Fen: Okay so obviously, we kinda jumped the gun on this first chapter of Ghost of Fates.
TWF: *look at the guns and jumps over it* Like that?
Fen: Not literally… *facepalm* Seriously, what is wrong with your brain today?
TWF: *the head suddenly and creepily opens up, revealing cobwebs in it* What?
Fen: That explains it… -_-
TWF: Explains what? Tell me! TELL MEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEHHHHHHHHHH! 8O
Fen: You've been so caught up with work that your brain started getting old…
TWF: …
…
…
…am I a ca~t? :3
Fen: *eye twitches while popping a vessel*
TWF: I'M A DOG! BARF! XDDD Those who gets the joke gets a moustache! :D
Fen: Oh c'mon! I've been wanting to restart this thing and here you are being-
TWF: *presses the restart button*
= PLEASE SUBMIT A NAME AND ADDRESS TO THIS OWNER OF THE STORY =
TWF: Uh… did I break it? o.o;
Fen: ARRRRRRRRRRGH! Fang, you little *beep* you son of a *beep*ing *beep, beep, beep*! I'm going to tear off your *beep* and shove them right up your *beep, beep, beep, beep*! And that *beep, beep, beep, beep, beep* on your *beep, beep, beep, beep* with *beep, beep, beep* in the *beep, beep* and *beep, beep, beep, beep, beep* you *beep, beep, beep*! So then you'll have to *beep* sideways!
TWF: Whelp, while Fen-kun just flipped the switch, why don't we flip the table, you guys? It's re-showtime!
Disclaimer: We do not own Kamen Rider Ghost. All creative rights belong to Shotaro Ishinomori. We also do not own Fire Emblem: Fates. All creative and licensing rights belong to Nintendo.
Hoshido.
Nohr.
Two of the biggest countries that waged war for the sake of others.
One fights for peace. The other fights for domination.
One thing was for certain. The fate of humanity lies on the decision of one man. This man, upon making his choices, must decide the future that has brought upon them. With the hands of fate guiding him.
In the middle of the darkness, a young woman lightly stepped forward, with her eyes closed as she sang a song, that is only known to her.
(Yu~rari yu~rureri~)
(Utakata omoi megu~ru hakari)
(Tsu~tau mi~nasuji~)
(Sono te ga, hiraku… asuwa~)
As the song ended, the scenery changes to an unfamiliar ground, as the battlefield sprawled across the field of war.
BGM: Kamen Rider Gaim OST - Track 2 - 始まりの章
War horns on the Hoshidian side were heard, as more spearmen entered the battlefield, helped their fellow comrades. The men in black armor stepped forward, pointing their long lancesat their enemies.
*SLASH!*
"GAAAAAAH!"
"Take this!"
*SLASH!*
"UWAAARGH!"
A Nohrian soldier fell at the hands of a Swordmaster, whose katana sparked with electricity as he led the charge.
"Advance! Do not let them have the edge!" the Paladin in dark armor commanded, pointing his dark-imbued blade as more soldiers entered the fray. Eventually, the Swordmaster reached the middle of the battle, pointing his thunder-imbued katana at his opponent.
"Nohrian general! You face the high prince of Hoshido, Ryoma!" the red armored Samurai declared. "I challenge you to single combat!"
The Paladin eyed the Swordmaster, before nodding. "I will accept your challenge, "high prince". But I'm no general." he said, as he got off from his mount. "I am crown prince Xander of Nohr!"
The two got into their stances, ready to attack. Seeing the tension between the two, the soldiers surrounding them decided to leave the two alone, not wanting to interfere in the royal bout. Without hesitation, both men took a step forward before sparks of electricity covered the field.
End BGM
Now… which side are you on, child of destiny?
(Cue Theme Cry For the Truth by MICHI)
(Instrumental) As the electric guitar started playing, the lights turned on, revealing Aqua in her dancing pose on the floor with a thin layer of water on it. Surrounding her were 15 Eyecons in a circle and her signature necklace glowed radiantly around her neck. As soon as the music started playing, she began to dance, with the Eyecons floating up by her water spheres, circling around her. While she danced, the ground revealed the purple 'Eye', prompting the title to reveal itself. The camera briefly flashed from Aqua's white dress to her black dress, then back to white before her hand gesture prompted the water to cover the screen, moving to the next scene. Then, Aqua began to sing.
(Shoudou kara makuakeru unmeitachi) On top of the Northern Fortress, on the balcony, Hiroji looked out the window of his room as he saw looked up at the dark sky.
(Matsu no wa kibou ka? zetsubou ka~?) The surroundings then turned white, surprising Hiroji. He noticed his Hoshido family in front of him, and when he looked behind, his Nohr family called out to him in a black background.
(Akaku sabita tokiyo no haguruma ga ima) His surroundings then suddenly changed to a new location where there was a huge lake surrounded by the forest trees. And in front of the small bridge that led to the lake was Aqua who had her back turned before she turned around to see him and held out her hand to him.
(Kishinde azawarau~) As he reached for it, the view before him shattered again, as he stands on the new battlefield on his own. Enemies like Nosferatus and Gammas, appeared in a ruined land, surrounding him.
(Seijaku o kakikesu doukoku) On a battlefield, Hoshidan and Nohrian troops battled each other.
(Kono mune o hikisaku erejii) In a quick series of cameo appearances, the royal families of Hoshido and Nohr, save for Sakura and Elise, went against their counterparts.
(Karadajuu abaredasu) Aqua, Jakob, Felicia, Silas, Suzukaze, Mozume and Ashura could only look on worriedly, as Hiroji ran towards the battlefield, trying his best to stop them.
(Chishio ga sakebu omoi wa "kimi wo, tomaru na") Both sides continued to charge forward, as they are determined to eliminate each other. As soon as the two sides are in contact, the screen flashed brightly, shifting to the battle.
(Tachimukae ikusen mebuku sono konnan ni) On the ground, Xander and Ryoma continued trading blows with Raijinto and Siegfried, creating sparks that burned the grass around them. As the screen viewed to the sky, Hinoka, in a serious expression, guided her Pegasus towards Camilla, where the latter had a smile, guiding her wyvern towards her. The two then clashed, crossing their lance and axe, while looking at each other.
(Shiro ka kuro ka abaku sono shukumei ni) Takumi fired energy arrows from Fujin Yumi while Leo used Brunhyld to make trees grow out from the ground, but the former used this to his advantage and jumped off of its branches to fire off more arrows. Sakura and Elise could only look on, seeing as there was nothing they do to stop their families from fighting each other, holding their hands in prayer with tears flowing out from their eyes.
(Ikitoshi ikeru mono subete) As the screen moved to another side of the battlefield, Hiroji gestured his hands to have the GhostDriver appear around his waist, before taking out his Eyecon and placed it in the Driver. The Parka Ghost flew out of the GhostDriver and Hiroji pulled and pushed the lever.
(Shinzou o tataku wake ga aru soshite) After his transformation into Ghost, he noticed three Nohrian figures, showing their backs at him. As Hiroji noticed the familiar Driver on two of the boys, two very familiar mechanical familiars flew towards the girl in the center. As the three turned to Hiroji, a brief flash of two new Riders and one very familiar Rider were seen before the screen was enveloped in a water sphere, courtesy of Aqua.
(Cry for the Truth~) Aqua sang the last part, as more water spheres floated around her, while the Eyecons remained inactive. Only the Ghost Parka danced around her.
(Instrumental) As the song reached the end, she kneeled down to finish her dance. The last four beats revealed the neutral side behind her, followed by the Hoshidians on the right and finally the Nohrians on the left, and the final beat zoomed out, revealing the whole group, ending the song.
Chapter 1: The Destined Child
"I wonder if Herr Hiroji is awake yet?" one maid asked, holding her tray of tea set in her hands. This maid had short icy blue hair bangs on the side that fell to the bottom of her face and has a small ponytail in the back. She wore a black maid outfit with a frilly collar and a frilly maid's hat on top and wore black leggings and black shoes.
"Judging by Herr Hiroji's usual habits, I'd say he still is." a butler assumed, while thinking. He was a rather handsome man with short silver hair with a ponytail behind him. He wore a long-sleeved white dressed shirt with a long scarf around him while wearing a black and purple vest, along with black pants, black legging armor, and black shoes.
"Y-You don't think he's sleeping in his usual spot again, right?" the other maid said nervously, holding a tray of food in her hand. Like the other one, she wore a black maid outfit with a frilly collar and a frilly maid's hat on top and wore black leggings and black shoes. But her hair was light pink and had a long ponytail. Her hair fringe was neatly cut in a straight line and her bangs on the side were long and cut straight even as well.
"Given the circumstances, he might be." the butler said before he opened the door to reveal his room. The first thing they noticed is how many books were piled in one spot, while the bed is pristine and untouched.
"I knew it…" the light pink-haired maid sighed.
"Let us get him out of that pile and fulfill our duty." the butler said before the maids placed the said tray to the table and immediately assisted the butler with the excavation. Eventually, they were able to get the figure that was sleeping peacefully, drooling over the book that he read. The prints on his face says it all, as the young man was sleeping in his pajamas. With a kind tone, he began, "Herr Hiroji. It's morning."
"Zzzzzzzzz… zzzzzzzz…" the young man snored.
"He must have read throughout the night again." the blue-haired maid noticed. "Herr Hiroji, please wake up. We don't want to end up using our ice magic again…"
Realizing the situation, the pinkette quickly took a deep breath and exclaimed while leaning close to his ear as loud as she can. "HERR HIROJI!" But that only served Hiroji to grab and hug her like a teddy bear, making the said maid blush heavily. "Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee…"
"My, my, daring as usual." the butler chuckled in amusement.
The bluenette however didn't look happy as she imbued her fist with frost while trembling angrily. "HERR HIROJI! GET YOUR HANDS OFF OF MY SISTER!"
*POW!*
"UWAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGH!" I cried out in pain as I fumbled around. What the heck?! Who would punch me awake?! And why is my face so cold?! "Who! What! Where- oh… good morning…" I said sheepishly. I then looked to see Flora, the bluenette who look ticked off. "Ah… I did it again, didn't I…" I got out.
"Yes, your usual habits had outshined once more, Herr Hiroji." the butler chuckled a bit. "Emphasized more on your usual sleeping habits."
"Uuuuuuuuuuuuuhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh…" the other maid, Felicia, whined while leaning against the wall as she crouched on her own, due to what just happened.
"Sorry Felicia." I laughed sheepishly.
*BONK!*
"Ow!" I cried out in pain after Flora hit me on the head with another frost fist. "What was that for?!"
"That is for your deed on my twin sister." she said, after calming herself down. And yes, they are actually sisters. Don't ask how or why, they just are.
"Felicia's nothing more than a klutz." my butler, Jakob, said bluntly, making Felicia on all fours, feeling hurt from his words. "But worry not, your loyal servants are here to assist you, especially her."
"Right. Much appreciated, Jakob." I grinned weakly. Oh right. I haven't introduced myself. My name's Hiroji, and I'm a Prince of Nohr. I have long black hair that's spiky and having several bangs framing the sides of my face; a lock of hair hanging down in front of my face. I daresay I look rather dashing.
"Herr Hiroji, you should try not to read too much about histories of the world." the bluenette explained. "We all know how curious you are, that's why we formed the book club."
"I can't help it, Flora. They're all so interesting." I complained.
"You want to step outside of this tower, yes?" the pinkette asked.
"Well of course, Felicia. It's boring being cooped up in this castle for so long." I grumbled.
"In due time, my prince." an elderly voice said, as he entered the room, complete with his armor. He was an old man in his mid-60's with slightly pale purple hair that combed back and had a scar on his face starting from the side of his crown trailing down to the corner of his eye, across his cheek and between his mouth. He also wore black and purple bulky armor. This was my mentor, Gunter. "All of us know how eager you are to discover the outside world."
"Thus, Herr Hiroji would always indulge himself with all of these history books, imagining what it was like to live in their shoes." Jakob said.
"In any case, Prince. I'm here to inform you that have practice today." Gunter said.
"But it's so early in the morning." I complained.
"One must not judge too soon. Do recall Nohr is still clouded with dark clouds. The sun rarely shines in this land." Gunter reminded.
"Oh?" Jakob noticed the book I read last night, while both maids were restacking the books back to the shelf. Felicia was being more careful not to make another mishap again. "Studying the land of Elibe, hm? You have so many reference books you took out from your shelves, Herr Hiroji."
"Yeah, this one was about the Scouring, although there is something I found rather interesting." I said.
"Rather interesting? On what, if I may ask?"
"Well it mentioned something about a masked hero."
"Alongside the Eight Heroes?" Flora asked.
"Ah, you must be talking about Agito!" Felicia remembered.
"The discussion we had yesterday, then." Jakob recalled. Yes, in case you're wondering, the four of us formed a study club, just so that I can at least alleviate my boredom of staying in this tower.
"So… the masked hero is Agito, huh?" I mused.
"Uh-huh. The First Agito fought alongside the Eight Heroes to rid the dragons and the Overlord of Darkness." Felicia said. "But I heard that the line of Agito was already extinguished some time ago."
"And there are rumors that the masked hero is related to one of the Eight as well. We still haven't distinguished who it was." Flora added.
"Er-hem." Gunter cleared throat. "While this topic is rather interesting, I believe it's time for you to don your armor. Herr Xander is waiting for you at the top of the tower."
"And don't miss your breakfast like last time." Flora added.
"R-Right." I said sheepishly. So after my servants and mentor went out of the room for my privacy, I donned a black shirt with long sleeves, equipped with white fitting leather armor with white parts on my shoulder and sides, white pants with some black parts at my inner thigh to my knees, white and silver shin guards, and white boots. I also had a black mantle on me that reached to my hips.
"Alright, now for something to eat and then I'll be ready to go."
*CLANG! CLANG!*
"Gooooo, big sister!" a very young girl cheered happily on the sideline, as her older brother is sitting next to her, reading his tome. Meanwhile, the two elder siblings continue their bout, clashing their sword and axe that met in the middle of a lock.
The eldest brother is Xander. He is a Paladin and first in line to the throne of Nohr. He was a man in his 20's with short blonde hair that fell to his neck, a small bang of hair hanging outside of the black circlet he was wearing. He was clad in black segmented armor outlined by gold and he wore a purple cloth in front of his armor wrapped by a purple sash around his waist. And he had a purple shoulder cape behind his back.
The second eldest sister is Camilla. She's a mature young woman who was about a year or two younger than Xander-niisan and is a Malig Knight. She has long purple hair that was somewhat wild and fell to her back with her thorn-like black tiara on her head. She wore tight black armor on her arms, body, and legs and has a purple shoulder cape around her. Her body armor hugged her… er-hem endowments rather enticingly. Oh, and she wears her uh… black undergarment exposed even though it's surrounded by gold armor that's bone-like.
The one reading his tome is Leo. He is the fourth eldest sibling, being in his upper teens, and he's a Dark Knight. Like Xander, he has short blonde hair, but it was much shorter and messy, having a black band on top of his head. He wore black segmented armor as well that was outlined by gold and he also wore a black shoulder cape around his back, the inside being purple.
And last but not least is Elise, a Troubadour. She was about fifteen with blonde hair in twin tails that were twisted by purple ribbons held up by black bows. She wore a black dress outlined by pink with silver armor over her petite body. And she wore black boots with pink ribbons on her boots too.
"You haven't lost your form, as always, brother." Camilla smiled as the two backed off after the quick clash. "Still as elegant as ever."
"You as well, sister." Xander said.
"Things would be different if her favorite little brother participated with us." Leo added, closing his book. "She'd go relentless on you, just to impress him."
"That's just how she is." Elise chirped. "You can't fault her for that."
"Heeeeeeeeeeeeeeey!" I shouted as I bust through the door that led to the top of the tower.
"You're late." my younger brother frowned.
"Sorry, I overslept…" I grinned sheepishly.
"Is it because of you studying late at night again, little Hero?" Camilla said, worried.
And before you say anything, she has a habit of calling me her little 'Hero', rather than calling my real name.
"Haven't I told you not to get cooped up or you'll be sick. That worried me most."
"Ahaha… sorry Camilla." I said before she suddenly hugged me and smothered me in her… assets.
"Don't you ever, ever do that again." Camilla pouted.
"Yes, big sister…" I said dreamily, feeling really comfortable within her arms.
"Ugh… Camilla, he's going into his perverted side." Leo groaned.
"Oh don't be like that, he can hug me all he wants, right?" Camilla cooed.
"Ye~s." I sighed in content.
"You're having big brother to yourself again!" Elise pouted cutely before she, too, approached and hugged me happily. "I want to hug him, too!"
Now I feel like I'm in heaven, thanks to my sisters. The weird expression on my face while still blushing a bit sums it all up for me.
"Er-hem!" a cough got out, getting our attention. It momentarily got my attention, seeing a man standing before us. He was an old man in his 50s, having short white hair, moustache and short white beard, wearing a uniform that consists of black long trench coat over his black shirt and white pants, black boots and black gloves.
That is General Edith, one of Father's most trusted Generals in Nohr.
"General Edith." Xander got out. "What brings you here? Shouldn't you be at the castle with my Father?"
"I should, but His Highness has summoned me here to observe Herr Hiroji's potential." General Edith got out.
"Potential?" I asked.
"Correct."
"I see… his weekly progress report…" Xander sighed. "Very well. Let's get this over with."
"Can't I stay with my big brother a little bit longer, General?" Elise pouted cutely.
"Unfortunately, princess, it would seem this is not the case. For you see, His Highness wants to see if today is the day where Herr Hiroji is ready to be on the battlefield or not."
"What?!" I gasped, quickly rushing towards him. "Father said that?!"
"Yes, Herr Hiroji." he nodded. "However, over the last few years, while you have trained hard to be as good as Herr Xander, you still lack in strength of using weapons to your advantage. But nonetheless, you've excelled in tactical warfare, much like Herr Leo."
"I can't deny that." Leo got out.
"Therefore, I have something that would even out the odds for you, Herr Hiroji." Edith said, as he pulled out something from his back, holding some sort of a belt on his hand.
"What's that?" I asked.
"I do not have the specific name for this device, but for now, let us called it the GhostDriver." General Edith got out, making me having goosebumps on the said name.
"Goodness, you and your strange contraptions, sir Edith." Leo sighed.
"I am a genius!" Edith declared with great comical pompadour, having his chest puff up, his hands on his waist, his chin raised, and his eyes being wide while looking down on Leo. "Do not question my intelligence!"
"…" Leo could only stay silent, unable to comprehend Edith's way of thinking. Yes, General Edith can be quite eccentric sometimes; forgot to mention that.
"GhostDriver?" I asked.
"That's correct. A GhostDriver." he nodded, passing it to me, as I looked at the belt itself. This belt was grey and oval, having an eye, and one can barely see the eerie smile plastered on the belt. Next to it was a handle the figure can push and pull. "I am certain this would aid you when it comes to your advantage oin battle."
"But… why go through all of the trouble for it?" I asked.
"I knew for a fact that you loved history of the past, since you've formed your study group with Felicia, Flora, and Jakob." he began. "It has given me an idea on how to make your studies even more worthwhile, much as how entertaining it would be for you. At the same time, let us just say with this device, you are also able to inherit their souls, for a lack of better term, in order to understand them more."
"Souls?" I asked, rather uncertain.
"What kind of sorcery are you up to this time?" Leo asked.
"The souls of living legends, if I must say." General Edith explained calmly. "It is said there are relics that contain the souls of the past. I am still researching upon the matter, but so far, I lack proof that it is possible to extract them from their famed relics and place them in these." He said, as he showed another device. It was a mechanical… eyeball?!
"Sir Edith, please tell us that you are not doing experiments involving eyes…" Xander got out. "I understand your love for science, but even that has its limits…"
"Ewwwwww!" Elise stuck her tongue out, feeling a bit disgusted.
"My, my…" Camilla got out. "That is something…"
"Oh, do not worry, Herr Xander. I did not cross the line… yet." Edith got out, looking away on that last part.
"What was that?"
"In any case!" General Edith quickly changed the subject. "I was able to create something that works well with GhostDriver. And yet, this mechanical eyeball is nothing but an empty shell. Herr Hiroji, I heard that you are still learning to use your Dragon Veins, correct?"
"Y-Yeah, that's right." I admitted.
"Then, is it possible to channel some of your magic within you to this eyeball?" he asked, handing the device to me. "I have a theory that it is possible with your capability. This device should react to your inner magic, after all."
"I suppose I can give it a try." I said.
"Are you certain? You still haven't mastered the Dragon's Vein, dear little brother." Camilla told me. "Remember what happened the last time you used it? Instead of creating a pillar-"
"Big brother made a big hole on the roof!" Elise giggled.
"I know… I'm still working on that." I sighed.
"Perhaps, it may be possible while we start something small." General Edith got out. "Go on, do try channeling it, Herr Hiroji."
"Alright… here goes something." I said as I closed my eyes and concentrated. A golden aura surrounded me as I concentrated all of my energy on the device. A few moments later, the said energy went into the device. When I opened my eyes, the device glowed briefly before fading. "Did that do it?"
"Hm… I can't tell just by looking at it." General Edith said, combing his beard. "Why don't you try to use it with GhostDriver and see where it goes?"
"Uh… how do I use it?"
"First, press the button on the right side." Edith instructed. I nodded and did so, and the image flipped. It changed from the iris of the eyeball to a letter that showed the letter 'G'. "Then, while you are wearing your belt around your waist, open the compartment of the GhostDriver and put it there."
I nodded again as I placed the GhostDriver on my waist and an orange belt shot out wrapped around my waist securing it. I then pressed the button on top of my Driver and it opened, making a strange whirring sound. Thinking nothing of it, I placed the… mechanical eyeball, more or less, into the Driver and closed it up.
EY~E!
Huh?
"Hm?" Camilla raise her eyebrow, feeling suspicious.
"What did we heard just now?" Leo got out.
The next thing that happened was a ghost like entity with a black hoodie jacket with orange highlights and orange ghostly eyes came out of the GhostDriver.
"GAAAH!" I exclaimed, ended up landing on my butt as I was surprised to see it flying around me.
"Ahhhhhhhhh! What is that?!" Elise panicked, hiding behind Camilla.
BACCHIRI MINNA! BACCHIRI MINNA! BACCHIRI MINNA! BACCHIRI MINNA!
"What is that thing?" Xander wondered.
"And what is that awful sound?" Leo groaned, covering his ears. "Make it stop!"
"Ah, it was a success!" General Edith got out. "Herr Hiroji, that thing you are seeing right now. That represents your soul! The very manifestation itself!"
"My… soul?" I got out. With a deadpanned expression, I asked, "You say that because you weren't sure, weren't you?"
"How could you say such a thing, Herr Hiroji?!" he exclaimed.
"Seeing you overreacting on the matter is something." Xander spoke up, leaving Edith confused a bit.
"Er, er-hem!" he coughed out, trying to cover up his own faults. "Worry not of that! Now, pull and push the lever in!"
"What's going to happen, then?" I blinked.
"I… have no idea." he said. "I've never reached this far, before."
…
…
…
"Excuse me?" I got out, confused.
"Just believe me and do it." he waved off, making me sweat drop even more.
"What about that… thing?" Leo asked, pointing at the circling ghost over my head and strangely enough, dancing around.
"It looks… silly." Elise blinked, looking at it while still hiding behind her big sister.
"There's only one way to find out…" I said before holding onto the handle. I pulled the lever to 'close' the eye and pushed the lever to 'open' it back up to reveal the image of a faceplate.
KAIGAN! ORE!
LET'S GO! KAKUGO! G-G-G-GHOST! GO! GO! GO! GO!
Orange motes of light gathered on my form while lines of energy formed on my body before they formed armor. The said ghost then hunched over me letting me wear the jacket before an orange mask flipped upwards. I was in armor. My helmet was black with an orange mask that had a jagged curved horn on my forehead and black large black holes that were my "eyes". For my attire, I wore what it seems to be a commoner's black hooded jacket that was unzipped with orange highlights, and underneath was a black armor with clear plastic to protect it further and there was a symbol of an eye on there as well. The rest of my body from the waist down consist of black pants and shoes.
"Huh?" I got out, looking down at hands and at myself. "Wha-?! WHAAAAAAAAAAAAT?!" I exclaimed on the last part, as both of my hands are holding onto the helmet.
WHAT THE HECK AM I WEARING?!
"My, oh my! My little Hero looks rather ravishing!" Camilla said in awe, looking at my armor.
"What is the meaning of this?" Xander demanded.
"Ah, calm down, Herr Xander. Everything shall be explained." he reminded before turning his attention to me. "Herr Hiroji, that would be your new armor to set out for battle."
"My battle armor?"
"Yes! An armor that represents yourself!" Gneral Edith said proudly, as I looked at my hands once more.
"I-I don't understand." I got out. "What is all this?"
"I also hear about your determination to step outside of this tower." Edith said
"Yes, he's yearning to leave this tower for so long." Leo got out, still looking at me.
"Little Hero would always wanted to go out and see the world. Even I have plans for him as well…" Camilla got out, and judging by her voice, I think she meant it other than her usual doting on me.
"Herr Hiroji, can you explain to me what is your current condition in the armor you don? Have you feel something out of normal while wearing it? Any abnormalities or whatnot?" General Edith asked.
"I… I do feel stronger." I noticed flexing my hands and my arm. "This might not be so bad after all."
"Then, try it out." Edith suggested.
"It won't change anything even if he's still in that armor." Leo got out. "He still hasn't beat Xander at all."
"Indeed. We trained like this so that we can defend ourselves from our enemies. Father has been tracking his progress." Xander said, before turning to me. "Hiroji, allow me to warn you this. If you can't hit me today… or for better term, beat me today, you may never permit you to leave the Northern Fortress. Ever."
"What?!" I gawked. "That can't be real, can it?"
"I don't think he's lying, Herr Hiroji." General Edith got out.
"Big brother has always been the serious one." Elise added.
"Come, Hiroji. Shall we see if you have what it takes to earn your victory over me?" Xander challenged.
"I'm not staying cooped up in this castle any longer!" I exclaimed, picking up a wooden sword.
"No. Not that sword." Xander said, drawing out a real Bronze Sword. "With this."
"What?"
"General Edith, would his armor lasts against a normal attack?" Xander asked.
"It should endure." General Edith nodded.
"I see. Very well then." He then reached to a satchel, and brought out a spare Bronze Sword, throwing it towards me to which I caught it.
"Best if we stay on the sidelines." Leo suggested before the four started to move.
This is it. This may be the chance I've been looking for. If I can beat my big brother, I can finally get out of this tower! I want to explore the world, much like the legendary warriors that I've read in the books.
"Come! This shall be your final test!" Xander said, pointing his sword at me.
"I'm not holding back!" I said, before charging in. "RAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGH!"
*CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!*
"Good, good. I can feel your strength behind those swings. But-"
*SLASH!*
"Gaah!" I cringed, as my armor somehow created sparks, and I ended up landing on my butt. Though I do feel my movements being swifter than before, and I can feel the energy flowing through my whole body while in this armor.
"Those strikes will not work against someone who is as experienced as I am." he said, as I got up. At least it's good to know that my armor can withstand those kinds of blows. "I have been trained by the best general of Nohr. You excelled in tactics, little brother. Use it to your advantage."
"Right." I said. There's gotta be a way that I could get through his defense, but what can I do?
Wait, hold on. Since he's good at using Dragon Veins, and I don't, maybe I can use it to my advantage? Xander knew that I've always failed at it, but that doesn't mean I can't come up with a good plan, right?
"Well? What shall it be?" Xander asked, still in his stance.
"I should do this!" I said, thrusting my hand forward.
"Is he going to do what I think he's going to do?" Camilla noticed my hand starting glowing a bit.
"He's using the Dragon Vein in his blood." Leo got out.
"Big brother is about to make a big hole again!" Elise suddenly chirped, getting Xander's attention.
"What?" Xander got out, before he felt the shift between the floor and of course, much like how I predictec, a few tiles started to fall off.
"Oh great… here we go…" Leo groaned.
"Where are you going with this?" Xander asked, as he took a few steps back, avoiding the holes.
"I got you now!" I exclaimed, quickly dashing forward. Xander tried to prepare for the incoming attack, but he missed his step, ending up missing his footing. I also noticed the said hole would make him fall to the ledge… wait, what?!
"Ahhhhhhhh! He's gonna fall!" Elise panicked.
"Brother!" I exclaimed, quickly grabbing onto his arm… which then I realized something as well.
I can fly.
While in this armor.
"W-What?" Xander seems surprised about it.
"He can fly!" Elise exclaimed.
"He can fly?!" Leo shouted.
"With no wings or magic… how very Hero-like." Camilla got out.
"Hahahaha! I can fly, brother! Look at this!" I exclaimed.
"I understand your excitement, but can you do something about this height? I'm not a Malig Knight like your sister." Xander told me, as I realized that I was holding him while we're really up high in the air.
"Oops… sorry." I laughed sheepishly.
"Just get me down." Xander growled rather irritably.
As Camilla fixed the floor using her Dragon Vein, General Edith watched both of us as Xander and I landed on the ground and I was feeling excited about it. Just then, my armor suddenly started glowing, and moments later-
OYASUMI!
-it muttered out some strange language, causing me to reverted me back to normal.
"Eh? What happened? Where did my armor go?" I asked, looking at myself.
"Unbelievable…" Leo said in stunned awe.
"It would seem that would be all for now." General Edith got out. "The compatibility of your armor is at its highest. The armor shall reset itself, should you be injured too badly, or the belt has assumed that everything has been done and is not needed to stay any longer."
"Well done, Hiroji. You're getting stronger and smarter everyday." Xander smirked.
I rubbed my head sheepishly. "Thanks. I couldn't have done it without your, uh, tough love."
"I disagree. I believe you have natural talent." Xander shook his head. "Once you have fully utilized its full potential, you could be the greatest warrior in all of Nohr."
"Now you're just teasing me." I pouted.
"You know me, Hiroji. I never joke about serious matters." he said, unaffected. Then, he place his hand on my head, patting them. "I mean what I say. You could be the one to bring light to our kingdom so long shrouded in darkness."
"Brother…"
"Typical." Leo scoffed as he approached us. "You know that true strength is more than simple swordplay, right?"
"Leo, he didn't mean-" I began.
"Calm yourself, little brother." Xander told Leo. "You really are competitive to a fault. As I've always said, you're a talented mage with formidable magical abilities."
"Hmm." Leo sniffed. "Well, just remember that pointy metal sticks are not the only path to power."
"Oh, that reminds me of something I've been meaning to tell you, Leo." I said.
"Something important enough to derail this conversation?" Leo looked at me with slight disdain.
"Hee, hee!" Elise giggled, noticing it as well.
"What is it? Don't keep me in suspense." Leo demanded.
"Very well. Leo, your collar is inside out." Camilla said.
There was a moment of silence between us… before Leo shouted, "What?!" he exclaimed, checking himself and true to her words, his collar was inside out. This prompted my younger brother to ran away for a bit, quickly changing his shirt.
"It would appear someone got dressed while still half-asleep." Xander chuckled.
"That's just like big brother!" Elise got out.
"Camilla, I was just about to say that!" I whined. pouted.
"Maybe next time. You should know that an early bird gets the worm." she smiled sisterly, happily teasing me as well. "I'll be sure to let you take the glory next time, my little Hero."
"Hee, hee! Big brother pouting is cute!" Elise teased me.
"Ugh! Wh-why didn't you say something earlier?!" Leo said furiously, stomping his way back at us.
"Haha, sorry, Leo. But that sort of thing is what makes you so lovable." Xander chuckled.
"Absolutely." I chuckled too.
"Hmph…" Leo scoffed, looking away feeling embarrassed by it.
"Hehe, Leo is so embarrassed!" Elise giggled again.
"Ughhhhh… Elise, when do you intend to behave like the adult that you technically are?" Leo groaned, rolling his eyes, but Elise looked at her older brother and stuck her tongue while pulling down her eyelid, making Leo pop a vessel. "Why you little-!"
"Now, now. Please behave, Herr Leo. You are a prince, after all. And Elise is still a young princess." Edith reminded him.
"In any case, what would be the result for Hiroji's progress, General Edith?" Xander asked.
"Hm… well, I can tell that while his armor boosted his strength tremendously, he is still unable to wield his sword properly."
"You're saying he won't be setting foot out from-" Leo got out, only to be intervened by Edith.
"However!" he exclaimed. "His Highness has told me that should the armor would work well, combined with his intelligence, it is certain Herr Hiroji would made a great progress; becoming Nohr's shining beacon of hope."
"Then… that means-" I got out.
"Yes. You are now free to move out of this castle."
"YES!" I cheered, jumping in the air. "I'M FREE!"
"Isn't this great? Now, you're free to soar the land." Camilla said, now hugging me dearly. And I mean really close to her. "Think of the adventures that we can do together! The fighting, the scouring and expanding the horizon for the people of Nohr. We can do it without restrictions, from here on out!" Closing her face next to my ear, she whispered seductively, "And I'll be sure to protect you with my very being. I'll make sure none of them shall touch a single hair from my little Hero. Your big sister shall deliver death to our enemies… and I shall gladly do so, just. For. You."
"Haha… haha… haha…" I said dreamily, before blood trickled down my nose, being so close to her chest.
"Camilla, you're doing it again…" Leo groaned with a facepalm.
"Oh? I don't mind. And so does he. Righ~t?" she asked with a seductive smile, as I am literally trapped between them, and I can clearly hear her beating heart on my ear. That's how close she held me.
"Ye~s…"
"You're such a pervert, Hiroji…" Elise pouted.
"And you're obsessive of him, Camilla." Xander commented.
"Thanks to that, he tainted your clothes with his blood." Leo added.
"Hee, hee… that would only mean one thing." Camilla added. "Would you like to take a bath with me, my little Hero? Your big sister shall take care of you. Very. VERY. Carefully."
*GUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUSH!*
That was it! That was the sound of victory gushing out of my nose.
"AHHHHHHH! HIROJI!" Elise panicked as I fell to the ground with a smile on my face while blood still trickled down my nose.
"Why do I have to see this in the first place?" Edith sweat dropped.
"Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh… just what I needed." I sighed to myself as I sunk in the bathtub. After cleaning my nose and stopping the bleeding from this morning, I went in the bathroom and with a towel wrapped around my waist, I dipped myself in the tub and soaked in the warm water. It always calms me down after a day of training.
Despite my big sister wanted to join with me, Xander wanted her to prepare the transportation to go to the castle, so I am finally ready to become a fighter.
Still… I can't believe I get to finally leave this place after so long. I've been cooped up in fortress for years and now I can finally see the outside world.
"I can't believe this is going to be my last day staying in this fortress. My dream has finally come true." I sighed in relief.
"Yep, finally!"
Huh?
"It's getting old of hearing you whining of coming out of this fortress, for years now!"
Who's talking just now? I was sure I locked the door and I'm on my own.
As I looked around, I saw something faint, as if it's invisible. Eventually, after rubbing my eyes, an orange ghost-like eyeball spirit with a white cape suddenly appeared, saluting happily.
"Yo!"
"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH! A GHOST!" I freaked out as I jumped out of the bathtub and slipped on the floor.
"Huh?! Where?!" the said floating eyeball looked around.
"YOU!" I pointed.
"Me?! Gosuto janai! Yurusen-sama da! Oboetoke!" it declared proudly.
…
…
…
…
"What kind of name is that? And what kind of language did you speak?"
"A-re~? You can see me now?" the said floating eyeball hovered near me.
"Of course I can! How could I not?"
"I'm certain I cloaked myself fully away from you. I didn't know my simple salute would scared you to death, little boy!" it huffed proudly. "Oh, and I'm speakin' casual Hoshidian language, so yo!"
"You're Hoshidan?!" I panicked.
"Me~h, used to." the floating ghost waved off.
"What's that supposed to mean? J-Just what in the world are you? And what are you even doing here?" I asked.
"Hee, hee! You didn't know the great destiny lies within you, don'cha?!" it perked up, leaving me confused.
"Great destiny? Can you tell me?"
"Yada! Boo, boo~!" it got out before it disappeared, leaving me all by myself.
"That… was weird…" I blinked, before shaking my head. "I think I've been the bath for too long."
"Ah! Herr Hiroji!" another maid noticed, as I was being escorted by my other Maids, Butler and Great Knight. Meanwhile, my family was already waiting by the entrance, waiting for me.
"Hey, Lilith!" I called out, waving back at her. She was a young girl about my age, with long blue hair that's tied in a braid and see wore a simple blue dress with a white apron over her while wearing a handkerchief on her head and wearing brown boots.
"I hear you can finally leave the fortress. You must be very happy." she smiled happily. "Gunter has asked me to go with you to the capital so I can look after your horses."
I smiled at that. "Glad to hear it! I'd miss you if you weren't coming along too."
"Lilith, are the horses ready?" Xander asked.
"Yes, milord. Everything is ready, and the horses seem excited for the trip." she replied with a polite bow. "They are all very fond of Herr Hiroji. Probably from all his time in the stables…"
"Our little Hero does love animals. Such a kindhearted soul…" Camilla sighed wistfully. "Why, he even nursed an injured baby bird back to health one time!"
"Ah…" she got out, getting my attention.
"Lilith, is something wrong?" I asked.
"Oh… no. It's nothing." she waved it off.
"Isn't it obvious, big brother? Lilith is sad because she's going to miss you!" Elise assumed, leaving Lilith confused.
"Miss me?" I blinked. "But she's coming with us."
"Oh, right! Well then, I bet she's sad 'cause she won't have you all to herself anymore." Elise giggled. "You've always been especially fond of Hiroji, haven't you, Lilith?"
"I, er-" Lilith trailed off, not knowing how to respond. She even had a slight blush on her face, too, making Elise giggle.
"As gripping as all this is, we should be on our way. We mustn't keep Father waiting." Xander suggested.
"Yes, let's go!" I nodded in agreement.
"Flora, you and Jakob will remain here to watch over the fortress." Gunter said. "Felicia and I will accompany Herr Hiroji. We may be gone for some time. Take good care of this place."
"Of course! You may rely on us." Flora bowed.
"I wish you safe travels, Herr Hiroji." Jakob bowed as well. "May our paths intertwined once more."
"Thank you. I hope to see both of you again soon… just not here!" I said before I depart with my siblings. Outside world, here I come!
Fen: Finally, we got this edited! Took forever too!
TWF: And I think you like this version more than the original one, huh? Since the people said we'd just CnP from the game.
Fen: Yeah, a lot better than last time.
TWF: Does that include the 'motorboat'? *grins sheepishly*
Fen: Shut up…
TWF: Seeing how much personal it gets, combined with how much you liked Camilla in the first place, says it all! XDDD
Fen: At least he's not Kuro 2.0 dammit! DX
TWF: True enough. Whelp, I guess we shall restart this adventure, huh?
Fen: Yeah so… let's try this again.
*DING!*
TWF: Did I just hear something from your phone? o.o
Fen: Hm? *looks at phone* Oh hey, I got 20 Orbs I can use to summon my Heroes!
TWF: Wait… is that… FE: Heroes?! 8O
Fen: Yep! Too bad, you can't get it from your place! HA!
TWF: Boo hoo… first F/GO, now FE:H… le me sad. Sobs.
Fen: And… I… got… Cherche… Mwahahahahahahahaha~!
TWF: …
…
…
*wears a Tengu mask*
Fen: Eh?
TWF: *Raised a big sword out of nowhere* Off with ye heeeeeeeeead! ALELELELELELELELELELE!
Fen: AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!
Eyecons Collected so far!
Ghost, (? ? ?), (? ? ?)
01: (? ? ?), 02: (? ? ?), 03: (? ? ?), 04: (? ? ?), 05: (? ? ?), 06: (? ? ?), 07: (? ? ?), 08: (? ? ?), 09: (? ? ?), 10: (? ? ?), 11: (? ? ?), 12: (? ? ?), 13: (? ? ?), 14: (? ? ?), 15: (? ? ?)
Other Obtainables
(? ? ?), (? ? ?), (? ? ?), (? ? ?), (? ? ?), (? ? ?)