"Hmm," Jack hummed to himself, looking around. "Yeah, I think this might be a good spot. What do you two think?"
Chrom appeared beside Jack, looking in the opposite direction. "I'll not say that I'm good at this sort of thing, but considering what I know of Princess Ivy, this does seem like a really good place to go on that 'date' you spoke of."
Robin appeared a moment later. "Truth be told, I thought you might have been joking. You and Ivy have been playing a game for quite a while now."
Jack's eyes narrowed as his eyes surveyed the fields that surrounded Lythos Castle. It wasn't too far away from where he'd actually appeared, or even far away from where Alear and his stewards first fought the Corrupted. Sleepy, grassy hills spread for miles in each direction, with a pleasant breeze gently ruffling the grass. If Jack could get a few blankets, and maybe a nice suit, then maybe-
Maybe then what he had said to Ivy wouldn't be a mistake.
"It wasn't a joke," Jack said, looking up to the sky and shielding his eyes from the sun. "I just- I genuinely thought there was a good chance that we could die fighting Brianna. She wasn't… she wasn't herself."
"If she was, I would've been concerned that you were involved with her at one point," Robin said, his arms crossed. "But even then, something felt off about your attitude toward her."
Jack tilted his head as he turned to face Robin. "What do you mean?"
"You loved her, didn't you?" he asked, "Or at least, you gave that impression that at one point, you did. And yet when we faced her, you seemed detached. Emotionless, almost, as if it wasn't really happening to you."
Jack felt his heart beating in his chest. "I don't know what you're talking about."
"Ah, I see. I must be getting close to something for you to deflect so blatantly," Robin said.
"You've caught Robin while he's in tactician mode, I'm afraid," Chrom sighed. "There's very few things that can escape his eye while he's like this."
"I'm not here to be psychoanalyzed," Jack said, "Just wanted to ask if this was a good location to break some major social rules."
"Oh, if that is the case, then yes, I do believe this is an excellent locale. In fact, breaking societal norms should be, well, the norm, so I wholeheartedly support you pursuing Princess Ivy's affections," Robin said, and Jack swore his eyes were glowing a deep bronze. "I do wonder if time travel is a thing here, or how it might work."
Jack shrugged. "There's time travel, yeah, but it doesn't work like it does in Ylisse, sadly. No future children here, Robin."
"Robin, do not say 'that is a shame'," Chrom said vehemently, floating behind the spectral tactician. "Do not say a damn word."
"I-it would be…" Robin stammered out. "It would have to be a terrible calamity for such a thing to happen anyway! Yes, that is what I meant. Put Falchion away, Chrom."
"Do we need to have an intervention? I'm sensing some marital issues here," Jack said.
"Oh, you're lucky Chrom's wife isn't around to hear you say that, Jack," Robin tutted, shaking his head. "Oh, you are so, so lucky."
"What? Why is he lucky? She wouldn't freak out about something like this. She made jokes like that all the time," Chrom said confusedly.
Jack looked from Chrom to Robin, before a question he'd been meaning to ask crossed his mind. If it would get them all away from what Robin had been saying earlier, then all the better.
"Actually, that reminds me," Jack said, rubbing his chin. "In the, er, timelines I saw involving you two, you could actually have multiple different wives, depending on who was… hmm, depending on who was helping you out from above."
"I'm going to just disregard the fact that made no sense," Robin said.
"Where are you going with this?" Chrom asked.
Jack shrugged. "I'm just wondering who your wife was- is, Chrom. And you too, Robin, if you had one."
"Are you implying that I wouldn't be able to get married if I wanted to?" Robin asked, his brows furrowing.
"Yes, I am implying that no one would want to marry you," Jack replied, deadpan.
"What cheek," Robin harrumphed. "Do not make me rethink granting you our power. Wha- Chrom, are you laughing?"
"What? No! Absolutely not," Chrom snickered. "Besides, we're stalling here. My wife was-"
Chrom blinked before opening his mouth to speak again.
"My wife is-"
He stopped mid-sentence again, looking at Robin with concern in his eyes.
"Is something wrong?" Jack asked, leaning forward.
"I can't-" Chrom said, stopping himself before placing his hand against his mouth. "I can't say her name. Every time I try to think of it, it simply…"
Robin pointed to his head. "It simply… disappears from your mind? How come I have never noticed this during all our time within this bracelet?"
"You don't understand, Robin. Try to think of your wife, too. You will see what I mean," Chrom said.
Jack was becoming increasingly concerned, watching the two Emblems slowly twist their expressions into ones of dawning horror.
"That… that does not make any sense. I can see her so clearly but whenever I try to pinpoint her expressions, the way her hair went with the breeze, its color, I…"
"Maybe I shouldn't have asked," Jack mumbled. "I didn't mean to dredge up something like this, guys. I'm sorry."
"It is not your fault, Jack," Chrom said, "something like this would have come up at some point. I'm just glad it didn't happen in the middle of battle. Otherwise we might not have been focused enough to keep you safe."
"Nonetheless, I don't think we should dwell on this too much, Chrom," Robin said.
Chrom nodded. "You're right. Even if it's… more than a little disturbing that- no, no, I should not question it. I already feel strange."
Jack looked down at the grass, shrugging his shoulders. "Being an Emblem isn't all it's cracked up to be, huh?"
"I try not to think about it most of the time, believe it or not," Chrom said, "It's… easier to think that one day I will see all of our friends and comrades again, rather than forever being trapped within this bracelet. Not that being next to Robin at all times is much of a hell…"
"I am so glad that my presence does not irk you too much, Your Majesty," Robin drawled, bowing exaggeratedly.
Jack snorted. "I think you're both pretty neat, still. And who knows? Maybe one day, you will see them again."
"Hmm. It's a nice thought, at least," Chrom said, nodding. "Anyway, should we not check on your son? It has been a few days since you have seen him."
Jack felt his blood turn to ice.
"Let me just… finish something really quick. Finish this, I should say," Jack said, gesturing to the field that surrounded them.
Just keep running, Jack. Just keep running, but you know that it'll catch you…
"Order up," Jack said, placing the bowl in front of Veyle. "You caught me at a good time, you know. Not everyday that I'm in here and we have peppers in the larder."
Veyle looked down at the bowl with sparkles in her violet eyes. "What is it? It smells delicious!"
"Kung Pao chicken," Jack replied, patting his hands together. "Nothing fancy, but it took me a minute. Lucky for you that everything was basically ready. You're just straight-up lucky today, aren't you?"
Veyle took the bowl and began chowing down immediately. Jack had never seen anything quite like it, and was transfixed on her the whole time, as if he was watching a train crash in slow motion. Once Veyle was done, she politely placed the bowl back on the table before her.
She nodded her head. "Thank you very much. That was very good!"
Jack rubbed the back of his neck, looking away with a sheepish smile on his face. "Good enough that you just ate it within a few seconds? Good Lord, I don't think I've seen anyone eat that fast."
Veyle shrugged, giggling to herself. "I don't know what I can say to that… I just really enjoyed it, that's all."
"And it's got nothing to do with the fact that you're basically housing four Emblems right now?" Jack asked.
Veyle tilted her head. "Why would it?"
"I dunno. Sometimes I feel like I get hungrier easier whenever I've got an Emblem on me, but maybe it's just the fact that I'm a lot more active than I used to be."
Veyle looked down at that, her gaze inscrutable as Jack's brows raised.
"Something wrong?" he asked.
Shaking her head, Veyle looked up to Jack. "Are you alright?"
Jack blinked, placing his hands on his hips and puffing his chest out. "Why wouldn't I be? This is probably the last time we'll truly be at peace until, well, until Sombron is killed. Why wouldn't I wanna make the most of it?"
"Well, it's just…" Veyle said, playing with her fingers. "It's just that I've heard Brianna was important to you, but it doesn't seem like you… I don't know, it just doesn't seem like it has affected you all that much."
Jack frowned, and Veyle held up her hands.
"T-that came out wrong! What I meant to say was-"
"No, you're right," Jack replied, "You're right. I dunno how to explain it, and I don't wanna dump all my baggage on you, but I…"
Jack let out a sigh.
"It's not worth badgering you about. Don't worry about me, Veyle. I'll be fine. I've been fine this whole time, haven't I?"
"Have you?" Veyle asked quietly.
Jack opened his mouth to speak, but no words came from him as he rubbed his scalp.
He turned away, looking at the kitchens where he came from, before turning in the opposite direction and out into the plaza of the Somniel. Everything felt so unreal, for just the briefest of moments. It was like he wasn't even there. Maybe, if he kept running, kept from letting it get to him, he'd be fine. He'd be fine. He was in his happy place.
"Jack?" Veyle called out. "Are you still there?"
When Jack finally spoke, his voice felt separate from the one he always heard, as if it came from someone else.
"Sometimes, I ask myself that question, and I can't ever come up with a good answer," Jack muttered. "Even right now, preparing to go on a date with royalty, I can't find the will to lift a finger other than to do what I like, to calm myself down. I-"
Jack got a grip on himself, shaking his head furiously for a moment and dispelling the fog that had enshrouded his mind.
"Nevermind. Seriously, nevermind. You all are… way too important to worry about the likes of me, especially when it comes to crap like this," Jack said, trying desperately to deflect. "Don't worry about it."
"Jack… we're your friends, aren't we? Aren't I?" Veyle asked, getting up from her seat. "I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for you. Why're you trying to push me away?"
"It's… not pushing away, it's not burdening you. That's all it is. You really don't wanna hear about what's going on in my head, Veyle," Jack said.
Connor probably misses you, if he's even capable of missing something right now.
Jack rubbed his head. "Anyway, uh, glad you enjoyed that. I gotta finish this other thing I was doing. I was gonna ask Ivy tomorrow to come with me. It's a really nice spot and- you know what, I should probably stop gibbering right now. It's only making you more concerned, isn't it?"
Veyle looked at Jack, a deep frown on her face. "You can always talk to us, Jack. I won't force it right now, but, whenever you're ready."
Jack let out a breath, his hands falling to his sides.
"Thanks, Veyle."
Jack held the prosthetic leg with both hands, as if he was carrying something precious. Which it essentially was, because he held the key to Fogado's mobility.
He hadn't been there for the amputation; it would have been weird if anyone other than Jean and the people he let in to help were there, but Fogado had been recovering relatively well. The wound had been healed over with magic, leaving only the remaining portion of his leg as a stump.
Or so Jack had been told. He had not seen Fogado since he first collapsed after the battle below the capital. Unfortunately, with everything going on; the battle preparations, the constant movement that surrounded him, Jack was one of the few people who was free to give the prosthetic to Fogado.
It was of ornate construction, though it still had function over form. It reminded Jack of an incredibly advanced peg-leg, complete with a hook that could latch and detach from the stirrups of a horse. It actually reminded Jack of-
He shook his head and opened the tent that Fogado had been staying in for the past weeks. He wasn't the only one within; Bunet and Céline were right next to Fogado, as the younger prince of Solm, had his hands out and mouth open as if he was regaling them with tall tales. He stopped the moment Jack entered the tent.
"Ah, finally!" Fogado said, beckoning Jack over. "Bring it over here. I wanna get a good look at it."
Jack tilted his head with skepticism as he moved forward. "I didn't expect you to be so cheery."
Céline scoffed. "You should have seen him beforehand. It was not a pleasant time to be around him."
"And yet, I don't see you or Bunet leaving me right now. Pandreo's out praying right now, isn't he?" Fogado asked.
Jack shrugged. "I haven't seen him in a while. Good thing, too, 'cause I don't think I'd be able to keep all that stuff about the Architect under wraps."
Bunet sniffed. "I still have a hard time believing anything any of you have said on that matter, even from a princess. Ah, but I cannot say it did not happen. Those crystals growing out of your leg had to have come from somewhere, after all. I only wished we could have saved a few."
"Why's that?" Jack asked.
Fogado tried to get Jack to not ask that question, but once it had left Jack's lips, he turned his head and crossed his arms, whistling.
"Well, because it reminded me of rock candy. Or perhaps incredibly crystalized salt. I can only imagine what it tasted like," Bunet said. "Imagine it - we could make farms for it out of bodies-"
"That is, perhaps, the most vile thing I have ever heard," Céline said, "and I have heard some incredibly vile things."
Fogado shrugged. "You get used to it after a while. Anyway, let me take a look at this…"
Jack placed the prosthetic leg in Fogado's hands, and the Solmic prince marveled at it.
"Let me guess: Elusian, right? It has to be. I haven't seen anything this sophisticated at home," Fogado said, fiddling with it and trying to attach it to his leg.
Jack shrugged. "It's called the Kingdom of Knowledge for a reason, I guess."
"Or the Queendom of Knowledge, you know, considering who is next in line for the throne. Whenever she retakes it, anyway," Fogado said, successfully attaching the prosthetic to his leg, before hastily standing up and taking a step with it.
Bunet wrinkled his nose at that, looking at Fogado up and down. "I would have liked it if you had told me to help you beforehand, my liege."
Fogado waved a hand. "Don't need to worry about me like that, you know. Besides, it feels fine. Hasn't been that long since I was able to walk. Though this, it feels like I'm walking on top of something rather than- well, it's just weird. But it's functional, and I'll be able to ride a horse again."
"I had a feeling that's why Queen Seforia went through the trouble of getting the Elusians in Lythos to do this," Jack said, crossing his arms. "How've you been holding up, by the way? Been a while since you and I spoke, so I'm wondering how it's been for you with… all this."
"I don't think I can really give you an answer to that question," Fogado said, walking around a little more. He was catching on to the new leg with surprising quickness, with his gait becoming less and less hobbled. "I'm glad the pain is gone. That was- that was probably the most amount of pain I have ever felt in my entire life. 'Course, it cost me a leg, so…"
Jack turned. "And what're you doing here?"
Céline looked up at Jack with indignance. "Am I not allowed to be here?"
Rubbing the back of his head, Jack looked from Fogado to Céline. "No, it's not that. I'm just wondering, because Bunet is Fogado's retainer, but I haven't even seen you and Fogado even talk to each other."
Fogado let out a chuckle. "You haven't been paying very close attention, then, huh?"
"We have spoken many times. You have just never seemed to be nearby. I was going to invite Fogado to some tea after he received his prosthetic," Céline said. "In fact, you and I have barely spoken at all, it seems, Jack."
Jack could hear his heart in his ears again.
"I haven't been avoiding you," Jack said.
Céline shook her head. "I was not accusing you of such."
"Have you been avoiding me, then, I wonder?" Bunet asked.
"No, I haven't. I haven't been avoiding anyone," Jack answered. "Why is it that everywhere I go, people accuse me of crap?"
"I have noticed you acting strangely," Céline noted. "Or, rather, Louis notified me that you have. I just thought that it would be prudent of me to ask about your well-being. If you do not wish for me to do so, however, I will not pry."
Jack let out a long breath. "Well, thank you for that much, I guess."
"Ah, maybe it's just him being nervous about his newfound fatherhood," Fogado said, wiping his forehead. "And about that new lady friend of his. A princess, huh? I knew you and I had similar tastes."
Jack rolled his eyes. "I wouldn't say that."
Natalie's mind found it hard to focus.
She knew that Zephia's spell failed, at least mostly. She was absolutely certain that her mind was her own. But there were things about her that seemed strange. The pain in her chest, specifically her heart - at first, it had been such a distant thing, that only hit her here and there. However, over time, it became chronic; not a moment went by where she did not feel it. It was as if her heart was infected.
And her mind - it was clouded at all times. No doubt Zephia trying to keep her from rediscovering a truth she already knew. The bitch was cocky, and that was going to cost her. Natalie was sure of it.
The islands were crumbling and disparate, but they were all together again, enough to fit an entire legion of Corrupted on them. The shambling, ashen corpses with their cyclopean helmets did little to soothe Natalie's nerves. Being next to her brother's torturer, and her own tormentor, only made it all the worse.
Zephia stood before them, gathered around her like a gaggle of schoolchildren ready for a teacher to tell a story. She turned around.
"Once, this was part of the grand city that the Divine Dragons called home…" Zephia said, "its name has been long lost to history - it was destroyed before even Sombron graced these lands with his presence. The only reason I know this is because we Mage Dragons kept a record of it, as we are wont to do. But even now that is lost."
I wonder if that's connected to the city beneath that... other city...
"Interesting history lesson, teacher," Griss said sardonically, "but what does this have to do with plundering that floating island?"
"I was getting to that," Zephia said, "You will not have my expertise to aid you on this mission, so you will need some context in order to activate this structure. The pieces of this city, even now they yearn to be together. The Somniel is another such piece, and with a little help, this patch of floating dirt can be used to take us directly to it."
Marni scratched her scalp. "You're not coming with us, Zephia?"
Zephia shook her head and crossed her arms. "Sombron has demanded my presence on the front lines of Lythos. As you are attacking the Somniel, we will invade the holy land. We shall carve out a foothold, and when you have retrieved the Emblem Rings and Bracelets, we will fight our way to the castle, and from there… well, we will get there when we get there. Are there any other questions?"
"Will we… have Emblems?" Natalie said, trying her best to act as lobotomized as possible. She thought she had the tone down, at least.
Zephia looked at Natalie the same way she might have looked at a frog on the ground. And Zephia wasn't the kind of person to find frogs particularly cute.
"You will have Emblem Veronica. She was found here, after all, so it is only fitting," Zephia said, waving a hand as a red Emblem with an ornate, golden headdress appeared behind her. "We cannot risk losing any more of the Rings, so you will also have the Bracelet of the Ancestor and the Brash General, just in case.
"Oh! Oh! Do I get the Brash General, Zephia? I like the way he looks!" Marni said, jumping up and down excitedly.
Zephia chuckled. "Of course, my dear! Of course. Naturally, Griss will have Veronica, as he is the most magically capable of all of you. Ah, and you, Natalie…"
Natalie stepped forward, her feet heavy against the ground.
Zephia took out the Bracelet of the Ancestor. It was a green, jade-colored band with thick, golden trimming along its sides. She held it out for Natalie to take, but swiped it away as Natalie reached for it.
"I do not need to tell you how disappointed I was in your performance last time," Zephia hissed, "I do this in confidence that it will not happen again. Do you understand?"
Natalie was silent.
"Do you, understand?"
"I… understand," Natalie said, "I will not… fail again."
Zephia hummed. "Good. I see that my sessions have borne fruit. Here."
The Bracelet fell into Natalie's hands. It felt cold to the touch, and far heavier than it looked.
Griss rubbed the back of his neck, letting out a chuckle. "Hasn't been the same since that damned city. Guess you finally got tired of playing babysitter to some foreigner, huh?"
Zephia let out a sigh. "It will be all over soon, Griss. Rest assured."
Oh, it will be, Zephia. It will be. For you and him.
Marni shuffled in place. "What are you two talking about?"
Zephia waved a hand. "Nothing, my dear. Now, be good, and cause as much damage as is possible. If you can kill the Divine Dragon, I am sure Lord Sombron will reward all of us with his favor. And kill that little brat while you are at it, too."
"Brat? Veyle?" Marni asked.
"There is no saving her, I am afraid," Zephia said, shaking her head and clicking her tongue. "It has been far too long since her 'other self' has been destroyed. Her mind will not accept another procedure like that. A defect like her, it would be a mercy if we kill her."
Marni looked down. "...If you think it's best."
"I very much do."
Zephia said a few more things to Griss, but Natalie had long stopped paying attention.
Now… I will see you on the other side," Zephia said, walking away to her wyvern, landed at the edge of the floating islands.
Griss began saying something, but Natalie didn't pay attention. Beyond the pain her heart was in, beyond the fog that clouded her mind, she felt nothing but hate.
You'll see me on the other side, alright, Natalie thought. When I drag you to Hell with me.
We are hurtling toward something you all are not prepared for. Just let it happen :)
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