It's too late when Diamant realizes he hurt Alcryst.

They've returned to the Somniel, everyone's had time to decompress and calm down and they more or less have a game plan for what to do next. But the moments after that last battle come rushing back; Alcryst's anger, his sorrow, his rash blaming of Princess Ivy for their loss. Diamant scolding him, apologizing to her as if Alcryst were some ill-mannered child.

The truth is that at the moment they couldn't afford to be fighting amongst themselves, and if he'd just been a better brother he could have said that.

Especially after Alcryst had the nerve to kill their father when Diamant himself didn't.

I said the wrong thing, I didn't think about his feelings. What if I've damaged him? When he was growing up the soldiers and the nobles all put him down because he wasn't me, I was the one who told him otherwise. Divines, what I did was practically a slap in the face...he'll never speak his mind again.

He should apologize and explain himself, but is it too late? I'm sorry, what I meant to say was-

"Diamant?"

His heart almost stops. He turns around to see Alcryst standing in the doorway, just like when they were children and he'd had a bad dream or a thunderstorm was keeping him awake. Diamant swallows. Even if it's too late for an apology, I owe him.

"Alcryst," he says, "listen, I-"

"I'm sorry to bother you this late, but...it's about earlier." He's breathing in, getting that look on his face he always does when he's about to give a massive apology, and it hits Diamant just how ridiculous he's being.

He can't change anything about earlier any more than Alcryst can, and why should it matter? Father is dead, the Emblem Rings are gone, Sombron's grown stronger, even the Time Crystal can't go back that far and undo everything. And right now Alcryst stands before him, tense, trembling, about to hide his feelings under an apology he doesn't need to give.

Diamant pulls him into a hug, and almost instantly the apology is dissolved by a flood of tears and loud, messy sobs. They didn't have time to properly grieve when they killed Father, especially when the Rings were stolen and they had to flee with their lives. Brodians are used to soldiering on, but he wished Alcryst hadn't had to.

He moves them onto his bed, Diamant reclining against the pillows with Alcryst against his chest. His nightshirt is wet, and judging by the thick sniffles it's getting sticky, too. He doesn't care.

"He's gone," Alcryst chokes between sobs, "Father, he's...we'll never see him again, Diamant, I...it's not..." It's not fair. Life isn't fair, a voice chides him. No, it's not, but it doesn't mean they have to like it. He can't even say everything will be all right, because who knows what could happen between now and when they make it to Solm? Or even after?

He hates that he can't tell Alcryst otherwise when he so needs to hear it. He tightens his embrace, stroking Alcryst's back.

"I'm here," he says. "I can never replace Father, I know that, but I'm here and I'll protect you." Alcryst slowly looks up at him with puffy red eyes. His cheeks are blotchy, his nose is running, but he manages a small smile.

"Thank you, Diamant." He sniffles. "I'm so lucky to have you for a brother." Diamant ruffles his hair and hugs him closer.

"I'm the lucky one."

Tomorrow, they'll journey towards Solm and Alcryst will fight to protect him every step of the way. But for now, he needs to be vulnerable, to cry, to let himself feel the grief and pain. And Diamant needs to be a big brother and protect him.

Alcryst eventually cries himself to sleep, and Diamant spends the rest of the night watching over him.