Chrom's New Shepherds- Chapter One: Hope

In this world, a thing such as hope had gone extinct.

Which is why a young man, no older than the age of 17, merely sighed as the smell of burning wood reached his nostrils. So, the Risen had finally attacked their small village? Well at least since he was going to die, he wouldn't have to finish delivering this wood.

Screams echoed across the village as he loosened his grip on the wheelbarrow of wood he was carrying and walked in the opposite direction of where the screams had come from. He moved at a gentle pace, ignoring the civilians who rushed past him in the same direction, looking for safety. If someone had attempted to warn him to move faster because the Risen were coming, he didn't hear as he continued his slow pace northwards.

The pathway in front of him was illuminated by the blazing flames roaring behind him, creeping closer and closer as it got hotter and hotter. He wondered if it would be the Risen or the sweltering flames that ended him.

A body slammed into a house near the young man, and he snuck a glance to see if the person was still moving. They weren't.

Any semblance of hope to live had long been drained from him. The constant fear and terror that came with the possibility of Risen attacking their small village had consumed him when his parents had passed away while trying to foster trade with neighboring villages.

He just wished that he would be able to see his parents in the afterlife, if there was one, but he wasn't sure there was one anymore. Prophets claimed that Naga allowed those who did good to ascend to heaven after death, but his belief in Naga was non-existent. It was hard to believe in a god who failed to protect them. If Naga was still out there, she had long left humans to their own devices, failing to protect them, or she found pleasure in their demise. Either possibility was not something that he appreciated.

The screams in the air played like a symphony of chaos in his head as the stomping of feet get closer and closer to him. He wondered if this is what his parents had seen the day they had died? What had they been doing that day? Running for their lives? Fighting till their last breath? Or awaiting the sweet release of death like he was?

He swallowed, something he found difficult to do thanks to the lump in his throat, and he shook his head to banish the thoughts and the tears welling up. It didn't matter. Because in a world where the Fell Dragon ruled, nothing mattered because if it existed, it would only be a matter of time before it was destroyed because the Fell Dragon had willed it so.

A rush of movement alerted him to somebody, or someone, behind him, and the young man dared a glance. And what he saw made him freeze in terror. Whatever that thing was couldn't be described as human. It had a humanoid figure, but its entire body was a pitch-black color, and its head was covered with a mask that left it with a deformed, lip-less mouth, and glowing red eyes which sent chills through the young man.

Using the sword in its hand, the Risen swiped across the chest of a man who didn't look to be more than a few years older than him. The man's blood splattered onto the Risen as his death throes pierced the air, but if the Risen had any sort of conscience, it didn't seem to care as it's head eerily turned towards the young man's direction.

It inched towards him and widened its cracked mouth to release a growl as its sword dragged across the ground. Blood from the man and the Risen's other victims dripped from the blade's edge, but the young man could only watch. He was frozen in place.

Memories of his parents and his earlier childhood flooded into his mind. The time he had finally been able to help his mother in the kitchen and the smile on her face when they finally finished the food. The smile on his father's face when he had decided that he would help at his workplace. The final farewell he had said to his parents as they left the village for the final time, never to return.

The Risen's sword reeled back.

The young man found his tears free falling as he closed his eyes tight. He had accepted the fact that he was trying to die months ago. He had lost any hope for a peaceful future after his parents had died. He wished for nothing more than to die and leave the abysmal world he called home.

So why? Why in this moment did he suddenly have an overwhelming desire to live?

A sob escaped his lips as the Risen slashed forward, and the man awaited his demise. But it never came as the sound of metal clashing rang from in front of him. His eyes peered open to see a mysterious warrior with short blue hair wielding a strange sword he had never seen before.

Lucina

Catching the Risen's blade with her own, Lucina sighed in relief that she had managed to save somebody from being torn asunder. She pushed forward to send the monster stumbling backwards, ending the sword lock she was in, and turned back to the young man behind her. He had to be around her age, probably a year of so younger, but a look of horror was washed over his face.

The young man's horrified face revealed he was weary and tired from constant dread, and Lucina had seen this demeanor many times before. It was another person who had lost their hopes and dreams amid a bleak world.

"I understand the fear you must be feeling, but now isn't the time to grovel. Please evacuate the village," Lucina said as she adjusted the mask on her face. She was relieved to find that the blue butterfly mask hadn't fallen off after her mad dash to get over here on time.

Lucina returned her attention to the Risen who was rushing at her once more. She lowered into the stance her father had taught her so long ago. Standing tall, the Falchion hilt held near her left shoulder with the blade pointed downwards. Even mid-battle the stance reminded her of the days she had trained with father and that was something that never failed to calm her nerves during a battle.

Sword held high, the Risen slashed downwards but Lucina countered with a downward strike of her own to disarm it. She followed with a quick thrust of the Falchion, piercing the monster's neck. It gave a gurgling roar as greenish, murky blood spilled from its neck and the red glow in its eyes vanished. Its body slumped against the Falchion lifeless. Lucina pulled the Falchion free and flailed her sword to wipe off the murky blood that had spilled onto her blade.

Hearing the young man behind her gasp, she turned around with a frown.

"Young man," she began. Gods that felt weird to say considering that she was only a year older than him at most. "I can take care of myself, you must hurry and evacuate the village while we take care of the Risen."

The young man stared at her his mouth hanging agape. "Who are you?"

Lucina couldn't help the smile that crept on her face as she answered while adjusting her butterfly mask, "Marth." And with that, she turned around to survey the area for more Risen.

By this point, most villagers had escaped, so now the Risen were stumbling around the town aimlessly destroying any obstacle that blocked their path. Lucina wondered whether the Risen could think. I was always strange how they acted, sometimes they simply destroyed and destroyed as if that was the only thing they had known, and other times -Lucina watched as another Risen stomped towards her - they acted intelligent enough to realize a threat when they saw one.

There were only a small amount of Risen remaining, and Lucina gave a silent prayer to Naga. That meant that she wouldn't have to resort to her backup plan of providing the villagers with weapons to protect themselves in case the number of Risen were overwhelming.

Taking the initiative, Lucina dashed towards the nearest Risen to her and ducked a swipe of its sword. Using the momentum of her run, she swung forward and dug her blade into its chest, making roar before it in pain before it fell to the ground dead.

Strangely enough, the Risen in the area stopped their aimless destruction before turning their beady eyes on Lucina and stumbling towards her.

A smirk crossed Lucina's lips as she pierced the stomach of another risen and watched as it fell to the ground dead as well. It was too bad risen weren't intelligent enough to run away, but then again it meant that she wouldn't have to worry about any of them escaping and seeking destruction elsewhere.

Another Risen stumbled towards her and Lucina entered her stance ready to strike, but it suddenly jerked forward as if it were struck from behind and fell to the ground.

"Quench your thirst!" A young, blond male wearing loose, yellow clothing appeared behind the Risen's lifeless body and struck a strange pose as he clutched his wrist as if it were pain. A katana was gripped in his hands.

Lucina wasn't surprised to see Owain speaking to his sword hand as it was a sentient creature. She smiled at her cousin's antics, but she quickly steeled herself; her cousin's dramatic tendencies could wait. "Owain, there's only a handful of Risen left."

Owain's tightened his grip on his hand "Forgive me Lucina, my sword hand is consuming me." And he darted off to fight another Risen, roaring as he cut into it. Lucina chuckled before refocusing on the fight.

Lucina narrowly sidestepped the club of a Risen that had charged straight forward towards her and used her Falchion to parry an axe blow from another; she managed to just barely stop the axe from cutting into her stomach.

It was two against one, but she wasn't worried. She pushed her blade forward against the axe, sending the Risen to backwards a few steps, and taking advantage of its newfound loss of balance, she cut across its exposed torso. She barely managed to jump backwards to avoid the other Risen's club swing.

The axe-wielding Risen fell back with a groan, but the club-wielding one quickly closed the distance her jump had created as she landed on the ground. It reeled the club backwards, preparing to slam into her at full force. Lucina sloppily braced herself for the heavy attack; she wasn't going to be able to pull her sword up quick enough to fully block the blow. The club's collision course, however, was deflected by a katana as Owain stepped between them. "Sacred Stones!" Owain held his katana in reverse grip and darted across the Risen exposed side, cutting deeply into it in a spray of murky blood.

"Hah!" Lucina jumped forward with her sword held high and cut down and dug the Falchion into the Risen's shoulder. It gave one agonizing roar before it dropped.

Lucina wiped a mixture of sweat and Risen blood off her brow as she sheathed her sword and exhaled in exhaustion. A smile graced her lips as she turned towards Owain. "Thank you for the-"

Owain cut her off as he darted to push her out of the way, "Lucina watch out!"

It was only now that Lucina had become aware of the approaching footsteps coming from behind her. She cursed at how vulnerable she had left herself as she turned and tried to unsheathe her Falchion to block and incoming drive from a Risen's sword, but she realized she wouldn't make it.

"Leave my sister alone!" the familiar cry came from above. Riding on a Pegasus, whose pristine white feathers were stained with Risen blood, was a young girl with brown hair. She wore silver armor and carried a spear in her hands,

The Pegasus flew towards the Risen in what Lucina could only describe as majestic aggression, and the girl used the spear gripped in her hands to pierce the its abdomen, stopping the attack from reaching Lucina. The girl pulled the lance out before stabbing the Risen once more in a frenzied rage.

"Owain, this hero arrives last thing sucks!" Cynthia said as she directed her Pegasus to land near them. She dropped the reins and placed her hands on her hips as she frowned at Owain.

Owain sheepishly scratched his head. "And your entrance was just as dramatic as I imagined!"

Lucina gave a chuckle before she clenched her fist in shame. That was twice when she had lowered her guard down, and it almost had cost her. She felt someone place a hand on her head.

"Relax Lucina," Owain said. Lucina smiled at the reassurance. "Besides, if you fall in battle I'll bathe in your blood as I make a vow to avenge you."

"Ugh," Lucina groaned as she slapped Owain's hand away and walked towards her sister. Owain's antics were endearing, but he did let it get to his head.

"Thanks for the save, Cynthia. I owe you one."

Cynthia grinned as she posed, not all to unlike Owain's pose from earlier. "It's my pleasure." Lucina gave a smiled in return, before turning to inspect the rest of the town.

The fires had died down, as Cynthia had used a large barrel of water to quench the fires from above with her Pegasus. It seemed like there weren't anymore Risen in the area, but Lucina decided not to lower her guard less she almost lose her life again.

After half an hour or so of scouting for remaining Risen, Cynthia helped guide the evacuating villagers back into their homes. Lucina's heart sank as she watched people grieve over the casualties of the attack. Some cried, some froze up in despair, and some threw up. Many of the buildings in the area were still intact, but some had partial burns, many were torn asunder, and a few had burned to the ground completely. It was a sad sight to see.

Lucina gripped her Falchion's hilt tightly. Risen attacks were always devastating and produced the same result: casualties, destroyed homes, and despairing survivors. But above all else, what infuriated Lucina the most was that she could've stopped them had she gotten to the village on time. The deaths were avoidable.

"Excuse me, uh Marth?" A voice came from behind her.

Lucina turned around to see the villager she had saved from earlier. She masked her frustration as she put on a blank face. "Yes, young man?"

"I wanted to thank you for saving my life…" Lucina's eyes widened as she realized he was on the brink of tears. "I thought all I wanted to do was die, but in that moment, I realized that more than anything I wanted to live." He went on his knees and clutched his hands together. "I don't know how I can ever repay you."

"I-I- uh," Lucina said, at a loss for words by the man's gratefulness.

"What she means to say is, don't mention it," Cynthia said as she slipped next to Lucina and held her hand out towards the young man. "And besides we're heroes; helping you is simply our job." She flashed a grin at the man, one he happily returned as he accepted her hand and stood back up.

"My actions were less heroic," Owain said in a dark tone a he clutched his left hand's wrist dramatically. "My sword hand hungers, and I'm simply a slave to its craving for Risen blood."

Lucina had to stifle a laugh as the young man's face contorted in pure confusion. "Don't mind my companion, he like adding a dramatic flavor to his battles." The young man gave a hesitant nod.

"Now then," Lucina began as she pulled up a crate filled with various sorts of weapons. Owain had brought it over. It was their backup plan. "These are for you and the villagers in-case you need to protect yourselves from the Risen."

The young man's eyes widened at the statement. "You mean we'll have to fight them?"

"Naga forbid you have to, but someday you might need to step up to be a hero for your neighbors," Lucina said.

The young man seemed to look down at the crate worriedly before giving an uncertain nod. "Are you guys fighting against the Fell Dragon's monsters?" he asked.

Cynthia grinned. "Nope, we're fighting the Fell Dragon himself."

The man's jaw dropped at the statement, but he managed to muster the words to say, "t-that's incredible!"

"One day, you won't have to worry about Risen attacks. Isn't that a nice thought?" Cynthia said.

The man looked at her confused, as if the notion that that was even possible was unlikely, but he put another uncertain smile on his face. "It is." And he began pushing the cart deeper into the village.

"Alright Cynthia, what was that about?" Lucina asked as soon as the boy had moved out of hearing radius.

"What?" Cynthia replied in an offended tone. "You're telling me that you don't think that's true?"

Lucina shook her head. "Of course not, but we don't really want to paint some false hope into the villager's heads. At least not until we find an actual way to beat Grima," Lucina said in a hushed tone.

"But a hero's job is to quell people's fears, right? I think that if saying that is all it takes to cheer them up in a world filled with as much despair as this one, then that's ok right?"

Lucina turned back to the young man, who looked to be talking to another villager. He looked in a much better mood after having had that conversation with them. She supposed Cynthia was right; even hope that was based off a lie was good. Because Naga knows the people of Ylisse needed hope.

Owain

"Aw man, mom's going to kill us!" Owain whined as he, Lucina, and Cynthia strolled through the courtyard towards to the entrance of Castle Ylisse. For Owain, normally the castle seemed large and fortified, but today it looked like a death trap.

Owain glanced around the castle, looking for some sort of escape. There were two guards equipped with spears flanking them and positioned around the castle's outskirts were even more. A chill rushed through him as he realized he had no chance for escape.

How his mother had found out that the three of them had escaped Ylisstol to scout the area for Risen attacks was beyond him, but they were in for the shouting of a lifetime. Mother had told them countless times that they shouldn't be recklessly heading into battles with the Risen, so it was no surprise that she had requested that they'd be taken to her quarters immediately when they were spotted re-entering the city.

"Calm down, Owain." Cynthia strolled forward with a grin. How was she acting so relaxed when her life was in danger?! "I'm sure Aunt Lissa will understand that the heroism booming in our hearts couldn't be locked behind the iron gates of home when there are people awaiting to be saved."

Owain resisted the urge to clap for Cynthia's well put words. Her heroism was improving dramatically. "Cynthia, are we talking about the same person?" He paused his walk. "She's the person who vanquished ghoul and spirits from haunting the Halidom of Ylisse for years, she single-handedly fought off a Valm invasion and lived to tell the tell…"

"I don't mean to impose Owain, but perhaps you should get to your point, you know Aunt Lissa doesn't like waiting," Lucina said with a small giggle at his antics. Cynthia frowned at the missed opportunity to hear more stories.

"Alright. Alright." Owain pouted before grabbing Cynthia by the shoulder and shaking her. "We're talking about the freaking Exalt! She's not going to let us off easily just because we're related to her." Cynthia took a few seconds to regain her sense of balance after the rough shaking.

"I suppose I'm mainly at fault here Owain…" Lucina frowned. "I was the one who convinced you to follow me out of town, so I'll take responsibility for this."

Owain placed his hand on Lucina's shoulder; he didn't want to see her get upset over something like this. "No, its fine. Mom will probably find a way to cheese me out regardless." He sighed at the thought. "And besides, on the blood of the exalt that courses through me, I shall never allow someone to take responsibility for my actions!"

Happy to see Owain back to his normal mood, Lucina smiled.

"Princess Lucina, Princess Cynthia…" Standing in front of the doors to the throne room was a figure that Lucina, Cynthia, and Owain were all too familiar with.

Sternly looking at them was an old man with brown hair slightly graying hair that was combed back. His face lined with a few small scars stressed his experience on the battlefield. He wore a light blue armor, a different variation than most Ylissian guards had, and gripped around his palm was a spear.

Owain stepped ahead of his cousins to approach the man face-to-face. "There is the man as ancient as Ylisse itself, yet still avoids the kiss of death from the reaper." Owain crossed his arms and smirked.

"Ah yes, Prince Owain…" Frederick said as if he were a passing comment. "I almost missed your theatrics while you were out on your little "excursion"."

So, Frederick knew about their little trip too? Owain's eye twitched. He bet Frederick was the one who ratted them out. "I too missed your presence, but alas the chosen mustn't become too complacent less they will find it hard to leave home for their destiny."

"Wise words as always, Prince Owain," Frederick dryly remarked, and Owain could hear the sarcasm spilling from the retainer's mouth.

Even after years and years of training with him, the old man never lost his distaste for Owain's heroism. Maybe Owain did use his heroic flavor of words and posed too often, but would it kill the guy to play along? And besides, his belief in being a hero was not just a theatric thing.

But as much as Frederick annoyed him, the man had trained all three of them when they were growing up and was his mother's personal retainer and advisor, meaning he was reliable for more things than most could say. Frederick had even been a member of the Shepherds, and he was one of the first too. So as much as Owain wanted to hate him, he couldn't. Frederick was a man who had earned his respect. Too bad the man was such a party pooper.

Cynthia giggled as she marched next to him. "Man, you and Frederick always have the funniest conversations."

"I live to please." Frederick bowed. A small smirk crossed his face before he tapped his lance against the door to the room. "Now then, Exalt Lissa has been expecting your arrival for quite some time now. Please enter."

The doors slowly swung open to reveal a room of exquisite design. A large portion of the room was a long walkway decorated by a brilliant light blue carpet with the brand of the exalt emblazoned on it, but at the end was a large throne where a beautiful woman sat. Her hair was a brilliant blond, with a few strands of gray curling around her left cheek. It stretched to her back. She wore a brilliant green robe over her royal attire. In her hands was a long, golden staff.

"Thank you, Frederick," Lissa said with a courteous nod. Her voice was soft, but it brimmed with the voice of a confident regent. "Please allow our discussion to not be interrupted."

Owain gulped as the door shut behind them and his mother's gentle smile turned into a frown of anger and rage. In that moment, any sense of a well-postured Exalt left his mother's demeanor as she stepped off her throne and approached them. Lucina, Owain, and Cynthia all stared at each other each with looks of panic before they faced back towards Lher awaiting their demise.

"How many times have I told you three not to leave the city without my permission!"

"But mother-"

"No "but mother" from you, mister." She brandished an accusatory finger at him. Veins were popping out from her forehead. "You know how dangerous the lands outside of the city is, it's hard enough protecting the citizens here without you running off and playing hero."

Owain bit his lip as he turned his gaze to avoid his mother's glare. It stung to hear his mother think he was playing a hero. He truly believed that it was – as well as Lucina and Cynthia's – duty to defeat Grima. The blood of the first Exalt who made a pact with the Divine Dragon Naga coursed through his veins, and Grima was like Naga's natural enemy. Owain's habit of speaking was – and he swore to never say this aloud – made up, but his desire and belief that he was a hero weren't.

"Owain, you're not a child anymore, you can't keep acting like some chosen hero who can go out and save the world."

"But mother-" As Owain was cut off, he realized there was no point in even trying to argue; it was always like this.

"What is you lost your life on one of those trips?" Lissa said, her voice softened, and Owain turned to face her once more. He felt any argument die in his throat as he saw the tears slip down her cheeks. "I just don't want to lose you…"

Owain's eyes widened and he glanced to Lucina who gave concerned shrugs. Cynthia motioned for him to wrap his hands around his mother and awkwardly, Owain embraced his mother and patted her on the back. "Sorry mom…" He wanted to add "it won't happen again", but he didn't want to make a promise with her that he knew he would break.

It was moments like these that reminded Owain that even when his mother was performing her duties as the Exalt, she was still his mother, and she was only in her late-30s despite some of the gray hairs she was developing from stress. It made Owain feel like absolute shit when he thought about how stressful his mom's job as Exalt was, and he knew that leaving to fight risen made that stress doubly painful. After his uncle's death, she had been forced into the position of Exalt, and he was sure that was not an easy position.

After a minute or so of embrace, his mother settled down, and she returned to her seat at the throne. Her eyes were still red from the tears, but the frown she had carried the weight of a disappointed mother.

"Well then, explain yourselves." Lissa awaited their response; her voice returned to the professional tone it had earlier, if not a bit shakier. She looked patient, but the three of them had known her for far too long; her patience would dry in seconds.

Lucina stepped forward and knelt. "Aunt Lis - No, I mean Exalt Lissa- I'm the one responsible for our endeavor. I shall accept any punishment you give me for this."

Owain opened his mouth to speak, but he saw his mother's eyes soften, and he paused.

"Lucina, something tells me that even if I do punish you, you will still go off to fight the Risen again." Lucina remained silent, but a smile spread across her face, a smile that didn't get unnoticed by Lissa. "You're so stubborn," Lissa sighed, shaking her head wearily. "I suppose you really are Chrom's daughter."

Cynthia shuffled uncomfortably at the mention of the name but remained silent as she continued to watch the interaction. Lucina remained silent for a moment before continuing.

"Exalt Lissa, if you may allow me to speak my mind," Lucina said.

"Very well. Lift your head."

"Thank you." Lucina stood back up. "The reason that Owain, Cynthia, and I are so adamant about fighting the Risen is that we truly believe that its possible to stop them. We just need to try. Excuse me for saying this but cowering behind the city's walls while the army tries to protect us from the Risen will not allow us to hide from the Fell Dragon forever."

Lissa hummed. "And what makes you believe this? Have you found the Fell Dragon's weakness?"

Lucina flinched. "No, but it's better that we try to combat his army, then to allow the Risen to continuously invade our lands, harm our people, and drive fear into our hearts." Owain and Cynthia gave fierce nods as they moved to stand next to Lucina in support.

Owain bit his lip as Lucina and his mother went back and forth for a while. It was always like this when they spoke. His mother wouldn't let him speak a word, but she'd let Lucina say what was on her mind. What did his mother see in Lucina that he didn't have? Did his mother think he was inferior to Lucina? He clenched his fist tight but remained silent.

He snuck a glance towards his mother's left hand where a light purple insignia rested. His mother's Brand of the Exalt, and the proof that she has Exalted Blood. Owain couldn't see it from his angle, but on Lucina's left eye was her Brand, something that had yet to surface on Owain. Then he looked at Lucina's Falchion, and the answer became obvious to him. She had the Brand and the Falchion… just like her father and the First Exalt. But Owain was just-

Owain's attention was dragged from his thoughts as he felt his mother's eyes glance towards him Owain and Cynthia before moving back to Lucina. She exhaled sadly. "I can't argue with that logic, but how can only three of you fight against an entire army of monsters, much less the Fell Dragon itself? The Ylissean army itself is already struggling to keep our borders safe and Risen still crop up around small villages even now."

Cynthia finally spoke up, balling her fists, lifting them up, and grinning. "That's why we want to venture across Ylisse and gather people who want to fight against Grima with us!" Passion flowed from her mouth as she looked up at Lissa with determined eyes.

Except for Cynthia, everyone's eyes widened at the statement. Owain flashed Cynthia a look that said, "you weren't supposed to say that", and in return, Cynthia sheepishly scratched the back of her head.

Cynthia had made two mistakes. First, mentioning their plan, a plan their mother would adamantly be against, was something the three of them had agreed not to share. Second, using the name "Grima" was something that most people took offense to. The name itself brought fear into the hearts of many. Some felt as though saying the name was akin to calling forth the dragon itself, while others felt as though saying his name in vain would call his wrath on them. Regardless, the name was something that couldn't be thrown around willy-nilly, and for a while the trio hadn't used the name either, but they figured if they were too scared of the dragon to say its name, then they had no right declaring they would defeat it.

Silence filled the room for a few moments, plunging the it into a tense atmosphere. She didn't like letting them leave the city on small excursion that would only last a few days, the chances that she would let them adventure across the entire continent with intentions to fight the risen were slim to none.

"I assume this is true?" Lissa asked as she turned her head back to Lucina, who hesitantly nodded in return. "Leave me to think about this."

Cynthia

Cynthia glanced between Lucina and Owain as a silence surrounded the three of them. Nothing too bad had happened, and it seemed like Aunt Lissa might be giving them a chance to make plans to fight off Grima, but that didn't stop how awkwardly tense the air between the three of them was.

Lucina looked to be in deep thought as she kept a fast pace ahead of them, not surprising as her sister tended to do things like this after the mention of their father, and Owain had a frown across his lips and followed them from behind.

Matching his pace and sidling next to him, Cynthia tapped him on the shoulder. "Hey Owain," she said.

"Yeah?" Owain didn't even spare a glance at her.

"Do you want to go check out the Shephard's quarters?" She tried and failed at trying to sound cheery.

"Yeah sure," he said as he adjusted his walk to take him towards a smaller building buttressed next to the castle. He glanced over at Lucina, who was still heading somewhere else. "Hey Lucina, we're heading over to the Shepherds' Quarters."

Lucina gave a firm nod, turning to follow them, and eventually passing them at her brisk pace.

Cynthia sighed as their walk to the quarters was quiet once more. Things were always like this whenever they had a chat with Aunt Lissa. Owain would be in a bummed mood, and Lucina would be lost in thought.

She couldn't blame them though. They both had their own reasons, but Cynthia hated when they would enter a somber mood, the world was already sad enough, and she wanted to spend as much happy time as possible with her two closest relatives.

If there was one thing that could fix the mood, it was the Shepherds' Quarters. The famous place where her dad and his companions would train, strategize, and relax in-between battles with Plegia, Valm, and the Grimleal. If there was one thing the three of them loved to talk about, it was the stories of the battles their parents had fought through. The stories of the "Generation of Heroes", or more specifically the Shepherds, never failed to fill Cynthia with awe and inspiration.

Lucina pulled out a key and unlocked the building's door and immediately a dusty smell filled their noses. Lucina cleared the air around her nose with a cough and entered, and Owain and Cynthia followed.

It was dark as the windows were boarded up, but a lit candle carried by Lucina revealed the interior inside. The furniture was old and worn, the floor was dusty, and the walls were filled with cobwebs. The entire place looked like it hadn't been used in years, and since the death of the Shepherds (besides Aunt Lissa, Frederick, and a few stragglers that Cynthia had never met) the place hadn't been.

Lucina strode forward past the lobby and to a room in the back, their real destination. She used her candle to light several other candles resting on a candelabra in the room. There were no furniture lining the simple, stone floor, and the room itself was rather small. The walls had nothing on them besides a plaque with the names of members of the Shepherds and a portrait frame with a beautiful illustration of all the Shepherds smiling happily. That art piece was drawn before the Fell Dragon had been resurrected.

Cynthia looked towards the center of the picture where a man with blue hair and the Falchion sheathed against his waist stood next to a beautiful woman with brown hair. She couldn't help the smile that reached her face. Her parents Chrom and Sumia.

"Father… Mother…." Lucina mumbled fondly.

Grabbing a candle, Owain brought it near the painting, causing Lucina to gasp. "Relax, I'm not going to burn it." He chuckled before moving the candle, allowing the flame to illuminate another section of the painting.

Aunt Lissa, who in this illustration looked to be around Owain's age, was holding hands with a rather flustered man who had short black hair and a katana sheathed at his waist. The man Owain had named his sheath after, and his father.

Cynthia broke the silence that had formed, "Hey Owain, do you think we're actually Chosen Heroes?" She often wondered at times if she could ever really be one. Especially with the fact that they were always restricted from fighting the Risen and stuck in the city.

Owain grinned. "I know it! Just look who our parents are." He pointed to several members of the Shepherds in the picture. "Your dad was the leader of the Shepherds and your mother was hailed as one of the best Pegasus Knights in Ylisse!"

Cynthia grinned at that as she looked from her father, to her mother, and back. She was working hard to become half as good a Pegasus Knight as her mother, but it wasn't easy. She was sure her parents would be proud to see the progress she made so far, but she knew she wasn't where she wanted to be.

Her attention moved over to the plaque next to the illustration and any sense of elation she felt vanished. Owain noticed her stare and followed it over to the plaque and he flinched.

That plaque containing the names of each member of the Shepherds, and next to most members' names were extra inscriptions. The days they had died.

Cynthia's eyes moved towards her father's name.

Chrom | Shepherd Leader | Killed in Action on July 8th

Then her eyes rested on her mother's name.

Sumia | Pegasus Knight | Killed in Action on October 17th

Cynthia tried her hardest to hold her tears in, but she couldn't stop the sob that came from her mouth as she said, "But they di-"

"Don't say that," Lucina said, catching Cynthia off guard. "What makes you a hero isn't whether you live or die, but what you fight for. Mother and father will always be remembered for their bravery, and that's all that matters."

Owain nodded and Cynthia wiped away her tears as she stared at the illustration with newfound pride. Lucina was right, her parents had died fighting for justice and at the end of the day that was what made them heroes. Lucina always managed to say the right things, and her words always reminded Cynthia that she wasn't a heroine, not yet at least.

"And besides, we're just destined to finish what they started with Grima," Owain added as he grinned looking at the picture.

Cynthia's eyes looked between Lucina and Owain for a moment. Her sister and her cousin, and her role models If anybody were a hero, it was them. They were courageous, positive, and always worked for the good of the people. They had the making of a true hero, and everything Cynthia wanted to be.

Lucina caught Cynthia's stare. "Is something the matter?"

"N-No." Cynthia flashed a grin before turning back to the artwork.

It had been ten years since her parents had died, but whenever Cynthia saw a picture of them or heard their tales her chest tightened. The days when she would be able to play all day with her father and try (and fail) to cook with her mother were days she missed, but there was no time for playing anymore. With Grima inching closer and closer to Ylisse every moment, the only thing the world needed was a hero, just like the ones her parents were.

That was why she needed to go out and fight against Grima, no matter the odds. Her parents tried and risked their lives fighting to protect the world and died for it. Owain was right, they were heroes till the end.

So as Cynthia stared at her parents, mesmerized in awe and pride, she hoped that she would become a heroine as good as them someday, and one that would've made them proud.

Lissa

Lissa sighed as she stood up from her throne and lounged on a couch on the side of the room. That throne looked gorgeous, but it was a pain in the butt to sit in all day. She gave a loud yawn as she stretched in a manner an Exalt shouldn't, but she didn't care, the only other person in the room was Frederick and she had practically known that man her entire life; she had no reason to keep appearances up around him.

She did see a look of distaste run across Frederick's face, but she ignored it in favor of thinking about the previous conversation she had with Owain, Cynthia, and Lucina. The fact that they had snuck away from Ylisstol and had snuck past the guards she had placed to keep them in the city, wasn't something she was surprised about. With how often the three of them, especially Owain and Cynthia would run around screaming about being a hero, it was expected that they would try some stunt like that. But it still filled her heart with fear every time they did it.

"Frederick, do you think I'm being overprotective?" Lissa asked as she rested her chin on her hand.

From a few feet away, maintaining a knightly posture, Frederick replied, "milady, if you believe that the extent that they're being protected now is how they should be protected, then I do too."

Lissa rolled her eyes. Frederick's polite manner to her had only gotten worse when she had ascended the throne and became the Exalt. "Frederick, I'm asking for your opinion as my advisor."

Frederick gave a nod, and Lissa had to resist the urge to roll her eyes again. "Frankly, I believe your overprotection is warranted. The lands are scattered with danger. The Risen try to claim any land by bringing destruction and many people have turned to becoming brigands in order to make a living. Even now while the Ylisstol hold safe, many villages in the Halidom have fallen to them both."

Lissa nodded in satisfaction. If Frederick was agreeing with her, then she must be right. Besides, what he said was true, simply leaving the area right outside of Ylisstol exposed one to brigands and-

"But," Frederick began, cutting of Lissa's train of thought, "you must remember that Lucina Owain are of age, Cynthia will be Coming of Age in a few months. I have trained them since they were old enough to first lift a wooden sword, and since then they've made leaps and bounds when it comes to talent and skill. They are capable of fighting for themselves."

Lissa's eyes widened at Frederick's words. He was right, they were no longer the little kids that had to be wet-nursed, they were young adults and they had autonomy over their decisions. Doubt still filled her heart. "But Owain's my own son, and Lucina and Cynthia both are like daughters to me…" Lissa's voice gained a shaky tone. "I don't know what I'd do if I lost them."

Frederick turned his back to Lissa, likely thinking he wasn't entitled to see the Exalt in such a vulnerable position. "If I had a child to care for, I would feel the same way."

Lissa cringed at the words. "What do you mean if?" she said bitterly. "Don't tell me you've given up searching for him; she would never forgive you if you did."

Frederick kept his back turned to Lissa, and she could tell he did so on purpose. "I haven't." Frederick's usually stern voice dropped into a low somber tone. "It's been fifteen years, however. I'm simply being realistic." After a few moments where Lissa didn't speak on the matter, Frederick turned back around, his stern gaze maintained, if not faltered slightly.

"Also, Milady if you are asking for my advice…" Lissa's eyebrow rose. "You asked Princess Lucina if she knew the Fell Dragon's weakness, but if I am correct then you know yourself."

Lissa gave a whispered curse, and she could've sworn she saw a small smirk split across Frederick's weary face, but it vanished. Naga curse her for telling him to speak his mind. "The Fire Emblem," Lissa said, hushing her voice as the words rolled out of her mouth as if saying them itself were some divine incantation.

The sacred item that Chrom had attempted to use to stop Grima. And the same sacred item that had been used by the man who had killed Chrom and used it to resurrect Grima and plunge the world into despair. Lissa's hands gripped tightly against her staff as memories of that horrifying day.

"Frederick…" Lissa's voice was laced in anger. She grit her teeth trying to hold the anger in. "Do you think Robin is still out there?"

"Yes, milady," Frederick said. His stern face leaked just the slightest bit of anger that Lissa knew was boiling inside of him. "There's not a day that I don't regret not leaving him on the field that day or doing worse."

Lissa's knuckles had gone white against the staff. She didn't blame Frederick because if she ever saw Robin again, she would do everything she could to make him pay for the hell he had brought onto her and onto Ylisse. Because not even Naga would not be able to stop her rage if that were to happen.

Lucina

Lucina was surprised to be called back to the throne room so quickly, but she wasn't complaining as she, Owain, and Cynthia eagerly awaited Lissa's decision on the matter. Lucina found herself resting her left hand on the Falchion. It calmed her nerves. Regardless of whether her aunt let them venture across Ylisse or not, the trio had decided that they were going to leave anyway. Lucina found herself taking a page from Owain's book, their hearts couldn't allow them to stay safe behind Ylisstol's gates while the Fell Dragon wreaked havoc across the continent.

"I will be allowing you three to go and fight the Risen," Lissa finally spoke after what felt like an eternity of waiting.

Lucina, Owain, and Cynthia exchanged looks of elated surprise.

"On three conditions…"

The three turned back to her. Lucina felt her heart hammering in her chest. She didn't like the idea of going against Aunt Lissa's word, and now they were going to be allowed to do what pleased.

Aunt Lissa held up one finger. "Condition 1: You will be sending me weekly messages on your progress."

That was an understandable request.

Aunt Lissa held up another finger. "Condition 2: You will stay as far away from the Plegian Dynasty as possible."

That question was a no-brainer. Lucina had no plans for entering the heart of the enemy.

Aunt Lissa raised another finger. "And Condition 3: Frederick will accompany you."

"No!" A shout came in unison from both Frederick and Owain. The two men glared at each other before yelling again. "Don't you dare talk to her like that!" Both their eyes widened as they felt a deadly glare come from the throne, and immediately they bowed. Lucina shook her head, dumbfounded at their actions.

"If both of you don't stop bickering, no one is going anywhere!"

"Milady, if you will allow me to interject," Frederick said, still bowing. When no response came, he continued, "I do not feel you are safe without my presence." Lucina gasped as Frederick placed his forehead on the ground. "I failed to stop the assassination of both Lady Emmeryn and Lord Chrom, I will never forgive myself if I allowed you to die as well."

Lissa simply stared at Frederick before sighing. "There's one more thing I must tell you, however," She said in a deadly serious tone. "There exists one way to defeat Grima as far as I know."

Lucina's eyes – as well as Owain and Cynthia's – widened at the statement. Her heart felt like it would burst from her chest as she waited for Lissa to continue. This knowledge was huge; knowing a possible way to defeat Grima itself was something that could change the tides of battle. Also, Lissa was using the words "Grima" around them for the first time; that spoke magnitudes for the intensity of the conversation.

"As you know the First Exalt defeated Grima 1,000 years ago through the Awakening. Most of the general public knows that, but there's more to it than that. Long ago, when I was as young as you and Grima had yet to be resurrected Chrom, the Shepherds, and I traveled across the continent to find Gemstones that would be placed in this sacred object passed down to every Exalt."

Lissa stood up and tapped a few places beside the throne and it shuffled. The base of the throne shifted upwards revealing a column of stone. Placed on that column like a picture frame, was a golden shield with intricate carving and five circular slots the size of a large marble. One slot was filled by a silver gem.

"This is the Fire Emblem which the First Exalt used long ago, and the Hero King Marth used even longer ago. By collecting the Gemstones: Argent, Gules, Sable, Vert, and Azure, the Awakening ritual can be performed and Grima can be defeated."

Lucina found herself speechless at the revelation of the information. She was aware of the Fire Emblem usage during the Hero King's time period, but its usage to defeat Grima was something she had never heard of, but it made sense. The Fire Emblem was an incredible object created by Naga; the fact that a relic forged by Naga could be used to defeat to it shouldn't have been surprising, but Lucina was still shocked.

"But Aunt Lissa, why didn't you tell us this sooner?" Lucina said, and she couldn't stop the bit of anger that came from her mouth. "Why haven't we been using the Fire Emblem to defeat Grima already?!"

Lissa shook her head but didn't turn to face Lucina. "After Grima was resurrected, and the Fire Emblem was returned to Ylisse. We decided covering up all information of the relic regarding Grima was the best thing we could do, less it falls into the wrong hands once again. The remaining three Gemstones' locations are beyond my knowledge. After it was summoned, we made a mad dash to retreat and to ensure that the Fire Emblem never ended up in the hands of the Grimleal, we decided to separate the Gemstones in different locations." Lissa closed her eyes for a moment in deep thought. "I was too frightened to ever touch the relic again after the events that transpired that day. Please forgive me."

Lucina stared in confusion for a while, trying to allow her head enough time to process the revelations. "I'm sorry for my brash manner, Exalt Lissa." She knelt.

"Your anger is understandable."

Owain shook his head. "You said you don't know where the remaining three Gemstones arebut there are five of them, and one of them is right there."

"Yes. The location of the final Gemstone is well within my knowledge." She smiled at Owain's skilled perception at her words, before her face turned grim. "During that day, as we tried to escape Plegia with our lives, the final Gemstone, Sable, was taken by the Grimleal."

"So, if we're supposed to stop Grima we need to head right into the enemy's heart," Cynthia said with a look of terror.

"Yes." Lissa said nothing for a long while, and Lucina could tell she was giving them the chance to take it all in.

Cynthia, who at first looked incredibly hopeful at the prospect of knowing Grima's weakness, was shivering in fright. Owain was gripping his sword tightly in thought, and Lucina assumed he was just as terrified as she was. Because Lucina was scared. A sense of shame filled her body. How was she supposed to take on Grima if she feared the prospect of heading into his home base? The event should've been inevitable, but despite that mentioning it aloud terrified her very being.

The smile of the young man who Lucina had saved before flashed into her mind. A smile based on the chance of a world with hope. A world with a future.

But despite the fear… despite the knowledge that she would one day have to possibly stare Grima in the face as they took Sable, the knowledge that Grima could be beaten was enough for her because it provided hope, and hope was something they desperately.

Lucina, Owain, and Cynthia all looked towards each other and gave fierce nods. "We'll do it."

Lissa seemed to size them up for a moment before a look of pride flashed over her face. "Very well then, from today onwards I will be tasking you three with the objective of assembling the Fire Emblem and defeating Grima."

Just those words alone were enough to send Cynthia and Owain into a cheery mood as they grasped each other's hands and chanted, "We're gonna be heroes! We're gonna be heroes!"

Cynthia and Owain forced a giggling Lucina to join in and jump with them, and Lucina did – an action that filled her with a childish joy she hadn't felt in a long time -, but she couldn't swallow her pride to chant with them.

"Settle down there is one more thing I must say," Lissa said as she stifled her own laughs. "For the time being I must keep the Fire Emblem."

"But if we're supposed to assemble it together, shouldn't we keep it with us?" Cynthia asked.

"Normally, yes, but you will potentially be braving Risen and Grimleal-filled lands," Lissa said before the grip on her staff tightened. "If – and Naga forbid this happens – you fall in battle with them, we must assure that the Fire Emblem remains safe in Ylisstol"

The trio nodded, understanding the gravity of their task. The possibility that they could die was something Lucina was aware of being a reality.

"But to mark this momentous occasion, I Owain Dark shall christen our team!" Owain posed, eliciting a giggle from Lucina and Cynthia, and a groan from the other two. "From hence force we, the fighters joined in arms against the Fell Dragon, shall be known as the Justice Cabal!"

The only sound that encompassed the room were the sole claps of an elated Cynthia who cheerily clapped. Lucina, Aunt Lissa, and Frederick's jaws had dropped in shame.

"Cousin Owain, if you will allow my opinion. I think another name would suit us better," Lucina said, and all eyes in the room turned towards her.

"Very well, Owain Dark shall allow you to choose a different name."

Lucina nodded as she took a deep breath. The name to pick was obvious. "From today onwards we will strike fear into the hearts of our enemies and hope into the hearts of our allies with the utterance of one simple name. Chrom's New Shepherds!"

It seemed hope was something that hadn't gone extinct after all.

A/N: And if you haven't realized there are quite a few different things in this AU compared to Lucina's future/Future Past. I will be pulling things from what is known from the games, modifying things, and even adding my own elements.

Thank you for reading.