ShadowedTactician: With the completion of Bartre's Machop and Dorcas' Girafarig, production of FE: Lycian League is well underway.
Imppala: At least you've updated... after a long, long time.
ShadowedTactician: Boy, did I have some troubles writing this one. And before I forget...
All: Happy (belated) New Year to you all from all of us at Pokémon Emblem!
Gijinka Renamon
ShadowedTactician: Continuing to churn out more as we speak, GR. That, and FE: Lycian League cards...
Hurricane's Quill
ShadowedTactician: I've seen the site, HQ... and it looks fine, except that there's something wrong with your card font that I can't quite put my finger on, as well as your wording... but it's a very admirable effort so far, in my opinion. Keep going!
Elven-girl10
ShadowedTactician: Actually, the word "thanked" is an actual word... but somehow, the word "thanked" doesn't really appeal to me either, in terms of sound. Thanks for pointing that out, anyway.
The Incarnation Pokémon
Imppala: (shakes head) Whoa... this one sent in an avalanche, she did.
Electrike: Record size since the ones with the Pokémon allotment suggestions.
ShadowedTactician: I pretty much sympathise with you on the loss of data over computer transmissions... the site has a habit of ruthlessly limiting use of punctuation, even rightly used combinations. Everybody knows that putting a question mark and exclamation mark (or the other way round) can make a line of dialogue seem more interesting. Thanks for your overwhelming support.
Grim: Oh, and one last thing... ShadowedTactician won't try to kill you if you do suddenly decide to do a similar crossover for Sacred Stones... he just hopes you haven't suddenly decided yet.
Frodo007
Imppala: More romance will be happening, you mean.
Grim: That, and more people to argue over pairings...
RubyVulpix
ShadowedTactician: It somehow bothers me that Wallace stayed in the Caelin army for so long and never got promoted, though.
Jeanie
Imppala: In fact, the idea came to ShadowedTactician after he remembered a random conversation we had where we paired random Fire Emblem units together based on the same hair colour. Needless to say this yielded vastly disturbing results and thus they shall not be repeated here.
ShadowedTactician: As for Path of Radiance, since I have hardly any idea of what it's about, I don't have anything to say about any possible Pokémon allotment... you could write your own crossover, if you wanted.
Mewmewcuddler
ShadowedTactician: Hm, three more... how many exactly do we have left that haven't been hinted at, Imppala?
Imppala: Lemmesee... one, which I swear people are going to grill you over... two, which is pretty canonic... three, if you don't consider that scene to be a hint...
ShadowedTactician: Well, that's at least three. Somehow, I don't quite get any justification behind Heath with Fiora, or Raven with Serra... you'll certainly have to explain those. Nino getting Feebas is a very interesting idea but sadly I didn't give it to her. Farina... should get something much more offensive. You'll see what she does get, in...
Chapter 25: Crazed Beast/VS Gyarados
The Bern royal family is a pageant of power, love, and hate. Eliwood finds himself embroiled in their troubles. He has been sent to recover the Bern family treasure: the Fire Emblem. It has been stolen from the palace vault. Relying on information that he has uncovered in the city, Hector leads the group south to an area filled with lakes and marshes.
In one of three fortresses standing within a lakeside marsh...
"You there, open the cell," ordered Sonia.
"Lady Sonia?" stammered the Black Fang guard. "Bu-But... the prisoner... my orders are that none may see him..."
"Open the cell," Sonia hissed in her deadly, chilling tone. "Did you hear me?"
"Yes... Yes!" Not wanting to push his luck further, the guard quickly unlocked the cell door before running away.
"Oho... Aren't you a lovely one," grinned the black-haired paladin inside. "I pray you'll forgive the cramped quarters."
"Pascal Grentzer, once and former count of Bern's Landskron," murmured Sonia through pursed lips. "A man whose battlefield prowess was feared far and wide... until you invited your citizens to your castle and slaughtered them. Stripped of your title, you fled the king and joined the Black Fang. Is that an accurate summary?"
"Hmmm... You know me well, it would seem," remarked Pascal.
"You were even made one of the Four Fangs," Sonia continued. "Spending the rest of your days in this place seems so wasteful. I've heard that Brendan calls you 'the Beast'... A monster who would massacre an entire village to kill one person."
"He doesn't know how to enjoy his work," Pascal smirked. "'Never harm any innocents'... Bah. 'The Fang brings justice to those above the law'... Ha ha ha. Quite droll jokes, don't you think?"
"I'm going to release you, Count. I've a job for you. Something you'll love," smiled Sonia nastily. "What do you say? Are you interested?"
"Hmmm... Why not? It can't be worse than rotting here. And I must say, I do love my work." Pascal returned the grin, "Now tell me. What is the name of my target?"
Later that afternoon...
"This is a really remote area, isn't it?" commented Hector.
"Yeah," agreed Eliwood. "Few people call this area home."
"Hector, are you sure about this?" Lyn frowned. "Is the Fire Emblem really here?"
"Yes, I paid a small ransom for this information. There's no mistake," Hector assured. "Look! Do you see those three run-down fortresses? I was told the thieves who base themselves there stole the Fire Emblem."
"Thieves... Wonder if it's true," mused Lyn.
"But that doesn't mean the Fire Emblem is hidden there," Shadow pointed out.
"We'll simply have to go and confirm it for ourselves," Eliwood reasoned.
"Come on. Let's go!" called Hector.
"Oh! Wait, you two!" Lyn shouted, sensing that something was amiss. "This looks... it's them!"
No sooner did Lyn finish her sentence than the whole area become swarmed with an assortment of cavaliers, corsairs, archers, monks and pegasus knights.
"It's about time," Pascal remarked as he rallied his horse at the northwest fortress. "Shall we get started?"
"Lo... Lord Pascal, are you sure?" asked a cavalier. "Shouldn't we tell the chief we've found them?"
"You don't understand, do you?" growled Pascal. "If we tell anyone, the Four Fangs will take over. I will not let my prey be snatched away by those spoiled children. If you wish to be executed for desertion, I'll not stop you from fleeing. I think it would be more fun to fight, though," he smirked. "Shall we proceed, gentlemen?"
Meanwhile...
"Looks like we're completely surrounded," Imppala piped up.
"Bah, I don't think we'll lose if we fight, but... these are not the most favourable conditions," Hector muttered. "Okay! I don't care who, but I need someone to break out and seize those three fortresses. Got that? We seize all three of them!"
"Lord Eliwood! Lord Hector! Look here!" shouted Merlinus, breaking through the usual quiet murmurings of the army that usually took place before each battle, catching the attention of the lords and tacticians. "At long last, I have achieved my heart's desire! Your humble Merlinus has a wagon! Now I will be able to move with you! I can provide you with much better service now!"
"What!" Not believing their eyes, everyone rushed to the transporter's side to see a horse-driven cart replacing Merlinus' usual tent, with Wobbuffet sitting beside the delighted merchant and his Pelipper flying excitedly around.
"How did he do that?" exclaimed Imppala.
"Well, he's got five Pelipper working for him. It wouldn't be hard for Merlinus to get them to procure the necessary materials for constructing the wagon," reasoned Shadow. "...After all, considering that you've abused two arenas and made full use of their potential, Merlinus would have enough funds anyway."
"And you're not even thanking me for that," muttered the red tactician.
"Oh, quit whining," snapped his counterpart. "Let's hear what Nils has to say about this one..."
"One moment, please," requested the bard. "...I see three strongholds. They must all be seized, or victory will escape you... Ah, Lord Hector need not seize them all himself. It matters not who takes the strongholds. All are guarded by mighty foes, so move with caution."
"...I guess all fortune-tellers experience this syndrome every now and then," Imppala grumbled. "They keep telling us drivel we already know."
"Ballista users and... flyers will give you an advantage, I think. White wings may carry the day," continued Nils. "One more thing... it would be best if you had much gold. That's it," he finished.
"White wings... that'd be Fiora and Florina," mused Shadow. "I propose we deploy all sword units to the southwestern fortress, our lords and axe units to the northwestern fortress, and winged units to the northeastern fortress. The winged fighters can transport some of the others whom I didn't categorise and execute a stronger attack."
"Not bad," agreed Imppala. "Alright everyone! You have your orders!"
"We're moving out too, right, Shadow?" inquired Fiora as she and her sister crowded near the two tacticians, along with the rest of the army.
"Yes, Fiora," Shadow replied. "I need you to carry Kent over to the northeast... Only you, Florina and Heath can reach the other side of the lake, and you could use some extra help."
"Understood, Shadow," Fiora nodded. "Let's move out, Florina."
"Okay... but there are so many of them," Florina trembled. "If only Farina were here with us..."
"Florina, it's not helping us to talk about her now," reminded Fiora. "Now, let's go."
However, as the three separate armies set off on their own ways...
"Wow! It's started!" exclaimed a blue-haired, blue-armoured pegasus knight. "I must negotiate quickly, or all the fighting will be done! Hmmm..." she murmured as she scanned the landscape. "Who looks to be in charge on this side?... Aha! There! That must be the leader!"
"Bored, bored, bored..." grumbled Geitz. He and Dart had been assigned to guard Merlinus from incoming pegasus knights and pirates, and needless to say the warrior was not having the time of his life. "Say, Dart... You're a pirate, right? Let's go do something exciting!"
"A word of advice, friend," Dart warned as he folded away an ancient piece of paper. "Never sneak up on a man unfolding a treasure map! Or... are you offering to come with me?"
"What's that?" Geitz frowned.
"Pfaw! That's why you never get anything done!" snorted Dart. "If you've got time to complain, then you've got time to fight!"
"I have an attention span of only half an hour," shrugged the warrior. "Too bad, eh? Heh..."
"Man, are you ever useless," Dart muttered. Sure enough, thirty minutes later...
"I'm hungry... When's lunch? Food, food, food..." Geitz groused. "Hey, pirate, go pilfer me some delicious swag from Merlinus!"
"Geitz!" snapped Dart. "Quit wasting my time! We're supposed to be guarding Merlinus here!"
"Right, right... what about fighting?" suggested Geitz. "Why don't you go do some fighting for me!"
"Who are you giving orders to, fool? Yaaaar!" snarled the berserker.
"Umm, to you, I guess. I've always had help around, you see," the warrior explained, completely oblivious that Dart was angry enough to tear him in two. "Why, even as a child, I always had Nan-Nan and Grampy to help dress me..."
"Rargh!" yelled Dart as he raised his halberd.
"Hey! Stop it!" Geitz exclaimed, barely managing to dodge Dart's furious slashes. "I was joking about the swag, Dart! Put that axe away!"
"...You know, when you left the merchant's guild, I thought I might actually like to partner up with you... But you just don't change, do you?" Dart seethed. "You just wander about, trying any new thing, and you never finish anything! You just keep doing that, over and over! Geitz... What is your life about, anyway? What's the point? Go ahead and be bored all your life, just stay out of my way!"
"...Ouch," muttered Geitz as Dart stomped off. "I really didn't need to hear all that..."
Meanwhile...
"How're things going at your side, Lord Hector?" asked Shadow.
"Alright," huffed the Ostian noble. "Nothing we can't handle. We're taking turns between taking on those cavaliers and having short breaks... those blasted horsemen just won't stop coming."
"Wait," Imppala frowned suddenly, squinting at the sky. "There's something coming at us!"
"Say, excuse me!" hollered the pegasus knight, screeching to a halt in front of the three men. "Yes, you! The grim-faced one!"
"Me?" Hector pointed at his chest, confused.
"You're really pushing yourself, taking on all these enemies," remarked the winged horse rider.
"It's not for pleasure!" snapped Hector. "Hey, who are you anyway? You're not with those guys, are you?"
"Me? No, I'm not. I came out here because I heard I could make some gold," smirked the pegasus knight. "What a joke! Only a fool would work for this piddling amount! Skills like mine do not come cheap."
"You seem pretty... sure of yourself," commented Imppala.
"I am Farina, a mercenary attached to the Strongwings, Ilia's third division of pegasus knights," the lancer introduced herself proudly. "No doubt you've heard of me!"
"I've heard that Ilian mercenaries never betray their employers," Hector remarked thoughtfully. "So... how much would it cost to hire you for ourselves?"
"Ah, so you've an appreciation for true warriors after all? Let me see... I'm yours for 20,000 gold," Farina replied after much consideration.
"20,000 GOLD?" exclaimed Hector. "That's crazy! No sellsword is worth that much!"
"I beg to differ," said Farina as she started counting on her fingers. "Your journey is a long one, yes? More than one battle, surely. That requires a special contract, special arrangements. Not to be morbid, but there are sympathy payments to my family in the unlikely event of my death, for example. Not to mention bonuses, hazard pay, medical treatment..."
"Hold on! That's enough!" Hector yelled. "...Your fee includes all of that, right?"
"Ah, so you understand? I'm so pleased," beamed the Ilian knight. "Well, what will it be? Will you hire me?"
"What should I do... Eliwood's not here to make the final decision," muttered Hector. "Hey, guys! You decide... Shall we hire her?"
"I don't mind," Imppala shrugged. "We've got a ton of gold from all the arena's I've been using."
"And we could use the extra help," added in Shadow.
"...Alright," Hector conceded, as Imppala started to count out the money. "Here it is: 20,000 gold," stated the Ostian lord gruffly. "You've no complaints, do you?"
"Wow!" Farina exclaimed.
"What is it? You'll accept it, right?" asked Hector.
"...You surprise me. You didn't even try to negotiate... Just paid the gold up front!" gaped Farina in awe. "Who... Who are you?"
"I'm Marquess Ostia's brother, Hector. Are you going to take the money or not?" Hector snapped.
"Ah! My gold! Of course I'll take it!" Farina cried, quickly scooping up the huge sack of coins. "Ostia's the biggest territory in all Lycia, isn't it? Pleasure doing business with you, noble sir!"
"Mm. I'm counting on you," nodded Hector.
"Oh, and I've got weapons and vulneraries too," Farina added. "All of my current possessions are included in my fee. Anything new, you pay for. I never cover those expenses. Never!"
"...You've got it all figured out, don't you?" Hector muttered sourly.
"In that case, we'd like you to join our fighters in the northeast," Shadow pointed. "They could use an extra unit."
"I'm on it! Let's go, Murphy!" declared Farina. At the command, her pegasus kicked the ground before taking off into the air, headed right towards where Florina and Fiora were...
"We're being outnumbered!" Fiora noted grimly as she fought off an enemy pirate. "Mechaquila, Steel Wing!"
"Skarrr!" crowed Mechaquila as it swung its metallic wings, matching the corsair's attacks.
"Kent! Go visit that village!" ordered Fiora. "Maybe we can find some help!"
"Alright!" Riding his Stantler, Kent quickly made way for the town in sight. "Excuse me!" he tried to hail the woman swordmaster standing at the gates.
"Hmmm... I heard there was a fighter whose swordwork was a terror to behold," murmured the woman, as if completely oblivious of Kent's greeting. "I travelled a long way to see him myself, but it wasn't my brother. My brother's strokes are far more lovely."
"...Pardon me, but..." Kent began, but the swordmistress had beat him to it.
"I would lend you my sword, but I'm looking for someone. Here, take this," the woman said curtly, tossing an Elysian whip to Kent. "It is a poor substitute, but perhaps it will help you."
"Eh? But..." Before Kent could say anything else, the swordmaster had vanished in the blink of an eye. Still slightly dazed, Kent pocketed the promotional item and proceeded to leave, when...
"Yaaaa!" yelled an enemy pegasus knight from above, brandishing her lance.
"Stantler! Look out!" cried Kent, trying to dodge the foe's killer stabs. "Ah!"
"Kent! Grab my hand!" yelled Fiora, swooping down and picking up the cavalier just in time. "Return, Stantler!" Kent shouted, recalling the Big Horn Pokémon.
"...Oh no!" Fiora exclaimed suddenly. "Florina!"
"Kyaaaa!" The said falcoknight was screaming her head off, being surrounded by a team of monks. "Mitch, help me!"
"Pidgeot!" Valiantly, Mitch began to flap its wings in an attempt to blow the monks away.
"Lightning!" In a coordinated assault, light magic poured from the holy men's fingers, striking down Mitch in a brilliant flash.
"No! Mitch!" squealed Florina. "Noooo! Stay away!"
"Nero! Drill Peck, now!" shouted a female voice from above. All of a sudden, a huge brown bird dove down from the sky, spinning in-flight at a speed so fast that a twister was being generated from the tip of its beak. Monks who couldn't get away in time were skewered by the Flying-type Pokémon's attack.
"That Fearow..." frowned Fiora. "Could it be?"
"Well, if it isn't Florina!" boomed Farina's voice. "It's been so long! How have you been?"
"Sister! Ah... Waaaaah!" The fear from almost being shredded into pieces by light magic and relief from seeing her long-lost sister combined were too much for Florina to bear, and she began to bawl.
"Hey! Don't start crying all over me!" Farina exclaimed.
"Farina... Why are you here?" Fiora asked as she touched down.
"Ah... Fiora? You and Florina are with Lord Hector's company, right?" inquired Farina.
"Yes, that's right," nodded Fiora. "You, too?"
"Mm. I'm getting paid a nice, hefty sum. I plan to see he gets his money's worth," Farina continued.
"Farina... I know it's been two years, but..." Fiora began.
"What? Oh... that," blushed Farina. "Let's talk about it later, alright? Just the two of us. See you!"
"Farina, wait!" shouted Fiora, but her sister had already left. Sighing, Fiora placed a hand on her forehead as a distant memory started to flash through her mind...
"Fiora! What did you have to do that for?" Farina nearly yelled. "You didn't have to leave your mission to come and rescue me!"
"You're my sister, Farina!" Fiora retorted. "I couldn't just leave you out there!"
"But look at what those Bern nobles did to you!" shouted Farina, pointing at an unrolled parchment with a royal seal stamped on it. "Fifty thousand gold for breach of contract! We could buy ourselves at least a year's supply of food with that kind of money!"
"That's the problem with you! Money, money, money... that's all you ever think about!" screamed the older sister. "Do you think I would have left you to die? You're my sister!"
"Oh yeah? You know what your problem is? You're too naively idealistic!" accused the younger sibling. "I'm just a fledgling pegasus esquire! You shouldn't have risked your career for me! Now look at what we have to do!"
"Fine!" snapped Fiora. "If you don't like the way I think, then go! Get out of here!"
"I will!" Farina snarled, grabbing two Pokéballs from the table. "And I'm never coming back!"
SLAM! went the door, as the second pegasus sister angrily shut the door behind her, leaving Fiora fit to burst with her own anger, and Florina silently crying to herself in one corner...
"Fiora?" Kent nudged, arousing Fiora from her trance. "Are you alright?"
"Hm? I'm fine, Kent," Fiora murmured. "...I just worry about Farina."
"I understand," agreed Kent. "Sometimes I worry over Sain the same way. I know just how you feel."
"Mm," nodded Fiora. "I hope she's okay..."
Farina, in the meantime, was certainly proving herself to be not only extremely useful as she and Nero swooped on enemy after enemy... but also extremely irritating, much to the chagrin of some members of the group she was fighting with. Every now and then when she took a break, Farina would waste no time in boasting about her hefty pay.
"Ha!" shouted Farina, thrusting her lance through another cavalier. "Alright, Murphy, take us down."
"Hrrrumph!" Grunting in response, the pegasus gently landed on the forested ground, followed by Nero as it perched on a nearby tree.
"Now... who else can I boast to? I've done Dorcas, Bartre, Kent... Ah!" she smiled confidently to herself. "Hey, kid! Come here!"
"Hm?" Dart wiped the remains of an enemy monk from his axes before coming over to the pegasus knight who had beckoned him. "Who are you?"
"I'm Farina. I just want to ask you something... How much are they paying you?" Farina inquired.
"What? Why do you want to know?" responded Dart.
"Don't change the subject! Just tell me!" pleaded Farina. "My honour depends on your answer!"
"What are you talking about? You're a real strange one, you know?" Dart stared at her incredulously, before answering, "...I'm not being paid a single doubloon."
"Are you serious?" Farina exclaimed.
"Why are you so shocked? I mean, I get to travel a lot... It's not like I have to pay for anything," shrugged Dart.
"Whoa... I just can't believe it..." gaped Farina as she backed away in mock awe. "You must be the stupidest person I've ever met!"
"Now you watch that pretty little mouth of yours, lass, before I turn it sideways!" growled the berserker.
"So I guess my 20,000 gold wage really is the highest here..." nodded the pegasus knight to herself. "Well, who would be surprised? I am quite simply the finest mercenary that money can buy," she smirked.
"Ha! 20,000 gold! You put your life on the line for that chump change?" Now it was Dart's turn to snigger. "Man, oh, man... Some people just go stupid for cash..."
"What did you just say?" Farina snapped. "Well then, what are you here for?"
"Haw! You want to know? I'm here for me!" Dart answered proudly. "I'm a big guy, and I've got big dreams!"
"Yeah, I bet," sneered Farina. "You probably don't have two coppers to rub together, and here you are, talking about dreams!"
"What would you know about it?" retorted Dart.
"I am Count Pascal Grentzer of Landskron," declared the paladin once Hector had managed to cut a way through his minions. "The man who will cut short your miserable lives."
"Cut THIS short!" yelled Hector, flinging his hand axe. "Wartortle, Water Gun!"
"Torrr!" The Turtle Pokémon let fly a powerful torrent of water, striking Hector's flying axe and accelerating its curve, headed right for Pascal's head.
"Ha!" A swift flick from Pascal's spear was all it took to deflect Hector's weapon. "Is that the best you can do?" he smirked. "Let's see if you can handle me one-on-one!"
"Bring it!" Hector growled, as Pascal came riding towards him. "Rargh!" he hollered, swinging his halberd.
CLANG! KLING! CLONG! For three minutes the two men battled on, with Hector trying his best to land a blow on Pascal while blocking the paladin's spear thrusts.
"You fight well for a Lycian dog!" smirked Pascal, as Hector deflected another thrust. "But not well enough! HA!"
"Ugh!" grunted Hector, as Pascal flung his spear, catching Hector by the cape and pinning him to the ground.
"Now die!" Pascal declared, tugging at the reins of his horse, which began to charge at the fallen noble.
"Wartortle!" Hector shouted. "Protect, now!"
"Wartortle!" Just as Pascal's horse was about to trample Hector to bits, Wartortle leaped in front of its master, generating a protective forcefield that clashed against the hooves of Pascal's mount.
"Flamethrower!" Suddenly, a burst of fire came flying towards Pascal's horse, igniting the grass beneath it and scaring the poor beast out of its wits.
"Eliwood! Lyndis!" exclaimed Hector, turning around as the other two lords ran towards him and stood by his side, soon followed by Shadow and Imppala.
"Whoa!" shouted Pascal, trying to control his frenzied mount. "Stay still, you incompetent animal!"
"Let's finish this, Eliwood!" Hector grinned. "Water Gun, Wartortle!"
"Alright! Charmeleon, Flamethrower!" ordered Eliwood.
PHOOM! As the attacks collided with each other at Pascal's feet, the paladin was thrown upwards by a powerful explosion of steam, landing him far into the centre of the lake.
"I think we've done it!" declared Hector, as Pascal splashed into the middle of the marsh. "Let's go seize those fortresses!"
"Wait, Hector! Something's not right," Eliwood frowned. Suddenly, a huge pillar of water erupted from the lake, startling everyone around. Atop the pillar stood the figure of...
"Pascal?" Lyn gaped. "How did he..."
"Look out!" yelled Shadow, as the water began to fall back downwards. "...What the...!"
"Sweet Elimine," murmured Eliwood.
What Pascal had been standing on, in fact, was a huge Pokémon standing at least twenty feet high. Its long segmented body was covered in gigantic blue and yellow scales. Two spiky ridges decorated its collarbone. But the most fearsome feature that had everyone petrified was the head, framed by two feathery gills, two long whiskers and a trident-shaped horn formation, with a gaping mouth and sharp fangs to go along with it.
"GYARA!" roared the dragon Pokémon.
"...So he's got a Gyarados! Big deal!" sneered Imppala, once he'd recovered from the intimidation. "Electric attacks, fire!" At the red tactician's command, Electrike, Raichu, Zangoose, Aipom, and Nosepass released separate blasts of electricity into the lake, immediately sending a series of shocks through the water.
"Gyarados, Earthquake!" ordered Pascal. Before it could get severely shocked, Gyarados roared at the sky, suddenly creating a powerful shockwave through the ground. Ripples swiftly appeared on the surface of the water as the effects of the attack quickly reached the shore, where the Pokémon were badly shaken.
"Oh, no!" Shadow exclaimed, as the attacking Pokémon fell over one by one. "That Earthquake shook the Pokémon so bad, it completely disrupted their attacks!"
"We're not done yet!" Imppala growled. "Dart! Geitz! Oswin! Erk! Dorcas! Close in with your Pokémon from the water!"
"Alright! Surf!" At once, Dart led the way with Crawdaunt, followed by Oswin on Aggron, Erk on Slowking, Dorcas on Poliwhirl, and Geitz on Swampert.
"Combined Ice Beam!" commanded Imppala. The Surfing Pokémon opened their mouths, firing frosty rays as they closed in on Gyarados.
"Hahahaha! Do you really think that's going to stop me?" Pascal laughed. "Gyarados! Rain Dance, now!"
"RAAAA!" The Atrocious Pokémon roared once again, this time bringing forth groups of grey clouds that began to pour torrential rain on the land and lake. Pretty soon, the calm marsh had turned into a turbulent tide, and the five men were finding it difficult trying to stay on without being washed away.
"Water Pulse!" demanded Pascal. Immediately, a surge of water exploded from where Gyarados was, slowly building up into a...
"TIDAL WAVE!" yelled Shadow. "Everybody RUN!"
SPLASH! went the tsunami as it crashed onshore, leaving the five fighters and their Pokémon washed up on the coast.
"Darn it... he's good!" swore Hector. "Flying units, attack!"
At Hector's command, the air was soon filled with blasts of fire and wind, as Heath, Hawkeye and the three pegasus sisters took to the sky and attempted to strike Gyarados from all sides.
"Twister attack!" A waterspout shot upwards from where Pascal's Gyarados was, towering high into the clouds. As everyone else watched in horror, the swirling cyclone began to move... with Pascal's Gyarados right in the middle controlling it!
"Whoa!" Heath yelled, as Hyperion was thrown onshore by the powerful winds.
"Urgh!" grunted Hawkeye, as Flygon was also flung onto the ground.
"Florina!" screamed Fiora, as the tornado made its way towards her younger sister. "Watch out!"
"Ahhh!" Florina gasped as Fiora tackled her out of the way, and got drawn into the waterspout in the process. "Fiora!" she cried.
"Fiora!" shouted Kent from the ground.
"Fiora!" hollered Farina, tugging at Murphy's reins so she screeched to a halt. "Hang on!"
"Noooo! Farina!" Florina nearly fainted as Farina dove into the cyclone. Now her other sister was gone, too!
"...Hyaaaa!" After what seemed like hours, Farina burst from the waterspout, carrying Fiora in her arms. Nero, in the meantime, had Fiora's pegasus gripped tightly in its talons.
"Mmm... Farina?" Fiora murmured.
"I couldn't leave you out there, sis," Farina smiled. "...I owe you that much."
"Mm," smiled Fiora.
"Grrrr... Gyarados, Hyper Beam!" Pascal ordered.
"RAAAAA!" A golden ray of light shot out of the waterspout, immediately disintegrating it. And it was headed right for Farina's pegasus and its passengers!
"Nero, get us out of here! Agility!" shouted Farina.
"Fearr!" Quickly, Nero used its super speed to ram Murphy out of the way. "Now use Mirror Move!"
"Feeeee-AAAAAAR!" Opening its beak, Nero fired a beam from its mouth, just as powerful as the beam Gyarados had emitted earlier. Immobilised from its high-energy attack, Gyarados could do nothing but remain still and get hit by Nero's assault.
"Alright!" Farina cheered. "Sis, do you think we could finish it up with our final attack?"
"...You mean?" Fiora stared as she realised what Farina was hinting at. "But... Florina's Dodrio ran away, not long after you left... we can't execute the attack without her..."
"Hm? Oh, don't worry," laughed Farina, plucking another Pokéball from her waist. "It ran away to look for Leo... seems like they had a thing for each other!"
"Eh? Ehhh!" Fiora could not believe her ears.
"Hey, Florina! Catch!" shouted Farina, tossing the Pokéball to her younger sister.
"Cleo!" cried Florina joyfully, tightly hugging the hand-sized orb.
"Urgh... Huh?" Pascal grunted as Gyarados struggled to recover from Nero's counterattack. Suddenly, he caught sight of something that made him stare... the three pegasus sisters surrounding him in mid-air, in a triangle formation!
"Florina! Farina! Are you ready?" declared Fiora.
"Um... yes!" Florina nodded.
"Behold the dancing wings of Ilia!" Farina boasted.
"Cleo! Dudley! And Leo!" shouted the sisters, each flinging a Pokéball upwards. "Triangle Attack!"
As the Pokéballs reached their highest point, they opened, each releasing a three-headed ostrich-like Pokémon, with two feathers atop each head and a different expression on each face. Pascal could only gaze as each Dodrio opened its three beaks, building up immense energy...
"WHOA!" Electricity, ice, and fire erupted from Florina, Fiora and Farina's Pokémon respectively, clashing in the middle, striking Pascal's Gyarados by its neck.
"Heeeyah!" Swinging their javelins, the three pegasus knights flung their lances, coinciding where their Pokémon's attacks hit. A brilliant glint of light was reflected from the Triangle Attack, bathing the surroundings with its powerful shine.
"Uwaaaaaaah!" screamed Pascal, as the dragon Pokémon fell, having being struck at its weakest point. Down he fell, into the waters, with an impact greater than the first one.
"Gahaa... Urrg, gaa... Is this death?" he croaked. "Is this... what I have wrought so oft before...? Urgh..."
"That's it! It's finished!" cheered Hector, once all three fortresses had been seized. "You're not nearly good enough to trap us!" he jeered after the fleeing minions.
"We should have listened to Eliwood," frowned Lyn. "We should've gone towards the palace and avoided this trap."
"No sense worrying about it now," Hector shrugged nonchalantly. "What we need to worry about is where we go from here."
"Now you try and talk sense?" Lyn narrowed her eyes. "You really are something else, Hector."
"Can't hold a candle to you, though," smirked her Ostian counterpart.
"What did you say?" snapped the plainsgirl.
"Peace! Both of you!" shouted Eliwood, bringing his two friends to attention. "Anytime we're able to weaken our foe, we've done well. Now we've got to get out of here. No telling when reinforcements might arrive."
"Alright. Let's go," motioned Hector.
"You're right. Let's hurry," agreed Lyn.
Later that night...
"Farina... may I speak with you?" asked Fiora.
"Mm," nodded Farina. "The truth is, I've been wanting to speak with you as well..."
"Last time... two years ago... I know I spoke too harshly," Fiora mumbled.
"It's fine," Farina smiled. "Besides, I shouldn't have yelled at you like that. It's true, I always think about money first and everything else later..."
"No, I should be the one to apologise. And it is only natural that you call me naive," interjected Fiora. "I mean, of course mercenaries should care about their financial issues..."
"Aw, now look, it's all behind us..." groaned Farina. "I was just an idiot! You did nothing wrong!"
"How can you say that? I was terrible to you, and you were right all along!" Fiora insisted. "Why can't you get that through that thick skull of yours!"
"I'm telling you, I was not right all along!" Farina retorted. "I never should have flown off in a tizzy like that, you dope!"
"Stop contradicting me! I was wrong!" yelled Fiora. "I should have tried harder to grasp your greedy, insensitive ways!"
"Now you listen here, you uptight, worn-out, I...!" Farina stopped in mid-sentence as she realised that half of Eliwood's army was looking in their direction. "Ah..."
"It's weird, isn't it," Fiora murmured. "Why are we even fighting? It must be all my fault. I must be the worst sister in Ilia..."
"There you go again, pouting by yourself! You just retreat into your own world and start grumbling like that... You just take everything on yourself, you know that?" cried Farina, partly concerned and partly exasperated. "Like that time, when my trainee squad was about to die in that practice manouvre, and you just left your own mission to come and rescue us... landing you that outrageous termination fee! You still haven't finished paying off the loan you used to cover it yet, have you?"
"Well, I... don't worry about it, Farina," reassured Fiora. "That was my decision, and I've lived with it."
"But that's what I've always been saying! You're just so naively idealistic! I mean, who would do such a thing? I was just a fledgling pegasus esquire! You should have left me out there! ...But, I mean... I was happy, of course..." Farina mumbled. "So that's why... that's why I want to help... here, take this."
"Hm?" Fiora looked at what Farina had placed in her hands: the huge bag of gold Hector had given to her sister.
"Look, I'm the highest-paid fighter around," pointed out Farina. "It didn't take me long to earn that sum. Go ahead and pay off that loan that's still hanging over your head!"
"Farina... You were worried about me this whole time?" asked Fiora softly.
"Well, of course I was..." Farina mumbled, shuffling in her shoes. "I mean, it was my fault... And it went down on your permanent record and everything..."
"Don't be silly! We're family, aren't we? We shouldn't have to think about things like that!" Fiora chided.
"That's what I meant! Don't be so naively idealistic!... I guess that's what makes you the sister..." blushed Farina, "...the sister I love."
"Farina..." Gently, Fiora pulled her younger sister towards her, embracing Farina tightly. "...You know that I don't hate you, right?"
"Yeah," Farina murmured. "I've always known that. I mean... I've known you forever, right?"
"...Uwaaaaaaaah!" wailed Florina. "You two... finally made up... Waaaaaaah!"
"Florina!" groaned Farina, while Fiora simply stood there laughing. They were a family once again...
ShadowedTactician: I hope that ending wasn't too badly carried out.
Imppala: As long as you hurry up with the next instalment.
Grim: ...Review.
