Night fell once again, the sky littered by stars. Many were out this night, enjoying the view from a hill. Kana, not allowed to see her father at the time, was playing a game of tag with the puppet-bound Midori. Elise, chatting away with Azura, her newly recovered sister, went on and on about the constellations Xander had taught her. Laslow, taking the night off from his practice, took the time to relish the night with Selena, throwing one word of flattery after the other. Beruka, for once, set work aside to enjoy herself.

Almost everyone was mingling this eventful night, all except one, who resided at the front of the camp, asleep behind the shelf. It had been a while since she slept so soundly, hence the reason why she didn't notice the light footsteps that slowly made their way over to her; she was too deep in a dream to sense a body kneel before hers.

What she did notice was a hand that pat her shoulder, nudging her awake. Her eyes, now attentive, bolted open, a hand rushing to her book bag by sheer impulse. When a voice sounded, she was calmed into stillness.

"Shh, shh, Nyx, Nyx." the voice said, beckoning her to settle herself. Soon, she would recognize it to be the tone of Corrin; calming, she heaved a sigh.

"You should know better than to scare the daylight out of someone." she muttered, feeling her heart beating quickly.

"I'm sorry about that... I didn't mean to, honest."

"Very well. Is there something you wanted? Or did you just come to wake me up for the giggles of it?"

Swift, Corrin shook his head, rising to his feet. Towering over her, he offered his hand.

"There is something I want." he said calmly. "Please, will you come with me?"

She gazed at his hand with prejudice for a while, unsure of his intentions. Luckily, her trust in him ran deeply, leading her to humor his offer gently. They trudged through the darkness of the camp together, slowly making their way to Corrin's private quarters. No matter how many times Nyx inquired, Corrin would not give her his reasons for taking her; even when she began threatening not to follow him due to his reluctance, he kept on, soon taking her by the hand and dragging her.

The first thing she noted about his quarters was the darkness, which ran deeply, soaking into their skin. What little light there was came from a few candles, all lit, but spaced far apart. His bedroom wasn't particularly spacious tonight; inside gathered a number of people, a few of which she recognized. One was Gunter, the second Felicia, the third Leo, Xander fourth, Camilla fifth... But the one she recognized the most was he that lay motionless on the bed, his hands still at his side, his eyes lightly shut. A hole was gorged in his center.

Shocked, Nyx froze in place at the doorframe, refusing to move. Immediately, her face grew red, an unidentifiable expression sweeping across her face and widening eyes. She clenched her fists before long, stiffening.

"W-What is the meaning of this?" she hissed, furrowing her brows. Corrin, walking around her, took her hands into his, tugging her gently in hopes of bringing her to the center of the room.

"I promise all will be explained... Just come a little closer."

Though she was slightly reluctant, she complied, taking tiny steps forth, gradually making her way into the room, her skin soaking in the golden light of the candle. Every one of the others, standing at the sides of the room, stood straight, their gases fixed on her. Never fond of attention, she quickly grew more uncomfortable.

She stared at the bed, studying the body which lay atop of it; without a doubt, it was the body she thought it to be, yet to erode, but quickly on its way. A sense of grief swept over her. She had to restraint the need to reach out, to stroke the face she had grown to miss.

"So... You've unearthed him." she whispered. "Disturbing the peace? I didn't know the lot of you to act in such a way..."

Corrin approached her, a stick in his hands; when he held it out her, her eyes widened.

"We didn't mean to disrupt him." he murmured. "Do you know what this is?"

She nodded slightly, her eyes shutting coolly.

"...Yes." she answered softly. "Bifröst, the resurrection stave... Good for only one use."

"I've saved this for a long time. I was always waiting for a case in which we really needed it. The army and I have reached a decision, Nyx: we're finally going to put it to use."

The group was surprised to see her head sink, her shoulders dropping. To their shock, tears then welled in her eyes, rolling down her cheeks bitterly.

"Please, then... Explain to me... Why you've chosen him..."

At a loss for words, Corrin frowned.

"It should be obvious. We can't stand watching you widowed. We want you to smile again- to show you can find happiness even after cursing... I brought you here to have your say, to have your permission to use it."

"There are many widows here, Corrin." she growled, her voice thickening. "What makes me so much different from the rest that you would consider using something... Something like this..."

"If you truly have nothing else to live for, then we want you to have him back." he replied, rough. "This wasn't just my decision alone; the whole army voted on this. I have their okay. All we need to seal the deal is you. Your permission is all we need... Please, think about it now."

The silence lingered then after, Nyx's face starting to whiten. Her legs started to tremble, her posture slouching. She began to weep, clutching the sides of her head, her breath hitching.

"You foolish children... Putting all this pressure on this tired old soul... You know... Exactly... What I'd... Say.." with that, her body grew limp as her eyes rolled back, losing structure and falling. Alarmed, Xander rushed forth to catch her light body in his strong arms; after a moment of studying her, he sighed, then picked her up, holding her like a bride.

"She's fainted." he muttered. "I can't find anything in me to blame her with all the stress this situation would create."

Corrin grimaced.

"I'll take those final words as a yes then." he muttered, turning to Felicia. Immediately, upon seeing him looking to her, she grew evidently nervous. "Alright, Felicia... It's time."

She gasped.

"M-Milord, are you s-sure I can... I can do this? What-what if I'm mistaken? What if I go wrong somewhere? This is something too valuable for me to mess up!"

She paused when his hand set itself on her head, patting it gently.

"Shh." he hushed. "I know you can. If I didn't think you could have, I would have asked Jakob to do it instead."

In a nervous, wreck, Felicia took a moment to catch her breath, then reached for the staff with trembling hands. She studied the relic for a moment, burying her teeth in her lips; though she wasn't aware, those surrounding her were more than willing to give her all the time she needed... And a good while it was until she breathed out, holding the rod in both hands.

The jewel on its crown began to glow, and the moment it's bottom touched the ground, the room was lit by a blinding light.

The following day, nearing evening once again, Nyx's tired eyes finally slid open, her mouth ejaculating an exhausted moan. Her eyes worked to locate herself, failing no matter how hard she tried; when she decided to force herself completely awake, only then was she able to see the bigger picture. To her surprise, she found herself in Corrin's room, lying atop the red covers of his bed. She knew such for a fact, seeing the puppet in the corner and familiar bookshelf against the wall; even the color had a sense of familiarity.

Lost in a daze, she groaned, feeling a pulsing headache coming along; unwelcoming, she clutched her head tightly as she rolled over, curling up against... Something. In an instant, her headache took a detour, replaced by curiosity, perhaps even fright. Slowly, she lifted her head, laying eyes upon her neighbor with wonder clouding in her once cold eyes. No sight could possibly bring her to tears faster.

He was there, his gray hair roughed up like always, eyes lightly shut, his lips barely parted. His chest was barren, but his belly just a ways underneath lay covered in a mass of bandages. His calloused, yet young, hands lay limply at his sides, open, ready to take hold of something...

From his lips came breath, his chest rising and falling in the slow patterns of sweet slumber. His cheeks were rosy and flushed, flowing with blood. Beneath the muscle of his chest, there sounded a steady beat.

For just a moment, Nyx sat still, unable to take the sight in completely. She thought her visions illusions, sights conceived from a dream of desire and grief... Yet the more she stared, the more real the sight became. Her fingers reached out to him cautiously, fearing she would feel nothing when she set them against him; she thought wrong, for the moment her palm met his cheek, she was greeted by the ever familiar warmth of his living skin.

She buried her face in his nape, taking him into her small arms, embracing him tightly. Tears rolled down her cheeks as she wept into his ear, hoping to never have to return to from a dream such as this. As she continued, she felt a pair of arms rise over her back, pulling her closer; strong hands began to rub her shoulders.

"I knew you'd be the first thing I'd see when I woke up." a whisper sounded. "I hoped, and I knew... And here you are..." his embrace tightened. "Here you are again... With me..."

Her weeping became wails, her face burning deeper into the depth of his neck; she shook her head violently before pulling her head back up; a sigh she never thought to see again was there to meet her. Light green eyes, peppy as a singing lark's. A soft, easy smile on his smooth lips. A healthy flush covering his cheeks.

"You..." she wept. "Even when I told you to be careful... I ought to kill you right here, right now."

He grinned, his flush deepening.

"Yes, but you won't, right?" he pulled himself up to her face, placing his lips on her own; their eyes closed peacefully, their arms clinging to the other as though they were afraid. They leaned back together, the back of his head hitting a pillow; the moment they parted, gasping for breath, they were eager for more, and quick to ease their desires.

They embraced for the longest of times, laying on top of that bed for hours, even those that led into the night. Their talk became gentle, Nyx placing her ear upon his chest; she listened to his beating heart forever, treasuring it, lulled by it. When they finally fell back asleep for the night, they fell asleep soundly, their heads pressed firmly against each other's, fingers intertwined tightly.

He planted one little peck on her lips before nodding off, venturing to the world of recovery.

Another night, sometime later, when all the excitement surrounding Silas' return died down, the two returned to their tent, returning Corrin and Felicia their bed. It was a pleasant night, the two laying next to one another; of course, their chatter wasn't loud enough to rouse their sleeping comrades. After all, their tent defected just a little ways from the central of camp, lending them their privacy.

They were happy, discussing small things for once; the world was light, airy almost; perhaps it was cloud nine they were on, bound to never return to the ground. Little did they mind; they were too lost in the peace to care.

"Silas." Nyx said suddenly, curled against him. "Can I ask a favor of you?"

In response, he grinned.

"I suppose. It's the most I can offer in return for leaving you..."

"I would like it to be where you'll never leave again."

Quickly, the air of lightness dimmed, silence using nothing but the chirps of crickets and the hoo's of owls. Silas paused, gazing at her with a look of surprise; he knew what she asked of him, though she never spelled it out. The mere thought made his cheek redden, the beat in his chest quickening.

"You... Want to cast the lifeline spell..." he whispered. As he contemplated, he heard Corrin's voice echoing through his head. It demanded him to be more careful, for he had explained the behavior of Nyx during his absence. He remembered listening to Corrin, his heart sinking; deep down, before she had even brought the question onto the table, he was wondering.

"I've had my share of alone time." she said. "Going away didn't do much good for me."

"Yeah, yeah... I've been told..." he took her small hand, lightly placing his lips on the roof. "I've been told..."

"And?"

"I would like to be close to you before I decide."

He watched her raise a brow.

"Why?" she asked. "Hoping I'll fall asleep as soon as we're done?" chuckling, he nodded as he rolled over, laying on top of her. He proceeded to get started, feeling her fingers run though his ratty hair; she sighed happily, patting his shoulder. "Take it easy, now. Those stitches in your belly won't feel any better if you're rough."

"When am I ever rough?"

She too laughed.

"Good point. Don't make tonight the first."

"Certainly."

They proceeded, their sounds covered by the orchestra of the night. Their happiness knew no bounds, wrapped together, smiling; the relief which washed over both of them left them satisfied, tangled upon finishing. They lay still in the dark for a while, their quick hearts slowly calming; it was a long while until one of them, Silas, spoke.

"Okay..." he murmured. "Nyx, my darling wife... Have your way. I'll let you do what you need... So that you'll never be alone again. So long as I am here, you are. So long as I am roaming the afterlife, you shall roam by my side."

She smiled, bringing a hand to his cheek, running her fingers down his warm skin.

"Thank you." she whispered softly.

And thus, their night ended. Any who passed their tent would see a glow, sea green. It grew brighter the longer it lingered... And through the choir of the night, a soft tone of an ancient tongue could be heard, whispering words of commitment.

THE END

Author's Note: And that's a wrap. Congratulations if you trudged through this thing. Feedback is always appreciated in the comments section, as is constructive criticism. Thank you and have a brilliant day.