Happy Together [M-rated]

[Klokinator]

Um no, I said HE'D be pounded on. By Ike and Kellam, obviously.

[Anacybele]

I know. But you didn't say whether it would be by guys or girls. xP

[Klokinator]

Unless they're delivering a savage beating (Which has it's own sadist/masochist appeal) I don't think women will be able to pound on a man.

Well actually I guess there's strap-ons :B

[Anacybele]

Oookay, clearly I never completely understood what you're getting at here. :P

Edited January 8, 2015 by Anacybele

[Kon]

You probably don't really want to understand what Klok is saying

[spoiler=Read if you really need to know?]

He's talking about Frederick being fucked by two men, at once.

[Anacybele]

Yeeah, I had a feeling. xP

Well, I'll tie this off as long as I'm posting here right now! Part 7, the final chapter! I hope readers enjoy the little bonus at the end. ^^

Part 7: Hidden Agendas

The arena could be seen from the infirmary, so Kelli arrived there within minutes. When she reached the hitching posts where Sir Kieran had been waiting, however, what she found shocked her beyond belief.

The stallion was nowhere to be found. Instead, all that remained of him was a scrambled mess of hoof prints and some blood stains in the dirt.

"Oh gods! No!" Kelli cried, bringing her hands to her face. Some of the hoof prints were coated with blood as well, which could only mean one thing. Sir Kieran had been kidnapped, and he did not go quietly. And even worse, this meant less than good news for Ralph's safety. Kelli wished she could return to the infirmary immediately to give Frederick the bad news about Sir Kieran, but every second she used could put both the horse and Ralph in more danger.

We have to find Ralph! He's clearly in danger and he might know something about all of this! Kelli opined in her mind.

Indeed, Ralph probably did have answers. He might have witnessed Sir Kieran's kidnapping while he went to buy water or he could've been taken to the same location. Still, why were both kidnapped at all and by who? Did Phantom secretly have help? Was this meant to be some sort of contingency plan if he failed to defeat Frederick in the tournament? If this was the case, however, it still didn't explain Sir Kieran. A horse could not possibly threaten any of Phantom's plans, especially if it was standing outside an arena at a hitching post. Or perhaps, Sir Kieran was simply meant to be a trophy. Phantom might have decided that since Frederick had apparently taken away someone precious to him, he would take something Frederick cherished deeply as well.

Whatever it was, both Ralph and Sir Kieran were missing and likely in deep trouble. Kelli quickly headed off to search the central part of the island, hoping that both would be found before it was too late.

***

Meanwhile, some hours later and unbeknownst to the others, Ralph found himself back in the arena, though he had sworn he'd left to buy water. In fact, he wasn't even in the stands, he was right in the middle of the arena itself. And for some reason, the stands were empty. He looked in front of him to find Phantom holding Frederick by the collar of his shirt. To Ralph's shock, his best friend was covered with blood, bruises, and burns. Pieces of his bones were piercing his skin as well. Phantom cackled while Frederick urged Ralph to take Kelli and run. But Ralph was too frozen where he stood to do anything but watch as Phantom raised an orb of magic to deal the final blow…

Ralph closed his eyes tight, not wanting to watch his only friend die. He finally opened them minutes later to see that he was now in an unfamiliar setting. It was a regal building, with many stain glass windows and chandeliers. It had to be the Ylisse palace. Before Ralph was a set of tall double doors with detailed trim and gold knobs. He entered to find himself in the throne room and Chrom and Lissa themselves inside. Chrom spoke first.

"So, Frederick tells me you have an extraordinary vocal talent," he said. "And that it would be very useful to the army. Please, let my sister and I hear this voice!"

Ralph attempted to reply and oblige to the prince's request, but when he opened his mouth, nothing came out. The ex-thief tried again, but still nothing. And he would keep trying, but no matter how many times he attempted to produce words, he would get none. His voice was gone completely.

"Oh, you don't even have a voice? Then I wonder where Frederick had gotten the idea that you could sing," Chrom continued.

Suddenly, Frederick himself appeared beside Ralph, startling the ex-thief into further shock.

"It appears that something has caused him to lose his voice and it doesn't seem likely that we can get it back," the knight said. "His potential is gone now. I shall send him off."

Of course, Ralph wanted to protest and mention the fact that he could still learn to use a weapon and that they could try searching for a way to revive his voice, but nobody let him. Suddenly, Phantom appeared before him and laughed at his misery, mocking how everyone that he cared for was abandoning him. And Ralph couldn't even shout in sadness and agony.

Before anything else could occur, Ralph's eyes shot open. He woke up to see that he was now in a dark room filled with nothing but empty, dusty shelves covered with cobwebs. Everything that had just occurred was only a dream, much to his relief. Ralph was glad to be back in reality. He tried to speak, but discovered that his mouth was gagged shut and it was pushed too far in for him to spit it out.

Where...where am I? He wondered in his mind. Last I remember, I was going to get water and... Ugh, nothing. Someone knocked me out with a Sleep staff or something and dumped me here, wherever that is! Damn it!

Ralph tried to move around, but he found that his arms and legs were tied up as well, with rope and some tight knots. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't get the rope to loosen. Thankfully, he could drag himself along the floor, and there was a broken piece of glass from the nearby boarded up window sitting on top of an empty old crate. Ralph slowly made his way over there and started putting his old thieving skills to work. He had been in situations such as this more than once in the past, and taught himself tricks to escape. Carefully, he grabbed the piece of glass with his teeth, taking great care not to cut his tongue or gums. Afterward, he dropped it to the floor so he could turn around and reach it with his bound hands. If Ralph had his sword with him, he would've used that, but he'd left it at Frederick and Kelli's cabin. But more often than not, Ralph's captors would confiscate his weapon anyway, forcing him to find another way to cut the rope that bound him.

Within seconds, Ralph freed his hands, rubbing the slightly burning red rings that were now decorating his wrists. He then pulled the gag out of his mouth and tossed it aside.

"Finally!" he said. "And man, am I glad to talk after the dream I just had."

As Ralph spoke, he freed his legs and attempted to leave. Unfortunately, the only door in the room would not open. It was locked tight.

"Blast! I was afraid of this," he blurted quietly in frustration. Ralph would've attempted to kick it down, but he had no idea if his captors were still around and he didn't want to risk alerting them. That left the ex-thief with only one choice.

"It's been awhile since I last had to use this..." he said as he produced his lock pick. Though he was a thief, he still did not enjoy breaking in and out of places, so he only used the lock pick when he really needed to. And now was as good a time as ever. Ralph only had to hope that his captors hadn't also barricaded the other side of the door with furniture or something.

After successfully jimmying the lock and getting it to open, Ralph slowly and quietly opened the door. Much to his relief, nothing was blocking it and he could open it effortlessly. And even more relieving was the fact that nobody else was around at all. From the many more dusty shelves and the counter near the front door, Ralph finally concluded that he was in an abandoned old shop. He gulped as a tear was brought to his eye. It reminded him of the fate that his parents' own store had suffered. But Ralph knew he couldn't start dwelling on the past and shook himself back to reality again. He had to get out of this place and get back to the arena to find out how Frederick's match with Phantom had ended. The thief worried endlessly for his friend's safety, as he had no clue what became of him due to having left before the fight ended. What's more, if Frederick lost, Kelli was in trouble as well.

Just as Ralph was about to head for the front door, however, the door knob suddenly clicked. Thinking his captor or captors might have returned for him to move him somewhere else, he froze again and quickly glanced around for a window or something to jump out of. But before he could move, the door opened and in came an elderly man in red robes.

"Ah! Please, don't hurt me! What did I even do to you?!" Ralph pleaded.

"Er, pardon me?" the man replied. "Who are you?"

"H-Huh? You're not the one that locked me up in the room back there?"

"Goodness no, I would never do such a thing. I'm not even sure if I have the strength for it."

"Oh... I'm sorry! I never saw my captors, they knocked me out cold with a Sleep staff or something and I woke up back there. Thankfully, I was able to escape. I have red marks on my wrists and ankles too! See?"

Ralph then approached the man and showed him the red rings that were left by the rope.

"Oh my! That's terrible! I was afraid some no good cretins might try to use this place for their own selfish desires. I came to look around and see if it could get fixed up and reopened someday with how business has flourished on this island. Looks more like we'll have to tear it down completely though..."

"Ah, I see. Well, I need to get to the arena where a tournament was held! My best friend was competing in the finals and last I recall, I left to buy some water. I wish I could remember more, but my mind is blank after that! Ugh! And my friend and his wife are sure to be worried sick about me!"

"Oh dear. That is a problem. And getting knocked unconscious by magic can definitely hinder your memory. I'm afraid my own memory is a bit fuzzy due to age, but I think the arena is to the northwest of here."

"Oh, thank you! I have to go now! Good luck with this place!"

Ralph made no hesitation to bolt out of the old shop and head towards the arena immediately. Normally, Ralph would've used the sun to figure out which direction was north, south, east, or west, but it was pretty much in the middle of the sky at the moment. Thankfully, he remembered another method that Frederick had taught him. Moss often grew on trees, and a study showed that it always grew on the north side. Ralph quickly looked for one with moss on it and went on his way instantly. He just hoped that he would find Frederick and Kelli before his captors found him again.

***

A couple hours passed as Kelli had been pressing on with her search for Ralph, and unfortunately, she could find no trace of the ex-thief. She visited tents and cabins and asked if the inhabitants had seen him and asked other passersby as well. She had even entered a shop in hopes of finding a clue. But none of the people she talked to had seen him or anything suspicious. And Kelli knew that the longer she spent running around the island looking for Ralph, the more Frederick could worry about her later on. She decided that she had to give it up for the time being as soon as she grabbed a meal, as it was near evening and she had grown hungry from all the walking and running she had just done. Kelli then depressingly entered a café towards the south part of the island and sat down at an empty table, wondering if things would ever start to go right again. Her husband was in an infirmary, and his friend was kidnapped, with no telling what danger he might be in. The fact that this had originally started as a romantic honeymoon for her and Frederick felt like ancient history, things had changed so fast.

"Giving up so soon?" a familiar masculine voice said.

"Winfrey!" Kelli cried, the voice jerking her upright. "I wish you would quit doing that."

"Ah, my apologies, Kelli," Winfrey replied, sitting down at the table as well. "I do seem to have a habit of startling you today, don't I?"

"Yeah. Well, have you had any luck?"

"No... It's like that thief was warped right out of existence."

"Ex-thief, Winfrey. Come on now."

"Alright, alright... Sheesh. Now wherever these kidnappers took Ralph, they hid him pretty damn well."

"Or he could've escaped and he's looking for us. He was a thief, after all, and they tend to be pretty good at breaking in and out of places. That's why I've been asking everyone I see if they've seen him."

"That's possible. Well, let's discuss this after dinner. I'm starving after all the running around I've been doing. And we won't have any better luck finding Ralph on empty stomachs."

"Indeed..."

Suddenly, an elderly voice spoke up behind Winfrey.

"Wait, pardon me, but did you two say you were looking for a missing person?" an equally elderly man in red robes inquired.

"Yes, we are!" Kelli replied. "He's my husband's friend, Ralph. My husband was competing in the finals of this island's annual tournament and Ralph just vanished after he left in the middle of the match to buy some water. The intensity of the fighting was making us so hot and sweaty. And we can't find him!"

"Oh, goodness me! I believe I've seen him!"

"What?! Are you serious?" Winfrey inquired. "You have to tell us where! Frederick's opponent was a bastard criminal that died from his wounds, and this guy likely had something to do with Ralph's disappearance! If we don't find him, we might not be able to clear Frederick's name!"

"Oh dear, I see. In that case, it was an abandoned old shop near some woods to the southeast of here. I was visiting it to see if it could be remodeled and your friend was inside. He had red marks on his wrists and ankles and told me he was bound and locked up in the back. He had dirty blonde hair and wore a red shirt. But that's all I remember, I apologize!"

"Oh! Don't worry, you've told us enough! That's definitely Ralph! Where did he go after that?" Kelli inquired.

"He asked for directions to the arena so he could find a friend and that friend's wife. He said his friend was in the tournament finals. That's why I figured we were talking about the same person."

"Oh, thank you so much! Let's go, Winfrey! Dinner can wait!"

"What?! Why? Aren't you really hungry too?" Winfrey protested.

"Yes, but Ralph's captors could find him again before we do! We have to go now!"

"Oh, fine..."

With that, the two left the café and made for the arena once again. Kelli desperately hoped that she would find that Ralph was either waiting there for her or that he had gone to the infirmary to see Frederick. Otherwise, he could be in trouble yet again. If his captors had anything to do with Phantom, surely they would still be on the island, possibly waiting for a good opportunity to get at both Frederick and Kelli. They probably even wanted to periodically check to see if Ralph was still locked away, which he now wasn't. After all, they likely could not afford to let the thief run free, whether it was to keep him from talking or to take away something valuable to Frederick.

At the hurried speed they were traveling, Kelli and Winfrey reached the arena again in no time. Thankfully, several people were inside, probably waiting to hear about the award ceremony or perhaps have practice matches. Kelli and Winfrey questioned as many as they could find in hopes that one or more of them had seen a man matching Ralph's description come inside. Unfortunately, none of them could help the pair at all. Either Ralph had been captured again, or he simply had not arrived yet. Kelli desperately hoped it was the latter.

"Ugh, what am I going to tell Frederick if we don't find him...?" Kelli wondered somberly.

"I don't know, but all we can do right now is go outside and hope Ralph shows up soon," Winfrey replied. "It shouldn't be long, that elderly man had to have found him at least an hour ago."

"Yeah, you're right. Let's head back out then."

The two then returned outside once more, this time remaining near the doors where Ralph could easily spot them. A few minutes passed, but still the ex-thief didn't show. Kelli resorted to calling out to him in case he still didn't spot them for whatever reason, hoping he could hear her. But when Ralph again didn't appear, Winfrey sighed in irritation and sagged against the wall.

"You know, maybe I should go out and look for him again while you stay here," he suggested. "Tara might be waiting at the infirmary too, it's about that time for us to regroup."

"True. But first, go check if she's there and—"

"Kelli!" a familiar, but welcome masculine voice suddenly interrupted. Kelli and Winfrey turned to see none other than Ralph himself running up to them, his hair and clothes dirtier than they were before. Some bruises were also visible on his face and arms.

"Ralph! Oh my gods! Ralph!" Kelli cried and dashed up to him. She wasn't hesitant to give him a tight hug.

"Kelli! Boy, am I glad to see you!" Ralph replied, showing no reluctance to return the gesture.

"So am I! Frederick and I have been worried sick about you!" Kelli replied as they let go. "And you're bruised and dirty! You're not hurt, are you?"

"No, I'm fine. But how did you know I was coming here?"

"An elderly man said he found you at an abandoned old shop and that you were on your way. We ran into him at a café."

"Oh! Yeah, he was really kind. I'm so thankful he was there. He probably told you this, but I woke up locked in the back of that place and tied up at my wrists and ankles. I've got the red marks to prove it."

Ralph then showed Kelli the same marks he had shown the elderly man.

"Whoa, whoever did this to you tied those ropes really tight," Kelli commented. "We'll find those dastards, Ralph, I promise. We think they had a connection to Phantom."

"That's right, and we've been looking for you for hours for that exact reason," Winfrey jumped in, his arms folded.

"Oh, you," Ralph acknowledged. "If you're trying to get a confession out of me again, you can forget it. I already told you, I did not take your stupid brooch!"

"Ugh, that's not what this is about, you idiot! Frederick's in trouble and you're our only hope right now!"

"What?!"

"Ralph, it's true," Kelli admitted. "Frederick is in the infirmary because Phantom had done a number on him, but he's shackled to his bed because Phantom didn't survive. If we don't find evidence to clear his name, he'll go to prison!"

"Gods..." Ralph uttered, fear suddenly striking his nerves again.

"What she said. And you should know as well as anyone that Frederick doesn't deserve that!" Winfrey added.

"Oh yeah?! Since when do you care about him after you told him off days ago?!" Ralph retorted. "I'm surprised you're not kicking him while he's down!"

"Because he's still a respected man in this country and if you had any real balls, you'd help the knight and then turn your pitiful ass in for your crimes!"

Winfrey had sorely crossed the line there.

"WHAT?! You want balls?! Then how about the ones my FISTS MAKE?!"

Now driven over the edge, Ralph threw himself at the warrior and was surprisingly strong enough to get him on the ground. Kelli gasped as the ex-thief began relentlessly clocking Winfrey in the face. Obviously, however, Winfrey could punch too, and both of them ended up with bloody faces.

"You guys! Stop it!" Kelli protested. However, neither Ralph nor Winfrey were paying attention. They were both blinded by rage.

Kelli growled angrily as she rushed towards the two, an Elwind tome in hand.

"God damn it, I SAID STOP IT!" she exploded as she sent bursts of strong winds at the pair, sending them flying apart while she was launched upwards. The two couldn't help but slowly sit up and see nothing but the anger now in Kelli's eyes.

"My husband is shackled to his goddess damned infirmary bed after killing a man to protect me, AND THIS IS HOW YOU DECIDE TO HELP HIM?!" Kelli continued. "Do you really want us to have to march back to that infirmary and tell him that we couldn't get the evidence we need because you two were FIGHTING?!"

"Kelli..." Ralph uttered. "I..."

"Ugh..." Winfrey groaned. "I'm a huge fool..."

"You both are fools!" Kelli said. "And if you don't start acting like mature men about this, Frederick will go to prison and lose his knighthood!"

"You're right, Kel..." Ralph conceded. "I'm so sorry... I let my anger and my past get the better of me."

"I did too... And I provoked this in the first place," Winfrey added. "But I agree, we don't have time for ridiculous behavior. Let's get back to that infirmary."

"Thank you. Now let's save any personal issues for later," Kelli replied.

Ralph and Winfrey nodded and began following Kelli back towards the infirmary. Ralph glanced around as he did so, however, and suddenly came to a halt.

"Hey, wait a minute! Where's Sir Kieran?!" he gasped.

"Oh! We never found him!" Kelli gasped in fright.

"Oh yeah, is that Frederick's horse?" Winfrey guessed.

"Yeah, it is. But Ralph, if Sir Kieran wasn't with you, then..."

"Oh man. Damn it, if only I'd seen who got me! They might've been the same people that took Sir Kieran!" Ralph replied.

"Well, please try to remember!" Kelli insisted. "We'll search for Sir Kieran tomorrow morning. It's sundown now. Oh, the poor thing..."

"I'll do my best," Ralph promised. "The horse hates me, but maybe this'll help change that."

"The horse doesn't trust you either?" Winfrey said, his tone turning sarcastic. "Huh, big surprise."

"Winfrey!" Kelli protested.

"Alright, sorry! Let's just keep going."

Ralph merely growled as the trio continued on their way. He was glad they would arrive at their destination soon, as there was no way Winfrey would try provoking him inside the building, especially in front of Frederick. The knight had just nearly been killed by a psychotic sorcerer. He didn't need to see his best friend and a would-be friend fighting with each other. Kelli was right that Frederick had suffered enough, and Ralph did his best to keep his composure. He didn't even speak to Winfrey the rest of the way to the infirmary. The ex-thief only wished he could somehow get the warrior to believe him when he said he hadn't stolen his missing brooch.

When the trio stepped inside the infirmary, Ralph wasn't hesitant to ask Kelli which room Frederick was in. He'd been as worried about Frederick as Frederick and Kelli had been about him and he was sure that the knight needed to see that his best friend was okay. Kelli gladly led him to Frederick's room, and Ralph had to practically restrain himself from giving his best friend a tight hug.

"Fred! Oh man, I've been scared out of my mind over you!" he blubbered.

"Ralph! Thank the gods you're safe," Frederick replied. "I was frightened as well! Kelli said you disappeared without a trace at the arena."

"Yeah, I can't quite put a finger on what happened back there. I was knocked out and then I woke up in that dirty old run down shop with rope on my wrists and ankles."

"Well, you're going to need to remember more than this if we're to connect your kidnappers to Phantom and get that shackle off of Frederick's wrist!" Winfrey stepped in.

"Hey, I'm trying!" Ralph retorted. "Ugh..."

"Ralph, we know, it's okay," Kelli said, putting a comforting hand on the ex-thief's shoulder. "Just think really hard for a minute."

"Alright... I...I remember leaving my seat and heading towards one of those stands that sold refreshments. The one that had water, of course. And then...ugh, nothing! My mind's a total blank!"

"Hmm..." Frederick surmised.

"I was thinking a Sleep staff messed with my head or something."

"Possibly, but judging by those bruises on your face and hands, you did more than just fall asleep. If your captors did use a Sleep staff on you, they had to have done something else to erase your memory of what happened."

"Wha...? ...Oh," Ralph replied, realizing what his friend was talking about. "Actually… These bruises happened just a little while ago."

"What do you mean?"

"Sigh... Him."

Ralph gestured towards Winfrey as he spoke his words.

"What? You mean you two were fighting again and it got physical?"

"Yes... Kelli had to break us up with an Elwind attack."

It was Frederick's turn to let out a sigh.

"I should've known something like that was going to happen. But we don't have time for such nonsense. We'll solve that situation later. Besides, it still doesn't explain why you have no memory of what occurred at the arena, Ralph."

"You're right, you're right. Damn it, those bastards!" Ralph blurted in frustration. "But I'll keep trying to remember. If a spell or something was cast on me, it's gotta wear off sooner or later! I hope."

"Indeed. Oh, Kelli, did you get Sir Kieran?"

Kelli sniffled and lowered her head.

"Oh, Frederick... I found bloody hoof prints at the arena where he was hitched. We were so focused on Ralph that we forgot to look. I'm so sorry..."

Kelli couldn't help but bury her face in Frederick's chest and sob.

"The poor horse..."

"W-What?! He's been abducted too?!"

"Oh, I feel so terrible about it! Please forgive me, Frederick..."

"Hey, it's not your fault in the slightest, Kelli. But we'll find Sir Kieran. We just have to believe that he's somewhere safe and unharmed. We can have flyers that describe him thoroughly made and posted around the whole island."

"I feel bad too, Fred, but I'll help with that if that's what you want to do!" Ralph offered.

"I guess, but... Wouldn't Sir Kieran resemble enough horses to be hard to tell apart from the others if his saddle was removed?"

"Normally, that would be true. But I have a way of finding him in even the biggest group of similar horses, saddle or no saddle."

"Oh? Wait, let me guess. You had someone put a permanent mark of sorts on him that's unique just in case a situation like this ever arose."

"My love, you know me well," Frederick replied with a smile.

"Of course, it's just like you," Kelli commented, returning the gesture.

"Indeed. Anyway, I had a well-practiced sage put my family's crest on the bottom of Sir Kieran's back left hoof. It is the symbol you see on the shoulder guards of my armor."

"Ah, clever. We'll have to mention that in your flyers."

"Indeed. Also, he answers to his name. So if he hears anyone call him, he'll turn his attention to them."

"Yes, that's right! We should get started as soon as—!"

"You guys! Come quick! We've got an urgent situation!" an unfamiliar voice interrupted as the door of the room burst open. Everyone turned their attention to find the doctor that had accompanied Tara.

"What? What's happening?!" Kelli quickly inquired.

"It's Miss Tara! A couple of no-good thugs are holding her captive outside! They want some kind of ransom or something!" the doctor replied. "Someone has to help her! She could be hurt!"

"Thugs?!" Frederick gasped.

"What?!" Winfrey blurted. "Say no more, I'm as good as out the door!"

"Me too!" Kelli added. "Ralph, you come with us and take a look at these guys. They might be the ones that got you and if they are, it could jog your memory!"

"Don't worry, I was going to go anyway," Ralph agreed. "To see if this voice of mine can do what Fred said it could in a fight."

"Ah, good idea!"

Winfrey merely growled.

"Whatever, just stay out of my way!"

"Hmph, I already planned on it..." Ralph uttered back, though Winfrey was already out of the room at this time.

"Please be careful, all of you!" Frederick warned.

"We will, honey, don't worry!" Kelli assured with a smile.

With that, Kelli and Ralph rushed out of the room and followed Winfrey out to the front of the building. Just as the doctor had reported, Tara was being held by her arms by a devious-looking man in a long cloak carrying a sword. Next to him was a grayish-brown haired man in thick dark red robes. Another sorcerer, no doubt. If these two were indeed connected to Phantom and the ones that had taken Ralph and Sir Kieran, it was no surprise. Phantom would have such friends in high places. Tara squealed in fear as she tried to break loose from her captor's arms.

"You guys! Help! These two are insane!" she cried. "They threatened to kill me if I didn't lead them here! I'm sorry!"

"Don't worry, Tara, they're not going to harm a hair on your head as long as we're here!" Kelli assured her.

"Yeah!" Winfrey seconded, and turned his attention to the two men. "Hey! You punks better let her go if you know what's good for you!"

"Well, well, if it isn't that snooty festival host we heard all about," the sorcerer replied with a snicker. "Shame you lost in the first round of that tournament."

"Shame? Ha, I call it an honor. It was a loss to be proud of, because it was against a man respected by all of Ylisse. A man we believe you're trying to get thrown in prison for killing your friend, Phantom!"

"Oh, whoop-dee-do for you! And you two sniffed out our plan, did you? You're very clever, I'll give you that much."

"I knew it!" Kelli blurted. "You were with that bastard! I'll make you pay for this!"

"And you must have been the dirtbags that locked me in that old shop!" Ralph stepped in. "I knew something about you seemed familiar!"

"What?! You!" the sorcerer shouted, his eyes widening when he finally noticed Ralph standing behind Kelli. "How did you escape that room?!"

"I used to be a thief. But I guess I haven't lost my touch at escaping traps and picking locks."

The sorcerer could only growl, unable to find a response to Ralph's words.

"Well, if you want this lass back, you'll do as I say," the swordsman finally spoke. "We want Frederick to pay for ruining Phantom's plans and taking the only woman he ever cared for."

"What?! Like hell Phantom ever cared about me! And I will not let you hurt my husband!" Kelli proclaimed, reading one of her tomes.

"Tsk, tsk. Your precious husband wouldn't be in the position he's in now if you'd just done what Phantom said. And you would've saved all of us a lot of trouble."

"And left Frederick in a world of rejection! There's no way I will ever leave him!"

"Well then, this girl will just have to die..."

The swordsman then slowly raised his blade to Tara's neck.

"NO!" Winfrey blurted and began charging forward with his axe. However, Kelli stepped in front of him and forced him to a halt.

"Wait! Winfrey, hold on a moment," she said. "Alright, you guys. You win..."

"What?! Have you seriously lost it?!" Winfrey retorted, absolutely stupefied.

"Be quiet and you'll see," Kelli whispered.

"Oh..."

"Frederick is in one of the infirmary beds," Kelli continued. "Follow me."

With that, Kelli turned and gestured the men to follow. Before they could even take two steps, however, the tactician suddenly whirled around and answered with a blast of Elwind right to their faces. They were blown off their feet and into the dirt, freeing Tara from their grasp.

"Tara! Get inside, now!" Winfrey insisted.

"You don't have to tell me twice!" Tara replied. "Thank you both!"

"Of course, Tara!" Kelli said with a smile. Winfrey turned to Kelli once Tara was safe inside the building.

"I have to admit, that was a really impressive trick," he complimented. "You had me totally fooled."

"Hey, strategies like that are what I do," Kelli replied with a wink.

However, the swordsman and sorcerer growled angrily as they stood up. They looked as enraged as Phantom had been at Frederick in the arena, eyeing Kelli with blood lust.

"Now you've really made us angry," the sorcerer uttered bitterly. "I'll make sure to leave that knight with a painful hex that will make him suffer further!"

"And then I can stab him where it hurts the most!" the swordsman seconded.

Kelli gasped fearfully, gulping as she kept her combat stance. She and Winfrey had to finish these guys and present them to the arena authorities. Or else it was all over. As the two had spoken their words, however, Ralph's eyes widened. Something about them was very familiar. It only took seconds for it to hit him, and finally remember what he needed to know.

"Kelli! You and Winfrey keep holding them off!" Ralph insisted. "I have to do something right quick!"

"What?! But Ralph, it's getting dark!" Kelli protested. "And who knows if Phantom had more accomplices!"

"Yeah, but you'll thank me later. Trust me!"

"Well..."

"Just make sure you come back, or I'll hunt you down when we're done here!" Winfrey threatened.

"Sigh... Of course," Ralph obliged.

"Just be careful! Please," Kelli begged.

"Right! I'll be back in a flash!"

With that, Ralph rushed off towards the back of the arena.

"Stop him!" the sorcerer ordered.

The swordsman attempted to give chase, but Winfrey stepped in his way.

"Hey! I'm not through with you yet!" he blurted and engaged the man.

The sorcerer had no choice but to let Ralph go, as he wouldn't nearly be fast enough to catch the ex-thief, especially in the dark. He growled in irritation once more, moving on to battle Kelli.

Meanwhile, Ralph continued running as fast as he could behind the arena. He entered some woods despite the darkened sky, knowing full well that the trees would make it even harder to see than out in the open. But Ralph knew what he was doing. He just had to be correct if what his restored memory showed him was true. And during his thieving years, he learned to navigate and track in even dark places. And thankfully, it wasn't yet completely dark. Ralph began scanning the woods he was now in as quickly as possible, hoping to find what he was looking for soon. Another good thing was that these woods weren't particularly thick, so he could navigate his way through them with little difficulty.

Around ten minutes later, Ralph finally spotted the silhouette of a fairly small wooden building situated in a clearing. This was the place, it had to be. It wasn't that run-down and the windows were in decent condition from what Ralph could see. He quickly approached the large front door, catching his breath as he attempted to open it. But of course, just like that door at the abandoned shop, it was locked. Suddenly, a whinny echoed inside. This confirmed Ralph's suspicions and he quickly produced his lock pick. He kicked down the door as soon as he jimmied it open.

Inside, and shackled to the stone floor by all four legs, was Sir Kieran. The horse's saddle and reins hadn't even been removed, although whatever was inside the saddlebag probably was. Surrounding the horse were many crates, shelves, and extra weapons. It was the hideaway of Phantom's two lackeys. Ralph quickly approached Sir Kieran, who began neighing loudly and fearfully.

"Whoa! Sir Kieran, whoa, boy! It's just me, Ralph!" Ralph spoke up in an attempt to calm the beast down. But the horse only spat at him with an angry snort.

"Oh come on! I'm serious here!" Ralph protested. "Look, I'll prove it to you! I came to save you because I was the only one who knew where those bastard dirtbags took you!"

The ex-thief then readied his lock pick once more and began undoing the shackles on Sir Kieran's legs, despite the horse shaking and squirming wildly. Ralph backed away as soon as all four were finally removed.

"Look, see? You're free now!" Ralph pointed out as he tossed away the fourth shackle. But it didn't take him long to notice a bleeding cut on the back of the horse's front left limb.

"What the—?! They hurt you too!" he blurted. "This must've happened while they took you through these woods and you were trying to break free. Hold on, I can help with this too!"

However, even with his limbs free of shackles, Sir Kieran still wasn't satisfied and attempted to hold Ralph away. Thankfully, it was too painful for the horse to run on that injured leg, so he didn't get far before Ralph stopped him near the still-open door.

"Sir Kieran! Seriously, you can't run off with that injury bleeding like that! Just calm down, I have a vulnerary Fred gave to me," he said, placing his hands on the horse's strong chest. "Just relax and trust me. You kind of don't have a choice anyway."

With this, Sir Kieran finally began to calm down, though he was still whinnying and squirming. Ralph quickly produced his vulnerary as well as a large cloth that he often used as a bandage. After dumping a handful of the vulnerary powder onto it, he gently pressed it against Sir Kieran's wound. Gradually, and amazingly enough, the horse calmed down even further.

"See?" Ralph spoke up again. "Doesn't that feel so much better?"

As if he understood Ralph's words, Sir Kieran gave an approving light whinny and allowed him to continue. Ralph then finished his treatment by tying the cloth around the horse's leg.

"See, you can trust me. I'm a friend," Ralph pointed out again. This time, Sir Kieran didn't snort at him or attempt to push him away. He actually seemed to agree for once.

As a little bit of moonlight managed to reach inside the place, however, Ralph suddenly spotted a sparkle of light emanating from one of the open crates. The ex-thief approached it, and upon closer inspection, he discovered the light to be coming from a beautiful sapphire brooch. Winfrey's sapphire brooch.

"Holy mother of Naga..." Ralph uttered, picking up the valuable piece of jewelry. "This has to be Winfrey's. These guys are also heartless thieves!"

Before he could speak any further, Ralph suddenly felt a loud snort right in his ear.

"Sir Kieran! Come on, I'm not stealing this! I know who it belongs to and I have to give it to him. He thinks I stole it and it's only right that I return it. I'd prove to him that I'm innocent too. So whatever you're thinking, I'm taking this with me."

Sir Kieran merely snorted again as if to say "Alright, fine..." Ralph then stuffed the brooch into the satchel on his waist.

"Thank you. Now we have to go to the infirmary near here. Fred and Kelli are in major trouble and they need our help!" he continued. "They're worried about you too! So let's get out of here and give them a hand! What do you say? Are you with me?"

In response, Sir Kieran trotted out the door and gestured Ralph to climb aboard.

"Alright!" Ralph cheered. He quickly leaped upon Sir Kieran's back. He wasn't sure how to work the reins, so he hung onto the saddle as Sir Kieran broke into a gallop back through the woods.

"Fred, Kelli, we're on our way!" Ralph shouted excitedly.

Back at the infirmary, Winfrey and Kelli were still battling the swordsman and sorcerer bent on attacking Frederick while he was still weakened. It turned out that the two were stronger than they seemed and gave the warrior and tactician a run for their money. To make things worse, Winfrey's axe was at a disadvantage against swords and like Frederick, he wasn't exactly well practiced against magic. Winfrey mostly battled axe-wielding bandits and sword-wielding thieves for a living, so he hadn't even had much opportunity to fight mages. But he and Kelli had to hold on no matter what, or they were all doomed.

As such, Kelli repeatedly found herself dodging, blocking, and clashing with dark magic attacks and Winfrey was constantly clashing his axe with a sword. And in the process, both received various wounds, including scrapes and bruises. Thankfully, however, the same was holding true for the enemy. And Kelli gradually noticed the sorcerer using attacks similar to what Phantom had used against Frederick, although not exactly the same. This sorcerer didn't appear to have a Nosferatu tome, and his magic in general didn't seem to be quite as strong. Phantom did seem to have been the mastermind of this group, so this was no surprise. But Kelli did take hits from masses of dark magic that felt like punches, much like what Phantom had delivered on her husband.

Winfrey, meanwhile, was trying to apply tactics that Frederick had used against him to overpower the swordsman. However, this swordsman was just as fast, if not faster than the knight captain, making this difficult. Winfrey couldn't find an opportunity to trick the man. Whenever they clashed and pushed against each other, letting the swordsman fall forward didn't slow him down enough. The man's sword kept Winfrey at a far enough distance to where he couldn't use hand-to-hand combat to mix things up.

"Ugh! Damn it, we need to come up with a plan, and fast!" Winfrey blurted as he found himself going on the defensive yet again and blocking and dodging sword swipes.

"I know, I'm trying to think of something!" Kelli assured. "We could switch opponents, but..."

"Yeah, not a great idea," Winfrey replied. "Note to self: learn to fight mages."

"Heh, so you're no good against practitioners of magic such as myself?" the sorcerer commented. "Then how about I end your misery quickly?"

He then attempted to target Winfrey with another dark spell, only to have Kelli give chase and launch a pillar of Elfire right before him.

"No!" she shouted. "You want to get to him, you'll have to go through me first!"

"Grrr... Very well! We have the upper hand anyway!" the sorcerer pointed out. "All you're doing is struggling, and it'll only be a matter of time before you grow too tired and weak to keep up."

"That...won't happen!" Kelli protested.

"You're fighting well, I'll admit. But it's obvious to me that we're doing just a little bit more damage. And since you're all that stands in our way, victory is as good as ours. No one else can stop us."

"Aren't you forgetting someone?!" a familiar masculine voice suddenly interrupted. A loud neigh followed right after.

The sound of galloping hooves then echoed through the area. Within seconds, Ralph came storming in atop Sir Kieran's back. The horse neighed viciously as the two headed straight for the sorcerer.

"Leave my friend's wife alone!" Ralph shouted bravely. Sir Kieran shoved his head right into the sorcerer's body, sending him plummeting to the grass. Ralph and the horse then aimed for the swordsman who had Winfrey pinned against a wall. Sir Kieran stopped, whirled around, and launched his back hooves right into the man's sword arm, sending him flying. The impact likely dislocated his shoulder, the pain causing him to bellow loudly. Winfrey immediately rushed to apprehend him.

"What the hell?!" the sorcerer shouted, slowly rising.

Kelli shook her head upon what she just witnessed.

"Ralph! You found Sir Kieran!" she cried. "And he's letting you ride him!"

"Yep! That sorcerer and swordsman mentioning hexes and all sounded very familiar and it caused me to remember what they had erased," Ralph explained. "I knew where they had taken Sir Kieran. Just as I was going to approach that water stand, I happened to catch a glance through a window and I saw Sir Kieran making a fuss for some reason. I went out there to see what was going on, and these two were trying to take him away. I was going to rush back inside for help, but they saw me before I could even try."

Ralph revealed that he overheard the men talking about locking Sir Kieran up in their hideaway in the nearby woods and then slaying him later if Phantom wasn't successful against Frederick. Phantom had told them that if he couldn't have Kelli, then he would take something Frederick cared about to even the score. It was then that Ralph was caught and knocked out, perhaps by a blow to the head. He woke up momentarily as the two men were putting Sir Kieran, who had been overpowered with a mind control hex, inside their hideaway. Ralph was riding tied up upon Sir Kieran's back, and the sorcerer noticed him wake up easily. It was then that the man cast the spell on him that not only erased his memory of what he had seen, but also put him to sleep while they transported him to the run down old shop. They separated Ralph from Sir Kieran so he wouldn't later attempt to break himself and the horse free.

"As for Sir Kieran finally trusting me," Ralph continued. "Getting him out of those shackles and treating a wound on his leg was enough to finally convince him that I'm his friend. Isn't that right, boy?"

Ralph happily patted Sir Kieran's neck, who once again gave an approving whinny.

"Whoa," Kelli commented. "Ralph, I'm so impressed! Just wait until Frederick hears all about this!"

"Nice story and all, but can we just go get the tournament staff and security now?!" Winfrey insisted.

"I wouldn't celebrate just yet!" the sorcerer suddenly spoke up angrily. He darted over to Ralph and Sir Kieran, rage burning through his mind yet again, and yanked the ex-thief off of the horse's back without giving him a chance to react.

"AAGH!" Ralph shrieked as he landed back first on the ground.

"RALPH!" Kelli cried, cupping her mouth with her hands. Sir Kieran neighed loudly and attempted to ram the sorcerer again, but Kelli stopped him by darting in front of him, insisting that she didn't want him to hurt himself again. The sorcerer then pulled Ralph off of the ground and held him by his neck. He then used his free arm to get a bottle of clear liquid from a satchel around his waist.

"Listen up, you fools!" the sorcerer shouted again. "This bottle contains a new potion that myself and some fellow wielders of dark magic recently brewed. It has the amazing power to turn a normal human into a Risen."

"What?!" Kelli gasped. "That can't be possible!"

"Yeah, something like that has to be extremely powerful and take years and years to concoct!" Winfrey added.

"Well, apparently that wasn't the case for us," the sorcerer countered. "I'll allow Ylissean doctors, priests, and mages to take a sample and study it if you do as I say. But if you don't surrender and hand over yourself and Frederick, Kelli, then it will be used to taint Ylisse's water and farmland and your citizens will be turned into Risen by the hundreds!"

"Huh?! That can't be! I don't believe you! A-And I'll find some way to protect Frederick! I'll never love anyone except him!"

"Well then, allow me to demonstrate on your sorry friend here!"

"Wait! NO!" Kelli shouted fearfully. But before she could even move, the sorcerer shoved the bottle into Ralph's mouth, forcing the potion down his throat.

Both Kelli and Winfrey began rushing over to help the ex-thief, but froze in their tracks when he began to gag and his skin appeared to darken. Within seconds, it was rotted and wrinkly, and his eyes were replaced with glowing red orbs.

"Yeesh!" Winfrey blurted, backing away a little.

"Oh my gods..." Kelli uttered fearfully, watching the Risen Ralph before her shriek. Suddenly, however, a momentary sharp pain struck her head.

"Aagh!" she cried, bringing her hands to her head. She gasped when the pain was suddenly gone.

"Kelli, what's the matter?!" Winfrey quickly inquired, still holding onto the disabled swordsman. Even though his sword arm was now effectively useless, Winfrey wasn't taking any chances.

Instead of answering the warrior, Kelli quickly shouted an incantation, leaving Winfrey arching his eyebrow in confusion. Suddenly, the Risen Ralph gradually faded away, revealing the original Ralph, safe and alive, although still coughing. Winfrey's jaw nearly hit the ground.

"What the—?" he uttered.

"Allow me to explain," Kelli replied as the sorcerer went wide eyed. "That potion was a fake, just as I thought. When I saw Ralph change, a memory I had lost suddenly returned to me. It was of a woman that I can't identify, and she was practicing illusionary spells. She used the incantation I just shouted to dispel the illusions. This sorcerer used such a spell to pretend to turn Ralph into a Risen and the liquid he force-fed him was nothing but harmless water or something."

"Nasty water. Ugh," Ralph choked. "But I'm good now, thanks."

The sorcerer was so shocked by what had just happened that he hadn't given himself a chance to escape when an angry Ralph pounced him and restrained him on the ground in the same way Winfrey had done with the swordsman.

"Damn you!" the sorcerer bellowed as his arms were yanked behind his back by the ex-thief. "This isn't over! Mark my words!"

"We'll see about that," Kelli commented. The swordsman didn't say anything. He was likely still in a lot of pain from the blow Sir Kieran had dealt him.

"Hey! Lady Kelli!" another familiar voice called out. Kelli, Winfrey, and Ralph turned to see the two men that had shackled Frederick to his bed. They were followed by a third man this time, likely another tournament staff member. Probably security.

"Oh, it's you! We did what you asked," Kelli said. "These men attacked us and admitted to being involved with Phantom and his plans! They also kidnapped my husband's horse as well as our friend Ralph here. Ralph can tell you everything."

"Yeah, that's exactly what happened," Ralph stepped in. "This sorcerer cast a hex on me to erase my memory of those events, but I was able to remember."

Ralph then repeated his story from earlier about having witnessed the sorcerer and swordsman trying to abduct Sir Kieran and how it led to him being locked up himself.

"Phantom had a contingency plan all along that was being carried out even while he was dueling Frederick," the ex-thief finished. "He had decided that if he failed to defeat Frederick, he would take away something precious to him just as Frederick "took" Kelli. That's why they targeted Sir Kieran. They probably would've gone after me instead, but I was in the stands surrounded by hundreds of witnesses."

"I see," the first man replied. "We'll take these criminals to the prison and have them verify all of this as well as be properly sentenced. If all goes well, Frederick will be declared to have only defended a loved one from danger and be free to go."

"And these two will be locked up tight for a long time," the second man said. "Also...Ralph, was it? We'll need you to come with us and present your story to the court."

"You don't have to convince me," Ralph agreed. "Fred is my best friend and I'll do anything for him."

"Excellent. And Lady Kelli, we'll just need written statements from you and Frederick about your first encounter with Phantom."

"Of course," Kelli obliged with a smile.

"Take one from me as well," Winfrey insisted. "My name's Winfrey and I was involved in the battle here. I can also verify that these men attacked us."

"Oh, the former tournament champion? That would be much appreciated, thank you."

"Oh, no problem. I want to these two to get what they deserve as much as any of us."

Two of the men then took the sorcerer and swordsman, shackled them, and guided them away. Ralph followed as he was told and again promised to be back as soon as possible. After Kelli put Sir Kieran at the nearby hitching post, she and Winfrey then followed the third man inside the infirmary so he could take the statements that were asked for. Kelli led everyone back to Frederick's room so the statements could be taken together. Frederick was so relieved to see his wife safe and sound that he nearly forgot that he couldn't leave his bed due to the shackle.

"Kelli! Oh, Kelli, I was worried sick," he said with a sniffle. "I'm so happy to see you safe and unharmed. Well, for the most part. You must get those cuts and bruises treated!"

"Oh, Frederick," Kelli replied with a smile. "I'm glad too, and don't worry, I'll do that as soon as our business with this gentleman from the tournament staff is done. We have to give him statements so we can clear you."

"Ah, so the men responsible for abducting Ralph and Sir Kieran are in custody?"

"That's right! You'll be out of that shackle soon!"

"Oh, that's wonderful news. Thank you so much."

"Hey, don't thank me! It was Ralph who really saved the day!"

"Oh, is that so? And where is he now?"

"He had to go with the two men that were here earlier to tell his story in court. He'll be back later. And I think I'll let him tell you what happened. I bet he'd be really happy to do so."

"Ah, I see. Then let's get this done. I really wish to get out of this bed."

"Well, I'm not sure if the doctors will let you even without the shackle, but yes, let's do this, love!"

"I just need everyone to write their entire story on a sheet of parchment," the tournament official instructed.

"Oh, how about we have Tara give one too?" Winfrey suggested. "She was being held captive outside which was what got our attention there in the first place."

"I don't mind doing so. Anything to help my guests," Tara, who was already in the room, agreed.

"Alright then, the more evidence, the better," the tournament official replied.

With that, everyone took quills, ink, and parchment and began writing everything they knew in a timely manner. It didn't take long for any of them to finish, even though Frederick and Kelli had the most to write. They also made sure not to make too many mistakes and that the handwriting was perfectly neat and legible. The tournament official collected the parchment and writing materials when everyone was done.

"I thank you for your time, all of you," he said with a smile. "I'll be sure to bring these to my fellow officials as quickly as I can so we may clear Sir Frederick's name as soon as possible."

"Thank you so much, once again," Kelli replied with a big smile. "I'm glad this is working out!"

"Think nothing of it, Lady Kelli. We're just happy that we can do the right thing. We honestly never believed that Frederick was lying, it's just law that enough evidence be collected before we convict and sentence anyone."

"Of course, and that's perfectly understandable," Frederick replied. "We're glad we can help."

"Indeed! Now, I shall be on my way."

With that, the official left, leaving the group to await Ralph's return. Kelli went ahead and produced a vulnerary from her satchel and began treating her wounds. Frederick could only sigh as he watched his wife apply the powder to what had to be dozens of cuts, bruises, and even burns, just like he had sustained against Phantom. Though Kelli's wounds were obviously more minor. Even so, he didn't like to see her having to take so many injuries.

"Kelli... I'm truly sorry for what you went through outside just now," Frederick spoke up. "You shouldn't have had to fight for both our lives."

"Oh, Frederick... I can't imagine how hard it must have been to have to remain cooped up in here and worrying all the time," Kelli replied. "But it's okay, it wasn't your fault at all."

"I know, but... I'm your husband and a seasoned knight. I should be the one protecting you. I feel like I'm not properly doing my duty if I have to end up in bed and bandaged while you have to do all of the battling."

"Frederick, I know. But I really don't mind. Didn't we recently fight in a war together, where I used my magic and sword skills while you made use of horseback combat? I know you just want to do what a knight is meant to do, but you also trained me, and I'm still sharpening my skills at tactics and combat all the time. And since you already saved me by risking your life against Phantom and then landing here, it was only right that I go and protect you in return."

"Well... That is true."

"See? I want to do this, Frederick. I want to protect you too because you're doing so much for me out of love. I just feel I should do the same to make it worth it because I love you too! Besides, if someone doesn't make sure you come out okay, how can you keep doing the same for the rest of us?"

"Yeah, and I have to admit, your wife is pretty skilled," Winfrey commented. "Of course, I had heard about Kelli's skills since I had you two come up on the stage at the festival. But I actually got to see them for myself and they were better than I imagined."

"D'aww," Kelli replied with a blush. "Thanks, Winfrey!"

"Heh, no problem."

"Well, I suppose you're both right," Frederick conceded with a smile. "Kelli, let's keep protecting each other. But while being careful at the same time."

"Oh, Frederick, of course," Kelli agreed, returning the gesture.

The group then fell fairly silent for a while as they awaited Ralph's return. Frederick and Kelli soon realized that Sir Kieran hadn't gotten any food in hours, so Kelli went outside to give him some of the horse feed that was near the hitching posts. Winfrey commented that he was a lovely horse and that Frederick had raised him well. As he had told Kelli back in Azura, Frederick explained that he considered Sir Kieran to be his friend and main partner in battle. It was only right that he properly care for him and he was going to remind the recruits at the palace who sought to be knights to do the same with their mounts.

A little later, a doctor came in to check on Frederick's wounds and give him a regular check-up, just to be sure that his recovery was going smoothly and that he hadn't irritated the cracked ribs. If one of the ribs broke all the way through, Frederick would be in danger of one of them piercing a lung or even his heart. This is why everyone did their best to keep the knight abed so they could heal. Tara eventually left to go get some sleep so she could reopen the resort check-in building again in the morning. Kelli asked Frederick if he had eaten any dinner yet, and Frederick said he had not long before they had returned with Ralph. The infirmary's food was decent, but it still left much to be desired compared to the cuisine at the palace. Although, that could just be because Frederick wasn't used to food served outside of Ylisstol besides what the Shepherds hunted while they were out and about. And Frederick tended to cook that himself.

Another hour or so passed as the group continued mustering up conversation to pass the time until Ralph came back. And finally, the ex-thief appeared at the door, eager to tell the group what had occurred at court.

"Ralph! You're back at last!" Kelli greeted. "How did it go?"

"Yes, please, tell us," Frederick insisted.

"Oh, it went just fine," Ralph replied with a smile. "I told them everything I could and they thanked me. I was told that my story along with your statements should definitely be enough to put those guys away."

"That's good to know," Winfrey commented.

"Yes, that's excellent!" Frederick seconded. "I can't stand being stuck here much longer. I-I'm just not used to it! I need to either be up and working or spending time with Kelli!"

"Frederick, of course you'd feel that way," Kelli said with a chuckle. "But I can't blame you, really. I'd likely get bored after a while myself if I had to stay in bed for a long time. But that is great to hear, Ralph! You've been such a big help lately!"

"Ah, it was nothing... Really," Ralph replied, scratching the back of his head.

"Oh, but Ralph, Kelli said you should tell me about what you did outside just now," Frederick remembered. "So please, do tell!"

"Ah, well, you do need to know part of it anyway," Ralph agreed with a smile. He then told of how his memory was jogged and he knew exactly where Sir Kieran was so he could rescue the horse. Kelli helped describe how the ex-thief gained the horse's trust and rode him to disrupt the sorcerer and swordsman.

"Wow... Ralph, I am most proud of you," Frederick complimented. "You really did me a favor by saving Sir Kieran and getting Kelli and Winfrey out of a tight spot."

"Hey, you and Kelli really helped me first, so it was the least I could do," Ralph pointed out happily.

"Honestly, as surprised as I am to admit this, I have to agree with Frederick," Winfrey put in. "You did help a lot, Ralph."

"Oh? Well, thank you."

"Don't mention it."

"Oh! Before I forget. Winfrey..." Ralph began. "I believe this belongs to you. I found it among the loot stashed in those guys' hideaway."

The ex-thief then dug into his satchel and produced the sapphire brooch from the building in the woods. Winfrey froze where he stood and his eyes widened when laid them upon the beautiful piece of jewelry. Frederick and Kelli were nearly equally shocked, as who would've expected Ralph to come up with such a priceless possession?

"W-What?! That's..." Winfrey began, unable to find words for a moment. "My mother's brooch...?"

"Yeah, that's why I took it with me when I got Sir Kieran."

Winfrey gently took the brooch into his hands an examined it as tears gradually built up into his eyes.

"Yes, this is it. I-I can't believe it..."

"Now if I had stolen it and sold it off, would I be giving it back to you?" Ralph continued.

Winfrey didn't reply right away. Instead, he continued to stare at the brooch for a few seconds until he dropped to his knees in tears. Frederick and Kelli were struck with surprise once again. First Winfrey showed a very hostile attitude towards Ralph, and now he was crying. He certainly had a lot of sides to him.

"Ralph, I..." he started. "I am so sorry... I was wrong. Entirely wrong. Tara was right about me. And Frederick and Kelli were right about you. My childhood and experiences as a warrior blinded me so badly that I didn't want to give myself a chance to see things in another light. And I provoked you into a needless fight and took my anger out on Frederick and Kelli... And all because the pain never stopped and still doesn't. The pain I suffered growing up..."

"Winfrey..." Ralph uttered.

"I went and hurt all of you. And I hurt you most of all, Ralph. Please... Can you ever forgive me?"

"Winfrey, of course I can."

"You mean that?"

Ralph placed a comforting hand on Winfrey's shoulder before replying again.

"Definitely. I'm a believer in second chances. Frederick gave me one when I found him here and taught me that the past doesn't shape a person. So now I'm going to give you one too."

"Ah... Thank you so much. That really means a lot to me."

"And we forgive you too, Winfrey," Frederick stepped in. "After all, you did still gain my respect during our tournament match and you helped me out while I've been here."

"Frederick's right," Kelli seconded with a smile. "We have no reason not to put this all behind us."

"Again, thank you..." Winfrey commented, a small smile finally dawning his face. "I'm glad we could put this all to rest."

"Me too," Ralph agreed. "And hey, about the pain you've had to endure. I might be able to help with that too."

"Oh? How so?"

"Well, as you probably noticed at the arena, I have a passion for singing. I sang to myself to deal with the troubles of my life as a thief. During my travels, I learned of an old magical melody that's said to have originated in another world. It was used by an ancient tribe to heal curses, illnesses, and other painful experiences. It's called…dang it, I forgot! Something about rebirth, I think. But anyway, you might not be suffering physical pain or some curse making you go crazy, and I may not have any magic in my blood, but just the sound of this song might make you feel better, who knows? Should I give it a try?"

"Ah, sure, I don't mind. Like other people, I do think you have a lovely voice!"

"Heh, thank you! And alright, but I will point out that the lyrics are in an ancient tongue and I might not sing them perfectly. It's been awhile since I last performed this."

With that, Ralph cleared his throat and began to sing a slow, lovely melody. He was right that the lyrics were not of their native language. Winfrey closed his eyes as the soothing sound of the melody seeped into his mind and a large smile dawned his features.

"Ralph... That was the most beautiful thing I ever heard," he complimented when the ex-thief finished.

"Ah, really?" Ralph wondered bashfully.

"Yes! Yes, it was! And it doesn't matter if you can't use magic. I honestly did feel like I was healing. Something about your voice just has that effect. I can't really put my finger on why."

"Indeed, Ralph, I somehow feel more content myself," Frederick added. "That song was very lovely!"

"It was! You're so amazing at this, Ralph!" Kelli complimented.

"D'awww, you guys are embarrassing me!" Ralph said, his cheeks going red. "But I'm just glad I could find a way to be useful in this world after all."

"Well, what a way it is!" Winfrey commented, rising to his feet.

Before Ralph could say anything else, the door opened and in walked the tournament host along with the two men that were with him when Ralph was forced to sing the national anthem. The host was carrying a shining gold trophy that was nearly the size of Sir Kieran's head. It was round with a narrow stand and protruding from the top was the shape of the Falchion wielded by the hero king Marth. This Falchion had been smaller than the one wielded by Chrom and was how the sword originally looked before it was re-forged into the current blade. One of the men accompanying the host carried a large brown bag, likely containing the prize gold.

"Sir Frederick, we're pleased to see you're recovering nicely," the host said with a smile. "I had to tell the crowd that there would be no award ceremony this year because the tournament winner is in an infirmary recovering from injuries...but we believe this is yours."

"The trophy? ...Really?" Frederick replied, partly confused and partly surprised.

"Of course. We learned of Phantom's scheme when the trial against his cohorts came to an end," the host explained. "You were indeed innocent all along. The sorcerer and the swordsman admitted to have been working for Phantom as well as Phantom's intent to kill you and abduct Kelli. We apologize for what you've had to go through."

"Oh, don't worry, it was never your fault. The tournament staff was only doing their job, correct?"

"True, you're right about that. But you've been cleared, so we'll remove that shackle from your hand. We were given the key just before we left the courthouse."

With that, the host nodded to one of his cohorts and the man approached Frederick's shackled wrist. He unlocked and removed it just as promised.

"Well, thank you so much," Frederick commented. "I am certainly glad to be free aside from my injuries. However...I do not believe I deserve the trophy."

"What? Why do you say that?" the host wondered, his eyes widening in surprise. "You were the victor in that championship match. And someone has to take the trophy."

"Yes, but... While Phantom may not actually be dead on account of his body disappearing without a trace, no normal person would have survived the blows I dealt him. So I still violated your rules and therefore didn't win fairly."

"That's true, but you didn't have a choice. That guy was trying to kill you too, wasn't he?"

"Indeed, but taking the trophy just doesn't feel right. Besides..." Frederick trailed off and then glanced at Ralph. "I believe there's someone else in this room that should have it, along with that bag of gold."

"W-Wait, why are you looking at me?" Ralph stuttered.

"Because I think you deserve the prizes, of course."

"Whaaat?! But Fred, I didn't even enter the tournament!"

"True, but if you ask me, you defeated Phantom and his cohorts more than any of us, even myself. It was you that found the evidence we needed and then you rescued Sir Kieran and gave Kelli and Winfrey the chance they needed to bring down Phantom's cohorts. Without that, Phantom might have still won regardless of his defeat at the arena. And you need the gold to support yourself and your parents."

"B-But I still don't know... You deserve a lot of credit for the hell you went through battling that nutcase."

"True, I suppose. How about we share the trophy then? I'm willing to do that as long as you take that gold. You need it a lot more than I do, as I said."

Ralph then found himself sniffling and tears of joy building up in his eyes.

"Well...okay," he finally agreed. "Fred... I... I just don't know what to say. Thank you! I never dreamed I would ever see a pile of money like this again!"

"Don't worry, I'm always happy to help you, my friend."

"This is all lovely, but we only put your name on the trophy's plaque, Frederick…" the host pointed out. "I mean, we didn't expect any of this."

"That's understandable, but we'll manage," Frederick assured.

"Well, then, we'll just leave this stuff here for you two. Also, Ralph, I have to apologize for how we treated you in the arena when you sang the national anthem. We were frustrated over some issues we'd had preparing this tournament, including the original singer we hired falling ill and we let it get to us. It's no excuse for our behavior though."

"Eh, don't worry, I'm over it," Ralph replied with a smile. "I don't think I can sing in another tournament here anytime soon though, it's kind of far from Ylisstol where I'll be training to become a soldier."

"Ah, I see, though we did kind of hope we could get you back here in the near future. But it's your decision and we have to respect that."

"Heh, thanks."

"Well, we'll be on our way now. I hope you all enjoy the rest of your stay on the island!"

The host then placed the trophy on the nearby counter along with the bag of gold. After they were bid farewell, the host and his cohorts departed the room, leaving the group to admire the beautiful trophy.

"Ralph, I'll have your name added to the trophy and have it displayed in the palace," Frederick suggested. "What do you say?"

"M-My name? In the palace? Fred, that's the greatest honor I could ever have," Ralph commented, abashed.

"Well, you deserve it, if you ask me. And you'll deserve it even more when you become a big part of our army."

"Ahh… Thanks so much!"

"But of course."

The group took the next few seconds to look at the trophy, the candle lights in the room reflecting beautifully off of its smooth and shiny surface.

"I have to say, this trophy is as amazing as the one I have at home," Winfrey commented. "The people hired to make them never lose their touch."

"Oh, I know, this trophy is so lovely," Kelli commented and then approached Frederick. "And Frederick, I am as proud of you as I am Ralph. And I think your parents will be too."

Kelli didn't hesitate to give her husband another gentle, loving hug. Frederick smiled as embraced it.

"Ah, thank you, my love," he said. "I'm afraid I still won't be able to leave the infirmary for a while though. It'll take some more time for my ribs to heal enough. Will you be alright going back to the cabin without me?"

"Of course, Frederick, don't worry. I might miss you, but I'll have Ralph to keep me company."

"Yeah, I'm not going to leave Kel alone if she wants someone around, Fred. You can count on that."

"That's good, I only wished to make sure," Frederick replied. "I'll still get out of here as soon as I can though."

"Heh, of course you will," Kelli commented with a chuckle. "But what matters is that we'll finally be able to continue enjoying our honeymoon just like we were supposed to. Even if you still have to walk around with your arm in a sling, we can make do, I just know it."

"Indeed, we can. And I promise that after everything we've been through lately, I'll make it as enjoyable as possible."

"Oh, Frederick!" Kelli cried happily. She then pressed her lips against his, being careful not to irritate his ribs as she wrapped her arms around his neck. Neither Winfrey nor Ralph could help but smile upon seeing the couple so happy again after recent events. And they didn't part anytime soon either.

"Well, how about we leave these two lovebirds to their moment and grab some dinner?" Ralph suggested. "I'm starving after today. We can bring some back for Kelli too."

"I can go for that. Kelli made me skip dinner earlier, so yeah," Winfrey agreed with a smile and followed Ralph out of the room. "Besides, I can get to know you better this way."

"Heh, that is true! That is true."

The two then made their way outside and Sir Kieran didn't even notice them walking off.

"Say, that café Kelli and I were at sounded good. How about we go there?" Winfrey wondered.

"Alright, I don't mind as long as we're satisfied," Ralph agreed.

"Great, that's settled then! Just don't go stealing anymore food."

"What?! Come on, man, really?"

"I'm teasing, Ralph, I'm teasing! You can't blame a guy for just trying to have a little fun, right?"

"Heh, I suppose not."

"Ah, speaking of fun, have you ever been mountain climbing?"

"Mountain climbing?! Whoa, I've always wanted to try that! I mean, I'd learned about it when I was a kid, but nobody thought I would really have the guts to do something like that. Fred even said it was much too dangerous. I've been waiting for someone to let me give it a try!"

"Really? Nonsense. I was told the same thing by my father, but with the proper equipment, skill, and safety measures, it's a lot of fun! And I've been waiting to find someone to do it with! Who knew it would be you?"

"Winfrey, I think this is the start of a beautiful friendship."

"It sure is, Ralph. It sure is."

***

Awakening Style Ending: Ralph

While he trained in the Ylisse army, Ralph's vocal talent became loved throughout the nation. It was said that his voice could make even the saddest and angriest people smile.

Edited January 8, 2015 by Anacybele