*Note: Due to giving me Type 2 error, it took a long time for this to update...:/ anyways let's fast forward a bit...

Hector thought that everything between him and the tactician is going smoothly. She doesn't pick on him that much, compared to before. However, their peace did not last.

A few hours to go before their final confrontation with Nergal, Saei strolled around the camp, checking upon the small troop she'd be bringing into battle, and found Hector sitting alone in one corner. Saei even noticed that Armads is neglected in one corner.

"You seem to be nervous, milord Hector." Saei said as she eyed the young lord. Hector looked up at her. She gave him one of her annoying smirks.

"If you're scared out of your wits, I'm willing to replace you with someone else." she continued, hoping that he'd get angry. The peace between them seems to have dulled her quick tongue and she needs it after this campaign. It's her brain that keeps her alive after all those years of travelling aimlessly.

"Like the hell you'd chuck me out of the troop." Hector said. "Wasn't my name the first you uttered when you picked the people going?"

"Why yes. However, you seem to be out of sorts so..."

"Why are you trying to pick a fight with me?"

Saei blinked and stared at him hard. "Why, whatever made you think that I'm trying to pick a fight with you?" she said innocently. Hector stood up and loomed over her. They were far from the others, almost completely isolated from them. Though Saei knows that somewhere, Matthew is watching.

"You're always trying to pick a fight with me these past few weeks." Hector said coldly. "What with you running around restlessly and screaming random stuff at me. But most of the time, you want to spend my money on something so useless-"

"They weren't that useless!" Saei protested.

"Teddy bears are useless." Hector said pointedly. "I understand the Guiding rings, but to buy a lot of them..."

"I want to study them!" Saei replied defiantly. "I don't come across them that often..."

"And how do you explain the teddy bears?"

Saei faltered. "Well..."

"Well what?"

"Who wouldn't want to study how adorable they are?" Saei said. "I mean, just one look and people find them adorable. I want to know the secret behind it."

Hector stared at her hard. "You know, that's the lamest excuse you've ever given me."

"It wasn't lame!" Saei blushed. Hector sighed and picked up Armads. "Are you pretty sure of the plan you gave us? I don't want to end up on the losing side."

Saei gave him a hurt look. "We did manage to get this far, and now you're starting to doubt me?"

"Just being sure." Hector shrugged. "Well, whatever. I'll just stick Armads on Nergal's head and all will be well." He gave her a negligent wave and left. Saei watched him go.

"By the way you acted at the end, the two of you sounds like lovers." Matthew said as he appeared behind a tree.

"There's no need to rub it in, Matthew." Saei said. "And there's no way our relationship can work out."

"Come on, after all those weeks spent together, you're going to say that it won't work out?"

"Matthew, why are you so concerned about our relationship? I am only but a mere strategist by trade. After all this is over, I'll return to my quiet life as a nobody, teaching here and there."

Matthew looked at her exasperatedly. "What's with all of this sudden pity party?"

"I don't know. Maybe I'm just nervous. I'm scared for if my plan backfires, their deaths will be all because of me."

"You're thinking too much."

"That's why they hired me for. To do extensive thinking and worrying."

"All of Elibe knows already about this war we're doing. And you'd be one of the most prominent one in the list who saved the continent."

"I really don't care." Saei said. Then she looked at Matthew. "Oh well, if something goes wrong in my plan, I'll cook up a new one on the spot."

"Isn't that kind of...risky?"

"That's what war is all about, my dear. Now, if you'll excuse me, I think I'll go and talk to Lord Athos."

"What do you plan after all of this is over?" Matthew said, making Saei stop dead on her track. She turned to look at him with a frown.

"Maybe I'll do what you did after we took Castle Caelin." Saei shrugged. "I'll just disappear without a trace."

Saei watched Athos strike down his former friend with much weariness. She almost lost Hector if she hadn't cried out for help from Pent whilst Athos took it up himself to deal the last strike. She tried her best not to look at Hector's pale face and watched Nergal die. Nergal saw her and recognition suddenly dawned upon him.

"You!" he screeched. "So you're the one who'd been thwarting me ever since then! How did you survived? I told them to kill you and bring your quintessence!"

"Perhaps you've thought wrong, Nergal." Saei said grimly. "Didn't your beautiful morph Ephidel tell you? Lloyd Reed will not lay a hand on me, since he and I goes way back. And I come here to bring him justice."

"DIE!"

Nergal waved his arm, directing his last energy to destroy Saei, but Athos overtook him and finally killed him. The tactician sighed heavily as their adversary is no more. And so is Athos. Her biggest miscalculation. She's going to miss the old man, since he's like the grandfather she never had.

"Do not grieve, child." Athos said as Saei ran to his side. "I am quite getting tired of living."

"But-"

"You did quite well, child." Athos said with a tired smile. "You are truly her descendant."

Saei looked at him quizically. "You know-?"

"Who do you think you're talking to, child? She and I fought together in the Scouring. In fact, you look exactly like her..."

Saei felt her eyes go moist. "But during our first meeting..."

"Hush child." Athos said. "It was their idea. She knew that everything's not yet over and Hartmut had always loved her, and he married her despite knowing what is in store for their children...And to think he forced me to be the godfather of all of their children..." He chuckled ruefully. "But do not think much of it. Live your own life starting today. Your burden is finally over with Nergal's death."

Saei smoothed his white hair, tears silently falling. Hector, Eliwood and Lyndis came to approach them.

"Children of Roland." Athos said. "This land needs your protection from evil. There is yet to accomplish..."

"We'll take care of it." Eliwood said. Athos smiled briefly.

"Children," Athos said. "Do not forget the bonds of friendship you've gained." And with that, he drew his last breath. Saei cried quietly, covering her face with her hands. Lyndis wrapped her arms around her friend with silent tears. Hector and Eliwood helped the two of them out of the ruins. Before leaving entirely, Saei picked up Aureola and Forblaze for safe keeping. Leaving two of the Legendary Weapons out in the open is dangerous.

Hector waited for her outside the ruins, sunlight breaking through the thick trees. A promise of a new beginning. For all of them. Hector saw her and held out his hand.

"Come on, hurry up." he said. "Fargus will leave us behind."

Saei smiled, and then frowned slightly at the mail gauntlet.

"You expect me to hold on this kind of hand?" she said, annoyed. "I'd rather hold a pine cone than get 'accidental' cuts from your gauntlet."

Hector stared at her hard. "What are you complaining about? You've held this hand for a long time when you went down with a fever."

Saei ignored him and walked ahead. Hector rolled his eyes and followed her.

"Hey, don't ignore me!"

"I just did, didn't I?"

"What got into you?"

"Nothing. I'm just feeling peevish."

"I've noticed." Hector said drily. "So, I've heard you and that Black Fang-Lloyd, was it?-goes way back. Care to explain?"

"Eavesdropping is a very bad habit, milord."

"Says you." Hector retorted. "Don't you eavesdrop on people too?"

Saei ignored his comment. "Lloyd and I are childhood friends, even though he's way older than me. Once, I made him promise to marry me."

Hector's jaw tightened. "Unfortunately, he died. Isn't that a tragic love story..."

Saei raised an eyebrow at him. "Now, what got into YOU?"

"Nothing." Hector said through gritted teeth. Saei stopped him at the edge of the forest, before they come into the full view of Fargus's ship.

"Are you jealous?" Saei said pointedly.

"I am definitely not jealous."

"By the way you behave, you sure look jealous."

"What should I be jealous of anyway? It's not like as if you'd reciprocate my feelings." Hector mumbled the last few words to himself, though Saei heard him quite well. She stood in front of him, forcing him to look at her.

"Tell me what's bothering you."

"There is nothing that's bothering me."

"Yes, there is. You can't lie to me, Lord Hector."

Hector stared at her helplessly. Then he sighed.

"You have no plans of settling down, don't you?" he asked. "You seem to be always on the move..."

"I do think of settling down once in a while." she said, bringing hope into Hector's heart.

"You speak for real?"

"I'm not really quite sure, but it does appeal to me. Now that work will be scarce..." She trailed off with an indifferent shrug.

"Then why don't you stay at Ostia with us? That way, you can make use of the library there."

Saei thought about it for a while. Hector knew that she cannot resist the urge of studying. Why did she ever babbled about how she love studying anyway?

"Very well, I accept your offer." Saei said finally, her love for books winning her over. As they walked towards the beach, Dart yelled, "If you two won't really hurry up then we'll leave you behind! Cap'n said we won't be having a smooth sailing since the wind is against us. He wants to get started as long as the water's calm."

"Oh great." Saei said. "I never really liked sailing through bad weather..."

"To think that you're afraid of sailing and not afraid of facing Nergal..."

"Nergal can be killed." Saei said patiently. "However, natural disasters cannot be stopped."

As the two of them boarded the ship, Saei immediately went down into her assigned cabin with a pale face, giving a lame excuse that she needs sleep. Lyndis volunteered to look after her, since she won't allow anyone to go into the tactician's room, where Saei is violently sick because of sea voyage. Hector lamely gave Lyndis one of the teddy bears he confiscated from Saei.

A/N: This is the most confusing and longest chapter I've ever made...