifetime. Well, Ilia also did not restrict their Pegasus Knights to serving Ilia, so many ended up serving other lords or nations. Also, there were those like her sister who chose to serve no master and instead traveled the world, using mercenary troops for money. Fiora had never truly agreed with Farina's life choices, but Farina was the oldest. It made it difficult to go against her. Fiora often acted more like the eldest, a title she wore with pride, but Farina… no, she was letting her mind wander too much.

"Fiora." The Queen stated. "I've heard great things from your fellows about your accomplishments."

"It's no more than anyone else could do, I'm sure." Fiora said calmly.

"Be that as it may," the Queen began, "there is a task we would ask you to take."

"A task, my Queen?" Fiora asked.

"We've heard some disturbing rumors about a group known as the Black Fang. Have you heard of them?" The Queen asked.

"Enough to know they aren't an officially sanctioned group of mercenaries." Fiora replied.

"That's for the best, I think." The Queen nodded. "We've been considering this for some time, but we can remain silent no longer. We must investigate these people and their motivations. Their forces are spread to wide and have been too noticeable as of late. It concerns me that Ilia may be the only ones aware of this threat. Our Pegasus Knights are similarly spread throughout the world, and several of them write their fellows, who bring worrisome statements to the commanders. Of course, that then comes to me. "

"So these Fang people are behaving too suspiciously for us to not act." Fiora said. "What would you have me do?"

"I would have you lead a squad of five to what we believe to be their secret hideout." The Queen said thoughtfully. "It's an island off the coast of Badon, in Lycia. The island itself is known as Valor."

"As you command." Fiora said. "Where do I meet my squad?"

"You will meet them at-" the queen began, before the sudden sounds of a fight stopped their conversation.

The guards next to the Queen immediately jumped in front of her, protecting her from harm, as Fiora turned to the doors, picking up her lance from the floor and wielding it in front of her. "What's going on?" One of the guards shouted.

"I've already told you!" The voice from outside of the doors said. None of them recognized the voice, but he seemed to be speaking to someone. "I wasn't trying to start a fight! I only asked to speak to your Queen!"

"They ain't going to listen to your words, laddie!" A loud booming voice replied. "I told you we should've broken in from the start!"

"To do what?" The first voice replied. "Get arrested and executed for breaking into the palace?"

"We're already going to be accused of that as it is, aren't we?" The second voice replied cheekily.

"Mother Earth." Will cursed, covering his face. "You were that Pegasus Knight?"

"Eh?" Fiora asked in surprise.

Florina also looked at Will curiously, before a though struck her. "Hold on a minute… Farina mentioned a Sacaen broke into the royal palace… that was really you?!"

"It's not what you think!" Will said quickly. "I merely approached the gate to ask to meet with the Queen."

"Asking to meet the Queen is strange in and of itself." Fiora said with a sigh. "I do recognize you now. I assume you told the guards something like 'I can only speak with the Queen?'"

"No I… I uh… I mentioned that I knew about the secret mission." Will said.

"You what?" Florina exclaimed. "How in the world did you learn about a top-secret mission before it had even begun?"

"It was one of the few things I remembered about the Black Fang documents I had access to as a tactician." Will said. "Uh… it was… what was it again?"

"Is something wrong?" Fiora asked, but Florina silenced her quickly.

"Umm… Will, did you write it down?" She asked timidly.

"Ah… yes. Yes I did. You're right. Thank you Florina." Will said. "Give me a moment to grab my notebook."

"What's wrong with him?" Fiora asked.

"He umm… he was poisoned by the Black Fang." Florina said softly. "By the time we managed to get the antidote, there was some… irreparable damage to his brain. A lot of his older memories are… not there anymore."

"Can you trust him as a tactician?" Fiora asked worriedly. "If his memory is suspect, surely there are other areas in which-"

"Will's not like that!" Florina said quickly. Realizing she had just contradicted her sister, she blushed and looked away. "Will cares about us. About all of us. He's doing everything he can to keep us alive through all of this. That's probably… it's probably why he asked me to be the back-up tactician."

"I was surprised to hear that." Fiora admitted. "When I last saw you, you had barely finished your training."

"It was… after I met Will." Florina said, blushing even further. "He helped me overcome my… my fear of men. I mean, I'm still nervous, but I'm getting better."

"So I've noticed." Fiora said, though she narrowed her eyes suspiciously. "He hasn't... done anything to you, has he?"

"No!" Florina shouted, which caused Sain and Wil to look in her direction confusedly. "Sorry." She said to them apologetically, before turning back to her sister. "No, I picked up tactics along the way. The Pegasus eye view is very important for him to develop and deliver tactics. Since he did it so often, I just sort of… picked up on it."

"You're in love with him." Fiora sighed. "Oh sis…"

"What?" Florina said defensively. "I'm not… I just… so what if I am? Is that wrong?"

"I don't know." Fiora said. "But I don't trust him. A man with a faulty memory, involved with the Black Fang… you find none of that strange?"

"I've been with him far longer than you." Florina pouted. "I would know. You sound just like Kent used to."

"Kent?" Fiora asked.

"The red knight." Florina explained. "When he first met Will, he was extremely suspicious of him. He kept a close eye on him through a good part of our journey until Will finally won his trust. You can talk to him if you don't believe me."

"Well, that and you being in love with him are two entirely different things." Fiora said, engaging her sisterly mode. "You've only recently turned eighteen. Are you sure this love isn't just some overzealous part of yourself eager for love now that you're not as afraid of men? All women go through an… attraction phase."

"You just don't know him like I do." Florina said, though she knew it was repeating her earlier statement. "I'm not playing around, sister."

Before their argument could continue, they saw Will returning and silently agreed to drop the subject. "Here it is. A Black Fang document detailed a plan called the Prideful Pegasus plan. Whenever a Black Fang member knew of Pegasus Knights in the area, they were to make their actions more obvious. This was to draw the attention of Ilia to investigate and send Pegasus Knights. By killing the knights, the Black Fang forcibly restrained and retrained these Pegasus for their own use."

"That's… that's horrible." Florina shuddered.

"So, that's why you came to stop us." Fiora said. "But how in the world did you know we were about to take off?"

"I saw the squadron assembling outside." Will said. "The amount of supplies was abnormal for a normal mission, so I immediately jumped to the worst case scenario in my head. I could've been wrong, but I didn't want to take the chance."

"Well… now your appeal to the Queen makes much more sense." Fiora sighed. "I wish we had heeded your warning."

"Can you... Continue from where Will and Lord Wallace entered?" Florina asked.

"Of course." Fiora said with a small nod.

The two prisoners were brought in front of the Queen, escorted by several guards. The Giant, especially, had ten guards around him, all looking at him anxiously since he refused to let go of either of his dangerous weapons. The Sacaen as well had a sword strapped to his waist, and his cloak seemed to have a rather noticeable bulge, which was most likely a tome. They were on high alert, to say the least, but neither had resisted when they were bought here, opting to argue with each other instead.

It turns out the front guards had overreacted to something the giant said, so he knocked them out when they began to attack. This caused the surrounding Knights to all prepare for an attack as well. The Sacaen had quickly stepped in, raising his arms and asking for peace. At the time, however, they were unaware of that fact. "Who are these two?" The Queen demanded.

"The Sacaen claims to need to speak with you." One guard reported. "However, the guards would not let him and this giant pass. When they insisted, the guards tried to get them to leave. The giant attacked, so we arrested them."

"Is this true?" The Queen asked.

"Lassie, you ain't about to believe us over your guards." Wallace chuckled. "They attacked, so I knocked them out. That's all I've got to say."

"You're right." The Queen said. "I find it difficult to believe." She turned to Will. "And you are the Sacaen? What is it you wish to tell me?"

"My Queen, must you humor him?" The head Pegasus Knight asked.

"It's not an issue." The Queen said. "So long as he makes no move for a weapon, I see no danger in hearing his words."

The Sacaen brushed off his outfit slightly, before bowing slightly. "Thank you." He said. "I've come to warn you. Don't send your Pegasus Knights to the Isle of Valor."

"How do you know about that?' The Queen demanded.

"I used to work for the Black Fang, milady." The Sacaen replied, bowing again. "I remember a certain plan that was meant to lure Pegasi to the Dread Isle. Do not send them there. You will be sending them to their deaths."

"And who are you to tell me what to do with my Pegasus Knights?" The Queen replied imperiously. "You're claim may very well be false, to hide your true intentions. Even if you are not lying, a Sacaen knows little of the Ilian ways. Do not presume to command me."

"I'm only trying to help." The Sacaen pleaded. "If you send them there, none will return."

"I will do what is best for my country." The Queen replied. "Guards, escort these two from the castle. In fact, escort them to the border. Should they enter our territory again, arrest them or kill them on sight."

"You're makin' a mistake, Lassie." The Giant grunted. "The moment you got wrapped up in your own affairs, you forgot the rest of the world existed. With this warning, your mistakes are on your head."

With that last cryptic line, The Giant and Sacaen were lead from the room. The Queen sat for a few minutes, wrapped in her own thoughts, before addressing Fiora once more. "You will meet your squad just outside. They've prepared all the necessary supplies. You'll be leaving at once."

"Yes, my Queen." Fiora said respectively, before leaving the hall herself.

Just outside, Fiora met the four other members of her squad. She certainly recognized some of them as having remarkable skills. She was supposed to lead them?

There was Palla, a former member of the Queen's royal guard. During an attack, she had been injured and relieved of duty. It was only recently she had fully recovered, but it was amazing to see just how quickly she rose back up through the ranks. She wore heavy armor on her top half, with a short skirt and high boots for her leggings. Her long green hair was tied in a rider's tail (A ponytail situated higher on the head than a usual ponytail). Her Pegasus was also decked out in full armor. Palla's clothing and her Pegasus' armor also went with a green aesthetic, probably to blend in better with tree lines.

There was Syrene, a much older and more silent knight. She had never attempted to climb the ranks, instead settling for instructing the new recruits most of the time. Her eyes often looked sad, but she was no slouch in battle. Most recruits still never managed to best her in combat. Her long green hair was kept in place with a headband. She also wore armor on top, though of slightly less high caliber than Palla's. While she also wore a riding skirt, Syrene had leggings underneath the skirt, to prevent her legs from showing at all. Perhaps it was because she spent most of her time in the cold and she needed the insulation. Her white boots covered up past her knees and almost went to her skirt line. How women managed to get around in those Fiora had no idea.

The youngest of the group, Marcia, was still talking to Syrene as they prepared. "I can't believe I get to go on mission with you, instructor! This is going to be amazing!" Marcia's get-up mimicked Syrene's own, with the armor to protect her top area and leggings under her riding skirt. Her boots were slightly smaller, only reaching her knees before cutting off, but she also had a cape attached to the back of her clothes. Fiora wasn't entirely sure if she liked capes, since they were unpredictable in the wind, but it wasn't her job to police their attire. Marcia's hair was much more agreeable to her than the previous two, though. It was higher than shoulder-length, and held in place with a headband as well. The vibrant pink was a color she was unused to seeing, she had to admit (Though considering her unique hair she was hardly one to talk).

"Calm yourself." Syrene replied. "If you get excited over every little thing you'll find it difficult to compose yourself during troubling situations."

"Oh come on…" Marcia whined. "It's no fun if you're all going to be in doom and gloom mode the entire time. Can't I enjoy that my first mission is with my instructor?"

"First mission?" The last of the members scoffed. "I thought this was supposed to be a really big mission? Can we really have a rookie tagging along with us?"

"Peace, Matoi." Palla said, raising a hand. "Marcia has earned this honor, as have you."

"I had to work much harder to get it." Matoi grumbled. "I've been serving faithfully for over five years now. Why shouldn't I be upset that a girl her age gets to receive the same honor?"

"Marcia fills all the necessary requirements." Syrene answered. "I can vouch for that."

"Be that as it may, instructor." Matoi said, her unkempt red hair swishing angrily behind her. "I can't say that I approve." Matoi was decked out in full leather armor, though for what reason she had painted it red Fiora could not say.

"Sisters, please." Fiora said, approaching them. "It will do us no good to fight amongst ourselves."

"Oh come now, Fiora." Matoi sighed. "You can't honestly say you want a rookie tagging along?"

"I haven't seen her skills for myself." Fiora admitted. "It would be foolish to say I'm not worried, but I could say the same for every one of us. This isn't some routine mission we've been assigned."

"Yes, I've heard." Syrene said, her eyes downcast. "It's why I volunteered."

"I as well." Palla admitted. "It should be the best who handle the toughest job."

"I wasn't about to pass up a good offer to further my knighthood." Matoi admitted. "As long as Marcia doesn't drag us down it's fine."

"I promise!" Marcia yelped, saluting Matoi.

Matoi sighed while the other three hide small chuckles behind their hands. Fiora double checked her own supplies, as well as her faithful steed, Reza. She was glad to find everything in order. "Shall we go then?"

"Of course!" Marcia replied happily. The five women mounted their Pegasi, spurring them into the air.

"To the isle of Valor!" Fiora cried.

Back in the throne room, unbeknownst to Fiora, the Queen let out a tired sigh. "You may come in now. Forgive the interruption."

From the adjoining room, a man entered. The large purple cloak he wore was embroidered near the bottom, and he carried a weather-worn spell-book in his left hand. His shirt was a much darker shade of purple, with a dark purple skirt underneath that was tied together into a makeshift robe with two belts. Under the skirt portion, he wore white pants and covering his feet were dark purple boots. All these articles were embroidered with the symbols of Etruria, marking him as an important member of the courts. His white hair was slightly unkempt, the only thing that was slightly off about his appearance.

At his side, a shorter woman wearing a kind smile accompanied him. She also wore a cape, though pink in color instead of light purple. Her blonde hair was tied in a long braid that fell over her shoulder down to her waist, and she held a bow in one hand. The quiver was strapped to her belt, which tied together her pink skirt and purple top. Over her top she wore a single breastplate, likely to prevent the arrows she drew from striking her bosom. Her bow arm had a long purple glove, while her other had a short white glove. Finally, her legs were covered by long white boots that stopped around the middle of her thighs. Only the boots and cape were embroidered like the man next to her, but the way the two were holding hands clearly showed they were married.

"Forgive me, Lady Queen." The man said, bowing politely. "I did not mean to cause such trouble when I asked you to do this."

"No, it was I who accepted your request and your gold." The Queen responded. "However, I do ask you. Is there any validity to that Sacaen's words?"

"That boy…" the man said, crossing his arms thoughtfully. "I wish I could have talked to him myself. Were it not for this request needing to be kept the highest of secrets, I would have. Unfortunately, I could not glean enough from him to tell if he is a liar."

"I see." The Queen said, slumping slightly in her throne and rubbing her temples. "His knowledge of our plan seemed too much for it to be a mere coincidence."

"Yet if we do not act, we will never know more." The man continued. "It's like being stuck between a rock and a hard place."

"Yes." The Queen agreed. "I just hope we've made the right decision."

"As do I." The man replied. "I must return to Etruria. I hope the coming months bring good news."

"Farewell, Mage General." The Queen said. "It was a pleasure to meet you and your wife, despite the circumstances."

"It was an honor for me as well." The woman said happily, bowing low.

"Come Louise, we must return." The man said, taking his wife's hand once more.

"Yes, Lord Pent."

"Miss Fiora?" Marcia asked, as the group flew through the evening air. "You have sisters, right? Why aren't they on the mission with you?"

Fiora smiled. "Florina is working in Caelin now. Farina… I don't know what she's doing, nor do I particularly care."

"Oh." Marcia said, falling silent.

"Come now, that's no way to talk of family." Palla said softly. "At least your sisters are alive and well."

"Your sisters died while protecting the Queen, right?" Matoi asked. "The same attack that kept you out of the knights for so long?"

"Yes." Palla said. "I miss them dearly. But I know they would want me to keep going. If I allowed the grief to overtake me, I may never stand again."

"It's difficult to move past loss." Syrene agreed. "Many students that have left me never return. Several others move to places other than Ilia. I've been considering retiring from teaching. Maybe I'll see if I can't get married and have a family before my clock runs out."

"What? Instructor, you're still young!" Marcia defended. "Hardly anyone can keep up with you!"

"I'm thirty-five, Marcia." Syrene said kindly. "Women can't have children after the age of forty, usually. If I want a family, there isn't much time left to debate."

"Oh." Marcia seemed to understand. "Well, any kid of yours is sure to turn out awesome!"

"Do you not want a family, Miss Palla?" Matoi asked.

"So the ever serious Matoi can get drawn into those thoughts?" Palla giggled.

Matoi blushed. "That's not… I was just… I mean, if you find the right guy and all… right?"

"No, I've never been interested in having children." Palla said. "My sisters have children and their fathers are wonderful people, but I think I'd prefer to help raise them then have children of my own. To be honest, the concept of childbirth scares me."

"I think it would scare anyone." Matoi said. "I mean, you have to see healers constantly, the changes in your body, the recovery period afterwards… it's a wonder so many women are able to return to the knights after having a child."

"It just shows the strength of their resolve." Syrene chuckled. "The love of family may not equal the love of country or job, but its love nonetheless."

Fiora shook her head. She herself had never been vastly interested in romance, but she was also still young. She was the middle sister. Florina would have just turned eighteen which made her twenty-one and Farina twenty-four. Maybe it was time Farina started thinking about settling down. No, she wouldn't do that. Farina was far too stubborn. If Fiora brought up the topic, she'd likely avoid it all the more.

"I don't know about all that love stuff." Marcia said. "Right now, I just want to be a respectable sister."

"We all do, Marcia. We all do." Fiora said, smiling softly.

Fiora stopped. She dabbed at her eyes, attempting to clear them, but found it too difficult to continue. "I'm sorry… might I continue this another time?"

Florina once more brought her sister into a hug. "Of course. We're not trying to force you, sister."

Will nodded. "Why don't you two turn in for the night? It's almost time to shift guards anyway, so it's a convenient time for you two to head for bed. I'll do the same once I've made sure everything's in order."

Florina nodded to Will gratefully, leading Fiora back to the tent the two would share for the evening. Lyn, graciously, had taken Serra and Rebecca into her tent, leaving Fiora with Florina and Priscilla. When they entered, they found Priscilla fast asleep, so it was easy for them to slowly do the same.

Will walked over to Sain and Wil. "Thanks for the hard work, you two."

Sain smiled. "Not an issue. Will… will she be alright?"

Will sighed. "I don't know, Sain. She's been on a suicide mission to avenge her comrades for months, now. That kind of resolve… that kind of desperation… people don't come back from it unscathed."

Wil jumped down from his post, landing neatly on the ground. "I hear you. We won't pry into her affairs. Best let her sister comfort her. It's time like these when family is… important." He trailed off slightly. "Ah dang, I guess Lyn's right again."

"Isn't she usually?" Will asked in confusion.

Sain chuckled. "Only to someone like you, Will."

Sain and Wil left for their tent, leaving Will thoroughly confused. What had Sain meant by that? Was he trying to say Will was blind to Lyn's faults? He thought he covered things pretty well in his notes. Lyn was an expert in combat and she rarely said things that were entirely out of place. Even her misgivings were never entirely in the wrong. Maybe it was just something he wasn't meant to understand.

Raven and Guy emerged from their tent, to take up their shift. It seems neither of them had slept yet, opting instead to stare at each other in a strange mutual silence that Will wasn't sure indicated respect or hostility. "Alright, you two good to take over?"

"Yes." Guy answered.

"Tomorrow we should reach the broken tree, right?" Raven asked. "We only have thirteen days."

"Yes." Will said. "The tree is likely close enough that we should reach it tomorrow. At least, I certainly hope we do."

"We'd better." Raven replied. "There's a dangerous air to this place. If that Pegasus girl could get lost here for months… I'd hate to see the same happen to us."

"Yes… you're right." Will said. "We'll just have to keep our guard up. See you tomorrow."

Guy and Raven took up their posts at opposite ends of the camp, while Will entered the tent he shared with Eliwood and Hector. Thankful that both of them were sound asleep, he collapsed onto the bedroll. If only the Queen had listened… how many more lives does he need before he's satisfied? His eyes closed, falling into a troubled sleep.