Author's note: Hello and welcome to Visits to Walhart! This is my first fanfic so some things may be off, maybe some grammar problems there or a misspelled word here. So I ask only for your tolerance. Now I made this because there is not enough Walhart! Why is this so?! He has always been one of my favorites from Fire Emblem Awakening so here he is in all his inexorable glory. Also I believe in an immersive read and would like to recommend listening to "such bonds are the true strength of this army" as I thought it fit most for this scene. You don't have to though. I wish for feedback and I hope you enjoy! All flamers shall be conquered by WALMART, er I mean WALHART! Also I own nothing of Fire Emblem, its characters, or Walmart.
Chapter 1- The Future Princess and the Past Conqueror
It was the end of yet another day for the Shepherds and a tiring one at that. With more Risen then ever roaming the lands there were constant battles every day -and even most nights- leaving them all exhausted. It was after such a battle that the weary men and women of the Shepherds crowded around their campfires to ward away the cold and having their late day meals. But despite the hard days they could be seen laughing and jesting among themselves, full of cheer.
It made Walhart sick.
The former conqueror who once made rulers kneel to him and had an entire continent in his grasp now watched from afar at the loud masses in the shadows, far from the light of the fires.
To think that the ones who brought an end to my conquest was this undisciplined group of commoners… Bah. He shook his head in disgust at how carefree they all were.
There was no one of interest for him to seek among them, even if he did care to socialize. The tactician was nowhere within sight, so too was it the same with the prince. Chances were that they were still planning and preparing for the even greater battles that loomed ahead. At least in that regard Walhart had something to look forward to.
With an "hmph" and another shake of his head he turned to leave to find a more worthy use of his time then watching mere grunts. Perhaps a few hours of training would do before he retired to his tent.
He suddenly stopped when he noticed a figure breaking away from one of the campfires only to begin coming toward his position.
He narrowed his colorless eyes. He questioned the fact that anyone would chose to near him. While he did now play ally to them, the Shepherds clearly mistrusted the former conqueror and kept their distance -which was a fact he was content with.
Except now it seemed someone has ignored that fact. He was now sure that the figure's heading was Walhart himself. His only reaction to this revelation was a tightening of the red gauntlets which rested upon the hilt of Wolf Berg, his axe. And then he waited.
He would not have to wait long as the slim figure walked swiftly and with purpose. As the figure passed a flicking touch he was quickly able to discerned who was brave -or foolish- enough to approach the former conqueror. Upon seeing who it was, he was amused to the point of allowing himself a tiny smile.
The figure was none other than Lucina, the child of Prince Chrom from a ruined future.
He supposed it would only be natural that it would be the child of the very man who brought him down to this lowly state of servitude in the first place. When he learned of the children that hailed from the future, he, of course, thought it as absurd but it was apparently of common knowing among the Shepherds. He had been irked indeed when he learned that the awareness of his defeat was already known before the war had even met its end! But he stifled such thinking when the girl finally reached him.
She stood before him -clad as always for battle- and now strangely hesitant by the way she shifted like a nervous child about to confront the monster lurking under the bed. But she did stand outside of Wolf Breg's reach, he noted with grim amusement. At least the girl was not a complete fool.
"Princess."
"…Walhart." She gave a small nod in greeting.
A few moments passed with nothing further said. The girl became more awkward the more prolonged the moment became, shifting her weight and looking at him only with the corner of her eye. If he had not seen the girl before now he would have questioned if she truly was the offspring of the prince. He had seen her on the battlefield and saw her as a force to be measured, indeed perhaps even greater than her father. She could also always be seen giving aid to the troops and carrying out tasks constantly. Overall he had deemed her one with a focused and keen mind with no lack of confidence.
Except for now it seemed.
"…"
"…"
Walhart felt ridiculous. It was now apparent to him that the girl would not be the first to end the lingering pause. He felt no need to allow it to last any further.
"Shall we just stand here for all of the night before you finally grace me with an answer as to the reason why you stand here? My time is not given freely, speak," he said impatiently, startling the girl into looking at the conqueror at last.
The girl paused at his tone but finally found her voice and cleared it. "Of course. My apologies. I had noticed that you have not participated in eating with the others since you first joined the Shepherds. I come to invite you to-"
"Enough!"
At the loud shout the girl's hand quickly grasped the hilt of her blade -which had not strayed far from her reach during the entire encounter.
"All your mouth offers is lackluster lies. I have no wish to dance around, playing at wordplay and hiding behind thinly veiled pretenses. If you do not have the courage to speak truly then leave now."
The girl was startled at being seen through so quickly, but she then straightened her posture and nodded.
"Indeed, you are perceptive. I was wrong in believing that I could fool you. Then I shall be straightforward with you. To be truthful, I…did not know how to approach you."
"Hmph. Have you that much fear at my presence?"
"No, that was not it." She paused in thought. "I wanted to act as my father would have by treating you as a comrade but…"
"But you question your father's choice and have now come to assertion my motives for joining the army of my former enemy," Walhart stated simply.
"Yes, I have. That and I also came to warn you," She drew Falchion without so much as a scrape and pointed its tip toward his heart, "that if you betray my father or cause him harm in any way, I vow to make sure you will not live a second time to regret it."
Walhart was unperturbed by the girl's cold gaze or by the fact that she was pointing a blade at him. Many men and women had done the same. Very few lived after the fact while he still drew breath.
"It seems that the daughter has more sense than her own father. You should not think me a comrade, this is true. However, I am no enemy either. I am now only a weapon to conquer the foes of Prince Chrom. Nothing more. But if a battle is what you wish for I would welcome a challenge to match my might against yours. The irony that you present is also laughable," he mused with a slight smile. "For me to face the very proof of my ideals."
The girl flinched in shock at his words and lowered her blade. "What do you mean? I would never force others into serving me! I am not like you."
"I said the proof, not the ideal itself."
"Then what-"
"Man being the holder of his own destiny, his own fate, with might able to transcend the gods themselves! This is the belief I fought for! That man had the ability, the strength to rid themselves from the chains of slavery and choose their own lives! A true freedom for man."
"But how am I proof of that? I failed to save the world from the fell dragon in my time. We all did. And I was only able to come to this time because of Naga's aid."
"And yet it was man that Naga had to beg to like a lowly animal to destroy her foe! The gods have always pleaded to man for aid, to fight their battles. But at the same time the gods has the audacity to command us! To make us bend our knee to them! I know well of the gods' history and I spit on their weakness!"
"And what of the fell dragon?" she argued with a desperate note in her voice. "He slaughtered millions, bringing mankind to the brink of extinction! No one could protect themselves…and nether could I protect them either." She looked away in shame, dark memories lurking in her eyes.
"Then you were merely too weak. You lacked the power needed to bring about true change." He waved away her words dismissively.
She reeled back at his blunt words with pain in her eyes before meeting his with a hard glare. "That may have been true then, but I have become stronger since I came here to the past. I had to; for everyone, and for my father. I won't allow him to die again no matter what happens. I won't let anyone die! I will challenge my fate!"
Walhart matched the intensity of her gaze.
"Then prove it."
The girl blinked in surprise. "What?"
"The fell dragon has risen despite your efforts, but it is shall be a different tale of how it ends. Man will prove themselves that they are the true masters of the earth, not the gods. This I will ensure with my own two hands. So all that is left is for YOU to prove the strength you claim to have gained. The path to glory is one of absolute conviction. Crush destiny under your boot and conquer it as your own! Challenge fate and transcend it!" he declared with a clutched fist.
The girl mulled on his words deeply for a long while, her blue eyes looking off into the sky with her branded eye gleaming brightly from the moonlight.
"You are right," she began slowly, and then nodded solemnly. "Yes, this time will be different. I will prove that I am not the same girl whose world was destroyed around her while she looked on, helpless to do a thing. As much as it surprises me," she added further, "I believe I should thank you. I have always had the fear lingering in the back of my mind that the future would repeat itself. You seemed to have eased it."
"If you have such a fear, crush it before I do. It would not do for the leader of this army's own daughter to show any weakness."
And then to his surprise she laughed and sheathed her sword. "You were not what I expected. You can be truly inspiring, in an oddly rough way," she added, a small smile on her face. "I think I now understand why father wanted you to fight by his side. In a strange way, you remind me of him."
"Pah. I have little need of your thanks or of your sentiments. I simply despise weakness in my presence," he said gruffly. "If you have your path set before you then return to your comrades and leave me be."
"If that is what you wish, but may I ask you for a favor first?"
"You may, and, if my mood is favorable, I may grant it."
"Will you sit and share a meal with me?" she said, a hand gesturing to the campfires.
It was now Walhart's turn to be shocked. "And why do you ask for such a thing?" he asked, a grimace marking his face. "Is it your intent to continue with your original pretense? I have told you: do not count me among your comrades."
"I'm afraid it is too late to ask me to do such a thing," she said with that same trusting smile. A smile he was now finding irksome. "And I ask because now it is no longer a pretense. I would very much enjoy your company and I noticed that you haven't eaten yet. You are not a simply a weapon for my father to use. You are a Shepherd and no Shepherd should eat alone in the dark."
Walhart let loose a tired sigh. Even if he refused he had the feeling she would come asking again the next day, and the day after that. She was even more resembling of her father then he first assumed. She may appear to be a woman of steel that had gone through tempering hardships and loss, but her heart was the same as him. A king's heart and a trusting one at that.
But, Walhart thought, with perhaps a hint of a conqueror's in order to walk and act with strength.
Perhaps he would have to keep an eye, not only on the prince and the future he carves, but on the future princess as well. He supposed it would do him no harm to accept her offer. Training could wait for another day.
"…I see that no amount of talk will dissuade you from your goal. Very well! You have drawn my interest and you shall have my presence with you…for today at the least. I warn you however, that this shall not be a common occurrence. I am no dumb beast to command company from."
"Nor do I see you as such. I'm glad to have your company, and I hope to have you see the Shepherds as comrades one day."
"I hardly believe you could change my mind on the matter. But try your hand at changing my path and you will see why I am inexorable."
With that said the past conqueror left from his dark shadows to follow the future princess among the bright lights of the Shepherd's camp.
Ending note: Well, there it is. My first try at a fanfic. I hoped you enjoyed and that you might review to tell me if I did a good job or not. I plan for this to be a series so feel free to give suggestions for characters to pay jolly old Walhart a visit. Have a wonderful day/evening/night!
Edited as of 10/5/2015.