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Description
Today's a beautiful day. Not even the shadow of a cloud breaks the sky; the sun covers the earth in a warm blanket, yet doesn't suffocate the people with its heat.

Yes... the weather couldn't have been more beautiful if it tried.

Ike wonders why the gods of this world laugh at him by choosing to make today so perfect, when such a bleak memory accompanies it.

The sun dips below the horizon as he sits on the backyard porch, staring off into the distance...

At this time, four years ago, he still lived... he was still commander... and Ike was little more than a stupid rookie, only wishing to live up to the commander's name.

“Daddy?”

He suddenly glances over--

Pike hesitantly stumbles over to his father, crashing into the mercenary's leg and tightly grasping the worn, gray fabric of his pants.

“Daddy, why are you outside?” the young angel queries, looking up with wide, innocent eyes. “And why do you look so sad?”

Ike can't help but smile faintly as he ruffles his son's hair.

“Before you were born, something sad happened on this day,” he explains quietly. “I'm just remembering it, that's all...”

“What happened?”

He hesitates as Pike quickly climbs onto the bench, sliding next to the mercenary whose resemblance he so closely bears.

“Well, a few years ago... my dad was the leader of a bunch of people. A bunch of strong people who could take on any bad guys,” Ike begins. “One night, I was walking through the forest, and I saw him fighting a big man in black armor...”

“Father!”

“Ike! Stay back!!”

He stops suddenly in place, nervously shuffling back as per Greil's order...

“The strange man was strong, and knocked my dad's weapon right out of his hands,” he continues, unaware of his son's widening eyes. “He threw a sword towards my dad-- but he'd hurt himself a long time ago, and couldn't lift a sword. So he picked up his axe again...”

“Is that all there is? No challenge... no... resistance?”

“Father!”

He rushes to Greil's side, catching him before falling under his weight.

“No, Father... Don't go...!”

“Daddy...?”

Pike loosely grabs onto Ike's hand as the mercenary's expression grows sorrowful-- the anger, the loss, the pain he felt that night all resurfacing in this one moment...

“My dad... fell asleep while I tried carrying him back home,” he mumbles. “And he never woke up...”

“Live here. Live in peace...”

“Father, stop talking,” he scolds, the rain perfectly masking his tears. “You're wasting your strength. Please...”

“I need you to take care of everything,” Greil hisses painfully, the hand over his heart slowly falling away. “The company... Mist...”

“W-wait... You mustn't say such things!” Ike protests, stumbling in the slippery mud. “It'll be light soon. You'll be fine--!”

A cry escapes his lips as he finally falls; he can't hear the sound of approaching footsteps over the pouring rain and his father's fading gasps...

“A little longer,” he pleads. “Stay a little longer...!”

“Daddy, you're crying... why are you crying?”

Ike suddenly becomes aware of his surroundings once again; he quickly dries his eyes, wiping the tears off his cheeks with the collar of his shirt.

“Because I'm still a little sad, Pike,” he replies, subconsciously pulling his son close. “I didn't think that my dad would be gone so soon... I thought I'd be able to talk to him a little while longer. That's all...”

“Oh...” Pike mumbles, resting his cheek against his father's arm. “...you're not gonna go away, are you?”

“No,” the mercenary shakes his head. “No, I'm not... I promise.”

“Okay... you promised! If you go away, now... my other daddy and I are gonna find you, and we're gonna pinch you real hard, cuz you're a meanie liar!”

He can't help it; Ike chuckles softly, reaching over and ruffling his son's unruly blue hair.

“Alright. Now I won't, for sure. Okay?”

Pike beams, flapping his small white wings.

“Okay! Now, can we go inside? 'Cuz Pit-daddy told me to come find you...”

“Yeah, we can go inside. Want me to carry you?”

There's no need for words; Pike merely reaches up, making grabby-hands at the mercenary.

Ike smiles, scooping his son up in one arm...

What's the point of worrying, now?

He just knows that now, he'll do everything in his power to not leave his son the same way his father left him.

Description
Today's a beautiful day. Not even the shadow of a cloud breaks the sky; the sun covers the earth in a warm blanket, yet doesn't suffocate the people with its heat.

Yes... the weather couldn't have been more beautiful if it tried.

Ike wonders why the gods of this world laugh at him by choosing to make today so perfect, when such a bleak memory accompanies it.

The sun dips below the horizon as he sits on the backyard porch, staring off into the distance...

At this time, four years ago, he still lived... he was still commander... and Ike was little more than a stupid rookie, only wishing to live up to the commander's name.

“Daddy?”

He suddenly glances over--

Pike hesitantly stumbles over to his father, crashing into the mercenary's leg and tightly grasping the worn, gray fabric of his pants.

“Daddy, why are you outside?” the young angel queries, looking up with wide, innocent eyes. “And why do you look so sad?”

Ike can't help but smile faintly as he ruffles his son's hair.

“Before you were born, something sad happened on this day,” he explains quietly. “I'm just remembering it, that's all...”

“What happened?”

He hesitates as Pike quickly climbs onto the bench, sliding next to the mercenary whose resemblance he so closely bears.

“Well, a few years ago... my dad was the leader of a bunch of people. A bunch of strong people who could take on any bad guys,” Ike begins. “One night, I was walking through the forest, and I saw him fighting a big man in black armor...”

“Father!”

“Ike! Stay back!!”

He stops suddenly in place, nervously shuffling back as per Greil's order...

“The strange man was strong, and knocked my dad's weapon right out of his hands,” he continues, unaware of his son's widening eyes. “He threw a sword towards my dad-- but he'd hurt himself a long time ago, and couldn't lift a sword. So he picked up his axe again...”

“Is that all there is? No challenge... no... resistance?”

“Father!”

He rushes to Greil's side, catching him before falling under his weight.

“No, Father... Don't go...!”

“Daddy...?”

Pike loosely grabs onto Ike's hand as the mercenary's expression grows sorrowful-- the anger, the loss, the pain he felt that night all resurfacing in this one moment...

“My dad... fell asleep while I tried carrying him back home,” he mumbles. “And he never woke up...”

“Live here. Live in peace...”

“Father, stop talking,” he scolds, the rain perfectly masking his tears. “You're wasting your strength. Please...”

“I need you to take care of everything,” Greil hisses painfully, the hand over his heart slowly falling away. “The company... Mist...”

“W-wait... You mustn't say such things!” Ike protests, stumbling in the slippery mud. “It'll be light soon. You'll be fine--!”

A cry escapes his lips as he finally falls; he can't hear the sound of approaching footsteps over the pouring rain and his father's fading gasps...

“A little longer,” he pleads. “Stay a little longer...!”

“Daddy, you're crying... why are you crying?”

Ike suddenly becomes aware of his surroundings once again; he quickly dries his eyes, wiping the tears off his cheeks with the collar of his shirt.

“Because I'm still a little sad, Pike,” he replies, subconsciously pulling his son close. “I didn't think that my dad would be gone so soon... I thought I'd be able to talk to him a little while longer. That's all...”

“Oh...” Pike mumbles, resting his cheek against his father's arm. “...you're not gonna go away, are you?”

“No,” the mercenary shakes his head. “No, I'm not... I promise.”

“Okay... you promised! If you go away, now... my other daddy and I are gonna find you, and we're gonna pinch you real hard, cuz you're a meanie liar!”

He can't help it; Ike chuckles softly, reaching over and ruffling his son's unruly blue hair.

“Alright. Now I won't, for sure. Okay?”

Pike beams, flapping his small white wings.

“Okay! Now, can we go inside? 'Cuz Pit-daddy told me to come find you...”

“Yeah, we can go inside. Want me to carry you?”

There's no need for words; Pike merely reaches up, making grabby-hands at the mercenary.

Ike smiles, scooping his son up in one arm...

What's the point of worrying, now?

He just knows that now, he'll do everything in his power to not leave his son the same way his father left him.