The Taguel State of Amnesia

by Kokiri-Hylian-Hero

There are many Outrealms, filled with stories regarding the war against Grima, an epic struggle, sometimes it ended in tragedy, sometimes victory, sometimes Grima would fall, but the heroes would face other great trials together; this is one such story. Yarne has awoken with amnesia and assassins are after him, his friends and sister will help him, but he soon finds himself alone.

3. The Warren

The Warren

This is act three, but I don't think I can continue after the resolve of the conflict, so I'll try to end this well! As in, I hope this chapter doesn't make the rest of it look bad.

Yarne saw the mountain destination drawing closer, as though it was slowly sliding to them, rather than them driving to Mount Prism…which oddly resembled the one from his dream, even the approach was similar, so his stomach lurch. Morgan could tell he was uncomfortable, and could only imagine one reason for his discomfort.

"You remember that day then? The one when we fought our way up the mountain, I mean."

"Yeah, it was back in the other world."

"Did you start remembering when the mountain first came to view?"

"No, I remembered it yesterday, I had a run in with the assassins, I passed out and remembered a few things about that day, the day when Lucina called on the power of Marth."

"Well, that was after she awakened Naga…do you remember the order of events."

"Yeah, it was right before we went through the…portal, the rock that had fallen between her and that dark shadow person was splitting, and then we slowly crept to the portal, I was hoping she'd be close enough to the portal when the rock crumbled, but she was an arm's length away when we fell into the time warp, and the rock was still intact, but only when I heard of a masked man named Marth at the arena did I know she had gotten away alive."

"Yeah, I know it was scary, and now we're going back…we'll have to make sure that we can all go together this time."

"Yes, and this time I'll do better to protect you, you are my warren." Yarne then saw Panne smile, and he felt proud of himself for the first time in his life…that he could remember.

Lucina stopped the Justice Wagon by a small tree and the team unloaded and began the long hike up the mountain.

Yarne kept his eyes forward as they trekked up the mountain, he remembered Laurent saying they were fifty-eight percent complete, and a few steps later the female assassin reappeared, "You are just in time, truly the older Shepherds were a challenge, but hopefully you will do better than they…and to think these men are merely bandits, but my skills are more than enough to compensate for their…weaknesses in battle strategy."

"You want us to clobber you and your men?" Gerome asked, then a small smile cast its shadow upon his face, "You found the right people." He unhooked his axe from the loop on his belt, everyone reached for a weapon, and Yarne, Panne, and Morgan pulled out their beaststones and transformed, and charged at her, but the team spread out when they saw more soldiers coming down the mountain, "Everyone, over here!" Morgan called out to the team, which then ran to her side.

"What is it?" Panna asked her future daughter.

"Our friends and family are in the caverns somewhere, Lucina, we came from the future, so we should know the way fairly well, we'll hold these guys off, surrounding you as you make your way to the caverns. Mom will go with you, she has excellent hearing; Laurent, you're very skilled at magic and can probably find a way out of any traps down there; Brady, you can heal and kill at your own discretion; Owain and Inigo, you'll be traversing the other tunnels, taking out any enemies hiding there, if they need help then find a way to get ahead of them, strike the enemy hard from behind, then go back to tunnel crawling when the threat's dealt with…unless it's too late for resuming hide and seek, in which case you'll follow Panne. I'll try to send Cynthia, she has orders to shout battle cries on her way in, so you know it's her, when you hear her I want you to fall back and let her deal with any wounds, unless she heals you all long range style before she reaches you, in which case Cynthia will swoop in and drop off supplies, and then leave…we'll want her back as soon as possible, so when Panne hears her, she will drop whatever she's doing and run over, meet Cynthia half way, then both will go back to their respective duties, the rest of us will be here, waiting for you to free the prisoners and crush the enemy, which may or may not be sending in more help, Lucina, questions?"

"No, and if no one else has any, then we should set out now."

Yarne thought for a moment, then asked, "Who's my battle buddy?"

Lucina smiled and set her hand on Yarne's shoulder, "That's a question for your sister. Everyone, well, I'm taking my team now, let's secure the cavern entrance."

The team designated under Lucina surrounded her, while the rest under Morgan surrounded Lucina's team, fighting through the ranks of soldiers that had swarmed up around the cavern entrance, their formations were slowly broken until Morgan's team could surround the entrance to the caverns, while Lucina's team invaded and spread out, Yarne followed his sister and fought alongside her, watching as everyone else formed teams as well.

Morgan and Yarne traveled around the field to the other units and took on a lot of the tougher foes, but Yarne could tell Morgan wasn't going to be able to lead the defense much longer.

"Morgan, I'm tire of hiding behind you, it's your turn to hide now."

"Are you sure?"

"We're both Taguel, we're the most natural born warriors, and you're tired already, so take a break, okay? In fact, everyone should switch out if they haven't already."

"I agree, we're taking a beating, I can't even catch my breath."

"Everyone," Yarne shouted, "switch leaders!"

"Good job, Yarne."

"That wasn't anything, the enemy numbers aren't decreasing quickly, and we can't fight forever, we need reinforcements."

"Yarne, over there, that assassin lady is talking with those bulky bandit guys, I'm guessing they're about to try something, order everyone to come here and split up, the most battered hiding in the middle of our form, you'll slip out with Cynthia, when you see Panne take the supplies from Cynthia, that way she can return soon after…actually, forget that, when you see Panne, take Cynthia's supplies, and tell her to take Panne back to the surface, we need a strong Taguel, and I don't think she's tired right now, if she is then they'd have retreated."

"Morgan, I don't about that, the lives of our families are in danger, and the us of this time haven't even been born yet, I don't think this is the best idea, pulling her out and sending me in."

"Then don't know, don't think, just go and hope it'll turn out alright, we're almost done Yarne, half of the enemy has already fallen."

"There may be reinforcements, and all I can do is hope this will turn out well."

"Yarne, this is how I've always led, how Lucina's always led, this is how it's always going to be, just go, okay?"

"Fine, but I'm not risking everyone else, if we regroup and split teams, then I want it to be to support each other, not secure my escape. I'm going to find Cynthia now."

"Yarne, you're more brave than I had thought possible, it's scaring me."

"Me too, where's Cynthia?"

"I don't know, just listen for the wings of her steed."

"Yeah…over here…more over here…over there?" he ran forward and stepped left, wandering until he heard her Pegasus's wings flapping.

"Cynthia, it's time to go back up Lucina in the caverns." He told her, then looked around the battlefield, "Everyone, go gather around Morgan, she thinks the enemy's planning something, alright?" he nodded then turned to Cynthia, she nodded and they started for the caverns, on the way they found Severa, "So, Yarne, did the plan change?"

"We need Panne out here, I'll go swap out with her."

"You mean you're going to lead the rescue? That's a very weighty task."

"Yes, I know."

"I'd like to go with you, but I have to stay here."

"Yeah, I know...I'd like to have you come along, but we need as many strong people here as we can get. In the caverns the only thing we have to do is clear out the enemy, here is a lot more dangerous…I think."

"Unless the people guarding the tunnels are stronger than you think…just be careful, okay?"

"Of course, but you be careful too, okay?"

"'Of course', he says, as though it were that simple," Severa muttered quietly, and I know you can hear what I'm saying…don't die out there." The said softly, patting his shoulder as the rest of the group formed around them.

"Glad to know you're concerned."

"Well, one of us has to be." She said, waving before she took her position beside Morgan and Kjelle, and Yarne turned around to refocus on his mission, he turned to Cynthia, who patted her Pegasus's back.

"Hop on, Bunny Boy, we've got to go." He sat down behind her and watched as Gerome opened the door to the caverns, because that's all he could do, watch and wait.

The path of the tunnels that Lucina's team had taken was long, and Yarne had plenty of time to worry about how badly the battle above ground was going every second Cynthia and Panne spent down here, away from the action, but then he would worry that there was plenty of fighting here, too. He didn't see many bodies, but took that as a sign that any assassins guarding these passages were very well trained, and Cynthia confirmed it, "In all my experience, Morgan has ever only set three of us all in one place, if she ever set us up for guarding or patrols, but most of the time it only took one of us for whoever we were guarding against…mainly in part to the excellent planning she used to begin with, but these guys…one at a time, either this person is very confident or very careless…maybe it's a bit of both? Maybe these guys are stronger than we think, especially considering they took out all of the Shepherds."

"These warriors may be better than we think, but we sent out the right people for Lucina's team."

"How do you figure?"

"None of these bodies are our friends, they're still alive."

"Prisoners…perhaps it's about time for me and my sidekick to-" she gasped and turned around as a heavy object fell behind them, they turned to see the rest of the group running towards them, followed by the assassins and bandits, Cytnhia stopped and turned around, leaving the supplies with Yarne, "Wait, Cynthia, what are you doing?"

"Keep going, I'll send Gerome back to speed up your journey!"

"No, we're close right now, we have to keep going!"

"Yarne-"

"No, we have to keep going!"

"F-fine, let's keep going then." She said as she urged her mount to fly faster, whispering words of encouragement and fear. Yarne glanced back, gritting his teeth as he saw the team rally around Morgan, he hoped they would be able to hold the enemy off, but things were already being unpredictable enough for him, he wanted to get through the day alive, he hoped that the happy outcome would spontaneously surface, as they had in the battles he first fought in, but this time he would fight too.

"Yarne!" he heard his mother yell, she must have been close, but he knew that Taguels could hear within a large range anyways, so he waited until they rounded the last corner, and Yarne hoped of the Pegasus, taking the supplies they had come to deliver, "Mom, switch out with me, it's urgent and they need help!" he yelled across the hall, she nodded and ran pass him to Cynthia and climbed up behind the Pegasus knight.

"Be safe!" She called out to him.

"You too!" he yelled back as his mother sat behind Cynthia, who flew back the way she had arrived, leaving him with a wounded Inigo, exhausted Owain, exasperated Owain, and relieved Brady. Yarne knew Brady was relieved, considering he had just served Inigo the last of his own medicine.

"Hey, I'm battered over here, mind tossing me something?"

"Here, let's go."

"Yarne," Lucina stopped him, focusing on his reactions, "tell me what the situation back there is."

"Not good, but that's not scaring them…which is scaring me. Their holding a last stand at the neck of the first passage, the mouth being the door to outside…honestly, I've never been this afraid, before I had always fought well, you know, just proving something but then I didn't do much more fighting, but no that I am constantly fighting, becoming stronger, now I'm understanding what you guys must be dealing with, these people are tough, tougher than what I'm used to, so I can only imagine how things must be here."

"Well, I won't lie to you," Lucina began, "we're low on supplies, all this time Brady has been able to recover a slight amount of anything the enemy tears from him, and I've been using Falchion, but Owain and Inigo are relying heavily any elixirs we took with us and of course Brady's staves, but there's only so much we can do, we can't keep pausing, these supplies are going to be very helpful. Let's not rest longer than we need, Yarne, you ready?"

"Yeah, hey, I hear voices, talking about a Taguel here…they must mean Mom, unless they've seen us but didn't attack."

"I thought there was someone unaccounted for," Lucina stomped, "they must know we're here! We've been discovered, everyone hide, Brady, play dead."

"What?" the healer asked, incredulous.

"You look it, now, for the sake of all that is pretty, lie down." Inigo said, smiling as he leaned against the wall, slumping down and bending forward, Yarne shook his head as Inigo stayed still in his bent over position, "Owain, you too, Yarne and I are going to wait here, they know Taguel can hear them, they know we know that their headed this way…if I've learned anything from your sister, it's that sometimes even the best have to play Yarne."

"I thought the term was 'Play possum', what, did she change it or something?"

"I suppose she did…anyways, what can you hear from them?"

"Their coming our way, they had targeted the Taguel mostly, believe her to be exhausted, the rest of you should be tired too, they don't know we've resupplied, but they're not sending only a few men, they don't want you running back."

"Then that's what we'll do, Yarne, you know how we tricked Validar into thinking he had successfully mind controlled your father into killing Chrom? We'll, we're taking a similar approach, let them think Owain, Brady, and Inigo are dead, they'll chase us back to the main group, Owain, Brady, and Inigo will then dash inside the room where the cages are kept, then free the others and run to our rescue, what do you say?"

"What if they know that Owain, Brady and Inigo aren't dead, then what?"

"We'll turn back around and strike them, cut our way back to Inigo, Brady and Owain and…that's just it…if we could only form up so as to have Brady on the far side of us, the we could have him teleport us to his side, we'd have the prisoners then!"

"Brady will try that if they're far enough from him, and he's close enough to us, but for now they're after us!"

"Then let's fight as we've never fought before!"

"Agreed, Lucina, let's fight!" Yarne transformed and watched as the enemy units approached in a methodical fashion, he saw three archers, who stopped right in front of Brady, while the knights slowly stomped forward and pulled out their shields, and the swordsmen leapt forward.

"Ah, the son Taguel." A swordsmen noted, staring at Yarne.

"You've noticed, then?"

"Yes, you're our target, after all."

"Oh, I had forgotten that…Lucina?" Yarne said as the clawed the ground.

"I forgot too."

"Not that it matters, really," the swordsmen continued, "after all, you've suffered from this fight enough, haven't you? You two may as well stop fighting."

"What now, Lucina?"

"Run, Yarne, as fast as you know how."

"Hop on my back, we're out of here!"

"No, I'll stay here and distract them, run!" he ran around the corner and waited…for something. He heard Lucina shout and grunt as she battled with the enemy, he heard the enemy screams, and heard the sound of Falchion healing her, but he didn't know what he was waiting for, but before he knew it, he was behind enemy lines, Brady laying low still.

"Scram, you hear me?" the healer ordered, Yarne nodded and dashed towards the door way, the attention of Lucina's contenders being grasped long enough for her to take a breath and cut down the last swordsmen, then refocused on the knights, who were staggered, and she saw a break in formation.

Yarne saw Lucina dash pass the knights and hold them off, Brady, Inigo, and Owain helping her to hold of the five knights, while five more archers and three warriors ran from around the corner, added to the two swordsmen who had already started towards him. As they approached Ylisstol castle appeared in his mind, he saw himself tied down to a chair, and though these recollections surprised him, he didn't stop fighting, even as he remembered the mages surrounding him, a purple mist filling the air, and the accents they spoke to each other in as they took his memory was familiar, but he didn't know how or why.

Yarne looked around for more foes to fight, but none presented themselves, so he dashed into the room, where the Shepherds were locked in their cages, "It took you long enough." He recognized it was Noire's mother who spoke.

"Yeah, well, your buddies over here aren't exactly weak."

"Good to have a professional opinion, makes me feel less disappointed with myself." Gerome's mom said happily, a wyvern somehow able to fit in the same cage with her…a wyvern that oddly reminded Yarne of Gerome's steed, but he was certain that it was his overall lack of experience with wyverns in general, so thought no more of it; instead he unlocked the cages, having nabbed the keys from the soldiers he had fought.

"Daddy!" he yelled happily, pulling the Grandmaster out of the cage.

"Sorry back there, I don't know what I was thinking, getting captured like that."

"Its fine, but we have to hurry, Morgan's holding the group in a desperate battle back by the entrance, but that was a long time ago!"

"Well, then we have no time to waste, Cherche, Cordelia, Tiki, Nowi, and Sumia, take Kellam, Lon'qu…never mind, not Lon'qu…ahem, Kellam…and just grab anyone who's not on an especially quick runner, let's go! Yarne, the stables are right there, Minerva was the only one they couldn't risk transferring, being a wyvern and all."

"Here you guys go, off to Cordelia and Sumia with you, our other friends need your help!" he opened the stables and two white blurs left him in their wake, "I'm glad to see you too." He said, noting the haste with which they ran to their riders. Yarne saw the group split and followed, Frederick, Sully, and Stahl each took a horse and set off, lifting up some of the other's and riding after the fliers. Yarne just hoped they weren't too late.

What Yarne hit him with mixed feelings, on one hand the units were spread out better, but on the other hand he was able to see how large the enemy's forces were, he ran up to where his father was kneeling down, Severa was worriedly standing over him, which was unusual in many ways, the most prominent being that Severa was hardly ever worried, much less openly, but then he noticed a Taguel lying by their feet, Brady and Cynthia were pinned down by twelve knights, trading places with each other whenever the other had taken enough hits from the two healers. As Yarne stepped closer he realized that his sister was the Taguel he saw, as his mother was fiercely clawing at the assassin woman from earlier, but she had her own set of healers, so the battle was slow. Yarne knew the woman was doomed, his mother being the one fighting her was enough for him to know, but he hoped it would be before it was too late for Morgan. Yarne saw Emmeryn across the room, fighting alongside Sumia and Cordelia, who both had staves, and Gangrel was trying to keep up with the enemy as he healed whatever injuries they caused.

Yarne stepped closer to where Morgan lay, and was partially relieved when he heard her breathing, but it was a struggle for her, he could hear as much, "Yarne, I'm sorry, I did my best; I wasn't strong enough, not quick-" Severa began, but Yarne's father interrupted, "Yarne…I'm so sorry," his dad looked up, fearful of his future son's reaction, "she was helping me and then I slipped up, the enemy was closer than I thought, I got over confident, I allowed myself to forget them until it was too late, and they were upon us."

"It's no use beating yourself up, I'll take her to Cynthia and Brady." He lifted her up, but Chrom set his hand on the Taguel's shoulder, "Twelve knights, all with beastslayers, taking her there at all is a risk, moving her at all is a terrible risk; I don't what we can do."

"We have to try." He said, helping his sister off the ground, "Break through those knights, I'll help her over to Cynthia and Brady, you three have to break their formations and Cynthia will be able to fly safely pass them, I'll let you two get a running start; but what do you think, Dad?"

"Well, I don't see how I didn't think of that…some of my best work was under pressure, though, so maybe you got that from me? Let's go, Chrom, questions?"

"None, if this is the best way, we'll do it, at least the brunt of enemy is focused on the rest of our friends, which grants us a small chance of going unnoticed."

"Agreed, my son's a tactical genius."

"Don't praise me yet, I have my doubts." Yarne trembled slightly, worried his plan would fail."

"I don't doubt you," Severa asserted her opinion, "so you better not either, it'll make you look stupid when we pull this off." She said before joining Chrom and Yarne's father in the attack he smiled, then frowned, he wasn't sure if that was to be taken seriously or lightly, so he didn't think on it anymore, and focused on the timing instead, "Okay, Morgan, if we go now then you can just focus on carefully hobbling over there, okay?"

"Yeah, maybe I should retire?"

"Ha, but we need you!"

"Yeah, well, no one said I was going to get shot at."

"You're not serious?"

"Just joking, lighten up, okay?"

"Yeah, not happening…we're almost there. Morgan, your blade!" he yelled, and she drew the sword at her side, which he took and held carefully, slinging the blade up in time to hit the tip of a lance, knocking of balance the knight wielding it, opening up for a quick counter strike, he smiled as the knight fell, then saw it was Severa who had taken out the knight and stopped smiling.

"You'll have to do better than that!" Severa called out as she turned her attention to another knight, while Cynthia flew over to them, but a knight was closing in on Morgan and Yarne, Morgan start to sit down and he let her go, switching the blade to his right hand and held off the knight until Brady took out the contender.

"It was a good effort, though, and you were disadvantaged earlier, being right handed and all."

"So you noticed?"

"Yep, good job too," Brady said, stepping over to where Cynthia was healing Morgan and began helping the rider, "might want to practice, you have a lot of potential."

Yarne smiled and looked around him, the Shepherds and their children had joined strength and now there were one on ones instead of seven to ones, but Yarne hadn't seen the assassin lady, which was a problem, because he was sure she would pose a problem just by herself, considering that everyone present was tired after the battle, including Panne, who had taken on a Taguel worthy few, but he knew that half the battle was hers, though being a Taguel he shouldn't have been surprised, though he was worried that he hadn't fought as many as he should have. Yarne heard a voice as he turned to check the progress of his sister's healing, it told him to go to where the portal to the past had appeared, he turned and thought it was Severa, but even her voice would have been distorted, knowing this he went to where the portal appeared, having been told that a note was on a wall there, detailing the brainwashing ritual he suffered from, and so he went, turning one corridor and another, eventually finding the room and a note on the wall, but then he screamed as a bolt of dark magic stuck him, he turned to his assailant, only to find an arrow flying towards him, he tried to escape it, but it caught his shoulder. The archer that shot him had been the assassin woman, but instead of setting another arrow to her bow, the figure who cast lightning at Yarne had stabbed her through the throat with an arrow of her own. The dark figure laughed and stepped towards him, Yarne looked behind him and saw a swarm of Risen running his way, out of a portal, presumably to the future.

"I just got back, Yarne."

"You're Grima, just like when my dad fought you."

"Oh, that, well you'll be surprised to know that I'm the one who tried to possess him, but his Heart of Grima was too weak to sustain me, some of my power latched onto him…but for the rest I got sent back to the future, I posed as your grandfather's hierophant, knowing that the Grima of this time would likely fail, but as a result I was able to launch an unexpected attack…this woman was from the future, she was Grimleal, not by faith, but hopes that her son wouldn't be taken into the army…after I take control of you in this world, this Grima and I will merge, and you will be lost, knowing this I give you a choice, to grant your friends a good end, or to let them know the horror you will visit upon this world."

"What's a good end anyways?"

"Just remember that I gave you the chance, if you pass it up, it's you who will hurt your friends."

"You gave Dad the same choice in this world, did you know that?"

"Ha, in the old world I didn't have to present a choice, he took his fate as though if of his own will."

"Lies, now be silent, Chrom will end you in this time!"

"Let him come then, he and your father of this time, but they will never defeat me! Let all mortals stand against me at once, and in the blink of an eye all life will be ended by my own hand!"

"Be careful what you wish for!" Lissa yelled as she threw a bolt of lightning at Grima, who rose his hand a dragon's mouth coming out of the portal and spewing dark breath at her, but her son from the future stepped in and blocked the attack, followed by a powerful attack, but Grima had dodged before the blow landed, Owain grimaced, expecting a hit, but Yarne blocked the attack.

"Older Shepherds, after the Risen!" Yarne heard his father order, as Morgan ordered the Justice Cabal to attack Grima.

"Yarne, I'll help you fight this guy!" Morgan exclaimed, the pointed at Laurent, "You go and find a way to slow down Grima, he's tearing right through that portal, take anyone capable with you, Chrom, hey, be ready for me to call you over, you'll strike the finishing blow!"

"Alright, I'll be waiting!" Chrom called back, then resumed fighting some Risen.

Yarne and Morgan fought Grima for longer than Yarne could remember, he was terrified for much of the battle, but then Morgan held up her hand, "Stop, he's down, Chrom, now!" Chrom turned around and ran towards the shadowy figure who looked like his tactician but wasn't, and struck him with Falchion so hard that he was sent across the room, landing with his back against the wall, and his chin against his chest, then laughed.

"You can't kill me, I'm a god, and this proves it!" Grima only stopped laughing as Lucina ran after him, he leapt up and ran, the Taguel siblings close to him.

"Yarne, we have to stop him and have Lucina deal then final blow!" she said, but he shook his head, "Grima looked back at us just then, he looked terrified, I think that he's only vulnerable to those from his own time, like you, me, or Lucina's Falchion!"

"I get it, that's why he's so scared!"

"Yeah, let's hurry up and catch him!" Yarne turning around and saw the fliers from both generations, but the Risen were closing in on them, Grima had noticed this and smiled, he vanished and both he and Morgan could tell where had gone, they turned around and ran back to the room where the portal was, Grima's dragon form was tearing its way out of the portal, and the Shepherds who weren't with the fliers were hiding away from the Fell Dragon, gathering their strength for a final move, "Morgan, Yarne!" Panne yelled across the room, "Stay back!" but purple lightning hit the two and they fell, weakened by the attack Grima used, Yarne turned around and saw Cordelia flying to their rescue, tired but determined, until the lance of an enemy flier dismounted her.

"Morgan, Grima's about to kill us, you run, I'll take him out."

"No one's taking anything out!" Severa yelled as she swiped Brady's staff and mounted her mother's Pegasus, the first thing she did was to raise her staff, and Lucina appeared next to her, "Hop on, Princess!" Severa yelled, followed by Lucina climbing up behind her, "I know the plan." Lucina yelled and Severa nodded, guiding the wings of her steed to where Grima stood, she saw that Lucina held Falchion ready for a swift downward motion, but she saw Grima smile and the Fell Dragon ripped through the portal and soared towards Yarne and Morgan, dark breath gathered in its mouth, the siblings held onto each other, waiting for the dark breath that would end them.

Yarne opened his eyes to see a green mist surround him and Morgan, a staff raised by Severa being the source, and then he heard a gasp behind him, as Cordelia gazed at the new flier, "Oh, she's so good at flying! I had better watch out if I want to remain commander of the Royal Pegasus Guard!"

Yarne saw Severa allow herself a small smile before dodging Grima's second breath attack, but the impact sent Lucina falling back, Severa turned around and held up her staff, targeting Lucina to heal whenever the Exalt hit the ground, while Yarne and Morgan reached forward to catch her. Morgan caught her, but she fell forward when she did, "Morgan, are you okay?! You should have left the catching to me! You're a lot smaller than her, so be careful, okay?"

"Yeah, sorry, but I couldn't let you break those flimsy arms of yours, you'd better be glad I've worked out back in the fight against Walhart, or I might have let you catch her…who knew being the hero hurt, huh?"

"Morgan-"

"I know, be careful, thanks for helping me up, by the way."

"Yeah, I'll go cover Severa now, Grima's out of the portal…"

"I'll help Lucina to Cynthia, if we run we should be back in time to tuck Grima in for the…millennium."

Yarne nodded and turned to back up Severa, who found that the Risen were swarming around their master, "Severa, Lucina's still not back yet, and you're growing weak, I can tell…there's no easy way to end this, but…I have to."

"No, Yarne, you're crazy, I'm not letting you do this! Don't leave me, please."

"Severa, don't cry, especially when you're still flying!"

"It's fine, there's something else flying around here, I caught it with my eye."

"Severa, I'm sorry, I'll try not to, but if Lucina isn't back soon…and if you don't get those cuts healed, then I'll have to-"

"No, Yarne, you're not! I never told you…the reason why I was so snappy at first is because of my parents, when they died in that battle, I had to grow up, it was like I was looking at some older, and I was angry for her sake, but she was scared that like her parents, anyone she got close to would leave her, but me, being the childish audience, didn't want her to fight alone, I knew she wanted friends, but I wouldn't let myself be anyone's friend…not until I was sure they'd stay."

"Severa…I didn't know…I had no idea we were both scared of something brought on by the death of our parents at an early age…I never knew you were so affected-"

"You mean that I didn't care, that I was just snarky by nature? I guess I should have told you, but you always seemed to find some way to keep from carrying your weight, I was just scared that you'd think we were on the same level, when that's actually what it was…your mom and mine both left a legacy that neither of us thought we'd carry, but here I am, on a Pegasus."

"Yeah, well, I think that together we can stand up to anything that has an impact on our lives, past or future."

"Which is strange, because even though we came from the future, we were in its history, even though it was in another world…that's why you can't leave me, Yarne, or I'll remember how angry I used to be that people I cared about, people I loved, could be taken from me."

"I know, but the older Laurent's wards could only hold Grima's dragon form for so long…and Lucina's still fighting her way through the Risen."

"It's almost too late for you, Yarne!" Grima taunted Yarne and held out his arms, "Join me now, and you will grant your friends a painless end."

"Well, Grima, that's why we call them friends, because it's to the end." Yarne said, and leapt forward, the Fell Dragon and Severa both telling Yarne to stop, to reconsider, he didn't ignore their yells, but he saw the battle and his choices, the Risen were blocking Lucina's progress, and he could feel as though he were aiming an attack on Severa, but he had only briefly considered that it was his link to Grima that allowed him to sense that, he also saw how tired the others were, and with his friends imperiled his thoughts blurred, if anything was clear it was that he was pressured to act, and the Risen were relentless, so his left ear pointed up, Severa saw on his ear the Mark of Grima and bowed her head in resignation, and everyone heard Yarne's voice, including Grima, as his body slowly disintegrated, "You were and ever will be my friends and my warren, please, don't ever forget that."

Severa kept her focus on the ground clenching the reins of her mount. She felt someone reach up to her shoulder, then realized that they saw her crying, she looked down to find Cordelia looking up worriedly at her, "I know he's not gone…his dad was able to come back…he will too, right?"

"I hope so, Severa, I can't begin to imagine how you must be feeling."

"You can begin, losing your friends like you did…not even knowing what they thought of you…you told me once, you know? In the future you'd always look back, as though something was missing, I now I know what you was looking for…why them, right? That's what I really want to know."

"Come here, you shouldn't try to keep yourself in the saddle when you're feeling down."

"I don't think I can, I feel like I suddenly appeared here."

"It'll become easier to dismount you Pegasus as you practice, and even if you get bruised in the fall, it'll be better than being stuck."

"You're right, he wouldn't want me stuck in the air like this."

"No, I didn't mean to have a second meaning to that, I just-"

"No I mean, in the literal sense…but yeah, there could be a second." She said as her mother from the present helped her off the Pegasus. She turned to Morgan and scratched her head, "I don't know how to say this-"

"It's fine, he was your boyfriend and my brother, I can imagine that it's around equally hard for both of us."

"He was your brother for longer, though."

"Yes, he was…but for some reason, I don't feel like he's left…I should be crying, but I'm not."

"It might just be me, I'm not good at losing."

"Me neither, but we both deal with it differently."

"I think he's here…he's not gone too far, I feel like he's right behind me…but behind me has taken on a different meaning…like in a different world."

"Maybe it's just my delusions…but…Tiki, over here! Where can Naga open a portal to the other world?"

"I'll understand, everyone, follow me to the Table, Chrom, you are the Awakener, and though the Fire Emblem's purpose is fulfilled," Tiki explained, "she will still appear, but only if you lay Falchion on the Table."

"Right," Chrom replied, following the Voice of Naga to the Dragon's Table, "everyone, follow me!"

"Awakener, what need have you to come here, and why were you here, to be captured by those villains, did you know of Grima's return from the other realm?"

"Well, that's the thing," he said offhandedly, "we didn't know, but are children, who you…or, rather, the you from the future…or some alternate timeline in which our world was in ruins…by our world I mean a world where we were in it but didn't…make it…uh…Lucina, I don't think I'm explaining it well."

"Lady Naga, I am Chrom's daughter, but not this Chrom…this world has a…twin, so to speak…I came from there with my friends, a ruined future in which all hope was lost, Grima returned, my…our parents were killed, the Shepherds were all dead…we believe that one who was with us might be there…Yarne was his name…he slew the Grima from the other world from which we came, is that at all possible?"

"I was also from that world, in a manner of speaking." The great Divine Dragon spoke, "from that world I came, fearing for the last humans, I opened a rift in time to allow you go back, I warned you that the future may not exist…Grima was bound to that realm, anyone with the Heart of Grima who kills Grima will almost irrefutably share his fate…a return to Grima's final resting place in that world may not be impossible."

"No!" Severa screamed at the dragon, she tried not to say them, but the words soared through the air before she could question them. Everyone had sensed Naga's presence, when Chrom awakened Naga they felt her presence, and now that presence was tense in the air. Severa grimaced as she wondered what would happen next.

"You speak so boldly, child," Naga said calmly, "as though you have seen it yourself."

"Yes, but that's what I am, just a child, just please help me find Yarne, tell me if he's okay, please!"

"Very bold…but then you waver, if you are uncertain of yourself then I cannot be sure of his fate…but if you want him to still be here, then I am certain that your words are…evidence of a strong bond that may be yet enough to hold him…be brave for whatever you find…but as for the world in which your parents were buried…it is no longer, Grima consumed it, here was next, as the world's time was linked with this one…and then he failed, your dark future is no more…ah! Yarne?! Here? No, that…this world…I am…leaving…to the future I belong? Ah! You can't go back, but you can still go forward…Yarne is forward…an you are in it." A portal opened up where the one Grima came from had appeared, where the one Naga had opened in the future appeared, and a white mist flew from the Table to the portal, and Naga's voice was heard through the room once more, "I…cannot remember…what you thirteen are doing here." She said, as Lucina, Morgan, Severa, Noire, Kjelle, Nah, Cynthia, Brady, Gerome, Owain, Laurent, Inigo, and Yen'fay began to slowly fade away, leaving the Shepherds to wonder what had happened.

"So, Chrom," his tactician began, "what do you make of this?"

"I don't know…they were there and now they aren't…maybe they were telling us what not to do as parents."

"Yeah, don't go dying on your kids…hmm?"

"You don't buy it?"

"Not at all, they were here with a specific purpose in mind, but they weren't from our time…yet they will be…this is weird."

"Remind me to never go time travelling…we killed Validar, yes?"

"Yes, but someone's out there…pulling strings."

"I've sent Stahl on a secret mission, Cordelia's guarding the streets, Vaike is on his home town, protecting it, Gaius is breaking into suspicious back accounts to investigate the politicians we've suspected…without taking any of their money, or at least so I ordered him."

"I saw Maribelle working on law stuff earlier, Sumia's helping Cordelia to patrol and keep on top of training new recruits, we're going to have a much bigger Royal Pegasus Knight Guard before the year's done. Oh, did I mention I ran into Frederick, apparently he and Kellam are your main guard now? I should be kept on top of things around here, you know?"

"Yes, but you worry so much about these things as it is, not as much as Frederick, for which I am thankful, but still, you worry enough to worry me, what'll I do if my tactician falls ill right before an attack? What will I do if Panne asks why I pushed her husband in his work?"

"If it's you, the call Maribelle and take the enemy to court; but if it's Panne…pick a god and pray. Anyways, Olivia wrote to me and said that Flavia and Basilio were paying for her wartime duties, fighting and such, she says they're being excessive and that she really wants to use the money for the stage I was talking to you about, the theatre, well, I told her she might as well name it after the two Khans, and you know what she replied to with? She said she'd call it 'Toucan's' like the tropical bird."

"No way."

"Yes, way, way, in fact, I was surprised, but before I could send a response I received an envelope, inviting Panne and I to the Toucan's Theatre."

"Frederick read a letter like that, he thought it looked suspicious, but I told him there was nothing to it…looks like I was right."

"Yep…what about Sulley?"

"Last I heard she was enjoying the title of knight, I say enjoying because she never considered herself as such until yesterday, she said she felt she could receive the title, and wanted to undergo the knighting ceremony, yesterday was the day."

"Yeah, I was there…right next to you."

"Well, I didn't mean to insult your intelligence, but I meant that other than that, I have no idea what she's up to."

"Too late, intelligence insulted…anyways, did you hear about Henry."

"Please tell me he isn't instigating another war."

"Nothing so dire, Chrom, he's actually changed a bit…I didn't think it was possible, but the change started after we put Grima to sleep…he became less obsessed about blood, but after that incident with the children being transported, he's gone into horror fiction, he's a writer…and Maribelle's loaned her press to him for the purposes of publishing."

"The scary part?"

"He's…actually really good…it's about this guy who kills some guy and he…he…it's almost too terrible for words…he chops up the body-!"

"He eats the pieces?!"

"No, worse, he hides them in the floorboard, the guy reminds me of Henry, the way he talks so kindly to the officers, so calm, but on the inside…he's scared, and ends up confessing to everything!"

"Well, that's a relief…I think."

"Yeah, enough of that, what's up with Ricken, he's your assistant, right?"

"Yep, he's my Court Mage, he also insists that he's a part of my guard, so he's been…like a miniature Frederick…I honestly think I'll go crazy, between the two of them!"

"Ha, ha, ha, I'm sorry, that was an overreaction, yes? That glare means no, right?"

"Yeah, we're talking about something else, before you remember that poster of me Frederick decorated the camp with."

"I know, those muscles were such exaggerations, Vaike's way bulkier than you!"

"You…must have gotten double amnesia…whatever, as long as you can't remember that."

"Your face is red, should I call your sister, or perhaps your wife?"

"No…I'm fine, just dueling with embarrassing thoughts."

"Wait, I thought Miriel was your Court Mage."

"Well, she decided that Ricken was a good assistant to her, and then said he could be a Court Mage as well, saying that she wants some time to study so her son will have a lot of applications to discover…she also said that she'd train our new mages between studies, and Ricken really had nothing to do, so we have him until he decides whether or not to keep the good."

"The kid really looks up to you."

"I know…have you seen Lissa?"

"She's in your office, Ricken said he could watch and make sure she didn't sign anything."

"I guess that's fine, she really wants to help, always trying to be more like Emmeryn…last I checked she was in the castle gardens."

"She came in with me and Panne, Panne can't stop talking about how cruel she was when they meet that one time, Emmeryn keeps telling her it's alright, but Panne tells her that's just because she can't remember."

"Hmm, in some ways she reminds me of myself…Panne and I both lost something, but even when I found Emmeryn…it still wasn't the same, but I have no right to complain, she's alive, and maybe better that she doesn't remember some of the hardships she suffered as a young Exalt."

"Maybe…I'm glad she's happy here at the castle though."

"Emmeryn?"

"Yeah, I always admired her, but maybe she could be happier now, knowing nothing of the terrible past."

"If only I could travel back…perhaps I can, but it would alter what has happened here."

"Agreed, for now we should just leave the past alone, even if it doesn't return the favor."

"I've been thinking…Aversa has a lot in common with my sister, painful pasts, did you ever talk with Aversa about Emmeryn?"

"No...but she has been travelling with a certain merchant, keeping her safe from bandit attacks…they've tried to sell me some lotion, and I we didn't speak much about her…she apologized and I told her that I was as guilty as she was, afterwards the only things I heard was sales pitches and 'Big Brother', between the two of them, I was fairly annoyed about three minutes into shopping."

"Probably for the best…she wasn't in complete control of her actions."

"We're both guilty for what has happened."

"Both of you regret it, though, and that's enough."

"Well…what about Nowi, has she flown away and left us alone?"

"Under the watch of Tiki, I think having another Manakete around makes them feel less like they're…alone, in a way."

"I agree, they both lived a long time…last I heard they were navigating the skies of…all over the place."

"Hmm, Nowi likes exploring, then?"

"Can't seem to keep still, kind of like Basilio and Gregor, huh?"

"Well, yeah, but what about Gregor, he said he'd stick around until we were done, we're not done yet! We still have to rebuild."

"He's actually working a few odd jobs…mountain lions and whatnot, he's raising funds for us."

"Wow…that's really generous."

"I know, right? Kind of like Libra."

"I have heard he set up healing stations all over the place."

"Yeah, and guess who's helping him? I'll give you a hint: She stalked me…a lot."

"No way, Tharja?"

"She says that she's bored of killing things now, but I suspect she casts the odd hex here and there…so some visitors return shortly after."

"She's an odd one…how about Say'ri?"

"Doing well, a lot of the Valm Empire is still tangled together, after all the roads Walhart rebuilt to supply his forces, but he hasn't been in charge since he was defeated, so she's ruling the empire now, though, after her brother vanished…she has been a little absent minded, I mean, he had only just gotten here, but I guess she's managing. Oh, and by the way, Virion is a little more than kind of upset that his kingdom is still not fully in his control, but she told him that the local houses would still maintain prewar status, so hopefully he can get over it now."

"Speaking of Virion, what about Cherche?"

"She's at Wyvern Valley, she's made the world a safer place for wyverns…Nowi and Tiki often drop by to lend a hand."

"What of Anna, as I recall, she had sisters."

"Yes, and Anna…has set up an orphanage…unfortunately, Priam could sell the kids the stories better, but poor girl, she tries."

"I'm sure Priam would help if he wasn't busy being the main muscle behind the restoration effort."

"Fortunately Aversa's there, they decided that she would be the witch while Anna's the sweet little adventurer who stumbles upon the witch, then Anna haggles the hag…it's fairly original."

"I thought Anna was still in the merchant business?"

"She works nearby, trying to keep enough money to spend on the orphans."

"She's always been a planner, huh?"

"I guess so. Hey, where's Gangrel?"

"He's helping Gaius in the investigation."

"Where's Donnel, then?"

"Managing his old village, he's trying to expand it with the gold you gave him for helping in the war."

"Yes, and he has spoken with Ricken, right? Anyways, is Walhart also doing well, has he found the path he strayed from?"

"He's opened a new restaurant and named it after you."

"Well…hopefully not my name and all."

"No, it's something else…I can't recall the name, though."

"Well, how's baby Lucina?"

"As opposed to grown up Lucina from the future? She's doing well, but how's Panne, I heard she was searching for other Taguel."

"She's found a few, but they weren't the most accepting…she felt excluded for a long time, I can't imagine how that must have felt…but a lot of times, when I'd loss control of myself, and Validar would control me, I would feel this heavy feeling in my stomach, I think that's close to what she felt."

"Yeah, you know, you and Panne haven't seen Lucina in a while, huh?"

"Yeah, has she spoken yet?"

"Well, if her first word and her future version are any indications, we have an eavesdropper in the family, but I swear she gets it from her mother."

"Oh, yeah, what was her first word?"

"What did we talk about last time you and Panne were there? I'll give you a hint, Lucina is the Exalt, and…you need me to tell you, fine, her first word was…"

"Morgan!" Yarne yelled as she appeared in the marble hall in the caverns within Mount Prism.

"No way!" she said happily, "I thought we'd have to hunt you down like we did Father!"

"Step aside, Morgan!" Severa ran pass her and smiled at Yarne, "Hey, Yarne, it's good to see you here."

"Yeah, sorry for back then."

"That was years ago, back when our parents were young…where are we now?"

"Well, we're in a future…not the same one we came from, but one we built with our parents…and each other. As far as everyone else knows, this is the day when we and our parents slew Grima…Naga, what all has happened, are our parents…dead?"

"No," Naga replied, "they have survived, but your counterparts…do not know about you, you've hidden sealed in this place for a decade, you are legends, but with no time…you cannot regain your lost world...Grima is dead, though, not even his bones remain."

"That…that's not bad…the Shepherds survived, right?" Severa asked, "So we won, the future is secure, we can't go back to where we came from, but we're all okay, so let's celebrate!"

"Who are you and," Noire began, "what have you done with Severa?"

"Hey, I just feel really good right now, okay? It's that time travel; it's gotten me so disorientated."

"Let's visit the Shepherds." Lucina said, smiling, so they began in that direction, but Naga began speaking, and it was decided that they would teleport instead.

"Morgan," Lucina shook her head as her friend's counterpart took a tactical book away from Morgan's dad, "how can I tell you how many times I put my life in your hands?"

"Well, tell me," the younger Morgan began, "did I look cool leading you in and out of danger?"

"Well, Morgan from my time," Lucina turned to her younger self, who was saving Yarne from himself, "did you look cool?"

"Not as cool as Father, never as cool as Father." Was the reply, younger Morgan shook her head, "That was my line, older me."

"Well, excuse me, you, but I was using that line when you were still in diapers…you know what, you weren't even born then! So, Father, have you been honing your skills? I'd love to play chess with you!"

"Really, this Morgan prefers tactical board games instead, she's really quite good at it."

"Oh, well, Father, you forgot to tell her how many times she destroyed you in the future…oops, I'm the only one of the three of us with the benefit of hindsight here, sorry…um, let me tell you this, Morgan…younger me, you are going to be the best tactician ever, but watch out for your little brother, okay? I'm not telling you to protect him or anything, but he's…a lot braver in this timeline…I guess you're more reserved though, huh?"

"Not by much, let's play, I keep the board game set out at all times, just in case!"

"Great!" she left the room with her younger self, and Yarne turned back and shook his head, "She's really good, especially watch out for the Gale Force attack!"

"Hey, Yarne, don't tell my older self that!" the younger Morgan admonished her younger brother's older self.

"Ha, predictable, you're going down!"

"I was going to say that!"

"Hey, don't fight yourself now, Morgan!" the younger Yarne said, amused by his sister fighting someone who was her, from a different time.

"Hey, little me, look, these are much better than the blocks I played with when I was l was your age, see, these blocks you have now…look exactly the same…where did you get these from?"

"Anna has been crafting blocks for a while now, she gave them to your younger self for his birthday…I wonder where the ones from the future came from."

"I guess it's like Lucina always used to tell us," Yarne's dad said as he sat down his books, "the future really does favor the original path." He sat back and enjoyed the silence, until he heard Morgan yelling at her older self, "Time to tip the scales!"

"My Dark Flier! You…killed my Dark Flier, how could you?!"

"Because your presence is endangering my leader, do you think I want am automatic loss? I'll pass thanks but no takers!"

"Oh, yeah, we'll this is threatening your commander."

"No, I'm pulling him out with my retrieval staff, and then I'll corner you with the mage, my evasion says your high hit rate doesn't stand a chance."

Yarne shook his head, "Some things never change." He looked out the winder and saw the rest of the children from the future beckoning him outside, "Hey, Morgan, it looks like there's another bandit sighting, you coming too?"

"Yep, sorry, squirt, I'm bailing on you!"

"Oh, no you're not, when you get back, you're finished!"

"Oh?"

"Wait…look, before you guys go…I know you're not originally from this time, but…please, you've got to promise to come back, please."

"Hey, we're coming back, though that was a pretty solemn change from your taunting…hey, I'm coming back, how else are you going to beat me?" Morgan smiled at her younger self and waved, then went outside to where Severa was talking to her younger self. The people he had grown up with we slightly different, Severa wasn't angry, but she had no reason to hide grief behind anger, and this time, Yarne had no reason to be afraid, as his mother would train him to be a Taguel warrior, as she had not had the opportunity to in the time he remembered.

"Hey, Severa, we going?"

"Yes, I'm just telling this Severa to stop listening to the idiots telling her she can't be a Pegasus Knight, she apparently lacks natural ability, I told her I had never ridden a Pegasus until the day the Shepherds met Grima from the future, about how I took her by the reins after Mom had been dismounted, I jumped on after taking Brady's staff, and then picked Lucina up and flew to Grima, how I saved you and Morgan by healing you before his breath attack could finish you off, Mom had to help me off, but that's because I was emotionally distressed, anyways, she has no reason to worry, she is going to be one of the best fliers."

Her younger self smiled and let the children from the future go out on their mission, and they would fight many more, and would always return to the castle they called home, the castle that had seen assassinations thwarted, and had seen the eyes of Grima, but would never have to face the Fell Dragon, and the Mark of Grima would never trouble the world again.

Alright, that's a wrap, buddies! This was for the contest issued by Jane Glass, Yarne was chased by assassins, and they couldn't go home, instead they went to the future and found themselves growing up safe and happy, with their parents. Also, I have successfully paired Yarne with Severa, as well as parallel their fears, so they're one of those pairing I look at and say, "Those two are so like each other", which may have been what I was thinking when my first idea for them came about, they both have fears caused by the death of their parents…and it seemed a good idea to give Yarne the power to ultimately stop Grima, besides, carrot soup*, what more do you need?

*(Reference to My Unit and Panne's conversations.) KHH sighing out! *sighs, pass out*

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