Prince Marth

Characters and dialgouge used (c) Nintendo and Intelligent Systems

Story (c) Me (Imaginativegoody2shoes)

A/N: Ze thanking followers/favers once more:

Gamelord The Hitman, The Fool Arcana, Hesperia the Nymph, Blogman66, and Junia Grey

Thanks guys! And this one is based on the DLC Champions of Yore 1. Soooooo...this is more of a funny. Totally makes up for the last chapter, lol. XDDD Next chapter will have chrobin in it, I promise. Now on with the story.

"Chrom...do you know this place?"

The exalt looked about the peculiar area, brain racking as he tried to find any hints of familiarity of the meadow. Taking in a split second of the scenery, the exalt slowly turned to glance at his wife, son, and daughter and the other shepards. He noted the exhaustion in their eyes as they all awaited his answer. Chrom beamed wearily. "Nope," he answered with a lame chuckle. Disgruntled groans were heard from the lord's response. "Jeeze, Chrom," Robin sighed without meaning too (even she knew nothing of the place) and began approaching him from behind while holding onto her son's, Morgan's, arm. Chrom could only shrug apologetically in reply.

The sun rose high above the clouds, creating a bright, yet soothing glow of the earth's ground, a low breeze sweeping past the trees and hills that surrounded them. The Shepards all walked along, hoofs and boots stomping the ground that could make the earth tremble. Lucina averted her eyes about, keeping her hand close to Falchion-much like her father-ready to strike anything or anyone that could be thrown their way. After moments of nothing, but the songs of birds and whispering trees, Lucina lifted her head to her father, shifting her eyes to his who met her gaze, both the mark of the exalt shining brightly under the Sun's glaze. Chrom shrugged his shoulders at her as Lucina turned her head to look at her mother and brother and the rest of the Shepards.

"Maybe, we should go back," muttered the princess softly, "there is clearly nothing here, so what is the point in wasting our time?"

"That is true, Lucina, but I think it would best if we kept looking-"

"Father, look! There's soldiers over there!" Morgan interrupted shoving past them and pointing across the field with his finger. Lucina and Chrom both cocked an eyebrow at the bluenette and both followed the direction of his finger, and indeed Morgan was correct. Just meters away from them was a small group of soliders all huddled together, whispering softly to, what it looked to be, an old man. Chrom could tell that they were readying for battle just by their outfits and the clutches of their swords and lances in their hands.

"Mm. He's right," Chrom muttered and grunted softly when Robin got in between him and their son. Many of the Shepards all huddled together as well to get a better look at the soldiers. "There's...something weird about them," Cynthia muttered somewhat fearfully. Severa tilted her head at the girl's response and shrugged. "Eh, I've seen weirder," she sniffed wiping at her nose. Chrom ignored them. "I guess we should go investigate," he said and began to walk forward.

"Warriors? Warriors from afar?!"

Chrom suddenly stopped as did everyone else. He could only stare wide eyed when the old man they saw in the group began limping excitedly towards him, wheezing as if he was about to pass out from heartfailure.

And it wouldn't be too long before the old man did if he kept running like he was.

"Father, who is that?" Lucina whispered to Chrom who could only shrug. The old man, huffing and puffing, sauntered faster to them, beads of sweat dripping from his forehead and he stopped before them placing his hands over his knees. "Oh, thank the Gods," he breathed, chest heaving up and down heavily, "help...help actually came!" Tears appeared in the corners of the elder's old eyes. Already Chrom was growing worried and he could tell Robin was growing increasingly concerned.

"Are you alright, sir?" Morgan asked before Chrom could. He was responded with the old man's wheezy laughter, "oh yes, my dear boy. I'm sorry, once I saw you-" a deep inhale- "I ran all-" another deep inhale- "here." The elder paused once more, still trying to catch his breath. "Ho boy..." he chuckled placing a hand behind his back and the other gripping his cane, keeping himself upright. "Erm, perhaps you've a lovely lady healer that may help...a poor old man catch his breath?"

Chrom turned, "Lissa-"

"Ah, no wait. I think I got it now. Never mind that now, haha!"

Chrom cocked in eyebrow and he could hear Lucina trying to muffle her laughter with a hand to her mouth and head bowed.

"It's soldiers that I need now, and strong ones mind you!" gasped the old man.

Many of the shepards followed Lucina's pursuit.

However, it was Chrom who did not find any of it amusing. "Whoa now," Chrom began holding his hands and chuckling nervously and placed a firm gloved hand over the elder's shoulder. "Slow down there, why don't we start with who you are first, and then you can explain to us your...troubles." Was that even the word for it?

The old man beamed proudly at the exalt and firmly placed his wrinkled hands over the ball of his cane. Veins poked from under his thinned skin and snaked up his arms when the old man slipped his sleeves down. He gave a dramatic cough. "They call me Old Hubba," he introduced himself with the incline of his chin and wiggled his eyebrows at the female shepards. Sully was heard quietly groaning while several rolled their eyes. Not another Virion... "Just a humble fortune-teller living here in the outrealms."

"Ah, so you foresee the future?" Chrom asked.

The Old Hubba nodded. "That is correct my boy," he exclaimed. He then shook his bald head , the sun's light reflecting off the sweat that still covered his head, and waved a hand. "But that is not the utmost importance!" he cried, "right now you must find it in your hearts to help a poor, defenseless old man!"

"Why? Who are they?" The Old Hubba bristled and turned his attention back to the group; the same group that first had been spotted. The Old Hubba chuckled loudly and snapped his fingers as if he had forgotten long about them. "Ah yes, them! They are Einherjar! Surely you have heard of such; they are like phantoms of the sorts..."

"So...like spirits?" Lucina jumped in. The Old Hubba laughed. "Beauitful and sharp, I like her already, but there is no time to explain that! The important part is that they are all out for blood!"

"What did the others do?"

"No, no, you do not understand. They are not out for them, they are out for me! The blood that is inside me and much where I would like it to stay, thank you. I am, but a simple old man who is not yet ready, please, you must help me!"

Chrom studied the pleading Hubba for a long time before grinning softly and raising a hand to stop him from another one of his pathetic pleas. "Fear not, Old Hubba," he said with a light chuckle, "we will join you and help fight off these phantoms-"

"Yes, yes, yes, that is great, but about that, heheh...".

Chrom stopped midsentence at the insanely small cackle and he soon gently lowered his gloved hand back to his side. "Er, what is it?" he asked. The old man continued giggling. "Hehe, you see here, I have this trick knee...and I did run all the way here, heheh..." A long silence hung in the air as they waited for the elder to finish his sentence. "And-and also my eyesight is very poor-"

"But you saw us from afar," Cynthia pointed out.

"-And I mean it is just atrocious! Oh, and did I forget to mention my knee?"

A small growl emanated from Severa's lips and she balled her hands into fists. Stahl was the one who ran over to her to soothe her. A deeming sigh escaped from Chrom's throat and he ran a hand over his face. Naga be with me... "Alright"-he tried his best not to sound too snappish-"you can sit this one out. Just leave us to do our jobs-"

"And don't cause any trouble or they won't be the only ones after you," Severa added hotly. Chrom smiled softly at the remark. He couldn't have said it better himself. The Old Hubba curled his lip into an annoyed grin at Severa who only continued to pout and he waved his hand dismissively at her. "Yes, yes whatever you say, sweetheart." He leaned towards Chrom "A little feisty, are we?" he whispered with a gigglish coo. Chrom bit back a growl. "Yes...well, if you will excuse me-"

"Oh and before you go..." The old man grunted under his breath as he searched his robes with feverish fingers and his brow knitted together in anger. "Bah, where are those damn-Aha!" In his wrinkly fingers were a couple of cards with strange lilac symbols on the back. He quickly showed them to Chrom who only had a seconds glance when the Old Hubba ripped them away from his view. He could practically feel his wife crane her neck to get a better look. "Since you are all helping me, I shall summon a few Einherjar of my own to aid you all in battle..." The Old Hubba winked.

Everyone stood in mystified silence as the old man turned his back towards the others and held his arms in the air and legs bent slightly. He cleared his throat dramatically (an incoherent remark was made from Severa here): "Hear me, O ruler of ancient Altea and true leader of the Seven Realms..." chanted the old man, "I summon thee, Marth, the Hero-King! Come forth and grant us your protection!"

A bright light emanated from the card, making the shepards shield their eyes from the brightness. The Old Hubba was the only one who didn't, but it made sense as his eyes were practically closed, so there was nothing to really shield.

When the light died down, everyone had cautiously lowered their arms and lifted their gazes and several gasps were heard; Lucina's was the loudest out of them all.

"Marth?" Chrom squawked in surprise, tone just barely above a whisper.

Just before them, stood a young man with blue, shagged hair (the same shade as Chrom's), but with the same crown atop his head. His indigo tunic and chest plate matched Lucina's, golden lining tracing the sides and a strange symbol on his template. Blue fingerless gloves that covered from his wrist to elbow, falchion by his waist belt. He seemed to stare at everyone with eased eyes, not bothered by the many unfamiliar faces that gawked at him. The same matching cape, like Lucina's, clung to his neck and shoulders, clipped by a small red shield-like shape.

"As you wish I will-"

"Yes, yes, yes, that's all good, but if you would please hurry!" ushered the old man, directing the so-called "Marth" to the others. "I can't believe he actually...summoned the hero king," muttered Chrom as the others looked on. He felt a jab in his ribs. "Well, go on old boy. Hop to it!" Old Hubba quirked his lips upward, deep wrinkles forming on the side of his half- lidded eyes. With a groan, the exalt walked on, approaching the group they had spotted just earlier. As they were walking, Lucina pulled on Chrom's arm and whispered in his ear, "I think he summoned others..."

What? Chrom lifted his eyes and sure enough, his daughter was right. Others, like Marth, stood in a small group as if silently talking with the others, but none seemed to have moved a single muscle. Chrom could even name them off.

"Erika, Micaiah-what on earth-"

"Erm, pardon me," a voice had interrupted. Chrom turned to see that it was Marth. A muddled cringe was set upon his young features, a finger pointed at a stunned Lucina who watched with dismay. "But may I ask why am I a woman?"

There was no answer.

Chrom sighed. "Lets just get this over with..."

o-OO-o

"that ought to be it."

The young brunette turned his gaze over his shoulder to see Cynthia taking a final blow before cheering and making some triumph noise through her mouth. "Yep," Morgan chuckled turning back to his sister with a wide grin. "I kind of expected the battle to last longer than the others though..."

"The sooner its over, the better," replied Lucina. She rubbed at her younger brother's head who seemed to giggle at the gesture. "And I am glad it ended sooner," she added. She looked around. "Did you happen to see mother and father by the way?" she asked. Morgan only shrugged. With a small sigh, Lucina wandered from her brother, who trailed closely behind her, in search of their parents.

"That was magnificent!" praised the Old Hubba from before. He clapped an annoyed Chrom on the shoulder as the two children approached them. Like Chrom, Robin also held an expression of pure annoyance. How she had thrown thoron at him was beyond anybody. "Thanks to you, thats a few more Einherjar returned to me." His eyes seemed to sparkle with admiration. "You are all os strong, not what I have seen before." He amended himself. "N-not as if I did not foretold it, yes. Haha because I most certainly did. I most likely did foretell your strength, hehe..."

Chrom rolled his eyes at the old man. Morgan could be heard snorting which Lucina nudged him to be silent. "Look," sighed Chrom, "lets just pretend you've been sprouting gibberish and start over, alright?" the last word was hinted with a growl. "Now take a deep breath...there you go. Now, tell us exactly what is going on."

"Slowly," Robin soon added.

"Ah, yes," Old Hubba cleared his throat, "Of course..."

And so he explained. He described how the Einherjar were calling cards that summon spirit-like figures of the old heroes. He also added they were like a family heirloom. "My ancestors have guarded them since...since..." the old man scratched at his bald head with a grunt, "well, as long as anyone can remember them!

"Each card contains one of history's greatest and valiant heroes...like Marth, but it is more like a phantom. It'd be a bit silly for the cards to conjure up an actual one, will it not?" he guffawed.

"If they have been in your family for ages, then why would they want to attack you?" Morgan asked. It was then that both Robin and Chrom had noticed the boy, but averted their attention back onto the Old Hubba. "Because they were stolen from me!" the old man spat. "Stolen by an evil temptress-er I-I mean, sorceress! The cards do the bidding of whoever summons them, you see...if brought onto the wrong hands, they could conquer the outrealms!

"I am but a frail, weak old man so please. Help me!"

Chrom gave a soft thoughful hum at the plea. "Well-"

"With all due respect. milord," Frederick quipped, "I would remind you we have our own campaign to fight."

Chrom nodded in affirmation and turned towards the knight. "Yes, I know Frederick." He bit back a sigh, "and that must remain our first priority."

"A...a campaign...? Oh, yes! O-of course!" stuttered the old man. Chrom tried not to groan alongside with Robin, Frederick, and Lucina and Morgan. "Known it along! Foretelled it long ago...foretold...forete-"

"We get it!" Chrom exclaimed. After a few seconds of realization of his actions, the exalt cleared his throat. "Can you then understand why we cannot-!"

"Wait!" barked Old Hubba. "I am having a vision!"

"Oh for the love of..." Chrom cursed.