The Renowned Star

Chapter 42: To Remember Lies

"What are you talking about!? I lashed out at you for a reason!" Chrom yelled.

Byleth yelled, "You lashed out at me for no reason! How dare you treat me like that?! Aren't you my best friend!? You're supposed to stand by my side..."

"NOT IF YOU'RE ACTING UNREASONABLE BYLETH!! YOU ALWAYS ARE A FOOL AREN'T YOU?!" Chrom asked in anger. He stood there staring in tears as Byleth stood there staring at him in silence. "YOU KNOW I DO THE THINGS I DO BECAUSE I CAN'T TAKE IT ANYMORE!"

Byleth muttered, "No wonder why you completely lie to us about everything. You refuse to tell us the truth and you've ruined our trust multiple times. You're a great friend... you know that?" Chrom stood there in silence as Byleth disappeared from his sight. Chrom looked down at himself before nearly crying.

Chrom muttered, "I just... I just dealt with a lot... you don't seem to understand that... do you?"

"LEAVE ME ALONE!!"

"I promised to stand tall alongside you Emelia... why did you..."

"Pathetic isn't he? Eh, we'll deal with that another time, get the substance..."

"You have precious blood living inside you Chrom, you'd be perfect won't you..."

"You always and forever will be alone no matter what ends up happening, understood?"

"I... I... I just... wish I could be a better person, a better man, a better friend. I am the Exalt of Ylisse but what have I been to others? A nuisance, I apologize..."

Chrom stood there staring down at himself with tears streaming down from his eyes. He sat on the ground and put his head into his knees. He began crying into his knees, thinking about the good times he had with his allies. Thinking about when everything was alright.

"The war... my childhood, Zehira, Zethus... they've ruined my life... I just want to repair myself... I've tried and tried but it's getting exhausting..." Chrom whispered to himself. He couldn't stop thinking about the same events over and over again.

Life just hit him like a truck, it truly was blessed that he was alive. Still Chrom could only be reminded of the painful memories, when thinking about Emelia... drenched in blood. When thinking about Byleth, the argument... He couldn't contain it anymore, then he felt a slight nudge. Chrom looked over and noticed his wyvern trying to comfort him.

Chrom muttered, "Dusk, you're so charming, how did I get so lucky to marry Claude and get a chance to meet someone like you? You're too precious..." His wyvern rubbed his head against Chrom as Chrom hugged him tightly. "You're precious..." Chrom then started crying again.

He just hugged his wyvern as tight as he could as his wyvern tried his best to comfort Chrom. Chrom just felt lost, he felt conflicted with everything in life. He just wished for an easier time to live, to survive, and most importantly... thrive. Chrom looked up at his wyvern and smiled gently at him.

Chrom asked, "Do you miss Claude too?" The wyvern nodded slowly as Chrom gently kissed the wyvern on the head. He looked around and then turned toward the temple. "We'll find him soon eventually, I just have to do this for us."

"CHROM!"

"Just ignore it, come on..."

"CHROM NONONO! COME HERE!!"

"Hey, it's alright... if you're nervous then don't worry, you have me by your side..." Chrom said with a smile. The wyvern smiled at him as the two opened the door to the temple. They walked in and all of a sudden the heroes all dashed to follow but no luck.

Byleth shouted, "NOOOO!!! CHROM!!"

"He's not going to make it! We have to follow him somehow! Come on!" Micaiah yelled. The heroes all tried to get the doors to open but no luck.

Claude muttered, "Honey... gods, you better be okay..." The heroes all stood there staring at the door in disbelief as Byleth slammed his hand against the door.

"I just want to ask for forgiveness..." Byleth muttered as tears filled his eyes. Alear gently patted him on the shoulder as Byleth wiped his tears from his eyes. "Come on Chrom... I know you're better than this..."

Claude asked, "Is there another entrance we can walk into?" The heroes all searched around the temple but they just knew there wasn't another way in. Byleth looked down at his communicator and soon realized that he could send a message to Chrom.

"I'm going to try to message him! I can ask for forgiveness there!" Byleth said with some hope in his eyes. The heroes all looked at him as Byleth got on his communicator to try to communicate to Chrom. "Come on..."

Alear muttered, "Chrom... you need to be careful... please..." The heroes all looked at her as they slowly nodded. Staring up at the temple, they felt worried for Chrom safety but Byleth out of all of them was beyond terrified for what was going to happen to Chrom.

Byleth muttered, "Chrom... I'm so sorry for what I've done... I just hope you find room in your heart to forgive me..."