A/N: How's it going everybody!
2019
"Wait, so the guardian did exist?" The burly blond male spoke in shock. "Unbelievable!"
"Rafi," a short haired orange girl said. "It's a legend, within a legend. I don't think it would be real."
"Well why not Lenore," Rafi spoke up. "You never know."
"It's just that… never mind…" Lenore huffed in defeat.
"I just hope that he'll recover from having to kill a friend." The ashen haired boy spoke. "I can't imagine if I had to do the same thing."
"Don't worry Ash," The pretzel-haired girl said. "I doubt you'll ever have to do so. And even if you did, I'll help you."
"Thank you, Ann. That means a lot." Ashe smiled in response.
"Get a room, you two!" The yellow-clad boy said.
"Shut up, Clark!" Ann snapped.
'Did time really pass, or something? Because it really does feel like it.' Ms. Gregory thought to herself, amused by what was happening. "Anyway, the Great Bridge battle was next."
Lone Moon, 1186
"Seriously professor?" Sylvain began to protest. "Look, I know that my arm is broken, but I can handle one more fight. Just one more, and I promise that I'll sit out as many battles as you need me to sit out of on."
The red-haired skirt-chaser had just received news from his former professor, Niya, that he would have to sit out the battle where they would aid the Alliance in regaining the Great Bridge of Myrrdin from the Imperial Army.
"Sylvain, I understand, and know what you are more than capable of," Niya began, as calmly as she could. "But right now, we cannot afford any mistakes. One wrong move is all the enemy needs. And if that arm of yours gives out anytime later, you'll pay with your life."
"Oh, come on." Sylvain continued. "It's not like I know I don't know how to swing a lance, or axe with one hand. Plus, I do know some Reason magic, so I don't need to be in the front lines."
"Sylvain, please." Ingrid begged.
"Fine." Sylvain finally gave in. "But I don't recall any of you protesting, the last time I-" Upon realizing what he was about to say, Sylvain immediately stopped talking.
Unfortunately for him, Ingrid caught it. "What was that?" She asked with a fierce tone, through gritted teeth.
"Nothing. What, I didn't say anything." Sylvain tried to get out of the situation.
"No," Ingrid countered. "You said something about the last time you… what was it? Injured yourself."
"I have no idea what you're talking about."
"So, this ISN'T the first time you got yourself injured, IS IT?!" Ingrid's voice grew louder by the word.
Sylvain gulped. Hard.
"Ok, fine." Sylvain collapsed in defeat. "One of the few times we were defending Garreg Mach- The days before the Professor returned, I may have gotten this very same arm broken due to some guy's gauntlets punching it too hard. But no big deal, I handled it."
"YOU!" Ingrid began, now beyond frustrated.
Without warning, Ingrid's hand went flying, before connecting itself with Sylvain's right cheek, creating an audible smack.
"You fool…"
"I'm going to need to check on some other things…" Niya excused herself, realizing that the two needed some time alone.
A few moments of silence pass
"You are reckless. You know that?" Ingrid began, collapsing unto Sylvain's cot. "It's ridiculous how little you care about these things. Do you have any idea just how painful it is to see these kinds of injuries in this current times?"
"I… I…" Sylvain began, just speechless.
For a while, he couldn't find the words to begin, before he simply uttered the simple words: "I'm sorry."
"Sylvain, I-"
"I know. I should be more careful, and that as the older one, I should-"
"You know very well that's not what I'm talking about." Ingrid interrupted. "It. It should fall to me."
"Sounds like the worst job out there." Sylvain half-joked, half-said seriously.
"Not for me… especially if it's for you."
"Ingrid. I…"
"Never mind." Ingrid stood up, with the intention to leave for Great Bridge defense. "I… have to get going. We might need to leave soon."
All Sylvain could do was just continue sitting on his cot, as he buried his face in his hands, guilty for how he had acted.
Meanwhile
"Ah, Niya." Judith began, seeing the former professor approach her. "I have something that I'm sure you'd appreciate."
As Niya was about to ask what Judith wanted, she barely took two steps, before seeing what was in front of the Hero. In front of Judith was a table. On top of the table was a flag, a flag commonly used as a banner for an army. The banner had a symbol familiar to Niya: Her Crest. The Crest of Flames.
"The Crest of Flames." Niya noted, in a slight state of shock that Judith knows about it. "How did you know of this?"
"I know more than you think kiddo." Judith replied. "I've seen you fight, and during one of those fights, your crest manifested. It didn't take me long to realize what it was, so I thought I'd have one made."
"Is this what you were trying to tell me, before we were asked to go here?"
"No." Judith simply replied. "What I was trying to say was that one of my spies have returned. He encountered a witness who claims that Lady Rhea is alive, was dragged of by the Imperial army."
"So, she must be in Enbarr then." Niya theorized.
"It's possible, but not entirely accurate." Judith reminded. "If anything, she could literally be anywhere within the Empire."
"Then we better recover the Bridge, and quickly."
"But first, here is what you need to know about the Great Bridge." Judith interrupted, unrolling a map of the bridge over the banner, and then pointing to various points. "To reclaim the Great Bridge, we need to secure the other side. East of the other entrance is a ballista, if we can reach it, we can use it to our advantage. In the middle is a guard tower. I suspect that there will be some Imperial troops waiting there."
"I see," Niya replied, before adding some intel that might help.
One Day Later
"The Great Bridge of Myrrdin. One of the great bridges that cuts across Airmid River between the Alliance, and the Empire." Hubert said. "Ever since the war, its defenses have been fortified greatly."
"There are bridges south of Ordelia territory, but none of them match this bridge in size." Lysithea recalled.
"And it looks like they're sufficiently prepared." Leonie added, noticing the Imperial Army in the distance, standing their ground as Alliance forces continued onward, with the hopes of reclaiming the bridge.
"We better steady ourselves then." Niya stated. "If they are fully prepared, we must tread cautiously, and prepare ourselves. If we need to charge quickly, then we should."
"And here I was, hoping we could get this over quickly." Dorothea sighed. "The sooner we get it done, then it would be like we were never here."
"Once we successfully this bridge, the great plains of Fodlan will be clear for entry." Ferdinand said, to which a few of his fellow classmates looked to him in confusion. "Do you not remember? I am speaking of Gronder Field, where we fought the Battle of the Eagle and Lion."
"I don't care what's beyond here," Caspar spoke up. "I only hope that the ones defending the bridge aren't my father, and brother. I prefer to finish this battle without having to deal with them… especially my father."
Meanwhile
Ladislava has returned to the Bridge, with the promise of more reinforcement approaching, when she spots a symbol, not belonging anywhere within the Alliance, and she knew exactly what it meant.
"That symbol… it's an enemy raid! Stay calm and face them on!" Ladislava ordered, as her wyvern growled in response, eager to face some action.
Ladislava then turned to a Pegasus Knight. "You, send word to Acheron immediately! If we're quick enough, we might catch them in a pincer attack."
"Yes ma'am!" The Pegasus Knight nodded, before riding of.
"Lady Ladislava," an Assassin began. "They say the leader is the one that Emperor Edelgard speaks of a lot. She also has former members of the Empire, as well as those from the Kingdom, and Alliance."
"Well then, let's see what they got. Spare no one on the field. I have no interest in prisoners. Kill them all, but save the leader for me." Ladislava commanded.
The General simply nodded, before raising his shield and axe, before bellowing out "CHARGE!"
A Sniper blew a war horn afterward, signaling everyone to engage the enemy.
Niya's side
"The general is Lady Ladislava. She is among Edelgard's most trusted personal guards." Hubert informed.
"I see that they've spotted us. Everyone, take down Ladislava, secure the other side, and reclaim the bridge, let's go!"
"You think we would just let you take this bridge form us?!" An Enemy Warrior growled, as he took down an Alliance Sniper.
"Enemies at the Central Fortress!" Ingrid called out. "Be cautious. There might be mo-"
Ingrid's words were cut off, when an arrow suddenly sailed through the air, penetrating her breastplate, piercing her right in the lungs, her eyes going still, before her lifeless body plunges straight down the side of the bridge, her Pegasus whinnying helplessly, as it found itself getting dragged down, along with its now deceased rider.
"Ingrid!" Felix yelled, as he witnessed what had happened to one of his childhood friends, while Dorothea screamed in horror, as they both, alongside everyone else witnessed the body plummet down.
"No, no, no…" Niya panicked, as she tightly shut her eyes, and began concentrating. Sothis may no longer exist, but she hoped that there might be some power left, before…
The sound of glass shattering fills her mind, and the world is now bathed in a purplish haze, and everything freezes in place. As everything continues, the sound of a ticking clock can be heard.
Ordinarily, the sound of glass shattering would bring panic to most people, but for Niya, the sound meant that she still had the power, allowing her to sigh in relief.
Everything began moving in reverse. Soldiers were returning to where they charged from, magic returning to their caster's hands, and most importantly, Ingrid was rising from the side of the bridge, until she was finally visible, the arrow escaping her chest.
Now, Niya knew where the arrow came from: Just north from the Knight, but northeast from where they were- and she knew exactly who could attack from that far.
Satisfied with the reversal, she blinked tightly, and time began running its course again. Hopefully she had traveled back enough. After all, her power had a strict cooldown of a couple minutes, something that Sothis would remind her constantly of.
Without a moment's hesitation, Niya whipped her head towards Lysithea, before ordering her. "Lysithea, Abraxas on the northeast now!"
"What?!" To say the white-haired mage was in shock, is an understatement. How could her former professor ask her to aim at nothing? "Are you crazy! There is no one there!"
"Just trust me, and do it!" Niya shouted. She was panicking that she wouldn't make this time, and lose Ingrid again. This time for good.
"Ok, fine!" Lysithea groaned in defeat, before she concentrated her magic, still skeptical of the former professor's command.
From the position Lysithea was asked to attack, a beam of light shoots down violently, engulfing the area, before exploding. The sound of pain from a Sniper- the very same one who would've dealt the killing blow to Ingrid- could be heard, before the sound silences, indicating his death.
Lysithea was stunned. She did not expect to hear an enemy dying.
"How did yo-" The young mage began, completely shocked.
"Never mind that! Focus on reclaiming the bridge." Niya quickly cut off, before continuing forward, satisfied that she prevented a student's death.
Later
As the fight continued, a group of sigils begin to form not far from where the former students are now. The sigils then begin to materialize, revealing the casters to be Acheron, and his own group from his own house.
"As they say, if you can't beat them, join them." Acheron smirked, happy that he and his men have teleported just before the student army. His mood immediately changed when he realized what he said. "I'm not in for a beating, am I?"
"Lady Ladislava," The Pegasus Knight reported. This was the same Pegasus Knight that Ladislava had commanded to call Acheron. "Lord Acheron has arrived."
Ladislava nodded, and spoke softly to herself. "Acheron, now is the time to show your loyalty to the Empire! Attack the enemy from behind!"
As if Acheron managed to hear her, he declared to himself. "I've got to make her name known to Her Majesty through my own brand of distinguished service." He then turned to his group. "Now my men, attack!"
With a nod, Acheron's group began charging.
Lorenz was the first to notice this. "Acheron, the minor Alliance noble? What a surprise! If he is allied with the Empire, then we need to stop him."
Suddenly, a yell interrupts him, to which he instinctively blocks with his lance. His eyes widen with shock, when he realizes that he has come face to face with his cousin, Enzo Dereite Gloucester.
"Hello cousin," Enzo greeted, his voice somewhat raspy. "How does it feel to betray House Gloucester?"
"I did not betray House Gloucester!" Lorenz answered back. "I am merely fighting for what I believe to be right. Knowing Father, he will definitely understand."
Enzo scoffed at his cousin. "Shows what you know. Fight me! I will show you that opposing the Empire at a time like this would be entirely reckless!"
'It would seem that reasoning with cousin Enzo is pointless. No matter. If it is what he wants, then so be it.' Lorenz realized, as he traded blows with his cousin. "Very well then, do not hold back…"
"Oh, you know I won't…" Enzo replied grimly, gripping his lance tightly.
Meanwhile
While Lorenz was busy having to fight a member of his own house, his cousin no less. Thankfully, Niya managed to notice Acheron as well.
"Everyone, watch your backs! Pincer attack!" Niya called out, groaning to herself. This was not how she wanted things to be.
The ones nearest to her, namely Ferdinand, Raphael, Leonie, Hapi, and Annette heard her, and turned their attention towards Acheron's group, and began charging towards them, with the intention of removing an enemy advantage.
As the small group engaged with Acheron's men, Leonie was the first to reach the pompous noble.
"Acheron the Weathervane." Leonie began, striking first with her lance. "Should've known that you wouldn't have stayed with the Alliance."
"What's it to you, Sauinian?" Acheron spoke back, as he dodged the lance, before channeling his energy into a spell. "Then again… a girl with a debt, a commoner at that, would probably never understand how the nobility truly works." He then blasted a Thunder spell, which the hunter expertly evaded.
"Gonna need to try harder than that!" Leonie cried out, before nocking an arrow into her bow. "Pure grit!" She then faked a release, causing the noble to dodge, only to get impaled, as Leonie released the arrow to where Acheron thought he was safe from the arrow.
"Grah!" Acheron screamed in pain, as he collapsed to the ground, his life slowly leaving him. "I should've never allied… with… the Empire…"
Meanwhile
A demonic beast let out a ghastly roar, as it thrashed on the floors of the bridge, sending both stone, and Alliance soldiers flying about. It then grabbed an Armored Knight, before crushing him with its claws as though it were a tin can.
"Stand down beast!" Dedue roared, as he swung his axe around, before striking it into the monster's belly, causing a roar in pain. The Duscurian had used Monster Breaker, an art he had picked up during the days in the Academy.
"I'll have your head!" Caspar reared up, before rushing to the beast, punching it hard, with his gauntlets, piercing its belly again. Once again, the monster roared in pain.
"I'll cut you down!" Felix declared, running forward, before leaping up, and impaling the monster's throat. The impact slowly filleting the monster as though it were a fish. The monster can no longer take the pain, as it collapses to the floor dead, well after Felix moved out of the way.
Meanwhile
"Is that all that you have to give?" Enzo taunted. The noble had managed to dodge every strike that Lorenz had used. It wasn't a surprise to either of them, as Enzo had always been the better lance user, due to his devotion to the art.
"Perhaps you have forgotten about my magic skills." Lorenz decided, before he summoned four small orbs of white light. The orbs moved alongside each other in a vortex like formation, before eventually coming in contact with Enzo, exploding in a burst of light.
"Uwahh!" Enzo cried out in pain, as his horse collapsed, crushing part of his lower body. "I… yield. I will not beg for… my life. That would be unbecoming now, wouldn't it?"
"Enzo…" Lorenz walked towards his cousin. "I am not asking you to join us, but please, help me in convincing my father to topple the Empire. If not, I will make sure to lay you to rest in a manner that is befitting of the nobility."
"You are willing to invite me to go against the Empire? I can only imagine Uncle Loran's reaction… Very well, I will aid you in convincing uncle to defect from the Empire."
"I'm glad I did not have to kill you today," Lorenz smiled, as he healed his cousin.
Later
After majority of the Empire forces have been wiped out, all that was left was Ladislava, and a few of her men left. The first to come to Ladislava was Ferdinand.
"Ladislava! Stand down now! That is an order from the heir to House Aegir!" Ferdinand commanded, as he stood just by the Wyvern Lord.
"You are in no right to order me anything, after you have betrayed the Empire, and your own House!" Ladislava raged, insulted that the orange-haired noble dared give her orders. "My life has changed thanks to the Emperor. I lay my life for her. And to repay her majesty, I will not let you pass!" She then charged forward, her wyvern growling with glee at the order.
"Then so be it," Ferdinand simply said, as he got into a defensive position, before rearing up his horse, who had let out a fierce neigh, as it began charging as well.
Despite the difference in the two species, both animals held on, as their rider's weapons clashed against one another. Ferdinand had managed to strike the wyvern's tail, ripping it off as his horse rode away, the wyvern letting out a screech of pain.
"I will not back down one step!" Ferdinand declared, as he turned, and rushed back, his lance held forward, before impaling the wyvern's throat just above him. The pain was too much for the wyvern to handle, and it collapsed to the ground, pinning its rider to the ground. Ferdinand, being who he was, dropped from his horse, before walking up the downed commander.
"Ladislava, I will ask you one last time. Stand down!" Ferdinand offered her one last chance, his hand gripping his lance tightly.
"I will not retreat!" Ladislava spat out. "I will protect the Great Bridge, even if it costs me my life! Lady Edelagard… I'm sorry!"
"Very well…" Ferdinand then lifted up his lance. "Forgive me…" He then jammed the lance blade deep into her chest. He watched as Ladislava's life left her eyes, and she was gone. This was not the first time that Ferdinand had struck down a former ally, but the bond he had forged with Ladislava back in the Empire was different. He had lost a good friend.
"I am sorry…" He then cleaned his lance, before walking back to his horse, and leaving.
Later
"Amazing." Judith began. "I don't know how you all did it, but the Great Bridge belongs to the Alliance once more. I must say, to see how the Empire held on, that is true dedication, if I do say so myself. I hate to say it, but I don't think Edelgard is that cruel after all."
"Indeed, she is." Niya replied, knowing the kind of person Edelgard really was. "She may have committed unforgivable acts, but she means well when it comes to the right people."
"My brother may be against Edelgard's actions, but I have to agree with the professor as well." Flayn chirped in.
Lorenz began to speak up. "If it is all right with all of you, I must withdraw for a while. I shall meet you all back at the Monastery."
"And what exactly do you plan to do, Lorenz?" Leonie questioned, her suspicions growing.
"Do not worry, I will not abandon our cause." Lorenz assured, giving a small glare to the huntress. "I will simply return to House Gloucester to convince my father to join our cause, and lay the groundwork to him. It may be difficult, but I know that I can convince my father."
"If that's the case," Judith began, getting an idea. "Anyone residing within Alliance territory should return to your homes, and let them know of our current situation. Messengers can only do so much during these times."
"Good point!" Raphael nodded, agreeing with Judith. "I'm heading home as well. Gotta make sure that my little sis, and grandpa are all right."
"But won't you be tempted to stay if you see them?" Flayn asked, a hint of sadness in her voice.
"Don't you worry Flayn!" Raphael assured, placing a hand to the girl's hair, ruffling it slightly. "I know my duties. I'll be back before any of you know it."
"Very well," Judith nodded. "Anyone else?"
"Maybe checking on House Ordelia wouldn't hurt for a while." Lysithea decided. "After all, I can easily make it back to the Monastery."
After a while, no one else spoke.
"In that case, I'll remain here in the Alliance. There's no telling if they'll try to reclaim the bridge." Judith decided. "The rest of you are free to return to the Monastery. Once again, I thank you all."
"And we thank you too Judith." Niya spoke, before turning back to the rest of her students. "All right, let's head back!"
A/N: And we're clear!
Wow, this chapter took way longer than I expected.
I originally had plans to have Ferdinand fight a member from his house, but when I decided to have him kill Ladislava, I scrapped it.
Also, the only reason why I had Leonie kill Acheron was because I don't like him (which is a shame since he's vocied by Doug Erholtz A.K.A. Squall and Python), and I thought it would've been hilarious if he was killed by a commoner.
Also, more names! Claude's modern name is actually a reference to a comic by Wooden Plank Studios. It is hilarious. I'd offer a link, but FF dot Net doesn't display links properly, nor are they linked in chapters.
Next chapter, a paralogue becomes part of the canon, and Hapi sighs… for a good reason.
Anyways, until the next chapter, BYE!