Last chapter was kinda short, so two in one to make up for it.
Hey hey, lucky thirteen!
…Er, not so lucky, actually.
You know, in my (limited) gaming experience, I've discovered that if a chapter involves a character's name, everything is likely about to go to shit.
Disclaimed.
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Chapter IX: Emmeryn
Plegia Castle Courtyard
"So, Captain, let me be certain I understand your report…" Gangrel sighs, staring at the soldier before him. "Not only did you not confirm that the Ylissean party carries the Fire Emblem… But you can't even be certain Prince Chrom is even among them? …Is that it?"
"Y-yes, milord!" the man replies. "The air was thick with sand; even their number was difficult to ascertain."
The ex-king groans. "You're lucky I need all my men for the welcoming party, or you'd be dead as the exalt." He turns away. "The Ylisseans will be here soon; Chrom and the Emblem among them, I'm sure. That bleeding-heart prince would never put good sense before his sister!" He laughs. "And when they arrive… it will be a massacre worthy of their legendary father!"
...
In a nearby camp, the Shepherds listen as one of Basilio's spies makes his report.
"The exalt is to be executed at the castle on the morrow," he informs them. "I heard it from Gangrel's own lips, sire."
"This is it, then," Basilio says.
"Exactly as you predicted, Reflet," Chrom agrees, casting his tactician a warm look.
"So far, yes," Reflet murmurs cautiously. "But tomorrow will be the true test…"
Flavia chuckles. "Chin up, there! Show some confidence! It's your thinking that's got us this far. The plan is risky, but only as much is called for."
Chrom nods reassuringly. "We'll find a way to see it through, Reflet. Don't worry. This time tomorrow, we'll be swapping stories with Emm on the road home."
"I hope you're right," the tactician replies. "But I have a terrible feeling I'm missing something…"
"It'll be alright, so long as we stick to the plan," the prince assures him. "I know it."
...
"Master Grima, Exalt Emmeryn is to be put to death on the morrow," Validar says, speaking to a figure shrouded in smoke. "Events will soon be back on course." The other doesn't reply.
Validar laughs. "Yes, I should never have doubted the truth of your words. The yoke of destiny cannot be cast off! Even as they resist—as HE resists—they write your future with every step, O great one!"
The other still doesn't reply, but a deep sense of pleasure and guilt rises off them like the smoke that keeps them from view.
Reflet wakes with a startled gasp that almost becomes a scream, as he often does. He finds himself fighting for breath.
"Reflet?" Lissa asks, leaning over him. "Hey, Reflet! What's wrong? Was it a nightmare?"
"Is… that what it was?" Reflet murmurs distractedly. "Y-yes, it must have been…" He shakes his head, drawing himself back into reality. "I'm sorry, what brings you here, Lissa? Was there something you needed?"
The princess frowns. "Frederick says it's time to march. And we can't start the plan without our master tactician!"
"Right, of course. Could you… wait outside? I'll be there in just a moment."
Lissa nods, stepping out of the tent. Reflet shivers, pulling his knees to his chest. "Grima…" he whispers. "Oh gods, please let it just have been a nightmare…"
...
The Shepherds gather just beyond the castle walls, watching the proceedings within. Emmeryn stands on a thin pathway of stone above the great skull that houses the capital, Gangrel standing at the base. "Good people!" he calls. "Warriors of Plegia! Welcome! Welcome, one and all! Your anticipation electrifies the air! We all remember the crimes of Ylisse… Would you have their witch-queen answer for them? Here? Today? NOW?"
Chrom makes to lunge forward; it takes all of Reflet's reflexes and strength to hold him in place. "Wait!" he hisses. "Stick to the plan!"
"YEEEEEEEEEEEES!" Gangrel continues. "Finally, we will have JUSTICE! EXECUTIONER! If you would be so kind…"
"Flavia!" Reflet calls over the rising din of voices.
"I've got him!" the khan replies. She takes careful aim and throws an axe. It strikes the executioner in the centre of his chest just as he raises his own axe. Emmeryn turns, confused, to watch him fall.
"EVERYONE: NOW!" the tactician yells. "Sumia, Aversa, Cordelia, fly on ahead! The rest of you, with me! We will save Lady Emmeryn, or die trying!" he commands, pulling his hood up to hide his face as he does so.
The Shepherds roar their approval and charge.
"Take out the soldiers first!" Chrom calls, running to join his lover. "We'll deal with the Mad King later!"
"Oh will you now?" Gangrel calls back, laughing. "We've been expecting you, Little Prince. Men: Kill him. Kill his sister. Kill his troops and his friends and anyone else you find! KILL THEM AAAAAAAAALL!" He leaves, then. Chrom growls, wrapping his fingers around Reflet's.
"We're in public, Chrom," the tactician reminds him, blushing faintly. "Rescue Emmeryn first. Time enough for being in love afterwards."
"Very logical of you," the prince grumbles. Reflet just shrugs and takes off, leading the Shepherds through the sands to a relatively clear patch.
"Take out the archers first!" he calls. Then hesitates, listening.
"So we're to kill or die here, just because the ex-king commands it?" a voice mutters. "Pfft. What do I care of these Ylisseans? We're given no reason to fight, only orders. What's the point? Besides, I've always been quite good at choosing who to hate on my own…"
Reflet frowns, a faint hope rising in his heart. "Tharja…?"
"Who?" Chrom asks.
"An old friend. If she's here… I may be able to convince her to help us! And, trust me, she'll be a valuable ally."
"Alright…" the prince decides. "If you think she can help us, I leave it to you."
It's at that moment that Aversa swings around to speak with them, hovering beside her brother. "Boys? If you're not too busy, there's a priestly-type fighting alone up there. Should we help?"
Reflet frowns, tilting his head to the side as he listens. "Exalt Emmeryn!" a feminine voice is saying. "No! Gods speed me to her side!"
"Please do," he decides. "Thank you, Sister."
"Any time, brother dear."
Chrom turns to him as Aversa flies off again. "How do you hear people talking on the far side of the courtyard with all this sand?"
Reflet shrugs. "Magic. Besides, the sand isn't a problem for me. I grew up here, remember?"
The prince sighs, accepting the excuse. Reflet grins, pulling the older man behind him as he runs beside the castle wall, in the sheltered pathway that's almost free of sand.
"Where is the damn wyvern brigade?!" he hears the commander say. "Hurry! Close off their escape!"
Reflet groans. "Nowi, Gregor, Lon'qu, Panne, Sully, Ricken; stay behind and hold off the wyvern brigade when it arrives!" He waits for the shouts of confirmation, then continues on.
Upon arriving at the far end, where Cordelia, Sumia and Aversa have just finished helping the priest deal with the Plegian soldiers, Chrom moves to talk with him. "You there! Who are you? Why do you fight alone?"
"Good heavens!" the man gasps. "You're Prince Chrom, brother to Her Grace the Exalt!"
The prince frowns. "You know me?"
"Know you?" the priest asks. "Of course, sire! All Ylissean clergy do. I must thank the gods for uniting us! Oh, dearest and most heavenly fa-"
"With all respect," Chrom interrupts, "now is not the time for prayer–it's action that is called for."
"Ah, too true!" the other man sighs. "We hurried here to help as soon as word spread of the execution."
"We?" Chrom asks. "Then there are more of you?"
"Alas, there were. I lost many brave comrades along the way. In truth, I was starting to doubt the purpose of my struggle…" He shakes his head. "But no longer! Pray, sire, let my axe serve you and your party!"
"Your love for my sister is clear," the prince allows. "I would be honoured to be joined by such a formidable woman of the cloth."
"…Man, sire," the other corrects. "Man of the cloth."
Reflet snickers. "Well done, Chrom."
Chrom ignores him. "You're a… You're not a woman?"
"No, sire," the man tells him with the air of someone who has said the same thing many times before. "Women are clerics. I am a priest. Well, technically a war monk, if you care to split hairs…"
"Oh," Chrom says intelligently. "Yes, well, I'm… I didn't mean to imply… Well, this is rather awkward."
The war monk chuckles. "Oh, it's alright, sire. You realised your mistake quickly enough. It could have become much more awkward." He pauses for a second. "Much more…"
"Right!" the prince says loudly. "Let's stop there. Gods," he adds quietly to Reflet. "It's Prince Robin all over again…"
"Prince Robin?" the tactician asks.
Chrom shrugs. "Well, he is rather… feminine. Or at least he was when I met him. One could even call him very pretty."
Reflet scowls and elbows him in the ribs. "Rude," he chastises. "I'm going on ahead. Why don't you see if the others need any help with that wyvern brigade?"
Chrom glances over at the priest, confused. The other man sighs. "I imagine he took it as an insult to his prince. You should probably apologise, sire." He pauses, frowning. "My name is Libra, by the way."
He probably continues, but Reflet stops listening. He's overreacting, he knows, but really? Pretty was the best Chrom could come up with?
"Reflet?" a familiar voice asks.
Reflet spins around. "Tharja!"
"Still wearing that ridiculous mask, I see, my love," the dark mage comments.
"Still hanging around Plegia, I see, Tharja," he replies. "What are you doing here? I thought you were planning to leave, head across the sea to Valm."
Tharja shrugs. "Rumour had it that Ylisse had a new tactician. A mysterious masked man in Plegian robes." She looks Reflet over. "You can see why I was suspicious."
Reflet grins. "Oh, I see. Say, do you still have that rebellious streak of yours?" He doesn't wait for her to reply before continuing, "If you do, what say you rebel now? Join Ylisse, fight for the Shepherds, side of righteousness and all that nonsense… I'd be very grateful."
"Your puppy eyes don't work so well with a mask on," the woman informs him. She sighs. "…Oh, very well."
"Thank you!" Reflet calls, spinning around to cut a wyvern rider out of the saddle as he flies by. "Come on, let's finish this, before Gangrel grows bored and decides to kill Emmeryn himself."
"Yes, sir," Tharja allows, following him through the sands.
Chrom watches the two Plegians maneuver through the dunes without slowing down, while he himself keeps stumbling and falling. "That's just not fair," he sighs.
Reflet ignores him, focusing instead on the general before them. "You'll never save your precious exalt, scum!" the man snarls.
The tactician smirks. "We'll see." He draws his blades, stabbing deep into gaps in the general's armour. The return spear cuts a deep gash in his side, and he sheathes one of his swords and pulls out a vulnerary, shuddering at the taste as it heals him.
Tharja raises an eyebrow. "Still refusing to use magic?"
"You know damn well why I do it, so shush."
The dark mage giggles, shooting off an Elthunder blast that more or less turns the man into a walking lightning storm. Oh, and kills him. He groans. "Killing me will only… feed Plegia's rage…"
Chrom runs past his body, scanning the area. "Reflet!" he calls. "Their wyvern riders have fallen! The skies are clear! I'm giving the signal!" He waves his arm, summoning the pegasus knights stationed just out of sight before Reflet can reply.
"Your Grace!" Phila calls.
"Phila!" Emmeryn calls back from her perch. "I'm so glad to see you're safe! But how-"
"Khan Basilio's men freed me," the captain interrupts. "Come, we must hurry!"
"What?" Gangrel snaps. "Pegasus knights? How did they…" He howls in rage. "That damned Ylissean tactician does NOT play fair!"
Reflet grins. "Thank you very much!" he calls cheekily.
Before anyone else can react, there's a flash of light that blinds them all. Reflet is the first to clear his vision. "…Risen?!" he gasps. "Oh gods, no! Chrom! There are Risen everywhere!"
The prince scrubs at his eyes, forcing enough of the afterimage from them for him to view the scene for himself. "Damn! Not now!"
Gangrel shrieks with laughter. "Oh, did an army of living corpses just appear out of the blue?" he asks. "Truly, the heavens smile upon mighty King Gangrel this day!"
"King?" Reflet mutters, confused, but no one replies.
They're all so distracted, they don't notice the Risen archer until its arrow pierces Phila's heart. "Risen…" she groans. "How… Y-Your Grace, I… Forgive me… Uhh…"
"Phila!" Emmeryn screams, just as horrified as the rest of them.
"Exeunt one pegasus knight!" Gangrel gloats. "Bwa ha ha! Watch how they fall, one by one!"
Indeed, the Shepherds can do nothing but watch as the other two knights are shot down to join their captain. "No no no…" Reflet moans, watching in shocked disbelief as his plan falls apart.
"We've lost…" Chrom murmurs.
The ex-king smirks. "I believe this is what they call a reversal of fortunes. Now… grovel before me. Plead! Beg for your worthless lives!"
"I'd give up my life before I'd beg for it from you," the prince snaps.
"Oh, now that is a good line," Gangrel muses. "A fitting epitaph for your tombstone, perhaps? But it's not just your life in the balance. The exalt still stands upon the block. And I have a dozen bows trained on her. All it would take is one word from me…"
"Emm!" Chrom yells. "Hold on, I'm-"
"ARCHERS!" Gangrel interrupts. "If this Ylissean pup so much as twitches, let fly your arrows!"
"I… I'll kill you!" the prince cries.
"Go ahead! I welcome it. Just know you were responsible for Big Sister's bloody demise!" Gangrel turns, eyeing the rest of the Shepherds. "…And what of the rest of you? Eh? Who wants the honour of killing the exalt? …No one? Bah! Your merry band isn't quite so headstrong anymore, is it? Pathetic!"
"Damn you!" Chrom yells.
"Now, now, my boy–no one needs die today. Not you. Not the exalt. Not your friends. Just lay down your sword, and give me the Fire Emblem."
"…I…" Chrom murmurs.
"Chrom!" Reflet cries. "You can't trust him!"
"Of course I can't trust him!" the other man replies. "I'm not an idiot! But if I just say no, he'll kill her! The gods are cruel, damn them! My sister or my duty… A problem with no right answer, yet I must choose!"
Reflet glances up to where Emmeryn stands. Her eyes seem to bore holes in the shield he puts around his emotions when he fights. You know what to do, they say silently. He stares at the ground for a long moment, gathering his courage for the words he knows he must say.
"I know it's hard to admit, Chrom," he begins, "but it's the only choice. Compared to the lives of thousands, one person, any one person, is-"
"DON'T!" Chrom snaps. "Just… don't say it."
"What's this?" Gangrel asks. "You'll let your sister and ruler die, all to save some old family trinket? Oh, so delicious! I can't WAIT to hear what your people have to say about it. "THE EXALT IS DEAD! LONG LIVE HER MURDERER!" Your halidom will collapse before you can even begin your rule…"
"We'll see, when the time comes," Chrom replies. "But first, I'll see you dead."
"No, wait!" Emmeryn calls.
"SILENCE!" Gangrel shrieks back.
"Emm…" Chrom murmurs.
"Lord Gangrel, is there no hope you will listen to reason?" the exalt asks.
"You mean listen to more of your sanctimonious babble?!" the ex-king replies. "I think not. No, all I want to hear now is the THUNK of arrows, and a SPLAT as you hit the ground. Take one, long, last look from your perch. You do so enjoy looking down on people… Then prepare to meet the ground, and your maker! That is, unless someone were to give me the Emblem… NOW!"
Emmeryn doesn't reply. But Chrom does. "ALL RIGHT!" he yells. "All right… Emm, I know you won't approve, but this is my final decision. Maybe someday we'll face a crisis where maybe the Emblem would've helped… But I know for a fact that Ylisse needs you, today! The people need their exalt… And we need our sister. If those dark days should come, we'll face them together."
"Chrom…" Emmeryn murmurs. "Th-thank you. I know now what I must do…"
"Emm, what are you-"
"Plegians!" the exalt cries. "I ask that you hear the truth of my words! War will bring you nothing but pain, both inside your borders and out. Free yourselves from this hatred! From this cycle of pain and vengeance. Do what you must… As I will do. See now that one selfless act has the power to change the world!"
"Emm, no!" Chrom yells. "No!"
He takes off, sprinting towards his sister. Emmeryn stands still for a long moment. Reflet can just hear her voice as she whispers, "So be it."
Then she steps forward, raising her hands as if in prayer. Chrom reaches out as if he can pull her to solid ground, can rewrite the situation to whatever he chooses. For a long moment, she stands at the edge.
Then she simply leans forward and lets herself drop.
Chrom screams. Lissa buries her head in her hands and wails. Reflet just stares in shock and horror, listening to the desperate cries.
"Chrom… Lissa… And all my people… Know that I loved you."
Overhead, an eagle shrieks.
Chrom falls to his knees, staring at his sister's body in disbelief. "…Emm…" He buries his head in his hands and weeps.
"Oh gods…" Reflet whispers.
"DAMN YOU, GANGREL!" Chrom screams.
"NOOOOOO!" Lissa wails.
Gangrel shrieks with laughter once more. "Well now! …How disgustingly noble. And so lovely a fall! Here I thought death to be an ugly thing. I've never seen one fall so gracefully, in fact. …And I've seen many fall. Ah… So ends Emmeryn, Ylisse's most exalted! But how can we ensure everyone remembers this beautiful moment of her sacrifice? Perhaps we should gather up her body and put her on display!"
"Gangrel!" Chrom yells. "You die today!"
It's at that moment Flavia and Basilio run to join them. "No, boy!" the West-Khan calls. "I secured an escape route! We have to flee!"
"B-but… her body…" the prince whispers. "I have to…"
"You have to RUN!" Basilio insists. "Now do it! Reflet! Don't let him do anything stupid!"
Reflet nods, grabbing Chrom's arm. "Chrom, please! Please, just come on!"
And so the Shepherds flee, soundly defeated. And on the breeze, a voice carries to Reflet's ears.
"No!" Marth gasps. "No… I'm too late… Our bleak future is written once more… And darkness awaits us all."
Only the wind answers her, blowing across the blood-soaked sand.
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Well, then. Chrom isn't going to be very happy with Reflet for suggesting they sacrifice Emmeryn…
Seriously, I wish there was a scene for that. I shall try to make a good one.
See ya~!
-Bird