Lionel hated fighting.

He didn't realize that fact about himself until he had been transported to Elyos - the most he'd gotten into were a few scuffles back when he was growing up, but nothing serious. Elyos was different, though. Fighting and weapons weren't just an idle pastime for the rich and famous; it was a fact of life, something that had to be done. Even small villages of farmers had all the fighting-age men know how to pound their pitchforks and scythes into polearms and swords.

That was the problem, however - the feeling of his axe cleaving through flesh, the sound of wind coming from it, and the swooshing of fire from his tome - all of it was terrible. Even more so when he realized that the floating islands he was seeing that were heading toward the Somniel were not, in fact, figments of his imagination. It had only been a few seconds he had seen them, outlined by the blue sky, before that had encircled the Somniel and were dropping off an entire legion of Corrupted directly onto the place he - perhaps not him specifically, but others - called home.

"To the Emblem Chamber!" came a voice. Lionel could barely hear it over the din of battle, but it was there. Was it one of the royals? It was a man's voice, for certain. "Keep them from taking the Rings!"

Yes, keep them from taking the rings, so that you can use them for something so much better, right? Because you're so trustworthy-

Lionel shut down the voice - he was getting better at that - and fell in line with the others. He refused to put either the Rings or the Bracelets on his person, he didn't like them, but he would defend them for Seadall and Jack's sake. Jack thought they were important, but Jack was sometimes a bit thick, but Lionel liked him for it. Stupid was good. Stupid was better than smart because smart led to him, and he hated himself. Hated, hated, hated-

Battle lines were drawn, and something out of a medieval fantasy unfolded before Lionel. Those who were still on the Somniel were caught in their casual clothes, not being able to switch into more appropriate gear. Many of them had ready access to weapons, however, and before long, arrows and blasts of magical fire, wind, and lightning flew through the air, striking Corrupted and sending to them ground in disintegrating heaps.

Lionel didn't have access to his Hurricane Axe, but he had a Fire tome on him - basic, but it would get the job done. He joined in the volleys that flew from the plaza of the Somniel. The surrounding shops were being used as makeshift walls, and that left them with three entry points to guard: the front was being held back by the combined might of the archers and mages, while the rear entrances were being locked down by only two people. Lionel recognized them as Louis and Boucheron, from Firene. Even without their armor, they cut through Corrupted like scythes through wheat.

Their own side, however, was not without casualties - as was what happened in war. War was such an ugly thing - two sets of people, at least, fighting it out for reasons possibly beyond their comprehension, all for people who would never know their names, their faces, or their families. It was such a brutal, irrational action, to partake in war-

The lack of armor for the Somniel defenders would eventually catch up to them. Lionel didn't see anyone die - he couldn't even remember half their faces, but he saw a small, green-robed boy be slashed across the chest and sent to the ground, clutching at his wound before a girl in a red robe came up beside him, and began to pummel the offender into submission. Another time, he saw a woman, a pegasus knight, he remembered, from Firene - she was dealt a blow to the leg, and Lionel could hear it snap like a twig. Maces and hammers would do that. Even so, however, somehow she stood on her feet and battled against her attacker, teeth bared in a primal display of aggression.

If this keeps going, we're all going to die. Maybe that's a good thing. I'm tired of this.

Lionel ignored that voice, however, and kept his end of the barrage going, taking out wave after wave of Corrupted that came after them. After a while, however, he and the others were knocked off their feet.

It was so fast, Lionel couldn't see it, but a full barrage of magic came upon them. One after the other, and all from one man who floated above the ground, with a small, red-aura'd girl behind him. She was slight and petite, with short platinum blonde hair at best, and white hair at worst, depending on how he looked at her. A moment later, and… something appeared behind them both.

A plethora of colors entered the temporary stone structure. It had to have been the strangest thing Lionel had ever seen. As if Emblems couldn't get any weirder. Weird was such a novel concept. What did someone define as 'weird'? Lionel didn't know the answer. Lionel didn't know anything-

A person came from the structure - a person that almost seemed to be made of glass, featureless and glowing with a harsh red aura, just like the Emblem behind the crazed-looking mage. And near the mage, Lionel could see a little blonde-haired girl in purple and pink plate armor, and Natalie.

But something was wrong with Natalie. Even Lionel could see that. Her eyes were unfocused and looking straight forward, every so often looking at the back of the mage's head.

And then the wyvern and pegasus came. They flew through the air, past the Corrupted hordes and even the other Corrupted fliers. Lionel couldn't get the image of a raven trailing behind them, and it looked like Jack. A blast of light, and there were others right beside them. Lionel could see him - Alear, sword raised high, and saying only one thing.

"We will not fall here! Everyone, with me!"

Jack sat behind Rosado as both he and Hortensia soared through the air and above the cloud cover. When he saw the Somniel, surrounded on all sides by floating islands, he felt his stomach drop.

It wasn't that much of a stretch, considering the nature of the Emblem Bracelets, that such a thing could happen. Like so many other aspects of the game he had played, the floating islands that Alear's army fought Emblem Veronica on was almost completely forgotten after over a year of being in Elyos. Jack gritted his teeth and prepared himself to Engage with Chrom. He and Ivy didn't have weapons with them, after all, but there was scarcely a time where they didn't have their Emblems on them.

The moment Rosado went past the Somniel, Jack shouted, "Emblem, Engage!"

He wasted no time, letting himself fall from behind Rosado. Plummeting toward the ground, Jack slashed Falchion mid-air, catching a Corrupted wyvern rider mid-flight, before he finally landed. His feet never touched the ground, and he charged forward with Falchion, doing everything he could to make the most of his Engaged state while it lasted.

Ivy and Hortensia apparently stayed in the air, but that did not mean that they were idle, not in the slightest. More than once, spectral arrows struck a Corrupted that was coming up right behind Jack. While his martial prowess while Engaged with Chrom was great, it did not mean he was invincible, or that his blind spots were covered. If anything, his blind spots were even more glaring, as he couldn't rely on Chrom or Robin to block hits for him. Nonetheless, he cut a bloody swath through the Corrupted forces before finally arriving at the plaza - and he finally stopped there, looking upon the carnage.

"Well, well, well," Griss said, turning around. "Look who it is! My best friend. How have you been, Jack? Been enjoying that scar I gave ya?"

Jack had to bite back a snarl as he quickly ascertained the situation. The fighting at the plaza had apparently become a stand-off, with Alear leading a small band of armored fighters - notably, Jack could see Lumera among them, using a sword that made Libération look like a short sword. Vander and, strangely enough, Jade were among them. The others were still caught out in their casual clothes, with more than a few looking as if they had suffered serious injuries, chief among them being Clanne, who was bleeding profusely from his chest with his sister hanging over him.

Besides Griss, Jack could see Marni and Natalie. Marni was oddly quiet, her face barely forming a frown, while Natalie looked twitchy and unresponsive, almost like a Husk. Jack's lips thinned at that - if he had done more to keep her on their side-

And then, finally, there was a strange figure that floated nearby. It wasn't an Emblem, at least, not any Emblem Jack had ever seen. Griss must've had Emblem Veronica and summoned a 'hero'. Jack always did hate that ability.

"You took us by surprise, and you still don't have the fucking Emblem Rings," Jack snapped. "Alear's right behind you, four other people are blocking your escape; you've lost, Griss."

Griss let out a laugh, a laugh that chilled Jack's bones, sending him back to that dark night - a night he would have much rather left forgotten. His scar began to ache for the first time in months.

"Trapped? Hardly. We've got plenty of Corrupted where that came from, my friend. The amount you all have killed here? Barely even a third of what we've got in those floating island. So who's really the trapped one here?"

As if on cue, Jack could hear the Corrupted scream. He turned around briefly to see them flying through the air, causing Rosado and Hortensia and Ivy to land nearby to avoid being shredded by them.

Jack was only turned for a few moments, but it was enough for Griss to get a shot off. A magical attack blasted Jack across the back, sending him sprawling to the ground as he cursed and snarled almost like an animal. The Corrupted were on him in seconds, bringing up as his Engaged state faded away. They held the blade of an axe against his neck, and Jack clenched his teeth in a defiant snarl.

"Never turn your back on-" Griss began to say, before the standoff was nearly broken by Alear moving forward, sword raised. "Don't move an inch or I'll blast him again, and then you'll be down one friend. And I'll be sure to make it hurt."

"Listen… to him…" Natalie said, her voice slow and meandering. "We can… negotiate."

Griss let out another laugh. "Listen to her! Zephia got her good. Still, negotiating? Nah, there's no negotiating here. Maybe we should give you one more blast and keep you silent. Eh, Marni?"

Marni was still silent.

"She hasn't been talking very much. Kinda creepy, but eh, who am I to judge. Anyway, this is how it's gonna go down," Griss said, keeping his reddened staff trained on Jack. He cursed himself for that - if he hadn't been distracted… "We're going to take the Emblem Rings, and then I'll kill you all. It'll be very quick, I promise! Zephia made me say that. I'd much rather torch you all to death, make it good and long, but I suppose we're all making compromises here, huh? Just remember, no matter what you do here, this isn't gonna end well for you. We're in control."

Jack saw Natalie nod her head. "That's right… Griss," she said, cocking her crossbow. "We are… in control."

Griss didn't even have time to move before a glowing blue bolt was shot from Natalie's crossbow. It struck Griss in the head, and it exploded into viscera, splattering against the ground as his body lurched forward from the sudden blow. Even with his head completely gone, Griss stood defiantly for a few moments, as if his body hadn't realized he was dead yet. It seemed as if it was about to take a step, before it collapsed into a heap, and didn't move.

Jack could feel his heart in his throat. Everything was silent; even the Corrupted that had surged forward from the background were completely still and quiet, as if even they couldn't believe what had just transpired.

And then something even more extraordinary happened. Marni threw her axe, and it headed straight for Jack. He thought that she was trying to kill him for a split second before he realized where it had landed: directly in the face of one of the Corrupted that held him. It slumped forward, the axe against Jack's neck falling to the ground, as the other Corrupted began to snarl, only for its own display to be cut short, as a familiar Hurricane Axe beheaded it from behind. The helmeted head rolled on the ground for a few seconds, the red cyclopean light in the middle fading away until it was gone entirely. It dissipated into red particles soon after.

Soon enough, explosions rang out as Natalie began firing bolts into the Corrupted crowd that had gathered. Bits of Corrupted flew from her violent streak, as Marni stood beside her, guarding her against any that dared approach.

Jack was helped up by Lionel, who gave him a wild look.

"Traitor. She's a traitor," he said breathlessly. "I'm glad, but she's also a traitor."

"She's been a traitor for a while now," Jack replied, "I talked her into it, for fuck's sake. For a second there I thought-"

"Mind control. Wouldn't work on me, too many damn thoughts in my head," Lionel replied, smacking himself upside. "I hate it. It's not working. I can't keep going like this, Jack. Time's running out."

"This really isn't the time!" Jack explained, lightly grasping Lionel by the shoulders. "Focus, just a little longer! Then we can discuss what you and Seadall found!"

"Just it. Found nothing," Lionel said, shaking his head. "Nothing. Nothing works, Jack. It's worse than back home."

Jack was about to respond, before a bright blue light broke out from nearby. He turned to see Lumera's dragon form unfurl itself - it had been so long since he had seen it, he scarcely recognized it. Pure white, overlapping scales, completely with several that formed a crown-like structure on the top - it was breathtaking. Lumera took to the air, striking down several Corrupted wyvern riders and pegasus knights - and more than a few griffon riders. Jack shook his head and shifted his attention back to Lionel.

"Like I said, talk later, Lionel! I want to help - I am going to help you, but not while the Somniel's about to come crashing down," Jack said.

"There is nothing to keep it from crashing down. It will never crash down," Lionel said, his voice barely above a monotone. "There's nothing to land on. We'd fall forever."

"I- Lionel!"

Lionel shook his head furiously. "Told you. Getting bad. Not much longer now."

"Then stick close to me! Seadall - where is Seadall? Is he safe?" Jack asked, looking around. He picked up one of the axes the Corrupted had dropped. He wasn't trained with them, but it was better than nothing.

"Safe. Safe as can be. Lythos," Lionel said. "I am paying attention. It's not working."

"Like I said, stick close to me! Let's show these bastards that they invaded the wrong floating island," Jack snarled, swinging his axe at the closest Corrupted with Lionel in tow.

With the head of the Corrupted army cut off, the others fell away in short order. Corrupted were able to fend off scattered villagers and farmers, maybe even organize raiding parties of their own if a particularly powerful one was nearby, but in the end, they were no match for Alear's forces or Lumera's sheer power in dragon form. Griss' body stayed where it had fallen, and nobody seemed to want to touch it. There was a small gathering at the plaza of the Somniel once the battle was over, and Natalie and Marni were at the center of it.

"For making sure this battle was brutal but brief, you have my thanks," Lumera said, bowing her head. "I take it that you are the sister that Jack has spoken of?"

Natalie nodded her head slowly. "Yes… ma'am," she said, before rubbing her forehead. "Sorry if I… talk slowly. My head… hurts."

"I don't think it'll be any trouble," Alear said, standing beside his mother. "We're no expecting you to give a full report, thought I am glad to see that Jack's trust in you wasn't… er-"

"Misplaced?" Natalie finished.

Alear shrugged. "It was just a lot to take in at the time, is all."

"Maybe it would be for someone like you," Marni harrumphed, crossing her arms over her breastplate. "You have no idea what she's been through, do you?"

Alear scratched his chin. "Who are you again?"

Marni sputtered as if she had just been shocked by a Thunder tome. "How dare you! I am the illustrious Marni of the Four Hounds! My prowess and cuteness in battle knows no bounds-!"

"And so, one of the Hounds falls, and another turns traitor," said a voice, coming in from the side. Jack recognized Mauvier almost instantly - he was a hard man to miss. "I knew that if anyone would see the light, it would be you."

Marni jumped back as if she'd seen a spider. "M-Mauvier! I-I mean, I knew you'd be here, but I-I thought…"

She hid behind Natalie, and Natalie gave her a pat on the shoulder. Jack stepped forward when he saw Natalie's right arm start jittering. "Are you okay, Nat?"

"I am… fine, Jack," she replied, "Just… tired. And you all need… to know this."

Jack stepped forward again, even though everything in him told him not to - Natalie needed her space, he rationalized, but he ignored that voice and stepped forward, placing a hand on her shoulder.

"Take a minute," he said, "I can tell you've been through a lot."

"It was a mistake, going… with them," Natalie said, before turning to stare at Alear and Lumera, going ramrod stiff. "But I am glad I did… because I can tell you that - they are coming. From across t-the sea."

Lumera and Alear went quiet at that, exchanging glances.

"They're being… led by Sombron and Zephia," she continued, looking increasingly tired.

"Someone, get a healer. Or someone, anyone - she's not feeling well," Jack said, his voice quivering slightly.

"They will... be here in a few days. They were… going to establish a beachhead before marching on… Lythos Castle with Emblem Rings. I-"

Natalie fell down, causing Jack to yelp and for Marni to move forward, keeping her from slamming her head into the ground. She lost hold of her once Natalie began convulsing.

"Get a healer, for fuck's sake!" Jack snarled. "Someone! Anyone! Please, goddamnit!"

Jack had forgotten that Mauvier was something of a healer as he moved between Jack and Natalie, staff in hand.

"Give me a moment. I may be able to stop it, but the damage this might cause is…" Mauvier said, and Jack didn't need to hear everything he said to know what he meant by that.

Nonetheless, even with Mauvier's healing staff causing her seizure to die down, Jack couldn't help but feel like it was already too late. He could taste metal in his mouth - not from blood, but from something worse - anxiety.

Everything falls apart someday.

A deep pit had settled into Jack's stomach as he stood outside of Alear's room.

There were many wounded, but no deaths - if anything, they came out of the attack with a net positive. Two more combatants on their side, it seemed. Jack was thankful for that. More than thankful, really. It was another positive for him being there, otherwise Marni would be dead. And despite what he thought of her in the game, the girl he saw talking to Mauvier enthusiastically, if occasionally rubbing her eyes, was not the same one that had helped kill so many. With his interference, actually, said massacre never occurred at all.

And yet, Jack couldn't help but look toward Alear's room. Alear and Lumera were within, helping and talking to Natalie. Alear had little, if any experience with a staff, but Lumera seemed confident. Nonetheless, that had been gone for an hour, long enough for Jack to be incredibly worried.

All he could think of was the look on Natalie's face as she fell to the ground and began convulsing. That complete and utter helplessness as he watched his sister jerk about as if some twisted puppeteer was mangling her strings. He leaned against the wall that flanked the door to Alear's room, rubbing his face to try and distract himself from the growing void within him.

"Is she alright?"

It was nice to hear Ivy's voice, after everything that had happened. Jack had so many questions for her - where would they go, did the 'events' at the end of their date mean anything, and so on and so forth. But it wasn't the time for that. Jack shrugged, letting out a deep, shuddering breath.

"I don't know," Jack replied, "you didn't see the way she looked - all pale and misty-eyed as if she was about to crumble into dust. I knew letting her go was a mistake. If I'd only pushed a little farther, wasn't so afraid to…"

Ivy stood beside him, and leaned next to him.

"I will do better. I have to. I can't let this happen again just because I'm afraid of what might happen. I won't let fear dominate my life. But…" Jack said, looking toward Alear's door. "Saying that now won't help her."

"Everything is going to be fine," Ivy said, grasping Jack's hand. "It may not seem that way right now, but I believe it."

Jack wanted to deflect after that, to deny his feelings and return to the jovial person everyone knew. But he wouldn't allow himself to.

"I really want to believe you, Ivy," Jack said. "I really do. But, if she- if something happens to her because I didn't… God, I'd hate myself for it."

Ivy was silent after that, as if she couldn't come up with a good argument. Or perhaps she just thought that pushing at that moment would only serve to hurt him more. Jack rubbed his forehead, allowing the silence to wash over him.

"If she's well enough to walk," Jack began, "I wanna introduce her to Connor. Let her see him, ya know? I'm not running away anymore. I have nothing to run away from. Yeah, I'm going to do that, for sure."

It sounded to Jack's own ears that he was trying to convince himself just as much as he was telling Ivy that, but he knew he would actually follow through with it.

"I think that is a good idea," Ivy replied, "There is so much to do, so much to prepare for - I heard about what your sister said. If it's true, then everyone will be needed for the defense."

"Sombron isn't empowered," Jack said.

"No, but we should still be cautious," Ivy answered, looking ahead with stalwart eyes. "I will not surrender Elusia to that creature. I will see to it that-!"

Jack's stomach lurched in his gut as the door to Alear's room opened, revealing Lumera and Alear. His heart sank when he saw their expressions. Lumera was almost emotionless, but a slight creasing of her brow betrayed her emotions. Meanwhile, Alear always wore his emotions on his sleeve, but the look of abject sorrow on his face made Jack take a step back.

"She…" Jack said, before swallowing the lump that was growing in his throat. Even as he spoke, his voice sounded as if it was coming from a stranger, from far away. "It's not looking good, is it?"

Lumera looked Jack in the eye and shook her head.

This bodes ill, doesn't it?

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