That was one hell of a cliffhanger last chapter, hopefully I can make this chapter just as good. I've lost my glasses while writing this, so I have to get all up on the screen and it's kind of making it harder for me to type, plus I just started a really big project at school that's going to be taking up ninety percent of my free time for the next month, so it might be a bit before the next chapter. This chapter is also going to be really short, because it's right before that two year gap that's in the game.

"Sane! What do you think you're doing?"

Chrom stopped his blade a fraction of a second away from hitting my own.

"Get out of the way!"

I stood my ground and shook my head.

"No Chrom, I can't let you do this."

Gangrel was on the ground behind me, his arm no doubt shattered based on its angle and a trickle of blood leaking from his temple.

"Killing Gangrel at this point would be nothing short of murder, and you're not that kind of man Chrom."

"Murder? Sane, do you have any idea what you're talking about? Do you know how much blood has been spilled by this madman?"

"No Chrom, I don't know, but I do know this,"

I looked once again at Gangrel then back to Chrom.

"In every possible outcome I've seen, one thing remains the same: Gangrel dies. You might think that's a good thing, but after Gangrel's death, something even more evil takes his place."

Chrom scoffed.

"More evil than him? I doubt that very much Sane."

Chrom nudged my blade away with his.

"Stand aside Sane. I have to end this."

I put my sword in its sheath and looked at Chrom. I willed him to see everything the way I saw it, and to just listen to me.

"Look at him Chrom," I said softly.

"He's done. His arm is broken, from the looks of it he'll most likely never wield a sword again. He's bleeding, he's bruised..."

I shook my head.

"Taking the life of someone unable to defend themselves, no matter the circumstances, is nothing short of murder. And I'm not going to let you become like him."

Chrom looked at Gangrel and his eyes fell slightly.

"And what would you have me do Sane? We can't absolve this man of his crimes. He has to pay for his actions."

For a brief moment, I thought I had won, but then the steely anger returned to Chrom's eyes.

"Then I shall make him pay!"

Chrom placed a hand on my shoulder to push me aside, but I held firm to his wrist.

"The last time you chose to ignore me was when I told you moving Emerynn to the eastern palace would be a bad idea."

Chrom's eyes widened.

"On the way there, she was captured and later walked off a cliff. If I hadn't known it was going to happen and make a contingency plan, she would've been dead, Chrom, and her blood would've been on your hands!"

I heard a collective gasp go up, and Chrom paled as if my words were a knife in his side and the very life was flowing out of him.

"If you listen to me Chrom, you can keep the blood off your hands. You're no executioner Chrom. You are a kind, and noble man. And you need to stop, and ask yourself: Is the best way to deliver justice to take life, or to give it?"

I let go of Chrom's hand and stepped away from Gangrel.

"I can't stop you from killing him Chrom. All I can do is tell you that killing one monster creates another."

Chrom was silent for a long time. Gangrel, no doubt fearing that his life was about to end, bowed his head and moved his lips in what I could only assume was prayer. Eventually, Chrom spoke again.

"So we take him before the people of Plegia, and make him face them. Allow his own people to pass judgement on him."

I shook my head.

"He can never return to Plegia, he doesn't deserve it."

"Then what shall we do?"

"Cast him away. Bar him from returning home. Make him nothing but a wanderer who has nowhere he is welcome, no one who will ever again stand beside him, and no one he can use for his own purposes."

Gangrel raised his head and looked at me in shock.

"You would... Spare me..?" He whispered in disbelief.

"How do we know he won't return to Plegia, or just try and rule elsewhere?"

"We don't Chrom, but part of giving life is that you do it unconditionally."

Chrom looked at me, and I saw all doubt and hostility leave his eyes. His face relaxed and he put away Falcion. He then turned to Gangrel.

"Then here is my judgement to you: Leave here and never return. Live your life as a monster with no more horns or teeth. Go in peace, and wherever you go after here leave it in peace as well. But know this,"

Chrom placed a hand on the hilt of Falcion.

"If you ever return here, I will kill you, and not even Sane will be able to stop me. Do you understand?"

Gangrel's jaw trembled as he nodded at Chrom with fear in his eyes. Chrom tossed a vulnerary at him and glared.

"Then go!"

Gangrel got up to his feet slowly and began to walk away .His gait was crooked and his eyes seemed to be looking at something a thousand kilometers away. We all stood in silence, watching him slowly disappear into the distance, and then stood longer still. Finally Chrom cleared his throat.

"The war with Plegia is now over..."

Frederick came and joined us.

"Milord... How are we going to explain this to Emerynn?"

Chrom slowly shook his head.

"I have no idea how to explain this."

He turned to me and offered a small smile.

"Sane, you are our Tactician after all, perhaps you could explain?"

I couldn't explain the feeling that was welling up inside me. It was joy, of course, but it was joy unlike anything I had ever experienced before. It welled up slowly, then caught me off guard and I didn't know how to react to it. Tears welled in my eyes and a goofy grin crawled onto my face.

"Yeah, I suppose I could explain a thing or two."

The way back to Ylisstol was a blur. I remember everyone coming over to me and congratulating me, patting me on the back and offering me food, drink, and candy. No one was hostile, or leary, I could've sworn I caught even Lon'qu with slightly less of a scowl than usual on his face. When we camped for the night, drinks were passed around, songs were sung, Sully even pulled me to my feet and threw me around for a few minutes in what was some sort of war dance. When I finally was able to sneak away and crawl into my bed, my mind buzzed with thoughts.

'I guess... Today was a pretty successful day huh?'

I rolled over and stretched.

'No... I think successful is a bit of an understatement.'

Okay, so... Question time. Would you like me to totally BS maybe 3-6 chapters worth of events that will occur between now and two years when the story resumes with the Valmese war arc, or should I just skip right to that? Because I finally figured out who Sane is "romancing" and some other details about... I dunno, just general stuff and things that are going to be common knowledge in two years.

Of course, I'm probably going to put it anyway but I'd still like to know if you'd read it.