Author's comment:

Alright, now we're getting into the real meat and potatoes of the story. Hope it's entertaining, and remember: any critique is very welcome. Enjoy!

Chapter 3: Unsettling doubts

As the spirits all introduced themselves to Chiki, Marth couldn't find a single word. His mind was a blank slate.

"I see, nice to make your acquaintances. Lastly, this young man... you look familiar, I must admi-..."

Both of them stood staring unbelievingly at each other for several minutes.

"Chiki? Really... that's you?" The King finally spoke.

Chiki looked dumbstruck, thinking the following. "Marth... so tattered and beaten... but how? Why's he here... oh. I see."

"Chiki! Divine lady of the Manaketes! It is an honor to meet you again! Though may I say, you look... even more beautiful now, and in such a short time! T'has scarcely been a year and a half, if I remember it rightly." Marth said, kneeling and kissing the hand of the woman before him. Her hair was as green and smooth as he remembered it, like Nowi's but longer, and her entire figure was more mature, though she did not look a day past twenty-five. She wore a tight, sleeveless dress colored red, and a sharp-crested head ornament, more fancy than the King's plain gold band. Her face was among the most kind Robin and the other Shepherds had ever seen.

"U-Um... nice to see you too. I... can I have a moment with whoever leads this army? Excuse me." She said, mildly flustered.

"Of course." Marth said politely.

When away from the rest, Chiki introduced herself to Robin and Chrom, saying what she thought.

"The Einherjar... I know of them. Just like your Nowi, I am quite old... counting into the third millennia. They're such a contraption. In all my time I have never come across more sad beings. The poor things know nothing of what they really are... mere phantoms. Weapons only given personality so that someone may direct them properly. Old Hubba was a fool to let his cards spread so easily. He knows better, but... I can't convince him. When I visited him long ago, he wouldn't listen... just kept staring at my chest." She said, insulted.

"I can see why..." "The Vaike" as he called himself, whispered in Robin's ear. He seemed to flex his lightly scarred, bare-lain chest at Chiki, who looked incredulously back at him.

"Yeah... I mean, HEY, WHO INVITED YOU, VAIKE? GET AWAY!" Robin said sharply, covering up his own slip of words.

"Spoilsport..." Vaike said, dragging his feet as he went back, muttering.

"This was certainly unforeseen, meeting the only one left who knew Marth... when he was alive... Milady Chiki, what do you propose we do?" Chrom asked, thinking about the situation.

"Me? Nothing. Let the cards keep their illusion. It's cruel, but to make them lose focus and have an identity crisis out on the field is not sound strategy... I think that's what the real Marth would say. I'll play along, even as I feel sad about it. It IS really nice to see a bit of him again, though, no matter its appearance."

"Chiki... do you need a moment? Alone?" Robin inquired.

"No... summon 'Marth' for me soon. I'll calm him, and make him focus. Or try, at least."

Later that day, the carts moved to a secure location at their intended site of rest, inside a palisade of planks. Chiki and Marth then spent a good deal of time in the command tent, talking about the past, present, and in snippets, the future.

"So you came here from Valm, in Valentia? It must be a strip of land I have not heard of..." Marth said, gazing kindly at his old friend. "You are known to sleep for long periods of time, and waking up to such turbulent things as war must be jarring... even though you've been through it once before. Still, words cannot express my joy at seeing you, undertaking a chance journey here to Ylisse."

"Well... I needed to see what had changed over the, eh-hrm... years. I woke sooner than expected, and found slight turmoil brewing in the realm. Some of my friends sent me here, worried I might get involved in something that could threaten my life. I disagreed, but finally had to give in. But this place was just as dangerous, seeing as I received this hip wound from a Dragonslayer sword... yes, from the same bandits you fought. I was captured, but managed to escape using... feminine wiles, and get my stone back. I'm sorry I couldn't drive away more of them before your allies were hurt. Life's full of suffering, but I endure it, Mar-Mar... UGH-HUM, I mean Marth." She coughed.

"There is much work to do overseas, and I may need to return to Valm in a while. Until then... did you have more questions, Marth?" Chiki smiled. Upon closer inspection, one could see that it was a forced one.

"What will you do, Chiki? After my efforts in the war are done? Maybe come back to Altea and live in the castle? It is definite that Sheeda wouldn't mind. Oh wait, what am I saying, we live in Pales Palace now. Such a hair-brained ruler I am, not remembering where I live. Never hand me the reins of a cart heading for Gra, or we might end up in Jugdral! Pfffhah hah hah!"

"Hee hee. Oh, no, I live my life very dutifully, Marth. I could visit, though, when the Valmese don't need my services." She said. "To meet them all again... Kain, Abel, Jeigan, Sheeda... so many. I wish I could."

Her eyes were turning slightly moist now. As strong and wise as she was, this discussion had tugged at her heart strings. She would never truly meet Marth again, or the others. Altea's continued existence was a lie, except to the Einherjar, who knew nothing else. She had made a mistake talking to this shell of a man.

"I... I'm sorry. I can't. Never again."

"WHAT?! But it's all clearly still here, in this world. The country isn't so poorly run it could sink into the ground at any time." The spirit of King Marth jested, but soon grew serious when he saw her shed a tear. "Chiki, my friend, why do you cry? Gods forbid, have I perchance offended thee in some way?!"

"No... but your creators have. I'm so sorry..." She said, running up from her chair and into her newly prepared tent, modest but serviceable, pitched near the other girls' quarters. She knew she had made things worse now, but she couldn't stand to see this go on. "Damn your crafts, Hubba... you foolish old man!"

Marth was left speechless. The sun was setting in a fiery red that lit the mountains on fire, shining through the tent flaps. Her last words sank in...

No... but your creators have...

"What? My parents? But why... agh!"

He felt a sharp pain in his forehead. When faced with such doubts before, the spells on his card had erased his recent memory to prevent him from doubting who he was. Now, he only felt a surge of white-hot burning, which subsided in a few moments. He got up slowly, blinking at the mountaintops outside.

"Um... ugh... I do recognize them... but there were farmlands below... a town. The army passed not three years ago, on our quest... could bandits have... no, not all of it... what is this witchcraft?!"

He flung himself against the chair he'd been sitting on. He sat, and panted. His headache was gone, and he felt... aware. Something was out of place.

"Is it the... wait, the maps!" He said, unfolding a large map used for continent-wide strategy. It resembled Akaneia. Some things were changed. A few islands were off by some degrees, and the borders were redrawn. What panicked him was that he could see the borders of Ylisse, Regna Ferox, Plegia and more... but not those of any nation he remembered.

"How could this be? Am I back in time? No... an alternate world?"

"No... it is the future, friend."

Robin stepped in, with a solemn look on his half-cloaked face.

"Hubba said those 'mind seals' would hold... but Chiki has apparently made you loosen yours. I'm sorry if this confuses you, but-"

"But what? Am I to believe that this is a distant future, where it's all gone? Everything I knew? I cannot. Will not. Must... not! You must be wrong. This is all a trick! Gharnef must be behind this, the vile sorcerer! The bastard yet lives, does he? You! You are my friend, right? Help me sort this mess out, and return Altea to me! Sheeda... if anything happens to her, I'll walk over the corpses of any who oppose me, peasant or noble!"

This speech was frightening. Gone was the compassionate Hero-King, replaced by someone much like Mad King Gangrel of Plegia, a bloodthirsty maniac and starter of the current war. Marth took his sword, storming out, and yelling to all within earshot to gather for a march against Gharnef's forces.

"What's he on about? Lost his tiara or something?" Gaius asked Stahl, a cavalier who was dressed in green armor, had a cowlick haircut and great skill with the sword and lance. Though he never really stood out much, compared to others.

"I dunno. Marth never gets frazzled. None of the card guys do. Hey-o, Marth! What's up?"

"Enh... YOU! A spy in our midst! Intruders! His armor is not standard Akaneian wear! Kill him!"

Marth charged the cavalier, who was at a disadvantage when off of his horse, and presently unarmed. His armor kept the blow from being fatal, but left a piece hanging loose.

"Oh no! Stop it! HELP! Chrom! Gaius! Frederick! ANYONE!"

He ran around as fast as he could, but the King's speed was too great. He struck where the plating was loose, and Stahl fell over, grunting.

"Oh, crudbiscuits! CHROM! I can't beat him on my own! Get over here, someone!" Gaius cried, drawing a short bronze sword. "Damn... I didn't think he hated me that much!"

Marth was blinded by rage and sadness. He struck violently at anything that moved. Just when he jumped into the air for a decapitation of Gaius, Chrom appeared, wielding the Falchion, the ancient blessed sword of Marth's and his bloodline, the Lowells.

"What the hell is this?" Chrom said through gritted teeth, blocking the strike. "Cut it out, you damn spirit!"

"Hm... not only have they taken my land, but also my sword! Falchion will only listen to me! Your hands are unworthy, traitor Prince!"

"Oh yeah?! In that case, you are unworthy too, ancestor!" He cried, breaking the blocking and tossing Marth's sword aside. The Spirit was confused.

"Ancestor...? You are my... NO! A liar and cheat, thou my sword will meet!" He yelled, and readied to reach his iron blade. Before that though, he put on a dumbfounded smile as a loud CLANG was heard. He went down like a rock.

"He-hey! Nice to know my awful cooking actually saved something!" Sully said, wielding a frying pan. "Lucky I had wanted to try it at least once. Now I don't have to anymore!" She said, dropping the pan on Marth's head. Several sizzling bacon slices slid onto the ground from it. They were all black as night.

"GAH! Stahl!" Robin yelled, running up to his friend. He was barely breathing, and had lost some blood. "Get Lissa or Maribelle! Both! We need healing!"

Chiki had appeared next to Marth's still body. Using a vulnerary, she treated the wound from the pan. He groaned, and was moved along with Stahl to the infirmary.

Next morning Marth awoke slowly, finding two guards positioned near the tent entrance, eyeing him meanly. He felt unsettled, and slowly became aware of what he did yesterday. It felt partly good, though, this new awareness of his surroundings. Before it had only been a matter of pointing him into a fight, and he cared for little else then. But now... Stahl, a friend, had almost been slain by his hand. In a fit of rage he had betrayed his own values. He intended to make it up to them all, somehow. He felt shame, along with suspicion. He couldn't piece together everything he had heard yet (possibly because of the timely pan strike to his head), and waited for an explanation. In a few minutes, a bandaged Stahl opened his eyes and turned to the padded stretcher beside his. They nearly retracted into his skull.

"M-Marth? Was that... just a dream? Did you nearly kill me? Boy, I know you love your sandwiches, but it was JUST ONE, man! You didn't miss it all those days ago!" He said, wheezing in terror. He then noticed a bandage around the King's head. "...They got you to calm down, huh? I don't get exactly how, but I'm glad that's the case."

"Stahl! I... can never forgive myself..."

"It's alright. I know, I'm nuts, but you didn't seem like yourself back there. I can, however, ask to eat all your desserts for the next half a year! In your face, tiara man!" Stahl laughed carefully, feeling his injury.

"Yes, that seems fair." Marth sighed, glad he was forgiven. Maybe Sully had hit Stahl on the head as well, because this was too hard to forgive. But Stahl was an odd egg. Speaking of which...

People came by to see them both later, carrying in a late breakfast. Marth, however, received only a tiny fried egg, coal black. In the pan that hit him.

"EH?! Oh, dang. Sully really hates me..."

"No, I think she has the hots for you. Otherwise she wouldn't get up and cook again." Roy said, leaning against a portable bedside table. "Tsk tsk! Doing like the monkey and going bananas. Good thing Stahl is a bit thick... in both his hide and mind!"

"I can hear you, Sir Roy..." Stahl said, a little hurt.

"Thank goodness! Too bad L'Arachel isn't here! Her healing would send anyone flying back up on their feet!" The spirit of Princess Eirika said, touching Marth's forehead. She moved a bit of her long blue hair out of the way. Her gentle face was looking worried for both her companions. Roy's mouth went agape in horror as he stared at Marth's face, which made an expression saying "Well, if you want her that bad, jump off a cliff and then pick a stretcher, Roy!"

"You are lucky I didn't just revert you back into a card talisman and tossed it into the fire!" Chrom said, looking fierce. "I will NOT forgive as easily as Stahl."

"Cards? Oh, that's right! I-" Marth said, but was cut off.

"Please. It was my fault." Chiki said seriously. "I told him too much. His seal of unawareness broke. He felt too strongly... and so did I. He was in grief. Or rather... it was. You have questions. Robin, Chrom and I will try to answer, and I will not leave this army until we've found a way to resolve the situation. Meet us in the tent when you're ready... spirit." She spoke calmly, and left.

The tent emptied, and soon Marth was left with Roy and Stahl to ponder.

"What did he mean, burn you as a card? Sully's "cooking" must be affecting others! Hurry, flee to the nearest decent cook!" Roy chuckled, along with the cavalier. "No, but really? Are you not normal or something? I mean, flesh and blood?"

"...We'll see. Right now I don't know what I am. Nor you for that matter."

"Me? I'm as much me as the next person is itself. Although... I didn't bleed. When I saved Ricken... I had a huge gash, and only some swirling, glowy stuff showed. But that could mean anything. I don't care, I'm fine." Roy said, looking nervous.

"...I pray you stay that way, pal. By the Divine Dragon, I'm itching for an explanation! I need to get out of bed..."

"Oh, no you don't!" An overbearing but kind voice said, pushing him into a lying position and covering him up with a blanket. It was Maribelle, a noble dressed all in puffy pink noblewoman clothes. She had finely curled hair with ribbons in it, and alongside her, Chrom's sister stood. Lissa, a petite (for her age) tomboyish princess with distractingly frilly, set-up hair who was eager to prove her art of healing. A wire-frame dress covered by a beige, silky linen cover made it seem like she wore an umbrella around her small waist. Both smiled at the bed-ridden warriors, although mostly at Stahl, since Marth wasn't fully trusted anymore...

"Let us get you something restorative! It would only be our preferred duty." Maribelle's refined voice said. "I apologize for the lack of attendants, my scruffy sirs, but the conditions we face require we drop such necessities. I'll send for Vaike to do it. He LOVES running errands."

Her mischievous tone suggested otherwise. Lissa was tending to Stahl.

"Easy there, man. Ugh! Don't scratch it! It'll get infected, and Healing staves can only do so much!" She said seriously as Stahl reached his wound's crust underneath the bandage.

"Can you itch it for me? Didn't think so. Thanks for your conce- OW! Why'd you pinch me? Fine. Doctor's orders are the law..."

"Better. Now, let's get you some soup! Gregor has cooked up something special. It has mystery meat, apparently. Foreign cooking... funny, huh? Beats bear meat! Or maybe it is that..."

After a healthy serving of "proper" lunch (Gregor actually used bear leg tendons in the soup, calling it "Northman noodles"... this had led to the extinction of the local bear populace) Marth was allowed to leave. Stahl would need more time. A girl's voice soon yelled shrilly: "STOP SCRATCHING, DAMMIT!"

He moved on through camp, getting eyeballed by many. Some were angry with him, others scared, but most looked confused. He would have to tell them all at some point. Munching on a sandwich, he pondered. He had a nagging suspicion he did not need it. As an Einherjar, he did not require food, water, or a bathroom. When he slept he also felt like it was not needed. Yet he still did, because it felt natural. Being a normal person was, for better or worse. As he approached the command tent he felt scared of the answers awaiting him. He'd learned to not show fear, and prompted to enter with a casual walk.

Author Notes:

As you can see, I use the fan translation name for the Manakete, Chiki, instead of the official one, Tiki. I just decided to do so. Sorry if anyone got confused, I may change that back someday.