Disclaimer: If I owned Fire Emblem, or had some say in Intelligent Systems' inner workings, I wouldn't be writing this fic. I'd be directing the development of this actual game. :)
Warning: Language
Fire Emblem: The Burden of Hope
Summary: The Defeat of the Dark Lord and the subsequent Southern Cataclysm shattered the balance of power in Magvel. With the Grado Empire in ruins, the Divine Empress of Rausten, L'Arachel, strives to restore order. The continent lies infested with heathens and nonbelievers: those who refuse to accept the Divine Emperor's wisdom and guidance. Old allies prove treacherous, and bandits and foreign infidels strive to disrupt Her Divine Destiny. In the midst of it all monsters have returned to these lands, and heroes from distant lands come to face their destiny.
Will the Light Prevail over the Darkness, or will Formotis' power return once more?
Prologue: Scattered Sandcastles
They were coming.
The King of Jehanna stood erect, sniffing the lingering scent of his wife as she fled the palace. Rausten ordered his Queen to submit to a tribunal, accusing her of 'sedition.'
When the Dark God Formotis fell before the combined might of Magvel's finest warriors, peace had returned to the continent for a time. For seven years Magvel knew prosperity and calm, yet the unthinkable happened.
To the common man, the idea of an earthquake strong enough to split the earth asunder was unthinkable, yet Prince Lyon and Knoll had predicted this catastrophe long ago. It was why Lyon had allowed Formotis to consume his body and soul: it was the only way to gain the power necessary to prevent this disaster.
Lyon had failed, and Knoll knew this day would come. As the aftershocks subsided he called for help from all four corners of the continent.
Yet, either due to an old hatred of Grado or damages from the war, hardly anyone answered.
Only Natasha, Queen of Jehanna, answered his call. She came with hundreds of men, bishops of the finest holy orders, along with thousands of hands to help the tormented populace.
But while her volunteers worked, two other nations were inspired to aid. Frelia and Rausten were the only nations who retained some form of autonomy during the war: others had either been nearly eliminated or heavily ruined by enemy assaults. Frelia was short on manpower, but not on wealth, and she provided the resources while Rausten, left relatively unscathed from the previous conflict, sent hordes of men.
From this 'aid' Grado split in two: The new "Theocracy of East Grado" adopted a system of government to mirror its Rausten backers, but a small portion to the west, calling itself the "New Grado Empire, turned to Frelia's wealth for aid.
But Natasha saw no difference between the two: these people needed her no matter what. And as she provided aid to both factions Rausten began to show its true colors. When she began to train clerics in the art of healing and tending to the wounds of the people, Rausten claimed she was preparing a light magic corps to combat its authority. As she refused their demands to disband her clerics or subject them to Rausten oversight, so the Theocracy of Rausten made its move.
With the sudden death of Divine Emperor Mansel, Empress L'Arachel took the scepter, and her first command was to begin the 'liberation' of the 'heathen' land
And so, with the bulk of her 'armies' serving as mercenaries and the majority of the population reeling from the war, Jehanna was the first to taste blood once more!
Chapter 1: The Fall of Jehanna
Jehanna Hall, Rear Entrance
Footsteps echo across the tiles of the palace halls.
A mess of blond hair flies forth, with few shades of red following it.
All around her Natasha could hear the screams of men. Rausten had come. Rausten was here. But why would Rausten betray them?
Beside her were two of Jehanna's knights: Paladins who swore to avenge the shameful defeat of Jehanna's troops when Formotis returned.
"Thank you, brave knights, but I can take it from here."
"Nay, milady." One of the knights shook his head fiercely. "How could we abandon our charges? His majesty ordered us to see you to Frelia, or Renais at least."
"My husband needs you! I can care for my children alone. My mare is swift: she was with me when we slew the demon."
Joshua's son and daughter whimpered, and clung to the knights as they saw the rage in their mother's eyes.
"Milady, many apologies, but Jehanna's finest has been cut to the last. Two more knights could do little against Rausten's tide. Lord Joshua is most wise: he will surely withdraw once he is certain of your safety. We are knights of Jehanna, it is our duty to protect the royal family at all costs. Please, we have wasted too much time already. Rausten does not know about these new, secret tunnels, but we must flee before their riders fan out and catch us."
Natasha sighed. Perhaps faith was the only thing she could rely on now.
Jehanna Hall, Throne Room
A halberdier came running, with an arrow still lodged in his shoulder. He bowed before Joshua's throne.
"My lord, the enemy has broken through the front gate. We have no time: escape now, or they will be upon us!"
Joshua shook his head. "I hear them. It's too late. This must have been what Ephraim felt at Renvall, but I'm not Ephraim."
He sighed.
"They've got us with our backs to the wall, but they won't kill us that easily. Men, you are Jehanna's finest, the soldiers who survived Grado's hordes. Are you going to let another nation walk over us? We'll show her why it was a bad idea to raid our homes!"
Jehanna Hall, Main Gate
"Well, I've got to hand it to him: Joshua picked some decent troops. I honestly thought they'd be easy, with such low experience and all."
Marisa simply rolled her eyes at Gerik's banter.
"What? It's true. Jehanna's army hasn't really had much time to get their act together. Can't blame them, though. Who would have thought they'd be attacked by their own ally?"
"... I already hate this job." She growled.
"You think I don't? But we owe it to L'Arachel, even if we have to stab another friend in the back. Ah, well, such is the life of a mercenary." Gerik groaned as the pair advanced, slashing their way through Jehanna's troops.
Frelian Court
"Impossible! Father couldn't be so careless. Carcino's men are nothing but rabble!"
"Milord, I would rather die than lie to you. His Majesty Hayden is dead: Carcino's mage corps slew him and annihilated our air force with some new tome. Such foul magic lacks the awesome power of Excalibur, but its rage was well felt."
Innes howled in rage as his pegasus knight messenger bowed quietly before him. Upon hearing of Rausten's invasion of Jehanna, King Hayden personally led a legion of Frelian troops to assist. Such an army would be forced to march through Carcino, the merchant state, in order to reach Jehanna. Little did they know, Carcino had allied itself with Rausten, and thus they were walking into a trap.
With most of Frelia's forces consisting of pegasus knights, their defeat would ensure that few, if any reinforcements would come to Joshua's aid.
"Rausten would be certain that we'd send pegasus knights, and by eliminating them that leaves us with few options to reinforce Jehanna quickly. I... I should have gone in father's place. My snipers might take longer, but we'd be able to slip past those money grubbing merchants in a week at most. Why would she do this? Why would Rausten betray us all?"
The pegasus knight knelt there, her eyes cast low towards the floor.
"I suppose this makes me King. Ephraim must be laughing right about now."
Castle Renais, Royal Quarters
"Erika, words cannot describe the beauty I feel when I gaze into your eyes."
"Oh, Ephraim." The queen smiled, her eyes twinkling with joy. "There's no need for words anymore, now that we've been one for over five years."
"Even so, I find it essential to say to the world: I am blessed! I am engulfed in love! I see many souls glare at us, even when we are out of sight, but I believe they simply cannot comprehend the splendor of a miracle, a miracle like our love."
"Indeed." Erika frowned. The wail of a young child began to fill the room. "Oh, Michael must be hungry. Ephraim, do not fret. I will care for him. Wait for me."
"Darling, I could wait forever!"
Behind their chamber doors, the knight Seth stood there, brooding.
"I wonder if King Fado could have foreseen this. Their love was obvious even then, but who could have imagined it would go beyond sibling affection?"
A flash of green came barreling forth, only for Seth to catch it mid-sprint.
"What is it, Franz?"
"General! We have news from Frelia: Rausten has continued its advance into Jehanna, and it is believed that they reached its legendary Hall!"
"So Joshua could not stop L'Arachel's rampage. I knew that Natasha's openness would be a curse in disguise. Rausten and Frelia compete over Grado, but now their quarrel has brought Jehanna to ruin."
"General, we must inform His Majesty."
"Ephraim is busy right now, Franz. Go back to your post."
"But sir!"
"They might take some time to react to your news, Franz. And right now they cannot be disturbed."
Franz turned pale. "Yes, sir."
As he watched his protegee go, Seth sighed. "The people will tolerate this for so long, but by the time Michael comes of age not a few will doubt whether he is worthy of rulership. Someone is bound to challenge their line, but what can we do about that?"
Jehanna Hall, Throne Room
The remains of his men lay all around him. The stench of their bodies was just beginning to reach his nose.
Sure, a handful of Rausten's troops were also dead, but what solace could that give him? Jehanna had nothing now: her knights were gone, her people were conquered yet again, and her spirit would be no more.
"Gerik, Marisa, it's been a long time." Joshua spoke calmly, yet solemnly, as though they had all gathered for a funeral.
"Yeah, too long." Gerik nodded.
"I wasn't expecting you to be on L'Arachel's payroll. My men should have recognized you."
"Well, like you said, it's been a long time. Sorry, Joshua. This is the life of a mercenary."
"Caellach said something like that. So it's nothing personal, is that it?"
"I'm not that heartless. None of us wanted this, even her. But I need to put food on the table. And she needs to 'restore order,' apparently. I... I don't want to do this, Joshua. Surrender. Your men put up a good fight. They sure didn't seem like rookies. Rausten could use your talents: we could even help you rebuild. All you have to do is join us and help convince Innes to do the same."
"You come in here, slaughter my soldiers, conquer my people, and say to my face that you want me to sit down and turn the other cheek? Am I talking to Gerik, or one of Rausten's dogs?"
Marisa drew her blade. "... No one can say that to him, not even you."
"I never thought either of you would betray us!" Joshua screamed. "Especially You!" He thrust his finger at her.
For a moment, the Crimson Flash froze, her face flushing as Gerik drew his own blade. "We practiced a lot back in the day, and I guess I'll see your strength in the worst way possible. Come, Joshua, show us what you've become."
"You talk like a friend, traitor, when all you've done is show me your true colors. I'm not going down so easily. Prepare yourself!" Joshua growled as he drew his sword and lunged at the old mercenary.
The next few moments were like a dream.
Joshua flew forward, like some tiger possessed, and his blade hacked away at Gerik's armor. His blade flew elegantly and precisely, and after a few strikes Gerik actually dropped his weapon.
But before Joshua could finish his dance and cleave Gerik's head off his neck, Marisa pounced forward.
She really is the Crimson Flash. He thought as her blade plunged into his chest.
As she yanked her sword out of him, Joshua fell to the floor.
He heard the beating of hooves, and soon another familiar face appeared beside the couple.
"Joshua! I don't want to see you die here. Tell me now, will you submit and join the cause of light?!"
The young king laughed as blood spilled out of his dying form. "L'Arachel, you mad whore. I am Jehanna's King, not a worthless toad. You will pay for your sins today. See you in hell." He gasped out those final words, and fell silent.
"Damn." She shook her head. "Stubborn 'till the end. But we are righteous, not animals like Grado once was. Gerik, once you are ready you will lead the effort to clean these halls and bury these brave warriors. That's the least we can do for him. Our clergy will reassure the people of Jehanna that they can fight for a better cause now. Joshua is gone, but Ismaire's legacy won't end here." L'Arachel put on a blank mask as she closed Joshua's eyes.
Carcino, Department of Acquisition, Head Office
In a dark room kept shady and unpleasant by thick curtains and only one entrance, a young man in mage's robes hesitantly opens the door and enters.
He steps towards a long, rectangular table, where a man in a dark hood sits at the opposite end.
"Chief Enforcer, reports from Jehanna indicate that Rausten is certain to overrun what remains of their local militia. Once Jehanna has been fully pacified, there will no longer be any threats from the east."
"Excellent..." The hooded man chuckles. "But Frelia may harass us in desperation as she tries to reach her beleaguered ally. Tell our men to remain at their posts, this is no time to celebrate even if we only have one front to worry about. Carelessness on our part will be our doom."
"Yes, sir." The mage leaves as he quietly shuts the door.
"Whew, he didn't turn me into a newt." The mage shivered as he paced down the halls of Carcino's governmental hall. Since the death of Pablo, the nation took an interesting turn: The Council of Elders was renamed "The Board of Directors," and the entire nation began to act as one economic entity. The death of so many prominent guild leaders and wealthy merchants due to Renais and Frelia's men in the last war inspired so many changes, but with the backing of Rausten Carcino's elite began to act much more assertive.
The mage, who called himself Tim, wonder if this was for better or worse.
As Tim exited the Head Office, he felt a deep chill coming from the southwest, from the direction of the so-called "New Grado Empire."
The chill felt expected somehow, and he remembered a conversation he once had with some fellow in Carcinoan Intelligence.
"I heard from some guys stationed in the south that Prime Minister Knoll started some new project, something about going back in time. I heard that the entire laboratory has begun to freeze over somehow, and that huge tracks of the Empire's capital city need thick winter coats and gloves if anyone hopes to survive over there. It's anyone's guess how this could happen when summer's just about to start."
All of Magvel had gone mad, Tim decided, and the sooner Rausten could sort things out, the better.
With Jehanna pacified by Rausten's holy, indomitable, righteous crusaders, the Empress L'Arachel turns to her next target: the elusive and seditious Queen of Jehanna and her supporters in the Frelian-backed New Grado Empire. The pious Theocracy of East Grado needs Rausten's support more than ever, and the Empress would never abandon an ally, especially in such a dark hour.
The threat of Frelia rumbles in the distance, and Carcino's industrious mage crops can do little to stem its tide. If Rausten is destined to bring light to the world, she must find new ways to crush these champions of chaos!
Author's Note: Yes, I came out of retirement for this shlock. No, I'm not writing any more fics after this. The plot is mostly planned out at this point, but I am willing to accept any requests you might have. The author would like to thank Kaze-Kami-Ha for Tactics of the Stones, which was a major inspiration for this fic. The author would also like to thank the other writers on this site who have come and gone and helped him in his journey as a writer.
Most importantly, I thank you for reading this! I hope you enjoy the ride.
P.S. Characters from FE Gaiden (2), FE 7, FE 12, and certain items/perks from FE 6 will appear in this tale. Of course, the tale ends before the start of FE 6, but that's neither here nor there. Expect various scenes between the cast of FE 2 and certain members of FE 12's crew, since they're ON OPPOSITE SIDES, MWAHAHAHA! Ahem, again, I hope this will be enjoyable. This chapter was supposed to be short as a taste of what's to come!