So. Kept you all waiting, huh? Sorry. I just had to make the reference. Again… Anyways, I'm back with a brand new chapter. I hope I didn't keep all of you waiting for too long now. If I did, I'm sorry but I didn't want to rush out a garbage chapter. Well, all chapters I make are garbage; but if I rush the chapter is even more garbage than usual. So, I'll shut up now and let you all enjoy the latest chapter of this fanfiction. See you after you're finished... Or not.
Chapter Forty Three: Return to the Bloodstained Desert
With the great Conqueror dead, the Valmese empire has fallen. The land is to return to normal, well as normal as it will be able to after such an event, and our war here is over. It came at a cost though. Thousands of Ylisse and Ferox warriors are dead and/or missing, the Shepherds has been battered beyond anything we have ever been, and we now have to deal with the bigger threat everyone seemed to forget about.
Grima.
During the war between Valm and the Ylisse-Plegia-Ferox alliance, Chrom had been gathering the magical gemstones of the Fire Emblem. I don't know how he was able to do so, but he got all but one of them. Now, the only gemstone left to gather is apparently in Plegia's possession. Ylisse old foe, the nation under the control of the Grimleal cult, the nation that forced the death of the old Exalt, and the nation that obviously has too much bad blood to set aside to save the world. So it means only one thing for us to do, one course of action that will end with us saving the entire world.
We are going to have to go to war with Plegia for the final gemstone of the Fire Emblem, and it is going to start over a little invitation that the Plegian King sent to Chrom recently to discuss the Fire Emblem. Everyone knows it is a trap, including the normally dense-headed Chrom knows. But we have no choice. We must accept the invite and get the final gemstone as quickly as we can. Once we do, we're going to head towards the place the first Exalt paid tribute to Naga and that will activate the Emblem! With our trump card active, Grima will be toast!
But our chances of victory are going to be somewhat lowered because we have to leave the main army behind. It would have been too slow dragging them along to go and fight Plegia, so that just leaves the Shepherds to go and get the gem. That means the world's fate rests on the shoulders of forty five people of all shapes, sizes, creeds, and skills. Forty five people who will decide the fate of everyone both in the future and in the present...
We do have some good news though! With an overwhelming amount of healing, almost all of the Shepherds are back to fighting strength. Not tip-top fighting shape sadly, but they can fight like any other warrior can. A few of us are still damaged, like I was damaged.
During the final battle, specifically when I propelled myself to save Donny, I accidentally ripped an important muscle in my knee. The wound has given me a limp, a tiny one but still a limp. Anna says that this wound would take time healing for some reason, but we don't have enough time to rest up and heal right now. We need to focus on the task at hand, and the task is one that will literally decide the world's fate!
I just hope we succeed in the end.
"Don't move your leg too much, Aiden. I don't want it to get any worse than it is."
"Says the girl whose leg was broken not too long ago!" As of right now, the Shepherds are marching directly towards the Plegia capital; fresh off of the boats an hour ago. We're all ready to fight, but many of us are still tired from the battle that happened a . We all know that the Plegia King is going to do some crazy shit, and we aren't going to just sit there and take it! As we march towards the capital, I'm being looked after by Ana, completely healed asides from some lingering pain from her formerly broken limb. Who knew that Walhart was hiding an old Goddess staff in his treasure vault, besides Walhart that is. It even healed my little limp somewhat before it broke. There was a lot of Shepherds with broken bones…
"Do you think that Andy and Anna will be alright?" I ask as I limp/march alongside my daughter; using my sword as a walking stick to help me along.
"I believe so. Andy is pretty fast, and Anna is the fastest person I know. We best worry about your limp. Are you sure you're doing alright?" Ana says, being uncharastically kind towards me as she hovers near me in case she has to help me.
"I said I was fine." I answer back, waving her off as we maintain pace with the other Shepherds. "I should be asking you that question. You've been a bit too kind to me lately. Are you okay?"
Ana seemed to be caught off guard by my question, saying in response "Y-Yeah. I'm fine. I'm just looking out for you. Is that strange?"
"Yes. It is."
"Oh. Well excuse me for looking after the injured, dick!" I couldn't help but smirk at how quickly Ana just went from a kind little child to a brute, that was also my child. Makes sense how she's my child with that mouth…
"Ana. How-" I start before getting cut off by her shushing me, glaring right at me as our eyes met.
"I'm not going to answer that. Not now, and not ever. If you want answers, talk to Andy. Right now, I'm helping my injured father as we march to save the world. Do you have a problem with that?"
"N-No. But you-"
"Good. Now let's get moving." Ana said before forcing me to go faster, eliciting a small smile. I know what she just said, and I know she knows as well. I guess she just hates the mushy stuff, and I can agree with her on that part. But, I need to say this:
"Hey Ana."
"Yes… Father?"
"I'm glad I get to fight alongside my daughter."
"Fucking fantastic…"
Aiden and Ana attained Support Level A
We make it to the Plegia capital by dusk, and something is already wrong. The city's streets are empty, devoid of life. It seems to be that all of the civilians are gone, but something is off about that. I expected that the missing villagers would have left behind something: tracks, disturbed houses, and maybe even blood trails. But, there is nothing here except empty house with a pitch black interior. The Plegian people are just… Gone! This has to be some kind of dark magic, a magic I bet the Grimleal used to make everything ready for their trap. We won't fall for this trap! We have the Robins on our side. I bet they already planned five different strategies to win the day!
It doesn't take long before we arrive in the central courtyard, the courtyard that has the massive skeleton of the Fell Dragon when it was first slain. I can't help but notice that everyone, especially the Shepherds who came from the future, are gawking at the skeleton. I can't blame them really. If a foe like that is revived, then only the Falchion can kill it. I must ask, how can a little magic sword kill a massive dragon bigger than any structure I've seen? That is just the realm of fantasy right there, a realm I don't want to be a part of. A realm I don't want my children to be born and live in.
Speaking of my children, I pick out Andy in the crowd and notice something strange for the boy. He isn't smiling. He is almost always smiling, even in battle. The only times I haven't seen him smile were when we were talking about the future, arguing with his sister, and when he got badly hurt. I best go check on him just in case something is wrong.
I wander on up to Andy's side, looking at my boy as he continues to look at Grima. After a few moments of silence, Andy suddenly says to me "We told you how Mom died, but we didn't tell you how you died. Do you want to know now, Dad?"
"I would like to know…" I whisper, looking away as the feeling of dread starts creeping into my gut. I feel like I'm not going to enjoy my death...
"You died fighting Grima itself. It was when we were getting sent to the past, and Grima was attacking to stop us. You, and anyone who was still able to do battle, fought the Fell Dragon and its legions of Risen off while we escaped into the past." Andy explained, letting out a heavy sigh as he continued to stare at Grima's desert-worn skeleton. "The last time I saw of you was when Grima lunged at you and the remaining survivors, trying to get to us before the portal closed. I didn't see what happened after you two made contact… But…"
"I understand, Andy..." I say, letting the knowledge of my death sink into my mind as we stand in silence. Our silence was quickly interrupted when Chrom ordered us to march into the castle, right into battle. Before we moved forward, I placed my hand on Andy's shoulder and said "Andy, let's go mess up some motherfuckers. You ready?"
Andy's somber frown slowly turned into a grim and determined smile as he nodded. "I'm ready, Dad! Let's show them what's what."
"Good! Let's kick some Grimleal butt!"
Aiden and Andy attained Support Level A
Unlike the city, the castle is alive with activity. This activity is hidden though by soldiers and fanatics hiding in the shadows, all of them armed to the teeth. It seems like we were right. The Plegians, no, the Grimleal don't intend on just giving the stone. They want to kill us and resurrect Grima. Don't they know that the Fell Dragon doesn't care about them beyond the Grimleal reviving them? If I know big bad guys, then the Grimleal are just tools that have limited used for Grima. When a tool runs out of use, it is then broken…
But enough of that, we must focus on the battle ahead. As such, the Shepherds march all the way until the meeting place; hidden by a little door that leads to a little room I wager. After stopping, Chrom orders us to stay here as he, Lucina, the Robins, and Frederick enter the room; the door closing right behind them. I imagine they are going to go and met the Plegian King, and that is when the battle will truly begin. For now, we must wait.
As we wait, everyone on their guard as we form a protective square to cover all of our flanks, I notice more and more movement in the shadows. There is a lot of them, and knowing the Grimleal they must have a lot of Dark Mages on their side. Hopefully Tharja and Henry can beat their curses back until we have escaped.
In a few brief moments, shouting rang out from the door before it was slammed open with Chrom in the lead; his weapon out as he shouts out "We have to get out of here now! Cut down anyone who gets in the way!" With those orders, we immediately arm ourselves and charge forward, only to be met with the Grimleal who have been hiding. We can't stop to fight them. We need to get out of here before it is too late! I just hope my limp doesn't make me lag behind too much.
My first foe is a Sorcerer, casting an ugly black sludge at me from his purple colored tome. Dark magic, perfect for Grimleal. That means he cannot beat me in martial warfare! I dodge the sludge and quickly ram my sword right through him. I don't even bother to stop as I keep running, dragging my sword out of the dead Grimleal without care.
My next enemy as the Shepherds round the corner is a Hero with an axe. I stop momentarily, leaning back as his attack missed, before I rush him with my own. I accidently trip on my own feet however, resulting in me tackling him to the ground. As I stand back up, thrusting my sword into the ground to gain a foothold- Oh holy shit! I accidentally rammed the Hero through the chest with my sword! How did I forget he was there? Whatever had just happened to my mind, I stand back up and pull my blade out of him. That takes care of that…
Due to my little mess up, I'm no longer in the middle of the horde of Shepherds but in the very back of the group. Great! Now I can be left behind. Hopefully I don't actually get left behind because that would be- Holy crap!
I am forced to roll forward as a massive black spike, made out of disgusting black sludge, rips out of the ground and into a column. I chance a glance upwards as I try to catch up with the others, and I see dozens upon dozens of Dark Mages casting dark magic at us; forcing the Shepherds to dodge, duck, and roll for their lives. They really went all out to kill us, didn't they?! Well they are going to be disappointed as we're going to get out of this place alive!
Before long, we're in the home clear as the exit to the castle lies right before us. In the lead were the same people who had gone into the room, and that is when things suddenly go wrong. In a flash, just as Jack ran past some columns; a massive wall of black sludge suddenly ripped out of the ground and blocked our exit as well as cutting us off from Chrom, Lucina, the Robins, and Frederick.
"Heh heh... Leaving Plegia so soon? No, please, stay awhile. Stay...forever!" I turn around to find a shriveled old Sorcerer standing right behind us, his arms covered in a sinister purple fire as he begins to cast another spell. Just before he does though, an axe flies past my shoulder and straight into the old man's face; killing him almost instantly.
I turn back around to see who threw the axe, and find my Ana unhooking a spare axe from her belt as the sludge wall starts to decay. After a few moments, the wall has finally melted away and reunited us with the others- What a second, where is the Fire Emblem?! Chrom had been carrying that thing on his arm like a shield, and now it was gone! Where did it go! Not only that, but why is Jack clutching his head, muttering something, while Jill and the others gesturing for us to hurry? What the hell happened in such a short time?
It doesn't matter right now! We need to get out of here, right now! We need to leave this castle, and this city before we're all dead. As such, the Shepherds waste no time as we swiftly leave the castle. We don't stop running once we leave the castle as Risen are quickly summoned after us; making us run faster and faster away. We made it out of the deathtrap after a long time running, but news doesn't take long to travel to all of the Shepherds on what happened.
The Grimleal have the Fire Emblem.
So. Sorry about keeping you all waiting for so long. Really made you do a Kaz, didn't I? I'll stop with the Metal Gear references now… I'm sure you all are tired of them by now, especially with how I made a support with an iconic line as one. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter. These next few ones are to be the end as we are reaching the end of Awakening itself. So those of you who had stuck around just to see this trainwreck of a fanfiction end, get ready because the end is nigh my friends! Now excuse me as I write the next chapter of this little clown fiesta.
