"The Archbishop?"
"Uhh...are you okay?"
Ginzo and Anan lowered their weapons as they saw the Archbishop in a rather sorry state. She looked pitiful, to say the least. Bound by Hive magic, looking weak and malnourished. Exactly like a prisoner of war. But it was even more of a surprise that she was still alive.
"Guardians...thank goodness…" The Archbishop spoke exhaustedly.
"Hang in there for a little longer. We'll get you out of here." Anan assured, rushing over to investigate how to break the binding. "Glaucia? Can you free her?"
"I'll try." Glaucia answered, floating from Anan's palm and over to the Archbishop. Glaucia immediately began scanning and searching for a way to free Lady Rhea, while Anan and Ginzo kept watch for any suspicious activity. The Hive chains on Rhea broke, and she fell to the ground, with Anan quickly coming to her aid.
"Thank you...truly. The Hive imprisoned me here when Garreg-Mach fell. How are the students? Are they safe?"
"Unfortunately, there were some casualties, but they were kept to a minimum." Anan assured, helping the Archbishop to her feet. "Many students returned to their homeland or are hiding out somewhere. Some are even with us."
"You should be worrying about yourself right now!" Fortune called out. "Are you injured anywhere? Did they feed you any worms or anything like that?"
"No, little light. Rest assured, I have a few tricks of my own. Alas, I am still fatigued, and I may require assistance returning to the others…"
"Of course, let us escort you, Your Majesty." Anan graciously said. "Feel free to rest on either of our shoulders should you need it."
"Don't worry," Ginzo added. "we ain't letting you get captured again."
"Thank you, both of you. Please, lead the way."
"Zavala."
Ikora walked down the steps and into Zavala's office. Zavala looked up from his stress-filled position and greeted the Warlock Vanguard.
"Yes, Ikora?"
"Fireteam Noctis and Tengoku...are alive."
Those words alone brought Zavala more comfort and reassurance than any expression of his could convey.
"I...I am glad to hear that." Zavala nodded. "What's their status?"
"Stranded in an alternate dimension with no way back and no way to communicate with us besides the Vex network." Ikora continued. "Had it not been for Mithrax, we may have never received their message at all. Have a listen."
As Zavala heard the familiar sly voice of Chopstick, he felt like a massive weight was lifted from his shoulders, even if for a brief moment. But he could only feel relief for a moment. There was work to be done, a mind to kill, and two Fireteams that needed aid.
"Gather supplies and weapons that would be needed. In the meantime, I'll assemble a fireteam that will push through and get the supplies to Noctis and Tengoku."
"Of course." Ikora smiled.
"I'm not losing another fireteam. Not one."
"Wow, the Hive are really just...gone."
Moa continued to survey the field for any signs of Hive activity, and she could not find a single one. She kept trying to justify her suspicions, but she was becoming exhausted of looking around the monastery with nothing to show for it. By all accounts, the Guardians were vulnerable, and yet no attack came.
"Not even a single Thrall in sight. This is crazy." Jose added, looking around.
"Yeah…" Lus added as he, Dimitri, and Lord Rodrigue's army marched onto the monastery grounds. "I don't know for sure if we're safe, but it sure seems like it. Not to mention Anan and Ginzo found the Archbishop."
"Are we finally gonna get a win?" Chopstick asked, wondering if things were starting to change for the fireteams.
"We may." Anan confirmed over comms. "Regardless, We cannot become lax. We'll need to rebuild the monastery as well as fortify its defenses past the point of the original. Not to mention we'll need to move fast."
"I've tried getting through to Leona, but…" Hornet began. "It's like she's ignoring us."
"She's undoubtedly hurt, but we don't really have the luxury of time right now." Lus sighed. "I'll go find her. You guys work on picking up the pieces."
"That...won't end well. For either party." Jose hesitated. "If anything, you're probably the person she least wants to see, next to Anan...Lus?...Lus hello?"
"He already disconnected from comms." Moa sighed. "I mean that's probably for the best, I really don't want to hear the ensuing argument."
"Who does?" Hornet laughed.
"I mean...I kinda do." Ginzo chuckled. "I'm always down for some drama."
Jose hummed a lunar tune as he half-heartedly patrolled the perimeter of the monastery. They had been watching for hours on end for anything out of the ordinary, but nothing occurred to support those suspicions. It was quiet.
"Apparently the army has sent for aid from the Kingdom in order to rebuild. Maybe we should head back and help with the cleanup efforts." Chopstick relayed, receiving info from Moa and Hornet.
"Honestly, I think this is our first win in a while. We killed a powerful Hive Ogre, captured a Deathsinger, took back the monastery, and we found the Archbishop. Things might be looking up for us." Jose spoke, looking off into the valley by the monastery. "And we still gotta High Celebrant and a giant Hydra to kill, and also find a way back."
"I'm tired, man…" Chopstick sighed.
"You're tired? I'm the one that's fighting!"
"Who had to break through several layers of Vex security, and send a message?" Chopstick retorted. "Oh, and also has been basically continuously scanning the monastery for any signs of Hive life?"
"Whatever." Jose dismissed.
The Warlock continued walking his beat until he reached his starting point, finishing his third lap around the monastery.
"That's lap three. Can we call it a victory yet?"
"Not yet. We should probably keep watch until the aid gets here. Even then, it's gonna take us a while to clean up all this rubble and the...bodies."
Jose sighed, conceding to the fact that he was subject to another lap around the monastery.
"I have done SO much walking on this trip…"
Edelgard and Hubert were away from the others, in a hidden corner of the monastery where they hushedly began accounting for the colossal bombshell of knowledge they were given. Resurrection? Godlike power? Esoteric weaponry? The Guardians truly had it all. There was no way Edelgard's plans would survive in the current situation. But how could she adapt against these...wildcards?
"It's clear by now…" Edelgard mused. "The Guardians are way more of a surprise than I had planned for."
"Direct confrontation is most certainly not an option." Hubert agreed. "The Warlock, Anan...I've never seen the Death Knight be so...humiliated."
"Agreed. They...they may be able to stand against Those Who Slither In The Dark alone...We must get them on our side."
"All due respect, Lady Edelgard, we lack the ability to create a meaningful relationship with them. They seemed pretty unwilling to work with the Flame Emperor, so our luck with them may be running thin."
"Attempting a more amicable appearance may not work either. But they seem so interested in their own matters, that it's almost impossible to meet with them!"
"You have spoken with Jose before, no? He may be our last shot at any form of negotiation with them." Hubert mused, mentally sweating. "The only other way they won't stand against our plans is to kill them, or send them back to their realm."
"And we lack the capacity to do either, as of current. I suppose diplomacy it is, then."
Edelgard ran a hand through her hair as she thought. "But how do we get close enough with them?"
"Leona."
Leona stopped her sky gazing to look at Lus and Cinnamon approaching her. Almost instinctively, she pinched her nose and sighed.
"What?" Leona growled as she struggled to keep a lid on her emotions exploding.
"I know you really want to be left alone right now, but we need you back at the monastery."
"There's no Hive or Vex in the area. I'm sure the five of you can keep watch just fine."
Lus sighed before continuing. "I...look. You need time alone, and I get that. But we still need to help clean up and make sure another attack isn't coming."
"I told you, the five of you are plenty."
"Leona, please...just one more time, I need you to put your duty ahead of your feelings. Just for now."
"That's what I've been doing this entire time! The entire time I've been here! I don't even want to work with you and yet here I am!"
"I know...I know. We're almost done. Just a little while longer and we'll be home."
"Do you know that for sure?" Leona growled, narrowing her eyes at Lus.
"...No…" Lus spoke as he turned his gaze to the ground. "But I do know that it'll take us even longer to get home if we don't work together."
"That's very rich, coming from you."
"Leona-"
"I get it. We're stranded here with nothing but ourselves and some Lightless kids. We need to work together, or we won't get home, or worse, we might die. What makes you think I don't get that?"
Lus could only be silent, a sign between the two for Leona to elaborate on her point.
"This entire time I've been complying and working together with someone I really do not want to. You told me to help you save the students, and I did. You told me to help evacuate the monastery, and I did. You told me to watch over the refugees, and I did. But I don't think I can accept betrayal like this. Not again."
"...just one more time. After that, I can't speak for Anan, but you can berate and hate me all you want."
Leona sighed, clutching her face in frustration. "That's a tempting offer, but I don't want to berate you. I just...I just want to understand. What makes you think that I can just shrug off betrayal like it's nothing?"
"...I don't know...it's because I didn't consider your feelings at the time. I put mine over yours. And I'm sorry for that."
Lus knelt down to Leona's level, carefully avoiding staring into her eyes as she locked her gaze on Lus.
"I know that I make you angry. And I know that it's hard for you to trust me. Even further, I know that you're actively trying to push me away...right?
"No. I just have a bad temper, that's all." Leona exhaled, running a hand through her hair. "I gotta say, though. I'm surprised you don't hate me."
"I think I almost did, for a time, but I couldn't."
"That's unfair. You always were too nice compared to me."
Lus' voice became layered with a thin layer of guilt and sincerity as he took Leona's hand and tenderly covered it in his.
"We can work together to not hate each other again. And I'm sure you and Anan can be friends again. So...please. Just this once, and then you can take a long rest. Please."
"Lady Rhea! Are you alright?"
Seteth, Catherine, and Byleth all rushed over to the Archbishop, being held up by Anan. The Archbishop wore only plain clothes, a far cry from her normal garments. Feebly, she tried to stand on her own but ultimately stumbled, leading Catherine to quickly rush over and catch her before she fell.
"Thank you...and yes, I am quite alright, I am only fatigued after being bound for so long. Thankfully, Anan and Ginzo found and saved me."
"It brings me great relief to see you okay, Lady Rhea." Seteth nodded. "Anan, Ginzo, you have my gratitude."
"It was nothing." Ginzo dismissed, waving his hand playfully.
"Now that Lady Rhea is safe, we can begin fixing this place." Catherine commented, moving to support Rhea on her shoulder. "It's gonna take a while, though."
"Yeah well, Rome wasn't built in a day…" Ginzo sighed, scratching the back of his helmet.
"Rome? What is that?" Seteth asked, interested in Ginzo's words.
"It's a...It was a city that was very big and...never mind." Ginzo relinquished, moving to go do something else.
As Ginzo wandered aimlessly, he switched to comms out of boredom.
"Sooo...anything suspicious? At all?"
"Nada. At first, the only thing suspicious was that there was nothing, but even now, there's still...nothing."
"Ughhh…" Ginzo groaned. "This is so boring."
"I suppose we could start clearing the rest of the carnage out so there's room for repairs." Anan stated. "
"You know, for once, I'm actually down for some manual labor." Ginzo chuckled. "Plus it won't take too long, hopefully."
"How long does a messenger take to reach Fhirdiad?" Moa asked, finally succumbing to her laziness and taking a seat on a rooftop.
"It varies on their average speed and which route they take…" Hornet began. "Not to mention the time it would take for Fhirdiad and or adjacent allies to prepare and send aid."
"I'm sure the monastery has some repair staff still somewhere out there wandering. I don't think it will take atrociously long."
"Either way, it'll only take longer if we sit around and do nothing." Came Anan as he began to compile rubble away from structures.
"Last one to finish cleaning up is a nerd!" Ginzo jeered before moving to find his own rubble pile.
Moa sighed as she heard the antics of the two boys. It certainly did look like they finally won...but to her it still seemed like it was only the end of the beginning.
To say Dimitri was beyond relieved to have finally been reunited with his class would be putting it lightly. He was overjoyed to see them all alive and well, even if a little shaken up from their experiences.
"The gang's all here now." Sylvain laughed.
"Yes. It really is great to see everyone again!" Dimitri smiled.
"Basically all thanks to the Guardians." Ashe added. "Without them we probably would be in much worse condition."
"Honestly though!" Annette nodded. "They keep saving us over and over again! I really wish we could help in some way!"
"Well, you guys did when you led them through the tunnels." Ingrid spoke. "But besides that, there isn't really a lot we can do against the Vex or the Hive."
"Hmph." Felix growled, earning an exhausted glare from Ingrid.
"Well, seeing as they can come back from the dead, I'm not sure they need our help…" Sylvain chuckled. "It's like we have six one-man armies on our side."
"And to think…" Ashe started. "There's even more of them where they're from! Not to mention that they're all so kind and valiant. I hope I can be like them someday…"
"I can tell that there's a darker side to them. I know from experience." Felix sneered, crossing his arms.
The footsteps of Professor Byleth could be heard as he approached the conversation, being met with greetings from his students.
"Ah! Professor! I'm glad to see you're alright too!" Dimitri smiled, beaming with joy. "We were just discussing the Guardians. I must admit, it is quite amazing how they can defy death just like that."
"They just keep getting more and more powerful." Byleth agreed.
"Makes me wonder, is there anything they can't do?" Sylvain laughed. "I mean, they're practically unstoppable at this point."
"Who knows? With them at our side, we may be able to resume life at Garreg-Mach again!" Ashe beamed.
"That is an exciting prospect." Byleth nodded.
"For better or worse, they truly have changed our lives." Dimitri added. "It's impossible to say what the future holds now."
"They are alive? I knew it! They would not fall so easily!"
Saint-14's voice boomed with laughter in the Tower hangar, greatly relieved by the news delivered by Mithrax.
"Indeed." Mithrax nodded. "The message sent, along with the Vex database records show that if nothing else, they are simply stranded."
"Do they need someone to save them? I could assist, I am sure it is nothing compared to the Infinite Forest!"
"There is no need, my friend. Commander Zavala has already begun to find a team to assist them. Perhaps with their return, the tricks and lies of the Witch Queen can be put to a close."
Upon hearing this, Saint peered down for a moment before resuming his normal mannerisms.
"I see." Saint nodded. "Who are the Guardians?"
"The only one I know of so far is a Warlock, Geo-5."
"I am sure it is in good hands then. Well Mithrax, if it is already planned, what do you need me for?"
"While the Guardian team may be sending supplies and resources through, I believe it is important for us to send them a reply."
"And how do we do that?"
"We tear open the Vex Network once more, and let our voices boom."
Saint gave a low chuckle before giving his answer. "I am always willing to crush more Vex!"
"Aunt Maria, when is Leona gonna come back?"
The young redheaded girl Mia looked up at the Orphanage keeper, Maria, who was currently busy washing a pile of dirty dishes accumulated by the kids. The older children, A 14 year old named Daniel with short curly brown hair, Isaac with black hair in a wild shape, and Sarah, a brunette with her freshly cut hair, were helping, drying and putting away the dishes when they were finished.
"Mia, sweetie, I already told you, I don't know. I've tried calling her and messaging her but she hasn't responded yet."
This only made the kids at the orphanage feel a twinge of sadness in their hearts. To all of them, Leona was like an older sister who they could go to for advice, help with schooling, or anything really. They all knew she was busy, she was a Guardian after all, but it had been abnormally long since her last visit.
Mia's face shriveled and blubbered as she thought of a potential reason for Leona's absence. "Did we do a bad thing? Is she mad at us?" Mia's voice quivered as she struggled to release her next words between sobs. "Does she not-she not love us anymore?"
Maria placed a plate she was washing down before bending down to wipe away Mia's tears and soothe her, allowing Sarah to take her spot and continue cleaning the dishes.
"Sweetie, Leona is a very busy woman. But I promise you that you did not do anything wrong, and that she will never stop loving you. I promise."
Maria warmly smiled before hugging Mia and patting her back.
"Why don't you go play with James? I'm sure he always needs a player two." Maria suggested, making Mia nod and slowly walk to another room. With a sigh, Maria thanked Sarah for taking over and began to wash the dishes again.
Isaac paused after putting a plate away, looking down for a moment.
"Do you think she's…"
"Of course not!" Maria vehemently reprimanded. "She's far too strong for that. Besides, even if she was, one of her friends would've told us…"
Daniel frowned before resuming his drying of the dishes. "You don't sound sure of the last part…"
Maria closed her eyes and sighed before continuing. "Look, I don't know where she is, but I'm sure she wants to see you guys as much as you want to see her."
Maria's eyes wandered to the clock on the wall to see that it was already far past the younger kids' bedtimes.
"Oh my! When did it get so late?" Maria jumped, dropping a bowl in the process and causing it to shatter. "Oh! For crying out loud! Dammit! Ah-excuse my language." Maria scowled.
"You can go and put them to bed, Auntie." Sarah spoke. "Me, Daniel, and Isaac will finish up. You should get some rest too."
"Ah-okay…and it's 'Isaac, Daniel, and I.'" Maria conceded. "Just don't stay up too late."
"We won't!" Sarah assured.
Maria hugged the three kids before drying her hands and removing her apron, moving to send the younger ones to bed.
When Maria was finally out of earshot, the three older kids immediately began gossiping.
"What about you guys?" Isaac asked. "Do you think she's dead?"
"Maybe? I don't know. It does kind of seem weird that she hasn't been seen in a while. I tried asking the owner of the ramen stall nearby to see if they've seen her but they said they hadn't." Daniel answered, placing a plate in the plate cabinet.
"Maybe we can go to the Tower and look for her?" Sarah suggested.
"Sarah, you already know that kids are not allowed up there unless they have a special pass, like for a field trip or something. Even then, I heard my teachers talking about how hard it is just to get one."
"Yeah, but we can like, sneak in or something!" Sarah tried. "You know, like, spies."
"That's gotta be nearly impossible. Besides, you know how long of a lecture we'd get from the Guardians up there alone? The one Maria would give us would be, like, hours!"
"But you've gotta be curious, right?" Isaac poked. "If we go during the quiet hours, and we're super careful, we probably won't be noticed! Guardians only care about guns anyway!"
"Probably won't be?" Daniel retorted, raising an eyebrow.
"It'll be fine!" Isaac tried. "It's a weekend! We don't have school tomorrow or anything!"
"C'mon, please…" Sarah begged, causing Isaac to join in.
"I know you wanna see Leona!"
Daniel rolled his eyes. "I hope you both know that if we get caught, I'm gonna be in the most trouble here." Upon seeing that this had no effect on the two, he finally relented. "This is stupid. Fine. But we'll have to leave at probably midnight and be back before dawn. Aunt Maria wakes up then."
"Yay!" Both eleven year olds cheered.
"You're the best brother ever!" Sarah praised.
"Ooh, I'm excited!" Isaac jumped. "I've never been to the Tower before!"
"Remember, we're only there to see if we can find anything about Leona, we're not there to sightsee. If you want to do that, you can wait until you guys take a class trip there-"
"I'll bring snacks! It's a long walk to the wall anyway!" Sarah beamed, still happy that Daniel relented.
"The less of a footprint we have-" Daniel tried, raising his hand to bring in a point.
"Can't we just take public transport? It's faster!" Isaac suggested, shrugging.
"Will you two-"
"Are you an idiot? We'll get sent straight back if they see kids out this late!" Sarah scolded.
"You two aren't listening at all, huh?" Daniel conceded, relinquishing himself to his fate.
Even with their dumb suggestion, Daniel paused for a moment, admiring the wonder and excitement of his siblings from another mother. He remembers when he held the same wonder as them. Be it about the outside world, the Guardians, even the universe itself.
He remembers when he met his first Guardian. The feeling of awe he had seeing their armor and weapons. He remembers his yearning to leave The City and see the outside world. He remembers the first time he and his friends snuck into a screening of a Crucible match even though they were too young.
And then he remembers the Red War.
When he had to flee The City. When he had to run from the burning ruins of Humanity's last chance. When he had to see his dreams realized in a twisted way.
He remembers just how harsh, brutal, and cruel the outside world can be. The Fallen raiding parties chasing him. The Cabal ships flying overhead. The Hive seeders spewing out horrors unimaginable.
But he also remembers how beautiful the world can be. How mesmerizing it can be. How vast it can be.
And he always chooses to remember those memories over the bad ones.
And for a moment, the curious kid who wants to explore the outside world comes out again.
"Okay listen...if we leave earlier, there might be a spot on the wall where we can hang out for a bit and see more of the outside world. But we'll have to leave in like an hour…" Daniel suggests with a slight smile.
"Really? That would be awesome!" Sarah jumps.
"Shhh! You're too loud!" Daniel scolds back. "But I think it's still there. It's pretty cool."
"I'm so excited!" Isaac danced. "I've always wanted to see more of the outside world besides the stuff I saw during the Red War!"
"We won't be going outside. But the view is so clear you can see very very far away."
"That's so cool! When I grow up, I wanna work for the Tower so I can explore outside!" Sarah cheered. "I'll be a pilot!"
"Yeah, me too!" Isaac agreed, eagerly nodding.
Daniel chuckled. "Who knows, I may join you guys. But it's gonna be a while until then, so if you guys wanna work at the Tower, you guys need to get good grades, okay?"
"Yeah, yeah…" Sarah dismissed. "Ooh, Daniel, do you have any cool stories about outside?"
"None besides the ones I've told you, really. But I heard some rumors around school if you wanna hear those?"
"Yes!" Sarah and Isaac both nodded, having completely forgotten about the dishes at this point.
"Well...apparently a long time ago there was a desert of ice named Antarctica. But now it's supposedly melted."
"What? No way!" Isaac scoffed. "Deserts are made of sand!"
"I think it only needs to be a place with little rainfall to be a desert." Daniel thought. "Either way, it's kinda cool to think about, right?"
Both kids intently stared, listening to Daniel tell his stories and rumors as they bided their time until the operation.
And at long last, Daniel had felt the same awe he felt so many years ago.
Night had fallen upon the monastery grounds, and the students had begun to huddle in safe corners near the warmth of fire, all under the watchful eyes of the Guardians. Anan and Ginzo had made notable progress with the clearing of the rubble. Moa had been relaxing on the rooftops, admiring the night sky while being on the lookout. Jose walked the monastery grounds, ensuring that there was nothing that would disturb the peace. Lus and Leona were still out, but everyone knew that if they needed help, they would call.
"It's existential time, with fireteams Tengoku and Noctis!" Ginzo sang, dancing along the way.
"The worst time…" Anan sighed.
"So uh...real talk, even if we find a way out, what do we do? We can't just leave them here to deal with the Vex and Hive on their own. But at the same time, we've been gone for too long, I can already tell. Who knows what's happened since we were gone?"
Everyone on the channel was silent. They had all known this fact, but they had chosen to ignore it while they focused on more pressing matters. But now that they had a chance for downtime, it was prime time to tackle the issue.
"...At risk of sounding like an asshole…" Moa started. "I...wanna go back. I don't know why, I just feel guilty that we've been gone for so long."
"I'd say that's completely understandable." Anan reassured. "I'm homesick too."
"Yeah, and it's like Ginzo said, who knows what's happened? I mean with the Vex, there is bound to be some weird time dilation stuff, but it feels like it's been a while. Far too long at the very least."
"But at the same time…" Moa spoke. "The people here are getting destroyed. Well, it's just the monastery for now, but who knows?"
"Last time I talked to Lus before we ran into that Minotaur...he seemed homesick too. And well if nothing else I'm sure Leona is."
"...S-so…" Fortune tried. "It's been decided then? That we go back as soon as we can, even if the Hive and Vex aren't completely dealt with"
Another period of silence followed.
"Speak now, or forever hold your peace…" Anan added.
Another period of silence.
"O..kay. It's settled then." Hornet spoke. "I'm sure most will be understanding. But I can't help but feel a twinge of guilt that we're just abandoning them."
"That twinge comes with the job…" Ginzo sighed. "Guardians never have any regrets. We were never gonna be able to defend two universes at once."
Everyone conceded this truth. Everyone, but one, Anan.
While he didn't speak due to his uncertainty, a plan was forming in his head. It would require precise execution, and various factors beyond his control, but it could be done. This plan he created...
It may be able to save them all.
Hey all! Been a while since I did one of these! I hope you're all doing fantastic! I just wanted to say thanks for reading! I enjoy writing for you all, and hope that you will continue to read this fic! As always, feedback is always appreciated! Have a good one!