Many thanks for your reviews, favorites, follows and PMs!

Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon or Fire Emblem; those belong to Nintendo.

Chapter 12: VS Villainous Team!

Dusk fell. Chrom waited in the grassy courtyard of Castle Ylisstol. Several thoughts and memories swirled within his head, making him sigh out of exhaustion. Being a leader was very taxing to him.

At last, Robin and Red arrived. Although Chrom was facing them, they could see that he was deep in thought and did not notice them.

"So, Chrom," prompted Robin after a few moments of silence from Chrom. "What did you call us out here for?"

"Oh!" said the prince as he finally returned to reality, blinking as he took in the sight of the tactician and the Pokemon trainer. "Sorry about me spacing out – just… dueling with some unpleasant thoughts. Tomorrow, we march to Regna Ferox to request additional soldiers."

He then looked at each of them in the eye and made sure they were paying attention.

Music track: Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Hidden Highland

"There's something you should know first," stated Chrom seriously before he paused hesitantly. "Not everything Gangrel said was a lie."

Robin and Red looked at each other in confusion and shock. Both of them only saw Gangrel once at the mountainous border pass and immediately hated him and his seemingly bloodthirsty warmongering. They thought that Gangrel would be the type of person to tell only blatant lies.

"The last exalt, my father, waged war on Plegia for many years," Chrom explained before he sighed heavily.

He pinched the bridge of his nose and grimaced from the terrible memories.

"The violence..." he continued; he was close to tears. "It was a brutal campaign, ending only with his death fifteen years ago. Plegia rightfully remembers their suffering, but his war was no kinder to his own people. As the fighting dragged on, our army became more and more diminished. Farmers who could barely wield a pitchfork were conscripted and sent to their deaths. Soon there was no food at all, and the kingdom began to collapse. I was young, but I remember those dark times. ...I know how they affected Emmeryn."

"Such an experience would change anyone," replied Robin, agreeing with him, with Red nodding his head.

"Indeed," said Chrom as he shook his head in sorrow towards his older sister. "When our father died before her tenth year, he left her quite the legacy... Plegia's desire for vengeance... Our own people's unbridled rage... My sister became a target for blame from all sides. Her own subjects began to hurl insults—and stones. She still bears the scar from one... But she never let them see her pain. Only Lissa and I understood."

"It must have been so hard..." muttered Robin solemnly.

"Anybody would become depressed or insane," added Red. "How did she go through all that?"

"I cannot claim to know how she does it," answered Chrom as he sadly and fondly smiled as he thought about Emmeryn. "I could never greet such hostility with warmth and patience. While our people mocked and vilified her, she reached out and healed them. She brought soldiers home to their families. She ended the war. And when Ylisse's spirit was mended and the people 'forgave' her? ...She never resented them for it. She represents the best of the halidom—the part most worth protecting. She IS peace."

His visage grimly changed.

"But some men would take advantage of that," he continued, shaking his head as he looked down towards his sheathed sword. "Men like King Gangrel. The day he understands peace will be the day death gives it to him."

"So perhaps I must be death's agent," finished Chrom at last with resolution. "Emmeryn would never order him killed, nor would I wish her to."

"Well spoken, sir," stated a familiar voice.

Chrom knew to whom the voice belonged to.

"Marth…" he muttered as he turned to see the masked teenager in blue quietly walk up to him and the others.

Music track: Fire Emblem Awakening: "You may call me Marth."

"Good evening to you," Marth greeted stoically.

Chrom looked around the courtyard.

"How did you get in here?" he asked.

"The cleft in the castle wall, behind the maple grove," replied the masked swordsman as if it were a matter of fact.

"There? But how would you...? Ugh."

"You know the place, Chrom?" queried Robin.

Everybody can see that Chrom was a little red in the face in slight embarrassment.

"Yes," he replied before he scratched the back of his head with a somewhat sheepish smile. "I bashed in part of the wall while training the Shepherds. It's only a small hole, and I'd thought it well concealed, but..."

"Your secret is safe with me," cut in Marth. "I come here only to warn you."

That statement got everybody's attention as Chrom, Robin and Red stared at him.

"Warn us?" said Chrom.

"The exalt's life is in danger," elaborated Marth.

"What, Emmeryn? That's absurd. She's guarded at all hours."

"What if... What if I told you I have seen the future? Would you believe me? A future where Emmeryn is killed. Here. Tonight."

"Seen the future? Have you lost your wits?"

"Yes, I expected you wouldn't believe me. So allow me to prove it!"

Marth unsheathed his sword. Everybody can see that it was the same sword he had when he fought Chrom back in Regna Ferox, a seemingly possible twin of Chrom's Falchion. Chrom was about to follow suit, thinking he was going to fight Marth again, but stopped when he put his hand at his sword's hilt as he noticed that Marth did not make any more movements; he merely held his sword straight up in one hand.

"I'm about to save your life," started Marth as he turned to some thick nearby bushes. "From him."

Music track: Fire Emblem Awakening: "I mean it, go!"

Suddenly, as if on cue, an assassin ran out of the bushes, wearing brown leather armor with a dark red hood and split cape with a sword ready. Seeing the attack coming, Marth threw the Falchion lookalike high into the air, backflipping after it as it spun midair. The assailant was about to swing his sword with both hands at Chrom before Marth, as he fell, swung his sword hard downward just as he landed in a crouching position on both feet. The assassin, who got slashed in the back by Marth, dropped his sword before he collapsed, dead.

"I trust this proof will suffice?" asked Marth grimly as he stood up, sweeping his sword to punctuate his point.

Chrom, slightly stupefied and in shock, replied: "Yeah…"

Robin readied his spellbook while Red unclipped a Pokeball from his belt. However, what happened next caught even Marth off guard.

A second assassin leaped out of the nearby trees, already with a sword in mid-swing. Marth gasped in surprise and tried to dodge the slash, but he slipped as he stepped on the dead first assassin's blade. The attacker's slash narrowly missed Marth's face and instead of drawing blood, the assassin cut Marth's mask cleanly in two with a metallic CLANG.

Marth gasped in both fear, because of a near hit, and shock, because of becoming unmasked as his long blue hair suddenly billowed out behind his head, revealing that he (or she, rather) was actually a girl, to Robin and Red's surprise.

The girl regained her footing just as Chrom quickly came to her rescue. With a battle cry, the prince charged at the assassin, unsheathing Falchion and slashing him with it in one swing. The assassin flopped onto the ground, dead as well as the first.

Chrom turned around to see Marth, only to be just as surprised as Red and Robin were as he saw that Marth was indeed a female.

"Wait, you're – you're a woman?" he stuttered.

"And quite the actress, too," replied Marth with snarky exasperation. "Honestly, I'm surprised you didn't figure it out until just now."

A large explosion rang out into the night; part of a castle wall had collapsed. Chrom, Robin, Red and Marth quickly rushed off towards trouble.

Music track: Pokemon: Team Magma Appears!

Meanwhile, outside of the castle wall that now had a large crumbling gap in it, Plegian soldiers dressed in red rushed in. A man, with a dark goatee and sinister purple sorcerer's robes turned to one of the dark mages. He sniggered evilly before he issued an order.

"Remember, I want the Emblem in my hand and Emmeryn dead on the floor," he demanded. "Let nothing distract you from either purpose."

"As you will it," obeyed the dark mage before he rushed off with the other soldiers.

Just behind the castle wall was a male redhead dressed in dirty and drab black and brown colored clothing with a black shawl draped on his shoulders and back. Hefted on his shoulder was a large brown sack. He was horrified of what he had just heard.

"Whoa, whoa, did I just hear that right?" he asked himself, startled. "We're to KILL the exalt? I'm just here for the plunder. You know, line my pockets with some royal goods. The exalt's such a sweet lady... Sure, I'll rob her blind, but I'd never harm her!"

He slinked away in the shadows, hoping to find a way to prevent the exalt's murder.

Meanwhile, inside the castle, the Shepherds scrambled towards where Emmeryn was. Chrom was relieved to see her, but was still worried for her.

"Emm!" he called out to her.

"Chrom!" responded the exalt desparately. "Take Lissa and flee while you still have time!"

"No! We're not leaving you! Just stay where it's safe!"

Robin surveyed the castle lobby. He can see that a large number of enemy soldiers had already entered, but area was too dark to see what type of soldiers they were.

"There's a lot of them here…" he murmured in thought as he tried to formulate a strategy. "The assassins should scatter if we can defeat their leader."

Back outside, the sorcerer can see that Chrom was unharmed.

"Hmph! Two assassins and the little princeling was not even wounded?" he snarled angrily before something caught his eye. "...Wait. Some of these actors do not belong on this stage..."

He looked past the gap in the castle wall and narrowed his eyes. He saw Robin.

"Ho ho! Can it be?!" he crowed to himself arrogantly. "After years of searching... Tonight, fate truly piles the gifts at my feet! First, these powerful beasts that I now have under my control, and now…"

Whatever he said next was quickly buried by the hustle of the remaining soldiers arriving at the castle as it was spoken.

Marth was standing in front of the doors leading into the room where Emmeryn was hiding in. She had already unsheathed her sword, ready to bar and attack any enemy soldiers who plan on murdering Emmeryn.

Suddenly, her sword began to glow softly.

"Falchion is gleaming…" she murmured.

"What's wrong?" asked Chrom as he looked towards her; Marth had her back facing to him, so Chrom did not see the glow.

"It's not your concern."

"Seems like nothing ever is with you."

"My apologies."

"Just stay by Emmeryn's door. We'll handle the killers."

With that, Chrom rushed to join the other Shepherds, who had split up into two separate parties, one at each side of the lobby. Marth remained by the doors to Emmeryn's throne room.

"Chrom, please!" pleaded Emmeryn fearfully. "Flee while you still can! You each have but one life, and I do not wish it weighed against mine!"

"Everybody! We must take out the enemy soldiers! Protect Emmeryn at all costs!" called out Chrom, choosing not to heed Emmeryn's desperate plea.

Emmeryn could only helplessly watch Chrom and the Shepherds rush into battle, fearing for their lives.

Out in one side of the castle lobby, Robin turned to Red.

"Red, which Pokemon are you going to use for this battle?" he asked.

Red looked around the lobby, similarly to how Robin surveyed it earlier. He took note of the stone pillars that held the ceiling above them and how dark the area is (though some torches from the nearby throne room where Emmeryn was at least brought some light in).

"It might be too cramped for the larger Pokemon to fight in, plus they might accidentally bring the whole roof down," murmured Red as he thought through his choices. "We would need something small and fast but hits hard…"

His hand scrolled against the Pokeballs clipped on his belt before it stopped on the Pokeball he chose. He unclipped it and got ready to throw it.

"Go, Pikachu!" he called.

At once, the familiar yellow Mouse Pokemon materialized. It blinked twice in the dim light before it turned to face Red.

"You ready to go?" asked the Pokemon trainer.

"Pika!" chirped the electric Pokemon, nodding its head once.

"Alright, let's get some light in here! Use Flash!"

"PIKA!"

Pikachu's red cheek pouches began to glow brightly. Surprisingly, they let out white light instead of red light one may expect. The glow extended from Pikachu at a radius several meters long. Several enemy soldiers nearby who were trying to stage an ambush underneath the darkness swore at being exposed. Robin and Red can see that they were a diverse group, consisting of soldiers such as burly fighters, mounted cavaliers and dark mages.

"Damn it!" shrieked one of the fighters, angrily banging his axe on the stone floor. "That thing blew our cover!"

"Kill it!" called out one of the cavaliers, whose voice was slightly muffled by the metal helm he wore, as he brandished his sword.

"It's just a mere mouse," said one of the dark mages as he focused his magic from his tome. "It should be easy."

"Pikachu, dodge it!" ordered Red. "Then counter with Thunderbolt!"

Music track: Pokemon Black 2 and White 2: VS. Plasma Grunt!

The dark mage hurled a blast of dark magic from his hands at Pikachu. Pikachu zipped to the side at the last second, letting the blast hit the spot it was standing at earlier harmlessly. Then it decided to taunt the dark mage by turning around and slapping its rear, laughing while it did so.

"Pipipipipipi! Pi-kapi-ka-chuuuuu!"

"Grr…!" growled the dark mage angrily. He did not understand what Pikachu was saying, but he recognized the tone. He immediately fired more shots at the Mouse Pokemon, but it dodged everytime. Eventually, Pikachu became bored and finally executed Red's battle command.

"Pika… CHUUUUUUUUU!" Pikachu cried out as it fired an arc of yellow lightning at the dark mage.

"AAAHHHH!" the dark mage screamed as he was electrically shocked. The attack quickly ended, leaving him smoldering on his back on the floor.

"DIIEE!" howled a cavalier as he urged his horse mount on. He charged at Pikachu, ready to impale it with his metal lance.

"Pikachu, dodge and use Iron Tail on the legs!" called out Red.

"Pika!" cried out Pikachu as it charged at the horse rider. The cavalier jabbed downwards to hit the Pokemon, but it slid low to the ground as its tail took on a silver metallic appearance. Pikachu then slammed its Iron Tail attack directly on the front legs of the horse, which could not check its headlong rush enough to jump over it. The horse neighed loudly in pain as the Iron Tail not only stopped its charge, but also crippled it. The electric-type Pokemon slid out from underneath the horse and stood up from behind it just as the horse bucked its rider off. The inertia sent the cavalier sailing right into a nearby stone pillar face-first, knocking him out. The horse collapsed onto the ground in pain.

"What if it's like one of 'em creatures Validar has?" gasped out a fighter to the other soldiers.

"If it is," started another dark mage. "Then kill it!"

Pikachu was soon swarmed by the red-clad soldiers. Of course, Red was not too worried.

"Discharge!"

"PIKA… CHUUUUUUUUU!"

At once, electricity surged in all directions around Pikachu. Several hapless soldiers flopped onto the ground with black and grey electrical burns. Soon, other soldiers found themselves cut or stabbed from behind as the other Shepherds dispatched them easily; the soldiers were distracted by Pikachu's zooming speed and electrical mayhem.

Suddenly, through one of the empty castle corridors, came a woman. She had purple body armor and knee-high leg armor on and had her dark brown hair tied into twin braids. What set her apart from other people were her pair of floppy rabbit-like ears and the short tail from her rear. Fur covered her lower torso and her wrists.

"I knew there was wisdom in slipping in with those rogues," she muttered as she looked around the chaos. "Look how these man-spawn claw at each other like savages! I will repay my warren's debt and then wash my hands of their race."

Chrom, who heard her footsteps and muttering, turned to see her, ready to attack her with his sword.

"Another assassin?" he wondered.

Marth rushed over to him. "Hold! Panne is not your enemy."

"You know her?"

"I know...of her. And I knew she would come here tonight."

"Quite the prophet, aren't you?"

"As you say. And I swear to you, Panne is an ally."

"Good enough for me. All right, Shepherds! For now, we leave this Panne character be."

"Is that wise, milord?" asked Frederick, concerned for Chrom and the Shepherds' safety.

"Marth has earned our trust," stated Chrom firmly. "She enjoys her secrets, I know. ...Like her gender, for one. But she's also saved our lives. Twice. And that's enough for me."

"Chrom... Thank you," said Marth softly, happy that Chrom trusted her.

Chrom smiled at her before he turned to the battle. "Now, to the matter at hand: driving these scoundrels from our castle!"

Panne took on an animalistic crouch stance on all four of her limbs and then she suddenly transformed into a large rabbit-like creature; she was even larger than an armored horse! Her purple body armor had expanded to fit her large and imposing, yet slim (for her current size) form. She quickly ran over to a hapless fighter, angled herself on her arms (or forelegs) and slammed her strong back legs into his face, knocking him out instantly.

"Whoa!" said Red; he was surprised by her sudden and drastic transformation. "What did you do?!"

Panne, who had heard the Pokemon trainer using her sensitive and sharp ears, turned to him and explained what she was. Red had piqued her interest as he only looked at her with curiosity and wonder, not with prejudice and blind hatred. She was also fascinated by the Pokemon he commanded; they can certainly fight in ways similar yet different to her and she can easily see the great amount of trust Pikachu and Red had for each other. Pikachu (under Red's command) and Panne worked well together and made short work of several enemy soldiers.

"This boy…" thought Panne as she kicked a cavalier down. "He knows how to speak to non-humans."

A few minutes later, Chrom noticed someone lurking in the shadows. He ran over to him and saw a redhead thief toting a large brown sack over his back and wielding an iron sword in reverse grip. At once, Chrom thrust his sword forward, ready to stab the man in the chest.

"Drop your weapon, or die where you stand!" demanded Chrom. He was not in the mood for any nonsense.

"Easy there, blue blood," said the thief calmly as he dropped the sack and the sword on the floor and raised his arms up, showing empty palms. "I'm Gaius… and I'm not here to hurt anyone."

"Yet you run with a band of assassins?"

"Believe it or not, just trying to make a living. I'm a thief, see? Bust open doors, crack into chests… that kind of thing. This lot said they wanted to break into some type of vault. Nobody said anything about murder. I'd just as soon sit this one out."

Chrom calmed down and lower the Falchion.

"Hmm..." said Chrom thoughtfully. "Then perhaps you'd be willing to prove your good intentions?"

"Beg pardon?" queried Gaius.

"We need all the help we can get to save the exalt's life. You appear capable, and we could use any information you have about our foes."

Gaius smirked. "Oh, right—those good intentions. Fine then, I'll prove my sincerity...if you sweeten the deal."

Chrom growled, annoyed. "You want gold? ...Fine, you scoundrel. Let me just—oops."

A small pouch tumbled off of Chrom's waist and fell onto the floor with a soft clatter.

"Looks like you dropped something," said Gaius, amused. "What's in the satchel, mmm?"

"Nothing," replied Chrom. "Just candies from my little sister. I'm sure you—"

Music track: Fire Emblem Awakening: "Agh! Won goph in mah mouph! Blech! Ptooey!"

"'Candies?' As in, sugar candies?"

Gaius began to drool. Chrom felt a little disturbed by the sight.

"Well...yes," started Chrom at last after a few moments of awkward silence. "I assumed they'd be sweet? But—"

"IT'S A DEAL!" interrupted Gaius excitedly as bits of saliva flew from his mouth.

Chrom was stunned and perplexed by the declaration.

"...You'll risk your life for us if I give you...a bag of candy?" he asked confusedly.

"I said 'sweeten the deal,' didn't I?" asked Gaius as if Chrom were stupid. "Don't get me wrong, I'll take the gold, too – later. Unless you've got more of these. ...HAVE YOU GOT MORE OF THESE?!"

"Um...I'll ask Lissa," replied Chrom as he slowly and nervously backed away from Gaius, who had a maniacal expression on his face, complete with a salivating mouth and madly gleaming wide eyes.

Gaius, after stowing away the pouch of candies, picked up his iron sword and joined the battle.

Music track: Pokemon: Team Plasma, Again.

At last, the number of the enemy soldiers began to thin out as many of them fell to the Shepherds. However, the situation took a turn for the worse.

KA-BOOOMMM!

Several Shepherds close to the explosion were sent sprawling onto the floor and against the wall, injured by the blast and flying rubble. Chrom, along with Robin, Frederick, Red, Panne and Gaius arrived at the scene, worried for the injured Shepherds.

"By the gods…" Chrom gasped. "What the hell happened here?!"

"Ugh…" groaned Vaike as he tried to stand using his axe as a crutch. "This is… not enough… to beat the Vaike!"

"I'm okay!" called out Kellam, waving. Of course, nobody (but Red and Panne) heard him.

"Wher' in tarnation did that boom come from!?" cried out Donnel.

Lissa and Maribelle scrambled around, trying to help their fellow comrades recover.

Out of nowhere, a low cackling filled the air, silencing the Shepherds as it echoed through the lobby. Slowly and deliberately, Validar the sorcerer walked in flanked by a large dragon that appeared to have three heads and of blue, purple and black color.

Sorry for the long wait, everybody! I got distracted a lot during the past month! Hope you enjoy this chapter and await the next chapter!

As usual, reviews and constructive criticism are welcome!