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Featured: Thorn in You (Roar ~ Intensified Version)

Fire Emblem Fates

Copyright © Nintendo

I absolutely love this tune. My favorite from the game.

After listening to this for a while while writing this special scene, it hit me all of a sudden of how powerful this tune is. It gives me goosebumps at the best part, the part with the strong and slowly growing louder section with the trumpets and low bass instruments in the background; the baritone, trombone and tuba.

I used to be in band in Jr. High (middle school, grade 6 and 7). I played trumpet. I love listening to brass play and I love strings as well. I love the sounds of trumpets paired with baritones, trombones and tubas. My brother played trumpet as well, my sister played flute and my uncle played trombone!

Do you guys play any instruments? I want to learn bass strings (the big one in orchestras in the back), bass guitar and drums.

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m e r r i c ' s s a c r i f i c e

"M—Ma?"

My eyes flutter open and I feel my heart speed up as I study the room. Everything is silent and the room is completely calm. The room is mostly dark as mostly everyone has either left me so I may rest or is silently sitting somewhere in the room. Ike is one of those who is in here with me, silently watching over me as I rest. The bed curtains have been drawn partially around me and I can still see part of the room. The window is visible and I can see the rising moon faintly lighting up the room with a pale blue light.

Did I just hear someone... call me just now?

I continue to scan the room and nothing has changed. I dimly see Ike sitting close to the window partially shadowed and the small figures of my boys laying on the couches against the wall close to Ike in the dark corner. I move my eyes slowly to the right of Ike and faintly see another figure of someone else sitting silently on that side of the room. Must be older Lance.

"M—Ma!"

The voice is heard louder now. But when I scan my eyes over the silent room once again, no one seems to react to the voice.

Do they even hear it at all?

My eyes widen as I realize who the voice belongs to. All of my sons are present here except one...

The motherly instincts deep within me immediately tell me something is amiss as I hear shuffling outside of the bedroom door. My son needs me.

The bedroom door is opened quickly and the sound of silence is broken within the room. From the corner of my eye, I see movement from Ike's side of the room as I focus my blurry eyes on the shadow figure who is swiftly approaching me from the door. Hallway light shines in brightly as the door is now opened all the way causing my vision to be hindered even further.

I feel my heart increase even further as the figure crosses the room frantically, stumbling towards me, "M—Ma? Are you alright?"

"M—Merric? Is that you, my child?"

As he reaches me, I look up at Merric's worried face as he studies me over, "Y—You are... I—I am so glad..."

He's stuttering. What has caused him to come to me like this?

I scan over him and notice faintly he looks to be in bad shape as he is clutching his side. He grunts every few seconds as he reaches down with his other hand and clutches mine resting on the bed at my side. His breaths are raspy and irregular.

"Merric? What has happened? You are hurt!" Lance says quickly, with worry spilling from his voice, as he materializes next to him by the bed.

When Lance says this, that is when I notice just how bad of shape Merric really is in as I notice small dark bolts of energy shoot through him faintly and his face is twisting in what looks to be extreme pain. I feel my stomach drop as I push myself up as fast as I can and ignore the pain that shoots up through my back.

Merric's eyes continue to study me as his face turns to worry as I sit up to get closer to him, "N—No Ma, you should not sit up. I—I am glad you did win and my sacrifice worked,"

My eyes widen, "W—What? What sacrifice? What did you do now, Merric? You stubborn and reckless boy!"

His eyes harden as he studies my concerned ones, and he narrows his eyes slightly, his determination shining through them, "That was n—not reckless! I chose to do that with my free will, M—Ma! I—If I did not, then Vladimir controlled by the Demon Lord would have destroyed y—you. And I would have failed to save you!"

So it was you. That feeling. That energy.

"I knew it,"

17-year-old Young Merric appears next to me looking up at his older self sternly, "It was you. That energy spike during the final battle between Ma and Vladimir I felt was not hers at all. I knew it must have been yours. You did help even though you said that you could not without harming anyone you loved,"

My eyes drop down to my son as he keeps studying his older self while Merric staggers next to the bed and keeping his gaze on me. Merric nods, "But I had to sacrifice myself to do it, M—Merric. My curse s—sapped my energy to send it to Ma so she would s—survive. Instead of the impact from that powerful hex killing her, it just injured h—her greatly. In turn, I—I took the blow for her,"

I move my eyes back up to his as I notice sadness wash over him. A single tear slides down his face as the strength in his grip on my hand weakens, "I—I am sorry, Ma. But there is nothing left for me n—now! I decided to send you all of my energy even though y—you did not require it all! It is just a pain-filled life with endless s—struggles!"

Another tear falls and then another one down his face as he seems to stop caring anymore. I shake my head, "N—No, Merric, why? Why would you feel this way? What are you saying?"

He slowly shakes his head in response, with a pained look in his eye mixing with the sadness already overwhelming him as his golden bangs cover his face partially, "S—Sorry, Ma. This is good-bye,"

"Merric! Please, no!"

Before I can tighten my grip on his hand, he releases mine as he clutches his waist with both hands and stumbles backwards, falling to the ground with no effort to stop himself at all, "Merric!" I cry out, hoping it would change something.

Lance quickly drops down next to his brother as he grunts helplessly on the ground, crying out in pain as dark energy bolts shoot through his body emitting slight crackling sounds, "Merric! Listen to me! Brother! Stay with us, please! We can live here with them together! Like a family! Like old times! Please... I have missed you so much..." Lance's voice softens and grows weak as soft sobs escape from his throat.

Merric grunts as he slightly turns to look up to his crying brother behind him, "N—No, don't you see, brother? I cannot stay now. The curse is slowly killing me. I knew the consequence before I—I did it, brother,"

I feel my heart ache as I helplessly watch my sons on the floor. Merric has to deal with so much and he has pushed away everything he has been wanting for a long time now just to make sure everyone else is safe and happy. He must not know how to finally accept the things he wants when they are offered to him. My poor baby. They both are now hurting because of me.

I did this.

My eyes widen a sudden thought races through my mind and my eyes jerk up to find Ike's who looks as though he does not know what to do, "Ike, go find Vladimir and bring him here, right now!" I say as loud as I can, as my voice comes out weak.

He looks at me for a second, nods and swiftly leaves the room. It is my turn. My turn to save my son. The same son who has saved me countless times now.

"N—No, brother! We can help you! P—Please let us try! How do you know there is n—nothing that we can do?"

Merric slowly shakes his head as he grunts once again and cries out with a groan, while his body shakes violently while he clutches his sides tighter, "I s—sacrificed all that I have so that you may l—live with Ma and Pa, brother... There is no way for me to join you n—now..."

I struggle to get up as I shake my head, not wanting to hear anymore, "No, Merric. I refuse to do nothing while you need me. You came rushing to me because you need me,"

He slowly turns and looks up at me weakly as tears slide down his face. My heart aches once again as I study him, "Please don't be afraid, my child... Let me give you what you want,"

"H—How do you know what I w—want?"

"Because I am your mother, child! You do not have to tell me! I can see it, clear as a cloudless night!"

He studies me for another moment and I see a flash of content wash through his eyes as they soften slightly. There he is. There is my son that I know and love.

As I watch him, I see the pain increase in his eye as fear then takes hold of him as quickly as a flash of lightning striking the sky from below. Lots of tears escape and slide down his face as my heart aches further while I try harder to reach his side.

"M—Ma, please, I do n—need you! You're right, I do want to live with y—you, father and Lance, I really do!" He chokes on his sobs and he cries out louder, fear spilling from his lips, "The p—pain, please m—make it stop, Ma! It h—hurts!" Merric cries out again and the dark bolts of energy course around him, beginning to consume him, as he struggles beneath his brother's touch.

At this moment, Vladimir rushes in, wearing his fancy deep purple robes, bright grey eyes with a concerned look on his face while Ike rushes in right behind him. Ike still looks worried as he sees his son on the floor in what looks to be more pain than he was when he left. Vladimir studies him as he approaches and his eyes widen as he gets nearer.

He turns his eyes up to mine. My eyes soften as I look him back and they plead with his, "Please, Vladimir, help save my son!" I say weakly and helplessly as Vladimir quickly begins summoning some of his dark energy.

"What happened, my dear? Is this—?" He stops himself, touches Merric's side with his right hand, encompassed with his dark energy, and the dark energy gently smooths over Merric's hunched body, completely covering it with a see-through black film.

"The spell Mire..." Vladimir softly whispers as he works.

Ike materializes next to me and assists me to our son's side. Vladimir takes my hand with his other and places it over Merric next to his and I feel his energy flow through it as he holds it there with his.

"I cannot inverse this spell; it will take too much time. This boy must be cured at once before the spell takes him over and saps all of his remaining life energy... one of the things dangerous dark spells love to do. You should not have learned and used this hex, boy..."

"That is how he travelled back in time to save me and defeat that Demon Lord, Vladimir..." I say softly as Merric continues to skirmish beneath my touch.

I see him glance at me slightly from the corner of my eye before turning back with a change in thought on his face, "Ah, I see... This is your son from another time... Mire is one of the only hexes that can do such things... What a strong, clever and courageous boy you have, my dear,"

Young Merric is watching, amazed, behind his father while young Lance looks slightly in terror behind Vladimir. Lance is still next to his brother on the floor, with an overwhelming look of sorrow and dread in his eye.

Merric is slowly calming as his eyes close and the dark magic surrounding him begins to glow with a white light. An advanced curing spell. Thank you... Vladimir.

The dark bolts slowly stop and decrease in intensity as Merric lays there motionless, but he looks relieved with no more pain washing over his sweet face. For once he is not grimacing and he looks calm and peaceful. I feel worry bubble up the more I see him lay there without movement.

~~~

It feels like hours before Vladimir finally releases his touch and Merric's body slowly turns back to normal color. He continues to lay there motionless for a moment while Lance studies him with worry washing all over his face, "You will be alright, brother..."

We have moved him to the bed I was just resting in and the curing spell has been completed. Vladimir has taken a step back to allow us room to wait for him to wake. He told us he should be back to his usual self, as usual as he can be with that curse still lurking around him that is.

I have his hand in mine as Lance, Ike and myself wait for him to wake. Young Merric and Lance wait patiently nearby, still curious about Vladimir and his presence.

Merric begins to stir as he softly groans, turns his head towards us and slowly opens his eyes. Waves of confusion wash over him as he looks at my worried face and then around to his brother's and father's concerned looks. Their faces morph from concerned to being glad as they watch Merric continue to look around the room.

"That's it, you are too tough to be lost that easily, boy," Ike says softly, while smiling and crossing his arms over his chest.

"M—Merric! You are awake! I am so glad!" Lance adds with a bit of content in his soft voice. His eyes brighten as his brother gazes back at him while a small smile spreads across his face slowly.

Merric slowly moves his eyes from his content brother and back up to mine. His eyes become flooded with happiness as he slowly sits up, pushes himself from the bed and immediately wraps me into an embrace, tightening his grip around me, "Ma... Ma you did... Thank you... I have missed you so much... I—I'm sorry..."

I tighten my grip on him as well, "Sorry for what, child? You saved me! I should be thanking you!"

I feel him slightly nod against my shoulder, "No... You saw through my stubbornness and gave me what I really wanted... Thank you... You are the only one who has been able to really understand what no one else could,"

I softly chuckle, "I am your mother, Merric. That is called the motherly sense. You cannot hide anything from me," My smile widens as I look up and watch Ike watching us with his own fatherly smile. A smile different than the one Lance puts on his face.

He pulls away and he finally shows me his smile that has widened as well, "I have made my decision,"

Lance steps forward and turns to face his brother, "Are you going to stay with us now?"

Merric just keeps smiling and pulls Lance into an embrace as well, "Yes. You have shown me that there is nothing that I cannot handle. I am not going anywhere ever again. I will never leave you,"

Ike steps forward and wraps his arms around the boys, "You both make me very proud. Glad to finally have you back, Merric,"

"I have missed you, Pa," He pulls away from his father and brother and grips Falchion's hilt with his hand. A flash of determination floods his eyes, "I still have a lot to learn,"

I love this scene. Merric's tsun tsun is showing immensely here!

Did you expect that? Remember the single line in the last part where Star mentioned she felt that energy spike right before she collided with Vladimir? And then said it does not feel like her energy at all? That is what Merric is referring to.

Thank you all for reading!