A/N:

I've added a new scene at the end of this chapter because I felt that it had to be there.

Senna Bluefire: It took me about half a year to write this story, I started in Summer, shortly after my graduation (I had noticed I was terribly slow at typing in English, so I wanted to practise) and finished shortly before Christmas, when I gave a printed version to my grandmother, who used to be an English teacher. She liked it ^^ At the time I started to write it down, the story was already complete in my mind for the most part, I just had to fill in the gaps.

Also, I looked up whether Hatary or Hatari is the correct way to spell it – turns out both are correct, depending on what region you live in.

"How dull", Yune groused. "I don't sense any enemies nearby... I know! Would you all like me to tell you a story as we climb?"

"What kind of story?", Ike asked.

"I like stories", Maian said, spreading her wings.

She bent one over her shoulder and started combing the feathers with her fingers as she walked.

"One from long ago, before the grandparents of anyone here were born", Yune answered. "In the very beginning of this world... there was only water, until one day, a girl appeared. The girl was very clever, and she forged the first land... then, she made trees and flowers, and then, she created beings."

"The story of the Grand Creation?", Tibarn asked, sounding bored. "Heard it. Wake me when it's over."

"The girl was you, right, Yune?", Ike asked. "Or are you talking about Ashera?"

"Both, really... and neither, actually. At first, the girl was excited by her new world, and thought of nothing else. But then, she started to feel lonely. Everyone, every being she had created, was different from her. Not a single person who could truly understand her. All alone, she grew sadder and sadder, crying for thousands of years... Then, some beings began to grow and change, becoming more clever and sophisticated. They tried to comfort the girl, and eventually grew close to her... that was the birth of the Zunanma. They were your ancestors – beorc, laguz, everyone."

"In Begnion, we are taught that the Zunanma were beorc ancestors alone...", Sanaki interjected quietly.

"I'm sure there was some selfish reason why the senators would teach that", Naesala replied. "Probably helps to justify laguz slaves..."

"It makes me wonder what else has been warped in my country beyond recognition…", she sighed.

"It's possible that the truth simply has been misunderstood", Yune replied, trying to cheer her up. "Just like everyone calls me a dark god... But let me continue. The Zunanma worshipped the girl as their own goddess. They said her hair was as striking a colour as dawn's first light, so they gave her a name... the Goddess of Dawn. She was a much-loved goddess.

"The Zunanma continued to evolve and change, giving rise to a variety of races and tribes across the land. Naturally, each race thought their own to be superior to the others, and conflict arose between them. The Goddess tried to make peace among her children, but nothing could stop the warring Zunanma. Trying to separate the factions, she gave them different names: laguz and beorc... but this only intensified the conflict. And then... the Great Flood occurred. The Goddess was only trying to bring an end to the fighting. But her power was so great, all the continents got drowned in the flood, all except Tellius."

"Are you sure about this?", Ike asked with a frown. "It's very different than the history we've each been taught..."

"True. In Hatary, we learn that the flood was a punishment, but this sounds like she didn't even do it intentionally...", Nailah mused.

"That's why we've been always so adamant that the Dark God must not be released from the medallion", Caineghis added. "Laguz rulers have been taught this for generations, though it was particularly stressed in times of war."

"It seems that neither the laguz nor the beorc have an accurate depiction by the sound of it", Kurthnaga observed. "I wonder where the story got twisted."

"There is another standing in our way", Yune replied. "I have a feeling he will be able to tell us."

Kurthnaga's knees buckled. Nala caught and steadied him.

"Fa-father?"

Everyone turned to stare at him.

"My father... Just beyond these doors... my father is waiting."

"Deghinsea, King of Goldoa... he's supposed to be one of the three heroes who defeated the Dark God – Yune", Ike said grimly.

"He has been blessed by Ashera", Yune replied. "Not only that, but it's a powerful, resilient blessing from long ago. He may be nearly impossible to defeat. Let's get everyone together. There's no better time than now."

They followed Yune onto the next landing.

"I was hoping to wait with this until we reached Ashera – actually, I hoped I wouldn't have to do this at all... But she's left me with no other choice. I will give you all the blessings of Yune, Goddess of Chaos and Freedom. In their natural state, the attacks of mortal creatures have no effect on divine beings. When Ashera set out to defeat me, she gathered her strongest warriors, and bestowed some of her power onto them. This is called the Goddess' Blessing... she empowered the dual swords of the beorc swordswoman, Altina. The beast warrior, Soan, and the leader of the dragon tribes, Deghinsea, were also blessed. I failed, then... but this time will be different. I'll use her own tricks, and I won't be defeated. Now, take some time to prepare yourselves. This will be a hard fight."

Micaiah and Sothe moved away from the others. The young queen needed some time to herself to think about all that had happened since they had entered the tower. She was just as bothered by the many memories swirling around as Yune was. Especially the one about the Apostle...

"Are you all right, Micaiah?", Sothe asked, reaching out to touch her shoulder.

"Yes, I'm fine, Sothe. What about you? Are you hurt?"

"I'm not a child, Micaiah! When are you going to start treating me like an adult?", Sothe groused.

"Show me your hand."

"What?"

"Look at your hands. They're so big... They were so small when we met."

"Micaiah…"

Ike came walking round one of the pillars.

"Aahh... sorry. Am I interrupting something?"

"C-commander!", Sothe exclaimed, snatching his hand back.

"It's all right, Ike. How can we help you?"

"I was scrounging around in my stuff and found some extra medicine. So, I figured I'd go round asking if anyone needed it."

"I need to go get ready", Sothe said, spinning on the spot before marching away.

"Hey, there's no rush", Ike said. "We still have... he didn't catch a word of that, did he?"

"I'm sorry about that", Micaiah replied.

"How long have you been with him?"

"A long time. I met him when I was hiding out in the back alleys of Nevassa, over ten years ago. He was so skinny, but his gaze was so piercing... I wondered how such a young boy could look like that... One day, I noticed that he was standing close, just watching. He continued like that for a few days. One day, I held out my hand. He was suspicious of me, but came over anyway. He was like a scared animal. Then, his little hand slipped into mine... it was shaking. His fingers were so thin and frail... I couldn't let go after that. From that day, we travelled together all over the continent. No matter where we went, we were always together."

"The first time I met him, he was stowing away on the ship we were taking to Begnion. He said that he was looking for someone who was like family to him. It was you he was searching for, wasn't it?"

"I – I tried to leave him behind", Micaiah admitted, wringing her hands. "When we went to Crimea, I split off from him and took a ship to Begnion. But when I reached the Empire, war had broken out between Crimea and Daein. I knew I had to go back to Daein and look for him. I couldn't find him, so I went back to Crimea. But I still couldn't find him... We found each other again after the war. In the back alleys of Nevassa, where we first met."

"You took routes opposite to each other."

"When I told him why I'd disappeared, he got very angry... I had never seen him get so emotional before."

"I can't say that I blame him. I'd get pretty furious if I heard that someone I loved was wandering about two countries at war", Ike admonished. "Besides, I'm pretty sure he'd hid his feelings about being abandoned until he saw you again."

"I thought I was reaching the limit of how long I could stay with him", she explained, sounding distraught as she recalled these events. "He grew each and every day, while I remained the same... I didn't want him to be harmed by the curse I live with. Can you imagine how hard this would have been on him?"

"You mean the blood of the laguz?"

"Yes. How long have you known that?"

"Soren told me after our battle at the Ribahn. He said he could sense it."

"That's right. He and I are both Branded."

"Don't use that word. You and Soren are both people. Just like me and everyone else."

"People", Micaiah whispered. "You are just like Yune. You call both laguz and beorc people."

"Why should I care about the colour of your eyes, hair, or skin? Or that of your wings, tail or ears? No matter how long you live or what powers you possess, at the end of the day, we're all people."

"Sothe talks like that, too. His time with you changed him. Thank you, Ike."

"Not at all. I didn't do much, anyway."

"Um – could I have some of the medicine?"

"Oh, sure! Here. Survive, Micaiah. We need you, and the goddess you host, to save the people of Tellius", Ike replied with a smile.

"Yes... I know."

"All right, then. Could you come over here for a minute? Sanaki and Maian wish to talk."

"Certainly."

Sanaki was pacing, her emotions in an uproar. Maian appeared more calm, but Micaiah could tell that she was agitated, as well.

"I cannot believe Zelgius was the Black Knight!", Sanaki exclaimed when she spotted Ike and Micaiah.

"But we saw his face plain as day", Ike pointed out. "There's no way you could doubt it."

"Senator, did you know he was one of our kind?", Micaiah asked.

"I did, though it took me some time to realise what it was I had sensed. I am certain he knew about me, for he seemed always to worry about me..."

"Couldn't you have found out about his connection to Daein by reading his mind?", Ike asked.

"I could have, but it is considered rude to look into people's souls just like that. I only did it when I thought it was necessary... and his thoughts were never so interesting that I decided to take a peek – he most likely did that on purpose. Besides, I never had much to do with the soldiers – even if he was Sephiran's right-hand man."

"He was Sephiran's right hand?", Ike asked with a frown. "What was he like in Begnion?"

"He was a hero", Sanaki replied. "The best general, and the best swordsman in all of Tellius. He was never anything but loyal. But he was serving another country!"

"Hm. That makes me wonder how Sephiran's doing", Ike mused.

"I am sure he is well. Sigrun always said there is no other master of the arcane arts who can compare to the Duke of Persis."

"Makes you wonder, doesn't it?", Ike pressed.

Micaiah frowned.

"Ike... don't tell me you suspect Sephiran!", Sanaki exclaimed in disbelief.

"Well, look at the facts..."

"Do not trouble yourself with that thought. He would never betray me!"

"Yes, what a ridiculous notion!", Maian added. "I have known Sephiran for ten years, and I happen to know that he loves Sanaki as a daughter."

"Don't you think that you two might be a bit biased here?", Ike asked.

"It is not easy to fool me, General Ike", Maian huffed.

"But not impossible."

"I suppose", she conceded. "But I still doubt that you are right."

"It's nice to think so. But since he's not petrified, he should've received a message from Yune. So, where is he?"

"The Goddess isn't perfect, she said so herself!", Sanaki retorted. "Maybe the message didn't reach everyone."

Ike shook his head. "You have to admit that's a pretty weak excuse. Let's leave it at that, for now. We need to focus on moving forward."

Sanaki let out an angry huff, but dropped the matter. Maian placed a comforting hand on her shoulder.

As soon as everyone was ready, they gathered in front of the doors.

"All right, let's get this over with! I need the laguz to transform", Yune instructed.

Yune closed her eyes. Blue light flashed from Micaiah's body and engulfed everyone. Maian felt newfound strength flowing through her body – strength that she had never dreamed she would ever possess. Yune had even blessed the herons – apparently because they needed less protection now.

The members of the alliance exchanged surprised glances. Yune had not only blessed their bodies, but their weapons as well.

"Okay, I'm all done now...", Yune said. "Whew, that was exhausting. I – that was really hard. I think I need to rest..."

"Micaiah? Are you feeling all right?", Sothe asked. "You don't look too well."

"I'm fine. Thank you, Sothe."

"What happened to Yune?", Ike asked.

"She's sleeping. She wants us to take it from here."

"All right... If we're all set, let's move out."

They opened the doors and entered the room beyond.

"Father!", Kurthnaga called.

"Kurthnaga... I wasn't expecting this. It is safe to assume that you have come prepared to fight?"

Deghinsea was standing on a raised platform, along with Nasir and a red dragon. A quick glance at his thoughts revealed that he was Gareth, Prince Kurthnaga's bodyguard – not that the Prince needed a guard.

"How many times have I said it now?" the king demanded. "How many times have I warned against starting another war? We have betrayed our vow to the Goddess. We should have learned, but the fighting never stopped. Now, we must pay for our crimes. We must take responsibility and accept Ashera's judgement."

"King Deghinsea, I owe you an apology", Caineghis said, stepping forward. "You often warned me of the danger of open war, but I did not listen. I want you to know how truly sorry I am for the strife that has once again engulfed our world, and my part in it. However – I will not meekly accept judgement by the Goddess. Regardless of my duty to her, the petrified people must be saved."

"Caineghis, King of the Beasts. I regret that we stand on opposite sides. Now, we must determine which one of us is in the right."

Micaiah rushed forward.

"No! You don't understand – it wasn't the war that awoke the Goddess! It was my song – the Galdr of Release freed the Goddess!"

"You can't expect me to believe that."

"But it's the truth! Why would I lie to you?"

"You – you are one of the Parentless."

Maian let out a hiss. The fact that Deghinsea harboured no hatred for their kind didn't make that name sound less insulting.

"You know me?", Micaiah asked, puzzled.

"I knew the first of your kind."

Sensing a strange mixture of thoughts and emotions, Maian took a closer look at his mind, and let out a scream of rage.

"It was you! You spread those rumours about us, the 'Law of the Goddess'! You are responsible for Soren's cruel fate, Micaiah's restless days, and my confinement to my father's house!"

Deghinsea looked shocked. "How did you - "

"The heron blood, of course. Do not play dumb. You know what kind of powers we possess – I know you remember Lehran's daughter. Even if it has been over 700 years... Ever since I was told the truth, I have yearned to find out who was responsible for this, so I could have my revenge... that day is today!"

"Why did you do that to us?", Micaiah asked pleadingly. "Why did you hate us so?"

"Please, hear me out! I never meant for any harm to befall you..."

"Oh, really?", Soren asked sarcastically. "Thanks to you, Micaiah and I never knew our parents – because we were abandoned! Save your excuses for someone who wants to hear them!"

"Maybe you meant well, but that doesn't change the fact that countless people suffered and died because of you", Micaiah added, her voice rising in volume as well.

"I see there is no reason in trying to talk to you", Deghinsea said. "If you do, indeed, insist on fighting me – you will stand against – the greatest of all dragons!"

With a loud roar, the Black Dragon King transformed. He was massive, even bigger than Kurthnaga. From everywhere, more dragons came to join him, blocking their path to the next door.

"Father!", Kurthnaga called. "Please! There has to be a way to talk this through!"

"It's no use", Ike said, restraining the prince. "Soren and Maian are both itching for this fight. I don't want to try and stop them. Listen, everyone! Get the dragons out of our way, but try not to kill them! Our target is the king!"

That was all Maian needed. Spreading her wings, she soared high into the air, toward Deghinsea. Her enemy rose into the air as well, his gigantic wings causing small whirlwinds. A powerful blast of fire erupted from his snout, and Maian quickly dodged – thinking that trying to shield wouldn't be a good idea.

Maian noticed that the enemy dragons didn't attack Kurthnaga or Ena, and the two of them managed to talk Nasir and Gareth into joining them.

Ike and the others had carved a path for Micaiah and Soren, and both of them joined Maian. They had to stay on the ground, since levitating across a room full of dragons would be too dangerous, but Maian made sure Deghinsea had no time to worry about those two. Being much smaller, she was able to outfly him, and egg him on. He was frustrated because he couldn't catch her, and she made good use of that. His fury made him careless.

From below came Soren's voice, he was preparing a spell. A green diagram had formed beneath his feet and he was radiating power.

"Mighty winds of ice and snow, come forth at my command! Gather before me and strike down mine enemy! Rexcalibur!"

Maian backed away just in time as Deghinsea was engulfed by a tornado full of gigantic ice blocks. Maian and Micaiah attacked at almost the same time. Their new spells certainly looked impressive, and they seemed to work very well. Deghinsea almost dropped out of the air. He managed to land, and reverted.

"Well done. You... have beaten me."

Maian alighted and put her wings in. Her fury had faded away by now.

"Father!"

Kurthnaga and Ena rushed forward.

"Don't lose your head now, boy. This wound... is nothing."

He is lying... he is just pretending to make this less painful for his son.

"Your power... how could you defeat me? I was blessed by Ashera herself..."

Maian felt the change next to her even before Yune started speaking.

"I gave them my blessings."

Deghinsea stared at Micaiah's face, apparently recognising the voice.

"Yune?! Is that you?"

"That war long ago... you were right to fight me. I was young and immature... I'm so sorry. The Great Flood was a result of my unchecked emotions..."

"You don't have to apologise, Yune. I always knew you were not actually evil – just too powerful."

"So, why did you choose Ashera again? I was hoping that, this time, you would help me protect the people", she replied with a pout.

"I'm sorry, Yune. But I've done worse to you... Long ago, we made a vow before the Goddess Ashera herself... We vowed that we, the laguz and beorc, would never again commit the same genocidal sins. We didn't keep our promise... and for that reason, I was committed to accept my just punishment."

"Silly, stubborn old scalebag... you just never know when to quit. You need to lighten up a bit."

"To convince the other laguz kings to follow me, I rewrote history, hid my tracks, and declared you a dark god. All I ever wanted was to avoid conflict... please, forgive me."

"Don't worry about it, Deghinsea. I caused you enough trouble last time, so I'll forgive you just this once."

"I'm pleased to hear that. Gareth! Gather our survivors. Kurthnaga is their commander from now on."

"Understood, sire."

"Nasir... You followed your sovereign very far, for once leaving your country in disgust... you have my sincerest thanks."

"No, my lord... unaware of my own King's true heart, I did what I thought had to be done... I apologise."

"Ena..." Deghinsea reached out to take her hand. "I would like to tell you only that I wish you the greatest happiness in life."

"Thank... thank you, sire", Ena whispered.

"Now then, Kurthnaga. Get these men moving."

Deghinsea's legs were unable to carry his weight any more, and he sank to the ground.

"I will remain here, for I cannot move."

"Yes, father. We will stop Ashera. Wait here for our return."

"Yes, my son. I'll be waiting. Nasir... they might listen to you. Tell those children everything – even the senator knows not the whole truth yet."

The white dragon nodded, his face grim.

Kurthnaga ordered the other dragons to clear the lower parts of the tower of the corpses, and then go help the people in town. With that, they left the room.

Yune had almost expected it and wasn't too surprised when another memory drifted into her mind.

"We must save them", the narrator said angrily. "Even now, as we speak, countless laguz slaves endure Begnion chains. They suffer terribly."

"We have done all that we will do", another voice replied. Yune recognised Deghinsea.

"Admonitions and censures help nothing! Now is the time for the dragon tribes to use their strength and save the oppressed laguz!"

"Goldoa does not interfere with the outside world. As king of dragons, I will not allow my people to fan the flames of war. Conflict on the scale you describe will wake up the Goddess, and call down her judgement. This is the path to destruction. A thousand years... this is how long we swore to the Goddess that there would be no war. Have you forgotten our covenant?"

"Of course not." The narrator sounded exasperated. "Yet... there are laguz that are treated as less than livestock. I cannot believe this is what the Goddess wants."

"Goldoa will not move. This decree stands from the time our nations were formed. The Goddess has not yet slept seven hundred and fifty years. Would you see the laguz and beorc destroyed? Would you see all of Tellius awash in blood? No, unless destruction comes to seek us at our door, Goldoa will not move, for the sake of future generations!"

"Tell me, do you care nothing for the laguz who suffer in the current generation? Do you think it would comfort them that you condone their misery?"

"All things require sacrifice."

The narrator made an angry sound, turned and walked away, toward the gates of the city.

"Where are you going?", Deghinsea demanded.

"To Begnion. I will find a solution without you."

"You, who have lost your birthright? All you will accomplish is your own destruction. Hold... hold, I say!"

Deghinsea watched them leave. He had been very surprised to see how strong those three children were – the beorc mages were nothing in comparison. He had heard stories about those with mixed blood, how strong and special they were, but never actually seen them fight.

That boy... something about him felt so familiar... I already noticed it when they were in Goldoa. I would assume he has got the blood of the dragons – but who – no. Could he be - ?

The pain the wound caused him made him double over. Deghinsea sank to the ground, closing his eyes.

"My queen... Rajaion... I will soon join you. My lovely Almedha... cherish... life..."

The last of his strength left him, and Deghinsea closed his eyes. He welcomed the darkness – it meant that the pain was fading... just as the world...

"It's happening again...", Yune complained. "Whose memory is that?! Something feels so – familiar about it. Is that – is that your memory?"

"Father!", Kurthnaga called all out of a sudden, interrupting Yune's thoughts.

"Kurth... he's gone", Ena said quietly.

"I know. This is simply another reason to move on... Entrusted by my father to care for our people, I will stand before Ashera – as the king of the dragon tribe!"

The same moment, another memory came welling up inside Yune and Micaiah.

"Oh, Goddess... Will you please stop? Is this not enough?", the narrator asked. "Your – sister – regrets all she has done. If you look closely at Yune's actions, and their unintentional consequences, you will see that all of them were born from fear. Fear that you would expunge her from yourself. If you would but allow her back within you, this would surely never happen again."

"Yune is chaos. She is an imperfection in my being", a woman's voice replied. "It is because of her that I – I have done this thing that cannot be undone. No matter how I admonished you, you would not stop fighting. There was nothing I could do. Every day my beloved children were killed, killed by others of my beloved children. With every death, my rage and sorrow grew, until I could control myself no longer. My emotions burst forth, and I razed the land. Furious storms ravaged the heavens, roiling waters rose in tremendous floods. Lives were lost beyond counting. I will purge chaos from within myself. Never again will I allow myself to commit such atrocities. I will become a goddess to properly guide and protect my people. I will become perfect."

"But – to nullify half of your being... we were terribly, monstrously wrong to suggest it. You shouldn't have to bear the weight of our foolish ideas."

"I – I was just... lonely", a child's voice whispered.

"Is that you?", Micaiah asked.

"Yes…"

"My other half spent all her time worrying about the laguz and beorc. She said she was going to erase me... I was... only playing. I never meant to hurt so many."

"I understand, Yune", the narrator replied soothingly.

"I won't do it again" Yune promised. "I love all of you, too... you paid attention to me. I don't want to go away... It would be lonely, and I don't want to be lonely. I want to stay here with all of you."

"Goddess, I have a suggestion", a third woman – Altina – interjected. "If we here, out of our own free will, would make a pledge to coexist, there wouldn't be a need to erase Yune, would there? In which case we would give you our solemn oath: never again will the laguz or the beorc seek the extermination of the other. Soan? Deghinsea? This is agreeable, is it not?"

"I do not accept your pledge", Ashera replied.

"Why?", Altina demanded.

"I cannot believe you. You are living creatures created in our image. You cannot seal away our instincts with reason. You are like us. You feel profound sorrow, anger, fear... A conflict will surely arise to overwhelm your reason and discipline. You will be unable to master your emotions. And I may once again make the mistakes that have led us here. The only way to prevent this is to expunge chaos completely. Yune must not exist. My decision has not changed."

"In that case, Goddess... would you consider an alternative to such drastic measures?", the narrator asked. "We shall use the power of seid magic to seal Yune inside this medallion. Someday, and it may be in the far, distant future... Someday, we may be able to earn your trust, Goddess. In the hope of that day arriving, refrain from annihilating Yune, please."

"In my eyes, imprisoning Yune and destroying her is the same thing", Ashera replied. "If the disaster and chaos Yune begets can be averted, I have no objection. I do not know, however, if Yune will submit to such confinement."

"Goddess Yune? Please hear me. I will never give up. Someday, I will see you restored to yourself. Please..."

"Mmh…"

"Do not look so sad. I will sing to you. You will not be lonely. I promise."

"Before we move on, there is something I need to tell you – on behalf of King Deghinsea", Nasir said. "Please listen to what I have to say – especially the three of you" he indicated at Soren, Micaiah and Maian "as well as Empress Sanaki."

Maian couldn't deny that she was curious to find out what it was that Lehran hadn't told her.

"This story begins a long time ago, shortly after Altina had founded Begnion. Together with her husband, she ruled the young nation. Her husband's name – her first husband's, I should say – was Lehran. Lehran, the Great Heron, who had sealed away the Goddess Yune."

"W-wait - ", Sanaki interjected. "Are you saying what I think you are saying?"

"Yes, Empress. They had a child, the first of her kind. The first Apostle of Begnion. There had been mixed couples before, but none of the women had ever conceived a child. Both Deghinsea and Soan rejoiced at the good news... But shortly after that, Lehran realised that he had lost his heron powers. Close to despair, he attempted suicide several times... Deghinsea took him to Goldoa and there, he slowly recovered. There were more reports about laguz losing their powers, and we came to realise this was happening because the parents had mixed their blood. Lehran then made a decision that was probably the hardest in his life... he returned to Sienne, and asked Altina to pretend that he had died in an accident... He then went into hiding. Altina did as he wished, and eventually accepted a beorc husband, pretending the child to be his. King Deghinsea was deeply worried about those children. To protect them from their laguz parents' wrath, he spread the rumours of laguz and beorc not being allowed to marry, in an attempt to prevent from more of your kind from be born, and more laguz from losing their powers... But his plan backfired. The laguz and beorc used this lie to terrorise their own children... Well, you know everything else."

"So... I'm a hybrid, as well?", Sanaki asked.

"Yes. Because of the heron blood, all the Apostles were able to hear the Goddess, give prophecy and all that."

"But – I do not bear the mark." Sanaki gave Maian a questioning look. "You knew about this, did you not?"

"Yes... You see, that was something unique in your family", Maian explained heavily. "Only the first-born daughter of every generation – the Apostle – bore the Brand. And she passed it on... In every other family, it was passed on to every child. So – your sister was the one who inherited it from your grandmother. We had hoped that – since she died – the powers would be passed on to you, but we were wrong..."

"What did our Brand look like?"

"I do not know... I never saw it. I was not close to Empress Misaha, after all."

"I see..."

"That means you are our cousin, Sanaki", Reyson said, placing a hand on her shoulder."Life is funny, don't you think?"

Sanaki smiled weakly.

"Come to think of it, Lady Maian, where is Lehran now? I'd like to meet him."

"What – you mean to say he's still alive?", Naesala asked, astonished.

"I do not know where, exactly, he is. I am very certain that he did not leave Sienne, but whether he is here or not... I cannot say."

This whole tower... it is resonating with his presence. Did he come here so often? I wonder...

"Meeting my ancestor... that would be something", Sanaki mused.

"Wait a minute", Tibarn said to Maian. "When we first met, you told us you knew the reason why Empress Misaha had to die, and that it was a secret. Was it because she was a hybrid?"

"You assume correctly. Lehran told me what happened... Empress Misaha learned the truth about herself through him, and was determined to emancipate the hybrids along with the laguz – tell the truth to the world and reveal her Brand. Somehow, Lekain and the others found out and – they murdered her. Framing the herons for the murder, they killed two birds with one stone..."

"That's terrible", Reyson said quietly.

"You can probably imagine how furious I was after I had heard that... I have longed to kill Lekain for ten years... Now, I have finally avenged my mother."

For a few moments, no-one spoke.

"Are we done talking now?", Ike asked. "In that case, we should move on."

"Actually, I think it might be a good idea to take a break", Nasir chided. "You all look like you could use some rest."

Ike considered that briefly before ordering them to set up camp.

It took Nasir a while to track down his target – he finally found his "quarry" organising supplies. Nasir watched for a while before softly clearing his throat.

The young man briefly looked up at him before going back to his task.

"What are you doing?", Nasir inquired, trying not to be bothered by the lacklustre reaction. Hostility was to be expected, after all.

"I'm organising our supplies", Soren replied, sounding like he was rolling his eyes – which he probably was. "We have people from different nations and armies with us, and it's important to keep track of each faction's things. A lot of it will need replacing once this is over."

"Why would you bother doing this now, when it is by no means certain that we will succeed?"

"I refuse to accept certain defeat as an option in my calculations", Soren retorted. "If we should fail – and, by extension – die, I won't have to worry about any of this. However, if we were to win – and I intend to make sure we do – I'd kick myself for having neglected this task."

"I see. That does make sense, I suppose."

"Hm. Now, what do you want?"

"I – excuse me?"

"I very much doubt you came here to chat about the 'good old days'", Soren scoffed. "People don't usually approach me unless they need something. So, what is it that you need?"

He closed the chest he'd been organising and turned to face Nasir, arms crossed over his chest.

"Um", Nasir said, very eloquently. "I didn't come here because I needed something – well, I do, sort of, but not – oh, how should I put this?"

Soren narrowed his eyes, apparently unimpressed by his floundering.

Nasir let out a gusty sigh. "Look, Soren, the reason I came here – it's because I owe you an apology."

Soren's carefully constructed facade crumpled for an instant, and his face betrayed the surprise he was feeling. He uncrossed his arms and shifted his weight as he clearly tried to wrap his head around what Nasir had just said.

"You – what?"

"Wait, don't tell me – no-one's ever apologised to you before?", Nasir asked, worried by Soren's reaction.

"Of course not", Soren huffed. "How do you think we'd be able to function as a mercenary group if we kept grudges? Granted, we sometimes need a third party to gently – or not so gently – nudge us in the right direction, but we do make sure to own up to our mistakes, and apologise for them. Naturally, I've received my fair share of apologies over the years."

"Oh. That's good. I – was worried there for a moment."

"That so. How odd. To get back to the matter at hand – I'm afraid you're going to have to be a bit more specific because, as things stand right now, I have no idea what you're apologising for."

"Oh! Ah, I see. So, that's why you were surprised."

"Indeed."

"Right. Well, the thing I wanted to apologise for is what I did to you during the Mad King's War. Threatening to reveal your secret if you didn't keep quiet about me leaking information to both Gallia and Daein. It was an awful thing of me to do, and I was very well aware of that, but if you'd blown my cover, Ena's position might have been in jeopardy, and I couldn't – I'm so, so sorry."

Soren was quiet for a while as he mulled Nasir's words over.

"I accept your apology", he said at length. "I, too, would do horrible things for the people I care about. I can – understand where you're coming from. And besides – you threatening me was, in part, the reason I decided to tell Ike. I thought that it would be better to get this over with on my own terms, rather than risk you revealing my true nature to him just because you could. I had, after all, no reason to assume you would actually keep quiet if I cooperated."

"I see. I take it Ike had no issues."

"None at all, which was surprising. I had expected him to cast me out, but instead – he was compassionate. Kind. Basically the way he always was. He didn't change how he acted around me – well, he seemed to understand me better after I had told him everything."

"I'm glad things worked out for you, truly."

"How long had you known about me, before you approached me, I mean?"

"I realised what you were shortly after we met", Nasir replied. "However, I didn't see the need to raise this matter, back then. I also wasn't quite sure I understood your situation – I was surprised to see you interact with beorc, to be part of a mercenary company. Eventually, I started to suspect that you were yourself unaware of what you were, which would explain why you hadn't chosen to isolate yourself. However, your demeanour changed drastically during our stay in Begnion."

"So, you noticed. I stumbled upon some old text that explained what I was, and all that nonsense about the divine law. Which I took as factual information – it was only recently, in Gallia, that Maian told me that my existence wasn't a crime. But when we left Begnion, I was – pretty terrified. I finally understood why most people had always treated me with disdain or outright hostility. And the mere thought of that happening again – of Ike turning his back on me – was terrifying. He noticed, too. Ike. He asked me about it, but I gave him excuses at first."

"I see. I am, once again, sorry for making your situation worse."

"Hm. How about you use that knowledge you possess to make a difference for us hybrids, to show how truly sorry you are? It would be nice if we could just live our lives as people, without having to hide or lie."

"Certainly", Nasir replied with a smile. "If any of you decided to try and improve the situation of your kind, they would have my full support."

"Great", Soren replied with a faint smile. "I'll hold you to that."