Chapter 11: To Hope—shido!

[World of Mystery of the Emblem—Altea]

Ogma's party transports back to Altea and encounter an awoken Tiki.

"Hello," the young dragon said, yawning afterwards.

"I see you've awoken from ypur nap, Tiki. Are you okay?" Marth said. "You usually don't wake up this early"

"I'm fine. I was safe," she said.

"That's all I want to hear. Promise me you will take care of yourself. You are a rare dragon, a rare species that risks going into extinction. I hope you understand that your safety means a lot, Tiki.." Marth said to Tiki in comfort.

Tiki nods her head impatiently.

Alfonse's group heads into the castle.

Sharena gasps. "Woah!"

She notices the large amount of recruits and soon-to-be's.

Barst groans loudly with exaggeration. "About time we caught up to you guys!"

Effie pushes her way into the central area. "Elise? ELISE?!" she yelled.

"I'm here Effie, reeellaaxx!" Elise said with a giggle.

Effie gave Elise a blank stare. "Um, what's funny?""

"You two still came to protect me even though I said it was okay. Are you the only Nohrian retainers around?" Elise admitted.

"Basically.." Effie muttered.

Camilla frowned. "Sheesh. Where are MY retainers when you need them?"

"Tsk! Mine also," Leo said.

"Mhm," Kamui added.

"Eh, still in Nohr...?" Arthur whispered.

Marth looks at Abel. "Abel.."

"Marth!" Abel said in relief.

"Yo!" Cain shouted at Marth.

Jagen smiles. "I'm glad you are all safe. We had a bit of trouble moments ago," he added.

"Why? What happened?" Camilla asked in concern.

"It was this man, named Xander. He, Peri and Laslow fought us. Fortunately for us all, they now live in prison.." Jagen replied.

"No they don't!" Camilla hollered.

"I'm sorry, milady from the future. If you knew the man and his pawns. I had to. They were causing a ruckus under orders from Veronica," Jagen revealed.

Kamui stood her ground. "Then lets just get them out!"

"You don't understand it gal. They are working for Veronica!" Barst told Kamui.

"Yeah, Veronica. A mage capable of manipulation," Alfonse said.

"Boy, Xander's in one of his ol' phases again. Kamui, care to get him out of it?" Leo asked his sister.

"I don't know. Corrin snapped him out of it last time.." Kamui said.

"Then lets find Corrin," Effie proposed.

Kamui nods. "I'm fine with that. He's in Hoshido anyway with his siblings and retainers," she assured.

"Ahh, Hoshido. Sounds like a lovely land," Titania echoed.

"You are about to witness Hoshido, when we get there," Kamui told Titania.

Elise jumped up in joy. "Yay, I get to play with Sakura again!"

The young princess hops up and down in glee. Camilla hovers her hand above Elise to stop the hopping. Elise frowns and groans uncontrollably.

"Elise, grow up please. You are not a baby anymore," Kamui asserted.

"Head to Hoshido? Break the madman out? Looks like we got ourselves a new mission..." Ogma said.

"Ah, it's nothing major, Kamui assured.

"B-But Xander's our brother!" Elise yelled.

"It's all Veronica's fault," Camilla mumbled.

Kamui angrily stares at her Yato. "I'm going to really hurt this Veronica girl. Lucky I have MY dragonstone with me today..."

"Haha. Me too!" Young Tiki cheered.

Kamui compares dragonstones with Young Tiki.

"Cute. This one glimmers. Never seen one before this shiny, yet ancient..." Kamui said.

"It's been years..." Tiki replied.

"Cut it out, dragons. Xander first, novelty items later," Leo demanded.

"Jagen, call upon the guards. We must cure Kamui's brother of manipulation," Marth said to Jagen.

Jagen orders the guards to come along with Xander and his retainers, arriving momentarily.

"Ugggghhh..." Xander moaned.

"Xander?" Camilla said.

Camilla lifts Xander's head up but no response. Xander, Peri and Laslow appear to be bleak and lifeless and most importantly injured.

"I must apologize. It's my fault. I am sincerely sorry, Kamui," Marth began to say.

Kamui stopped frowning. "It's fine. Guess we don't need Corrin, do we? I have it all under control"

Xander begins to laugh maniacally. Laslow follows along then Peri.

"Xander..." Kamui hummed.

Kamui slaps Xander across the face but it doesn't faze him at all.

Xander lifted his head up "Hahahahahahahah! Fools. You all should of joined my master Veronica!"

"Please! She's a weakling!" Sharena shouted.

"She is the best summoner there is. I see potential in her beautiful eyes," Xander whispered.

Laslow lifts his head up. "Also the cutest summoner.."

Peri's head rises as well. "Haha, yeah right Laslow!"

Sharena rolls her eyes.

"She's paying us too after we accomplish her ultimate mission. To take each and every one of you out," Peri boasted.

Xander lifts his body up. "After that, every world is ours. Altea, Nohr, Hoshido, Valm, Magvel, Tellius, Renais Etrunia and many more obscure worlds. Just to name a few."

Ike frowns. "Pardon?"

"You got that right!" Laslow shouted.

Alfonnse approaches Xander. "Listen to me, I may not be the best convincer there is, but my message still stands. Veronica is using you. She doesn't even know what to do with power! You don't either."

Anna nods.

Xander's eyes widen by a margin. "HOW...DARE YOU!"

Xander lashes out at Alfonse with his remaining energy but collaspes.

"We don't want to do this. Again..." Eirika mumbled.

"...Yeah..." Olivia said.

Veronica appears from nowhere.

"Oh boy, she's here..." Leo groaned.

Veronica rises into the air. "Another bunch of useless dolls..."

Veronica casts powerful wind magic at Xander then vanishes.

Alfonse chases her but she is gone. "Drat. She always gets away!"

Xander finally manages to speak moments later after the lash-out attack from Veronica.

"How...could she?"

"Xander, are you okay?" Elise asks while bringing out her medic staff.

Xander kindly pushes Elise's staff to the side.

"Just, leave me be. I deserve to die..." Xander groaned to himself.

"If he does, then so do it. Only if I can taste the blood.." Peri mentioned.

Henry rises up. "Someone say blood?"

"Don't get him going again," Tharja said to Peri.

Young Tiki looks at Marth. "Marth, what should we do?"

Marth stares at Xander and the other two.

"Someone help them up," Marth commanded.

Barst and Ogma assist Xander, Laslow and Peri to their feet while Mist and Elise heal.

"T-Thank you. It's the least I can say," Xander said softly.

"Thank the biceps an' triceps bud!" Barst boasted while flexing his buff tree choppin' arms.

"You're welcome Xander. We forgive you, right guys?

After some chatting and mumbling, many of the soldiers agree.

Xander nods and picks up his chipped Siegfried. Peri adjusts ponytails while Laslow places a bowtie on his neck area.

"See? You guys look normal," Kamui said to them.

Marth smiled. "Thank you for changing your ways you three.."

Ike folds his arms. "So that settles that..."

"Now that this predicament is outta the way, where do yall suppose we venture to next?" Barst asked everyone.

Alfonse glances at his commander. "Well, Veronica is collecting orbs but she fails to truly understand why her ways of summoning never work out—"

"Yeah, because she keeps trying to use us all!" Xander shouted.

"Accurately so," Ephraim added in.

Alfonse grabs his special powered map. "There are a few other worlds dozing around on the map. Unfortunately, Veronica and the masked prince are still loose, so..."

"We need a plan to keep Veronica binded in one place," Catria suggested.

Sharena frowns. "Believe me, won't happen. She's a tapeworm except bigger. Highly irritational!"

Alfonse laughs to himself. "Is that the comparison you are trying to use? Hahah!"

Sharena blushes from embarassment. "Go ahead. Try better!"

"I'd rather not," Alfonse replied.

Alfonse pulls out the map onto a huge table and everyone gathers around to see.

"Hm. So many of the continents that were visited are indicated by an afterglow on the map. That being said, we have several more left," Kamui pointed out.

Various groaning noises can be heard.

"Also, we have to recruit even more people before Veronica does AND stop the masked prince from harming other lands," Marth commented.

Ike slams his palm onto the table. "This is our chance!"

"Yes. As I can tell, we are missing a ton-load of peeps. I did want to invite everyone to a party later on after this is all done and through," Anna said.

Lon'qu groans. "Ugh, more...people..."

Anna giggles at Lon'qu. "You remind me of Lyn, Lon'qu. Both skilled as can be with a sword!"

Lon'qu puts on a false grin. "Tee hee, amazing..."

"We haven't been to Hoshido yet. My friend Corrin's there. Let's just recruit Corrin while we are close to the vicinity"

"Agreed," Leo mumbled.

Kamui touches the land of Hoshido and the whole army transports there in a flash,