"Ha ha ha ha!" the cultist leader of the house of Zorom, Jebediah, cried as he and his crazed followers began their deranged assault on the village and its populace. "Yes! That's it! That's it, my children! Round them all up! Round them all up like the blind sheep that they truly are!"

"As if we'd let you!" Xander cried, riding gallantly into the fray alongside Leo, Camilla, Peri, Niles, Beruka, and a small group of Nohrian soldiers. The royals, retainers, and soldiers then proceeded to spread out as Xander quickly rode his way towards the mastermind behind the unsolicited attack, fully intending on stopping it from the source. As he was preparing to strike Jebediah down, however, Jebediah quickly stepped aside and forced the prince of Nohr back with a spell in retaliation. After Xander had succeeded in calming his horse down, he looked solemnly down at the leader of the house of Zorom before taking a moment to look at the absolute chaos surrounding them and saying, "So… this is the infamous house of Zorom that I've heard so much about?"

"Oh?" Jebediah said. "So you've heard of us, have you?" Jebediah then smiled as he gave Xander a disrespectful and mocking bow. "I'm flattered, Lord Xander."

"Hmph," Xander said as he gave the man a look of disgust. "Your insolence knows no bounds, I see. Tell me, what do you plan on doing with all of these people? What are they guilty of to warrant such an attack on them?"

"Why, by allowing themselves to be herded like the blind sheep that they are, of course," Jebediah answered matter-of-factly.

Xander's eyes narrowed in anger. "What?!"

Jebediah nodded as he let out a laugh. "Yes! Think about it, my lord! Look at the poor state in which Nohr is in! And look at what years under King Garon's leadership has done to change it! Nothing! Absolutely nothing! And do you want to know why that is? It is because he follows a false idol! A divine dragon who is not really a divine dragon at all! But instead of abandoning the false dragon god, he instead continues to seek its consultation, and his people continue to blindly follow suit!"

Xander's eyes widened as he let out a gasp of surprise. "You can't possibly be serious!"

"Oh, but we are!" Jebediah declared. "And my followers and I, we have seen the light! The dark dragon, Zorom, is the true divine dragon, and he demands a multitude of sacrifices before he can bring true change to our land!"

Xander gasped upon realizing what they were originally planning to do with the village innocence. "You're insane!"

Jebediah shook his head in disappointment as he began to conjure up another spell to attack him with. "And you and your siblings are no different. Not that it matters, anyway. As far as I'm concerned, you and your siblings will make a perfect sacrifice for him!" He grinned madly. "How poetic. Sacrificing the shepherds to free the sheep!"


"Lord Leo!" Odin cried as he, Laslow, Selena, and Ananias ran towards said lord and his sister. "Lady Camilla!"

Leo and Camilla glanced at the group running towards them for a moment before taking care of the crazed follows who they were preoccupied with and giving them their full attention as they approached them. "There you all are!" Leo scolded. "Where have you been?! We could've used your assistance a bit earlier, you know!"

"Our apologies, my lord," Selena said, "but when we found out what was going on, we came here as fast as we could!"

"There is no need for apologies, darling," Camilla said, with a reassuring smile on her face. "The three of you are here now, so no worries! Now we can truly punish these miscreants!" She then let out an unsettling giggle as Ananias gave her a mild look of surprise.

"Is she usually like that?" he asked Laslow.

Laslow let out an awkward laugh and nodded. "A bit, yes."

It was then that Leo noticed that Ananias was with them. "And what exactly are you doing here? This is hardly a place for a messenger."

Upon realizing that Leo was talking to him, Ananias straightened his back, gave Leo a small and respectful bow, and said, "With all due respect, lord Leo, but I am more than just a simple messenger." He then held his hand over the hilt of his sword. "I've come to help, if you would allow me to."

Leo eyed him solemnly for a moment before Camilla turned to Leo and gave him an encouraging smile. "I don't see why not. A friend of Selena, Laslow, and Odin is a friend of ours, right?"

Leo took a moment to consider it before letting out a weary sigh and saying, "Fine. But we won't be responsible for any injuries you sustain in this battle. Does that seem fair?"

Ananias nodded. "Of course."

"Actually, about that," Laslow said, gaining the attention of Camilla and Leo as he did. "You see, some things came up, and we were hoping that you could allow our friend here to be Elise's retainer until they've… cleared up a bit." When both Camilla and Leo frowned at him, Laslow let out an awkward laugh and rubbed the back of his neck. "W-Well?"

Camilla and Leo exchanged suspicious and concerned looks with one another before Camilla looked at the group of friends and said, "That's… not exactly up to us."

"We know it isn't, lady Camilla," Selena admitted. "But could you at least put in a good word in for him with King Garon? It could go a long way."

"And how could we possibly do that?" Leo asked. He then turned towards Ananias. "I'm sorry. You seem like a decent fellow, but we hardly know anything about you, let alone your fighting prowess. How could we possibly put in a good word for you if we barely know anything about you?"

Ananias gulped nervously. "Um… well," he turned desperately towards his friends, who, unfortunately didn't have an answer for that either, "you see…."

"Ah ha!" Odin cried, snapping his fingers as he did. "I've got it!" He then turned to his lord and lady and suggested, "How about you, the Bewitching Beauty and the Sorcerous Prince, place him through a spontaneous trial?"

Leo cocked an eyebrow in surprise. "A… trail?"

Odin nodded. "Yes, a trial! Allow Ananias to fight alongside us for this battle, and if he should impress you enough with his skills and latent fighting spirit, then you can wholeheartedly request for him to be one of lady Elise's retainers! How's about that, my lord? Not a bad plan, am I right?"

As Leo considered the plan for a moment, Camilla surveyed the chaos around them for a moment before turning back to Leo and saying, "An extra sword wouldn't be so bad right about now, Leo."

Leo wearily sighed and nodded his head. "Alright then." He turned towards Ananias. "We will allow you to fight alongside us in this battle, but in order for you to be eligible as a retainer, you must prove your worth."

"Especially as this is for our darling little sister," Camilla added.

Ananias nodded dutifully. "Deal."


Objective: Defeat all enemies before a certain number of turns. You may allow characters to speak with one another.


If Laslow and Ananias Speak with One Another

"Well, well!" Laslow cried. "Look who hasn't gotten rusty after all this time!"

"Thanks," Ananias dully and monotonously replied.

Laslow visibly cringed. "Ugh. And I see that that colorful personality of yours hasn't changed either," he muttered.

Ananias turned to him. "What was that?"

Laslow gasped before reassuringly raising his hands up and shaking his head. "Um, nothing. Nothing."

Ananias let out an exasperated sigh. "You haven't changed a bit, it seems."

Laslow gasped. "H-How would you know?! We've just barely reunited!"

Ananias simply shrugged. "It just feels like you haven't change that much, you know?"

Laslow frowned. "No, not really." He sighed. "Still as strange and as awkward as ever too, it seems. It's honestly starting to get a little scary, to tell you the truth."

Ananias cocked an eyebrow in mild surprise. "Nothing changing scares you?"

"Well, yeah," Laslow replied. He then grinned. "Things can't stay the same forever, right?"

Ananias nodded his head understandingly. "Yeah, I guess." An awkward silence came between them before Ananias asked, "So is that why the three of you left? Because you guys wanted a change?"

"What? No, of course not! Like we said, someone asked us to help out here, and we couldn't say no. Nothing else to it!"

"So, were you whisked away suddenly, or something?" Ananias asked. "Because you could've given the rest of us a bit more of a warning before disappearing on us like that."

Laslow sheepishly laughed. "Y-Yeah. I guess we should've been a bit more considerate about leaving the rest of you behind like that, huh?"

Ananias shrugged. "A bit. I mean, some of us weren't too worried about you, but you mom… she really freaked out, you know?"

Laslow let out a gasp of surprise. "R-Really?" he asked, a pang of guilt suddenly hitting him as he pictured his mother frantically searching high and low for him before sadly breaking down and giving up. "Is… is she alright now?"

Ananias nodded. "Yeah. It took a while, but your dad and our friends were able to calm her down. That was when the idea of me looking for the three of you came up."

Laslow solemnly nodded as he heard this. "I see." He shifted uncomfortably for a moment before asking, "And all of those letters back at the castle… is one of them from her?"

"Of course," Ananias said matter-of-factly. "And if we can pull this off, then you'll have all the time in the world to properly answer it." He then gave Laslow a small smile. "So come on, we're not going to accomplish anything with the two of us standing around and talking like this."

Laslow smirked sadly. "Yeah, I hear you." Once Ananias left however, he then muttered to himself, "Mother, father, everybody… I'm sorry for all of the pain I caused you. Once this is all over, I'll make it up to you, I swear. We'll be laughing and smiling again before you know it!"


If Odin and Ananias Speak with One Another

"Ha ha!" Odin laughed as he blasted cultists left and right with his magic. "The Red Death and Owain Dark, fighting alongside each other once more!" He turned excitedly towards Ananias. "Doesn't it make your blood boil with excitement, my friend?"

Ananias struck an enemy down before turning to him and asking, "No offense, but isn't your name Odin now?"

Odin gasped upon realizing his unfortunate blunder. "O-Of course! Y-Yes, how could I have possibly forgotten?" He then let out an embarrassed cough before turning back to Ananias and giving him a toothy grin. "But the sentiment still stands! Does this not remind you of our previous glory days?"

"You mean the days when we were fighting in a war?" Ananias asked. "Or the days when we were fighting for our lives in an apocalyptic future?"

Odin's grin wavered a bit. "Um, no, it's just…."

"Odin, I was joking."

"…."

"…."

"…."

"…."

"…Ah, yes, of course!" Odin cried, laughing heartily as he did. "Wonderful jest, my friend! For a moment, I thought that something was truly bothering you for a moment!"

"Well… now that you mention it, there IS one," Ananias said. He pointed at Odin's attire and asked, "Since when were you such a magic buff? Wasn't it always swordsmanship with you back in the day? Why the sudden interest?"

Odin's eyes widened in surprise. "'Why', you say?" Odin chuckled. "Well, it is quite obvious, isn't it? The boiling blood that courses through my veins could no longer deny my true calling towards the dark arts! It is through this acceptance that I am the man who stands before you now!" He struck a mysterious pose. "Odin Dark!"

"Hmm," Ananias said as he held his chin and folded his arms in concern. "So first, it was your sword hand acting up, and now it's your entire blood stream? I think you've got to get that checked out, man."

"Ha ha!" Odin cried. "Fret not, my friend! As I have accepted my calling towards the dark arts, so have I accepted my boiling blood and my blood has accepted me! We rely on one another now, just as the two of us rely on one another on the battlefield! Now, let us no longer dilly dally! You have my lords and lady to prove, do you not?!"

"Oh, um, yeah, sure, got it," Ananias said, nodding his head before leaving to get back to the task at hand.

Odin smiled satisfactorily as he watched Ananias run off. "Thank you, my friend. It's instances such as these that I know that everything will be alright."


If Selena and Ananias Speak with One Another

"Ah," Selena said after having successfully taken down one of the mad cultists, "another job well done. Honestly," she smirked, "sometimes I really do wonder just how good I am."

"Well, that's nice," Ananias said from behind her, causing her to let out a yelp of surprise as he did.

Selena blushed and gave him an irritated pout. "Hey! Don't go sneaking up on people like that! Especially on the battlefield! What? Do you have a death wish or something?"

"Well, now that you mention it -"

"Ugh!" Selena groaned, rolling her eyes as she did. "Still as dense as ever, I see! Honestly, you'd think that going on your own journey would smarten you up a bit!"

Ananias simply shrugged. "I could say the same about you being away from your mom."

Selena frowned. "Hmm?"

"You being away from your mom like this," Ananias explained with a small smile on his face, "I'm happy to see that it's raised your confidence up a bit."

Selena averted her eyes as she blushed. "W-Well, I hate to break it to you, but it's still pretty hard to do anything without thinking about just how much better my mother would've been at it, you know?"

"Of course I do. We've both sort of got the same problem, don't we?"

Selena smiled a bit at this. "Yeah. I guess you've got a point there."

Ananias chuckled as he smiled a bit back. "Well, at least you've got a few less people comparing you to her here, right?"

Selena nodded. "Yeah. It's been nice, actually. I'm usually not used to it."

"They must really appreciate you here, huh?"

"Yeah, just as much as I appreciate them."

Ananias frowned. "So… does that mean that you're not coming back?"

Selena let out a surprised gasp before sheepishly playing with her hair a bit and answering, "I… I never said that! Of course I will! But…," she bowed her head shamefully, "it's going to be a little hard to leave this place, is all." She then looked towards her left into the distance and muttered, "If I could leave, would I really do it? I wonder."

Ananias stared at Selena for a bit before saying, "Well, good thing that you're still needed here for a while then."

Selena turned to Ananias with a look of surprise on her face. "Hmm?"

Ananias smiled reassuringly at her. "It's going to be a while before you have to make that decision. Same goes for answering all that mail I delivered to you. Until then, I'll wait patiently for your answer to both. And no matter what, I'll probably respect it as best I can. And I think everyone else back at home would agree."

Selena let out a gasp of surprise. "Ananias." She then smiled before giving him an annoyed chuckle. "Geez. You know, when you're talking to a lady, you shouldn't say that you'll 'probably respect' her decision. It's either go big or go home, alright?"

Ananias chuckled. "I'll try to remember that."

Selena chuckled back. "Honestly, there really is no hope for you, is there? But," she lowered voice to a murmur, "that's probably the best thing about you."

"Hmm? Did you say something?"

Selena winked playfully at him. "Of course not, you big oaf! Geez, do we have to get your ears checked too?" She then patted him on the shoulder. "Now come on! No more standing around! Let's win this!"

"Right!"


If Xander and Laslow Speak with One Another

"Huh?" Xander murmured upon noticing Ananias for the first time, fighting alongside him and his forces against the house of Zorom. "Isn't that… the messenger from earlier?"

"Milord!" Laslow called, waving his hand high above his head and waving frantically in order to gain the prince's attention as he ran towards him.

Xander let out a gasp of surprise as he turned towards the familiar voice of his retainer. "Laslow!" He then nodded towards Ananias and asked, "Your friend, will he be alright?"

Laslow nodded. "Of course, milord! Believe it or not, he's been in worse scrapes than this. He'll be fine."

Xander let out a sigh of relief. "That's good to hear. We wouldn't want any innocent blood on our hands now, would we?"

Laslow nodded. "Precisely, milord! If anything, I hope that you find favor in his fighting prowess!"

Xander cocked an eyebrow in surprise. "Hmm? And why is that?"

"W-Well," Laslow sheepishly began, "long story short, Selena, Odin, and I were hoping that you would be able to convince his majesty to allow our friend to temporarily become lady Elise's retainer, at least until some things clear up on his end, that is."

Xander's eyes narrowed solemnly. "I see," he said. "And what exactly are these 'things' which you speak of?"

Laslow winced before giving him an apologetic bow. "My apologies, milord, but that is unfortunately a private matter between us. I hope that you can understand."

"I do, Laslow, truly. But you must admit, what you are asking of me and what you have told me… you cannot deny that there is a hint of suspicion surrounding it all."

"I… I know, milord. But all I ask is that you trust me when I say that the circumstances surrounding this are completely innocent. I swear upon it."

Xander looked long and hard at Laslow before nodding his head and saying, "Very well. I trust you, Laslow, so I will trust him."

Laslow smiled excitedly. "Thank you so very much, milord! I swear, that my friend will serve your little sister well!"

"Well, first he has to prove his mettle first," Xander pointed out. "I won't be able to honestly speak for him otherwise."

Laslow laughed. "You know, that is exactly what lady Camilla and lord Leo said!" He winked playfully. "I suppose that good and noble minds think alike!"

Xander chuckled. "Yes, I suppose they do. Now let us end this attack once and for all!"

"Yes sir!"


If Camilla and Selena Speak with One Another

"Hmm," Camilla murmured as she watched Ananias fight another crazy cultist.

"Lady Camilla?" Selena asked. "Is something wrong?"

"Oh?" Camilla said upon realizing that Selena had noticed her studying Selena's messenger friend. She gave Selena a reassuring smile and answered, "Oh, of course not, darling. It's just that…," she went back to looking at Ananias, "your friend's skill with a blade is… well…."

"Good?" Selena sheepishly suggested.

Camilla giggled. "Decent." She then frowned. "In all honesty, making a case for him will be a bit tricky. Say what you will about Arthur and Effie, but you cannot deny their ability in battle."

Selena hung her head in disappointment. "O-Oh. I see."

Camilla cocked an eyebrow upon noticing her retainer's suddenly depressed state. "Hmm," she smiled mischievously, "why exactly are you three so fervent with making him one of Elise's retainers, I wonder?"

Selena raised her head and let out a gasp as her eyes widened in surprise. "Huh?"

"Don't get me wrong," Camilla said, "he truly does seem like a good and honorable man, but the flames of war are ruthless. Do you truly wish for him to join in our battles, even at the risk of his own life?"

"With all due respect milady, he knows of the dangers of war, just as much as the rest of us do. In fact, he's survived his fair share and came out alive in all of them!" Selena averted her eyes to the side. "Sure, he may not be a complete genius with a blade, but if he's made it this far with the life he's had to live, then he's gotta be doing something right…," she raised her head up to look at one of the princesses of Nohr, "right?"

Camilla studied her pleading face for a moment before giving her retainer a smile and nodding her head in agreement. "Yes, of course. How silly of me… doubting the judgment of my precious little Selena like this. After all, it's only natural for extraordinary people like yourself to have such extraordinary friends in return."

Selena breathed in a sigh of relief. "Lady Camilla…."

Camilla giggled at Selena's adorable behavior. "Your friend may not be impressing me as of yet, but perhaps he will in time, or maybe his talents lie elsewhere. Either way, because my lovely and adorable retainer asks of it from me, I will continue to give him the benefit of the doubt. But remember, he has until the end of this fight to prove himself, and not another fight more, understand?"

Selena nodded. "Yes, I understand! Thank you, milady! I promise you, he won't fail to impress! Trust me, he has a knack for exceeding expectations."

Camilla giggled. "Does he now? Well, then you two have piqued my curiosity even more. I will be looking forward to it."


If Leo and Odin Speak with One Another

"Odin, may I have a word with you for a moment?" Leo asked.

"Hmm?" Odin asked, before regaining his composure and turning to the prince with his usual confidence and flair. "Why yes, of course, my liege! Whatever would you like to speak about in the middle of this storm of corruption and madness that threatens to swallow us whole and corrupt us at the very center of our being?"

"Well," Leo began, "it's about your friend."

"H-Huh?" Odin said, taken off guard a little by the admittedly unexpected subject, but then quickly recomposed himself and prepared himself for whatever his lord would ask of him. "Y-Yes? What about him?"

"Well, how do I put it, your friend is a bit… odd, isn't he?"

Odin let out a gasp of surprise before letting out a hearty laugh in response. "Well, yes, indeed he is! But that is his strength, you see! He is beyond mortal understanding! A mystery to friend and foe alike! A human enigma who takes demons by surprise and will use that gifted chance to strike them down without mercy!"

"Yes, about that," Leo interjected. "All of the things you just said, none of them are very comforting, especially when one is considering to add him into their ranks. If he is an enigma to both friend and foe alike, then how can we trust him? If he is a man of surprises that even his friends are incapable of understanding, then what are the chances of anyone else understanding and trusting him?"

Odin winced upon realizing his overzealous blunder. "Uh… I… uh…."

"You see the problem here, do you not?" Leo asked.

"Y-Yes, of course!" Odin cried. "But, um, I wasn't being serious though! I was only adding some mystique and flair to his description, is all!"

Leo cocked an eyebrow in surprise. "Oh?"

Odin nodded furiously. "Yes! Yes! In actuality," Odin crossed his arms seriously, "he's actually quite boring!"

Leo's eyes widened. "B-Boring?" he asked incredulously.

Odin nodded. "Yes, boring! Why, watching grass grow is more entertaining than spending a moment with him! That I can assure you!"

Leo cringed. "That's… not exactly something anyone should be proud of."

"Ah, yes, but you see, he is somewhat proud of it!"

"W-What?"

Odin nodded solemnly. "Indeed, he can be strange at times. But," he smiled reassuringly at his vassal, "he is a man whom you can trust with your life. That I can assure you."

Leo nodded understandingly. "I see. But this is not my life that we are talking about. This is Elise's. Will she be safe with her under his care?"

Odin nodded. "Yes, most definitely! He would most likely rather die than fail any duty presented to him!"

"Hmph," Leo said. "Wagering one's life is a cheap bet these days. If he is going to impress me, then he'll have to prove it, right here, right now."

Odin nodded. "Understood!" He then leaned forward and whispered, "But… as of yet?"

Leo smirked. "Now now, no spoilers. I will say this though, with all of the colorful personalities I am already forced to surround myself with these days, having someone genuinely boring may be a welcome change. I wish your friend the best of luck."

Odin grinned excitedly. "Thank you, milord!"


If Beruka and Ananias Speak with One Another

"..."

"..."

"..."

"..."

"... Who are you?" Beruka warily asked, holding her weapon up in case she had to defend herself from the strange man whom she had just noticed had entered the battlefield.

"My name is Ananias," said man answered.

"Ananias," Beruka murmured to herself. She tightened her grip on her weapon as she brought it closer to her. "I am not familiar with that name."

"I'm a friend of Laslow, Odin, and Selena."

Beruka's eyes simply narrowed upon hearing this. "Selena said nothing about knowing a man named, 'Ananias'."

"Yeah, I'm finding out that she didn't tell people a lot of things."

"That does not help your case. Give me one good reason why I shouldn't consider you an enemy."

"Um... well," Ananias' mind raced furiously for a moment before saying, "if you're wrong, then Selena will be sad, you know? And that wouldn't be very nice of you as a friend, now would it?"

Beruka's eyes narrowed even further. "So, you're blackmailing me, huh?"

Ananias' eyes widened in horror upon realizing what he had just done. "Um... I didn't mean it."

"Then start meaning it," Beruka said. "I've been given orders to terminate these cult members, but if you get in my way, then I won't hesitate to strike you down."

"Okay, look," Ananias said hurriedly, "I'm not with them, alright? I really am a friend of Selena's, I promise. You just have to believe me on that until you can get confirmation about it later. But even then, I'm not getting in your way, alright? I wouldn't dream of it. If anything, I'm trying to help you."

"Or you could be performing a step in a complex con," Beruka argued.

"Well, I mean, yeah, I guess these guys ARE crazy enough to think about something like that." He then let out a yelp of surprise as Beruka ran towards him and held her knife dangerously against his throat.

"Last chance," she warned.

"Please, I'm a friend, I swear," Ananias pathetically argued as he looked pleadingly into Beruka's eyes.

Beruka simply stared at him long and hard for a moment before quickly putting away her knife and stepping away from him, much to Ananias' shock. "... I see."

Ananias tenderly rubbed the place where the knife had been placed against his neck for a moment before looking at Beruka and asking, "You see what?"

"The resemblance," Beruka stated simply. "You, Laslow, Odin, and Selena... you all share a pained look in your eyes, but also a look a great optimism and hope as well. I've never met such a strange blend of emotions in ones' eyes in Nohr before until I met them, and now, you." This earned a surprised gasp from Ananias. "As of now, I will believe you, but if I find that you have tricked me, then I will not hesitate to strike you down, do you understand?"

Ananias quickly nodded. "Y-Yes, of course. That seems fair."

Beruka stared at him for a moment before letting out an amused chuckle. "Hmph. You even share that same strange type of goofiness as they do."

"I'm... not sure how to feel about that. Goofy isn't really word that people usually use to describe me."

"Well... then you've got somebody now." Beruka turned around to make her leave. "I wish you the best of luck in surviving this conflict."

As she ran off to complete her duty, Ananias simply stared at her, and muttered, "And if this was any indication, you won't need to rely on it."


If Niles and Ananias Speak with One Another

"Well well well," Niles said upon coming face to face with Ananias himself, "now who do we have here?"

"Ananias," Ananias answered. "I'm a friend of Odin, Laslow, and Selena."

Niles cocked an eyebrow in surprise. "Really now? Well, isn't that interesting. Last time I checked, those three came from a nondescript faraway land that was impossible to narrow down. Am I to believe that the same can be said for you?"

Ananias took a moment to think his situation over before simply shrugging and saying, "Don't know."

Niles tilted his head curiously. "Don't know?"

Ananias nodded. "Well, if they aren't telling, then I'm going to have to run it by them if I can tell you that or not."

"Hmm, interesting. So like a lost child, you must ask your mommy and daddies for permission to divulge seemingly irrelevant information?" Niles shook his head and chuckled. "It would be cute if it wasn't so sad."

"Yeah, I know, right?" Ananias replied, earning a surprised gasp from Niles. "This whole thing is so overly complicated. Would it have really killed them to make things a little bit easier on themselves here?"

Niles stared in shock at the scarlet haired man for a moment before regaining his usual composure and letting out an amused chuckle. "My my. What an interesting man you are. It's too bad that after your visit I won't be able to… uncover you," he leaned forward towards Ananias and whispered, "if you know what I mean."

Much to Niles' chagrin, Ananias simply blinked at him and asked, "You mean you want to get to know more about me? Because if you do, then if I pull this off, you just be able to."

Niles raised his eyebrows in surprise. "Hmm?"

Ananias let out an exasperated sigh upon realizing that he had to explain his unusual and somewhat complex situation in full. "Well, to make a long story short, if I do well enough here, I could probably become a temporary retainer and stay around for a bit."

Niles smiled mischievously. "Really? Well then," he wrapped an arm around Ananias' shoulders and whispered suggestively into Ananias' ear, "I personally hope that our bosses will allow you to stay. It would bring me so much joy if you did."

Once again, Ananias simply blinked and no-sold Niles' antics and monotonously and dully asked, "So, is this your thing or…?"

Niles' eyes widened in shock. "My… thing?"

Ananias nodded. "Yeah. You know, your gimmick."

Niles let out a dramatic gasp of surprise as he held a hand over his heart. "How dare you sir! I will not have you belittling my hobby into something as demeaning as a… a… 'gimmick'!"

"Oh," Ananias said. "Well, sorry about that. I didn't really mean to offend."

"Oh, but you did," Niles pointed out. "And now, I must take it upon myself to inflict the same amount of torture and punishment onto you… tenfold even."

"That seems a tad excessive."

Niles' eyebrows wagged suggestively. "But of course… everything about me is excessive. And I do mean everything." He then turned to make his leave. "So long, Ananias. I wish you the best of luck in acing this little test of your like the good, little boy that you are."

"Um… thanks."


If Peri and Ananias Speak with One Another

"La la la," Peri sung to herself as she skipped across the battlefield, slaying cultist after cultists that just so happened to get in her path as she did. "Blood, blood, everywhere! Oh, what a lovely color it is! Can anything be anymore red than blood itself?" It was then that she spotted Ananias cutting down another cultist in the distance. "Oh!" she cried, upon taking notice of Ananias' red hair. "Well, it's not as red as blood is, but is sure comes close!" She then rushed towards Ananias and immediately placed her hands through Ananias' hair. "Oh! It's super soft too! Like a pillow filled with feathers!"

"Um," Ananias said as Peri continued to comb through his hair, "no offense, but, what exactly are you doing?"

"Oh, just admiring this hair of yours!" Peri answered truthfully. She giggled innocently. "It's very soft. And red! Just like blood."

"… Thanks," Ananias replied, somewhat at a loss as of what to do or say to the strange woman who was currently obsessed with his hair. "I have an aunt who sells quality hair products to thank for that."

"Oh!" Peri cried, her eyes widening in both curiosity and excitement upon hearing what Ananias had just said. "Really?" She let go of Ananias' hair and asked, "Does she sell things like makeup and other beauty products too? Peri's been looking all over for something like that, but she hasn't been able to find any as of yet!"

Ananias tenderly combed his hair a bit before asking, "Um, who's Peri?"

Peri then proceeded to point excitedly at herself as she jumped up and down. "Oh, you silly Billy! I'm Peri!"

"Oh," Ananias said as he nodded his head understandingly. "Well, um, hey there, Peri. My name's Ananias. I'm a friend of Selena, Odin, and Laslow."

Peri's eyes widened in surprise. "Wow! Really? Peri's a friend of Selena, Odin, and Laslow too!"

Ananias' eyes widened in mild surprise. "Really?"

Peri nodded. "Yep!" She then giggled as she locked arms with Ananias. "And a friend of theirs is definitely a friend of Peri's!"

"Oh. Well, thanks for that. And as for the makeup and beauty products you were asking about, I'm sure that I could arrange something for you."

"Wow! Really?" Peri giggled as she began to jump up and down, her arms still locked with Ananias', forcing him to jump along with her. "Wow! Thanks, Ananias! You're the very bestest, you know that?"

"Well, I try."

Peri then gasped. "Oh! Peri almost forgot! Peri needs to finish killing all of the enemies here!"

"Well, it just so happens that I'm trying to get that finished too," Ananias said.

Peri gasped. "Wow! Really? So you love killing people just as much as Peri does?"

Ananias' eyes widened in horror for a bit. "… Excuse me?"

"Do you love killing people as much as Peri does?" Peri happily repeated, waiting expectantly for Ananias to answer after she did.

Ananias stared at Peri in shock for a moment before shaking his head and carefully answering, "I'm… not exactly sure that anyone loves killing people as much as Peri does."

Peri blushed as she let out a girlish giggle. "Aw, you're making Peri blush," she said.

It was then that Ananias noticed two members of the house of Zorom quickly approaching them. "Peri!" he cried, pointing behind her. "Behind you!"

"Huh?" Peri then turned around. "Oh!" She then threw a couple of knives directly into the cult members' heads, killing them instantly. "That'll teach you to mess with Peri!" Peri cheered playfully, much to the gaping Ananias' shock.

Ananias gulped nervously before regaining his composure and suggesting, "How about we split up and find out who can kill the most enemies by the end of this battle? What do you say?"

Peri let out a delighted gasp. "That sounds like so much fun!" She then went to quickly hug Ananias and said, "Now Peri hopes that she can fight alongside Ananias forever and ever!" She then giggled as she went on her merry way.

Once she was out of earshot, Ananias let out an exasperated sigh and muttered, "I'll probably get used to her and all, but what the heck is wrong with people in this world?"


Jebediah Death Quote

"Z-Zorom… why have you forsaken me?!"


Ending if Objective was Successfully Completed

"Guys, does my hair look okay?" Ananias asked as he proceeded to comb it with his hand as much as he could.

Selena groaned. "It looks fine," she said. She gave him an irritable look. "Honestly, what's the big deal? What's another princess to you?"

"Well, I don't know her, for starters," Ananias argued. "And I've officially been assigned to protect her with my life and to fight alongside her. This is completely different from fighting alongside Lucina, Lumeria, Zephyra, Lissa, or any other person in the princess category!"

Laslow placed a comforting hand onto one of Ananias' shoulders. "You're going to do just fine. Lady Elise has got a fantastic personality. You two will get along just fine."

Ananias cringed. "Oh gods. She's got a 'fantastic personality'."

"Whoa, hey! I didn't mean it like that!"

Selena shook her head as she watched the two of them bumble. "Honestly, I'm surrounded by idiots."

Odin let out hearty laugh. "True, but you love all of us anyway, don't you?"

Selena scowled. "Don't push your luck."

"Seriously guys," Ananias said. "I mean, I'm not even that good with a sword. What if I fail?"

"Nonsense!" Odin cried. "After how well you fared in the war against the false dragon god, and how much lord Xander, lord Leo, and lady Camilla were praising your skills, there's no way you could possibly fail!"

"And besides," Selena added, "you're not doing it alone. You've got Arthur and Effie to help you out too."

"The rest of us too," Laslow chimed in.

Ananias gave the three a sheepishly acknowledging nod. "I guess."

Just then, the door to the room which they were residing in burst open, allowing lady Elise to rush excitedly in. Upon noticing the only person in the room whom she didn't recognize, she gave him a great, big, welcoming smile, and said, "Hey there! You must be Ananias, my new retainer, right?"

Having been so taken aback by how young and sunny the princess he had been assigned to protect and serve was, Ananias stood there gaping at her for a moment before shaking his head to rid himself of his shock, recomposed himself, bowed, and said, "Y-Yeah. My name is Ananias. It's a pleasure to meet you, princess."

"Aw, you don't have to be so formal!" Elise said. "After all, we're going to be friends from now on, right?"

"Um… yeah, sure, of course."

"Aw, come on!" Elise said with a pout. "You've got to say it with a little bit more enthusiasm than that!"

"Um…," Ananias gulped nervously before nodding his head understandingly and crying out, "yeah! Absolutely! We're going to be good friends!"

Elise let out a jovial laugh at Ananias' awkward, but endearing display. "That's the spirit!"

It was then that a man and a woman entered into the room, the man giving Ananias a toothy grin upon laying eyes on him. "Ah! So you are our newest ally of justice! Welcome, my friend! My name is Arthur, and I look forward to upholding Nohrian justice alongside you!"

Ananias simply stared at him in disbelief for a moment before nodding his head slowly and saying, "Yeah, sure, of course."

The woman held out her hand for him to shake. "The name's Effie. Pleased to meet you."

Ananias extended his hand to shake it. "Pleased to meet you – agh!" Ananias quickly looked down at his hand and realized that his hands was being completely crushed by Effie's.

Effie's eyes widened as she blushed in embarrassment. "Oh my gosh!" She quickly let go of Ananias' hand and backed away. "I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to!"

After taking a moment to tenderly cradle his hand, Ananias shook his head, "No, don't worry. It's alright. It's nothing."

"Please, allow me to fetch you some ice for your hand!" Arthur cried, and before Ananias could protest against it, Arthur had left the room… immediately could be heard falling down the stairs.

"Oh my gosh!" everyone heard Charlotte cry. "Arthur, are you alright!?"

Everyone heard Arthur letting out a hearty laugh. "It's alright, Charlotte! I simply slipped and fell down the stairs, that's all!"

"One does not simply slip and fall down the stairs, Arthur! Especially when this has been the fifth time this week!"

Selena groaned as she shook her head and rubbed the bridge of her nose. "Honestly…."

Laslow laughed awkwardly. "Just another average day in Nohr for you."

Odin nodded grimly. "A poor start, indeed."

Much to everyone's surprise, however, Ananias simply looked up and let out a weary sigh. "More of the same thing, huh?"

"Hmm?" Effie said. "What's that supposed to mean?"

Elise let out an optimistic giggle. "I think it means that he's going to fit right in."


Author's Note #1: Screw it. You guys win. All first generation Nohrian characters may be requested now (though see Author's Note #2 as well). So now the list of requestable characters are now all first-generation Nohrian characters, Fates Anna, Soleil, Ophelia, Kanna (as a child of Laslow or Odin), and the few previously listed for the Hoshido/Revelations side.

Author's Note #2: No supports for Selena, Laslow, or Odin though. I figured that there wouldn't be anything left for them to support about at this point, which is why I added conversations to this chapter as a consolation. Sorry.

Author's Note #3: I forgot to include Ananias' child, Lana into the list last time. If anyone wants to see her interact with her father, then request her. Remember, requests are a first come, first serve basis!

Author's Note #4: So far, the order seems to be Elise, Soleil, Peri, Felicia, and Jakob.

Author's Note #5: I will be taking a brief hiatus. See you until next time!