Alright, this is a bit of an experiment on my part with a story idea. A 'what if Garon hadn't been killed and possessed' that eventually evolved into it's current state. This will be a LeoxSakura story, with some side ships, based around a new Draconic menace to the Fates world. The story will most likely be primarily from Leo's point of view, with the occasional deviation. Let me know what you all think. Feedback is appreciated. I do not own Fire Emblem (Obviously).


Chapter One

Snow.

Cold and bleak, yet somehow still blindingly bright. Such a paradox, when one thought of it. The brightness normally associated with warmth, yet the brutal cold of winter, combined into one. Being trapped in the Northern Fortress for the last week, however, has given the young Nohrian prince Leo ample time to consider the implications in an attempt to stave off boredom.

'Well, perhaps 'trapped' isn't the proper term,' he thought to himself as he browsed the meager library the fortress maintained for something suitable to read. He and his siblings had arrived at the fortress earlier this week on holiday, his older brother Xander, and his sisters, Elise, Camilla, and Azura. Why Elise and Azura enjoyed the snow so much was beyond him, but he had to admit he had enjoyed his time with his siblings. Even if Elise had invaded his study to demand he tell her a bedtime story.

The blond prince soon abandoned his search, surmising that any book inside this fortress would be so old and outdated that it would be doubtful to be worth his time. Instead, he moved back to the hearth in the study, tossing another log into the fireplace as he awaited Elise's arrival. He didn't have to wait long.

"Leo!" came the cheerful greeting as the short bundle of energy and blonde pipecurls came bounding into the room. "Did you find a good story?" she inquired.

Leo smiled at his youngest half-sister, shaking his head. "Nothing I saw looked interesting," he explained. "Are you sure you want me to tell you a story, still?"

The young girl grinned, nodding. "Of course! It's a tradition!" she insisted. "You've always read me a bedtime story when we're at the Northern Fortress."

The prince rolled his eyes. "The last time we were here was six years ago. You were ten," he argued, although he knew it was futile to attempt. When Elise had her mind set on something, she was unstoppable.

Elise's grin failed to fade at all. "And we're still continuing the tradition! Now, story!" she demanded cheerfully.

A chuckle escaped the collared mage before he sighed. "Very well. What would you like to hear?" he asked as he settled further into his chair.

The princess thought for a moment, glancing to the ceiling as she tapped her chin. "Um… I know!" she realized, her face lighting back up. "Tell me the story of the Dragon War!"

"Elise, you've heard that tale a dozen times. Are you sure you want to hear it again?" he inquired, steepling his fingers together.

She just nodded in response. "Yup!" she replied cheerfully as she sat down in the chair opposite him by the fire.

After a moment of collecting his thoughts and recalling the requested tale, he nodded in turn. "Very well… Once upon a time, there was a magical kingdom. The Kingdom of Valla. It was a strange land, made of floating islands and endless skies, hidden in the water, in a different realm. Home to the Vallites, Valla was a beautiful land. The royalty of Valla watched over their subjects, and did their best for them. And the land was fair, until one day, a great Dragon came."

As he told the story, Elise sat watching him, drinking it in with an enraptured expression.

"The Dragon of Silence, Anankos, slew the king of Valla, and began devastating the peaceful nation. The battle caused the queen of Valla and her younger sister to flee to our world, each with their children. The queen of Valla, Arete, fled to Nohr, where she and her daughter, Azura, sought refuge. Her sister, Mikoto, fled to Hoshido with her son, Kamui. And these two sisters eventually found favor with the kings and queens of their lands."

"And that's how Azura came to our family!" Elise noted with a grin.

Leo nodded, noticing said blunette enter the room behind Elise quietly, moving to listen to the story. 'Speak of the devil…' he thought to himself as he watched the graceful singer approach. Azura had always been the most graceful of the siblings, a fact that sometimes earned Leo's envy. Instead of announcing her presence to Elise, however, he continued with the tale.

"When the queen of Nohr regrettably passed away, Arete helped the king cope with her loss. The two eventually fell in love, and married. It was at this time that Queen Arete and King Garon noticed strange happenings in the palace of Krakenburg, deep in the land of Nohr. This all came to a head when assassins sent by the Dragon Anankos attempted to kill King Garon and Queen Arete. Narrowly avoiding the attempt on their lives, Arete broke down and told her husband as much of her past as she could. You see, Valla was cursed. Anyone who spoke the name was never heard from again, doomed to dissolve into water."

Azura stood several feet behind Elise's chair, nodding slightly as she heard the story. How she wasn't cold in her black songstress dress was beyond him. Elise still was giving him her undivided attention, in a simple black and white nightgown. Perhaps Leo was the only one in the Northern Fortress who loathed the cold.

"In response," he continued, "Garon reached out to the neighboring nation of Hoshido. He sought help from the Hoshidians under King Sumeragi, who had gone on to marry Mikoto, Arete's younger sister, and requested the king's support in his war against the invisible land. Sumeragi was originally sceptical, but with urging from his wife, he agreed to join Nohr in their crusade. The two refugees from Valla led their husbands and their respective armies to the Bottomless Canyon, the massive cleft between our two nations. And upon arriving, the two wives explained that the only way back to Valla was to dive into the chasm. While many soldiers thought the two women mad, secretly part of the assassination plot to kill their kings and ruin their nations, Garon had faith in Arete completely, and was the first to dive into the canyon alongside her.

"King Sumeragi followed shortly thereafter, as did Queen Mikoto. Soon, the rest of the army followed their sovereigns down, placing their own faith in their kings. The army eventually found their way to Valla Castle, the heart of Anankos' army. Garon and Sumeragi both fought side by side, with their legendary weapons Siegfried and Raijinto, and fought through hordes of the dragon's minions. The two kings fought a battle for a day and a night, embodying the power of the Dawn Dragon and the Dusk Dragon, side by side, before eventually slaying the Dragon of Silence, restoring peace to the lands of Valla, Nohr, and Hoshido."

Elise let out a small cheer. "And they lived happily ever after!"

Azura smiled sadly as she came to the back to Elise's chair. "Close enough," she spoke softly. "I see you remember the story, Leo."

The prince nodded. "For the most part," he admitted. He might have altered the tale slightly. In truth, the dragon had existed in Valla as it's protector, before tragically falling into madness, but that fact had been kept secret from Elise when the story was first told. A young girl like her wasn't the correct audience for such a topic as elaborately sad as the true story was. A dragon losing control of himself, slaying his only friends, and literally begging for death for his sins from those he sought to kill.

Elise took this moment to let out a small yawn. "I always loved that story," she claimed, slightly tiredly. Doubtful she would still enjoy it if she knew all the details, but that wasn't for Leo to tell.

Leo instead smirked. "Alright, you received your story for the night, now it's time for bed."

"Aww… but I'm not tired yet!" Elise attempted to argue, puffing out her cheeks in an adorable pout before letting out another yawn. "...Alright, maybe I am…" she admitted.

Azura smiled as she came around the chair, pulling the girl to her feet. "Come on, let's get you to bed. We head home tomorrow."

"Sleep well," he told the pair as they left for their rooms. It would be nice to return home to Krakenburg, and the relative warmth of the south. Realizing he was still seated in the study, he decided to exit to seek out some alternative form of entertainment before heading to sleep himself. Striding down the carpeted halls of the isolated fortress, his black-blue coat blowing behind him, he made his way towards the main hall. Upon entering, he spotted the familiar figure of his older brother, Xander.

The Crown Prince of Nohr was an impressive individual, Leo had to admit, although never aloud. Standing several inches taller than the younger prince, Xander wore a maroon coat similar to Leo's, though without Leo's collar. His blond hair fell down to his chin, longer than Leo's own close cut, and his posture was always impeccable. And while Leo would never admit it, he envied his brother's confidence and position.

Speaking with him was one of the fortress's staff, a young stable girl named Lilith as Leo recalled. A soft-spoken lass with blue hair that faded to red at the end of her long braid. As he neared, he began to hear snippets of their conversation.

"...And you're sure about the report?" The taller of the two inquired.

Lilith nodded. "The villagers claim they were attacked by Faceless," she confirmed as she spotted Leo, offering a curtsy. "Your highness," she greeted.

Xander turned and nodded. "Leo. We may have a situation."

"I heard. Faceless were sighted?" he asked with a raised eyebrow. Faceless were an extremely rare sight, generally attacking any and all who came near them. Their origins were still a mystery, though Leo theorized that they were the construct of a dark mage of some sort.

The stable girl nodded. "Villagers arrived a few minutes ago, claiming that Faceless razed their village," she explained. "Several were in hysterics, and many gave conflicting reports. The village in question is about an hour's ride to the northeast."

Xander stroked his chin in thought as he regarded his younger sibling. "We should at least investigate," he finally said. "If Faceless are rampaging, it's our duty to our people to end the threat."

Leo nodded. "I agree, though we should be cautious," he replied, turning back to Lilith. "Have our horses prepared," he informed the girl. "I'll fetch my armor and Brynhildr."

Xander nodded. "I too shall arm myself. We leave in twenty minutes."


The minutes ticked by as the brothers rode from the Northern Fortress. Each determined to protect their people, no matter the cost. The Paragon Knight, Xander, and the Sorcerous Prince, Leo. Each riding an ebon-maned warhorse, bred from the finest equestrian lines in Nohr, the two made their way through the rough countryside of Nohr towards the little village in the north. An hour after they left the Northern Fortress, the brothers finally arrived at the outskirts, a plume of smoke rising from the ruined homes and buildings. Snow-capped mountains surrounded the location, and figures could be seen milling around the devastation.

"Those look smaller than Faceless," Xander observed as he brought his warhorse to a stop, armored for war. Black armor with a maroon tabard, with his legendary sword sheathed at his side. Siegfried, passed down to him from King Garon himself.

In contrast, Leo sat atop his own horse, which had lighter armor than his brother's warhorse. Black segmented armor with a collared dark blue coat underneath made up the younger prince's own attire. In his hand rested Brynhildr, the legendary magical tome passed down to Leo, also from their father King Garon.

"I concur. Those don't look like Faceless." The creatures known as Faceless tended more on the hulking side, averaging at least eight feet tall and six wide, Leo recalled. These creatures looked more humanoid, similar in size to a healthy human male. Black skin and glowing red eyes gave them an otherworldly appearance, and a dark mist-like fog hung over the area around them.

"Well, regardless, they are a threat," Xander stated plainly, drawing his black blade from it's sheath. "Shall we go introduce ourselves?" he asked, glancing at his younger half-brother.

Leo smirked darkly as he opened his tome, preparing to unleash his full magical prowess against these creatures. He had trained for years to become one of the strongest mages in Nohr. These things wouldn't even cause him to break a sweat. "Ready when you are, brother."

The thundering of hooves sounded in the small valley as the two princes charged forward towards the town, gaining the attention of it's invaders. As they drew nearer, Leo got a better look at the creatures. Blood red eyes flashed as they turned towards the princes, several of the creatures wielding weapons of various designs. Axes, bows, and swords seemed prevalent, with a few just having their clawed hands. Leo also spotted at least one carrying a tome, possibly a mage of some sort, though of what school, he had no way of knowing.

The enemy bowmen began nocking arrows, taking aim at the two horsemen, when Xander let loose a mighty yell. "Whatever pit you things crawled forth from, return now or be destroyed! None shall assault the lands of Nohr and live!"

As the shout echoed through the battlefield, he drew his blade and thrust it forward, despite his many yards of distance from the enemy. Red energy crackled around the blade before firing off from the blade's tip towards their front lines, impaling one of the creatures outright. The creature was dead before it hit the ground. As Xander prepared a second bolt as he and Leo drew closer, however, the two were disturbed to see the victim of his blast vanish in a black-purple miasma.

'What manner of beast is this, that it leaves no corpse?' Leo thought to himself before shaking his head. There was still work to be done. He pushed his unease aside as he unleashed his first blast of Brynhildr. Two of the invaders were raised from the ground, impaled in the branches of a mighty tree, even in the snow-covered lands of Northern Nohr. Such was the power of the legendary tome.

The brothers continued their charge, eventually meeting the enemy in combat. Chaos reigned and many more fell to their combined assault, with Xander smashing their lines and Leo controlling the battlefield with his magical support. Eventually, as the final few creatures faded into dark mist, the brothers wheeled their horses to a halt in the ruined town square.

"I believe that was the last of them," Xander noted as he looked around the now eerily silent village. Accurate counts were difficult when bodies refused to remain behind. His blade was dirty, and he had several new scuffs on his armor, but otherwise was unharmed, by Leo's accounting.

"We should return to the Fortress, report this in," the younger of the two noted as he got his own breathing under control. The fight had been short, but rather intense, considering the odds. He was honestly surprised they had fared as well as they did.

The two were about to leave when they both heard a sound. Slow and rhythmic. As Leo stopped to listen, he recognized it as gloved hands clapping slowly. Both princes turned to the sounds origin, spotting a lone figure walking towards them in the snow.

Snow white hair fell to her chin, framing a young, porcelain pale face. A long, black hooded coat obscured her figure, with intricate purple designs running down the length of it, reminding Leo of eyes. Armored boots and gauntlets matched a light breastplate, and a golden axe of some foreign design poked over her shoulder. Perhaps the most unnerving thing about her was her cheerful, carefree smile.

Xander wasted no time leveling Siegfried at the young woman, his expression hardening. "Identify yourself," he commanded, turning his horse around to face her.

Leo also turned his steed towards her, his eyes narrowing. This woman already had him on edge, and for her to be here most likely meant that she was involved in the incident.

She came to a stop a few dozen yards from the pair, her clapping stopping as her hands fell to her sides. "I am Morgan," she told them. "Might I know your names?"

Xander threw a glance at Leo, whom still had his eyes trained on the young woman. After a moment, he glanced back at her, his blade still held out in caution. "You address Crown Prince Xander of Nohr," he supplied. "Why are you here? Did you have something to do with this attack?"

The woman known as Morgan began chuckling, causing Leo to tense. "You could say that," she supplied cryptically. "I'm surprised two men managed to defeat this large a group of Risen."

"Risen?" Leo asked. If this mysterious enemy was willing to supply them with information, why shouldn't he capitalize upon it and learn what he could?

She smiled sweetly at him. "Yup! But I've said enough," she informed him, much to the younger prince's annoyance. "Crown Prince Xander. Let us see what makes you worthy of your title, shall we?" she asked, pulling her axe off of her back. Her sweet smile turned to a confident, sadistic grin.

Xander raised an eyebrow. "You're outnumbered," he pointed out, causing Leo to roll his eyes. His brother was chivalrous to a fault, even in the face of danger.

"And you're also mounted, and I'm using an axe to your sword," she listed off. "I'm challenging you, one on one, be it on foot or mounts. Your choice."

Leo turned to Xander, shaking his head. "I don't trust her at all, brother," he confided. "This is a bad idea." 'Better,' he thought to himself, 'to simply run her through and be done with it.'

But, much to Leo's annoyance, his brother was nowhere near as pragmatic as he was. The Crown Prince hopped off of his mount, giving Siegfried a twirl as he marched into the middle of the town square. "Very well, Morgan. I accept your challenge. Let us see what you're capable of. At your ready," he informed her, assuming a guarded stance, allowing her to make the first move. A sound strategy, Leo concluded, given the unknown capabilities of their opponent and the fact that she seemed supremely confident despite the disadvantage of weapons.

The two stood, staring at each other for several moments. Time seemed to slow. Leo watched, with rapt attention, at the minute details each exhibited.

His brother's right foot grinding lightly in the snow. The steam floating from Morgan's nostrils in the cold, winter air. The crackle of embers, of the ruined buildings smoldering. The whistling of the wind.

Suddenly, time snapped back, as Morgan charged towards Xander, axe in hand. The weapon had a long haft, easily two thirds of her height. The axehead itself was rather unique, however, in that it seemed to be three separate pieces, one elongated blade in front and two smaller blades off the back. The design was such that it could likely cause issues to Xander's blade if he wasn't careful, running the risk of Siegfried getting caught in its geometry.

The opening clash happened a moment later, as Xander brought his sword up to catch an overhead strike of Morgan's axe. The pair traded blows, with Morgan favoring long, powerful strikes while Xander relied on economized movement, only altering his stance when needed, never more. His brother had always preferred to expend as little movement as possible.

Morgan, on the other hand, seemed to fight more like an animal than the young girl she appeared to be. Sweeping strikes and powerful slams made up the bulk of her fighting style, although she used her agility to surprising results, avoiding any trusts or slashes thrown by Xander. She may wield an axe, Leo knew, but she knew swords too, it seemed.

The battle finally drew blood as Morgan slammed her axe in a downward strike, clanging loudly against Siegfried before she spun her weapon, slamming Xander in the jaw with the weighted pommel of the axe haft. Caught off guard, the prince was dazed by the strike, shaking his head to clear it. In the interim, Morgan turned her axe around, jabbing with the pommel towards his midsection, causing a new dent in his armor as he stumbled backwards, creating distance between the two.

Xander's breathing was becoming labored, Leo realized. His brother spat blood from his wounded mouth, panting in the cold winter air as he resettled his guard up, eyes never leaving his opponent. "You fight well," he praised. This earned a girlish giggle from his opponent, a fact that disturbed Leo even further. Was this girl even trying, or just toying with him? She was definitely not helpless, that much he knew.

Morgan showed no signs of fatigue, although she was slowing from her opening burst, Leo recognized. Perhaps she was just very good at keeping her physical state a secret in combat? What level of paranoia could have developed that, the prince had to wonder.

He was pleased, however, when Xander began charging his blade. Red and black energy crackled around Siegfried, and Leo knew that Xander had gotten a read on his opponent. He was done playing. With a shout, Xander thrust his blade forward, unleashing the blast towards Morgan, and both brothers were surprised when she jabbed the haft of her axe into the ground. As the blast struck her axehead, Leo's mouth dropped as the blast split around her on either side. Even as raw energy flowed on either side of her, her grin remained.

As the blast ended, she charged once again, swinging her axe at Xander's legs, causing him to hop over her strike. Thrusting forward with Siegfried, he caught her left shoulder with his blade, drawing a small, pained cry from her. He followed up by attempting to slash downwards, though Morgan had made space between the two. Leo watched as blood trickled down from her shoulder onto the pure, white snow.

Xander cracked a small smile. "Well? Do you surrender?" he called out.

Then the laughing began. Softly at first, before raising in pitch and volume. Manic. Hysteric. Blood-chilling. Morgan was laughing. Her grin twisted painfully, and Leo saw one of her gloved hands, her right one, he noted, began to glow with a purple light.

"Well," she began as her laughing began to subside. "Crown Prince Xander. You've risen to my challenge. But I'm far from beaten. Men stronger than you have tried. Witness Ignis!" she cried as fell, purple light erupted from her hand. Purple fire ignited along her arm and axe, bathing the square in an eerie, hellish lightshow. Spinning her axe above her head, she slammed it into the earth before her, unleashing a blast of purple fire at Xander, one he barely managed to leap out of the way from. She closed the distance quickly, swinging a savage blow at his side, one he blocked with Siegfried, an action that caused him to be thrown across the field as if he were a ball batted by a mallet.

"Brother!" Leo called, his hands going to Brynhildr by reflex, before freezing. He remembered something. Tome. There was a Risen wielding a tome when they first approached the village, but he, for the life of him, could not remember if they had found him. Frantically, he looked around and saw them. More Risen had populated the area while his attention was focused on the duel. Archers and swordsmen dotted the landscape and ruined buildings.

"Xander, this is a diversi-" His warning was cut short as pain erupted from his right shoulder. Pressing his left hand to the wound, he found an arrow sticking from his shoulder, having punched straight through his armor. He felt warm blood stain his gloves, and felt pain cloud his head. It didn't feel as though the arrow had hit his lung or any other major organ for the moment, but the bleeding was beginning and he felt an unfamiliar burning sensation on his shoulder. 'Poison,' he thought darkly to himself.

Xander, to his credit, was quick with the partial warning afforded to him by Leo. Turning to fire one final blast at Morgan, he ran for his horse, dodging arrows and the occasional thrown sword, quickly pulling himself into the saddle. "Retreat!" he called, as he wheeled his steed around and unleashed another blast at a group of Risen.

Unable to find a reason to argue, Leo brought his own horse about, following Xander. With his good hand, he flipped Brynhildr's pages until he found a suitable one, uttering the incantations and phrases associated with it to raise a wall of trees behind them to cover his escape. A hazarded glance back showed one of the trees falling, cleaved down by Morgan's fire, and arrows a plenty flying towards them. They continued their retreat back up the road they entered into the valley on, steadily building distance from them and the enemy.

As they crested the hill outside the village, the pair looked back, each breathing heavily. Xander, from his duel and new bruising, and Leo, from his own injury. The pair saw light gathering in the sky above the town, likely a result of the Risen mages. Arcane runes began scrying themselves upon the skies, and Leo was surprised and intrigued to see crystals begin taking form.

"Brother? What is that?" Xander inquired as the pair watched from afar.

"I'm… not entirely sure," he admitted, loath as he was to do so. This wasn't magic he was familiar with in the least.

He was about to comment further when the crystals split into a ring, eerily reminiscent of a great eye opening. Inside the ring was a dark, purple substance. And both brothers watched in horror as more figures poured out of it into the field. It was a gateway. The Risen were coming.

The two brothers wheeled their mounts around and began speeding their way back to the Northern Fortress. Tonight had just taken a dark turn.