Disclaimer: Too busy typing to tell you about how I don't own Fire Emblem to own Fire Emblem.
Chapter One: A Grasping Truth
"It is time." Soren turned his head and shot Ike a quick look, nodding in response to the statement. He had been waiting for this. Ike stepped forward and set his shoulder against the door. All of his strength was required to heave it open. The door must have been heavy; it was well over four meters tall and made of solid stone.
All of their people formed up behind Ike as he forced the door open; the trepidation palpable in the air. They were all strong warriors—they had to be to survive the things they'd been through, but they were about to fight a goddess; an all-powerful being. They were clearly outmatched. But that would not stop them; they had faced the impossible before and had come out on top.
A loud thud echoed through the tower as Ike shoved the doors all the way open, the sound prompting everyone to check their equipment one last time. Soren drew his Rexcalibur tome out of his robes and checked for any damage that might cripple the weapon; there were none. Soren always took excellent care of his tomes. Even if there had been, he had spare weapons in his tome satchel; none as powerful as the Rexcalibur, but strong enough.
Micaiah moved to Ike's side as he stood in between the doors, the two exchanging a few quiet words, unnoticed by anyone save Soren. Sothe had told him that the Light Mage had a deep-seated resentment for Ike, due to a number of reasons, so it was strange to see her so close to Ike. But it would seem that either she had gotten over her dislike of the man, or she was ignoring it for the greater good.
The soft clinking of horse's bridles filled the air as those with mounts hauled themselves into their saddles. They'd brought only a small number of riders, as Soren had no idea what the terrain, or lack thereof, would be like when they'd entered the Tower of Guidance.
Boyd chuckled at some joke he'd been told from the back of the formation, most likely from Rolf, before moving to the front next to Soren. The Axe Fighter was quickly joined by Stefan; the green-haired swordsmaster's face was completely devoid of emotion. Stefan had, as a fellow Branded, been fighting for decades longer than the majority of the army had been alive. He was experienced and deadly, most likely the only swordsman on the continent that could stand a chance in a duel against Ike following the death of Zelgius.
Next to Stefan was Tibarn, the Hawk King who was eyeing his wings attentively to make sure that there was nothing out of place. He was a powerful warrior, considered to be one of the strongest in the world. Behind him stood Prince Reyson of Serenes.
All movement was stopped as Ike took several steps forward, and turned to face his men. Metal scraped against wood as he drew the legendary sword Ragnell and raised it above his head, a grim smirk adorning his face. "Greil Army… Move out!" And with that he strode confidently into Ashera's room with Micaiah at his side, quickly followed by Soren and the rest of the army.
The pathway they were on extended over a gaping void that was present throughout almost all of The Tower; Soren wasn't sure how far of a fall it would be if one were to drop, and he was content with not knowing. The bridge connected the door and the central platform, the entire area made of alternating types of wood.
As they walked further into the room they could see a single figure waiting for them; a tall individual, far taller than anyone in their army, flowing silken robes extending down to the floor. Long stark red tresses cascaded down her back, held back only with a strange feathered headpiece.
The columns that held the ceiling at bay loomed overhead, making Soren feel diminutive in comparison. It was most likely an intentional stylistic choice, planting the first seeds of doubt in the mind of invaders. Soren would not be fooled.
"It's her…" Ike breathed, hand visibly clenching around Ragnell's hilt.
"Ashera." Micai—No, that was Yune; Micaiah had brown eyes, not red—ran up to the taller woman like a child meets their mother when she comes home. "Ashera! It's me… Yune. Can you hear me?"
Even without Yune's confirmation Soren would've known the woman was Ashera; she radiated a feeling of power, of authority. Absolute authority. Just standing in her presence made Soren want to drop his tome and submit.
The goddess of Order did not move, failing to reply to her counterpart's words.
"Please! Please listen to me!" Yune cried desperately. "You don't need to pass any more judgment! You can return the people to normal!"
"I cannot," Ashera finally replied, "There are still people in my world who are made of fallible flesh. This imperfect world has passed beyond control. Now, I shall pass my final judgment."
"Wait! You can't destroy mankind, Ashera! One thousand years still haven't passed. We were woken by Galdr, not by mankind's war. Mankind still has a chance, so please don't Judge them…" Yune almost begged Ashera. If she wasn't in front of him, Soren was sure he would see tears forming in Micaiah's eyes.
"It doesn't matter," Ashera replied coldly.
"It… It doesn't matter?" Yune tilted her head to the side, confused.
Ashera stepped back and waved her hand, glowing, semi-transparent images appearing where she had stood. Images of war, of bloodshed. Most prominent among them images of Laguz and Beorc fighting against one another. "During my long sleep, Beorc and Laguz continued to fight. The children of flesh will never learn nor grow. Time will pass as always, but nothing can change the destiny of mankind."
"How could you say that?" Yune questioned her counterpart. "Who can pass judgment of what has yet to happen? The First Judgment didn't turn everyone to stone, and I'll tell you why. Because these people have changed. They are not "people" as we know them.
"People—the Zunanma—are the only living creatures of this world that we didn't create. Animals evolved to become Zunanma, who then became Laguz and Beorc. That evolution continues today!
"Ashera… I'll tell you a secret you didn't know. Children can be born of both a Beorc and Laguz parent. Some of these children are born with a brand. These special children look like Beorc, but they're not the same. They have longer lifespans and lots of special abilities like the Laguz. They are still very few in number, but if allowed to flourish, with passing time, mankind might become anything! If the two races, Beorc and Laguz, continue to evolve, I'm sure something wonderful will emerge! I want to see what mankind becomes. You can't just bring that to a halt."
"Do not claim certainty of anything," Ashera countered, "The children of this world are born of chaos, and nothing could be more uncertain. You refuse certainty and welcome change. The world does not require the evolution of man. The process of evolution requires countless sacrifices. My responsibility is to protect Order, the balance of all life-forms. Man has no place in my world. Beings that evolve without my guidance will only destabilize and threaten this world. Because of that–"
"You have wipe out everything made of flesh?" Yune interrupted incredulously, sounding as if she genuinely could not believe what Ashera was speaking of. "Is that what you're trying to say?" She sighed resignedly. "Very well then. You and I have nothing more to talk about. My only choice is to defeat you."
"Yune," Ashera scolded, "Do not be absurd. You cannot overthrow me, just as I cannot overthrow you."
"Of course not. But they can." Yune gestured behind her at the rest of the army, before turning to face them. "Everyone! The time has come! Defeat Ashera, or everyone you love will be a statue forever!"
Soren scoffed slightly at the goddess' words. Not the most inspiring speech ever, but it got the point. It was one Soren could get behind, however. Most pre-battle speeches were long, flowery affairs, rife with arrogant words and unfulfilled promises. Useless things, really. One could get the job done with far fewer words, and in far less time.
Ashera's gaze moved past her counterpart and took in the Greil Army's formation. "These people, they carry your blessing, Yune… You mean to fight me?"
"Ashera, our goddess…" Ike stepped forward, almost challenging the goddess of Order. "This is the world—and we are the people—you created. You make it sound as if we're some sort of filthy creatures that just decided to settle down here and cause trouble. Ashera, it doesn't matter how you want to balance this world or how you want to preserve order. We will always fight among ourselves and cause trouble for you. I bet you're really angry with us."
"Ike! Don't say it like that," Yune warned.
"We're not perfect," Ike continued, ignoring Yune. Ike always was terrible at speaking to important people. "Sometimes our brains tell us one thing, while our emotions tell us another. And war… The more we try to avoid it, the worse it is when it comes to us."
"People are probably the dumbest creatures alive." Yune butted back in. "But… Somehow you're also the most endearing. It's your imperfections that make you so interesting… Imperfections very similar to ours."
"But, even the dumbest creatures will love their family, their friends and… even love others. They will all have things that they can't afford to lose," Ike said, shifting on his feet. "We know that we've messed up. We'll do our best to avoid more war and to make peace our highest priority. Ashera, just give us one more chance. All we ask is for one more chance."
"You expect me to reverse my Judgment?" Ashera asked. "What right do you have to make such a request? The goddess of Order cannot be so… mercurial. My decision is final."
"So that's how it's going to be, huh?" Ike asked resolutely. "Then we will fight…and we will save our people. Make your peace with whatever the gods worship. Your end is near."
"My end is near?" The goddess outright laughed at Ike's statement. "Don't be absurd. It matters not how man has changed. Nor does it matter that Yune has blessed you with her great power. After all, you are facing the creator of all living beings. Your lives were created by me, and you expect to defeat me? It's simply not possible."
The mercenary commander squared his shoulders and raised his sword. "In every battle that mattered in my life, I've always been the one left standing, no matter how slim my chances. I've taken many lives in my battles. This battle means more than any of the others, because it's for the life of every person that I've ever cared about. I will win this fight." Following his words, Ike charged and went to take the goddess head on.
Immediately, Soren started snapping out orders. "Titania, Oscar, take Boyd and Rolf on a flanking maneuver behind Ashera. Rolf provide covering fire and Boyd eliminate the spirits on that side." The two Paladins nodded sharply and thundered off towards the spirits, each slinging a green-haired boy up with them as they went.
"Kurthnaga, Ena, Jill, and Stefan go to the left side; Dragons take the lead. Micaiah, Sothe, Sanaki, and Tibarn to the right. Mist and Reyson, I want you two to be a mobile healing unit; I will cover you when I can. Pelleas, go with them,"
The rest of the soldiers waved their acknowledgment and moved out, taking their positions.
The arena was an empty, flat slab of stone; every so often the stones were coated with a thin veneer of wood, but that wasn't anything he could use. There was no terrain, nothing Soren could manipulate to his advantage. But on the plus side, that also meant that there was nothing his opponent could use to her advantage. Although Soren was skeptical that Ashera knew enough about strategy to influence him, she had never, to Soren's knowledge of history, been forced into a situation where tactics and strategy were the only way out. Perk of being a goddess, he supposed.
Magic pulling at his fingers, Soren threw a Rexcalibur spell at Ashera; enormous slabs of ice raining down from the air, aiming to crush his target. Being one of the most powerful spells on Tellius, Rexcalibur was nothing any mage worth his salt would scoff at, but Ashera was on another level of power. She simply waved her hand in the air, forming a glowing golden shield, adorned by runes of incredible power, which easily deflected the legendary spell.
Immediately after diverting Soren's magic, the goddess of Order turned faster than the eye could see and released a dazzling amount of power, aimed directly at Ike. Mist cried out a warning for her brother, and the Radiant Hero dove to the side, barely escaping the aura of destruction that burst against the wall far behind him.
On the opposite side of Soren and Ike, Oscar wheeled his steed and took a run at Ashera, the tip of his lance glittering in the torchlight. The paladin reached his target and hammered his lance down heavily, aiming at the goddess' collarbone. She summoned a second shield to block the green-haired man's lance, tearing a howl of pain out of his throat as his shoulder was dislocated from the force of the impact.
Oscar's mare reared up onto her back legs, sensing her rider's plight. Scrabbling to regain control of his steed, Oscar dropped his lance and reached for the reins with his left hand, visibly wincing at moving his recently dislocated arm. With his weapon out of his hand, and his attention elsewhere, Ashera took that moment to fling another spell at the paladin.
Hearing the goddess' movement, Oscar looked up from his task, eyes widening as they caught sight of the attack. It would unfortunately be the last thing he ever saw. Oscar drew his arms up in an attempt to cover his face, but it was futile, as his body was vaporized by the Judge.
Soren swayed slightly on his feet. Oscar, while he and Soren were never incredibly close, was one of the most well-liked members of the Greil Mercenaries. He was always there if someone wanted to talk, akin to Titania in that manner. The main contribution Oscar had made was his constant support of his brothers, encouraging them to be better fighters, as well as better people.
Boyd cried out in shock as his brother fell before his eyes, arms momentarily falling limply to his sides. His eyes full of denial and disbelief, quickly replaced with pure, unadulterated rage; focused on one thing: Ashera. The Reaver roared a challenge at the goddess, his face positively murderous. His axe was a blur as it spun around his body, forming intricate patterns of death.
Soren flung another spell at the goddess, trying to divert her attention from the ferocious reaver. She threw up another shield, blocking the attack even with her back turned to the mage.
Boyd leapt at Ashera, his axe hurtling through the air, angled to lop her head off. A shield appeared in the path of the axe, generating a bright flash of light and blinding Boyd, as well as deflecting his weapon.
Ashera capitalized on the opportunity, blasting the green-haired man with her Judgment, sending him to join his older brother.
Mist cried out from the other side of the room, choking back a sob. Even when they'd been younger Mist and Boyd had been close; Mist always being there to insult the axe fighter.
Boyd, another gone. Much like his brother, Boyd was a kind and just man, someone you could always count on to do the right thing. He had a strong rivalry with Ike, which led to many meetings between him and Soren.
The mage was already starting to feel the hopelessness of the situation; two of their best fighters were dead in one hit, not even leaving bodies behind. The amount of power wielded by Ashera was staggering.
It was clear to him at that point that nothing short of a miracle would get them out alive; and a miracle against a goddess? Unlikely. They needed a plan, something monumental and exceptionally genius.
It was at that moment that Ike leapt back into the fray, bringing Ragnell down in a wide arc and landing a glancing blow against Ashera's arm. Glowing golden blood flowed down the limb, her sleeve quickly absorbing the blood and preventing any from hitting the floor.
Soren stared dumbly. She could bleed! After losing two men they had landed one hit, it was a thin scratch, but it was better than nothing. It made sense that it would be Ike that could actually damage Ashera; he was their leader and wielded a sword blessed by the goddess herself. Although… Alondite was also in play via Mist, who, while not a master of the sword, was most likely better than the average swordsman. Theoretically if they could draw more blood then Ashera would get weaker from the lack of it, but who even knew if a goddess could bleed out.
Soren backed off to an appropriate distance and flipped open his tome satchel, feeling around for a different tome. It took him barely a second to locate the one he wanted and pull it out; Blizzard, a spell designed to quickly and accurately eliminate your opponents at extreme range. Not useful in many situations, but helpful in its own niche, something Soren could appreciate.
Ice rained down from the heavens as Soren casted Blizzard on Ashera, giving him time to prop his tomes under his arm and let out a piercing whistle, signaling the rest of the team that there was a change of plans. It was always good to have signals in place for a battle, although it was possible that no one heard him over the goddess' spells.
Using Mist to defeat Ashera would be a contingency, Soren decided. It was far preferable for Ike to attack, as he was a natural at sword fighting and would be more likely to survive the fight.
In the center of the arena, Ashera shifted in her place, raising both of her arms skyward as if reaching up to take hold of the sky itself. Ethereal runes snaked up her arms from wrist to shoulder, glowing with a sickly golden light.
Soren recognized some of them; they were in the ancient tongue, most common among them was the rune meaning Light, but he didn't know the meaning of the vast majority. Unfortunately, Soren was not fluent in the ancient tongue; it was something he had wished to learn during his time after the Mad King's War, but had never gotten around to doing.
The goddess abruptly lowered her arms, flicking her wrist as she did so, summoning orbs of pure light that orbited around her like satellites. The spheres floated about for several agonizing seconds, each one pulsating to a beat that no one heard, bobbing up and down lightly. After those seconds passed, the orbs rotated around Ashera, accelerating around her as time flowed onward. Upon reaching a high speed, they separated themselves from their orbit and spread out across the arena, positioning themselves so that the distance between any two orbs was identical.
Once they had reached their positions, the spheres floated higher in the air and began to glow brighter. Soren was getting concerned; the orbs had yet to really do anything, which was a strange occurrence during a battle where both sides should be trying to kill each other. But it was possible that they were a distraction, and a devious one at that. Send out a group of very attack-looking orbs and have them do nothing. If it was a ruse, Soren would have to commend Ashera on her intelligence.
Soren's thoughts were proven incorrect when the orbs propelled down into the floor and released a wave of bright light, temporarily blinding him. The moment the light touched him, Soren started to feel weak, drained. As if he had fought several battles back to back, with no rest inbetween. Even after the stream passed him he continued to be drained of his power, almost passing out from sheer exhaustion.
Falling to his knees, Soren rested his hands on the ground and tried to regain his feet. Failing to do so, he surveyed his surroundings to see how the others were fairing.
Jill was missing, hidden behind her wyvern's large frame. The beast's sides heaved as it shifted its wings about. It seemed to be taking the attack even worse than Soren, looking seconds from dozing off.
Near Jill lay Stefan, the branded swordsmaster slowly regaining his composure as he hauled himself to his feet. The tall man reached down and grasped his sword, lifting it off the ground and swinging it experimentally. He was clearly unimpressed with the results of his swing, and a pained expression covered his face.
Kurthnaga and Ena both fared somewhat well; the two dragons were already back on their feet when Soren looked their way. The only indication the two gave that they even felt the magic was the way they both held their wings, the appendages drooping wearily.
Soren was broken out of his surveillance when he heard a soft groan from nearby; looking in the direction he saw Mist, laying prone next to her horse. It seemed Mist had injured herself falling from her steed, the girl clutching her leg tightly. She had seemingly forgotten that she was a healer, or she couldn't heal herself. Soren didn't know; he wasn't particularly knowledgeable about staff theory; only learning the basics so he had the ability to heal his subordinates in battle.
Soren dragged himself over to Mist, each footstep feeling ten times harder than it should have. Once he'd reached her he knelt down next to her and pulled his staff out of his robe, placing it on the ground at his side before gently prying Mist's hands from her leg.
"Soren?" Mist blinked, tilting her head wearily in his direction.
The mage picked up his staff and positioned it next to the girl's leg. "Lay still for a moment, Mist; I need to heal your leg."
Mist nodded tiredly and laid her head on the ground, closing her eyes. The only reason Soren knew she had not fallen asleep was due to the barely visible tightness of her jaw, and the twitching of her fingers.
A light feeling passed through Soren's hands as he channeled his magic into the staff; it didn't feel warm, as if he had put his hands too close to a fire; nor did he feel he had shoved his hands in an ice cold lake. The feeling just was. He knew what it was, of course. It was the feeling of pure magic drifting from his body to the staff, the rod's tip glowing lightly as it received the charge.
Soren tossed a quick look over his shoulder, making sure he was safe from Ashera, at least temporarily. What he saw surprised him; a blur of blue danced around the goddess, sword flicking in every possible direction, occasionally landing minuscule hits on Ashera. Ike was actually doing it; he was dueling a goddess. His opponent had coated her hands with hardened light and was using them to repel the Radiant Hero's blows, grasping Ragnell by the blade and guiding it away from her body.
Soren looked back down and lightly pressed the bulbous end of the staff to Mist's wound, the magic jumping like lightning over the short distance. The edges of the gash flared like the sun, its lips slowly fusing themselves back together. Before long it was gone, the only traces of it being the blood on Mist's leg and a bright pink scar where it had once been.
"It's done," Soren said, tucking his staff back into his robes and extending a hand to Ike's sister, "Up you come, Ike needs assistance.
Mist reached her hand up and took Soren's, practically flying to her feet. Mist weighed barely anything, Soren noted. She was light as a feather, even to a mage who didn't do too much physical exercise. Once she was up, Soren placed his hand on Mist's arm in case she collapsed. He reached his other hand down to the floor and reclaimed his tome, stashing it in his satchel for safekeeping.
Soren stumbled closer to Ike, half-carrying, half-dragging Mist along with him. After only a few moments, Mist waved Soren off and began walking on her own power.
"I'm fine." She tucked an elixir into her bag and drew Alondite, steel scraping softly against leather as she removed the blade from its sheath. The sword gleamed under the torchlight, making Mist look every part the daughter to one of Daein's former four Riders that she was.
In the center of the arena, Ike grasped one of the goddess' arms and used it to propel himself over her head, landing lightly on his toes. Immediately after his feet touched the floor, Ike swung Ragnel behind his back, attempting to bisect Ashera at the waist. Only moments before the divine weapon touched her skin, the goddess of Order darted her hand down and grasped the blade, flinging it and Ike to the side like a ragdoll.
The Radiant Hero was back on his feet in seconds and charged Ashera once again, sword a blinding wheel of light as he swung it in complex patterns, darting blows aimed at the goddess. He managed to land several hits on his opponent, one on the left side of her stomach, and multiple on her arms and legs. The main target Soren knew he was aiming for was the head; head wounds bled furiously, and were difficult to stanch, making them excellent if you were looking to weaken their opponent from blood loss.
The two stood alone in the middle of the room; Ashera staying immobile, as she had for the entirety of the battle up to that point; with Ike dancing around her, doing everything he could to land hits on the goddess. They were not evenly matched at all, Soren could tell. There were telltale signs of it; Ashera's lack of mobility compared to Ike's obvious exertion, her lazy movements from what body parts Ashera did move; and others. The fight was sure to not last much longer.
As if hearing Soren's analysis, Ashera broke her concentration on Ike, lifting her foot off the ground and slammed it back down, generating a brilliant white wave of light that knocked every person to the ground.
Soren tried to get back up, he really did. But it felt to him as if he was being held down by invisible hands, preventing him from climbing back to his feet.
"Recalcitrant fools, even now you do not desist." The goddess stated, her voice booming across the room. "Chaos walks amongst you, sowing Her seeds of disorder and seeking to disrupt the fragile Order of this world. She wishes to destroy all that I have built, to instill Chaos over Order. And for what? Freedom?" She let out a harsh scoff. "The races of this world know not what is best for them; they wage war against one another, slaughtering thousands in pitiful shows of superiority, only to stray from their ideals once they stand at the foot of the throne."
Movement from across the room, near Elincia's downed pegasus, drew Soren's attention, a flash of green flitting across his peripheral vision before going still. Someone had escaped Ashera's hold, Soren was sure of it. But how, he knew not. Soren himself was pinned solidly to the floor, unable to move. He thought it unlikely that one of them had been able to forcefully break the bonds; the members of the team they had brought to fight Ashera were strong, but not that strong.
The goddess continued her monologue, going on about Order and Chaos, but Soren had stopped paying attention. What had his attention was the object on the other side of the arena, which had moved again. The object shifted and revealed itself—or rather, herself—to be Elincia. The Queen of Crimea rubbed her eyes groggily, propping herself up on one elbow, and looked blearily at her surroundings. Seemingly surprised at where she was, Elincia's eyes widened to the size of dinner plates when she spotted the goddess mere meters away from her.
Thoughts almost visibly ran through the Queen's mind as she took in the situation, whipping her head around the arena until her eyes met with Soren's, the two having a silent conversation. Once they had come to an understanding, Soren gestured with his eyes at Ashera, hoping that Elincia would understand his meaning. Thankfully, it seemed she did as she fumbled at her sheath for a moment, drawing her sword quietly.
Elincia stealthily rose to her feet, wobbling only slightly from fatigue, and crept slowly towards the goddess of Order. It took her less than a minute to cross over to where her target was, an excruciatingly long amount of time for Soren, who was watching her out of the corner of his eye. By the time she had made it, however, Ashera was finishing her monologue, preparing to finish them off.
Just as Ashera was raising her hand to smite the group into oblivion, Elincia stood tall behind her and brought Amiti down with a flick of the wrist; her first strike impacting the goddess' collarbone, and the second impaling her where the shoulder blade ends.
Surprise was written on Ashera's face as she collapsed to the ground, her body hitting the floor with a dull thud. Soren rose from the floor, having been released the moment Elincia's second blow connected. He sighed softly; they had done it. Against all odds they had defeated the goddess of Order, hopefully forever. It was not something Soren had thought they would actually be able to do, in all honesty. Defeat had been looming over their heads like a wraith, hidden and unseen, but still there.
Soren jumped slightly as Ike came alongside him and grasped his arm, a weary smile stretched over his face. "We did it," were the only words to leave Ike's mouth before he moved over to embrace his sister, the latter sobbing quietly into her brother's chest in relief.
Having been left alone for a moment, Soren placed his Rexcalibur tome back into his satchel, drawing out a concoction as he did so. He wasn't quite sure what was in it, but it was like the food of the gods as it slid down his throat. A quiet snort escaped him at the thought; just weeks ago the phrase would have meant something different to him, but now that he had fought Ashera it had lost all meaning.
"Fools," a dark voice boomed through the room, startling the group just as they had lowered their defenses. The voice sounded like—no it couldn't be, they had just- "I am not defeated so easily."
Ashera's body rose from the floor like a marionette, limbs flopping around as if she had no bones. The bones quickly fused back together, a sickening crack echoing around the room and drawing a wince from Soren.
A powerful spell left the goddess's hand, the glowing white light flying slowly at Ike, who was standing next to his sister. Ike reacted quickly, throwing himself and his sister to the side, sending them sprawling across the floor and away from the spell's destination. The spell hit the floor where the two had formerly been standing, shaking the room with its power.
After her first spell had missed due to its lack of speed, Ashera quickly threw three more around the room, their velocity adjusted. The first one was directed at Kurthnaga and Ena, the two dragons having shifted back into their Beorc forms after the goddess' assumed demise. The spell hit directly in between the two of them, both dragons being instantly vaporized, no trace of them being left where they had stood.
The second spell was aimed at Soren himself; but he was ready for it, having expected Ashera to know he was the mastermind behind all their strategy, so it was an easy dodge for him. Again he scrambled to come up with a plan, racking his brain for every historical encounter with an all-powerful being.
There was only one: The Great Flood; where Altina, Dheginsea, and Soan had faced down Yune to prevent her from destroying the world. Little was known about the battle, and what was known was heavily edited by Dheginsea, so there was nowhere near the amount of information he needed to come up with a sound plan.
As he fruitlessly attempted to draft a plan, Ashera threw her third spell; the projectile hitting Reyson, killing both him and Tibarn, who was nearby trying to get the Heron to safety.
With the deaths of four more of their party, Ike stepped up and once again attempted to do battle with the goddess. As he did so, Ashera threw even more magic from behind her back, securing the deaths of Jill, who was half stuck under her wyvern; Stefan, hit by a glancing blow on his left arm, but it was enough; Sothe, the thief throwing himself in front of Micaiah to prevent her death; and Pelleas, who had been attempting to cover Reyson and Tibarn before their deaths.
Ashera was no longer playing around; she was putting all of her power into destroying the Greil Army. It was clear to Soren that the goddess had not been taking the fight seriously, as evidenced by her lack of movement during the first half of it. But it seemed that knocking her down had proved the threat they posed.
Soren flung a spell at Ashera at the same time as Ike slashed with Ragnell, the two attacks flying in tandem with one another; Ragnell hit the goddess first, tearing a long gash down her side, followed by Soren's Rexcalibur. The latter did not do much to its target, largely due to Ashera's magical nature, but it managed to distract the goddess long enough for Ike to relocate himself away from her.
Following Ike's relocation, Mist took the front and attempted to land a few hits with Alondite. She ultimately failed, however; Mist was not as good a sword fighter as her brother and was unable to pierce the wall that was Ashera's defense.
Mist tried to follow her brother's lead, withdrawing from the front after a short time, but she was blocked by a Light Spirit that had appeared moments before. She yelped as she noticed the spirit, darting her eyes around wildly and seeking a way out. The spirit edged forward, crowding Mist's space and pushing her closer to Ashera. The cleric lunged ahead, bringing Alondite across in a horizontal slash, vanquishing the spirit.
As Mist was bringing her sword back up, Ashera launched another spell at her. Soren opened his mouth to call a warning, but it was already too late; Ike's sister had already been dissolved in a bright flash.
"Mist!" Rolf screamed, loosing an arrow at Ashera's head and running towards her.
"Rolf! Stay back!" Ike called to him. But he did not get through to the grief stricken young man; Rolf being the first one to lose a significant other to the fight. The two had been courting since the end of the Mad King's War, making them by far the youngest couple in the Greil Mercenaries.
"I'll kill you, Ashera!" Rolf roared as he fired arrow after arrow at the goddess. "I'll kill you!"
Rolf made it half way to Ashera before anyone was close enough to try to stop his suicidal charge, getting forcefully lifted off his feet by the collar of his shirt and thrown onto the back of Titania's horse. The red-headed woman spoke forcefully to Rolf as they galloped away, the archer attempting to leap off the steed and charge Ashera again. Their conversation was interrupted by an orb of white light hitting the forelegs of Titania's horse, ending both their lives.
It was down to Soren, Ike, Elincia, and Micaiah. Four warriors versus a goddess. Soren threw more spells at the goddess, focusing on distracting her and preventing any more deaths. They needed to keep Ike alive; he was the only one who stood a chance at defeating Ashera, and, if her original 'defeat' was to be believed, the only one who could defeat her.
Soren dove forward, dropping into a clumsy roll to dodge another blast of light. He returned to his feet only a few meters from where Alondite laid on the ground, and scooped up the sword, attaching its sheath to his belt. He would not be using it, unfortunately, he was nowhere near qualified to be using the legendary blade. But him having it was superior to it staying on the floor, or, Yune forbid, Ashera taking up the blade.
A set of footsteps approached him, and he turned to see Micaiah standing beside him, face covered in a sheen of sweat and tears.
"This is not working," the silver-haired girl said, tossing a spell of her own at Ashera, who was barely visible to them behind Ike's large frame. Her body suddenly shuddered, eyes turning blood red as Yune took control.
This time Yune spoke in Micaiah's place. "I have a plan."
"What is it?" Soren asked as even more magic flowed from his body. He was becoming fatigued. Casting as much magic as he had would do that to a person; even without the spell Ashera had used, many mages would have collapsed from exhaustion only halfway through the battle.
Yune shook Micaiah's head gently, as if she was worried she would damage Micaiah's body. "It is not a plan that I wish to use, and will only do so if there are no other options. But we are nearing that point. I will inform you of the plan when we reach it."
"Understood." Soren nodded and ran closer to Ike and Ashera, meeting up with Elincia, who was patiently waiting for an opening to attack.
The Queen of Crimea's face was screwed up with concentration, eyes darting this way and that as she tried to keep up with the blazing fast duel between Ike and his opponent. Her right hand clenched and unclenched on the hilt of her sword, the other tapping a staccato pattern on the sheath at her hip.
Ike darted forward and slashed at Ashera's abdomen, the blade shearing through the goddess' robes and drawing more golden blood. Once his swing had been completed in full, Ashera grasped the blade of Ragnell and whipped it back across her body, sending Ike flying across the room.
Seeing both an opening and a need to distract the goddess, Elincia rushed in and brought her own weapon down across Ashera's shoulder. Her attack was quickly followed by a spell from Soren.
While Elincia was distracting Ashera, Soren rushed over to Ike and helped the Radiant Hero to his feet.
"Do you have a way out of this?" Ike asked, throwing his cape back over his shoulders.
Soren shook his head in response. "No. But Yune has one that is only to be used should no other options present themselves."
"Then we will make ourselves an option." With that Ike ran back into the fray, joining Elincia in her fight.
The Queen was holding up surprisingly well against Ashera; most likely having more energy than the others since she rode her pegasus during their climb up the Tower. She was still exhausted, of course; they all were, even Ike. But she was showing almost no sign of her fatigue other than the slight drooping of her shoulders, and the weariness in her eyes,
Soren was feeling useless. His magic was completely worthless against Ashera; the goddess was practically absorbing the magic and using it to heal, and he could not for the life of him come up with a workable plan. It was like his brain was forgetting everything he had committed to memory over the course of two wars.
Ike and Elincia dueled Ashera like they had been doing it their entire lives, each aware of what the other was doing, never giving Ashera time to rest, much less attack. It was going surprisingly well; they knew it, and so did Ashera.
With a flick of her wrist, Ashera sent Elincia flying across the arena and focused solely on Ike. The Radiant Hero had a determined look on his face, eyes narrowed in concentration. Rangell was held with two hands as he stood in an absolutely flawless stance, which was to be expected from a swordsman of his caliber.
Lunging forward, Ike jabbed Ragnell towards Ashera, forcing her to try to counter. But his attack was a feint, and he reversed his stab, slamming the hilt of his weapon into the goddess' forehead.
Soren winced in pain. That blow would have easily knocked a non-goddess out cold, and quite possibly given them brain damage. But it did not faze Ashera. The goddess reached out and grabbed Ike by the throat, lifting him into the air with magical strength. She slowly squeezed her hand as Ike scrabbled to release himself, throwing a mighty punch into her face.
The punch practically bounced off the goddess' skin as Ike's face slowly started to turn purple. Soren tossed both a spell and his spare tome; both projectiles glancing off. Finally, Ike brought Ragnell up from underneath and swung it directly into the arm that was holding him up, in a blow that should have ended with Ashera's arm falling off at the elbow. It did not. But Ike fell to the ground coughing as Ashera clutched her arm, a murderous look on her normally passive face.
While Ike was still recovering, the goddess of Order summoned a monstrously sized orb of light and flung it at Ike. The orb flew lazily through the air, almost taunting its target.
Soren could only gape as Ike was reduced to ashes floating slowly to the ground, the goddess with a satisfied look on her face.
"No…" he whispered, eyes watering. Ike, his best—and first—friend was gone, slain by an Order-obsessed goddess. They'd known each other for years, Ike being the one who'd practically saved Soren from a life of homelessness and squalor on the streets of whatever town he found himself in. Ike had given him many gifts over the years; most notable among them a home through his father; as well as constant companionship.
"Yune!" Soren called out, burying his grief momentarily and gesturing for Elincia to join him, "That plan would be perfect right now!"
"One moment," the goddess of Chaos replied, lowering Micaiah's head and chanting an unknown language under her breath; it sounded older than the Ancient Tongue, darker, and full of power.
Taking advantage of their lack of offense, Ashera swiftly fired a spell at them, a second following shortly after the first.
"Now, Yune!" Soren shouted as the magic sailed towards them, the mage pulling Elincia behind him in hopes that he could survive the spell. He threw an arm up over his face futilely and waited for the end. It never came. Slowly lowering his arm, Soren was met with a glowing golden wall of light. It must have blocked the spells, Soren figured, before rage took him and he turned to Yune.
"If you could do this before, why didn't you?" he demanded angrily. "We could have saved everyone."
"It took much of my power to summon this barrier," Yune said, looking Soren directly in the eyes. "Had I utilized it sooner I would not have been able to ensure our victory." She sighed. "But it ultimately did not matter."
"So what do we do?" Elincia asked, defusing the situation.
Soren tilted his head to the side and looked at Yune. "Yes, what do we do?"
The goddess sighed again, looking to the floor. "There is no way we can vanquish Ashera as we are. We lost our opportunity when Ike fell; he was the only one capable of defeating her."
"I still have Alondite! We can do something," Soren protested, tapping the sheath where it hung from his hip.
"But can you—either of you—actually defeat Ashera with it?" Yune countered, before quickly continuing as Soren opened his mouth to respond, "I'll answer that for you: you can't. Queen Elincia is excellent with a sword, of course, but she is nowhere near the matching Ashera. And you, Soren, have never used a sword in your life, much less dueled a goddess."
Soren was getting more than a little frustrated at Yune's tone. "Then what's the plan? Or are you going to stand here demeaning us until Ashera breaks through the shield?"
"Time travel," the goddess of Chaos said simply.
Soren blinked.
"Time… travel?" Elincia asked tentatively.
"Yes, we cannot overcome Ashera as we are, but I can use what remains of my power to send you three back in time," Yune explained. "There you can prevent Ashera's rise and stop her from turning all these people to stone."
What Yune was suggesting was preposterous; abandoning the entire world to the goddess of Order's mercy would lead to the end of life as they knew it. They would be abandoning all the people they had left at the bottom of the Tower of Guidance to death, or worse. On the other hand, they could save everyone and everything by stopping Ashera's rise before it happened. And save Ike.
"Micaiah has already agreed to the plan, if that makes your decision easier," Yune put in helpfully.
It did, somewhat. But not really; he had already made his, so he turned to Elincia and looked her directly in the eyes. She had also made her decision; he could see it. There was a look of determination in her eyes, as well as slight fear, but she was hiding it well.
The two having come to a consensus, Soren turned back to Yune. "We'll do it."
"Excellent," she smiled briefly before reverting to a blank expression. "This will only take a moment."
She chanted quickly in the same tongue as before, this time closing her eyes and making a clear effort to enunciate perfectly. Soren rolled his shoulders around and flexed his fingers, double checking his bag to see if there was anything he would need in it; there wasn't. Beside him, he heard Elincia doing the same, only she inspected her sword whereas he checked his tomes.
Moments after they were done with their preparations, Yune stopped her chanting and opened her eyes, a solemn look in them. "It is ready. I will try to send you as close to the start of the Mad King's War as I am able. Good luck, I will be with you."
And with that, she snapped her fingers, sending Soren falling into darkness.
And so I return, like a middle school teacher after several weeks of substitutes.
So I've had the idea for this story for a while now, since I uploaded the second chapter of my last story, and I really loved it from the start. I will admit it killed my motivation to write the other story. After quite some time of outlining, here it is! I have some big plans for this story, and I really hope I can make it there.
Anyways, to anyone who actually reads this: I hope you enjoyed. I will see you later (probably about this time next month).
- Darth_Darthius