The Lost Children: Ananias

by OkayDokey33

Anna's future son. He lives to serve, since he's long accepted the fact that he's not talented enough to do much of anything else, unless you count manual labor and his ability to keep his cool in most situations. Apparently the Anna philosophy of "customer satisfaction" runs deep within his veins. Is the best listener in the entire army. These are his Paralogues and Supports.

204. Story 3 - The Future Past

Author's Note: Yes, I know this story hasn't been updated in forever, and no, there is no real good reason for that. Hopefully, I can get back into the groove with this story and writing in general.

---

Scenario:

"Everyone, this way!" Lumaria cried. "Get to the wagons, quickly!"

"And what then?" a Ylissean man asked. "Where can we possibly go where Grima can't find us?"

Lumaria shook her head. "I don't know. But what we do know is that we can't stay here!"

"But what's the point?" a Ylissean woman asked. "What good is running if there's nowhere left to run to?"

"You would have hope! At least more hope than if you stayed here!"

"Is there really any hope left?" the man muttered.

"Oi!" Tan'bay cried, running towards them. "What are you all babbling about?"

"We're not 'babbling'," Lumaria explained. "These people just have some… reservations, that's all."

"Oh, they have reservations, do they?" Tan'bay said. "Well, considering the fact that we're a bit busy evacuating the people of Ylisstol right now, would it not be reasonable to ask that these people hold these reservations to themselves until later? Specifically when everyone is at a safe distance from all of the danger?"

"But don't you see?" a woman cried. "There's already danger everywhere!"

"She's right!" a man cried. "Hold our reservations until later? What a joke! There's not going to be a 'later'!"

"That is not up to you to decide," Tan'bay said. "Lady Lucina made the order to lead all of the people of Ylisstol to safety, and you will obey."

"B-but -"

"If you do not obey Lady Lucina's orders and continue to sow seeds of doubt into the people at this time, then I will have no choice but to kill you where you stand."

The people's eyes widened in surprise and gasped at his response. "Y-you'll kill us?" one of them asked. "Just for expressing some doubts?"

"There's a time and place to express doubts. This isn't it. And to do it now and here or all places? It could be argued as an act of treason, in which case I'll have no choice but to eliminate the traitors."

"T-traitors?!"

"So decide. Your orders or me." Tan'bay began to unsheathe his sword. "Choose wisely."

"A-alright! We'll go, we'll go!"

"Please, forgive us!"

Once the group had finally left, Tan'bay put away his sword and sighed. "Honestly, woman, where is your backbone?"

Lumaria looked away. "It's still here, it's just… I can't blame them, you know?"

"For what? For treason? For obstruction?"

"For being afraid."

"Ah, I see. For cowardice."

"It's not cowardice to recognize how grim the situation is!"

"And say you 'recognize' that we've already lost! Then what? We just roll over and let Grima have her way with us?!"

"I don't know! Maybe?"

Tan'bay winced at her in disgust. "How could you? Were you not the daughter of a khan?"

"There are some things fighting can't solve!"

"Then hand me your weapon. You clearly aren't ready to fight until the very end!"

"What's the point of fighting if it'll only get everyone killed?!" Lumaria cried.

"To defend our pride as denizens of Chon'sin and Regna Ferox!"

"So you're okay with dying as long as you die proud?!"

"With everything else we had destroyed, wouldn't you be?!"

"Hey, hey, hey!" Ananias cried, stepping in between the two. "What is going on?!"

Lumaria gasped. "A-Ananias? Where did you come from?"

Ananias blinked in confusion. "From my side of the city?" he answered. "Everyone there has been evacuated, by the way."

"Ah, yes," Tan'bay said quietly before slapping Ananias's back. "Good man."

Ananias's eyes darted between them for a moment before asking, "Is everyone evacuated here too?"

Lumaria nodded. "Yes. Everyone here has been accounted for."

"On my end as well," Tan'bay said.

Ananias nodded. "Good." He looked between them again. "So… that argument that you two were having -"

"It was nothing," Lumaria said.

"Nothing?" Ananias turned to Tan'bay.

Tan'bay crossed his arms and shrugged. "If she says it was nothing, then it was nothing."

"Um, okay. So I guess that means everyone in the city has been evacuated now, right?"

"Right," Lumaria said. "Come on. We should probably find Zephyra and Tenk before the Risen become too much for them."

"Too much for who again?" Tenk said, Zephyra skipping and giggling by his side.

Tan'bay raised an eyebrow and nodded in approval. "Alive and well, I see."

Zephyra rolled her eyes and waved her hand. "Aw, it was no big deal! They were only Risen!"

"Still, to volunteer to fight and distract all of the Risen in the city…," Lumaria said.

"Well, someone had to do it," Tenk said. "And it's not as if you three were capable of making a distraction big enough to do the job."

"Nonsense," Tan'bay scoffed. "I could've done it."

Tenk sighed. "My mistake. The two of us were the only ones capable of making such a distraction… and living."

"Why, you little -"

Lumaria sighed. "Really? More bickering from you two NOW?"

"They really just can't help themselves, can they?" Zephyra asked, folding her arms and shaking her head.

"You're not one to talk," Ananias pointed out. "But, like, that's it, right? We're done evacuating?"

Lumaria nodded. "Seems like. All we've got to do now is give the soldiers the word and they'll go and take the people to a safe place."

"And then we can finally rejoin the fight," Tan'bay said.

Zephyra nodded. "Yeah! Luci's waiting for us!"

"My mother too," Tenk said.

"Ah, yes, your mother," a voice eerily said from behind them.

The group's eyes all widened in surprise and horror upon recognizing said voice as they all collectively whipped their heads around to face her. "Grima!" Tan'bay growled.

Grima smiled and spread her arms out. "In the flesh."

"She's here," Lumaria whispered. "Why is she here?!"

"Who cares about that?" Tenk said. "You! Fell Dragon! You mentioned my mother! Why?"

"Aw," Grima cooed. "The little dragon wants answers." She then summoned Tiki with a wave of her hand. "How's this for an answer?"

Tenk gasped as his mother's motionless body fell to the ground in front of them. "Mother!" He ran up to her and shook her. "Mother, are you alright?"

Zephyra ran up to them and checked Tiki's body for signs of life. Her eyes widened upon realizing she had none. "Guys," she said, turning to the other three, her throat dry, "she's dead."

"No," Tenk whispered, shaking his head as tears began forming at the corners of his eyes. "No, that's not true!"

"Oh, but it is!" Grima said. "Your dear mother took a hit that was meant for your friend. How unfortunate that her own son wasn't there to see her one last time before she died."

"You… MONSTER!" Tenk took out his dragonstone and began to transform. "I'LL KILL YOU!"

"Tenk, stop!" Ananias cried. "You can't!"

"JUST WATCH ME!"

"No, seriously, you can't! Only Lucina can defeat Grima!"

Tenk let out a maniacal laugh. "I DON'T NEED TO KILL HER! I JUST NEED TO MAKE HER WISH SHE WAS DEAD!"

Tan'bay laughed. "Yes! That's the spirit! Go, my friend! Bite her head clean off! I'll help you!"

"What?!" Lumaria cried. "Tan'bay, didn't you hear what Ananias just said?!"

"Oh, I heard him! And just like Tenk, I don't care!" He unsheathed his sword. "Today is the day Grima pays for all the lives she took in Chon'sin!"

"But only Lucina -"

"I'm not going to wait and let Lucina do it for me! I'll do it myself, with my own strength! With Chon'sin's strength!"

Grima chuckled. "Then by all means," she beckoned them with her finger, "come and punish me, if you can."

"Yah!"

"RAH!"

"This is insane!" Lumaria began running after them. "Tan'bay! Tenk! Stop!"

Ananias's eyes widened upon seeing Lumaria run after her. "Wait, Lumaria, what are you -"

"Annie, wait!" Zephyra cried. "The civilians!"

"Ah, dang it, you're right! We need to get them out of here before Grima gets to them!"

"Right now, it's not Grima I'm worried about! Look!"

"Huh?" Ananias turned around. "Oh, gods! Where did all those Risen come from?!"

"Grima must've summoned them just like she summoned Tiki! They must be looking for all the people we evacuated!"

"S-so then, what do we do?"

Zephyra stood up and began casting a spell with one of her tomes. "We have no choice." She then launched her spell high into the air, the spell creating a big, fiery explosion. "Ha!"

"What did you just do?"

"I sent them a signal. The soldiers should know now that we've been compromised and that they need to start heading out right now!"

"And what about us?"

"We fight! Make sure that none of these Risen follow them or know where they're going, which means we have to kill them all, here and now!"

Ananias chuckled as he took out his sword. "Man, since when did you become the responsible one?"

Zephyra giggled. "Oh, Annie-bear! All play and no work would make Zephyra a very bad girl!"

"You are a bad girl, though." Ananias quickly looked back at the fight between Grima and their friends. "But wait, what about Tan'bay, Tenk, and Lumaria?"

Zephyra shook her head. "There's nothing we can do. We're just going to have to trust Lumaria to get our boys out of trouble. Now, are you ready Ananias?!"

"I never am! But when has that stopped me?"

"That's the spirit!"

---

Lucina gasped. "Wha - where did all those Risen come from?" She squinted her eyes in an attempt to better see what was happening, but to no avail. "All those Risen… they're not spread out. They seem to be focused on one area. Are they launching a unified attack on something... or someone?" Lucina closed her eyes and thought for a moment before having a sudden realization. "Oh no! I sent Tenk, Lumaria, Ananias, Zephyra, and Tan'bay out to evacuate the city! This sudden attack by the Risen, was it meant for them?"

She squeezed the hilt of her sword in frustration. As much as she wanted to leave the castle and check up on her friends, she knew she couldn't, not with the fate of the world at stake. And yet...

Tan'bay. He was adamant against being tasked with evacuating citizens instead of fighting by her side. It had taken a lot of convincing from everyone for him to finally relent. Considering what happened to Lady Tiki, perhaps she should have listened.

Tenk. He had argued against leaving his mother's side, especially considering how dire the situation had gotten. Ultimately, it was his mother who finally convinced him not to worry about her. How was she going to explain to him that his mother died taking an attack that was meant for her?

Lumaria. It was obvious that fighting Grima for so long and the guilt she felt over Regna Ferox had taken their toll on her. Lucina had hoped that putting her on evacuation duty would help to clear her head, but if the situation was just as she feared, then Lumaria, with her heavy heart and busy mind, could easily meet her doom amongst all those Risen.

Zephyra. She was surprisingly compliant with being placed in evacuation duty. Perhaps it was her imagination, but it seemed that the worse things seemed to get, the more reliable and dependable Zephyra became. The old Zephyra that Lucina knew growing up seemed to have begun returning. Was she going to lose her just as she was about to get her cousin back?

Ananias. He was always faithful and always reliable, despite his inconsistent levels of competence. He had agreed to be on evacuation duty without a second thought. She had always appreciated how easy he was to work with, but that never meant she would ever willingly send him to his death.

"Tan'bay. Tenk. Ananias. Lumaria. Zephyra. Please. Please be safe."

---

"We meet again, Outrealm warriors."

"Uh-oh," Chrom said. "Sending us off to that alternate future again, are you?"

Naga nodded. "Correct."

"Is it about the fifth Gemstone and the Fire Emblem?"

Naga shook her head. "No."

Chrom's eyes widened in surprise. "Huh, it isn't? Then the children we've already saved, did something happen to them?"

Naga shook her head. "No. They are making their way to Ylisstol even as we speak."

"I'm confused. What else could you have possibly summoned us for?"

"I have heard an earnest prayer, one that I feel that I cannot ignore. In Ylisstol, five children were tasked with evacuating the people. Just as they were about to complete their mission, Grima and the Risen appeared."

"…."

"Their appearance has caused them to become divided. One child has descended into madness, another stricken with grief and anger. Both of them have launched an attack on Grima, both will die. One child, motivated by guilt, is attempting to stop them. She will be killed in her efforts. Meanwhile, the other two children are fighting the Risen, the two of them keen on protecting the evacuating populace until they are out of the Risen's reach. Unfortunately, one does not possess the skill to survive this battle and has ran out of luck, and the other has stretched herself too thin, having spent too much of her energy before the battle to be capable of surviving this one. Please, their mission is a noble one. Help them."

"We will."

"Thank you. Then I shall send you now to the brink—the moment in time before the world falls. Again I offer the same counsel. The world you are about to visit bears a great resemblance to your own. You may encounter people you know or people you love... If you do, fight by their sides. It will give them great courage and strength. Now go, warriors. Let destiny once again be reshaped by your hands!"

---

Ananias:

"So that's what I look like when I'm fighting? Humph. Look at me. All that wasted energy. All the desperation. All those pathetic excuses for attacks. It's a miracle either of us lasted as long as we did... and yet, I can't seem to look away. Why is that? Hmm. If I had to guess, it's probably because things got so bad here that this version of me gained an edge that I never had. Yeah, that's probably it. There's no way I look like that when I'm fighting. Still, there's only so much a better version of me can do in a situation like this. He's going to need all the help he can get. I just hope we don't run into each other during the battle. The universe would probably implode or something if we did."

Death Quote:

"I guess this was... a long time coming..."

NPC Dialogue:

"...hah...hah. W-wait. Is... is that it? It's over? It's done? T-there... there doesn't seem to be any more Risen around here, so... yeah, I guess it is. I guess I... survived? Hah... hah... but how? Even with those reinforcements from another world, I shouldn't be alive, right? There's no way... a guy like me... should be surviving for this long, especially when so many others have fallen before me. Mother... Father... Naga... what does this all mean? Am I really meant to see this through, all the way to the end? Is there a reason why I'm still alive, but other people aren't? ...No answer. I should've figured. Well, I guess with how bad things are getting, we're practically in the endgame now. We either win or we lose. It'd be pretty rude of me to leave early before everyone else, huh? Whether we win or lose, the work is almost finished. One last stretch. One last push to the finish line. Mother... Father... I'll finish this race. For your sakes, if nothing else."

---

Anna:

"Take that! And that!"

Ananias's eyes widened in surprise. "You..."

"Hmm?" Anna turned around. "Oh! Hey, sweetie! Heck of a battle we're having here, aren't we? Herk! H-hey, since when were you the hugging type?"

"I'm sorry," Ananias mumbled into the crook of her neck. "It's just... I thought that there were none of you left. Seeing that there's at least one of you still alive... you don't know how happy that makes me."

Anna frowned. "Oh dear. I'm sorry, but... there seems to be a bit of a misunderstanding."

Ananias stopped hugging her and gave her a confused and apprehensive look. "Huh?"

"Take a closer look at me, kiddo." She gave Ananias a moment before asking, "Notice anything familiar about me?"

"No," Ananias took a step back and shook his head. "That's... that's not possible."

"It kind of is and kind of isn't," Anna said. "You see... I'm not your mother, or at least, not your version anyway."

"Not my... version?"

"I'm afraid not. I'm from another world altogether."

"Another world. So... I'm not your son?"

"Eh, technically I do have a son named Ananias, but you're you and he's him. We're the same, but different."

"So... I'm not the only boy in the family then?"

Anna shook her head. "I don't think that's the case. Think of it like this, I'm from a parallel world, not from another one."

"So you're just another version of my mother who didn't die?"

Anna nodded. "Yep! You got it!"

"So my other self... he never had to lose you."

"Oh no! He did lose me. He just went back to the past and met with me there."

"He... what?"

Anna winced. "Forget it. It's kind of a long and complicated story. All that really matters is that I've been sent here to help you and your friends out and that's exactly what I'm going to do!"

"So... does that mean you're staying or...?

Anna frowned and shook her head. "No. I'm sorry, but I don't think we can."

Ananias nodded. "So it's only for this battle then, huh?"

"Seems like. Are you disappointed?"

Ananias shook his head. "Even if I was, what would be the point?"

Anna grabbed his hand and gave it a good squeeze. "The point is that I'm still kind of your mother and I want my baby to know that he matters, even when he doesn't think so."

"Please don't lie to me," Ananias said quietly. "This isn't the time for lies."

"Why do you think I'm lying to you?"

"Look around you. Look how bad things have gotten. I can't do anything to stop this. I can't do anything to fix this. The only ones who can are Lucina and the others."

"And what do you think that makes you?"

"...I'm a fluke."

"Hey! You're not a fluke! No son of mine is a fluke!"

"I am. I've always have been."

"That's not true!" Anna angrily said. "Look, I don't know who put all those terrible ideas into your head, but you'd better stop listening to them, alright?! Because anyone who says that doesn't know their arm from their leg!"

"Then what am I then?"

Anna reached up and cupped one of Ananias's cheeks. "You're good."

"I'm 'good'?"

"You don't believe that?"

"I do, it's just... what good is just being good?"

Anna giggled. "Are you kidding? Look around you, kiddo! With the world like this, it's going to need all of the good it can possibly get. The same goes for Lucina and the others! If anyone can appreciate a good person by their side, it'd be them!"

"Being good isn't enough nowadays."

"Maybe, but it still makes for a better whole, right? Like in sales, a smile may not seem like much, but it can make all the difference when it comes to selling a product, no matter how plain or lackluster it may be."

Ananias chuckled. "'Plain and lackluster', huh? So you admit that I'm not worth much then?"

"Hey, was that a bit of a smile just now?"

Ananias turned away. "No."

"It was, wasn't it?"

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"Ah," Anna knowingly said. "Okay. My mistake. Well, whatever. I guess it doesn't matter too much what you believe or not. I'm going to help you out regardless." She ran towards another Risen for a bit before stopping herself and asking, "You coming?"

Ananias sighed. "Yeah, yeah, I'm coming." Once Anna turned her attention back to the Risen, Ananias smiled to himself and whispered, "Mother, thank you."

---

Chrom:

"Ananias! There you are! Thank gods! I've been looking all over for you!"

A breathless Ananias squinted his eyes in disbelief. "F-Father?"

Chrom nodded as he placed his hand onto one of Ananias' shoulders and gave it a reassuring squeeze. "Yes, it's me, it's your father. Another version from another world, maybe, but your father nonetheless." Chrom looked his son over before chuckling and saying, "You've certainly had your hands full, haven't you? Though, knowing you, it was probably by choice."

Ananias took a step away from him. "Why?" he growled. "Why here? Why now?"

Chrom sighed. "It's kind of a long story, but -"

"I thought I had gotten rid of you by now."

Chrom's eyes widened in surprise. "Wait, 'rid of me'? I don't understand. What are you talking about?" He reached out his hand as he took a step towards him, but for every step he took, Ananias took another step back.

"Get away from me!" he cried.

"Ananias, what's wrong? Your face, it's gotten so pale all of a sudden!"

"What's wrong with me?! What's wrong with you?! Why can't you just leave me alone?"

Chrom's eyes narrowed in confusion. "Leave you alone? I don't understand. Why would you want me to leave you alone? Why would you want to get rid of me?"

"What? You want me to spell it out for you? You want me to humiliate myself by saying it out loud? Fine! Ever since you died, I knew I had to step up! As a prince, as a hero, as a brother, everything! But no matter how much I tried, no matter how hard I tried, I just kept failing! I tried to rally and comfort the people, but they only ended up doubting me and turning to Lucina instead! I tried to lead numerous teams, but it only ended with everyone in those teams paying for my mistakes! I tried to wield Falchion, I tried to help shoulder Lucina's burden, but the sword won't accept me, it won't grant me its power! Now all I can do is watch helplessly as Lucina has to shoulder everything all by herself! No matter how hard I try, no matter what angle I try to go about it, I just can't match up to you! I can't fill your shoes! I can't! I'm sorry, but I can't!"

"Ananias..."

"So please," Ananias said, tears running down his face, "just... leave me alone, alright? Stop following me around, reminding me of what I'll never be! Stop inspiring me to try! I can't do it, alright? I can't be you! I'll never be you! I don't have it in me to be you!"

"..."

"I know you're disappointed in me, just like how Mother was disappointed in me for having no talent in being a merchant, but I can't keep trying to be something I'm not! I can't keep reminding myself that I'm not enough. I can't keep reminding myself of how much of a burden I am to Lucina and the others. If I do... I think I'll just about lose my mind. Or, at least, what little I have left at this point."

"...Ananias, I meant what I said, when I told you that I wasn't exactly your father, so I don't know what exactly your father put you through to make you believe that he'd be disappointed in you, but I can say this: if you were my son, my version of my son, then I couldn't be prouder."

"..."

"You said you failed to be a prince, a hero, a brother, but I think that couldn't be further from the truth. A true prince thinks of his people first and by helping to evacuate the people of Ylisstol, you've proven how much you care for them! A true hero does what is right, even when it's hard, and you continuing to fight the good fight is proof that you're a fine hero in your own right! A true brother looks out for his sister, until the very end, and look around you! If this isn't the end, then I don't know what is! To have raised such a fine prince, hero, and son... I think your parents are anything but disappointed."

"..."

"Look, I understand. If my presence really troubles you so much, then I'll leave, but I came here to help you and nothing's going to stop me until every last person here is safe, including you. If we must, then we'll fight on opposite ends of the battlefield, but I just want you to know that I'm fighting by your side. I'll always fight by your side, with all the pride a man could possibly have for his kid and then some!"

"You... you really mean that?"

Chrom smiled. "Would I lie?"

Ananias thought for a moment before shaking his head. "N-no, I guess you wouldn't." He studied Chrom for a moment before asking, "So... this is really it? You're...really you?"

Chrom nodded. "From another world, but otherwise, yes, it's really me."

"So... you're not just in my head?"

Chrom shook his head. "Not this time."

Ananias sniffed and shook his head before stepping forward and practically falling into his father and giving him a hug. "Father..."

"I know, son," Chrom whispered back. "I know."

---

Male Robin:

"Father, you're alive?!"

Robin smirked. "Caught sight of me through all this chaos, did you? Not bad, not bad at all." He then frowned. "That being said, despite how proud I may be of you, I would be remiss to not inform you that I am not your father, but another version of him from another world."

"Another world? So then, you're not my dad? Just a copy?"

"I feel that referring to me as a copy would be a bit too inaccurate and reductive, but yes, I am technically not your father."

"But you're a close enough version for another version of me to still be your son?"

Robin smiled and nodded. "Exactly."

"So then I guess telling you things meant for my real father wouldn't mean much, huh?"

"Well, I wouldn't go that far. If you have something on your mind concerning me, then by all means, get it off your chest."

"Are you sure about that?"

"Quite sure. Better that than to keep it all bottled up, don't you think? And besides, what better time to do it than now, when I'm here? Chances are, you'll never have another opportunity like this again."

"Yeah, I guess you're right. Alright, here it goes." He took a deep breath, before saying, "Father, I'm sorry."

Robin blinked in confusion. "Sorry? For what?"

"For not being able to protect the world and family that you loved."

"Ananias..."

"You woke up in this world with nothing, not even memories. But in the end, that didn't matter. Since the day you woke up that fateful day, you've made friends and family that you would grow to cherish for the rest of your life. The man who had nothing and was alone suddenly had friends, a home, and a family bigger than he could have ever imagined. And when he died, his failure of a son couldn't protect any of that. Everything he had gained was taken, just like that, with barely even a fight."

"..."

"Everything you cherish is gone, and I couldn't do a single thing to stop it. Even your reputation as a great tactician was sullied every time I made a strategy and it ended up failing. Some people may say otherwise, but there's no denying it. I'm nothing more than a dud who can't accomplish anything, who can't protect anything. Even now, I bet the only reason you're here is because without you, I was doomed to fail, to die here, just like I failed with everything else. Today just proves that I'm nothing without you."

Robin sighed. "Well, that was certainly a lot to take in. I guess it's safe to assume that you've been feeling these things for quite some time, yes?"

Ananias nodded. "Yes."

"I see. Well, if that's what you believe, then I'm sure nothing I say will convince you otherwise. That being said, since you've said your piece, I think it is only fair that you hear mine. Ananias, believe it or not, not everything is about you."

"Huh?"

"You heard me. Think about it, everything that's gone on up until now, can you honestly say that your failings were the cause of it?"

"Easy for you to say," Ananias argued. "You were a master tactician! Every strategy you devised was perfect, to the point where there were little to no casualties every time! How can you understand my failure if you hadn't failed nearly as badly as me?"

"Oh? So if I was such a master tactician, then how did I die?"

"Well, simple! It was because of something out of your control!"

"Exactly. Sometimes in life, failure comes not from within, but from the outside. If you wish to be anything close to the master tactician that your father was, then you're going to have to learn how to differentiate between the two. Yes, it is good to hold yourself accountable for failings on your part, but if you beat yourself up due to failures out of your control, then the effects of those beatings will only leave you, well, beaten! And a beaten person can't possibly do anything to help any situation, now can he?"

"B-but... if I had only fought harder, fought smarter, then -"

"Then what? Everything you were supposed to protect would have been protected? I'm sorry, Ananias, but that's not how life works. Sometimes you can do everything right and yet still bad things happen. In which case, you just need to dust yourself off, recognize that there was nothing you could've done, and move on to the next fight. And that's especially true in this case, considering the odds that have been stacked against you and your friends in this world. Sometimes, son, the only person you can blame for all that you've lost is not you, but the enemy."

"I... yes, I guess you're right. I've been stuck in my own head for far too long now! It's high time I look towards the future and made up for it!"

"Attaboy!"

---

Frederick:

"F-Father?!"

"Ananias, working hard, I see. Though considering the fact that this is you we happen to be talking about, I suppose such a display of work ethic is to be expected."

"B-but... no, this doesn't make any sense! You're supposed to be dead!"

"And dead I am. Or rather, my other self is. I hail from another world, you see. Another world where I am your father and you are my son."

"But you aren't MY father."

"That is correct. I have been summoned here to help you in this time of need. Come, my son! Let us combine our strength and defeat these dastards!"

"W-wait! As happy as that would make me, I... I need to ask you something. It's something that's been on my mind for a while now and, well, there's no one else in the world I'd rather ask than you."

Frederick studied his son for a moment before nodding and saying, "Very well, I suppose we can afford to answer one question before turning our attention back to the fight at hand. What is it, Ananias? What is it that has been troubling you so that only I can answer?"

Ananias averted his eyes and scratched the back of his head. "This may sound stupid to you, but, well...," he looked into his father's eyes, "how do you always find the strength to... keep going?"

Frederick's eyes narrowed. "'Keep going'? I don't understand."

"You may have died when I was young, but my memories of you are as clear as ever. Whenever it came to Lord Chrom, you were always so diligent. Always so meticulous. Always so eager to serve. You never looked tired, even for a second. But me? I can't remember a time when I wasn't tired, when I didn't just want to throw in the towel and just let death take me and end all of this suffering and misery."

"..."

"So please, tell me. What was your secret? How can your sense of duty be so strong that you never grew tired of it?"

"I see," Frederick said. "So you feel that the only reason you've made it this far was out of a sense of duty, is that it? That you owe it to Lady Lucina and the others to fight as hard as you can for them?"

Ananias nodded. "Yes. And not just for them, but for you and Mother too. Other than for those reasons, I can't think of any reasons as to why to keep on fighting. I mean, yeah, Grima winning would suck, but with how much damage she's already caused, I doubt us beating her would feel like much of a win, you know?"

"Yes, I can certainly see your point. So, this sense of duty to your friends and family, are you sure those are your only reasons for fighting?"

Ananias shrugged. "Um, yes? Isn't that what motivated you to work so hard for Lord Chrom?"

"A sense of duty may have been part of it, yes, but deep down, I suppose it was also because I both admired and believed in Lord Chrom. We humans are an emotional and sociable lot, after all. It would be hard for anyone, including myself, to motivate ourselves through a mere sense of duty alone."

"So, that was your secret? You cared and believed in Lord Chrom so much that you did everything in your power for him?"

"Yes, that sounds about right. And you? Are you sure it is not just a sense of duty that fuels your fighting spirit? Do you not believe and care for Lady Lucina and the others as I do Lord Chrom?"

"Of course I care and believe in them. But, the reality of our situation -"

"Do you believe in them enough to ignore your own personal feelings and opinions on the matter?"

"I... yeah, I guess I do."

Frederick smiled. "Then as far as I'm concerned, that is all you need. Use the love and faith you have for your companions to see this through to the end. And not just the end, but far beyond even you could comprehend."

"Is that the same with you and Lord Chrom?"

"More than I would like to admit publicly, I'm afraid. So why don't we keep this discussion between us and get back to the fight at hand?"

Ananias nodded. "Yes, sir!"

"Good! Oh, and Ananias?"

"Yes?"

"Believe it or not, I grow weary too. I've just learned to hide it, that's all."

Ananias chuckled. "Well, that's a load off my mind! Now come on! We've got some enemies to vanquish!"

"Indeed! Onward!"

---

Virion:

"Ah! My boy! My beautiful, beautiful boy!"

"F-Father?!"

"Yes, whether it is in this world or mine, it is I, Virion! Your father!"

"W-wait, 'this world or mine'? What's that supposed to mean?"

"Exactly what it sounds like! I have been sent here from another world to help you, my dear boy! And help you, I shall! Now, let me get a good look at you." Virion studied Ananias for a bit before nodding his head in approval and saying, "Ah! Marvelous! Simply marvelous! Even after being so entrenched in hardship, death, dirt, and grime, you are still as handsome as ever! A gift you gained from your mother and I, no doubt."

Ananias sighed. "With the world being the way it is now, is it really important how attractive I look?"

"But of course! Noblemen such as ourselves have a particularly high standard to meet. Even when facing monumental hardships, a nobleman must remind the people of what they should strive to be, so that they may follow their example and raise their own standard of living!"

"Humph, some nobleman I turned out to be. I couldn't even protect the people when it counted. To present myself as an example for them to emulate... I think they'd take it as an insult more than anything."

"Do not say such things! Such words will only hinder your efforts towards completing your responsibilities. As noblemen, we do not have the luxury of choice when it comes to such matters. We must perform our duties, to the best of our ability, no matter how hard it is nor how much it will burden us."

"...You speaking from experience there?"

"... Indeed. What I did for Rosanne and her people, I did out of love."

"The people's view of you never really changed, you know. They still think that you abandoned them when they needed you most."

"I see." Virion sighed. "That is unfortunate, but considering the possible alternatives, I would certainly repeat such actions if the opportunity to change them would present itself."

"Noblemen do the dirty work, huh?"

Virion chuckled. "In a manner of speaking, yes. I take it that you've taken such words to heart?"

Ananias shrugged. "In a manner of speaking. I mean, someone's got to do the jobs that other people don't want to do. And besides, I don't really do anything too great for the cause anyway. If I can help Lucina and the others in any way that I can, I'll take it, even if it isn't the most glamorous."

Virion nodded. "I see. I suppose that if there was one lesson in which I taught you that stayed with you, it would be that one."

"It was the only one I could learn. Everything else you've taught me was beyond me."

Virion chuckled. "Debatable, but now is not the time for such a discussion. We must defeat these monsters to the best of our ability, yes?"

"Yes."

"Well then," Virion bowed, "after you, my boy. It is your battle, after all. Far be it from even the great Virion to upstage his own son on his own stage."

"I don't know," Ananias said. "You're kind of hard to ignore."

"All the more reason for you to shine brighter than ever before, yes? Can you do that, Ananias? Can you be even more radiant than even I, your wonderful father?"

"I doubt it, but if that's what you want, then I suppose I'll put in the extra effort for today, considering the unique circumstances and all that."

"That is the spirit! Now, Ananias, away!"

Ananias blushed and shook his head. "Ugh. Ananias, away."

---

Stahl:

"F-Father?! Is that you?"

"Well, hey! Would you look at that? I've been meaning to talk to you the moment I saw you, but, well, with how chaotic things are getting and one thing leading to another, I didn't think I'd get the chance. Lucky for us the opportunity presented itself, huh?"

"Um, I guess?"

Stahl frowned. "You guess? What's that supposed to mean?"

"Well, aren't you supposed to be, you know, dead?"

"Oh no! That's the version of me from this world! I'm a version of your dad from another world, if that makes any sense."

Ananias sighed. "I'll take your word for it. My father was never one for lying, especially with a ridiculous explanation like that."

Stahl smiled. "Yep, that sounds about right. So... here I am!"

Ananias nodded. "That you are."

"..."

"..."

"..."

"..."

"Huh. I was so worried about not getting the chance to talk to you that I didn't really think of what to say if I did."

"Is that so?"

"Well, um, do you have anything you want to say to me then?"

Ananias's eyes widened in surprise. "Um, well, I missed you?"

"Ah, well, that's nice. Can't exactly relate, but I can imagine."

Ananias nodded. "It's the only thing you can do, really."

"..."

"..."

"..."

"..."

"Ha ha... ha ha ha!"

"Phhht, ha ha ha!"

"Aw man, can you believe us? A father and a son, finally together again, only to have nothing meaningful to say to each other!"

"Yeah, we're... pretty pathetic."

"Well, I wouldn't go that far, but yeah, I get your point. Though, when you really stop to think about it, I guess you DID inherit all of my worst traits."

"Like being a complete and utter doormat?"

"Yeah."

"Like being ridiculously average?"

"Y-yeah."

"Like always putting my foot into my own mouth?"

"H-hey! What's with the list? Do you secretly despise me for ruining your life or something?"

Ananias shook his head. "No. It's just some things Mother would always mention about us. 'Two peas in a pod', she'd say. Either that or, 'The apple really doesn't fall too far from the tree, does it?'. It was obvious that I took after you right from the get-go."

"Is that why you tried so hard to try and fit in with your mother's side of the family?"

"It was one of the reasons. Didn't really pan out, but hey, what can you do?"

Stahl awkwardly scratched the back of his head. "Well, sure, but... I still kind of feel the need to apologize, you know? Feels like I gave you a bad hand to work with."

"I'll admit, there were times where I did kind of resent you, for being my father and all, but then you and I would do something fun together and I'd kind of forget why I was mad at you in the first place. Especially since you always seemed to know when I was at my lowest."

"Heh, so I did do something right after all. That's a relief."

"Same. Just seeing you again one more time, I think I have the strength to keep going just a little bit further now."

"Well, that's all I can really hope for, so... mission accomplished, I guess!"

Ananias chuckled. "Hey, so are you staying or do you need to leave right after this battle?"

"Yeah, I gotta leave. Sorry."

"No, that's just about what I'd expect. It'd be too good to be true if you were to stay. Let's just fight together one last time, yeah? That'll be more than enough for me on a day like today."

"Alright then, if this is going to be our last battle together, then let's give it our all!"

"Right!"

---

Vaike:

"T-Teach?! Is that you?"

"Hey, hey! Look who's still alive and kicking! Not bad, kiddo! Not bad at all! The Vaike of this world must've taught you real well to raise a survivor like you!"

"'The Vaike of this world'? W-what are you talking about? T-the Vaike is... the Vaike, right?"

"That's right! The Vaike's one of kind! Nobody else in the world can be a better Vaike than the Vaike himself! That's why there are two Vaikes from two different worlds! But now, this Vaike's in this world, so now this world is twice as nice, ya get me?"

"I... I think so? So, the Vaike - this Vaike - you - came from a different world? Which means that my Vaike - my father - my Teach - is still dead, right?"

"Yep, that about sums it up. Pretty quick on the uptake, aren't ya? No doubt because of this world's Vaike's doing, which is also this Vaike's doing, because this Vaike would've taught you the exact same thing! So the credit goes to both Vaikes, don't ya think?"

Ananias sighed. "It's at times like these where I really wished you'd just use regular pronouns," he muttered. "But never mind that! If you really are from another world, then just what are you doing here, fighting in this one? Doesn't you fighting in this world break some kind of... universal order or something?"

"Probably!"

"'Probably'?! Does that mean you don't know or you don't care?"

"Both if ya really want to think about it," Vaike admitted. "Look kiddo, I saw that ya needed some help, so the Vaike just came in to help! That's all there is to it!"

"Tch. Running in without thinking like that... if there was any doubt that you are my father, then it's definitely gone now. Only my father would do something as stupid and as noble as that."

Vaike laughed. "Got me there! But hey, if you're anything like my Ananias, then you're a regular chip off the old block yourself!"

"Hey, unlike you, I actually try to plan things out, alright?"

"True, true. But when the chips are down, when there's no one else to defer to, and especially when it comes to family, then you're practically a rootin'-tootin' Vaike junior! You come up with the stupidest plans and make the stupidest decisions when you're in the thick of it, but you take all of that on the chin and just keep trudging and marching along, like a good Vaike would! Face it, kiddo! We're more alike than anyone would give us credit for, even ourselves now that I think about it."

Ananias groaned. "You do realize that what you're saying isn't worth bragging about, right? Like, we really should try and better ourselves instead of just accepting our flaws as just a part of us?"

"Hey, don't get it twisted! Teach is all for self-improvement! It's just that Teach's so proud that his son knows what's really important deep down and won't let a little thing like fear get in the way of protecting it at all costs, you know? Tell me that ain't something worth being proud of! I dare ya!"

Ananias chuckled. "Nah, I'll pass. Even if you were wrong, I doubt there'd be any way to convince you. You're just so peppy like that. If only I had inherited some of that pep."

"Aw, ya've got plenty of pep! You're still alive and kickin', aren't ya? Still fighting the good fight even when everything in this world is going dark? Still haven't rolled over and died? Still getting right back up every time you've been knocked right down? Face it, kiddo, the Vaike's raised a hell of a trooper! That being said, the mission still ain't over yet, isn't it? You've still got one last stretch before you can close the books on this one. So come on! Enough chit-chat! Teach'll help you out here and then you can go and help finish what you, Lucina, and the other's have started! Better times are just around the corner, so is the Vaike's kid going to just curl up and die just before making that turn?"

Ananias straightened himself up and shook his head. "Hell no!"

Vaike laughed and slapped his hand against Ananias' back. "That's the spirit!"

---

Kellam:

"Father?! You're alive?! No... that can't be. You died trying to protect Mother! I should know, I saw and inspected the bodies myself! Your corpse lying over Mother's, both dirtied and bloodied on the ground, without even the faintest sign of life! You should be dead! But if that's the case, then what does that make you? Some kind of illusion? Some kind of cruel trick by Grima to lower my guard? Or maybe after all this time, I've finally just gone and lost it."

"Ananias, slow down! Please, let me explain! There's a perfect explanation for this! Er, well, maybe the perfect explanation for me, but for you, well, frankly you might find the explanation a bit too farfetched to believe."

"Then spit it out then! My father died protecting the one he loved. If you're a fake, then I won't just stand by and let some you sully that!"

"Of course you wouldn't. Because just like me, you place protecting those you love above all else! That's why it broke your heart each and every time you found your friends and family dead! And it's happened so many times that you've basically become a shell of your former self."

"..."

"And yet, it makes me so proud to find that despite all of the pain you've had to endure, you continued to move on. No doubt because, for as many times as your heart has been shattered, you still can find it in you to muster up the strength to protect the friends that you still have today. Because deep down, you believe that your pain is secondary theirs."

"...If this is a trick, then it's a pretty good one. You've got my father down pat."

Kellam chuckled. "Well, that's just it. I really am your father! Or rather, your father from another world, that is."

"Another world? Well, I guess that explains why you're so much like him then. No fake would've been able to copy that involuntary invisibility of yours, that's for sure."

"Oh? You noticed how invisible I was and were still able to notice me despite that?"

"I've always have. Honestly, there were times when I really envied that little talent of yours. Gods know there were times when I'd rather be invisible than a failure."

"Heh. I've never really thought about it like that before. Granted, I say it's a bit much to call it a talent, but considering your situation growing up, I guess I can understand why you'd come to think that. Being surrounded by your mother and her amazing family must've been hard growing up."

"It was, so much so that, at one point, I really started to resent them. I had considered running away at one point, along with changing my appearance and cutting ties with all of them. But you... you were able to talk me out of it."

"I did?"

"Yeah. You told me how you and your brothers fell out, to the point where they wouldn't even speak to you again or acknowledge that you exist. You told me how terrible and alone you felt because of it and how you regretted the way you acted to get them to that point ever since."

"..."

"You made me realize that as painful as it was to be compared to the rest of my siblings, it was even more painful to burn bridges and to be alone. So I stuck with it, stuck with Mother and her family, and stuck with you. And personally, it was the best decision I ever could've made."

"Really? You didn't feel alone anymore?"

"I still did, from time to time, but growing up, I slowly started to appreciate what I had. And even if I didn't, the world as it is now definitely gave me a lot of fond memories to look back on."

"I see. Heh. To have raised such a mature son as you, I must've really lucked out when I married your mother."

"Yeah well, despite the cards the universe dealt us, having you as a father really worked out for us."

"Yes, it did. Even now, it's working out for us. So, how about it, son? Should we take the chance to milk this rare opportunity for all its worth?"

"Yes, let's!"

---

Donnel:

"Well, I'll be! Look who's still alive and kickin'!"

"F-Father?! I-is that really you?"

"I really wish it was, kiddo, but it ain't. See, I ain't him specifically, but I am a copy of him from another world, so take that as you will. But just so you know, even if you aren't technically my son, I still love and care about you something fierce! That's why I'm here now, to help you and your friends get out of this mess you seem to have gotten yourselves into."

"Humph, it seems like we've been getting into nothing but messes for a long time now."

Donnel nodded. "I understand. But you and I both know that a mess don't clean itself, so we've just got to roll up our sleeves and do what we've gotta, right?"

"Yeah, but sometimes I just wish that we did more than just clean up Grima's messes, you know?"

"Like what? Preventing them from happenin' in the first place?"

Ananias nodded. "Yeah."

Donnel shook his head. "Now see here, ya'll can't be thinking like that. What's done is done. Ya'll gotta look towards the future, you hear?"

"Kind of hard to do that when a copy of my dead father is speaking with me right now. Especially considering the fact that... well..."

"Well what?"

Ananias bowed his head and averted his eyes. "Father, I'm sorry, but... our village... the villagers... Grandma... they're gone. All of it."

Donnel gasped and slapped his forehead in shock. "Aw geez. I hadn't even considered..."

"Yeah."

Donnel took a deep breath. "Well, as sad as that might've been to hear, what I said still stands. You've gotta look towards the future, not wallow in the past, no matter how painful it might be."

"I know, it's just," Ananias began rubbing his already welling eyes, "I really loved that village, dad. I loved it so much. Grandma especially. Being in that village with you, Mother, and Grandma, I just felt so happy and normal. When I was there, I wasn't just a son of Anna, you know? I was your boy. I was Grandma's grandson. So when I went back and saw how Grima destroyed everything... it just about broke my heart. And now you're here, except it's not really you, it's another version of you, and... I don't know how to feel about any of this!"

Donnel pulled his son in for a hug. "There, there. I got ya, kiddo. I got ya." He let Ananias cry for a moment before saying, "I don't exactly know how you're going to take this, but since this may be the one and only time I've got with you, I'll just say it and hope for the best." He forced Ananias to look into his eyes. "Seeing you now, knowing the kind of weight you've been carrying and still going strong, you've made your old man proud. And I'm pretty sure it ain't even just me. I'm sure if Grandma, your mother, and the others from the village were to see you, they'd be rooting for you and saying the exact same things I'm saying to you now. Like it or not, you're probably the last thing the village has left, so chin up! The bad days are almost over, I can feel it! Show Grima and everyone else how strong we village folk are! Can you do that, son? For me, your real parents, and the village at least?"

Ananias took a moment to process his father's words before nodding his head and answering, "Yeah, I can do that, yeah. If not for me, then at least in remembrance of you, Mom, and everyone else in the village."

Donnel slapped Ananias on the shoulder. "There's that Ananias' grit I know and love!"

---

Lon'qu

"That level of swordplay... that technique. No, you couldn't be..."

"Oh?' Lon'qu sheathed his sword. "I see you've noticed me."

Ananias shrugged. "How could I not? How... how are you even alive?!"

Lon'qu frowned. "He isn't. Your father, I mean."

"What?"

Lon'qu sighed. "I can't say I completely understand this myself, but I'm a version of your father from another world."

Ananias noticeably breathed harder upon hearing this little revelation. "No way. How -"

"Like I said, I'm not exactly sure of all of this myself, but just know that I'm here to help. Whether we're from different worlds or not, it doesn't matter. You are my son. That's all that counts. If I'm here and you and your friends need my help, then my sword is yours. Just don't expect me to stay. After this, I'll have no choice but to head back to my own world."

"I see. In that case, do what you want. As long as you're fighting for us, then I won't get in your way."

"Oh?"

"What? You'd rather I tell you what to do?"

"No, it's just... you seem to be taking this quite well."

"Yeah, well, unless you were some kind of trick from Grima, I don't really see any reason to worry."

Lon'qu raised an eyebrow. "You assume I'm not?"

Ananias shook his head. "No, you're definitely him. Only my father would fight with such skill and act so standoffish otherwise."

Lon'qu closed his eyes and blushed. "I-I see. Yes, I suppose if there was any way to prove that I'm the genuine article, then my personality would be one of them, especially considering the fact that my personality clearly rubbed off on you."

"For better or for worse."

"Yeah."

"..."

"..."

"..."

"S-so, tell me. Did I ever get used to your mother's family, or -"

Ananias shook his head. "No, you never really did. No matter what me or Mom did, you just couldn't really get yourself to relax around them."

Lon'qu winced. "I see."

"Oh? Are you ashamed?"

"Shouldn't I be?"

"I'm not saying you should or shouldn't. I'm just saying that that's what my version of my father felt."

"I see. Then I guess for his sake I'll... try a little harder to fix this flaw we both share."

Ananias shrugged. "If that's what you want. But my advice? Don't force it. Me and Mother tried forcing it and, well, it didn't exactly end well."

Lon'qu sighed. "Your mother... even now I wonder how she puts up with me."

"She loved you," Ananias nonchalantly said. "Just like how I love you. So don't worry too much about trying to change. We're already comfortable with the type of person you are now. You changing would just add to that."

Lon'qu smirked. "Humph, well now I'm wondering how your mother and I somehow managed to raise a kid like you."

"I mean, if you can't believe it, then should I just remind you that you and mom have been dead for a while now?"

"H-hey, that's a little too cold, even for our family!"

"Sorry."

---

Ricken:

"Argh! It's no use! There's too many of them!"

"Don't give up!" Ricken cried, blasting away some of the Risen that were giving Ananias so much trouble.

Ananias sneaked a few glances at his savior as he continued to fight the Risen left standing. "Huh?" After the enemies currently surrounding them had been taken care of, he ran towards Ricken and said, "Hey, kid! Just what do you think you're doing?"

Ricken gasped. "Wha- 'kid'?! I'm not a kid!"

"Well, unless you're a manakete, that's pretty much what you are! Now answer the question!"

"Humph, what does it look like I'm doing? I'm helping you out! And judging by how I just saved your hide, you're not really in a position to argue!"

"Well, I can, so I will! Look around you, kid! This is no place for someone like you to be hanging around!"

"For the second time, I'm not a kid! And who are you to say I shouldn't be hanging around here, huh?! You're here, so as your father, I should be here too!"

Ananias's eyes widened in surprise. "Wait, 'father'?!"

Ricken pouted. "Yeah, I may be from another world, but my Ananias is still my son, so that still makes me your father!"

"Um, not exactly? But even then, how can you be my father, you look nothing like him!"

"I look nothing like - wait, did I grow big and strong in this world?"

Ananias's eyes widened even further. "Oh, gods! You really are him, aren't you? Mother said that you were an annoying pipsqueak when you first met, but I didn't realize how much until now!"

Ricken blushed. "H-hey! Who are you calling a pipsqueak?!"

"I'm not calling you anything! I'm saying Mother did!"

Ricken gasped. "S-she did?! H-how much?"

"Every time she told me stories about you. She said that marrying you was a really risky investment that paid off handsomely for her in the end."

"W-what?! She said that about me?!"

"Yeah. Honestly, at first, I thought she was only telling me that to cheer me up from all my failed attempts at learning the family trade, but now that I'm getting a good look at you now, before you turn into the man you later become, I guess she was being genuine when she said how good things take time before they finally happen."

"Ugh, well, as long as she was only saying those things to cheer you up, then I guess I can let it slide. But she'll still hear a big earful from me when we get back home!"

"Get back home? I guess that means you're not staying here then?"

"Afraid not. Don't get me wrong, I'd love to help you out until the very end, but... that's just not in the cards, it seems."

"I see. Well, I'm glad I got to see you again... Father." Ananias sighed. "Man, that's really hard to say when you look like such a kid."

"Well, you could at least make it up to me not calling me a kid then!"

---

Gaius:

"Ugh, where are all of these things even coming from? It's like there's no end to them!"

"Keep your cool, kid! Can't go losing your nerve in the middle of a battle! Do that, and you're as good as dead!"

Ananias gasped. "You... you look just like -"

Gaius smirked. "Your old man? Well, that's because I am, sort of."

"Huh?"

Gaius sighed as he scratched the back of his head. "Long story short, I've been summoned here from another world to help you out. And since you're my kid and all, I don't exactly mind doing it for free."

"Don't 'exactly' mind?"

"Well, a reward for risking my neck out here wouldn't hurt, you know?"

Ananias sighed as he reached into his pockets. "Man, you really are my father. You and Mother never really stop, do you?"

"Ha ha. Nope, I guess we don't." He folded his arms and leaned forward as he eyed Ananias's hand in his pocket. "Whatcha reaching into your pockets for?"

"Your reward. Or, at least, as good as a reward as I can give you, considering the state of the world and all." He pulled out a small vial and handed it to his father. "Here."

"Oh!" Gaius's eyes widened in anticipation as he took it. "A vial! What's in it?"

Ananias folded his arms and nodded his head. "Drink it and find out."

Gaius uncorked the vial and excitedly shook his shoulders. "Alrighty then. Down the hatch!" He brought the vial to his lips and threw his head back, downing whatever was in the vial with reckless abandon before straightening himself up and letting out a satisfied gasp. "Ahhh!" He licked his lips. "Lemonade! And not just any lemonade! Really sweet lemonade!"

"You approve?"

"Aw man, this is great! Sweet and refreshing at the same time! Why haven't I thought of that before?"

"Because you like chewing on something more than drinking?"

Gaius shrugged. "Maybe. So this vial, you've got any more or -"

"No, I don't. I was saving that for after we beat Grima or before I kicked the bucket, but well... the plan's changed."

Gaius chuckled as he closed the vial and returned it to his son. "Inherited your old man's sweet tooth, did you?"

Ananias shook his head. "Nah, I just sort of wanted to do something in your honor."

"Heh, honor. Not the first thing you expect to hear regarding a thief like me."

"Yeah, well, I'm honoring you being my father, not you being a thief."

"Yeah, that sounds about right. So what do you say we fight one last time for the other me's honor then? You know, to make up for the fact that I took away your other way of honoring him and all."

Ananias smiled. "I'd like that."

Gaius smiled. "Well then, let's get to work."

---

Gregor:

"Ananias! Have no fear, Gregor is here!"

Ananias's eyes widened as he saw a man who looked exactly like his father coming to his rescue and cutting down the remaining Risen in the area with ease. "Father?! You're alive?!"

Gregor sheathed his sword and shook his head. "No, Ananias's father, Gregor is not. Gregor is another Gregor, different from Ananias's Gregor. This Gregor come from another world to help Ananias when Ananias's Gregor cannot, yes?"

"Um, yeah... I think."

Gregor laughed and slapped Ananias on the back, causing Ananias to fall forward a bit and let out a yelp of pain. "Well, as long as Ananias understands, then Gregor is satisfied. Now come! We have father and son bonding time by slaying monsters together!"

Ananias bowed his head. "Yeah, um... maybe... maybe you should just go on ahead, by yourself."

Gregor raised an eyebrow as he frowned. "Hmm? What is matter? Did Gregor say something to upset you?"

"No, not really, it's just... I just don't want to disappoint you, you know?"

"Oh? Why you say such a thing? Why would Gregor be disappointed in son who fights so hard for others?"

"I don't know, I guess it's because... I'm not really like you, in any way."

Gregor folded his arms. "And why would that disappoint Gregor?"

"I... I'm just not as skilled a fighter as you."

"Gregor does not mind. Ananias's skills lie elsewhere to compensate."

"I'm not as warm and optimistic as you."

"Gregor does not blame you for being colder than Gregor. Gregor actually likes it. Our countenances, they compliment each other, yes?"

"I'll only just get in your way."

"Then you watch Gregor's back then. Let Gregor focus on the front."

Ananias clenched his fists in frustration. "I... I don't deserve the honor of being your son. I mean, just look at us! There's practically no resemblance!"

Gregor laughed. "And that is good thing! Yes, Gregor is handsome, but your mother is much more beautiful than Gregor is! That you inherited your mother's looks is blessing, not curse!"

Ananias looked at his father in awe for a moment before asking, "Why... why can't I be more like you?"

Gregor frowned. "Is that what Ananias wishes, with all his heart?"

Ananias nodded. "If I can't be like Mother, then why can't I at least be like you, even just a little bit?"

Gregor placed a hand onto one of Ananias's shoulders and gave it a firm squeeze. "Because, Ananias is own man. That is what universe wants for Ananias."

Ananias shook his head. "But I don't want to be me! I want to be like you! Or Mom!"

"Gregor understands, but Gregor wishes for Ananias to be Ananias. Our wishes, they clash, and unfortunately for Ananias, he admits that Gregor is stronger than him, so Gregor's wish always wins out, no matter what Ananias wishes."

"..."

"So no use complaining to Not Gregor or Other Gregor. Ananias has no choice but to accept that Ananias will be nothing more than Ananias. Now come, we address all apprehensions and fears, have we not? Let Gregor and Ananias return to battle, together!"

"...I don't deserve... having you as a father."

Gregor shrugged. "Perhaps. But Gregor enjoy the privilege anyway. Ananias should learn to do same, but with more youthfulness compared to Gregor."

Ananias wiped his tears and smiled. "Yeah, even this younger version of you is pretty old."

"Hey! Gregor accepts all jokes at his expense, except for jokes about older age, yes?"

"Sure, old man."

Gregor smiled. "Ah, fine. Gregor make one exception for his next of kin, but no more!"

---

Libra:

"F-Father?!"

"Ananias! Gods be praised, you're no worse for wear!"

Ananias stared in disbelief at the man who was continuing to inspect his current condition. "No, that's impossible! You've been dead for so long now. How can you be here?"

"Thank the gods my son, Naga especially. She brought me here from another world to aid you in your time of need."

"Naga? Another world?"

"Yes, forgive me, but I am not truly your father, but another version of him sent from another world, one where we are also father and son." Libra bowed his head. "Only through Naga's kindness could we have been given such an opportunity. We must remember to thank her once this is all over."

Ananias took a moment to process what his father was saying. "I don't know. Kind of hard to thank someone for something you didn't ask for."

Libra's eyes widened in surprise. "I do not understand. My son, what exactly do you mean by this? Are you not grateful for Naga's aid? That she gave us the opportunity to reunite like this?"

Ananias raised his hands in an attempt to assuage his father's potential fears. "Don't get me wrong, I'll take any help I can get out here, it's just... Naga helping me by summoning another version of my father is a bit... out there, you know?"

"Ah, I see. Yes, I suppose the peculiarity of the situation isn't completely lost on me. Though I am curious, if you do not mind me asking, how exactly did you expect Naga to help you then?"

Ananias shrugged. "Got me there. Naga and the rest of the gods... their methods are just as mysterious as you said. After you and Mother died, I only really had the gods and Naga to confide with, and even now, I still don't really understand what exactly they're trying to accomplish or how they plan on accomplishing it."

"And yet, I do not detect any hatred in you towards them."

Ananias scratched the back of his head. "Yeah, well, I guess I realized pretty quickly that they don't really owe a nobody like me any answers."

"I see. That is an interesting conclusion that you've come to, my child. While I will praise the gods for gifting me such a humble boy, I must disagree with you on one thing: you are not a nobody, Ananias. Not to me, not your friends and allies, nor the gods. Don't you see? It is only because of their love for you that you've made it this far."

"I see where you're coming from," Ananias said, "but I also wonder why the gods have left me here to fight when they could've left anyone else besides me. I mean, so many of my betters have fallen in battle, sometimes because of my actions and my decisions. Why? Why choose me over them? What do I have that they didn't?"

"The gods see things more clearly than we do, Ananias. That is why we must place our faith in them, because we know only a fraction of what they know, so their plans are greater than ours and are more thought out than we may realize."

"...Is that why Naga sent you here? To tell me that?"

Libra smiled, chuckled, and shook his head. "Maybe, maybe not. Believe it or not, I am just as much in the dark as you are."

"Humph, load of help you are. But... I guess I won't be getting my definitive answer until the end of all this, so... I guess I'll stick it out until then. See how this all plays out before I completely abandon ship. That sounds fair, doesn't it?"

"Would you really renounce your faith in the gods if all of this were to end badly?"

"I don't know. At the very least, they've been very good listeners to all my incessant rambling. Can't take that away from them."

Libra chuckled. "Yes, the gods have always been good listeners."

"You were too, when you were still alive."

"Oh? So you do miss me then?"

"Was I supposed to believe that I'd never see you or Mother again after I died?"

"Heh. No, I just... you do not know how truly blessed I feel, seeing the man you are now."

"Well, at long I've made you happy, I guess I can thank Naga for that."

"Let us both thank her, once this fight is over."

---

Henry:

"Nya ha ha! Sorry, Risen, but it doesn't matter how cute I think you are, I draw the line at letting you kill my son!"

Ananias gasped. "No way. Father? How... how can you be here? Don't tell me you actually found a way to come back from the dead!"

"Hmm. An interesting idea, to be sure, but nope! Not the case here."

"It isn't?"

Henry shook his head. "Nope! I mean, let's be honest, if this really was my doing, do you think I'd let myself look like this? Please! Where's the rot? The smell? The degradation? Heck, I've been dead for a while now, haven't I?"

"Um, yeah?"

"Well then, why haven't I lost any limbs yet? I should have at least lost an arm to a scavenger by now, shouldn't I? Ooo, what about a leg? Nya ha! If I had lost a leg, then I'd be hopping around the battlefield like an undead bunny rabbit! Now wouldn't that be a sight!"

Ananias sighed. "Well, what is it then? Because with the way you've been talking, you're clearly my father."

"Oh, right! I suppose I got carried away and forgot to give you the explanation. Well, here goes: I'm actually another version of your father from another world!"

Ananias' jaw dropped slightly before shaking his head and saying, "Um, okay. How did that happen?"

"Eh, we were summoned here," Henry said. "But enough about that! I'd rather talk about you! How've you been, kiddo? You holding up?"

"Barely. Honestly, these days I feel like a walking corpse myself, with how tired I've become with all the fighting and surviving lately."

"Aw, now you're talking! Say, if you were to actually be a walking corpse, which limb would you rather lose first?"

Ananias sighed. "Really, dad? We got to do this now?"

"What? I was just asking! And considering the fact that I can't stay around, this may be the last weird conversation with me you're ever going to get, so might as well strike while the iron's hot, you know?"

Ananias sighed again. "Alright, okay, just... let me think this over for a bit, yeah?" Ananias took a moment to think it over before answering, "I don't know. I guess I'd rather lose my head first?"

"Nya ha ha! Now that'd be a fright! Why the head though? I just gotta know!"

Ananias shrugged. "I mean, I'd still probably be able to see, wouldn't I? And with my body barely being able to replicate any natural human movement, my head would probably just be flopping around, which means my line of sight would be pretty erratic. So if I lost my head, I would no longer have that problem, right? Like, my head would just be stationed somewhere on the ground until someone destroyed it, and if that never happens, then I'd just have the same static view forever."

"Hmm. So you're okay with staring at the same thing all the time? Like, forever?"

"Would I rather have terribly blurry and unfocused vision?"

"Well, if you were walking around, then someone would probably put you down anyway, but they'd never be able to finish the job if your head was lying around somewhere else!"

Ananias winced. "Ugh, yeah. I guess I never really considered that."

"Well, hey, it might be a bad idea for you, but that actually sounds like a great idea for me! I mean, just imagine, my headless corpse walking around and scaring people half to death! Nya ha! Now that'd be a laugh!"

"And what about your head?"

"What about it? It'll just do the same thing as the body, scaring the daylights out of anyone who happens to stumble upon it! Two scares for the price of one! What a great deal!"

"Um, right. Is it weird that I actually kind of find having this type of conversation with you sort of... nostalgic?"

"Nope! Not at all! Having someone like me as your father, I'd be surprised if you didn't have these types of conversations before now! Though let's be honest, you've got to be pretty weird yourself if you're willing to humor me this much."

"Yeah, well, according to Mom, I can be pretty weird myself. Not as weird as you, of course, but there's definitely something about me that isn't normal."

"Nya ha! Chip off the old block, aren't you? Though considering who your mother is, I guess you can say we were always one big, happy, freaky family!"

"And let me guess, you wouldn't have wanted it any other way, huh?"

"Wouldn't you?"

Ananias smirked. "I've learned to appreciate it. Now come on, you wanted to help me fight these things, right? Let's finish up before we get sidetracked again."

"Aw, but those are the best tracks to follow!"

---

Closing Dialogue:

All Children Survive:

Zephyra gasped. "Annie, look! They're alive!"

"They're… alive?" Ananias asked.

"By the gods," Tan'bay said with a laugh. "Those two actually managed to pull it off!"

Lumaria laughed along with him as she ran towards her two friends. "Oh my gosh, you guys!" She gave them a great, big hug. "You did it! You actually managed to keep the people out of danger!"

"And, more impressively, survive," Tenk noted. "Zephyra, I can believe, as incredibly unlikely as it was given her current state, but Ananias as well? Honestly, did your family make a deal with a devil or something?"

Ananias chuckled. "With the amount of money they had? It's possible. Though, to be honest, it definitely doesn't feel like it."

"You should've seen Annie-bear's hustle!" Zephyra said. "He really pulled out all the stops today!"

"Not like it would've done me any good," Ananias replied. "If those visitors from another world didn't come in and help us out, I'm pretty sure I would've been a goner."

Lumaria nodded. "We all would've been."

"We wouldn't have been goners," Tenk muttered, "if Tan'bay and I had just kept our cool, like we should've."

"As much as I hate to admit it, he's right," Tan'bay said. He went down on his knees and bowed until his head touched the floor. "My friends, forgive me. We had lost so much and I was frustrated. Frustrated that only Lucina could perform the Awakening, that I had to rely on her to obtain any sort of justice for Chon'sin and so many others. I just… I just wanted to feel as if I mattered in all of this. So when I thought I saw my opportunity, I simply took it, and had no intention of ever looking back."

"I suppose I should formerly apologize as well," Tenk said. "My actions were as equally selfish and reckless as Tan'bay's was. In some ways, worse. For so long I had thought myself better than all of you for seeing and admitting things you all seemed to refuse to accept, and yet all it took was the corpse of my mother to prove how full of myself I really was." He bowed his head. "Forgive me, for everything."

"I should apologize too," Lumaria said. "I should've been fighting alongside you two, but instead, my guilt over Regna Ferox and my fear of losing anyone else got the better of me. It was suicide to follow Tan'bay and Tenk, and yet, in the end, I found that I didn't care. Not at first, anyway." She bowed her head. "I'm sorry. I should've rethought my priorities."

"Please, don't say that," Tenk said. "If you hadn't ran after us, who knows if the two of us would've survived as long as we did before those visitors came to help us."

Tan'bay raised his head and nodded. "Indeed. We owe you our lives, just as much as we owe those visitors from another world. Just as the people of Ylisstol owe Ananias and Zephyra for theirs."

Ananias looked away. "We really didn't do that much," he muttered.

"Nonsense," Tan'bay said, standing up. "You've done more than enough, for all of us."

Lumaria giggled. "He's right. At the end of the day, you might as well be our secret weapon."

Ananias blushed. "Don't flatter me, guys."

"Aw," Zephyra poked Ananias' cheek. "You always were a shy one."

"And you always were the unreliable one," Tenk countered. "To think that in our darkest hour, you'd actually step up. Perhaps you are Ylissean royalty after all."

Zephyra stuck her tongue out in disgust. "Yuck. Don't say that. You'll ruin my good mood."

"But it's the truth."

"I don't care! Don't say it!"

Tenk crossed his arms. "I'll say whatever I feel like saying."

"Grr. You're not cute at all!"

"I never intended to be."

Lumaria smiled. "Looks like things are back to normal, relatively speaking."

Tan'bay shook his head. "Please. I refuse to believe that a world that looks like this is anything close to being normal. Things will only be 'normal' once Grima is defeated."

"Yes, of course."

"Speaking of Grima," Tenk said, "where are those friends of ours? Were they not tasked with retrieving the Gemstones and the Fire Emblem? They've been gone for a bit too long, don't you think?"

Lumaria frowned. "You don't think they failed, do you?"

Ananias shook his head. "No way. Those guys don't have it in them to fail."

"And even if they did," Zephyra said, "we'd pick up their slack, right?"

"Well, it looks like we won't have to!" Tan'bay cried. He pointed towards a group of familiar figures running towards them. "Look!"

Lumaria gasped. "Kjelle! Noire! Nah! Cynthia!"

"Brady!" Zephyra cried. "Inigo! Owain! Yarne!"

"At your service!" Inigo said. "Though, by the looks of things, you five seem to have everything under control."

"Humph, if you consider all of this collateral damage 'under control', then yes, I suppose we do," Tan'bay said.

"What about the people?" Cynthia asked. "Are the people safe, at least?"

"We got as many as we could out in one piece," Lumaria answered. "Unless Grima knows where they're heading, they should be safe for now."

Cynthia let out a sigh of relief. "That's good."

"As much as we all value human lives, the Gemstones and the Fire Emblem are what are really important," Tenk said. "You have the Gemstones you were supposed to get, right?"

Nah nodded. "We've got our two right here."

"Same for us," Yarne added.

"That just leaves Severa, Laurent, and Gerome with their Gemstone and the Fire Emblem, right?" Kjelle asked.

Brady nodded. "Seems like. You five wouldn't have happened to have run into them by any chance, did you?"

Ananias shook his head. "No. Haven't seen them."

"Damn," Kjelle muttered.

"L-let's not jump to any conclusions!" Noire reassured her. "M-maybe they're on their way here right now!"

"Yeah!" Zephyra said. "Or maybe they're already at the castle! Ylisstol's a big place and we've been pretty busy. We could've easily just missed them!"

"Well, I guess we won't know until we get there," Inigo said. "C'mon. Lucina's waiting for us!"

"Um, I hate to be the bringer of bad news, but," Yarne pointed behind them, "I think we've got company!"

All of the children gasped upon seeing another horde of Risen approaching them. "W-what?!" Noire cried. "All those Risen, where did they all come from?"

"It don't matter where they came from!" Brady cried. "What matters is that they're here, and they ain't friendly!"

"Brady's right!" Nah cried. "Whether this is Grima's doing or her little servant's, it doesn't matter! Those things are obviously making a last ditch effort to take our Gemstones!"

"Then let them try!" Owain cried, grabbing the hilt of his sword. "I, Owain Dark, won't let them lay a finger on them!"

"Seriously?!" Yarne cried. "We're going to fight? Now?! Wouldn't we be better off if we just ran?!"

"I'm pretty sure they're not just going to let us," Kjelle said. "And if there's this much here now, then there's bound to be even more on the way to the castle. We could be boxed in for all we know!"

"But then, what are we supposed to do?" Cynthia asked. "We can't afford to waste our time with all these Risen! Not when Lucina really needs us!"

"You won't have to!" Tan'bay declared, unsheathing his sword and stepping forward. "We'll handle them for you!"

"And by 'we', he means us five!" Lumaria said, stepping forward.

"What?!" Kjelle cried. "No! Absolutely not! Don't be stupid!"

"We ain't just going to leave you all behind!" Brady said.

"We don't have a choice," Tenk argued, stepping forward. "You eight have what Lucina needs and we don't. If there's any group that's going to stay behind and make sure none of these Risen stay on your tail, it's going to be us!"

"Don't be ridiculous!" Inigo argued. "Look at the state of you! You're barely holding on as is!"

"Compared to the five of you, we're still fresh!" Nah said. "We can fight these hordes of Risen together! We can go to Lucina together!"

"That's nice and all, guys," Ananias said, stepping forward. "But we need to face facts, we're either going to win or we're going to lose, and we can't afford to lose."

"B-but we can't afford to lose you either!" Noire cried.

"Please, we don't have to fight!" Yarne said. "Just run back to the castle with us!"

"Running's not going to do us any good if we really are boxed in," Zephyra said, stepping forward. "At least if we stay behind to fight these things, you won't have to worry about watching your six."

"No!" Owain cried. "I refuse! What kind of hero would I be if I just abandoned my fellow comrades in arms to fight for themselves in a den of wolves?!"

"He's right!" Cynthia said. "Please, please, please don't do this! We're so close! Don't sacrifice yourselves when we're so close to finishing this fight once and for all!"

Tan'bay clicked his tongue in disgust. "You dare insult us like this?"

Cynthia blinked in confusion. "Huh?"

"How presumptuous of you to believe that we're 'sacrificing' ourselves! Nay, we're simply doing what must be done in order to achieve victory!"

"He's right!" Lumaria said. "The sooner we defeat Grima, the sooner the Risen go away! If you really are afraid of leaving us for dead, then you should just make your way to Lucina faster!"

"As if we'd be pathetic enough to die!" Tan'bay replied. He pointed his sword at the Risen. "These foul creatures… no matter how many of them challenge us, we will not fall to the likes of them! Compared to them, we're immortal!"

"Yeah!" Zephyra cried. "Do you hear that, Risen?! You can't kill us! Not in a million years!"

"Ugh," Tenk groaned. "I truly hope it doesn't last that long. I've already grown tired of all this. I'd hate to have to do all of this again."

"Don't worry about us." Ananias pointed at himself. "If these things can't even kill me, then we'll be fine."

"Lucina's waiting for you," Lumaria said. "Better not keep her waiting. You know how she is when she's all by herself at a time like this."

The eight exchanged looks before nodding their heads. "Alright, I guess it's settled then," Kjelle said.

"Tan'bay, my eternal rival in swordsmanship!" Owain cried. "After we defeat Grima, let's settle the score, once and for all!"

"In a rush to finally recognize Chon'sin's superiority, eh?" Tan'bay smiled. "Fine. I'll accept that challenge!"

"Tenk, don't die!" Nah said. "It'd be really annoying to be the only manakete our age!"

"Why should I care about that?" Tenk scoffed.

"Lumaria, remember, after we beat Grima, you promised to help pass some legislation to help my taguel restoration effort!" Yarne said.

Lumaria giggled. "How could I forget? You keep bugging me about it every chance you get!"

"Zephyra, you truly have become more beautiful as time goes on!" Inigo said. "Please, do not rob me of the chance to go on a date with this ravishing new version of yourself!"

"Mama don't come cheap, Inigo!" Zephyra said with a wink.

"BLOOD AND THUNDER!" Noire bellowed. "ANANIAS! IF YOU DIE HERE, THEN I'LL SIMPLY BRING YOU BACK AND KILL YOU AGAIN MYSELF!"

Ananias gave her a thumbs up. "Love you too, Noire."

"So, we really gonna do this?" Brady whispered. "We really going to just leave them here?"

"They're not giving us much of a choice," Kjelle pointed out.

Cynthia nodded. "Besides, in a way," she turned to look and admire them, "they look really, really heroic right now, don't you think?"

Brady shrugged. "Eh, suicidal is more like it, but different strokes, I guess." He then turned to the others and cried, "Alright! Let's quit gawkin' at them and do what we came here to do! To the castle!"

Tenk took a deep breath as the hordes of Risen approached them and as their friends made their way towards the castle. "Lucina, defeat Grima. Avenge my mother's death for me."

"Lucina, you're the best of us, that fact was never in question," Lumaria said. "The only one left to prove it to is Grima."

"Lucina, this is your destiny," Ananias said. "Don't hesitate to seize it."

"Luci, go and show that Grima who's boss!" Zephyra said.

"Lucina, don't mess this up," Tan'bay said. "Or else I'll have to do it for you."

At Least One Survives:

"Welcome home, warriors."

"I'm sorry. We fought our hardest, but some of the children..."

"Do not blame yourself. They were all fated to die that day. You must solace yourself with every life you save, even if it is only one."

"It should have been all of them..."

"Put it behind you, Chrom of Ylisse, and realize the great deed you have done. You have successfully allowed the people of Ylisstol to flee to safety. And the remaining children are no doubt grateful to you for saving their lives. You have done extremely well."

"…"

"However, hopes for their future still hang by a thread. The Gemstones and the Fire Emblem itself, must also reach the princess. Otherwise, the children's struggles will be for naught."

"I know... I'll do what I can."

"Thank you. I knew I could rely on you. And the departed can rest easy knowing their sacrifice was not in vain..."

All Children Die:

"Damn…," Chrom muttered.

"...Welcome home, warriors. You fought valiantly. However, the children have all died. And yet, despite that, the people of Ylisstol were able to successfully escape. In the end, they were able to complete their mission."

"I'm glad that the people of Ylisstol are safe, but those five children… gods, forgive me. There must be something we can do!"

"Do not punish yourself. They simply met the end that destiny prescribed. And regardless of their deaths, there is still hope for their world yet, with the Gemstones and the Fire Emblem."

"I don't care what destiny prescribed! And their lives… just because their world can still be saved doesn't mean that their lives didn't matter!"

"I understand. But you must not linger on what is already done. Be glad that you gave the children one last glimmer of hope. It was more than they had. And you can still save your own world. The departed would want you to fight with every bone in your body...as I trust you will."

"…"

---

Author's Note: I have a poll on my profile for the next character I will be focusing on. You can either choose between Lumaria (Flavia's daughter), Tan'bay (Say'ri's son), Zephyra (Emmeryn's daughter), Tenk (Tiki's son), or Lana (Ananias' daughter during the Fates chapters). You can choose your top two choices on this poll.