I reached out towards Theresa's cheek and gently brushed my finger against her delicate skin, trying my best to smile. "I know I might speak nonsense right now, but I believe there's a reason you came here. What that reason is is beyond me, but there's one thing I'm sure of."

While my vision got too blurry to see well, I never wished to see her contorted face filled with tears, especially when they were for me. Such a final sight before my departure… broke my heart.

So please, stay strong, Theresa. For them, I thought. "Their future will be safe… with you."

The last remnants of my strength finally left me, and my hand fell limp. Theresa's muted, meak voice reached my ears, but it was too distorted for me to comprehend, and when the world around me turned completely dark, I knew my time had come.

Then, my eyes slowly opened again and I found myself standing on an endless river, illuminated by a black-and-white void in the distance, drawing the river's current. I had little understanding of the situation, but the deathly calm made things abundantly clear.

I had to walk towards it.

A heavy sigh escaped my mouth, and I lifted my chin. One step at a time, the void drew closer while the river below rippled under my feet. I looked down, and the water reflected me perfectly, showing the gaping hole in my body. The wound dripped with blood down my clothes, staining both my attire and the river as well.

The pain was unbearable when I suffered the blow, but not anymore. I couldn't feel it, and a part of me was thankful I didn't need to endure it any longer. However, such a silver lining came with scars my siblings wouldn't heal from for a long time.

Of course, I didn't wish to leave them behind. I didn't wish for them to suffer because of me, but I had no say in the matter. I could only hope… they wouldn't blame themselves for my passing.

A pained chuckle escaped my lips. "Wishful thinking, isn't it?"

I gently brushed off the tears forming in my eyes before staring at the void, endlessly feeding on the river. I reached out with my hand and accepted my fate.

However, my fingers suddenly touched an invisible wall, blocking me from entering the void.

My eyes widened, instinctively pulling my hand away before fully leaning my palm against the wall once again. Sure enough, it didn't let me through, no matter how much I pushed against it.

Then, it broke like glass, forming spiderwebs that stretched out endlessly, until they encompassed the entire realm. With a defining crack, the wall shattered, and light blindingly assaulted my eyes, forcing me to shield them.

Once the light became bearable enough for me to open my eyes, a gasp escaped my lips.

Instead of an endless river, my eyes showed me fields of wheat sprawled out in every direction, with hops intermingled with them, waving under a warm breeze. Few clouds adorned the skies, sometimes hiding the sun that shone upon the beautiful sight before me.

"What… is this place?" I exclaimed. No matter how much I dug into my memory, I couldn't remember a place in Ylise that looked like this, not even remotely.

"Is this my purgatory?" I asked myself. "It's beautiful."

"I wouldn't go as far to say that."

The sudden voice made my breath hitch, and I whipped my body around, hoping the first person that came to my mind wasn't with me.

My wish didn't come true.

Theresa stood just a few paces away from me with a gentle smile. She wasn't wearing the Pegasus Knight uniform I had lent her, only her original clothes; a simple blue long-sleeved button-up shirt, a black skirt reaching her calves, and black heeled boots.

She took deliberate steps towards me, her long blond hair swaying in rhythm with the wheat, until she was next to me. I was too speechless to say anything. She cogged her head. "But I guess it has its charm."

Snapping out of my thoughts, I shook my head. "What is going on, Theresa? Where are we?"

Her smile waned, and she averted her eyes. "This is most likely your subconsciousness." She pinched a wheat's tip before snipping it off, fidgeting with it with her fingers. However, it slowly fizzled out of existence, leaving sparkles flashing rainbow colours behind. "Since nothing around us is tangible."

I blinked. "That doesn't explain how you are here, or how this place came to be either."

"Both are my doing," she admitted. "But I'll be honest, I'm just as surprised as you are." Her gaze turned solemn. "I'm just glad… I was able to make it in time."

"'Make it in time'?" I parroted before realization dawned on me, and my heart skipped a beat. I grabbed Theresa by her shoulders. "What have you done!?"

She didn't react at all, almost as if she had been expecting my outburst. "I don't think I need to clarify."

"Then why!? You had no reason to do something so drastic!"

"I had every reason to do it!" Theresa suddenly shouted back. "Do you think I'd simply just let you die!?"

A sudden tinge of anger coated my thoughts, and the tips of my fingers turned white from my tight grip. "And do you have any idea what it takes to bring back a person from the brink of death!? That mere thought alone can destroy even the most well-crafted gem! You can't even imagine what kind of sacrifice you'd have to make!"

"But I did it anyway," she stated. "And do you know why?"

"Why!?"

"Do you know how painful it is to lose an older, much wiser sibling?" she asked, causing me to flinch. "Because I do. The mere thought of Chrom and Lissa having to suffer through that, not to mention the mountain of responsibilities you'd leave behind, would suffocate both of them."

She lifted her head, and her green eyes flared up with disappointment and grief. "And then you dared to ask me to replace you? I've never heard of a more asinine request when you don't even realize just how important you are to them!"

The winds suddenly roared, haphazardly tossing the wheat and hops about. Theresa's hands grabbed my forearms and effortlessly yanked them away from her shoulders. "Your martyrdom makes me sick!"

Her iron grip caused me to wince. "Theresa, what are you—?"

"I'm not finished. You'll hear my piece whether you like it or not," she interrupted me, not letting go. "Compared to you, I'm a nobody, tossed into this world as someone's plaything. Then, you suddenly said I presumably had a purpose to come here."

"So I asked myself; what could that purpose be? And then it hit me," her face momentarily scrunched up, but it was immediately replaced with a deep frown. "Maybe it was because I had to assure you understand your worth."

Green light started to emanate from Theresa's hands, steadily growing brighter until she shined a dim rainbow color. A wave of heat spread across my body before my side tingled. My gaze snapped to the wound still present on my body and I saw both bones and muscles form anew.

I quickly raised my head back towards Theresa, and her form started to grow transparent. Terror filled my mind, and I desperately tried to wriggle out from her grip, to no avail. "No, Theresa! Whatever you're doing, please stop this!"

"No, I can't," she stated, her voice cracking. "This is something that has already happened outside. I'm just simply here to make sure you realize that."

"Wait, what do you…" At first, I had ignored her remarks as simple teasing. Yet, only now did I understand who was actually standing in front of me. "You're not her, are you?"

She flinched, the aura around her arms flickering, before her head lowered. "So what? I might not be her, but I still act like her, think like her, and look like her. That should be enough for you."

"But you mentioned this is my subconsciousness," I said, no longer trying to break from her grasp. "It does not make any sense for you to be here."

Her breath hitched. "Just… let me finish this, and I'll explain it to you."

I didn't want to let her, because the consequences would end up being too great to bear, but I was powerless to resist. "You won't disappear right after?"

"No, I won't. We'll still have some time left to talk."

I bit my lower lip. "Very well then."

She let go of one of my arms. Her hand hovered over the wound on my side, and the rainbow light engulfed the remaining bits of missing skin and muscle. Soon enough, the wound was completely gone, and the light disappeared while Theresa's form got even more transparent.

Once she fully let go, she looked at her see-through palm, the ground visible below it. "That should do it."

"Your explanation then," I enquired immediately.

"I…" she paused before hissing. "I'll be frank. I don't fully understand what's going on either, but I'm here because of what I did outside." She lifted her head, her eyes focused on the field around us. "I had to pull you out somehow, and a part of me ended up in you as a result. That's why I can be here, but… I'm also something that Theresa can no longer retrieve."

She took a sharp breath. "I don't know how I was able to gain consciousness. All of this is just making my head spin, but I'm sure I am Theresa in every aspect." Her shoulders sagged. "But, I'm also a piece of her that will be lost forever."

My heart jumped to my throat, making it difficult to breathe. I clenched my fist and brought it against my chest. "What made you do something so reckless?"

"Because I wanted to do something right for once in my life," she said before a mirthless chuckle escaped her lips. "Although, I'll probably never realize what I was able to accomplish before it's too late."

She sobbed, but despite that, she turned to me with a smile. "But I think I can live with that. Like I said, compared to you, I'm nothing more than a nobody, and while this is not a perfect outcome, I can be happy with this result."

This… was not the person I met on the balcony. While the one standing before me could be only an image of Theresa, my mind couldn't simply ignore her as just a blurry mirage. Each word she spoke broke my heart little by little, as if this would be my last conversation with her.

"But you are not," I exclaimed, causing her to flinch. Looking directly at Theresa, her tears seemed about to pour out. I would be lying if I said my eyes weren't blurry either. "You aren't happy with this. Once I wake up, what are the chances you will wake up as well?"

The dam broke, and Theresa stared at me with wide eyes. She tried to rub away the tears, but new ones quickly replaced them. Her eyes turned bloodshot, and her mouth quivered every time she tried to speak.

"Slim to none," she eventually said. "But again, I'm fine with this. I was able to save the Exalt, after all. That's gotta be a great achievement, right? I… I have to be—"

I couldn't take this anymore. The wound I suffered paled in comparison to how heart-wrenching watching Theresa lying to herself was. I quickly reached and hugged her tightly. Before she could get a word in, I pushed her head against my shoulder.

"Theresa, please stop trying to convince yourself," I said, my voice cracking. "I know last time I asked this, it didn't pan out too well, but I must know now. What is it that you want out of all of this?"

She let out a gasp. "What I… really want?"

I nodded, and a poignant pause followed after. Theresa's body shook with fear, and her short breaths vibrated in my ears before she weakly hit me in the chest. She couldn't speak coherently with her constant sobbing, and all I could do was pat her head.

"Let it all out, Theresa," I whispered pleadingly. "Don't chain your heart from what it desires. Shout, if you must."

"I…" she paused, choking up. "I want to go back there; the barracks. I want Lissa to knock on my office's doors in the morning and bring me breakfast. I want Chrom's reassuring words, always telling me I've got what it takes. I want Robin's snark, teasing me with constant jokes."

Her voice got steadily louder. "I want Frederick's stern attitude making me push my limits. I want to properly apologize to Sumia for shouting at her. I want to battle with Vaike and Sully to see who can drink the most pints. I want Stahl to teach me how to properly ride a horse. I want to play chess with Virion. Heck, I'd even want Miriel to talk my ear off about magic."

She raised her head, and the look of both determination and desperation mesmerized me. "I don't want to die! I want to live!"

It was as if a stone constantly weathering the waves finally sharpened into a strong blade, finding a purpose in one's hand instead of being thrown about by fate. I couldn't withhold my tears anymore, and yet, I beamed at her with all my heart.

"Then I—no, we will make it happen," I said, grabbing her shoulders. "And we'll do whatever it takes for both of us to survive."

Once Theresa's waterworks finally dried, she laughed for the first time in front of me. "Yeah, but you're already in the clear, so it's up to the Theresa up there, isn't it?"

She wanted to pry my hands away, but her physical form had reached its limit. Her body shimmered with rainbow colors, slowly disappearing with the gentle breeze, and despite her somber expression, she still looked happy.

"Before you wake up, I cannot overstate that I'm not that Theresa," she said. "So make sure you remind her of what I and she want, alright? So that this doesn't happen again."

"Of course, you have my word," I stated, and a bright smile adorned her features.

"I'll be honest, I wasn't expecting to make up with you like this, but remember that I'll be quite cranky once I wake up." The only part of her body left was her head, but with how content she looked, I didn't feel sad. Quite the opposite. "Anyway, our time is up. Goodbye, Emmeryn."

I shook my head. "This isn't a goodbye, but a dawn to a new beginning."

Theresa heartedly scoffed. "Don't make this any cheesier than it needs to be."

The last remnants of Theresa's body vanished into thin air, the sparkles left behind carried by the wind. I took a deep breath before fanning my robes in a determined fashion and aiming to exit my subconsciousness.

Because I needed to wake up as soon as possible.

{*}{*}{*}{*}{*}{*}

The moment I passed out, I thought the only thing that could follow next was my inevitable death. Validar always finished what he started, and would never leave a stone unturned, so I had many doubts I would come out unscathed.

I… wanted more out of my forsaken life and tried to make the most of it, but the past always came back to haunt me. Even in the lands that waged war against my home. I couldn't live a good life, and the idea I'd come to heaven and see my mother again would ease all woes.

But, at the same time, I would be extremely disappointed with myself when my past not only affected me but others as well. I had no intention of dragging anyone else into my family drama, and yet, that was exactly what had happened.

And how could I trust the word of a man hellbent on reviving a demigod from the dead? That I wasn't his target? Everything that ever could come out of his mouth was always laced with deception, and surviving an encounter with him would be nothing short of a miracle.

Yet, that was exactly what happened.

A sudden warm breeze washed over me, jolting me awake. I took a sharp breath, which incidentally caused me to enter a coughing fit. Strands of saliva mixed with blood dripped down my chin, and I spat everything out of my mouth.

Despite my heavy body, I forced myself to stand up and take in my surroundings. They hadn't changed much since I had fallen unconscious. Dead bodies of assassins still littered the ground at every corner, and when I searched for the rest of my companions, I found them in a similar predicament as mine moments ago.

The first I came to was Lissa, who steadily breathed in and out.

I knelt before shaking her lightly. "Lissa, wake up."

She let out a quiet groan before her weary eyes opened. "Robin?"

I nodded. "Yeah, that's me. Are you alright?"

Her heavy limbs were barely able to move. "I… don't think I can get up."

"Then let me help you out," I said and she weakly nodded before I put her hand over my shoulders. Thankfully, Lissa was light, and with a quick lift, I helped her stand upright despite her wobbling feet.

A hiss escaped her mouth. "T-thank you."

"Are you hurt anywhere?" I asked her and she shook her head.

"No, I'm just extremely tired," she admitted. "Let's help the others."

"Right," my head turned towards the south hall, where Chrom and Phila still laid dormant. With my hands occupied with Lissa, all I could do was stir Chrom awake with a light kick against his side. "Come on, get up."

Similarly, Chrom rose to his feet, struggling just as much as I did before he massaged his temples. "Ugh, how… long was I out?"

"I don't know, but the castle guards haven't showed up yet, nor did the Shepherds," I explained. "I'd argue less than a few minutes."

Chrom's hand balled up into a fist. "Then what is taking them so long?"

He turned to Phila, vigorously shook her, and she snapped awake. "What? What happened?"

"We passed out," Chrom explained, a deep frown on his face. "Call the knights immediately, and make sure they come as soon as possible."

Phila nodded before standing up with Chrom's help, not having as much issue as we did. "Of course, my lord. I'll be right back."

With a quick bow, she bolted down the hallway before disappearing inside the corridors. Then, Chrom turned to us. "Where are Theresa and Emm?"

"They should be nearby. You two were the ones I found first," I said before turning around to face the forking hallway where our battle had taken place. "It shouldn't take long to—"

My words died in my mouth when I saw the doors leading into Emmeryn's chambers busted open. Cracks in the walls oozed with the same miasma Validar had used, and my eyes widened in terror. When the siblings saw my face drained of all color and followed my gaze, they collectively gasped.

"What… happened?" Chrom uttered before realization dawned on him. His mouth quivered in fear and he bolted towards the chambers. "Emmeryn!"

"Chrom, wait—!" I grunted when Lissa suddenly struggled to free herself from my support to follow after her brother. She accidentally elbowed my side, her fixated eyes oblivious to her surroundings. Once she pried my hand away, her legs barely kept her straight, yet desperation fueled her actions while tears flowed down her cheeks.

"Sister!" she shouted, her voice cracking and echoing within the halls, leaving me behind. With a pained hiss, I gritted my teeth, massaged my side, and followed after them. However, when the siblings suddenly stopped in front of the busted doors, my mind went into overdrive to figure out why.

Anger seeped into my thoughts. Now wasn't the time to be gawking at whatever they could have found. A growl escaped my lips, and once I finally reached them, I grabbed Chrom by the shoulder to make him face me. "What are you waiting for!? Help whoever is… alive?"

The hate emanating from my words gradually disappeared when I saw Chrom's bewildered expression mixed with disbelief, as if he had spotted a ghost. I turned to Lissa, who had her mouth hidden behind her hands, her eyes wide as saucers, and completely oblivious of me.

When I looked into the chamber itself… I drew a blank, just like them.

The room was turned upside down in every aspect; all drawers were opened, papers littered the ground, walls were scarred with uneven grooves, and a single display panel was void of any antiques.

But none of that was what caught my eye.

Instead, my attention was drawn to the two people within the chamber. Emmeryn, who was sitting on the ground, had blood staining her robes with a large hole showing her naked side. Her hair was disheveled, her scrunched expression ready to let tears flow while her hands caressed Theresa on her lap as gently as possible despite her shivering fingers.

And Theresa, she…

Her skin had lost all color, shriveled completely, and couldn't hide her bones underneath. Blood trickled from both her eyes and her mouth while her hair looked like it could fall off from her scalp at any moment. All the while, weak and choking rasps escaped her mouth. They were quiet, but the looming silence made them boom in my eardrums, holding both pain and misery.

She looked like a corpse, ready to die at the drop of a hat.

"Theresa," Emmeryn exclaimed, struggling to contain her sobs before carefully leaning her head against Theresa's chest. "Please, hang in there."

AN: And this concludes the first act of Extra Branch, after... 3 years of this fic's release. Well, time really puts things into perspective, doesn't it? It puts my snail's pace on display, but I'm still glad I got to this point.

I'll admit, that this chapter's original draft was... terrible. The idea of that chapter was similar to this one, but instead placed in Theresa's subconsciousness, but the delivery of Theresa's change in character was a lot to be desired, so I decided to make Emmeryn the mediator of this change instead, and this is the result. Now, whether this change feels satisfying... is up to you to decide.

Now, for other stuff. Just to prepare all of you, it will take a few chapters to get back into Theresa's POV, for reasons I don't think I need to mention, but don't be discouraged, she will come back. Just give her some time to rest.

As always, I'd like to thank Cavik for proofreading this chapter. I'm glad he stayed with me for these long years and always is available to proofread my stuff. I'm forever thankful to you, Cavik.

Thank you for reading today's chapter, and I'll see you soon in the second act of Extra Branch.

God's speed.