"Gah!...damn you—" the poison voice filled the smoky air with despair. Grima fell to her knees, gasping, a gruesome scowl distorting her equal face.

Chrom looked at me. His expression was a mix of angst and thrill, his blue eyes beamed through grime and sweat.

"We've done it, Aria! One more blow and it'll all be over…" he smiled painfully.

"Yes. Just once more—" my voice broke. I turned my gaze from him to my twin form, crumpled on the ground at the nape of the great demons neck. I can't let him do this, I thought, it has to be me.

"Aria. Aria! What's wrong? Don't have doubts now, everything will be fine—"

"For now," I interrupted.

"What?" he said, his tone hushed, almost hurt.

I barely had the strength to crush him as I was about to; but I managed to scrounge up enough. "Grima will never stop terrorizing this world if we don't do something about it permanently. I-I know I promised…but I can't let you do this," tears verged on the rims of my eyes.

"Aria, no…I won't let you. I need you by my side!" he grabbed my shoulders. His hands shook. "Please…don't."

I stared at the ground, and took weak step backwards. Around us the world raced by, Grima's dragon form barreling forward despite its broken master. I put my hands on his arms. A single tear fell to my cheek. Chrom lifted a gloved hand and wiped it away.

"We need you, Aria. We'll worry about the future when it comes time." he pleaded with me.

I shook my head in response.

"I won't let you do this," he said.

I stared deep into Chrom's bright, blue eyes. I stepped in close to him and kissed his lips. His hand slowly creeped up; he cradled my head, tussling my hair gently. I slid my hands up his arms and onto his shoulders. I stayed there a moment, tears sliding down my cheeks. I tasted sweat and the irony hint of blood. I pulled away and rested my forehead against his. I gazed at him, lost in his image. I wanted to take as much of his in as possible.

"I love you," I whispered.

"I-I…" he sputtered, lost for words.

"I'm so sorry…but I can't let you do this either," I wrapped my hands around his neck, my Thoron tome in hand.

"Aria—" I made sure to knock him out before he could finish.

I brought down my giant tome book onto his head with tremendous force. I had to be sure he'd stay out for a while, but I also didn't want to hurt him more than I had to; that would just leave everything I worked for in vain. He crumpled to the ground before me in a heap. I stroked his blue hair one last time. I tried to regain my composure—wiping stinging tears from my raw face—and then tromped forth on naïve legs to face Grima.

She lie still at the dragon's massive neck, hunched over holding her stomach, and attempting to lick her wounds. I approached her slowly, each step making a soft scuttle against the scaly ground. Grima's head snapped up to look upon me as I came closer; my exact face stared back at me with tremendous malice.

"Wh-what are you doing, fool?" she snarled.

"I am here to end you. Forever."

Fear played across Grima's face for a moment, though it quickly disintegrated. She sneered.

"You wouldn't dare. I'm a god! You can't touch me, let alone destroy me."

"But if you were brought down by your own hand?" I threatened.

"Tsk, what?"

"You said yourself you and I are the same. Same blood. Same heart…"

"You wouldn't! You'd end yourself too, you fool," Grima spat.

My heart throbbed in my chest cavity. What am I doing?

"That's a price I'm willing to pay to save my children's future," it took everything to put conviction into those words. I had just condemned myself to death. There was no going back now.

My tome book fell open and I held it tight up against my hip. In my hand, a tiny ball of electricity began to form.

"No!" Grima wailed and shrieked but all too late.

Lightning streaked through the muggy air from my hand, and through the fell dragon's heart.

"Damn-n…y-you…" she fell to her knees, a rod of yellow spark protruding from her chest. She choked, blood trickling from the corner of her mouth. Within the minute, Grima had dissipated into a shock of purple mist.

The pain took but a moment to set in. It swelled from my lower gut, then clamped onto my lungs like a vice. I directed my heavy eyes downward to see an identical bar of thunder stuck in my own heart. I swayed on my feet. My vision blurred with dancing black dots. I could barely breathe.

I'd never been one for clichés, but my life indeed flashed before my eyes. I remembered everything.

I saw Chrom and Lissa, hovering above me in an empty field and joking about my odd napping location. And there was our campfire that night; Lissa going on about the smell of old boots and Frederick's 'big lunch'. Next I saw the shepherds' camp. Sumia toppled over in her boots, Vaike swung his axe like a madman, Stahl scarfed down everything in sight, and Maribelle scoffed at one and all. I saw each and every one of my comrades: laughing, crying, bleeding. I saw Emmeryn fall. I saw the birth of Lucina. And I heard…Chrom?

"Aria!"

I receded from my daze and looked to his voice. His oceanic eyes were brimmed with tears.

"Chrom…I'm sorry…had to—fu-ture," my mouth was full of cotton. I could barely choke out a syllable.

"No! Oh gods, Aria…you can't do this. You can't leave me like this! Medic! Medic!" he tried to enforce his words but the fell flat instead.

"No…it won't…help."

"Aria…"

"Sorry…tell others—last thoughts," I wet my dry lips "were of them—"

"No! Damn it, Aria! You tell them your damn self! You can't do this—you can't!" he grit his teeth.

A tear fell from his trembling face onto mine. My eyes clenched shut. It made my heart hurt even more seeing him in this state. I opened my eyes to look at him again.

"May we m-meet again…in a better l-life…"

A wave of vertigo washed over me. I was exhausted. I felt and overwhelming need to close my eyes and rest. My body shook uncontrollably, trying to regain unachievable self-control. My eyes fluttered and I began to drift as if I were on a cloud. Need rest, I thought. But I still had one more thing to say before I could sleep.

"I love you…" I closed my eyes and breathed sluggishly. So tired. I soon couldn't feel anything. Only darkness resumed.

"Aria! Gods, no! NO! Aria! Can you hear me?!"

Chrom shook Aria, but to no avail. Her form had already begun to slowly disappear. As purple mist began to shroud her sleeping face, Chrom pressed his lips to hers for one last kiss. Her limp body vanished into the red hills of the Plegian desert with a wisp of smoke.

Chrom choked on his tears, stricken between utter devastation and relief. His wife—his one true love—had secured a future for millions, but at a high price. In the midst of so much triumph, he felt little more than crushing defeat. Bitter tears slid down his cheeks. He bit his lip until he tasted blood.

"F-father?"

Chrom lifted his head and wiped his few tears. Lucina and Morgan stood no more than ten feet away; desperation painted their faces.

"Grima?" asked Morgan timidly.

Chrom stood, his legs numb. He responded, equally numb, "Dead."

"And…mother?" it was Lucina this time, eyes wide in fear.

"She…" he didn't know what to say. How do you tell a child their mother is dead? "She gave her life for us—for you and the future. I tried to stop her but…" He glowered at his feet. He couldn't stand to see their tears, much like Aria couldn't see his.

Warmth surrounded him and he opened his eyes to see Morgan, his arms wrapped tightly around his father's waist. The boy's knees were near buckling underneath him. Chrom hugged his close. Morgan was quiet for a moment, but tears soon jolted from his eyes. The boy sobbed. Chrom glanced at Lucina. She stood, her stance broken and bent, staring at the ground. Fat tears dripped down her chin.

"I'm sorry," Chrom choked. Not even he knew whom to.

Lucina broke. She rushed forward and threw her arms around her father and brother. The shattered family held each other tight. Brother and sister sobbed. Father stroked them, silent tears streaking the dirt on his face.

The sun was setting over the Plegian sands. Purple shadows danced across the rolling hills and orange sky. Night birds sung their solemn psalms. There was an unsettling calm about the night. It had been a long time since these lands had seen peace.