Illusions and Lies (A Super Smash Brothers fan fiction)

CHAPTER THIRTY NINE: LIKE A TRUE KNIGHT.

a/n: hey there. uh, i don't really like doing these, but this is kinda important. i'd appreciate it if you guys toned down the character bullying a bit. i'm aware that it's mostly jokes, but it's kinda tough to see nothing but comments bashing all the characters. 

however, marth, zelda, and lucina are exempt from this. if you'd like to know why, just ask. (though please don't do it in this chapter, it's supposed to be kinda serious so yeah.) thanks in advance :)

It was a remarkably beautiful day. The sun shone, and not a cloud could be seen in the sky.

The irony was not lost on Sheik.

Overall, the mood of the cemetery was even more somber than usual. The joint funeral honoring Dimitri and Corrine had concluded roughly fifteen minutes ago, and most of the average funeral guests had left by now.

All that was left was Byleth and her brother, some of Dimitri's friends, and Sheik's friends.

Two simple graves stood side by side. There was little rhyme or reason to the way the cemetery was organized, a fact which Sheik knew must bother Corrin. Surprisingly, he hadn't said a word about it. Of course, he hadn't spoken at all since he woke up this morning, but still.

Ever since the news about his sister's death had come back a week ago, Corrin had been virtually silent. His gaze was vacant, and he hadn't bothered to even try to get out of bed most mornings. Sheik was doing his best to help him, but the total lack of emotion his boyfriend was displaying concerned him. A lot. He would've expected something, but so far... nothing.

A sharp sob dragged him out of his thoughts, and he turned his head away from Corrine's headstone and the crouched figure of his boyfriend to try and figure out where the noise had come from.

Byleth knelt before Dimitri's grave, her head bowed and her shoulders shaking as she finally broke down. Her brother stood behind her, his usual impassive expression gone and replaced by a pained look of helplessness. Close to Seth stood Dedue, his own usually blank expression replaced by a deep scowl.

"Dimitri..." Byleth choked out. "Why'd you go and throw your life away like that?"

"If only I'd have been there..." Dedue whispered. "I could've stopped him from doing this."

"You couldn't have stopped this." Seth muttered numbly. He stared fixedly at the headstone of his dead friend with his hands clenched into fists at his sides.

"I refuse to believe what Felix says." Dedue's voice sounded dangerously close to snapping. "He wasn't too far gone yet."

"This shouldn't have happened at all." Byleth whispered brokenly. "I'm a fool for not noticing how bad he was getting."

"Byleth, this isn't your fault." Dedue said. "The blame is mine. I should've fought harder against getting transferred."

"No. That wasn't your fault. Orders are hard to work around." Seth replied. 

"It's hard to believe he's dead." Link remarked softly. Sheik directed his attention away from the conversation he'd been quietly listening in on and focused on Link. The subtle downward twist of his mouth and the uncertainty in his eyes spoke volumes about his emotions, more than anything he could possibly say would.

"I agree."

"Moments like these... I can't even begin to understand how Byleth must be feeling now." Link's gaze was fixed on her now, sympathy flashing in his expression.

"Losing someone you care about is never easy. Dimitri was a good man. Good men always leave behind the most scars." Sheik sighed.

"You're certainly poetic today." Link laughed ever so slightly, then looked almost guilty for daring to express a positive emotion in the midst of all this grief. "But, yes. You're right."