Hey, I actually got this out relatively quickly! Ain't that great? Well... okay I'm gonna see how long I can keep this up, because my responsibilities are kinda being split at this very moment.


DISCLAIMER: HELLSING IS OWNED BY KOUTA HIRANO. I DO NOT ANY OF ITS CHARACTERS.

FIRE EMBLEM IS OWNED BY NINTENDO. I DON'T OWN IT'S CHARACTERS EITHER.

ITALICS=THOUGHTS, WRITING, AND SOUNDS

BOLD= DATES, PLACES, ECT.

BOLD ITALICS=WRITER


Central Plegia ~ Plegia Castle(Gangrel's Quarters)

October 15, Age 2609(6:30 P.M.)

Lucina trembled as she sat on a large king size bed. Had the room not belonged to Gangrel of all people, or the fact that she was practically being held prisoner, she would've found the room pleasant. The walls were painted a royal purple, the cool shade contrasting the heated weather outside. The walls were lined with gold engravings, probably made with actual gold considering Plegia's immense war chest. Two ornate black mahogany end tables—also engraved utilizing gold—sat on both sides of the large bed. The plush sheets matched the dark purple walls, and were soft to the touch. A mountain of velvety pillows were leant against a gold imprinted headboard. Thick black curtains, which contained silver filament, were hung above the tall windows; these curtains preventing any light from entering the room. Save for the elaborate chandelier hanging above the room, there was no other source of light.

She had been in the room for several minutes now, and she had already made a few attempts to escape. Unfortunately, the room was fairly escape proof. The room's large oaken doors were locked, and even if they weren't there were at least several heavily armed guards outside the doors. The windows were reinforced, making it practically impossible for her to break through them. She was trapped; end of story.

With a frightened shiver, she curled up and rested her chin on her knees. The one thing she didn't want happening had occurred. She was caged, like an archetypal damsel-in-distress. She closed her eyes, breathed a deep breath, and began to pray that she'd escape unharmed.

"Hello there…"

Lucina's eyes shot open, and she felt her blood run cold. Her entire body froze—she couldn't move a muscle.

Go away… please just go away… She thought.

"Such a tense little thing, aren't you?" Gangrel stalked over to the bed. "Honestly, you look as if you're ready to drop dead at the mere thought of being in my presence." The Mad King drawled as he leaned in close, and whispered right into her ear. Lucina shivered at the hot breath hitting her cold skin.

"Go to hell…" Lucina mustered her courage.

"Oh?" Gangrel continued to whisper into her ear. "I see you've a bit more fire than I thought. Telling me of all people, Lord of all Plegia, to go to hell..."

Lucina turned swiftly and slapped Gangrel. The sound of her hand smacking against his face echoed throughout the room.

"I will not be your trivial plaything, Gangrel!" Lucina declared as Gangrel stumbled backwards. Halting himself, Gangrel stared at the ground as he raised a hand to the struck cheek. He stood essentially motionless for a few seconds before he began to shake.

"Ohohoho…" Lucina was taken aback by his low guttural laughter. "Feisty… more than I can say for Aversa as of late…"

Before Lucina could react, she felt two strong hands grab hold of her wrists. She let out a grunt as she was forcefully slammed onto the bed. All bravado she had was instantly crushed as she stared into the blood red eyes of Gangrel. His face was consumed by insane lust—a violent insatiable desire to hear her scream.

She trembled as Gangrel lowered his head into the crook of her neck, his hot breath causing her heart to race. What Lucina wanted was to get out of the situation as fast as possible, but her body was too weak. Even if she wasn't, she doubted she would be able to overpower Gangrel; a monster that achieved decisive victory against Walter. No, all she could do was struggle helplessly as Gangrel violated her body.

Lucina screamed when she felt Gangrel bite down on her soft neck, his fangs piercing her ivory skin. She let out a groan—shaking her head violently in an attempt to shake him off—but to no avail. She felt a trickle of blood pour from her punctured neck, and much to her dismay—Gangrel traced his long tongue across the trail. It's warmth and moistness caused the blunette to shiver.

"Mmmm… you're a virgin, aren't you?" Gangrel asked, his husky tone probably enough to seduce a weaker woman. "I can taste it in your blood… I've had my fair share this last month, but I absolutely adore the sweetness of a virgin's."

Her voice was caught in her throat when Gangrel went into nibble on her neck once more. This time, Lucina felt him suck on her skin. Try as she might, she couldn't help but realize just how good it felt. The sensual warmth against her cold skin gave her goosebumps, and she steadily began to struggle less and less. Her strength ebbed and soon she lie still, breathing hotly as Gangrel continued to have his way with her.

"Oh? Is it safe to say that you've submitted?" Gangrel ceased his sucking on her neck. "That makes this so much easier for me."

Lucina moaned as Gangrel traced his tongue along her neck and began trail down. He continued until he reached her breasts.

Snap out of it! Lucina's eyes widened in realization. Like a spell had been broken, Lucina shoved the unsuspecting Gangrel off of her. The Mad King let out a grunt as he was thrown off the bed.

"Enough!" Lucina glared daggers at the vampire. "I am not yours to do as you please!"

Gangrel looked up at her, no longer amused. Instead, he once again seemed full of absolute malice. His eyes burned with fury as stood up, but this time Lucina did not back down.

"You scum sucking whore!" Gangrel backhanded the princess. Lucina fell to the ground, but did not lose her resolve. She continued to glare at the Mad King.

"You… you will not break me." Lucina was firm as she moved to stand up. Gangrel seethed as he kicked her in the stomach, grounding her once more.

"Is that so?" Gangrel let out a dark chuckle. "By the time I'm finished, you'll be wishing that you hadn't had said that…"

Bwhoom!

The ground suddenly shook, catching Gangrel's attention.

"The hell…?" Gangrel muttered under his breath, taking his attention off the blue-haired maiden. "Interrupt my fun…" The Mad King grumbled as he stepped off of Lucina.

"Milord!" A voice called out from outside of the room. "The resistance has launched an attack on the palace! They're quickly overtaking the front gates!" Gangrel grumbled as he made his way out of the room

"Pieces of shit… actually grew the balls to attack me directly…" The Mad King briefly glared at Lucina. "You wait here, we'll resume this when the slaughter is done…"

With those final words, Gangrel left.

Lucina let out a breath of relief. She let out a groan as she pushed herself off the ground. Sitting up, she quietly wondered what the hell just happened.

Was… was this part of the plan? Lucina thought to herself. Were they planning this attack? The door to the room suddenly swung open, Erin bursting in. The wizard was carrying a large satchel, and surprisingly the Falchion.

"Quickly get yourself changed into your gear." Erin tossed her the bag. Looking inside, Lucina was elated to see her attire.

"What's going on?" Lucina asked as she poured the bags contents onto the floor.

"After what happened in the throne room, I contacted the resistance." Erin turned away from Lucina as she undressed and put on her gear out courtesy. "We mobilized an attack force that could distract Gangrel."

"Why?" Lucina smoothed out her tunic before moving to put her boots on. "The plan was to get me into the palace, I was unaware that you were planning on attacking the castle directly."

"We weren't planning this at all, however…" Erin stroked his beard. "Mustafa and I couldn't very well allow Gangrel to have his way with you. Besides, now that Gangrel is busy, there is now nothing stopping you from getting into the dungeons; all forces will be mobilized to defend the palace."

"True, but the risk you're taking launching this attack…"

"Yes, the risk is quite hefty." Erin interrupted. "We've placed our faith in your belief that your friend is still alive. It's a gamble — a rather considerable one at that — however we've very little options left. We can either bide our time and struggle against Gangrel, fighting a losing battle against a mighty regime, or we can risk everything on the slim chance that Walter Dornez still lives. It's a lose/lose situation, both involving the possible deaths of countless: Plegian, Ylissean, and Feroxi. Still, it's best to opt with the plan that may yield better results."

Lucina tipped her head downward in agreement. He was right. Even the might of Ylisse and Regna Ferox combined could not topple Gangrel — at this point she had her doubts as to whether or not anyone was capable of facing the monster. Walter was their last hope, and everyone knew this.

Lucina strapped on the Falchion, and exchanged a nod with Erin.

"The dungeons are located in the sublevels of the palace." the wizard informed. "You'll encounter very little guards, but I recommend you still avoid conflict as much as possible." Lucina nodded once more in acknowledgement. Leaving Gangrel's chambers, Lucina stuck to the shadows of the spacious palace. Apprehension fueled her every movement. The stifling air of restlessness that clung to the palace walls seemed to choke her. Blind bravado would get her nowhere, and if Gangrel suddenly became privy to her presence in the palace it would be the end of her.

The sounds of war boomed from outside, subtly shaking the palace. The small quakes were enough to tell Lucina that the fight outside was an all out assault, nothing less would cause a castle of this size to tremble. She had to fight the urge to run outside — sword in hand — and aid the resistance. Countless lives were bound to be lost just for the sake of freeing one person. It felt wrong, almost selfish of her to be willing to allow so many people to throw their lives away for her and Walter's sakes.

No, she couldn't do that. It was as Erin said; they had bet everything on this gamble. To not go through with it now would render any and all sacrifices made null. As much as it pained her, she couldn't participate in the battle outside; at the very least not yet. She had to find Walter. Lucina prayed to, no she begged Naga that Walter was still alive.

Lucina made her way from the upper levels of the castle and cautiously entered the sub levels. With nothing but the dimly lit torches guiding her way, she slowly descended into the belly of the palace. The air became stagnant, reeking with the stench of death. It was a dank scent as well, somehow even more foul than the Plegian catacombs that the resistance based themselves within. When the castle was inhabited by a monster she guessed that it was to be expected.

She descended for awhile, several minutes maybe. The spiral staircase steadily became darker and darker. The dim torches that illuminated the floors above became far more scarce. Lucina's heart pounded as she continued down, fully convinced that there was something stalking her. What didn't help was the thick veil of shadow that hung between each torch. Whatever lie between these small reprieves from the abyssal darkness made Lucina's skin crawl. Every time she stepped into one of these negative spaces, she unconsciously moved faster; eager to leave them as quickly as possible. Just as the oppressive tension, and the fear of attack couldn't get any worse…

...she had finally reached the dungeons.

She let out a relieved breath. Lucina wiped the small beads of sweat from her forehead. If she had to guess, the dungeons were at least half a mile below the palace. Knowing that she truly was in the bowels of a literal demon's home did little to comfort her.

She couldn't let fear stop her now. Grabbing hold of one of the lit torches on the side, she held it forward. Unsheathing the Falchion, she carefully stalked the stone brick halls. The feeble light did little to alleviate the stillness of the air. They were deep enough into the castle that the desert heat was replaced with the spine chilling cold. Not helping were the empty cells that Lucina passed. Signs of previous occupants were littered throughout them. Dried blood caked the floors, splattered across the stone. Shackles with signs of being battered against the iron bars, the feeble attempts of escape that some desperately chased. It was unsettling to say the least.

She continued forward until reaching a circular room. It was a brief reprieve from the narrow halls lined with cells. It was lit about as well as everywhere else in the Naga forsaken dungeon, but it was still better than being in such claustrophobic corridors. Taking a small breather, she made her through the large room.

Agh….

Lucina turned swiftly and held her weapon at the ready at the sound she heard. She likened it to a choking gurgle, a sound akin to that of a dying man choking his own blood. Stepping back, she found herself at the center of the expanse.

"Who's there?" Lucina asked. She felt uneasy at the quiet stillness that followed. She stood at the ready, body frozen in apprehension, as she waited for something to attack. Her eyes darted from one corner to the other until a source of faint light caught her eye.

Two purple dots illuminated a single area of the room. They swayed hypnotically, giving the impression that they were moving closer. Lucina was understandably confused — in addition to being slightly perturbed by the sight — but she still held her ground.

Suddenly two more sets of purple dots appeared, followed by another four, quickly before another eight appeared. Lucina was petrified as the room became illuminated by the ethereal purple, finally revealing what exactly was surrounding her.

"Risen?" Lucina gasped as countless undead creatures shambled towards her. "No… they aren't Risen…" she corrected herself. They were far more corpse like than the Risen; additionally they seemed to be rotting with every movement they made.

Lucina dropped the torch, the flame flickering out; the warm glow fading. She gripped Falchion with both hands and charged forward.

Either decapitate them or stab them in the heart. She told herself. Spinning around, the Falchion cut through a couple of them as if they were butter. They stumbled forward and fell at her feet, only to be replaced as several more undead lumbered over their corpses.

So Lucina continued forward, without rest. She couldn't stop, for even a brief lapse could spell out her demise. She ferociously ran her weapon through the heart of one ghoul before dislodging it and turning to behead another. She shoved forward, weapon in hand and made her way around the room. Lucina cursed herself, she had become disoriented and lost track of where she was; she had no idea where the exit was.

As she continued to fight through seemingly endless crowds of undead, she began to notice something about them. They all seemed to be wearing rags, rags that she was sure were prisoners rags. Secondly, many were women — a few men sprinkled throughout the crowd; hauntingly, there were even children among them. Very briefly, she wondered what it took to create these creatures. Her thoughts were suddenly interrupted by one lunging at her. She misaimed her sword swing, causing her side to be bit.

Lucina let out a pained cry as she felt razor sharp teeth tear into her flesh. With a defiant yell, she elbowed the beast off her before decapitating it with a swift slash. She clutched her side in pain. She seethed, but continued to fight. There was no time to stop and get lost in her thoughts, she had to keep fighting.

Slowly, but steadily, the number of undead dwindled down to very few. All through the battle, Lucina was taken off guard several times — resulting in her being bit, cut, and bruised. Her blood pumped with adrenaline that gave her the strength to fight without fatigue. As she cut down the final monster, Lucina felt her heart pounding. She breathed heavily, blood pouring from the various punctures and lacerations. It soaked into her tunic, and stained her milky skin. Adrenaline fading, Lucina dropped down to one knee.

"Must continue…" she rasped. She pushed herself off the ground, legs burning from her injuries. She had been through worse.

As she left the room, she noted that the cells ahead were far more cramped than the ones from before. In fact, they seemed far more grungy as well. Broken bones stripped completely of flesh; dried blood accompanying these haunting looks into what occurred here. A most foul stench infested the already heavy air — the scent of death itself.

Lucina continued on undaunted by the disgusting surroundings.

"Hello?" Lucina courageously called out. "Walter?"

Silence…

"It's me, Lucina…"

Silence…

"I'm here to get you out of here."

Silence…

There was nothing to be heard; no response or anything. Just the eerie silence of the dead. Lucina, not for the first time, felt utterly hopeless. The journey to this place, and the people who were fighting outside for her sake; all of it had been in vain. Walter wasn't here, and as much as Lucina didn't want to admit it, he was probably dead as well.

Utter anguish came down upon her like a wave as she began to quiver. She was a child once more. A child whose loved ones had been taken from her. Like everyone else she held dear, Walter was no more. Her breathing became erratic as she held back the rush of tears that threatened to stream down her cheeks. The only sound that filled the hall was the sound of her vainly trying not to cry.

"Lucina?"

Lucina's eyes widened. Someone had called out to her. She hadn't recognized the voice, but it sounded vaguely familiar. Gathering what little composure she had left, she began to track down the response's source.

"Screw me…" the person muttered just loud enough for Lucina to hear. The bluenette turned a corner and continued.

"I've gone senile, haven't I? Figures…" Lucina rounded another corner.

"Why would she be here of all places…"

The princess began to run down the hall, reinvigorated. It had to be, it couldn't have been anyone else. Who else knew her name in this time? She silently prayed to Naga once more, begging to her that it was him.

Skidding to a halt, she stopped at the end of the hall. She had arrived at a single cell, isolated from all the others. She could barely see into it thanks to the veil of darkness. Still, she could make out the vague outline of someone sitting in the back of the cell.

"You called me?" Lucina quietly asked. She could see the figure tilt their head, as if they were sizing her up.

"You really are here…" the person replied. Lucina was taken aback. She didn't recognize the voice, but it still sounded familiar to her. Whoever it was seemed to be at least several years her junior.

"Yes." she nodded. "I'm here." The figure in the cell remained still.

"Come closer, let me see you…" Lucina gestured for him to come to the front of his cell.

"I..." the stranger hesitated. "can't…" Lucina worriedly leaned closer to the cell.

"Are you shackled to the wall? I can free you from the cell if you-"

"No." he interrupted. "I just… please get out of here. I don't want you to get caught… heaven knows what they'd do to you; what he'd do to you…"

Lucina knew exactly who the stranger was talking about. She still felt her skin tingling from the encounter with Gangrel. She hadn't felt so powerless since she came face-to-face with Grima.

"Well, unfortunately it's too late for that…" the blunette shuddered. "I already have first hand experience with that monster — Gangrel — and his twisted personality." The person in the cell immediately bolted upright, much to Lucina's surprise. He stepped into the light, an enraged look on his face.

"What did that bastard do to you!?" Lucina flinched from the state of the stranger. It was a young boy, in his teens by the looks of it. There were countless cuts and bruises across his body. Dried blood stuck to the boy's mop of dark hair. The area around his dulled eyes were sunken, as if he'd gone many nights without rest. He wore a dress shirt that had been dirtied by dirt and blood. His waistcoat was missing its buttons, so he was wearing it open. His black slacks had holes at the knees.

The boy's eyes widened as he realized that Lucina was now staring at him—her expression a mix of shock and sadness. He rubbed his left eye, which Lucina had realized had blood streaming from it.

Lucina scrutinized the stranger, the teen looking to be a little less than five years her junior. The closer she inspected him, the more she couldn't shake the feeling that she knew him. From his mop of black hair, to his stern—albeit youthful—face. Yet she couldn't place her finger on where she knew this boy from. Her eyes scanned over him from top to bottom before they met his; midnight blue meeting dulled gray…

...gray eyes…

Lucina's eyes widened.

He… he couldn't be… she swallowed. The girl took a small step back, apprehension sweeping over her like a tidal wave. She opened her mouth to speak, but found no words. Lucina was utterly speechless. The "stranger" noticed this and his stern expression softened as he turned away.

"Lucina... I'm sorry…" he refused to make eye contact with her once more. "I failed you…"

"No…" Lucina shook her head. "I failed you… I should've come for you sooner…" she stopped, his name getting caught in her throat for a short second.

"...Walter."

Walter laughed somberly. He ran a hand through his unkempt locks, its greasiness evident of how dirty they were. His ragged and beaten attire was a jarring contrast to his usual pristine appearance. There had only been one other time Lucina had ever seen Walter so beaten, and that was after his fight with Validar; yet despite lacking the severe burns of that brutal encounter, what Walter had been through this past month was inarguably much worse.

"Even if you'd come the day after my defeat at Gangrel's hands, I doubt it would've made much of a difference." Walter bitterly looked down at his hands. Lucina followed his gaze and saw that his hands were bruised and a deep purple. Lucina brought a hand up to her mouth and gasped at the sight.

"Walter… what happened?" she breathed. The fact that the butler could still move his fingers was a shock.

"Oh… Gangrel was quite interested in seeing to it that my ability to fight was…" Walter hung on his words for a moment. "...removed." Raising his horribly injured hands so that they were easier to view only served to highlight just how damaged they were.

Lucina reached through the bars of the cell and ran a delicate hand across his. They were warm, obviously due to the incredible amount of blood that had caused them to turn the alarmingly deep shade of purple. How he managed to comb through his hair was a mystery to Lucina, as—despite being as gentle as she possibly could—he still seethed through his teeth at her mere touch.

"I'm so sorry Walter…" Lucina said weakly.

"Don't be, Lucina…" Walter gently, despite how excruciatingly painful it had to have been, held her hand in his. "You have nothing to apologize for, and if anything it is I who should be asking for forgiveness. You risked your life to come here to save me, despite the fact…" he sighed. "...I'm of very little use to you now."

"Don't say that…" Lucina smiled warmly. "It may take awhile, but your hands can be healed. Aunt Lissa's healing ability is extraordinary, not to mention that Exalt Emmeryn was rumored to peerless when it came to the healing arts; you'll be healed in no time."

"No, Lucina, it's not my hands that make me a liability." Walter stopped her from continuing, his expression a grim one. "Look at me, Lucina. Forget my injuries—forget all of that—and focus on my appearance. I'm young, eighteen years old at the very most. I never told you about… my condition…"

"Condition?" Lucina raised a brow.

"Yes…" Walter replied, taking sitting against the wall once more. "I'm quite surprised you never caught on—seeing as how we interact quite often—that I've been de-aging at a steady pace. It's an aftereffect of an inhumane experiment that was performed on me." Raising the hand with the sealing sigil on it, he let Lucina examine it.

"This keeps that power from being released, much like a cork for a bottle of wine." he began to explain. "However—whether it was due to the creator of the seal being incompetent, or them underestimating just how volatile this power is—it is not powerful enough to keep it fully contained. That is why I've reverted into this adolescent form."

"So you de-age everytime you're injured?" Lucina inquired.

"No..." Walter sighed. "Injury only bolsters the effect, and speeds up the process. This was inevitable—again due to the general lack of quality of the seal." Walter let out an unenthused chuckle.

"I'm at the end of my rope, Lucina…" the teenaged butler hung his head low. He turned his back away from her. "Leave me, I'll only get on your way at this point…" Lucina watched as Walter retreated back into the darkness of his cell.

"No, I'm not leaving you." her tone was firm. "I don't care about what you can and can't do, Walter. You're my friend, and I'll never be able to forgive myself if I left you behind." Much to Lucina's surprise, Walter scowled at her.

"You have a job to do, Lucina. You can't waste your time with me." the butler growled.

"I don't care about the future right now, I care about you!" Lucina gripped the bars tightly as a wave of emotions began to pour out. "I'm not leaving without you!"

"Then we'll both die!" Walter raised his voice. "Damn it all, you're being selfish!"

Lucina flinched. She stared at the teenaged butler in dull shock. She opened her mouth for a retort, but couldn't think of one. Was she truly doing this for the greater good, or for herself? Outside the palace, the resistance was doing battle with Gangrel's forces; most likely being slaughtered. The risks she took just to make sure Walter was alive, did she take them for the sole purpose of ending the damnable war, or was it for herself? She had been asking herself that very question for the last day or so, only now—when confronted by who she risked life and limb for—could she admit it aloud.

"You're right…" Lucina muttered. She removed her hands from the cell bars and hung her head in shame. "I didn't come here because I thought you were the only one that could kill Gangrel…" Lucina sighed.

"I came here because I just couldn't bear the thought of losing you…" Walter's eyes widened slightly.

"It's childish, I know… but I just…" Lucina brought her hands up to her face. "I can't take it anymore…" the usually stoic princess began to whimper.

"So many people have been taken away throughout my life; I just can't bear to lose anyone else…"

Walter watched as Lucina fell on her knees and began to cry. Walter watched as the strong young woman that carried the fate of the world on her shoulders quietly sob. All her bravery—all her strength—could not hide the fact that she was still very much a human; a human that had been carrying the weight of the world on her shoulders since she was a child. Lucina had no one: no family, no friends. In the end, all she had left was him.

Him, who had just accused her of being selfish. Him, who had told her that he was about to die. Him, who had told her that he had given up...

Lucina, who had every right and reason to distrust him; who knew of his betrayals, who knew of the future. Lucina, who was willing to sacrifice life and limb for her father, and eliminate anyone who would dare set her dreaded future in motion. Lucina, who—despite everything else on the line—had chosen to save him.

Walter stared at the princess, who looked so small and helpless—curled into a ball quietly crying with her face buried into her knees. The iron-willed woman that fought Chrom to a standstill, and charged blindly at an opponent that even he couldn't beat, was before him; the layers removed, and her weakness laid bare. Had anyone else ever seen her in such a weakened state? Was there anyone else?

No… he doubted it.

It's just him…

Walter didn't know what was happening, but he suddenly found himself lowering himself so that they were level with one another. He was moving on instinct as he reached through the bars and lifted her chin; pain shooting through his arm as he did. Her glassy blue eyes met his dull gray ones, and they stared at one another. Both saw the other for what they really were; their souls visible...

An aged man in the guise of a young boy, and a young girl in the guise of a grown woman…

Walter brought his hand to Lucina's cheek, thumb wiping away the tears trailing down from her eyes. The warmth of his hand—broken or not—was a welcome reprieve for the princess.

"Lucina…" Walter broke the silence between them. "Forgive this codger for his harsh words. I am quite the fool, and perhaps I've given up too soon…" Lucina shook her head, a loving smile gracing her face.

"No… I understand." Lucina wiped the tears from her eyes. "You're right, I've been selfish… I… I let my personal feelings cloud my judgement…" she let out a mirthless laugh.

"I fear that me coming here has only doomed us both…" she sighed. Walter chuckled, shaking his head.

"Perhaps it has… however..." Walter narrowed his eyes. "... it's not over yet…"

The teenaged butler grunted as he stood up. Making his way to the cell door, he gestured for Lucina to come closer. The princess exchanged a glance with Walter, nodding in affirmation. She promptly got off the floor and unsheathed the Falchion. The bars were rusted—brittle enough to perhaps break from the force of a strong slash.

"Stand back." Lucina commanded as she held the blade at the ready.

"Of course… after all, I'm not in any mood to be slashed through the gut." Walter replied sarcastically.

The sarcasm took Lucina off guard. Perhaps an effect of his adolescence? Not important right now, she had to get Walter out first.

With a loud cry, she raised the blade overhead and slashed diagonally. The sword bounced off the bar, but took a sizeable chunk off it. Lucina breathed as she raised Falchion overhead again, and repeated the motion. It broke through one bar, but not the next.

She continued to repeat the same motion over and over, a few minutes passing by. It was tedious, and exhausting, but Lucina would rather be winded than be caught by Gangrel. Finally—after what had to be fifty overhead strikes—Lucina managed to create a big enough opening for Walter to climb through.

"Let's go, Walter!" Lucina beckoned. The teenaged butler swiftly climbed through the opening.

"So, what's our plan of escape?" Walter asked.

"The resistance is currently distracting Gangrel. We'll need to use the chaos of the battle to escape." Lucina explained quickly. Walter scoffed.

"Of course… things are never easy…" the butler raised a brow. "Wait, resistance?"

"Yes, there's a resistance that is opposed to Gangrel's rule; most likely due to his monstrous nature." The blue-haired maiden answered as she began leading Walter through the darkened halls.

"Makes sense, any normal folk with even a modicum of backbone will oppose a truly corrupt tyrant; doubly so if said tyrant is a bloodsucking beast capable of enlisting the dead." Walter said without a hint of pause.

The duo made their way through the catacomb like dungeon, Lucina retracing her steps. Upon making it to the large circular room where she had fought the undead, Walter halted in his progress and stared at the corpses. Lucina noticed his expression; it was one of shock, horror, and absolute disgust. Following his gaze, she saw that he was focused on the undead.

"Ghouls..." Walter's eyes narrowed. "Disgusting bastard made ghouls…"

"Ghouls?" Lucina questioned.

"That's what these are; undead created by a vampire." Walter explained, clear disdain in his tone. "Men and women drained of blood and reduced to mindless slaves. Truly a fate worse than death…" he sighed. "Forgive me, we're wasting time here. Let's move-"

"Secure the "guardian angel"!"

Lucina and Walter's attention snapped towards their exit route. The sound of metal—armor and weapons—clanging echoed as soldiers descended into the dungeons. Lucina grit her teeth as she moved to unsheathe Falchion, only for Walter to stop her.

"We can't take that many soldiers alone…" he whispered as they slowly approached.

"Then what are we going to-" Lucina was cut off as Walter grabbed and pushed her against the wall.

"Lie down and don't move…" he replied whilst hauling one of the ghoul corpses over his shoulder.

Lucina, though baffled, followed the command. Walter settled next to her—snuggling close—and wrapped his arms around her causing Lucina to blush slightly. Before she could object on their position, Walter threw the corpse over the both of them. Understanding what he was doing, Lucina threw two more corpses over them, effectively masking their presence from anyone that came by.

Lucina felt her heart pounding in her chest as the soldiers came pouring into the room. She shivered as they came to a halt and seemed to hang in the room. She felt Walter hold her closer—probably because he could tell that she was tense—and she ended up burying her face into his chest. Lucina felt his heartbeat; it was oddly… normal to say the least… as if he wasn't at all perturbed by just how close to being caught they were. She felt comforted by that for some reason.

"Someone's made it passed the undead! Let's hurry up and secure the prisoner!"

"Yes sir!"

The room became a cacophony of noise as the guards rushed through, their metal armor clanging as they did. Lucina closed her eyes and held her breath, snuggling closer to Walter as they did. Walter held her even closer as both his and her fear threatened to give them both away. They lied essentially motionless for what felt like an eternity before the sounds died down, and the last soldier left.

Letting out a breath of relief, Walter unwrapped his arms from Lucina and threw the corpses off the both of them. He scrunched his nose in distaste as the scent of death clung to his clothing.

"I can't wait to get home… I really need a hot bath…" Walter grimaced.

"That does sound nice…" Lucina sighed, catching a whiff of herself. "I haven't had one of those in awhile…" Walter chuckled, amused.

"I think we ought to discuss this later, preferably when we're as far away from this place as possible."

"You're correct…" Lucina herself let out a small laugh, smiling as she did. Both exchanged a glance, a realization dawning upon them.

Neither of them had laughed like this since they last saw one another.


Central Plegia ~ Plegia Castle

October 15, Age 2609(7:30 P.M.)

Walter shut his eyes tightly as he and Lucina peered out from the castle entrance. The warm glow of the setting sun, though dimmed into a heavenly orange, was too much for his tired eyes.

"You okay?" Lucina asked concernedly.

"Yes…" Walter replied reassuringly, smirking as he rubbed his gray eyes. "I just need time for my eyes to readjust to the sunlight." The bluenette nodded, and took hold of Walters forearm.

"What are you-"

"No time, we have to get out of here…" Lucina said quickly. As she did, a volley of fireballs were lobbed from the other side of the outer wall of the palace. Lucina swiftly began leading the butler away from the castle, where the fireballs impacted and exploded violently.

"What was that!?" Walter asked as he struggled to keep up with the princess, his vision still not recovered.

"The resistance are still laying siege on the palace! We can't stay here!" Lucina replied. Looking at the top of the wall, she could see a mix of both living and undead soldiers. The gate leading out of the encampment was barred shut, but through the bars she could see the resistance fighting to break through.

"Hang on tight, Walter!" Lucina spoke up over the storm of war ahead of them.

"Hang tight onto wha-" Walter was cut off abruptly as Lucina scooped him up into her arms and began running at her full speed.

"Well, this is highly unconventional, and a tad bit embarrassing!" Walter complained as he wrapped his arms around Lucina for balance. "Could you be slightly more gentle with your steps!? It feels like I'm being transported by a wild horse!"

"Would you rather I let you stumble around on your own?!" Lucina snarked. Walter let out a laugh.

"Was that a joke?" he grinned. "Good to know you've gained a sense of humor!"

"Not the time, Walter!"

Lucina dashed up the steps leading to the top of the wall. She had a plan, though it wasn't that good. Still, it was better than nothing.

"You're gonna need to brace for impact!" Lucina cried as she reached the top of the wall.

"Wait, why?" the teenaged butler questioned, but received no answer. Instead, Lucina simply began to run past every single soldier on the wall; living and undead.

"Please tell me why you said that!" Walter demanded as he felt Lucina pick up a dangerous amount of speed amidst the cacophony of battle.

"Wait are we on a wall or something? I hear some fighting below us…" he continued. Realization dawned upon him; eyes snapping open, and sight restoring.

"Lucina, don't you…"

Too late, as the princess made it to the edge of the wall and leapt off.

"...dare!" Walter screamed as both him and her plummeted to the ground below. Their clothing and hair billowed in the wind as they descended at an alarming pace. It all came to an abrupt halt as both of them landed in an oversized pile of hay. Both lay motionless for a few seconds, tuning out of the battle around them for a few seconds.

"Ow…" Lucina rubbed her back in pain. "I thought that the hay would cushion the fall…" Walter gave her a look of incredulity, his sight fully restored.

"Who in their right mind would leap from a great height, and assume that landing in hay of all things would break the fall?" he shook his head. "Of all the reckless things you'd do…"

"We survived, did we not?" Lucina quipped, steadily getting to her feet.

"Not the point…" Walter rolled his eyes as he followed suit. He and Lucina looked back towards the wall to see soldiers pointing at them, gesturing their comrades to give chase.

"I think now is the time to disappear." the butler commented. Lucina nodded in agreement.

"Yeah… let's make a run for the resistance base…"

The two bolted away from the battlefield, fleeing for their lives as they disappeared from view and escaped into the city.


Central Plegia ~ Plegian Capital(Catacombs[Resistance Base - Sick Bay)

October 15, Age 2609 (8:23 P.M.)

Upon arriving at the base, Walter was immediately admitted to the hospital wing and examined by the resistance's best healers. Sitting on a plain mat in the middle of fairly well lit catacombs wasn't what Walter was expecting to occur today, but it was definitely a welcome change from where he was just several hours ago. Shirt removed, he lay back as a healer hovered their staff over his body; a pleasant warmth encapsulating his battered body. His bruised hands were healed, though they still held a light shade of purple. Various scars ran across his arms, a reminder of what he'd been through.

When they priest was finished, they wrapped some gauze around his injuries—namely his hands and arms—and left him to rest. Groaning, he lay down and stared at the ceiling. The peaceful silence that clung to the room was a welcome change from the disturbed stillness of Gangrel's dungeons, and he truly hoped he wasn't dreaming right now. One of the last things he wanted was to suddenly wake up and find himself back in his godforsaken cell. The other had to do with Lucina.

"Walter…?"

Speak of the devil… Walter thought as he sat up to see Lucina enter the ward. She looked the same as she did when they arrived, probably due to the fact that she hadn't taken the time to care for herself yet.

"Lucina." he greeted with a small smile. The bluenette knelt beside the teen's mat, and examined him.

"I see you've been treated for your injuries." she stated aloud. Walter raised a brow.

"I see you haven't been treated for yours." he replied. Lucina looked away from him.

"I… I wanted to make sure that you were treated first." the princess admitted. "I felt it only fair that you were-"

"I could've waited." Walter interrupted. Scooting closer, he got a better look at her injuries. Lacerations, cuts, and bite marks littered her body, much to his dismay.

"What did this to you?"

"Those ghouls in the dungeons." Lucina replied honestly. "Who do you think killed them?" Walter shrugged as he steadily raised his hand to her cheek.

"Okay…" he began gently. "If the ghouls did "that" to you..." he paused.

"...what did Gangrel do to you?"

Lucina grew pale.

"I… he…" she shivered and looked down. Walter gently caressed her cheek with his thumb.

"Show me where he bit you…"

Lucina stared at him with stunned eyes.

"How did you…?"

"Its natural…" Walter said softly. "Vampires are creatures of sensuality, biting during… well…" he paused for a moment. "It's something they do."

Lucina felt her cheeks flush. Hesitantly, she undid her tunic. Her undershirt was fairly skin tight, so she had to remove it show him where she was bit. Carefully lifting her shirt off herself, she shivered as her bare skin was exposed. She raised her hand and showed Walter where Gangrel had bitten—just around the soft part of her neck, and barely above her collarbone.

Walter looked visibly distraught, although he quickly hid his emotions as he raised two fingers to the puncture. Two twin holes just one to two inches deep; a definite vampire bite. Shaking with both rage and anguish, Walter breathed deeply in an attempt to calm himself.

"What did he do to you…" he growled through clenched teeth. Lucina unconsciously raised her hands over her chest—despite the fact she was wearing a bra—as the memory of the event shook her.

"He…" she shivered, shrinking as flashes of the monsters lustful crimson eyes came to mind. She was violated, and nearly...

"He tried to…" she wanted to burst into tears. Lucina felt Walter gently place his hands on her shoulders.

"He wasn't able to…" he chose his words carefully. "...hurt you, right?" Lucina nodded, unable to muster any words.

"Oh thank heavens…" Walter leaned in close and wrapped his arms around the princess. His voice was filled with relief as he embraced the traumatized woman. Lucina quivered as she was filled with emotions.

"I… I was… I…" her lip quivered as she buried her face into Walter's chest.

"It's okay…" he reassured, tightening his embrace. "I'm here now… I promise you, I won't ever let anyone hurt you… for as long as I live…" Walter whispered.

Lucina began to sob as he lovingly comforted her. He was younger, almost unrecognizable. He was snarky, and seemed a bit more belligerent than before. However, that didn't change anything. He was still the same man underneath, the same brilliant man that promised to save the world for her. Here she was, in the arms of an angel clipped of his wings. In his warm embrace, she felt safety; safety she hadn't felt in a long time.


Writer's notes

This chapter got pretty dark, didn't it? A lot of implied macabre stuff, right? I hope that you guys were on the edge of your seats reading through this chapter, because I've been wanting to get to it for a long while now. The reunion between Walter and Lucina in particular was always very vivid in my mind, and I'm glad to have finally gotten to it.

Speaking of Walter, he's been de-aging all throughout the story so far, and now he's finally become a teenager again! After 14 chapters of him getting younger, we're finally at the natural endgame for Walter. Hopefully this isn't his very literal end though...

Also, how will the dynamic change between Walter and Lucina? Will it go out sour do to Walter being much more snarky, and generally less reserved, or will it go a different route entirely? Eh... probably not though...

There's no behind the keyboard stuff, because this is the first chapter where everything went entirely how it was supposed to. Nothing was really added or changed, and I had little to no trouble writing this...

Honestly, the fact that this went as well as it did is a shock... I was expecting this to be hellish...

Anyway, onto the reviews!


Reviews

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Tohoufanatic - It's better than my first idea, which was just an entire paragraph of (REDACTED)!

Lucina's trauma may have been curved by Walter for now, but it's definitely gonna come back later... Also, if Chrom found out, no amount of "immortality" would save Gangrel.

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Kerrowe - I concede that point... I didn't think about that... Still, I think going this route has garnered better results. They say that no more does a character's... well... character shine than when they're in the midst of turmoil. Lucina willing to put herself on the line—espescially in such a terrifying manner—shows how much she cares for those she holds dear to her... or maybe it's just because it's Walter she's doing this for, who knows?

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Next chapter is ready, and will come out next week. Thank you for your continued support, have a good day, and I will see you on the next chapter!


Next time on Walter Dornez of the Emblem!

Not Alone