Chapter 7: Ending

Felix slowly awoke. As he opened his eyes, he felt a warm sensation against his lips. He opened his eyes, and saw another's eyes gaze deep into his. Karst pulled back from the kiss, and began to cry. "I'm sorry, Felix... I'm so sorry... I did something terrible... Unforgivable... I have no right to say that I love you..." Karst wept.

Three Proxian guards appeared from behind Karst. "C'mon, visiting time is over." They spoke gruffly. Karst shamefully turned her face away from Felix and followed them. Karst quietly closed the door behind her.

Felix looked down, and found himself on a hospital bed. The door opened, and Saturos walked in. "Saturos?!" Felix gasped. Saturos smiled: "Felix, are you alright?" He asked with concern in his eyes.

"Well, yeah, I'm fine. But you're alive, and you look well. What happened?" Felix asked.

Saturos chuckled: "Well, you see, when Menardi and I fell at Venus Lighthouse, we were lucky enough to have had the Lighthouse builders build air shafts to breathe and escape through. We were able to access one of these shafts when Menardi and I stabbed our weapons into the side of the Lighthouse to break our fall. We later escaped from Lavierno via Raft and made it to Vault. Anyways, enough about me. Do you remember anything that has happened?"

"Well, all I remember is that I was drinking a black drink of some kind that Agatio handed over to us... After that, no, I can't say that I do..." Felix began to think.

"Hmn, well, that's because the drink was a potion that Karst had created. It was intended to mind-control you into obeying her every command. Thankfully, we've been able to cure everyone who was affected by the potion. The city of Xian then asked the city of Prox to arrest Karst and Agatio for having mind-controlled the vast majority of its citizens. Prox agreed, but at that time, you, Isaac, and all your friends, except for Ivan and Sheba, were still downed, so we took you to the Proxian Hospital to rest and recover. Karst has been allowed to visit your room, and I see that she just left." Saturos nodded.

"So Karst tried to mind-control me? I wonder what she made me do." Felix began to ponder.

Saturos spoiled it for him: "She made you attack Master Feh's Tai Chi Academy to brainwash more people, and she had you keep her company and cuddle next to her at all times. But I don't think you'd mind about the latter..."

Felix began to blush. "I, um... Er..."

Saturos smiled, but the smile quickly turned into a frown: "I'm sorry, Felix, but Karst made a severe violation to Proxian law. You might not see her again for several decades..."

"Decades? Please tell me you're joking." Felix spoke.

Saturos's expression revealed to Felix that Saturos was definitely not joking.

"Decades... I won't be able to see Karst, for decades?" Felix muttered.

"There are always visiting hours, but no, you won't be able to see Karst very often."

"But she made some stupid mistake!"

"That may be true, but laws are made for a reason, and, unfortunately, so are punishments." Saturos grimly replied.

Felix looked away from Saturos. "Decades... Decades..." He repeated in agony. Saturos thought it best to leave the room and let his friend mourn in peace.

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Saturos entered the waiting room. Ivan, Sheba, and Menardi immediately stood up.

"So, is everyone all right?" Menardi asked.

"Felix just woke up. Piers, Mia, and Jenna should be ready to go home in a few hours. Garet and Isaac are still down and out." Saturos replied.

"Have you told Felix about..." Sheba hesitated for a moment: "Karst?"

"Yes. He did not take it well. It's truly depressing. Karst never meant to do anyone real harm, but she still broke the law, and the law dictates that she must be punished." Saturos sighed.

"Is there any way we can help Felix and Karst? I just can't let my sister suffer so dearly. She made a terrible error, but she regrets it now. Karst was never a real threat to society. Is it truly necessary for her to be incarcerated for so long?" Menardi spoke.

"We've got to find a way to help them both... We have to... We wouldn't have the right to call ourselves their close friends if we did not..." Ivan spoke with conviction.

"And how should we help them? We definitely should, but what can we do?" Saturos asked.

"Well..." Ivan sat down and began to think.

"And nothing that'll get us into trouble, either!" Sheba hissed.

"Nah, those'll be ok, as long as we don't get caught." Saturos joked.

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Over the next three hours, Isaac, Felix, and all of their parties were fully recovered. Karst expressed her sincere apologies to Isaac and his comrades, and Isaac responded in kind. But apologies alone would not deter Karst's sentence, and the girl was taken away to be imprisoned.

"I don't know what to think. The Karst I just talked to and the Karst that tried to kill me before seem like two totally different people. Still, it doesn't seem right to me for her to be in jail for so many years..." Isaac mused aloud.

"We've got to help her somehow... We have to... For both her's and Felix's sake." Piers muttered.

"But how will we do it?" Jenna asked.

Ivan snickered: "I was just thinking that earlier, and I have just the thing."

"We'd better not get in trouble for this!" Sheba glared at him.

"Ivan's smart, and so are you, Jenna, Mia, and Piers. We shouldn't have any problem, Sheba." Isaac chuckled.

"Besides, no matter what, it's our duty to help our friends." Mia concluded.

Our heroes sat down and began to formulate a strategy to save Karst.

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A few hours later...

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Karst was lying down on her dusty cot in her 8' X 8' cell. "Why did I have to be such an idiot?" She groaned. "I betrayed Felix and everyone else. I made Proxians look like greedy and corrupt fools... I brought shame to myself and to my people..." Karst rammed her head against the wall several times. "Why am I such an idiot?" She moaned.

"Um, Karst?" She heard a voice.

"Ivan?" Karst gasped as she looked above her. (Ivan's RPing as James Bond.)

A sword appeared in the stone ceiling, and Karst watched as the sword cut a hole in the ceiling. Before the stone fell to the ground with a crash, someone cast Lift and lifted the Stone up to where someone else cast Carry and moved it aside.

Ivan slowly hovered down until he touched the ground. "Hey, Karst." He smiled.

"Ivan, why are you doing this for me?" Karst asked. Isaac and Piers popped their heads from the ceiling as well. "And why are you two helping him?"

"Because..." Ivan paused for a moment, and smiled. "We're friends. Now, hold on to me, and hold on tight." Ivan spoke.

Karst grabbed onto his robe. "How could I ever thank you?"

"By being happy with Felix for the rest of your days." Ivan smirked.

"You bet I will." Karst winked.

Ivan cast Hover and the pair were lifted up into the hole. Isaac later used his psyenergy to patch up the hole so that it looked the same as before.

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Night covered the land once again. Standing by the sea, with a Lemurian ship behind them, Karst and Felix spoke their final goodbyes to their friends.

Felix and Karst stood side by side as the others stood before them. Saturos and Menardi flashed wary glances behind the party, to make sure that no one else from Prox saw or overheard this final moment.

"Everyone... Thank you so much!" Karst cheered. "Because of you, I'm having this wonderful moment..."

"No need to worry, sister. I'll settle things with Puelle, eventually. In the meantime, stay content with Felix." Menardi smiled.

"And Felix, remember, Karst is like a sister to me. If I ever see her regret being with you, you know what's going to happen, don't you?" Saturos eerily stared into his eyes.

Felix flinched a little: "Um, yeah... Don't worry about it, Saturos."

Isaac laughed: "Don't give him a hard time, Saturos. Felix is an idiot occasionally, but he generally is a pretty good and smart guy."

"Good luck, Felix. We'll be heading out shortly after you." Ivan spoke.

"Yeah, we'll meet up in Vale." Jenna nodded.

"Well, Felix, I might never see you again, but all I can say to both of you is: stay content that you have each other, and that you aren't bachelors like me. I've been a bachelor for over 200 years already, and it's not a fun experience." Piers sighed.

"Have fun, you two. This won't be the last time I'll be seeing you again, though." Mia smiled as she placed her head on Isaac's shoulder.

Felix and Karst smiled, nodded, and waved, and their ship headed off.

"Well, that's that." Menardi muttered.

"Now, let's go get ourselves some sleep. It's going to be a long day tomorrow morning. Don't forget, the entire town's going to be in a panic and we might have some explaining to do." Saturos yawned.

"Still, this has been one amazing vacation." Ivan laughed.

FIN

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Thank you for having read this story. I am currently writing a new Fire Emblem fanfic known as Whims of Fate. Even though some of you might not be Fire Emblem fans, I tried to write the story so that anyone could read it. I ask that you read that new fic too, please.

Again, thank you for your time. I hope that this was entertaining.