Time was always moving, whether it was fast or slow. To Zelgius, the days seemed to slip by rapidly, as did the months. His duties kept him occupied, as did his training and preparations for that day. Before he knew it, almost a year had passed by since his last visit to Crimea.

And once again, the Apostle called on him to make yet another visit over there, this time for pulling whatever remaining troops over there out of the country. The Senate was quite adamant about keeping them there, wanting a measure of control inside the smaller kingdom. However, his master stepped in once more, this time with a counter-argument.

"Unlike in Daein, we hold no power over the inhabitants of Crimea," he said to the assembly, looking around. "Not only do we risk provoking the forces of Crimea if we stay any longer, but the overwhelming opinion in our own country is to finally withdraw from there. Observing proper protocol, we are to finally take all of our forces out of their kingdom. The soldiers do want to be brought home, after all."

"Nonsense," Zelgius heard someone snort, and he immediately knew it was Senator Lekain. Only he would presume to know what the people wanted. "Why would the Queen of Crimea refuse our soldiers? We are the ones that aided her, so naturally, we have a right to hold our position. We are their suzerain, after all."

"Uwee hee hee..." came a sardonic chuckle, and Zelgius fought valiantly to keep himself from shivering in disgust. He couldn't mistake who that was. "My, does the 'queen' truly believe she has no need of her loving guardian? Does she not see that we may protect her better than those hairy sub-humans she calls her allies—"

"Hold your tongues, Duke Gaddos and Duke Culbert!" Sanaki finally snapped, her face impassive. Even so, everyone in the room could feel her fury, and they immediately silenced themselves to hear her words. "I will not have you say such things in this assembly. Besides, there are more important matters our soldiers can attend to than staying in Crimea. Have you forgotten that we are occupying another nation?"

"Also, the agreement that our Empress worked out with Queen Elincia says that we will not keep our troops in their nation any longer than three years." Sephiran added before anyone could object. "I believe this Senate agreed to that when we presented our resolution, right before General Ike took Nevassa, correct? It would truly be a shame to the citizens of Begnion if they found out that you reneged on your very words, persisting in doing this despite how you said you would honor your agreement."

There were some displeased murmurs along the senators, but no one actually raised an objection. "But...we sill have nearly half a year," Senator Hetzel then pointed out, cringing when both Sephiran and Sanaki turned their stares onto them.

"Yes, but we also included that we could pull our troops out earlier should we need to. There is no longer any point in remaining in Crimea, especially given the new troubles we are having in Daein," Sanaki said simply, glaring at the Senators as if daring one of them to challenge what she said. "Thus, I hereby command General Zelgius to head to Crimea and pull our soldiers out immediately."

Zelgius bowed his head. "I hear and obey, my Empress."

He could hear the senators grumble behind him until Lekain finally spoke up. "We senators accept the Apostle's decision," he said with a displeased tone. Sanaki nodded, secretly delighted over her victory. Zelgius then glanced at his master, who gave him a level stare in return. They would need to talk.

"Is something wrong, Zelgius?" Sephiran asked a bit later, walking in the gardens of the Mainal Cathedral.

"You've been sending me to Crimea on purpose, even though the tasks were menial. That means you've been wanting me to find out whatever I could over there, if I'm correct," Zelgius stated pointedly. When his master nodded, he sighed. "May I ask why?"

"It should come to no surprise to you, but Daein is beginning to show signs of an uprising," the prime minister said, causing Zelgius to stop walking. "You know very well what that means."

Zelgius turned away, avoiding Sephiran's face. "So it's begun then," he stated, unsure on how he felt about it. He knew it had been coming, but it had come quicker than he expected. "And because of that, you've been sending me to Crimea...to see how the situation is over there?"

Sephiran nodded, satisfied. "Of course. Sanaki will need a place to flee to once the senators begin their conspiracy. You know it will come soon, and she will more than likely end up going to Crimea. The Queen hasn't forgotten her kindness."

"But you also know Crimea is having troubles of its own, especially with the rift between the Queen and her court," Zelgius pointed out, getting a surprised look from his master. "From the way things are, there just might be an uprising over there, as well."

"Hmm, that is concerning." Sephiran murmured, his gaze settling on a fountain in the distance. "I have no doubt that Queen Elincia can suppress it, but...I am curious to know how you came to that conclusion, Zelgius."

Zelgius knew he couldn't lie to his master, but he also knew that Sephiran didn't need to be told the whole truth. "I've been making conversation with their general when I've been over there. It's given me better insight on the situation over there," he said casually.

"You've actually been speaking to Sir Ike?" Sephiran asked, looking surprised again. "...I see. You're trying to get him to the point where you'll face him down without holding back, correct?"

"Yes."

Sephiran gave him a piercing stare before turning away, sighing. "I won't interfere with that. However, things shall be fine as long as Crimea does not go into an uprising when we finally do go to war."

"Don't you think you're trying to manipulate too many things at once, Master?" Zelgius suddenly asked, looking surprised at his own question. "There are far too many things that could go wrong. The situation in Daein has deteriorated far faster than we thought it would, and now we might be looking at a revolution in Crimea. Would everything still be able to go as...you want it to?" He made sure to avoid addressing himself in that last statement, because he was still unsure on how he stood on the whole thing.

Instead of the cold and sharp retort he was expecting, all the prime minister did was sigh sadly. "I know far too well. Even now, I've miscalculated on how some things would really turn out. However, things are still going the way I want it to. Everything will still go as planned."

"Perhaps you should visit Crimea to get a better understanding yourself?" Zelgius offered, but frowned when Sephiran shook his head.

"I cannot, as there are things I must do here. Even if I wanted to, those accursed senators would likely send people to keep tabs on me. I cannot have that at this moment," he explained, flicking a strand of hair out of his eyes.

"I see. So you wish for me to go and get more information?"

"If possible, yes. However, if you feel the need to continue pushing Sir Ike to further reaches of his skill, then by all means, make that your priority. It is the only thing I can do for you right now, after all," Sephiran said dismissively, not meeting his general's face.

Zelgius didn't know whether if that was his Master's kindness or his indifference to his personal ambition. Either way, it didn't matter now. "Yes, my master," he said with a bow, exiting the gardens. He had to prepare for his journey, and then his meeting with Ike. He knew there was no way out of seeing him this time, so he had to be as composed as possible.

Because even now, months after that rendezvous in Ike's bedroom, he still woke up in the middle of the night, hard as a rock from the memory of that encounter.

Crimea still hadn't changed from when he last visited. Apart from some new buildings or new streets, it was the same kingdom he remembered from last year. He had been greeted by most of the Begnion soldiers stationed there as he headed into Melior, all of them incredibly eager to get home. Their cries of jubilation and relief were loud as he told them he came for them, and they went back to their posts in elation.

Queen Elincia was still as charming and elegant as she had always been, although somewhat more subdued. She seemed quite pleased by Begnion's decision to finally take their troops back, as some of them had been getting restless. When he asked if there had been any trouble, she merely shook her head. "All I know is that they are eager to get back to their homes. I'm afraid we might have troubled them enough already." Zelgius nodded, telling them he would take them within a day or so.

With that done, he went around to speak with each soldier, telling them to just hold on one last day. They had been quite excited, and quite eagerly told them how they couldn't wait to get home. Some of the other soldiers were satisfied when he talked to them, but somewhat disappointed that they'd finally be leaving Crimea. They had grown used to the place, even if they disagreed with the Queen on some matters.

By the time he was finished, late afternoon was setting in. He returned to the castle to eat his meal, then went to his room to change into something less restrictive. Just like the last two times, he set out to find the Crimean general, eager to clash blades again. If there was anything that he learned from his past visits, it was that time had been good to the younger man. His skill always improved each time he saw him, and now he truly wondered how strong he was. Was he within reach of Gawain's skill level now?

It didn't take long to find him. Each time, he would be out here, in the very same place where they met. Perhaps it was special to him in his own way, but he couldn't deny that it made finding him a lot easier. However, once he caught sight of the Crimean general, whatever he was about to say died in his throat. If he thought Ike had grown quite a bit last time, then he really didn't know how to explain what he saw before him now.

Ike grinned as he caught sight of the Begnion general, who had slowed his pace and was now staring at him. "Ah, General Zelgius. I was wondering when you'd come out here," he greeted, catching sight of the look on the other man's face. "Is something wrong?"

Zelgius shook his head, smiling back. "No, I am just...surprised. I didn't expect you to have grown so much in a year," he commented. Even that was an understatement; Ike had not only grown to almost his height, but he had become really built as well. Just where did all of that muscle come from? Not only that, his face seemed to have sharpened, and his resemblance to his father was even more apparent now. "You're certainly quite different than last time."

Ike rolled his eyes. "Again with that comment? Man, if I could count the amount of people telling me that..."

"No one can deny the truth, you know." Zelgius said, smirking. "What have you been doing to get like that, though? Have you been swinging a sword around every day?" he asked sardonically, chuckling in amusement.

Ike lifted an eyebrow and raised his sword, lifting it and laying it on his shoulder. "Exactly," he said with a smirk. "Ettard is pretty hard to lift, but I hardly feel its weight anymore. Maybe I've just gotten used to wielding really heavy swords."

"Well, that explains that, then." Zelgius conceded, fingering the hilt of his own blade. "I have to admit, you actually look intimidating now. Many enemies will be daunted by your stature."

"Speaking from experience?"

"Of course. Large men usually tend to frighten lesser enemies, as I'm sure you're aware," Zelgius explained, getting a thoughtful nod from Ike. "It's even worse if they're quite proficient with the blade. Has there ever been a time that you've seen someone like this as your own enemy?"

Ike frowned. "When I started as a mercenary, it did seem that way at first," he admitted, gazing at the sky. "I was still new to the idea of actually killing to prolong my life, so it was a bit surreal back then. I've grown out of it, though."

Zelgius couldn't help but ask the question on his mind. "And against the Black Knight?"

Ike stared at him for a few moments before sighing. "I was more scared of letting everyone down than I was of him," he said bluntly, crossing his arms.

"I see...forgive me for asking. I know it's a touchy subject," he apologized, although he was somewhat glad to hear that he was never afraid of fighting him. I really shouldn't be so relieved to hear that.

Ike shrugged. "It's no big deal. Anyway, I know why you're here," he said, getting into a ready stance. "You've come back for more, haven't you?"

Zelgius sighed. "Yes, but I'm afraid this will be our last time. I will have no more reason to visit Crimea after I leave tomorrow," he said, drawing his own sword and assuming his own position. He blinked when he saw Ike's face fall for a moment before it settled into a frown.

"Are you serious?" Ike asked, and Zelgius could see the faint expression of disappointment on his face. "Damn...so this really will be the last time we can spar like this, huh?"

Zelgius tilted his head, careful to make himself look only amused. "Are you going to be that disappointed?" he asked with some humor.

"Yeah, but..." Ike muttered, and for a moment, Zelgius thought he was going to say something else before he shook his head. "No, that doesn't matter right now anyway. Let's just fight."

If there was one thing that he could appreciate, it was the enthusiasm. "Very well. Let's go!" he shouted, and Ike leaped right at him, swinging the huge blade with incredible speed. From the way he was handling it, he could use it without any visible strain on his body.

Zelgius smirked. A challenge. Perfect.

"Urgh...haaa!" Ike cried as he found himself in a deadlock with Zelgius, his brow sweaty from their extended spar. Zelgius was much the same, pushing him off and immediately retaliating when his defense was open. However, that was expected as he brought Ettard down and redirected the other man's sword, spinning as he sliced at the Begnion general.

Zelgius grunted as he narrowly avoided the slash. There was an obvious increase of strength in Ike's attacks, and the man was moving a lot quicker than he anticipated. "Impressive, Ike. However, I'm not done yet!" he exclaimed, ducking underneath another swipe and striking at Ike's unprotected side.

Ike barely brought down his blade in time to block it, grimacing. Zelgius moved quickly, jumping to the side to try and hit the weak spots in Ike's defenses. Each time he was repelled at the last moment, but the Begnion general kept pressing his attack, making sure Ike didn't have another chance to attack.

Strange...he was more aggressive in getting out of my attacks earlier on. Why is he suddenly being cautious? Zelgius wondered as Ike finally managed to back away, studying him. The Crimean general's attacks had been quite fierce a bit earlier, but they seemed to slow down as Ike went more on the defensive. The strangest part was that Ike didn't seem to be exhausted...A ruse, then?

"You've gotten better, Ike..." Zelgius breathed, trying to make sense of what the younger man was doing. "But I don't think that just waiting for me to attack is going to do anything, will it?" he taunted.

Ike shrugged. "There's only one way to find out, General. Come!" he bellowed, reassuming his stance.

Zelgius knew the only way to end it if one of them charged forward, and it seemed that Ike wasn't going to do it. Scowling, he ran forward, again pressing his attack at the younger man. Just like last time, they were blocked at the last second, Ike hefting his blade to deflect the blows. It was strange to note that he was entirely on the defensive when he had opportunities to attack, so why...?

It ended when Zelgius found a sudden hole in Ike's defense, and quickly thrust his blade at Ike's left arm.

"Gotcha," Ike said with a grin, quickly sidestepping the thrust.

Damn! Zelgius cursed, berating himself for not seeing it. Ike had led him exactly where he wanted him to be, and if the loud swish of Ettard said anything, it said that he was about to be hit really hard.

Only, the blow never came. A sudden impact collided with his sword as it went flying out of his grasp, and he turned to see Ike with a small grin on his face. "Didn't think that would actually work. Haven't had time to practice that maneuver much," he remarked happily.

Zelgius stared at where his sword was on the ground, and then back at Ike. "I was wondering why you left so many holes open in your stance. Something to confuse enemies with?" he asked with a raised eyebrow. It was quite the interesting maneuver, one that wouldn't be of any use to him. Still, he saw how Ike worked it into his style, and it made him excited. Ike was not only perfecting his father's skills, but he was improving on them!

"Eh...I'm pretty sure someone will figure it out if they face me seriously, so I only use it during the first pass," Ike said with a shrug. "Still, I think it's worth improving upon. I never know when it might come in handy."

Zelgius nodded. "Well, you managed to get me with it today, so who knows?" he said with a trace of humor, although his mind was going back over what just happened. That maneuver would defintiely not work again in their next fight, when it was for real. He didn't think Ike was so foolish that he'd try it against the Black Knight, but there were always circumstances in each battle that put everything to chance.

"Maybe, but that's because I surprised you with it. You wouldn't fall for it twice," Ike chuckled. "In any case...it's pretty late. I haven't had a session that invigorating for a while now."

"Indeed. I think I've picked up some new things as well," Zelgius commented. "Although I wonder what you do to become so strong. You've grown a lot in these past two years."

Ike frowned before he sighed. "Training is the only thing I can do to keep myself sane around here, unfortunately. That, and for some reason...I keep feeling like I want to fight an incredibly skilled opponent. It's like something is telling me to keep getting stronger so I'd meet them one day. Insane, isn't it?"

Now he was interested. Was Ike having a premonition of their fight to come? "That's really interesting to hear, Ike. Maybe you'll have a fight with someone on your level in the future?"

"Possibly. Who knows?" Ike then shook his head. "Anyway, you said you were going back tomorrow, right?"

"Yes. I won't have time to stay around for a few days, as I'll be leaving by midday tomorrow," Zelgius said with a nod, sighing. "Why?"

Ike shrugged. "Well, since it's the last night, how about you come up to my room for a drink or two? It'll probably be the last time we can talk together."

Zelgius hesitated. The last two times he was up in Ike's room, it had been for their sensual encounters. Ike surely knew that, yet he was clearly inviting him up there anyway. Did he have another purpose in mind? "Just for a drink, General?" he asked, although he made sure to put enough of a questioning tone in his voice so Ike would answer the real question.

Ike smiled back. "Of course. That's all I want," he said with a hint of caution.

If the Crimean general was remembering the last time, he didn't show it. "Alright, I can accept that," Zelgius finally said, relaxing. "Shall we?"

With a nod from Ike, Zelgius was once again following him to his room, a situation that he found was routine now.

"I'm still surprised that you drink, Ike," Zelgius murmured as he sat at the small table in Ike's quarters, taking in the sight of the now familiar room. Nothing had changed at all, but he didn't think the younger man was one for decor anyway.

Ike shrugged as he poured two glasses of ale, pushing one towards Zelgius. "I only do it every once in a while," he admitted with an embarrassed smile. "And even then, I only do it with Geoffrey. The way those court nobles tend to do things...it gets on both our nerves."

"Ah, I understand," Zelgius said with a nod, taking a sip out of his own glass. "I'm not much for drinking, but some days I'd like to."

"I imagine your senators must drive you crazy," Ike remarked dryly, taking a swig of his own before sighing. "At least that's what Marcia and her brother said. I don't know if you know them, but they joined the Royal Knights along with another companion after leaving Begnion. Said they couldn't stand how they were treated like dogs."

Zelgius knew too well of how parts of the army were treated by their respective duke. Some deserted because they couldn't handle the abuse of the nobles; others left after seeing the senate's corruption. The legendary Shiharam company of dracoknights had deserted because of that fact alone. Other soldiers died at a noble's whims, while others were too cowardly to dare think of running away. While the armies of Begnion still held might over the other nations, it was actually quite chaotic at times.

"The senators do have problems, and they have been abusing their power as long as I've known them," Zelgius sighed, rubbing his eyes. Just the thought of ever having to deal with that damned narcissist Valtome gave him a headache. "I count myself lucky to be under the service of the prime minister."

"Sephiran?" Ike questioned, getting another nod from Zelgius. "He's quite kind. I didn't know what to think of him when we first met, because he was rather...odd."

"Odd?" he repeated. He hadn't heard the details of when they had met, only knowing that Ike had met Sephiran somewhere in Crimea before leaving for Begnion.

"He was locked up with the other Crimean knights during the war. He said he was a traveler that was healing people he came across," Ike explained, shaking his head at the memory. "I had no idea he was such an important person, though."

"Well...everyone does say he has a weird sense of humor." Zelgius found himself commenting.

Ike rolled his eyes. "Tell me about it. Right after we defeated Ashnard and he came to visit, I told him about my intention to just stay in this position until everything was settled and go back to being a mercenary. And then, get this...he started laughing! I don't know why, but he was positively beside himself."

Zelgius fought to keep a straight face hearing that, quickly taking another swig of his drink. "Really...? That's very hard to imagine, honestly."

"You should have heard it. I was just bewildered it came from someone in his position." Ike paused to take another drink, looking into his glass thoughtfully. "Do you think he was laughing because of what I told him?"

"That you planned on eventually returning to the mercenary life?" Zelgius asked, not even needing a confirmation from Ike to continue. "I don't think it was that. Perhaps you just reminded him of something."

"Mm," Ike grunted as he finished off his drink, pouring himself some more. Zelgius thought he looked troubled for some odd reason, but didn't press it as he continued nursing his own ale. It was quiet for a few minutes, both of them drinking in silence. It was only broken when Ike sighed once again. "Do you think I'm selfish, Zelgius?"

Zelgius blinked. "Why are you asking that all of a sudden?" he asked, placing his nearly empty glass down.

"Because even though I know what I'm doing is important, I don't want it," Ike stated flatly, staring out the window of his room. "I had sworn to only stay as long as the country was still weakened, but look at me. I'm still the General of Crimea."

"...you sound regretful," Zelgius murmured, pouring himself another glass. "Does this have to do with how I found you that night during my first visit here?"

"That night...? Oh," Ike let out as he realized what he was talking about and blushed. "When you found me when I was in one of the worst moods ever, right? That was part of it, yes."

"Tell me about it," Zelgius stated, curious to know what got Ike so angry that night, and why it led to what they had done.

Ike leaned back in his chair, looking thoughtful. "To be honest, I don't remember the specifics, but...it had to do the rumors that the court nobles were spreading," Ike then sighed, rubbing his head. "I knew they didn't like me, but... Elincia had been lending me some scrolls, and I was just returning them to her. That was all.. But one of the nobles saw it as a chance to ruin the both of us."

Zelgius scowled. There were always such rumors flying about in Begnion, but none of them actually concerned the Apostle. "What were they saying?"

"That Elincia and I were 'engaging in indecent acts', and that she would be bearing the child of a dirty mercenary," Ike snorted. "It sounds completely ridiculous, doesn't it? Both of us were furious, and Lucia and Geoffrey had to literally hold me back to stop me from completely losing it. Luckily for them, Bastian was able to expel all of them before I ripped their heads off! It seems surreal to me now, but all I thought of at that moment was hurting someone."

That would explain the attitude, Zelgius thought before sighing. "It's not easy being a general the people like, but the aristocracy loathe," he said in sympathy.

"...you're in the same situation, aren't you?" Ike commented, finally finishing off his drink. "When you came along that night, I really needed to hit something. I don't think I ever thanked you for that."

"What, for being your training post?" Zelgius scoffed. "But...you know what happened after that."

Ike was silent for a short time before his nodded. "Yeah. I didn't know what came over me that night, but...I just needed someone to be with me. You were the closest one, Zelgius, and so I-"

Zelgius held up a hand to silence him. "No, I thought we didn't have any regrets about that night. In any case...I pushed myself onto you as well, because I felt the same way, believe it or not. I know all too well how your situation gets at times. Sometimes, you just can't do everything alone," he murmured, turning away so he didn't have to face Ike's eyes. He knew how hypocritical he sounded, yet it was the truth.

"Probably..." Ike let out, eyes distant. "We both have our own issues, don't we? The army, our feelings, everything else...it gets too much at times, doesn't it?"

"Yes, it does."

There was more silence following that statement, neither of them daring to break it. The bottle was nearly empty now, and Ike was looking slightly red-faced. Zelgius imagined he was probably the same way, especially considering his low tolerance for alcohol.

Finally, Ike sighed. "Zelgius?"

"Hm?"

Ike seemed to tense before a sad smile appeared on his face. "After you leave...I'm going to announce the resignation of my position. I think it's time I do so, anyway."

Zelgius's eyes widened, looking at him in disbelief. "You're leaving?"

Ike nodded. "Yeah. If Begnion's withdrawing, that means my job's done as well. No need for me to stay any longer, right?"

"But...even still, you're the General of Crimea," Zelgius said slowly, blinking. "You still have responsibilities that aren't easily handed down to another."

"I know, which is why I'll have Geoffrey take my position. He's more suited to it, in any case." Ike countered, leaning back. "I've already given it a lot of thought. If I'm gone, it takes away one thing the nobles in the court hold against Elincia. They won't be able to use me as a weapon against her any longer."

Zelgius sighed. If Ike resigned, things would definitely become a lot more problematic for his master. However, this was probably coming for a long time already, and stopping Ike when he was set on it seemed wrong to him. "That's why you're leaving then?"

"See what I mean? I'm being selfish," Ike pointed out, chuckling bitterly. "Even though it will be best for both me and Elincia in the long run, I'm doing it for myself. I'm just tired of the constant power struggle I'm in."

"No..." Zelgius muttered, and Ike looked up at him. He could see the self-disgust in his eyes for doing something amounting to just up and quitting. "No, Ike, don't feel that way. At times, I wish I had your resolve when dealing with what you do."

"Really?" Ike asked quietly.

"...yes."

Zelgius knew that in Begnion, political intrigue was common. Had he been less lenient with mistakes of others, or if he had just walked away when he could, some of his bigger problems could have been avoided altogether.

Ike looked straight at him before breaking into a smile. "It's weird, Zelgius. Just you saying that...makes me feel better about what I'm going to do. Thanks."

Zelgius looked down, hiding his own smile. "In any case, I should be going. You probably have your own preparations to make..." He made to get up from the table and walk away, but Ike grabbed his hand to stop him. "Huh? Ike?" he asked lowly, seeing the expression on the younger man's face.

"Wait a moment, Zelgius," Ike said, getting up. "You're really going back tomorrow, aren't you? That means we won't be seeing each other that much, if ever again." Ike said, a blank look on his face.

Zelgius nodded, but he had the strangest feeling on where this conversation would go. "Are you sad about that? You know very well how us soldiers work."

"I do, but...in such a short time, you've become such a good friend to me." Zelgius cringed visibly when Ike mentioned that, but Ike seemed to not have noticed it. "Not only that...you were my first. That counts for something, doesn't it?"

"Perhaps...but why are you saying this?" Zelgius asked, rooted to the spot. He should have left right then, but he just had to hear what Ike had to say.

Ike nodded. "I have something to ask of you, Zelgius...but I think you'll know after this."

Zelgius was about to ask what when Ike leaned forward and softly kissed him, pulling away after a few seconds. Unlike their kisses from before—sloppy, lustful, greedy—this one was different. Touching his lips slightly, Zelgius looked back at Ike in surprise, who was staring back with a serious expression.

"Before we head our separate ways, I want us to have one last memory of our time like this. I want you to bed me," Ike stated. Zelgius blinked rapidly, hearing something like that coming from Ike. "Yeah, I know it sounds really odd, but..."

Zelgius only responded by tilting Ike's chin up and returning the kiss. Such a thing was new to him, kissing like this. The closeness it symbolized—Zelgius wasn't really sure if both of them—or either of them—understood what it really meant. Still, Ike had made one final request for one final night together.

He wasn't about to deny him that.

"I'll do it, Ike," he whispered to the younger man, stroking the side of his face.

"Thank you, Zelgius," Ike returned before their lips met once again, their kisses getting more passionate.

It was weird. Zelgius had merely come up for a few drinks with Ike, and here he was, about to have sex with Ike for the third and final time. He knew there would be nothing like this again after tonight; the next time they met, one would kill the other. That, he knew....

However, just for this one night, he set such thoughts aside as Ike threw his arms over him, pressing himself closer as their tongues fought for dominance. Thoughts of how he shouldn't be doing this and how wrong it seemed were completely ignored as his tongue found its way inside Ike's mouth, tentatively exploring. Ike moaned, hugging himself closer.

Just for tonight, neither of them would be alone. He'd make it something to remember indeed.

It had been quite strange to find himself in this position yet again, but he didn't care as he threw Ike's shirt off, hands going to his nipples and teasing them, making the younger man moan. Ike responded by moving his hand just beneath Zelgius's left shoulder, rubbing his Mark sensually. He moaned lowly and kissed Ike again, and then everything started to blur together.

Their clothes had hit the floor at some point, and then they were on the bed again, exploring the other's body. Ike moaned when Zelgius had taken him into his mouth, repaying him for what he had done last time. He would have never thought about doing this to anyone, let alone Ike, but it just felt so natural at that moment. The way Ike's hips were bucking into his mouth meant it was good, and he became even harder at the thought of what was going to happen in a few minutes.

He had been surprised when Ike gripped both of them in his hand when he rose up to get the oil, and he had to stop himself from just groaning and letting Ike carry on. It felt so good, but he had another purpose in mind for them as he slicked his fingers up. Lowering his head to lay kisses along Ike's neck, he slowly inserted his fingers into the younger man. Ike moaned into the kiss, thrusting himself down on the fingers as they prepared him, stretching him slowly.

And then, once he was ready, Zelgius made to position himself before Ike stopped him with a firm grip of his hand on his wrist. As he stared at the younger man, Ike smiled and wordlessly lowered himself until he returned the favor Zelgius gave him before, engulfing the older man's erection in his mouth. Zelgius bucked his hips a few times before placing his hands in Ike's hair, slowly getting Ike's head away from him. As Ike pulled off, a trail of saliva connected his mouth to the head of his arousal, and he groaned at how wet it felt now.

As Ike laid back down, he spread the younger man's legs and slowly entered him, stopping as Ike gasped in pain. While he had to hold himself back for several minutes, when Ike eased himself down after a while, he couldn't hold himself back any more as he started thrusting in. Ike moaned again as Zelgius's thrusts quickened, and with the way he was slamming into him so roughly, he felt his breath being sucked right out of him.

They had to be quick, and they knew it. Anybody could be looking for them, yet the risk actually thrilled both of them. With the way Zelgius pounded into him, with the way Ike was claiming the older man's lips and groaning. It was just so hot, and any thoughts of anything else besides what they were doing were long forgotten.

It had to end, unfortunately. Zelgius took hold of Ike's erection, starting to pump in time with his thrusts. It didn't take long for Ike to reach his climax, spilling all over Zelgius's hand as he ran his thumb over the head, fluid splashing in between their bodies. Zelgius followed soon after, emptying himself into Ike.

As Zelgius collapsed against Ike's chest, the two shared one last kiss, sweaty and still charged from what they had done.

"I wish we could stay like this," Ike lamented, closing his eyes. "It feels nice."

"We cannot. You know this, Ike..."

"I know. We have to leave soon, right?"

Zelgius allowed himself a smile, kissing Ike's neck again. "It's fine. I'm actually glad I was able to do this."

"Heh. So am I." Ike murmured, closing his eyes. "You should probably wash up. No one will be suspicious of you just wandering at this time of night, but if you don't take care of that smell..."

Zelgius rolled his eyes. "Saying I stink now, General?" he said mockingly, getting an amused snort from Ike. "You'd better go ahead first, Ike. I think you're the more messy one."

"Hmph. Such a gentleman, aren't you?" Ike said dryly, getting himself up. "Alright, I'll be quick," he yawned, walking into the bathing room. Zelgius chuckled as he laid back, staring at the ceiling once more.

Our day of reckoning is not far off from now, Ike... he thought, closing his eyes. Even though I liked these moments...I will not have any mercy on you. My skills will not allow that.

And he knew that even if Ike knew who he really was, he would do the same. That's just how they were.

After entering the bathing room—making sure to hide his Mark from Ike—and cleaning up, Zelgius emerged, fully clothed, sighing.

"So, once you leave this room, that's it," Ike stated, frowning.

"Indeed. We may not meet again under these circumstances," Zelgius said, walking up to the younger man to stare him in the eyes.

Ike knew what he was saying. "The next time we meet...we might be enemies," he muttered, turning away.

"Does that trouble you?" Zelgius asked, crossing his arms.

"Oddly enough...no. Even if you were my enemy, you'd be an honorable opponent. That's why I wouldn't mind," Ike chuckled.

"Your faith in me is quite surprising, Ike...very much so," Zelgius whispered. "In any case...I must be off. I'm certain that you'll have your own stuff to take care of," he said a bit more firmly, smiling a bit.

Ike nodded, returning the smile. "Anyway...be safe, Zelgius. Perhaps we'll meet again someday. I look forward to it."

With one last nod, Zelgius turned away from Ike, walking out of the door and closing it behind him. "And so ends that..." he muttered a bit sadly. "But...for once, I think I actually have a purpose now. And it's thanks to him," he chuckled, making his way back to his quarters.

He spent that night awake as he contemplated his options. He knew how things would eventually turn out, but he didn't know what to feel about them.

The next day, he came to a decision as he mobilized the remaining soldiers behind him, leaving Melior for good.

Ike, you'd best be ready for me in the coming months. I will honor you by fighting you to the best of my ability, and you shall as well. I know you will come for me eventually...

And I'll be waiting. Fight me not for your father's sake, but for your own. That's all I ask.

Even if he didn't know if everyone deserved to be judged, even if he didn't know if awaking the goddess was truly the right thing to do...he had one purpose.

His battle with Ike. It was no longer just a case of fighting to prove he was better than Gawain. It wasn't a struggle to see who would be right and who would be wrong.

Now...it was going to be a battle between two men, both of them seeing how far they progressed. Both with each other, and apart.

A/N: And thus ends that. Whew, that was long, wasn't it?

The actual pairing of Ike/Zelgius intrigues me. What would their dynamic be if they interacted constantly, without the issue of the Black Knight coming up? While I wouldn't say that it's a natural match for either of them, I could feasibly see it happening in certain conditions. Ike tends to get paired up with a lot of the male cast in PoR/RD, oddly enough. Perhaps I'll write another rare pairing someday (Ike/Geoffrey, anyone? I probably hinted at it in the fic more than once), but that might not be for a while.

And before you ask, yes, I did half-ass the final sex scene. I had been working on this thing non-stop for a week and I just wanted to end it, so I decided to make a shortened scene compared to the very long one last chapter. I might come back and rewrite it in the future, because I'm somewhat not satisfied with how that scene came out. Ah well.

Anyway, if you liked the fic and want to give me criticism, review! My writing is far from perfect, and even before posting this here, I had to go back and fix a lot of mistakes to make it readable. If you find something odd or something you really liked, tell me! I'll be all ears.