I do not own any of these characters (besides Ike's friends, Aaron, and my version of Death) they belong to Nintendo. Warning: This chapter is really cheesy but it is the longest. Bear with me, the story will pick up soon.

(Ike)

Ike smiled and waited for the sea of men to pass before jogging back to his own army. He grazed the field and found a large blue cat standing near the tree line, next to him was another large cat, who was tan with green eyes. The tan Cat was a bit smaller than the blue one but neither compared to the blue Tiger standing close by. Ike smiled as he recognized the Laguz. He ran at Ranulf and tackled him. Ranulf yowled and pinned him down, teeth bared. Ike laughed, "Nice to see you too, buddy."

Ranulf huffed and released him. Ike looked over at the tan Cat and dipped his head respectfully, "A pleasure to see you too, Lethe."

Lethe looked him over and gave a short growl in response. Ike turned and gave a similar greeting to the Tiger, Mordecai, who dipped his head in return. Sheik joined him and gave them a weak smile. Mordecai leaned close to her and inspected her. Her eyes widened as she looked at Ike then back at the Tiger sniffing her.

"Uh, Ike..."

"It's okay. Mordecai won't hurt you. I'm not sure you ever met the Laguz, have you?"

"No, I would have remembered."

"Right. Well, I'll properly introduce you when they return to their less, uh, feral forms."

Sheik nodded and watched as Mordecai gave her a small nudge and watched the tree line for a few more moments.

"Don't worry about them, their general is taken care of. They won't reform for a time," Ike told them.

Upon hearing that they immediately returned to their more human forms and looked at Ike.

"Thanks for coming," Ike said.

"It wasn't easy convincing Skrimir to allow just us to come. It's nice to see you too by the way," Ranulf answered.

"This is Ranulf, Ranulf this is Sheik," Ike said. They shook hands. Ike repeated the process for each Laguz, only Lethe didn't shake hands. Ike opened his mouth to ask the whereabouts of Greil when a hand griped his shoulder. He turned and found Zelgius looking at him expectedly. Ike nodded and looked at the Laguz to apologize but he had some business to attend to when he saw Ranulf glaring at Zelgius. Zelgius looked at him quizzically.

"Have we met before...?" Zelgius said.

"Not quite like this but you could say that," he responded coolly.

Zelgius's eyes widened. A shiver went down his spine.

"Oh God... No, I'm not... Listen, I can explain but I need to talk to Ike for a minute-"

"You're not going anywhere, I know who you are. It would be better if you just left."

Ike looked back and forth between them.

"Wait. Wait. Wait. What? How do you two know each other? Ranulf, I need to talk to Zelgius. It's okay, I've known him for a long time."

"Not long enough," Ranulf retorted.

"Ranulf, leave them be," Sheik murmured. She looked at Zelgius and nodded. He nodded in return.

What was this? Some sort of conspiracy? Before anything else could be said Greil approached. Zelgius sighed, "Talk to me when you have free time." Then he moved his hand away from his shoulder and waited for Greil's approach.

"You're back. Are you sure your return was a wise choice?" Greil asked.

"I need help, I can't do it alone," Zelgius said.

"A shame it took four years to figure that out," Greil responded.

"I agree. I'm sorry about it. All of it, but this isn't the time or place to talk about it," he said politely.

Greil nodded and turned to Ike and Sheik, "I see you managed not to kill each other. That's good. Ike, Titania tells me you fought the general. You were successful I presume?"

Ike nodded, he was hoping for some form of approval from his father but Greil just nodded in return and turned to Sheik.

"Does the camp know you are?"

She shook her head.

"We have to tell them at some point but for now, lay low," he said then added, "Zelgius, come with me. We need to speak."

He nodded and walked after the Commander. 'Of course,' Ike thought.

He sighed and turned back to the Laguz, or rather just Ranulf. The other two had wandered off to do whatever Laguz do.

"Ike, don't trust him. He, well, he's not healthy. That's all I'm going to say," Ranulf said. Ike looked at him curiously but Ranulf just gave him a serious look and then rebounded into his goofy smile. Ranulf turned to Sheik, "So, you're a Hyrulean, right?"

(Sheik)

"How-"

"Sorry, but being part cat I can smell your scent. It's small but you share a similar scent as the men who fled just now," he answered.

Sheik watched him carefully. He was an odd character, she had never seen a Laguz up close before. His goofy smile told her he wasn't a very serious person unless it was important. He seemed like an okay guy, despite his claim on Zelgius.

She took note of his abnormally bright blue hair and his peculiar eye colors before saying, "Yes, I am Hyrulean, only by blood."

He nodded, understanding what she meant by her statement.

"This is unfortunate," he said looking around.

"Be more specific," she said.

"All if this. This whole situation."

She nodded and looked at Ike. He nodded too but he wasn't looking at Ranulf. His gaze seemed distant, his lips a thin line. She looked at Ranulf and back at Ike. Did he see it too? Ike was some place far off, a multitude of things to be thinking about. She remembered the look he had cast at his father when he had walked away with Zelgius, it seemed he was still seeking his approval after all these years. Was he thinking about that? Or was he thinking about what Zelgius had to say? Was he thinking about the Mad King's War? Was he thinking about what the future held? Was he thinking about what could have been if the world held no anger, no violence?

She didn't know. She wasn't Ike. She was Sheik. As badly as she wanted to know she couldn't but she did know what Sheik was thinking. She knew what she was wondering. That's all she should have to worry about but human nature had a way of merging nurturing and survival into one. To survive you had to have someone to survive with you, you pick that one person and you nurture them, take of them and hope they, in turn, will do the same for you. If they die, so do you.

Sheik blinked a few times, what was she thinking? Ike wasn't that person, it was Shinon, as a brother of course. She couldn't ever think of anyone in a more-than-friends way or they would most likely die. She looked at Ike again. Why did her thoughts lead her there? Especially since she hadn't talked to Ike for more than a few minutes a day. A small thought emerged. What if Ike didn't have that someone to hold him up? Greil hardly seemed the type to become too close to his children, like a defense to keep the thought of losing them wouldn't cut too deep. Then who kept him up for so long?

Oh. Zelgius. He was Ike's brother, or as close as one. No wonder Ike was cut so deep. Then there was Mist, she must have helped as much as she could. Then there was Dawn and Sebastian. Maybe she was over thinking this whole thing. A voice pulled her out the jumbled mess of names and connections she had created.

"Sheik," Shinon repeated.

"Hmm?"

"You okay?"

The question was simple but she knew what he meant. Was she okay with killing her own people?

"Yeah. I'll live," she said.

He watched her closely but didn't push.

"Ike, what are you still doing here? Zelgius wanted to talk to you. Remember? Who cares if Greil is there? Go find him," she ordered.

Ike looked at her and nodded. Ranulf looked like he was going to protest but Ike was already gone.

"This is going to be one huge mess," Ranulf muttered.

"What's so bad about Zelgius?" Sheik finally asked.

"Oh I'm sure he's fine as Zelgius but he's not always Zelgius," he paused and looked at Shinon, "Shinon, do you remember the man dressed in black armor? The Black Knight?"

Shinon's eyes widened.

"Damn it!" Shinon turned on his heel and sprinted after Ike who was somewhere out if sight, "Ike!" He shouted desperately.

Sheik looked at Ranulf, "The Black Knight?"

"Yeah, he was Rider and almost killed Greil during the war. He's kind of unstable."

"Kind of!" She shouted.

"Yeah okay, fine. He's probably really mentally unstable."

"What are we doing standing here?"

"Ike and Greil combined, I don't think he'll attack. We should be stopping Shinon before he lets Ike know. Greil already knows but Ike already has rocky footing with Zelgius."

"Damn it! Everything is so complicating in this camp, isn't it?"

Ranulf gave her a so-so look before nodding. She sighed and ran after Shinon.

(Ike)

Ike walked towards Greil's cabin, he had run to catch up but apparently he hadn't been fast enough. He opened the door but the cabin was empty.

"Ike?"

He turned and saw his father standing behind him. Ike looked around his shoulder but there was no Zelgius.

"Where's Zelgius?"

"I don't know. He followed me for all but a minute before he just disappeared. Boy," Greil warned, "You better go find him before something bad happens. His will isn't as strong as yours."

Ike didn't even give him a curious look, his father had given orders and he wasn't going to waste time. He took off towards the stump, it wasn't just his favorite spot.

(Sheik)

She had only turned down a single row of cabins before an arm wrapped around her torso. She removed a knife from one of her sleeves but before she could sink it into the neck of her enemy, she felt something hard hit her near the temple. The world went red for a second before her grip loosened around her knife completely and the red ebbed away into inky blackness.

(Ike)

He burst into the clearing, his eyes searching for Zelgius but it was as empty as Greil's cabin had been. He sighed. Maybe Zelgius had just left again. He turned on his heel and marched off towards camp, the sun dipping under the trees. He spent the rest of the daylight asking around and searching high and low for the run away. No one had seen him since the battle ended. When at last the night sky darkened the earth he walked to Sheik's cabin and knocked on the door. There was no answer. He knocked again and waited. Nothing.

She's probably asleep, he thought before returning to his own cabin. A part of him wanting to go back and open the door just to make sure she was there. Her hearing unbelievable but she was stubborn. If she didn't want to answer, she wasn't going to answer. He entered his cabin and began to undress, the events of the day had left him mildly exhausted. He had just taken his pants off when there was a knock on the door. Ike sighed but before he could answer it Ranulf invited himself in.

"Ranulf-"

"Ike, I saw you knock on Sheik's door. She's hasn't been seen since she ran after Shinon who ran after you. Ike, Shinon hasn't seen her either," he said.

Ike felt his blood chill. He remembered seeing Zelgius take a liking to Sheik. He had never thought much more of it besides friendship but Ranulf's previous words ran through his mind He's not healthy. Then Greil's, His will isn't as strong as yours. He grabbed Ragnell and sprinted out the door. This time he knew the clearing wasn't going to be empty.

(Sheik)

Sheik groaned and rubbed her temple. She was on her back but her body was slumped over… over someone's shoulder. She blinked a few times and tried to wiggle loose from the arm around her waist. The arm was fully clad in armor, black armor. Twisting her head she saw the figure was completely covered in thick, black armor, it was Zelgius but not Zelgius. It was the Black Knight.

"Good to see you're awake," a deep, thick voice said. It didn't sound like Zelgius in the least, it made her question what Ranulf had said.

"Good to know you aren't working for my Father but you're on some other team completely. Yeah, thanks Zelgius," she retorted.

Silence. A shiver.

"Sheik? No. No! Damn it! Sheik, listen-" Zelgius's normal voice says for but a moment.

More silence. Another shiver.

"Don't worry about that, my stay won't be long. You're just bait, very pretty bait I might add," says the deep, thick voice. The voice of the Black Knight. Sheik shivers, not because she's changing personas but because his words feel like a thousand worms are just beneath her skin, wiggling and squirming. He lifted her and flipped her around so her head was against his chest. She twisted her body slightly and looked at the covered face. She couldn't even see his eyes, his green eyes should have been sparkling and glowing in the dark like they always seemed to but there was nothing but darkness. She glared into the darkness and felt her anger heat her blood to a boil. She knew what his plan was. She was bait for Ike. The Black Knight was going to divide and conquer. Ranulf had told her already, the Knight wasn't strong enough to take both father and son on.

"You're not very good at conversation," he said.

"You want to talk?" she spat.

"Or Rock, Paper, Scissors," he offered.

She looked at him, she didn't know what to say or what to do. She just raised her hand into a fist and waited. He did the same. They shook their fists three times and on the third time down they chose their weapons. They did this several times. While they did she could feel his armor. It wasn't normal. Being a magic user she could feel the cursed aura radiate off of it in overwhelming waves. It was almost nauseating. By their thirtieth round the Black Knight threw his hand up.

"I swear you're cheating!" he shouted.

"How can I cheat at-"

Rapid footsteps interrupted them. There, standing in front of them was a pantless Ike. She looked at him in wonder, he stood in his underwear with a scowl on his face. It would have been intimidating if it weren't for his lack of pants. Even the Black Knight didn't know what to say.

"Uh, listen, before we start this dual, I think you should put some pants on. Sure I want to see you suffer and die a painful death, to watch the life drain out of your eyes but at least with some dignity," the Knight said.

Ike raised an eyebrow but nodded in agreement but before walking away he said, "You promise not to leave, not to take her away?"

"I came for you, not her," he answered.

Ike shot him a skeptical look before leaving. Sheik had a pit in her stomach.

"You aren't going to let me go if he loses, are you?"

"Of course not."

"What are you…" she trailed off, she wasn't sure she wanted to know the answer.

"There's plenty of options," he said. She could almost hear the smirk in his voice.

(Ike)

Ike sprinted into his cabin, almost fell over trying to put his pants on, and then sprinted back out. The Knight's response to his presence hadn't been at all what he expected but neither did he expect the Knight to be there. He came to the clearing again and watched as the Knight sat Sheik down on the stump and removed his sword, the sister sword to Ragnell: Alondite. Ike remembered the sword well from previous battles, Alondite matched Ragnell in every way but in color. Ike saw Sheik pull out a knife but he shook his head, it wouldn't do any good. Ike stood ready for the Knight's attack.

Ike took a step towards his enemy. The man who nearly killed his father. The man who led The Massacre. He would pay. Ike felt his rage, his grief, his blatant hatred burn through his heart. Everything his father had taught him held tight in his mind. He watched his opponent carefully. He would win this time. He sent the silent promise to the wind and hoped it would reach the dead. Then, it began.

The Knight charged, Ike rolled to the right and raised his sword in defense when he came to one knee, deflecting the blow the Knight had sent for him. Ike knew the Knight hasn't seen him in years and knew nothing of what he had learned since then. Ike felt the shift in weight as the Knight released Ike from their short standoff, giving Ike the chance to get to his feet. The Knight gave him no rest as another blow came at his rib cage, Ike blocked it and pushed off, sending his own strike at the shoulder, hoping to damage the armor. The Knight was quicker, blocked and aimed a kick at Ike's chest. Ike waited for his foot to leave the ground and quickly shoved him away as their swords had not disconnected. The Knight tipped back and tried to fight gravity. There was a crash as he hit the ground. Ike knew better to approach, a sweep at the legs could mean the end. Instead he cut at some of the armor, removing a piece around the hips. The Knight bellowed in rage and rolled to his feet, swinging at Ike's head as he turned to face him.

Ragnell met Alondite with a loud clang. It could have been minutes that passed or seconds, maybe even hours. Time was lost as the fight failed to crown a victor yet. Bruises would come by light but failed to hinder Ike. He managed to remove only a few more pieces of armor but nothing else. Cuts deep and shallow colored black in areas as the moons gray light sucked color from the world.

They pushed away from each other, both panting but unwilling to give in.

"Do you remember the threat I told your father before I defeated him? It still stands. I will watch the life drain from your eyes. I will kill your father. Your sister, and your fried over there... Well, there's a multitude of options there," he said from across the clearing. They had traded sides since the beginning, now Sheik was at Ike's back.

"Your friends, they were just the beginning. I'll finish what I started. Your whole camp will burn, nothing will be left but ash to be blown away, just like its memory from the people who knew it. You were foolish to think you could defeat me. Just wait till I tell your father of your death, tell him you went to join your bitch mother-"

Ike went deaf, his rage overwhelmed him, his glare pierced past the armor, he knew it hit the person who was underneath. Ike felt his body move without being commanded, just one thought ran through his mind: revenge. Not the most wholly thought but one that had never left his mind, one that kept him up at night. A thought that could tear apart more than just a man if it chose too.

Ike threw Ragnell above him. He felt as if he was someone else, just watching from the outside while someone took control that wasn't human. He leapt into the air after his sword, grabbed hold of the hilt and leaned his weight toward the Knight aiming his blow at the speechless man clad in black. Ragnell made contact with the armor, cracking it. The crack grew, spreading its web across the entire suit. Soon it looked like dozens of spiders had spun the armor from black web. It crumbled as the man fell to his knees, exposing the bastard behind the deaths of so many. Only, it wasn't what Ike expected. Zelgius looked at him, his sad eyes locked on his old friend.

"I'm sorry," he mumbled before collapsing.

Ike looked at him with a blank expression. He heard voices from the woods as Ranulf burst into the clearing with Greil at his heels. Ike gave them the same blank expression before turning to Sheik. He wanted ask if she was hurt but his mouth was numb. The numbness spread through his body before he dropped Ragnell and fell to the ground.

(Sheik)

"Ike?" She called out cautiously before his eyes rolled back and he fell to ground. She ran towards the two men she had befriended over the course of a few days. They both lay limp next to each other, both cut and bleeding, both still breathing though. She heard Greil call Ike's name and come running. He kneeled down next to his son and lifted his head. Sheik looked up and saw Ranulf approach Greil and Ike, he wasn't sure what to do so he just watched. Sheik looked over at her other blue haired companion and lifted his head. His breathing was even though he was bleeding from a deep cut in his shoulder from Ike's attack. She looked at Ranulf.

"Ranulf, he needs medical attention, both of them do. Greil can take Ike, you and I can take Zelgius," she said.

Ranulf looked down at Zelgius, his nose wrinkled in disgust.

"Ranulf, there's an explanation for his actions. They weren't his own, believe me. The armor... I'll explain when we get to camp," she said softly.

"Fine, it had better a damn good explanation," Ranulf muttered before helping her shoulder Zelgius. Greil didn't even glance at them before lifting Ike up, putting one arm under his back and the other under his knees. When they entered the infirmary they laid the two men in separate cots and Ranulf set off to find Rhys. Sheik tried not to stare but she couldn't help but watch Greil as he sat next to son. His expression was grim, his chin rested in the crook of his index finger and thumb. His gaze fixed on the ground. She wasn't sure what to say or if she should say anything. Before she could decide Rhys came through the door, followed by Ranulf. She wondered why Shinon hadn't showed himself yet but she knew that when it came to this camp he wasn't too curious about her whereabouts, he knew she liked time alone. Maybe he assumed this was one of the times. She sighed and watched as Rhys looked over the men.

"This is strange... They've both collapsed from pure exhaustion. Their injuries aren't too serious, just Zelgius's shoulder," he mumbled half to himself.

He worked on them for a few minutes before he was finished.

"That's all I can do, you'll just have to wait until they wake up."

"How long will that take?" Greil asked in a husky voice.

"They should be awake before the afternoon tomorrow. For now, we should all get some rest," Rhys said though he looked at Greil specifically. Then he turned to Sheik.

"As for you, let me see your head," he said. He looked at the bruise and healed the cut. He smiled at her, "Keep your chin up." It was only loud enough for her to hear, he stood and nodded at them before exiting. Ranulf followed.

"Sheik, you should go get some rest," Greil said.

"And you shouldn't? I watched them fight, the brute force, the anger. I want them to be okay just as bad as you. I know what happened, and I have to say it was nothing I've seen before. The last strike, neither of them were the same people I had known. They were so different, so unlike themselves. I know about the armor. It radiated some sort of evil magic... I'm not sure. It was strange," she replied.

Greil looked at her for a moment but sighed. He knew it was no use trying to change her mind. Instead they waited in silence.

(Ike)

Ike stood in the clearing, the stump now a full grown tree swaying its branches in the wind. He looked up and saw Dawn and Sebastian sitting in the branches, looking down at him. He smiled back and approached the tree but his friends shook their heads.

"Not just yet, you still have time," Dawn said softly.

"Go make the most of it. You lived because you have something important to do. You mourned long enough. You'll see us again someday, just not for a while," Sebastian said with a smirk. He stood on the branch, walked to the edge and leaped off, disappearing as soon as his foot left the branch.

"Ike, he's right. Oh and that Sheik girl, you should talk to her more often," Dawn suggested before following Sebastian's example and disappearing. Ike watched time pass like seconds and the tree fade away into a stump again. Sheik faded into existence, she sat off to the side against a tree. She seemed lost in thought, she had a small golden instrument in her hands, plunking slowly at the strings. With his limited knowledge of instruments he barely recognized the object in her hands as a lyre. Then the vision dimmed and disappeared, leaving him alone in inky blackness again.

(Zelgius Point of View Previous to Sheik Kidnapping)

He put a hand on Ike's shoulder. He had to let him know soon. He could hear the voice in the back of his mind silently beg him to give in. It was only a matter of time before it became angry. The sub-human before them looked at him, a face that seemed vaguely familiar but he wasn't sure why. The Laguz spoke, the sound of his voice… a shiver ran down his spine as a memory from the Black Knight surfaced:

He readied Alondite to meet the blue Cat as it charged at him. They had exchanged words before the sub-human had morphed and the fight had begun.

He knew the Laguz understood who he was when he had the accursed armor on. That was the only form the sub-human knew. Before he could explain Greil approached them and exchanged a few words before summoning him to follow. He looked back at Ike. He wasn't going to have time to explain before it was too late. He gave Ike an apologetic pat on the shoulder and followed Greil for as long as the Knight would allow him.

I gave you enough time, now it's my turn to say hello to Ike, the Knight said in his mind.

He tried to fight it. He only needed another half hour or so. He was so close, but he knew he wasn't going to make it.

Don't fight me, Zelgius! I'll only make it worse, I'll make them suffer. All of them. Unless you give in. Greil is beside you, an easy target, kill him. Kill him now and I'll let you go for another few days.

Zelgius didn't move. He wasn't going to let it happen again.

Fine! You'll pay for your insolence!

Zelgius felt pain rack his whole body. Every muscle felt as if it were on fire. His bones like magma. He used the last of his strength to disappear into the trees. The pain intensified, it took every ounce of will he had left not to let a scream rip from his throat.

(Black Knight)

If only the foolish man hadn't let his weakness blind him. He could have avoided this but that's what the Knight did; he fed off the weakness of this man. He had been created by this so called 'blessed' armor. The swords may have been blessed but the armor was far from it. The armor's 'blessing' brought the darkest and most impure thoughts to light and created a persona out of them. One that reversed and flipped every thought this host had. The Knight took command of his host and walked a few feet from where he once stood. He ripped off the cloth that covered the armor and began to put it on. A plan forming in his mind.

He would take the girl, Sheik, hostage. Being the hero as always, Ike would come to the rescue. It would be a long duel as Ike was just as stubborn as his father but there was no question as to who would come out on top. Once that was taken care of he would wait a few days for the grief to take a strong hold on Greil. In the meantime he would have a little… fun with the girl. When both men were taken care of he would have no one left with enough will to take him down. He would set Tellius ablaze.

He walked from the protection of the trees and smiled at his luck. Sheik was running after the archer with the long hair. He grinned and took his time crossing. She slowed down as she prepared to turn, giving him the opportunity to take her. She reached for a knife but he brought Alondite's hilt to her temple, knocking her out cold. He threw her over his shoulder and headed for the woods. He would round the camp as he headed for the clearing he knew Ike would check first. There was no need to worry about patrol, they would be busy cleaning up the mess the battle had created.

Four hours. Four long hours of waiting and Ike had yet to show. He sighed. His legs were almost asleep at this point. He casted a glance at the girl on his shoulder. She had only stirred a few times, mumbling something to soft for his ears to catch. He was about to dump her to the side and go find Ike himself when she stirred again, wiggled and squirmed then stopped. He could hear her breathing quicken.

They exchanged a few words before he felt his host begin to fight again.

(Zelgius)

He heard Sheik's voice snap at him. This was a moment of opportunity to alert her of the Knight's plan. He barely managed to get out five or so words before the fire returned to his body again.

(Black Knight)

He felt his anger rise for a moment. His host wasn't the strongest but also wasn't the easiest to deal with either. He continued to talk until he grew bored and decided that if he had someone to talk to, he would make the best of it. He had no idea how much longer it would take the son of bitch to show up. He never guessed it would take them thirty rounds until a pantless Ike came to the clearing. Sure he wanted to humiliate the man but this was just sad, even for him, the Black Knight. Then, they waited some more while Ike went to put some pants on.

(Black Knight, Final Strike)

He watched in horror and shock as Ike performed the Aether. He should have brought Alondite up to block the attack but it would have done little good. The Aether was not something one could just block. Then it hit. He fell to his knees and felt a wave of nausea wash over him. He felt his mind begin to crumble, pieces falling down as his last stand was realized. He felt a heated anger rise up in him as his world went black and he was no longer anything but a bad memory.

(Zelgius)

He felt his conscious return to his body. He saw Ike standing over him, his blank stare showing no emotion.

"I'm sorry," Zelgius said. He could say nothing more as a cool wave passed over him and he fell to the ground. In the inky blackness the memories the Black Knight had made began merge with his own creating some sort of nightmarish state.

(Present Time, Ike)

Ike blinked his eyes open and tried to sit up only to have a pair of hands hold him down and his muscles tense with pain.

"Easy, boy," Greil said as he helped Ike up.

He looked around and saw Sheik looking over at him, though he couldn't see her smile he could see it in her eyes. He smiled back and turned his head to the cot next to him, Zelgius lay there still asleep. A flurry of different emotions rolled and tumbled through him. Zelgius, his brother, Zelgius, the man who tossed him to the side, and now Zelgius, the Black Knight. Is that why Zelgius had wanted to talk to him alone? To kill him? He looked at the silver sword next to the cot. How had he not recognized Alondite? That should have been obvious. He sighed. He swallowed a few times to wet his throat before asking Sheik the question he had meant to ask seconds before collapsing.

"Sheik, are you hurt?"

Sheik stared at him. The stare could have meant a thousand things but the most evident meaning was: You're worried about me when you just woke up from a battle with a guy like Zelgius? Are you delusional?

Instead she just said, "I'm fine. Are you okay? That last move… what was it?"

Ike gave her a curious look but then it cleared. He vaguely remembered what he had done. He looked at his father, he was giving him a smirk. Sheik must have told him what had happened and he had known what his son had done.

"It's called Aether. I'm… I'm not sure how it all happened," he told her.

She just nodded.

Ike returned his gaze to Zelgius.

"Ike, it's not what you may think. Don't judge him before you know what happened. For me to explain it to you would be wrong. It's better if he tells you," Greil said. Ike just nodded, it had better be a good explanation. The things he did as a Black Knight sickened him to his core. He sighed.

Oscar came in a few minutes later with some lunch. He was about to say something when he was cut off with some shouts and curses from outside. It was Kieran patronizing poor Oscar again. It was a good thing he was a good sport about it. Though he acted naïve about Kieran's hatred he said the most innocent things just mess with the guy. It was everyday thing since Kieran had joined. Oscar sighed and excused himself. Another few minutes passed in silence as Ike and Greil devoured their food. When he finished he looked at his father. He was debating telling him about his dream or not. Sure they weren't the closest but it wasn't like he had anyone else to tell those things to. Especially when it came to the last sentence Dawn had said. He glanced at Sheik then at the infirmary door. He sighed.

"Where's Mist?" Ike asked.

"Hmm?" Greil said through a mouthful of pie.

"Where's Mist?" he repeated.

"Oh, she went into town with Titania. They said they wanted to gather some information about Malum's whereabouts but I think they just wanted a little bit of girl time," he emphasized "girl time".

Ike raised an eyebrow, they were in a war and they wanted "girl time"? His father didn't seem too concerned about it though. Before he could ask why he let them go Zelgius groaned and began to move. They watched in silence. He lifted himself up and looked around. His eyes met Ike's but there was nothing in them but regret and shame.

"I'm still waiting for that talk, Zelgius," Ike offered.

He nodded, "I know. I'm sorry. Damn it, I'm sorry for everything Ike. I never thought that it would go so far as The Massacre. I never thought it would ever go as far as even turning against all of you. I put the armor on thinking it would be nothing more than that, armor. I knew its qualities and I had the only swords that could penetrate the armor. I didn't know what I had gotten myself into. The armor had a mind of its own, it consumed my mind, anything I loved and cherished it tried to destroy. When I took it off for the first time, I had no idea what had happened while I was wearing it, all I knew was that something felt wrong. I hid the armor and swords but when I came back to camp there was a voice, it begged me to put the armor back on but I didn't want to. It all felt so wrong. Instead of going away the voice became angry. It threatened me and gave me a few chances before it would force me to get in the armor again.

"I didn't understand how a voice could force me to do anything until it actually happened. After the last warning I felt like my whole body was ablaze. Then I blacked out. I woke up with both swords at my waist and the armor on. The voice warned me not to take it off again. I listened and only removed it when I had to but there were still periods of time when I would black out and only come to when the voice had finished with whatever it was doing. It didn't take me long to realize what it was doing. There was almost nothing I could do to stop it. When you finally won the war I went into hiding, I travelled long and hard trying to get away from the past. It didn't work. I came to the last and finally idea before the last alternative which was killing myself. I needed your help. I couldn't destroy the armor without suffering the pain of the Black Knight but you had Ragnell. You could do it.

"Needless to say, my plan didn't go as I had hoped. I'm glad you did destroy it though. The memories of the Black Knight did come to me though, including The Massacre," he finished.

"I knew the armor was cursed," Sheik whispered just loud enough for them hear.

"Not cursed, blessed. The armor was supposed to help you complete whatever task you were thinking about as you put it on," Greil corrected.

"I was thinking about finally beating you in a dual, Greil. I did have my doubts though, my mind wandered and I began to think about what life would be like if I never came to Tellius…" Zelgius said.

"I never should have told you about the armor," Greil said.

Silence.

Ike fought through his sore muscles as he stood. He walked to the door and paused. He looked at Zelgius and said, "I forgive you. Don't beat yourself up too bad, you weren't in control. You never wanted anything of what happened. Just remember, 'confidence is not a burden unless bloated into arrogance,' and arrogance is always accompanied with pride," he added.

Zelgius nodded solemnly and looked away. Ike turned and left. After fighting two battles in a day and the being bedridden another half, he needed a wash.

(Sheik)

She watched Ike go, she almost followed but thought better of it. She needed to find Shinon, he would have something to say about her absence. As she got up someone stopped her.

"That quote, it's well known in Hyrule, right?" Greil asked.

Sheik nodded, "Yes. The general that attacked the camp told Ike that."

She turned back around to face him and relayed the story to him. She wasn't sure why she did but it was too late to take it back. She watched as he looked down and nodded. She wondered what he was thinking. Was he finally realizing what a great kid he raised? Though she would have hated to say before, she now found the thought slip into her head and a smile spread to her lips: Ike was a really good guy. She dipped her head respectfully towards Greil before leaving, she headed towards Shinon's cabin. Whether or not he was there she didn't know, she just needed to walk and clear her head.

The day was nice enough, spring chose to smile down on Tellius she thought. She went to her cabin first and grabbed her golden instrument before continuing on her way. She listened to the birds chirp and thought back to a happier time. Soon she walked passed Shinon's cabin and just kept going. She was walking for the sake of walking. She suddenly realized that she'd seen Ike without a shirt and without pants but not at the same time. She let out a short, soft laugh and was grateful she hadn't. Though she thought it would be best to maybe avoid any nearby rivers. Just to be safe. She kept walking until she found the clearing from last night. It was the same one she had first seen Ike when she arrived. She leaned against the nearest tree and looked down at her lyre.

She remembered the tune her mother used to hum to her, a lullaby. She hummed a few notes before repeating it on the lyre, her fingers remembering each note and each string. She played a few more songs that her mother had taught her before she began to make up songs.

"If there's any one thing I miss from this earth, it's genuine music like that," an old raspy voice said across from her.

Sheik looked up from her lyre and saw a figure she knew well.

"Death," she said formally.

The hooded figure glided towards her, his bony hand gripping his scythe. His empty eye sockets held nothing but glowing orbs that changed color depending on his mood. Now they were a soft white color, he turned his gaze to something past her and let out a sigh that sounded like a breeze rustling some leaves.

"Sheik, how many times have we met?"

"Many, I've lost track. I actually stopped counting after ten," she said.

"Over ten deaths yet your spirit revives each time, not wanting to leave until you are ready. I suppose in many ways your blessing from the goddesses of Hyrule is a gift and a curse. I've written your name in my book of the dead a few times only to erase it, I stopped after five. Now tell me, what brings you here? This place, in my perspective, is a place more known for the deaths it delivers rather than the justice," he said.

"Family, at first, then a job. Now, it's more of a prison as my father wages war against the people who live here. What brings you here?"

"Well, I came to collect the souls of those who died here yesterday when I noticed your presence. I was curious. I also have some news. There is a presence here that is fading, not because of sickness, because their time here is coming to an end. I suspect that sometime, oh maybe around June, I'll be back. I'm not sure if this means anything to you, unless you're that unlucky presence. I can't seem to pinpoint it yet but it's somewhere in this camp. Well, I wish the best of luck to you, if there is any left, and I'll see you in June, eh?"

He turned to his right and called out, "Armageddon!"

Nothing came.

"That blasted hellhound… Armageddon!"

(Ike)

Ike grabbed his clothes from the edge of the creek and dressed. He heard a growl. He pulled his head through his shirt and looked around, as if that did any good. The tips of his hair covered the top of his vision. He sighed and slicked it back, he grabbed his headband and tied it. He took a look around but nothing came out to attack him. He shrugged. He reached for Ragnell and the growl returned. He paused. The growling didn't die down though, it continued until he moved his hand away from the large sword. Great, just what he needed, a giant beast of some sort stalking him.

Ike made a quick grab for Ragnell, the growl morphed into a snarl then a bark before something crashed into his back. Ike wrestled it for a minute before ultimately loosing. He looked at the creature who looked down at him. It was a dog, sort of. Its short cut fur was as dark as the night, its maw and underbelly were medium brown, pretty normal for a Doberman. This was not a Doberman though. Large horns jutted from its skull with a smooth curve, ribs from some unlucky person or beast covered the animals own ribs like armor. Two, one from each side, almost met around the neck, like a collar, but where they should meet there was a small skull of some kind. The large paws of the beast had metal cuffs, like someone had tried to imprison it before. Despite the main body of the animal closely resembling a Doberman, it had a long, black tail that was tipped with a sharp, triangular spike.

The beast's dark red irises tore into him, its snout wrinkled into a nasty snarl. So, he was going to mauled by a hellish beast? Could this week get any better? It closed the distance between them until their noses touched, their eyes still locked. Then the growling stopped. The pressure of its sharp claws lessened. Then it licked his face. It rolled off of him and wagged its tail back a forth, its butt in the air and its tongue hanging half-way out of its mouth. Ike wiped the hell-beast drool off his face and stared at the animal for a minute, unsure what to think or do. So, he did what anyone else would do when confronted by a stray dog, he grabbed a stick and threw it. The hell-dog ran after it, caught it before it hit the ground and brought it back.

The hell-dog dropped it at his feet and looked at him expectedly. Was it asking to be petted? It nudged his hand with its snout and whined.

"Uh, good hell-dog, beast, monster… I have no idea what you are to be honest," Ike said as he kneeled down and petted the hell-dog who licked his hand a few times. Ike picked up Ragnell from the ground, sheathed it before the hell-dog could growl, and began to walk away. He heard a lighthearted bark and a scrambling of paws as the hell-dog ran after him. He glanced at the beast again, just to be sure he wasn't hallucinating. The hell-dog trotted next him with its tongue still lolling out the side of its mouth.

They walked for only a few minutes before they heard someone calling out a name. Ike looked at the hell-dog, "Is that your master? I can only imagine what they look like if you look like, well, like you."

The hell-dog cocked his head to the side but kept walking. Sure Ike was expecting some sort of dark, shady character to own the hell-dog, not an actual descendant from Hell. Ike met the eyes of Death and nodded.

"Okay, I'm just going to assume I'm still unconscious in the infirmary and this all some sort of dream created from my loss of blood," Ike said.

"Ah, Armageddon! There you are! Wait…" the hooded skeleton looked from Ike to the hell-dog then back to Ike.

"So, this is you hell-dog, beast, monster thing?"

"Hellhound, boy. Yes, he is mine but… why are you still alive?" he wondered aloud.

"I'm actually started to question that," Ike said sarcastically.

"No, you are still among the living, boy. What's your name?"

"Ike."

"What happened when you found Armageddon?"

Ike looked passed the hooded figure and saw Sheik staring at him equal wonder. Ike casually told them what had come to pass.

"Hmm… this is interesting. It seems as if the Hellhound has bonded to you. This happens only after you die, a Hellhound sniffs you out and stays with you in the afterlife. Armageddon is just a pup though… Ah, I see. Well, you may keep the 'hell-dog' as you call him. His name is completely unoriginal, you may change it if you like. Just, keep him away from strangers, he bites and spits fire. Well, I best be on my way. Sheik, I'm sure it's quite obvious now. I'll see you in June," Death said before melting into the shadows.

Ike looked at his new dog. Armageddon looked back him, his tongue still lolled to the side.

"Well, this has been an interesting day. Hey, I'm heading back to camp to get something to eat. Wanna come?" he said to Sheik.

(Sheik)

Sheik nodded numbly. She looked at the Hellhound and back at Ike. Hellhounds were born when their master was soon in coming. She knew what Death had meant. Ike had three months left to live.

A/N: Yep. The new character is Armageddon. To those Pokémon nerds, yes, he is a Houndoom. That news aside, I have some terrible news: I have to change a genre of this story. When I post the next chapter, you'll see just what I have done. Good news? Hahaha! I have none. I hope you enjoyed this cheesy chapter though! Review and let me know what you think, the good and the bad!