"Fortune, do you read me? Fortune?"
Leona tried contacting Ginzo's Ghost to no avail, continuing a long list of attempts from the Fireteams.
"Give it a rest for now, everyone," Ginzo spoke. "thank you, really, but I'll keep trying to contact her. She isn't exactly a quiet Ghost. You guys should focus on your jobs for now."
"She's a part of the team as much as you are, Ginzo. We aren't gonna give up on her." Moa spoke, attempting to reassure Ginzo.
"Indeed. I swear to you, Ginzo, we'll find her." Anan calmly spoke. "For now, how are your wounds?"
"Well, Well of Radiance is a big help, I'll say that much."
"...llo?...yone?...can...ear...e?"
The Fireteams were struck by a brief moment of shock before they all switched to comms.
"Fortune? Is that you? Can you hear us?" Ginzo burst, nearly stumbling over his own words.
"...static...an barely...darkness…"
"Damn!" Jose cursed. "There's too much static!"
"monastery...erground...girl...green...Thales...Hive…"
"I'm not sure how much of this you're getting, Fortune, but try to send us your signal. We'll be there soon!"
"...trapped...no light!...cage!..."
"That's more than enough for me to have some idea of what's happening." Anan realized. "Let's move Ginzo!"
The Flame Emperor appeared before the Ghost, which immediately began retreating away from the emperor within its small detainment device. The Flame Emperor raised its hands as a gesture of peace, possibly trying to reassure the Ghost.
"I understand this is traumatic for you, and I truly do not mean any harm..."
"Then why did you take me?" Fortune yelled out, hiding in a dark corner of the strange Hive-like prison.
"I needed to establish a way of standing on the same footing as the Guardians. With that said, I've come to propose an alliance."
"No, I think we're okay…"
"At the very least, please listen to my plea." The Flame Emperor attempted, gesturing with their hands.
Fortune said nothing more, prompting the Flame Emperor to continue speaking.
"If left to their own devices, soon the evils of this world shall join forces with your Hive. That is not something you want, is it?"
"...No." Fortune spoke, curious as to where they were going with this.
"Then I propose an alliance with your Guardians. In doing so, we shall establish a period of peace and prosperity throughout Fodlan. First, we must tear down the Church of Seiros, then we shall dispose of Those Who Slither In The Dark. I can guarantee your safety if you accept. If not, you will be on your own. Some wish to find ways to make you changed and twisted to their side. This is not a threat, but a warning."
"I...I mean, listen. I can say that I agree, but there's six other Guardians, and five other Ghosts, each with a mind of their own."
"If they value you as an ally, they will hear you out, will they not?"
"..They will…"
"Then I ask that you and your allies consider it. In the meantime, I shall see what I can do to give you more time to ponder your decision."
Saying nothing more, the Flame Emperor walked away, and out of sight. Fortune looked around and spotted a green-haired girl who was also trapped alongside her, albeit unconscious. She recognized the girl as Flayn, and immediately wanted to tell Leona, but remembered the heavy static that occurred before. Fortune tried it regardless but gave up after receiving no response from several attempts.
She could only hope help got here as fast as possible.
Elsie froze several Vex before slamming into the ground, shattering several of them. The Vex assaulting Clovis had finally been cleared out, and now it was just her, the remaining frames, and Clovis' robotic head.
"Finally, I thought the assault would never end. Nevertheless, you have done well in protecting our legacy, Elisabeth." Clovis spoke, sounding exhausted in his existence.
Elsie only peered at Clovis for a moment before ignoring him. As she turned to leave, she spotted a mysterious Vex conflux, rooted upside down underneath a platform. Having her suspicions furthered, she immediately proceeded to the conflux and began to interact with it, sorting and hacking through waves of Vex information until she found anything of note.
She paused for a moment as she found a corrupted chunk of Vex information, then immediately after she maneuvered to access the information. To her chagrin, the data around the area made it nearly impossible for her to access. Fortunately for her, however, she knew just the Eliksni to turn to with a problem like this.
With the requirement for stealth now gone, Anan and Ginzo tore through the Hive in the monastery, the latter being far more cautious than usual.
Anan drove his Black Talon through a Knight, before swinging its body into an Acolyte and unleashing discs of Void energy upon the two Hive soldiers. Ginzo behind him unleashed a Shadowshot directly into a charging group of Knights and Thrall, which were promptly destroyed by a Nova Bomb from Anan. Upon scanning the area, the duo saw that there were no threats in sight, allowing them to focus on pinpointing Fortune's location.
"Glaucia, any luck finding her?" Anan spoke, peering around for any suspicious locations.
"Not much...from what we heard, she's in a light suppressing cage, so it's much more than a tad difficult to find her. We know she's underground, but we would be looking for a needle in a haystack with how extensive the underground is." Glaucia returned in a graceful yet calculating voice.
"Can you instead focus on any sources of Hive energy?"
"Even then, there's multiple, and without going down and scanning further, it's still quite a maze…"
"Well, Leona isn't going to like this, but we could ask the students for help? They have to know about an underground of some sort. All I'm saying is, they might be the best shot we have." Ginzo suggested, thinking of any possible tools they could use.
"That's smart. We'll just have to keep a close eye on them."
"Leona," Anan spoke, waiting for Leona to join comms.
"Yes?" Leona answered, only sounding slightly worried.
"We're going to need the students to guide us through the underground. Do you think you could escort them here?"
"...Fine." Leona agreed with a sigh, despite her personal protest against the plan.
Anan then turned to see a rogue Ogre approaching him and Ginzo, promptly preparing Arc energy in his palm to annihilate the creature.
"Expeditiously, please."
Among all else, Leona's prime tenets were to defend those who could not fight against the Darkness in any form it took and to destroy any threat that came close to threatening that peace. Needless to say, it was far more than an insult to those tenets putting the lightless against the Hive. But, it brought her some reprieve knowing that the lightless here were not completely defenseless. That being said, having fought alongside Anan and Ginzo for years, she knew their fighting styles weren't exactly...accommodating for the lightless.
"Moa, do you think you can watch the students and faculty while I take the Wolves to Ginzo and Anan?"
"Yeah, just don't be gone too long. I'm nowhere near as experienced at defending people like you." Moa replied, scratching her helmet as she leaned against a tree.
"I won't. I'll make sure of it." Leona said, turning to approach the lightless.
"Alright, everyone…" Leona spoke, grabbing the attention of all parties present.
"Ginzo's ghost, Fortune, has been captured by a knight in dark armor. We don't know why, nor exactly where, but...we need your help in navigating the monastery. That being said, we understand if you feel too shaken up by the Hive to encounter them again. We won't force you to help us-"
"Please, Leona," Ashe spoke, stepping forward. "you've all done so much for us, we have to repay you somehow."
"Hell yeah!" Balthus boomed. "You helped us, now we gotta help you!"
"I'm always ready to topple more foes…" Felix chuckled.
"We'll save Fortune together!" Mercedes cheered, supporting her teammates.
"...Everyone, thank you, truly," Leona spoke, bowing her head. "And I promise you, I won't let any of you die."
"Ordinarily, I'd be there fighting alongside you," Edelgard began, resting on a rock. " But I seemed to have injured my ankle in the frenzy. Not to mention the extensive walking I endured most likely worsened it. Unfortunately, I shall have to remain on the sidelines this time."
"That's quite alright, but if you need help with your ankle, have Moa or Hornet check on you."
Edelgard simply nodded and smiled at Leona's gesture of concern.
"Now then, those who are coming with me, follow me. Those who wish to stay here...well...do that."
The army from Fhirdiad had set up camp and was beginning to rest. They were planning to continue at their current pace, causing them to predict they'll arrive by sunset the next day. Various soldiers laughed around the fires of the camp as some retired to rest within their tents. Lus and Jose both were relaxing in their shared tent, debating the issue regarding Quria and the Vex.
"Basically, no matter how you look at it, we're going back into that hole…" Jose sighed, staring at the roof of the tent.
"And this time, we're going down to the bottom. However we do that." Lus replied, also sighing.
"Never a dull moment, eh?"
"Not as a Guardian…"
Jose turned over on his side, attempting to finally rest somewhat.
"Well, this Exos had more than enough chaos today, so I'm gonna try to get some rest. You should too. G'night, Lus."
"Yeah, goodnight man."
Lus however remained awake for hours after their exchange. Even though he felt exhausted, he was far more tired of his constant dreams of Doma, Marco, Leona, and all the other members of Aurora. Needless to say, their reoccurrence only further worsened Lus' mental state.
"It's crazy seeing the moon uncracked, huh?" Cinnamon spoke, appearing before Lus and staring at the moon.
"...Yeah."
Lus rose and walked out of his tent, spotting Dimitri staring at the full moon as well.
"Can't sleep, Your Highness?" Lus called, approaching the boy.
"Ah, Lus! You of all people should be the one resting here." Dimitri returned with a chuckle. "But to answer your question, yes."
"Is something up?" Lus asked, taking a seat near the prince and removing his helmet.
"It's nothing, really. I was just...reminiscing." Dimitri spoke, his voice becoming quieter. "Have you heard of the Tragedy of Duscur yet?"
"No, I haven't..." Lus replied, switching his gaze from the moon to the boy.
"Ah, I see. In short, I lost my father, stepmother, as well as my close friends in an assassination by the people of Duscur. I was pretty much alone after that. I tried to alleviate the tensions between my people and those of Duscur, but my people wouldn't have it. And so...they massacred scores of the people of Duscur. It was...heartbreaking. Nearly no one questioned whether the people of Duscur were innocent. Even those who had no hand in the attack were killed. Needless to say...very few people survived the attacks."
"I...I see. That must have been terrible for you to experience, Dimitri."
"It's quite alright, now. It was long ago, after all. Soon after, Lord Rodrigue took me in as his own." Dimitri continued. "It may sound strange, but I hope to become like him one day! I suppose seeing him again just brought up old memories, both good and bad."
"May I tell a story, Your Highness?" Lus asked, triggering curiosity from Dimitri.
"Of course! I'm always interested to learn more about you."
"When I was first...started, as a Guardian, A team of Titans had helped me. On that team were Leona and two other people I considered close allies, Marco and Doma. They practically taught me everything about being a Guardian, even the most rudimentary things. They were like family to me." Lus chuckled as he continued, causing Dimitri to smile at the Titan's nostalgia. Lus paused for a moment before continuing.
"Eventually, though the Red War happened, and the Cabal attacked the city. As I've said, many Guardians fell that day, Doma included. The worst part is, it happened right in front of me. I remember her taking on a Cabal soldier alone, even in a heavily weakened state. Doma was like that, she'd face any danger head on, a lot of times alone..." Lus stated the last part with another chuckle, before deeply sighing.
"But that day, we were all so...powerless. I remember her still trying to fight, all while having a Cabal blade stuck in her abdomen, and only having one arm. I was already hurt pretty bad, but I still tried to get up and help her fight. And she just turned to me and locked eyes with me. And all she screamed at me was to run...to go...to live. But...I could see in her eyes she wanted to scream for help. She wanted me to save her. But I couldn't. And I saw the Cabal cast her from the building we were on, and I watched as she fell from it, reaching out for help. And I ran. I suppose it was the only thing I could do, but I still...ah-shoot! I'm rambling, I'm sorry!" Lus apologized, snapping out of his stupor.
"Not at all! It's best not to keep these things inside you forever. In any case, that must've been horrific for you to experience Lus. I'm sorry." Dimitri said, his face frowning in sympathy for the Guardian.
"Well, thanks for listening to the ramblings of this Exo anyway," Lus spoke, giving the best smile an Exo could give. "And Marco...well we don't know exactly. The last time I or Leona had talked to him was just after we had celebrated the ending of the Red War. He just...disappeared." Lus trailed off as he began remembering when he had last seen Marco. "Sorry, I'm getting too dark again." Lus dismissed as he waved his hands. "I said that to say this, Dimitri. We're both survivors. I don't know why we survived, but we did. And until I find the reason why, I'll keep fighting."
"I-" Dimitri attempted, only finding speechlessness within him. "Thank you for sharing, Lus. It helps immensely to know there are others out there who know what it feels like."
"Of course, Your Highness," Lus stated, giving a half-hearted bow. "Well, I think it's high time we both retire," Lus spoke, donning his helmet. "Sleep well, Dimitri."
"And you as well, Lus." Dimitri returned with a smile.
And although a Ghost couldn't show it, Cinnamon was smiling as well.
Cinnamon knew whenever Lus was alone, particularly at night with nothing to do, his mind drifted back to his memories of everyone leaving him. After he and Leona split, he was alone for a while, which wasn't the best for his mental health. Luckily, after being matched against Jose in a rumble match, and absolutely getting rocked, the two recognized each other from the Red War, and formed Fireteam Noctis. Not long after, Moa joined.
And it was refreshing for Cinnamon to see Lus so...social again. To see him finally laughing and having the full range of emotions. And while Lus' thoughts always came around eventually, they weren't nearly as strong or frequent as before. It was almost as if they kept getting further and further away.
"Lus?"
"Yeah, Cinn?"
"You're a good Guardian."
"...Thanks. You're a good Ghost." Lus chuckled.
"Thanks."
It was a small gesture, but it allowed Lus' mind and body to rest, even for a moment.
Leona was now leading a group of students and two Knights of Seiros through the ruins of Garreg-Mach monastery. Much to her relief, Anan and Ginzo had done an excellent job of clearing out the ruins of any Hive.
She finally encountered them within the carcass of the monastery's main hall, both of them sitting on a different piece of rubble.
"Wow…" Ginzo trailed off as he peered at the incoming group. "That's a whole lot more people than I was expecting…"
"And how many was that exactly?" Leona replied, unholstering her Hawkmoon.
"I dunno, like four?"
"Well, I guess that means you have more fans than you thought." Claude said as he stepped forward, armed with a bow and arrow.
Ginzo knew that arrows weren't going to be much help if at all against the Hive if at all, but he still greatly appreciated the gesture.
"And trust me," Catherine spoke, leaning to her side. "I've been aching for a chance to finally get even with those monsters."
"And it will indeed be interesting to see how magic functions against them…" Hubert spoke, a little bit too much darkness in his voice to seem like a good guy in Ginzo's opinion.
"Alright, listen…" Ginzo began. "I know I joke a lot. Probably a little too much, but seriously, thank you all. This means more than you could know."
"Please, it's the least we could do!" Caspar exclaimed. "You guys have saved us a bunch of times now!"
"Mhmm!" Mercedes agreed, smiling. "A friend in need is a friend indeed."
"Now then…" Anan started, standing up and brandishing his Black Talon. "Let's move. Glaucia, do you think you could show them what we've mapped so far?"
"Of course." the Ghost replied, appearing and projecting a map of the various underground networks of the monastery. "We picked up a very faint burst of energy here," Glaucia said, pinging the end of an incomplete tunnel and opening a view of the area Fortune was predicted to be in. "The problem is, we haven't the slightest clue how to get there."
"That area looks familiar," Yuri said, staring at the projection. "this way." he spoke, motioning for everyone to follow him.
"I've arrived, Elisabeth Bray."
Mithrax had made it to the Creation facility on Europa, answering Elisabeth's call for a Splicer who could access the Vex network. Apparently, she had found a corrupted chunk of data within the Vex network, which caused Mithrax to believe it could lead to more clues about Quria.
Elisabeth turned to look at the Eliksni walking into the area, while also noticing Clovis' defense frames to raise their weapons in alarm.
"He's with me, lower your weapons," Elisabeth announced, causing the frames to hold their fire. "But please, take a look at this and tell me what you think."
Mithrax proceeded to the conflux and began to work his splicer magic before coming across the corrupted data Elisabeth was referring to.
"Strange. This does not seem to be the work of Quria, but rather, designed as if we're supposed to find it…"
"Do what you must to get rid of it!" the head of Clovis barked. "I abhor the thought of giving the Vex another reason to return."
Saying nothing more, Mithrax hacked through the data, finding an encoded message inside from...Chopstick?
Mithrax accessed the message, playing it for all present in the room to hear.
"This is Jose-5's Ghost, Chopstick, sending a message through the Vex Network. Both Fireteams Noctis and Tengoku have all members alive. We are currently trapped in a pre-Golden Age alternate dimension, a place without the Traveler or the Pyramids. However, the Hive and Vex are here, pursuing artifacts known as Heroes' Relics. What's more, the Vex have constructed a mind capable of suppressing Jose and I's Light. As it stands, We have no way of returning, so we suggest refraining from sending more Guardians in after us. However, we do need aid in the form of weapons and transportation. If possible, I suggest attempting to set up a transmat link through the portal. P.S: Clovis a bitch. To any Vex in the area, get that hoe."
A stifled chuckle from Elsie Bray was all that was heard in the room until the robotic head finally spoke.
"Those filthy rats…"
"I can see why it was hard for Fortune to send a signal now…"
As the Ashen Wolves led the group through the extensive underground of the monastery, the Guardians felt the darkness in the area growing stronger, reminiscent of the Hellmouth. Leona's grip on her Hawkmoon tightened, as she continually scanned the area for any Hive. The rest of the group had readied their respective weapons, even though they would have varying effectiveness against the Hive.
"Seriously. The Hive here will be stacked up even more than normal."
Suddenly, the ground shook as the roar of a familiar Hive beast resonated throughout the area.
"What was that?!" Byleth let out, shocked at the monstrous sound that just assaulted their ears.
"That'd be an Ogre," Anan answered. "and judging by how heavy it sounded…it's probably not an average one."
"Yeah, that was a pretty rough sound. It'd be enough to make just about anyone fearful." Yuri added. "Fortunately for us, though, you guys aren't just about anyone."
"We've dealt with quite a few Ogres in our time." Leona nodded.
"Remain focused on the mission, everyone!" Glaucia scolded, continuously scanning the area for any enemies.
As the group finally arrived at a door, they all prepared themselves for a fight.
"Leona." Anan spoke, causing Leona to simply nod.
Leona walked to the front of the group, stopping in front of the door before viciously kicking it down, sending it flying to the other side of the new room.
"Well, this should be...THERE!" Ginzo quickly pointed at Fortune within a Hive detainment cage, as well as a green-haired girl on the ground.
"Flayn?! What is going on here…" Claude spoke, shocked at the events. "There's another girl on the ground, too…"
"There's quite a lot of soldiers here. Not Hive, interestingly enough." Leona spoke. "Let's hurry and save them."
"There he is…" Anan spoke as he spotted the dark knight. "I'll take down the knight. You rescue the others."