Hello, dear readers. Welcome to the newest chapter of Gamer Emblem Awakening.
This is it. The time has finally come for the final battle against Gangrel. And judging by the reviews, the hype. Is! Not as big as I expected…
For real, the most common thing in focus was that Jack and Robin are a couple now. Guess almost everything else in the last chapter got overshadowed by that one moment. I had no idea you guys had anticipated it for that long, but seeing your responses, it seems that bringing those two together when I did was the right call.
Now, onto the reviews more specifically.
LegacySpellsword: Oh, I'm saving the menacing text for another chapter. I'm nowhere near done with the JoJo's references.
TheOrangeLord: I'd rather not. If you look at the FMA storyline, you'll notice that alchemy involving human beings has a massive probability of backfiring horribly. Jack may have a crazy streak, but attempting to make a Sharingan seems more up Tharja's or Henry's alleys.
Firem78910: You'd better have a dentist at the ready! This chapter has enough sweet content to rot your teeth (I think)!
warrior of six blades: I've finally come around to watch RWBY volume 5, and I've got to say, Raven's weapon definitely looks interesting. That being said, it's practically an arsenal in its own right. Not what I have in mind for Jack's UBW arsenal, but the idea is worth an honorable mention. Besides, Raven's not the only one who uses elemental weapons. Just wait 'til Jack delves deeper into the Tracing. Raven's weapon may be awesome, but some other weapons just blow it out of the water, depending on the situation.
meteroce: The cost of Za Warudo was a calculated move. See, I decided the cost based on Jack's MP pool at the start of the chapter and the moves he would use before unleashing Dio's signature ability. I wanted it to last for roughly 10 seconds for simplicity's sake, and planned accordingly from there. Otherwise, I agree. It's fully reasonable to have the cost of Za Warudo be higher than I made it in this fic.
AscendedHumanity: I have already mentioned this in an earlier review response, but I mainly rated this fic M for safety reasons. And while I hardly hear about this being discussed, there's a lot of violence in this fic. Warfare aside, there's death by sword, death by lance, death by axe, death by headshot, death by steamroller, death by Tharja… People die in a myriad of gruesome ways in this fic. I may seem a bit careful because of my stance, but imagining how this would look in real life is something I wouldn't wish anyone under the age of 17 to witness.
Hashirama 1710: Why, thank you. I do make sure those scenes get some good content.
Anonymous reviewer, November 11th: Yeah, the omake is based on the FMA animé when Major Armstrong meets Sig Curtis. Those two started quite possibly the manliest bromance in fictional history.
Archer: Have no idea how that weapon works. I've got something else in mind.
A fan: Soo… If I understand this correctly, the Wish ender is a bow that scales in power in proportion to its wielder… While definitely a nice idea, I don't have that many more ideas for weapons for Virion. My ideas for bows are reserved for another notable Archer who will join the Shepherds in the future, and she's a little…unhinged.
Guest reviewer, November 11th: Not sure if I'll continue beyond Awakening. If I do, I need one heck of a premise to not make it look like I'm just throwing an overpowered character into a point in time where the canon protagonist is just getting started on their journey. And I'd need to do lots of research on the lore in the game Jack would end up in.
Scarlet Moon: I've listened to the song. Unfortunately, it's not my taste. I've got other BGMs in mind, and I hope you'll enjoy them.
SirHaloFan: Nope. Nuh-uh. Not the Lantern ring. That thing's just ridiculous. I'm walking a difficult balancing act here in which I try to make Jack powerful, but not to the point that he'll wipe entire armies without breaking a sweat. That would just make this fic boring to write. Overpowered finishers are one thing, but overpowered all the time? Nope, not here.
.77770: The plasma blade sounds like a nice idea if I translate it to being mana-powered, but I already have something similar planned for one of the future kids. Jack' jaw's gonna hit the floor when it happens.
Antex-The Legendary Zoroark: Good eye on spotting the hints at the pairings. Be warned though; one of those hints are a red herring. As for which one it is… Not telling XD
Copyright disclaimer: I only own the plot of this fic. For a full copyright disclaimer, please read chapter 1.
Hee ah ha ha ha ha! – Gangrel
Chapter 10:
Shepherds! Assemble!
The day our names were carved into history.
We made camp just about an hour ago. By Robin's calculations, Gangrel and his elite forces should be just beyond the hills on the other side of the open wasteland outside our campsite. This means our sides will clash first thing in the morning. Not wanting to risk any assassins sneaking into our camp from the Plegian side, I posted Shadow clone sentries around the perimeter, disguised as local wildlife. Imagine their surprise if they try to sneak in, only to get ambushed by some critters who turn into murderous clones. That'll teach those suckers.
While most of us have a few things to check off our lists before the big battle, Chrom has ordered us to turn in early so we're well rested in preparation for tomorrow.
As a result, everyone's hurrying around camp doing whatever they feel needs to be done ASAP. In my case, I'm at the edge of camp and staring at the sunset together with Robin. I gently rub my thumb where our hands are connected. Despite her wearing gloves, I can still feel her hand underneath.
"Tomorrow's the big day…" I murmur idly.
Robin nods. "Yeah."
I turn to look at her directly.
"I know it's selfish of me to ask this, but I want you to make sure you're never fighting on your own on that battlefield. It's going to be hectic, so watching your surroundings will be vital."
Robin turns to me with a smile.
"Heh. That's what I should be telling you. You've had a tendency to run off on your own on the battlefield ever since…" Robin frowns as she thinks back. "Actually, I can't think of any battle where you never tried to fight on your own. The fact that you're still alive amazes me."
I grin at my girlfriend. "Heh. I'm that awesome."
Robin shakes her head fondly. "I never took you for the boasting type. Thoughtless, perhaps-"
"Hey!"
"- but you've always kept it lowkey when assessing your abilities."
"I'll have you know I never do anything without a plan." I grumble. "Mostly…" is added as an afterthought.
Robin squeezes my hand.
"Which is exactly the reason why I want you to be careful, Jack. Your plans may yield unexpectedly good results, but they're as dangerous as dangerous gets. I… Now that we've grown this close, I find myself starting to worry for you."
I release Robin's hand to bring her into a loose embrace.
"I feel the same for you, Robin. Just thinking that you could be in the middle of a hectic battlefield and fighting for your life against dangers on all sides terrifies me. I know that's exactly where you'll be as this army's tactician, but that only makes me worry for you more."
Robin returns my hug, bringing us close enough that our foreheads touch.
"Then we should both try to stay safe – for each other's sakes. I believe that's the only way we can agree on this matter."
"Couldn't say it any better myself."
I look up from our contact at our heads and look back at the setting sun. It's almost dipped below the horizon.
"We'd better return to our tents soon if we want to be properly rested for the incoming battle."
Robin hugs me tighter. "Do you mind if we stay like this for a little longer? Standing here with you feels so…soothing."
I turn back to Robin with a raised eyebrow and a smile. "I never took you for the clingy type."
That makes her pout in return. "Well, excuse me for wanting to spend some time alone with my clearly disinterested lov- Mmm!"
I pull back from the sudden kiss and grin at Robin's stupefied face. "To be fair, I didn't say "no"."
After regaining her bearings, Robin sighs and puts her forehead back against mine. "You almost killed the mood."
I smirk. "Yes, almost." Then I soften back into a smile. "But you're right. And I'd love to stay with you here a while longer."
Robin puts her head against my shoulder. "Thank you…"
As the sun finally finishes its course over the horizon, our lips join in a tender kiss.
"It's time." I whisper. "Sweet dreams."
Robin smiles with a blush. "I know I will have those, so long as I think of you."
Timeskip
Morning at camp was a quiet affair. Everyone was up by sunrise, prepared their gear and ate breakfast in near total silence. My guess would be that the tension before the battle was approaching the breaking point. The slightest misstep would trigger a chain reaction of responses that were mainly violent and reserved for any plegian not named "Tharja".
We're currently lined up at one end of the great wasteland we made camp in front of last night. Everyone's on edge, myself included.
I notice Lissa fidget a lot. Wait, she's not fidgeting – she's shaking.
"Lissa? How are you holding up?" I ask the Cleric.
"How can you remain calm in a situation like this?!" Lissa snaps back, much to everyone's shock. Lissa quickly shrinks in on herself. "I'm sorry… It's just…the air feels stifling. Suffocating, even. I feel like I could choke on it any second."
I shake my head slowly and gently put a hand on her shoulder.
"Believe me, I feel taut like a bowstring from all this tension. If so much as a stone would seem out of place here, I'd probably let loose on it just to relieve some stress."
"I believe I speak for all of us when I say we share Jack's sentiment, Princess Lissa." Libra speaks up. "It is only natural. This upcoming battle will decide not only the fate of our fair halidom, but quite possibly the course of history of this realm."
Lissa directs an annoyed glare at the War monk. "Yeah, way to go putting more pressure on us, Libra!"
I give Lissa's shoulder a light shake to get her attention again. "Look, as much as I feel the pressure from this situation, I've decided to stop thinking of it. Right now, there are only two things I'm thinking about; killing Gangrel and ending this war. We only have one enemy ahead of us. An entire army, granted, but it represents only one enemy nonetheless. We've banded together to face this enemy. You're not alone in this, Lissa, so there's nothing to fear."
Lissa takes a deep breath before letting it all out. "Phew. I think I needed to hear that. Thanks. Jack."
I smile at the young princess. "The pleasure is all mine, milady."
This makes her pout. "Oh, not you too! It's bad enough that Frederick and Phila call me that all the time!"
I raise my hands in a placating gesture. "Fine, fine, I'll stop. And hey, you don't look nearly as nervous as before."
Lissa blinks. "Huh? Hey, you're right. Wait, you did that just to help me calm down?"
I nod. "Kind of. You perform much better when you're calm." I turn to the rest of the Shepherds. "I suppose that goes for all of us."
A collective nod is their answer. Any trace of nervousness that may have settled on them left when they saw me and Lissa banter. Excellent. We're good to go.
Chrom steps up in front of us. "If that's all you have to say, I'd suggest you direct your gazes to the south." A scowl forms on the prince's face. "They've arrived."
True to Chrom's words, I can spot a mass of individuals marching in our direction from the south. Spread among them are banners depicting the flag of Plegia. The message is clear; We're right here. Come at us!
We march as well until the remaining distance between our two forces is only about 100 paces. Seeing the army of the Plegian side up close, it's clear that they outnumber us. A quick headcount with Mind's eye gives me an estimate of around…8-to-1. Impressive, but we can take them. Seriously, for being the so-called elite of the Plegian army, the only real threat would be a select few commanders spread among their ranks, as well as Gangrel himself.
Speaking of Gangrel, the Mad King separates from his forces and walks up to us like he owns the place, and with a smug expression to complete the look. After some quick communication with Frederick through looks alone, Chrom does the same. Our commanders meet right between our sides. If I didn't know any better, I could swear lightning struck between them the moment they stopped.
"Good day, my little princeling!" Gangrel greets Chrom arrogantly. "Back for more so soon?"
Chrom scowls. "No more talk, Gangrel. Today you die, and peace returns to Ylisse and Plegia."
The Mad King scoffs. "Pah! Such hypocrisy! You despise me, wretch! You want to cut me down! You don't know the first thing about peace. No man does!"
"I know more than you ever will." Chrom replies.
Gangrel chuckles. "More than me? More than ME?! Bwa ha! …You ARE me! When life asks you a question, you answer with blood!" Gangrel's expression grew more crazed the longer he talked. By this point, he looks like a lunatic.
Chrom sighs. "Maybe you're right… I will never be my sister. I cannot forgive men like you – men who sow nothing but evil." Determination blazes forth as the scowl returns full force. "That's why I'll do what she never could – become the blade that cuts you off before you infect this entire world! And I'll never be like you! Were I alone, I might be driven to madness. Or worse."
Chrom indicates us with a flourish, causing his cape to flutter in the morning sun just right. "But I'm not alone. My friends and brothers-in-arms stand behind me."
Gangrel's chuckles turn into outright laughter. "Are you done? May I vomit now? Bwa ha ha! What a flowery harangue!" Just as fast as the laughter came, it changes into a serious face. "Men are beasts! Nothing more! We fight! We kill! We devour our pray! Beasts don't stand behind beasts, little prince… They use each other only so long as it suits their own selfish purpose!"
"I've heard enough of your twisted madness!" Chrom snarls. "I'm ending this, right here, right now!"
Gangrel matches Chrom's snarl with his own. "Try me, then! I may not have gotten your precious sister's head, but yours should make for a decent consolation price!"
Both monarchs turn back to their respective sides, Chrom with an angry scowl, and Gangrel with a bloodthirsty grin. As Chrom returns to us, he takes a deep breath.
"Shepherds! Today we make a stand against the root of this war, the Mad King himself! This is a battle that we cannot afford to lose, for the fate of this realm hinges upon its outcome. So I ask you one more time; lend me your strength and help me put this menace down once and for all!"
"AYE!" is our collective response.
Quest alert:
Main quest: Fall of a madman
It's victory or death! The final battle against Gangrel has finally arrived, and it's high time the Mad King got what's coming for him. He may be backed by superior numbers, but really, when has that ever stopped you? Show those plegians why messing with the good guys never works out, and end this blasted war!
Objective: Defeat Gangrel
Rewards: 11 000 EXP, 11 000 gold
Failure: Do you even need to ask at this point? Kick Gangrel's ass already!
Chrom turns back to the frontline and draws Falchion.
"Shepherds! CHARGE!"
BGM: You will know our names, Xenoblade Chronicles music
All the tension we've held back since this morning is finally unleashed in a single moment. We run towards the Plegian soldiers with our weapons drawn and our battle cry roaring out, none more so than Chrom at our lead.
Gangrel sneers before commanding his soldiers to charge. They obey without question, rushing to meet us man-for-man and beyond that. As we're closing in, Chrom jumps into the air and brings down Falchion.
*Boom!*
The prince of Ylisse draws first blood with his opening blow. Before the plegians can form up and close the gap in their ranks, Cordelia and Sumia dive bomb them from above. Mind's eye tells me of at least three Archers with their arrows trained on the two Pegasus knights.
"Not on my watch!" I shout as I activate Gale step and slip right into enemy ranks. The plegians are too slow to react as I zip around and slice the Archers' bows in half before they can launch their arrows.
The only problem now is that I'm smack middle in the Plegian side. At least a dozen enemy soldiers leer in my direction and get ready to dogpile me with whatever they're armed with.
*Shing!* "Gah!"
*Shing!* "Guhaa!"
*Boom!* "Mommy!"
Unfortunately for them, I'm not the only one who can tear into enemy ranks easily. In short order, I stand back-to-back with Lon'qu, Olivia and Tharja.
"Must you always rush into battle so recklessly?" the Myrmidon asks exasperated.
"Hey, why change a strategy that works?" I fire back grinning.
"You're impossible…"
The plegians try to box us in, only to realize there's a line they can't cross. That line is marked by me and Lon'qu slashing every which way with our swords in tandem, forming a circle that no enemy manages to enter. Part of that success stems from Tharja. Since we're right in the middle of the enemy side, she's free to cast spells as she pleases without any risk of friendly fire. Come to think of it, she seems to cast faster than I remember her doing in the last battles.
Hold on… That's Olivia's doing! Her dancing seems to make Tharja weave between spells at a much faster pace than normal. Now that I take a closer look at the Dancer, her movements seem oddly mesmerizing…
Huh? Did I get a buff just from watching her?
Motivated, Status condition
Seeing the passion your ally puts into their actions has spurred you to take it up a notch yourself. Determined to match their performance, you find yourself able to move and act faster than you normally can. Let's kick it into overdrive!
Increases movement speed by 50 %.
Oh… Oh ho ho ho… I'm gonna make good use of this while it lasts.
A grin spreads along my face as I Trace a weapon in my left hand.
"Try to keep up, Lon'qu!" I shout to my ally.
"Is that a challenge?" the Myrmidon fires back smirking.
"You're impossible." I counter with an even wider grin, which in turn triggers a grin on Lon'qu for having his own words thrown back at him.
As the mana disperses, the elegant shape of Dunban's Anti-Mechon glaive is revealed for all to see. I flip the Traced katana into a reverse grip and lower my stance.
"Readyyy, GO!" I shout as I run headfirst towards the plegians. Between Reinforcement, Gale step, dual wielding a pair of badass katanas and the buff Olivia granted me, I unleash a whirlwind of slashes that soon carves a berth through enemy ranks that the others use to slip through. But I don't stop there. As soon as I notice my allies join up with Maribelle, Ricken, Miriel and Kellam, I split off from them again. Looks like Vaike and Sully are on their own, and they're having trouble against a surprisingly agile Sage.
Said spellcaster pushes Vaike back with a well-aimed Elwind spell, giving him the opening to cast a flurry of Thunder spells against Sully. The red Cavalier's about to brace herself for the painful impact when I get in-between and channel wind mana through my weapons. My arms become a blur as I slice apart the incoming Thunder spells thanks to my element. Because Naruto physics, b-tches!
The Sage gapes at what I just did. Before he can do anything else, I'm already right in front of him and ready to unleash a string of kicks against different sections of his body. Left, right, shin, roundhouse, hook, axe, sweep, this. Is. SPARTA!
I turn to our resident Fighter. "Vaike, now!"
"It's Vaike time!"
Vaike jumps right back into the fray and brings down his axe with a vicious swing that both cleaves the Sage's tome in half and leaves a deep gash across his upper body. Then Vaike turns to our red Cavalier.
"Sully!"
"Where should I stab ya?"
Sully charges in at full speed and rams her lance straight through the Sage. Instead of stopping there, she jumps off her horse, brings the Sage around by the lance, and kicks him off it in my direction.
"Jack!"
I toss up my Windcleaver into the air as I Mimic the original wielder of the Mechon destroying sword in my hand.
"Born in a world of strife…" *Shing!*
"…against the odds…" *Shing!*
"…we choose to fight!" *Shing, shing!*
I catch my Windcleaver as it comes back down. "Blossom dance!"
*Shingshingshingshingshingshing!*
You have leveled up!
I dismiss the Anti-Mechon glaive as the Sage collapses from his numerous wounds. A smirk forms on my face as I point my Windcleaver against the next group of plegians.
"Timing is everything. Remember that!" I tell my fellow Shepherds.
"I coulda done that!" Vaike replies with bravado.
Sully rolls her eyes at Vaike's reply. "Come on! That ain't the last of 'em!"
Vaike and I nod and set off in search of more of our comrades to help. A few clashes later, I notice lightning and dragon fire a few dozen paces from our position. That has to be Robin and Nowi!
I also notice a LOT of plegians in that direction. That triggers something within me.
"You are NOT touching my girlfriend!" I roar as I tear through their ranks with reckless abandon. I take a few scrapes on my way through, but none of that matters as long as I can reach her!
As the two ladies come into sight, I notice that Libra's with them, juggling between healing his allies and bringing down his Killer Axe on plegians with admirable skill. Admirable or not, however, they're about to be cornered.
*Shingshingshingshing!*
Correction; were about to be cornered. I slide to a stop beside Robin.
"Jack?"
"Made it in time…" I sigh relieved as I take in Robin's appearance. A few bruises and wounds, but nothing serious. Thank goodness for that.
"You're hurt." Robin remarks concerned.
"I could say the same about you. Not that it's hindering me."
"Me neither." she replies smiling. Her face then sets in determination. "Now, let's bring them down."
I grin at her declaration. "Ready when you are, love."
We're surrounded by enemies on all sides, but there might be a way out of this.
"Do you have any spells that can be cast against all of them at once?" I ask Robin.
She nods. "Yes, but it takes a lot of mana. What's more, it'll be spread thin over such a wide area. The impact might be too small."
I smirk at her assessment. "Not if we catch them flat-footed."
I sheathe my Windcleaver and run to our resident manakete.
"Nowi!"
The transformed manakete turns to me and nods. Just like back at castle Plegia, I jump on her tail and get launched into the sky. I take a moment to measure the area I need to cover with my next move. Assessment done, I direct myself back to the ground with Gale step and clap my hand together.
"Robin, now!"
I hit the ground hands-first and Transmute every square inch within a 10-meter radius around Robin with a plegian standing on top of it. The sparks flicker over the ground for a brief moment before all the ground I transmuted heaves up like an entire earthquake was concentrated in a single pulse. The sudden vertical shift sends the plegians into the air with no footing at all.
"Arcthunder!"
*Krrzzz-bram!*
Seeing my girlfriend zap all those plegians with a giant AOE lightning spell has to be the highlight of my day. Seeing them drop like flies after a cloud of pesticide is sweetened icing on the cake.
Robin has leveled up!
BGM ends
Robin puts her hands on her knees and pants in exhaustion.
"You okay?" I ask as I run up to her and place a hand on her shoulder.
"Yeah…" she answers after a few deep breaths. "It's just… That spell took a lot out of me."
"It was worth it though." I reply smiling. "Look around. We cleared them out in one fell swoop."
Indeed, that combo attack left all plegians around us knocked out or even dead. There's still more, but we're finally gaining the upper hand in this battle.
That's when I notice something on my mini-map. A blinking dot approaching our position from afar. If that blinking dot is who I think it is, then it's high time to clear out the cause of this war.
"Nowi, Libra, stay with Robin and keep her safe." I tell the War Monk and manakete.
"And what about you?" Libra asks.
"I'll find more plegians to battle. This war won't decide itself. Try to find me after Robin's recovered."
Libra looks like he wants to protest before Nowi tugs on his robes and shakes her head. She looks at me with a serious face.
"Will you be okay on your own before then?"
I smile at her sincerity. "I will. Don't worry, I've got this."
I'm about to walk away when Robin calls out to me.
"Wait!"
I turn my head back.
"Please, Jack… Be careful. Remember what we talked about the night before." Robin reminds me.
I smile softly in reply. "I remember clearly. I will return to you, Robin. That's a promise."
Robin keeps her gaze at me for a while longer before she nods. I nod back and resume my course.
Some walking later, my adversary finally comes into visible view.
Warning! Warning! Boss-level enemy detected!
It's none other than the Mad King himself. Just standing close to him increases the level of Detect bloodlust by the minute.
"You…" Gangrel growls menacingly. "You've been a thorn in my side ever since I laid eyes on you."
"I could say the same about you." I reply with a glare and my arms crossed. "From the moment I first saw you, you've done nothing but provoke war and cause suffering to people around you. Chrom was right. You're a plague, a disease that threatens to infect this entire continent."
"Shut up!" Gangrel roars. "Shut up, shut up, shut UP! Do you think me a fool?! I've heard the recent rumors. Ever since you foiled my plans to obtain the Fire Emblem and execute Emmeryn, you've become a hero among the ylisseans."
Gangrel points at me accusingly. "That's why you're here, are you not?! You've come for my head, so that your precious little princeling can go about without staining his hands with my blood!"
I scoff. "I honestly don't care whose hands get stained in your blood. The world is better off without you. So long as you die today, that's all that matters."
Gangrel snarls at my reply. "See this?! THIS is why I cannot stand you ylisseans! You talk about peace! You claim to make the world a better place! And how do you practice it? By killing and slaughtering everyone who doesn't agree with you. You did it fifteen years ago, and you still do it on this very day! I've had it with your hypocrisy!"
The Mad King raises his Levin Sword and points it at me as it releases a few stray sparks. "I'll put and end to your twisted sense of justice, starting with you!"
I shake my head. "I never claimed to stand on the side of justice. Nor did I ever desire to become a hero. The only reasons why I took up arms were to aid the people who took me in when I had nowhere else to go and protect the country that I've come to call "home"."
I raise my right hand in front of me. Sparks fly and reveal the No Name keyblade wielded by Xehanort's younger self. "You are a threat to both, and that makes you my enemy."
BGM: It has to be this way (Platinum mix, instrumental & vocal mix), Metal Gear Solid: Revengeance OST (check Harris Ahmad's version)
Gangrel sneers at my weapon of choice. "Hmph! And here I thought you would draw the sword on your back. You think me so weak, you can kill me with some enchanted key?!" The Mad King flips his Levin Sword into a reverse grip and gets in a low battle stance. "Come on, then! Just try to take my head! I'll soil the ground with your blood as I tear you apart limb for limb!"
"The one between the two of us who will die is you!" I reply. I twirl the time themed keyblade over my head a few times before I settle into a stance of my own with No Name held overhead. "Let's dance."
Gangrel jumps back and launches three lightning bolts at me. I activate Gale step and run around their path before I make a beeline for the Trickster.
*Clang!*
Our weapons lock together in a brief power struggle before Gangrel breaks off and goes for a low sweep. I jump and swing down, only to hit the ground instead as Gangrel slips out of range. Right as my feet reach the ground, I'm hit by another lightning bo-
I jump back just in the nick of time to dodge another lightning bolt. Gangrel barely has time to blink at the strange phenomenon before he's forced to dodge the energy waves I send his way from No Name. I give chase and rush back in the fray, only to miss as Gangrel leans to the side and stabs his Levin Sword in my si-
I narrowly dodge the retaliatory stab and swing No Name at Gangrel's mid-section. Gangrel backs off and places his free hand on where I drew first blood. I give him no time to think as I swing No Name from too far away to hit – had it been its normal length. The keyblade grows as I swing, making it look more like a whip as the tip strikes the ground where Gangrel frantically jumps back and forth to avoid another blow. Gangrel manages to sneak a lightning bolt between my swi-
I rush in low and manage to dodge the lightning bolt. That brings me right in front of Gangrel, allowing me to lay it on thick on the Mad King. Gangrel's forced on the defensive as I swing my keyblade from one direction to another. Sparks fly as our weapons clash over and over. I won't give him any chance to retaliate.
Gangrel takes a step back and brings his sword in for a horizontal slash. I crouch low in response and send a sweep kick at his shins, only to miss as he jumps over my leg. That's fine with me, however, as I use the rotation to deliver a backhanded slash at him instead.
*Clang!*
The blow has enough power to push Gangrel away. The Mad King dives to the side to dodge the Rasengan fastball that I throw at him.
"Get back here!" I shout as I run after him.
Gangrel pivots and sends another horizontal slash at me. I jump over the Levin Sword and swing down on Gangrel as I travel over him. As I land behind the Mad King, he's already in mid-swing to slice me from hip to shoulder. I parry the blow before I slash diagonally myself. Gangrel parries and responds with a stab. I lean to the side and swing downwards. It soon devolves into a frantic back-and-forth fight as we jump around like hyperactive fleas and clash our weapons every time we meet. While we're at a stalemate, I have an innate advantage. My Keyblade mastery increases my attack speed with its level. And with how much I've swung one during this battle, it's only a matter of time before that skill levels up.
Right on cue, I notice that my swings get slightly faster. The increased speed allows me to finally push Gangrel back in our clash. The Mad King picks up on that too, judging from the growing surprise on his face. But just as I think I can force an opening, the jerk kicks up sand against me. I jump back from the unexpected move, which Gangrel capitalizes on as he rushes me with his Levin Sword covered in lightning magic. I swipe my free hand over No Name and coat the keyblade with wind magic in response.
We clash once more – or so I expected. Right as I swing in anticipation for our clash, Gangrel stops dead in his tracks, making me overcommit my swing and leaving me open.
"Hee ah ha ha ha ha!"
The Levin Sword comes down too fast! I won't dodge in time! Thinking fast, I let my overcommitment carry me to the ground instead and slap it for a Transmutation. A fist made of tightly packed dirt shoots out of the ground and nails Gangrel right in the face.
*Wham!*
I would take the time to enjoy the look of stupefied shock on his face, but I'm busy fighting him.
"I tire of your tricks!" Gangrel roars frustrated. "If you'll slip away from my strikes beyond all reason, then I'll just hit everywhere at once!"
The Levin Sword hums and lights up like it's made of pure energy as Gangrel points it skywards. "Beg for your life!"
Lightning bolts spear out from the sword by the dozen every second, covering a massive part of our battlefield. Not wanting to stand in the middle of Gangrel's little thunderstorm, I start running with Gale step and do my best to avoid the bolts. A few fly too close for comfort, but the main problem is that I can't reach Gangrel if he keeps firing those lightning bolts.
Well, if I can't slip through, then I'll just break through!
I channel more wind mana through No Name while looking for an opening.
There!
I slide to a stop, rear back the keyblade, and SWING!
"Hyah!" *Whoosh!*
The supercharged Windblade that flies from No Name cuts through the lightning bolts like a hot knife through butter and carves a path straight to Gangrel. The Mad King jumps away from the Windblade, but just as he lands, I'm already in position with No Name swinging down.
*Clang!*
Gangrel's arms tremble as he pushes back against my full strength. I smirk at him, and then jump back while I dismiss No Name. With nothing pushing back anymore, Gangrel finds himself stumbling forward.
A kick to the chest sends him sprawling on the ground. I jump after him, draw my Windcleaver, and stab it through his wrist. As he loses his grip on the Levin Sword and screams in agony underneath me, I reach into my bag and pull out my trusty Frying pan.
"This is for Maribelle!" *Wham!*
"This is for Phila!" *Wham!*
"This is for Emmeryn!" *Wham!*
"And this is for Ylisse!" *Wham, wham, wham!*
"Enough already!" Gangrel shouts and kicks me off him. Right as I reorient myself, I spot Gangrel trying to plunge my Windcleaver through me. I manage to catch the blade a few centimeters from my chest, but the only thing that lets me hold the blade back as the Mad King pushes down is liberal use of Telekinesis combined with Reinforcement.
The bad news? I can't find a good way out of this situation, and I can't hold on like this forever!
"Any last words?" Gangrel asks while grinning down at me madly.
I grin back in response. "Yeah. You angered the wrong Pegasus Knight…court jester!"
Gangrel looks down on me in confusion. Confusion turns to shock as Gradivus erupts from his chest in a shower of blood.
Gangrel looks down at the tip of the legendary spear before he shakily turns his head back.
Cordelia stands behind him, holding Gradivus with an angry glare.
"For my knight-sisters!"
The Pegasus Knight rips the spear out of Gangrel's chest, twirls it once, and beheads the Mad King with a clean swing across his neck!
BGM ends
Gangrel has been killed!
Cordelia has leveled up!
Due to continuous strenuous activity, STR increases by 2!
Due to prolonged exhausting activity, VIT increases by 3!
Due to running around a big battlefield like crazy, DEX increases by 5!
My Windcleaver slips out from Gangrel's lifeless fingers as his head rolls off his shoulders and onto the ground. I heave the now headless corpse to the side and sit up panting. Good riddance! I don't care if he had some altruistic goal for his country. Even if he had, his execution was terrible.
"Thanks, Cordelia." I pant as I accept her hand. "You saved my life."
Cordelia pulls me up with a smile. "I just did what you would have done for me, had our roles been reversed."
Her face turns somber as she looks at Gangrel's beheaded body. "With this, I've finally avenged my knight-sisters. Maybe… Maybe now, they can truly rest in peace…and I can move forward."
I place a hand on her shoulder. "It's still a bit early to declare this. We still need to bring the news of Gangrel's demise to everyone still fighting."
First order of business, clean my Windcleaver and put it back in its sheathe. Next, I'll need Gangrel's head as proof of our victory and to make the other plegians realize their situation. Right as I get ready to return to the frontline, I notice Gangrel's sword.
Levin Sword, Sword, Base damage: 85, Rare
A sword forged from a rare metal that can conduct mana with exceptional ease. As a result, this sword is useful both in melee combat and at range, making it a very versatile weapon. However, a byproduct of the forging method limits the blade to only being able to channel mana of the lighting element, which is further evidenced by its shape resembling a lightning bolt. Since the metal needed to forge these weapons is so difficult to come by, just one of these are considered to be a rare find.
Increases all damage dealt from lightning-element spells by 10 %.
Available skills when wielded: Thunderbolt
Requirement to wield: Sword mastery Lvl 35
Well, he won't need that sword anymore. In fact, this bad boy would make a nice present for Robin. Finders keepers!
You got a Levin Sword!
The battle still rages on in a few places as Cordelia and I find the other Shepherds. The Plegian side shows no signs of stopping anytime soon. All right, if they won't look my way, I'll just grab their attention by force.
"Cordelia, can you bring me up into the sky?" I ask the Pegasus Knight.
She looks at me questioningly before she nods. "I certainly can. But what for?"
"I'm ending this war, one way or another." I reply.
We're soon above the battlefield. Taking a look, I zero in on where the plegians are the most concentrated.
"Thanks, Cordelia. I'll take it from here. You can return to the ground, if you want. In fact, you might be better off if you do."
Before she can ask what I mean, I jump off her pegasus and fall straight towards my desired landing spot.
I approach the ground at breakneck speeds as I push my hands forward, Trace my (hopefully) final weapon for this battle…
"RODOH ROLLAH DAAA!"
*KA-BRAM!*
…and land right on top of a plegian Hero. If he survives that, I'll officially quit fighting altogether. And this time, I settle for making the construct 100 % steel instead of only the shell. No need to blow everything up.
Everyone looks at me in shock. Or rather, the massive, foreign steel construct that I landed with. Good. That means I have everyone's attention. I rise up from my landing crouch and look at the plegians around me.
"Soldiers of Plegia! This war has been decided! You lose! Any further fighting will only be a futile effort!"
I reach into my bag and retrieve Gangrel's severed head, to everyone's shock.
"Behold your fallen king!"
Soldiers drop their weapons. Some drop to their knees. You can see the morale shatter into countless pieces among the Plegian ranks.
"No…" a plegian to my right breathes out. "I refuse to believe it! Our king's not dead! There's no way some Ylissean dog like you could kill him!"
"You're right. I didn't kill him." I admit. I point towards Cordelia as she returns to ground level. "She did."
Everyone's attention turns to Cordelia instead. The sudden attention makes her blush.
The Plegian soldier who's in denial tenses up. "You…" He makes a mad dash towards Cordelia with his axe in hand. "I'LL KILL YOU, YLISSEAN SCUM!"
I toss Gangrel's head to the side and clap my hands together. My Transmutation of choice? My Traced steamroller.
*Shink!*
A single spike made of steel lances out from my construct and spears the plegian before he can even get close to Cordelia. One more slap on my construct, and I spear him from the inside out by making multiple steel spikes jut out from various parts of his body.
The majority of both sides stare in horror at how I killed him. Maribelle faints into Ricken's arms upon seeing the brutal display. Stahl looks as green as his armor. Tharja…looks like she wants to tear off my clothes and ravage me right this very moment. Cr-p. Better keep a wary eye out for her.
I feign nonchalance as I sit down on the faux machine and look at the plegians again.
"Anyone else want to try their luck? Fair warning: if you do, you'll turn out like that guy."
The plegians promptly surrender.
I point at a random soldier among their ranks. "Hey, you!"
"Y-yes?!" he replies fearfully.
"Send word to the rest of your army that Gangrel has fallen. This war has claimed enough lives already, and frankly, we're all sick of it!"
The Plegian soldier obeys without question and runs towards the other battlefield as fast as he can. Not that I blame him. I'd do the same if some stranger committed murder by metal bending on one of my allies. Or I'd just run away as fast and as far as I could.
I jump down from my Traced steamroller and approach Cordelia. Despite our indisputable victory, she still looks very somber. I place a comforting hand on her shoulder.
"It's okay, Cordelia. You can let it all out now."
Cordelia pulls me into a hug (Ow, that breastplate is hard!) and bawls her eyes out. All the pain from losing her knight-sisters, all the stress from fighting while trying to mourn them, the relief of finally avenging them by her own hand – all of it comes out at once. The only thing I can do is return the hug and let Cordelia's emotions run free. Her cry heralds what we've all been longing for.
The war is finally over.
BGM: Experienced many battles, Naruto Shippuden OST
"Then it's finished. Once their messenger delivers our terms, that's it." Flavia declares. "We put an end to this bloody business, once and for all."
Chrom sighs tiredly. "We've won… Somehow I don't feel like celebrating."
"Victory can be bitter as well as sweet, boy." Basilio explains. "It's good you learn that now."
Flavia's face turns somber. "Regna Ferox lost many good soldiers today. We need to see to our dead. Then it's time to attend to the living and rebuild our army."
Chrom bows to the reigning khan. "I'm sorry, Flavia. Your sacrifice will not be forgotten. Ylisse will compensate your nation in whatever fashion-"
"Oh? In that case, how about you hand over the Fire Emblem and we call it even?" Flavia interjects. She smirks at Chrom's nervous reaction. "…Hah! Just a little Feroxi humor. Don't worry after our finances, Chrom. Reparations will fall to Plegia, and I've seen their treasury – they can well afford it." Her statement is punctuated by her rubbing her hands in glee. Unless anyone keeps an eye on her, chances are she could bleed Plegia's royal coffers dry.
Basilio shakes his head exasperated. "Yes, pity the man who stands between Flavia and a full coffer, boy."
Chorm smiles at the lighthearted banter. "Heh. I'll have to remember that when you come to visit Ylisstol."
Right as we get ready to return to camp, Cordelia flies in at our meeting place.
"My prince!"
Chrom turns to the Pegasus Knight. "Cordelia?"
Cordelia smiles relieved as she approaches the prince. "Oh, Prince Chrom! You made it! You're safe!"
Faster than Chrom can react, Cordelia pulls him into a bearhug.
A massive grin grows on Flavia's face. "Hoo! Give these two some room!"
"Cordelia… Breastplate…" Chrom groans.
"Gods, I was so worried for you when I lost sight of you during the battle!" Cordelia babbles while trying to inspect every part of his body. "Please tell me you're unharmed!"
"Chrom?! Say something!" Lissa encourages the prince.
"I'm trying to!" Chrom manages to squeeze out.
Lissa gives her brother a knowing smile. "Uh-huh. Flavia? Robin? Jack? Maybe we should…you know."
Flavia nods. "Carry on, lovebirds."
As we leave, I place a hand on Chorm's shoulder.
"Chrom, I made the most important realization of my life a few days ago. Now it's your turn. You've got happiness right in front of you. You need only reach out and grasp it."
BGM ends
Your relationship with Cordelia has advanced! Your relationship with Cordelia is now "Allies"!
Quest alert:
Main quest: Fall of a madman
Gangrel has fallen, and with his death, the war against Plegia is finally over. Now is the time to rebuild and rest. More importantly, the time has come for Chrom to pick his bride. Get some nice clothes. It's wedding time!
Objective: Defeat Gangrel
Objective cleared!
Rewards: You gain 11 000 EXP! You gain 11 000 gold!
You have leveled up!
I leave with Robin at my side. Yep, those two will do juuust fine. As for me, I've got a girlfriend to attend to. Judging from Robin's smile, she's thinking the same thing.
We've gathered in the mess tent for one final meal before we plan to break camp and head back to Ylisstol. As we get ready to sit down, Chrom enters the tent with Cordelia and-
By Naga's immaculate hair, the Pegasus Knight's smile is so bright, it could put the sun to shame!
"Everyone, I have an announcement to make." Chrom tells us with a smile of his own. "I've spoken with Cordelia. We've decided to marry. If anyone wishes to attend the wedding, we'd be honored to invite you."
*Clang!*
Everyone turns their attention to the tent opening to see Sumia stand stock-still with a look of shock and utter betrayal on her face. At her feet is a metal plate with what used to be a freshly baked pie. Now it's a freshly baked pie that's in pieces.
Sumia runs out from the tent without another word.
Cordelia reaches out for her longtime friend. "Sumia, wait!"
Too late. She's gone.
"I'll go after her." I volunteer.
"Please, Jack, make sure she's safe. I can't bear losing her too." Cordelia implores.
I nod before I set off after Sumia.
I find her a few minutes later, sitting under a tree and crying. She's not alone, however. Frederick sits right there with her, holding her comfortingly and simply being a rock as Sumia lets out every tear and sob she has. The Great Knight takes note of me and gives me a nod that roughly translates to "I've got this.".
I nod back and return to the mess tent without another word. Sumia's in good hands. She'll be fine.
Just as I enter the mess tent, I stumble upon an odd sight; Gaius and Stahl kneeling on the ground and eating Sumia's ruined pie.
"Really?" I ask the two with a deadpan expression.
Stahl shrugs. "Hey, it's still edible – mostly." he replies between bites.
"Never expected rhubarb and fiddleheads to work so well together." Gaius adds. "Woman knows how to bake pies."
I shake my head in exasperation and carry on to Cordelia to deliver the news. The red-headed Pegasus Knight sighs in relief and makes a note to thank Frederick later.
"Do you really think Sumia will be fine, Jack?" Robin asks me when we have a bit of space for ourselves.
I smile in reply. "Yeah. Fredrick's got this. She's in good hands."
Robin raises an eyebrow. "Not what I was asking about, but I suppose that's good news."
Timeskip: 3 months later
Rebuilding Ylisse took a lot of work. Able-bodied men were sent all over the halidom to reconstruct destroyed houses and razed villages. Farmers hired Feroxi soldiers to help work on the fields as the need for food was expected to rise. Chrom made sure to send just about all of us out on various missions across Ylisse to help wherever help was needed. It's a good thing I have access to Shadow clones, as it allowed me to work with the efficiency of at least a dozen people at any given time. Needless to say, my missions were always the shortest in proportion to the workload. With how much work there was in rebuilding the halidom after the war, the costs were enormous for materials alone. Good thing all of that was payed by Plegia, or else Emmeryn would risk a nationwide riot for raising the taxes in these trying times.
Speaking of Plegia paying the bill, the same went for planning Chrom's and Cordelia's royal wedding. The moment Maribelle and Lissa heard that, matching evil smirks grew on their faces before they dragged Cordelia into the nearest room and locked the door. No one saw them exit said room until hours later. Lissa and Maribelle were carrying a massive scroll each, filled from top to bottom with ideas for the wedding. To make sure everything got organized, Robin got dragged into the planning too (to her apparent horror).
Cordelia looked like she had just finished one of Frederick's fanatical fitness hours.
Emmeryn wisely stayed out of that business, simply by giving her brother and the red-headed Pegasus Knight her blessing. To be fair, she has a halidom to oversee.
The weeks that followed basically consisted of Lissa and Maribelle zipping across Ylisse in search for everything they needed. Whenever they were done in one area, they returned to the capital to dump everything into Robin's capable hands so the Tactician could put everything in place. What looked like a massive, jumbled lump of cargo turned into all manner of knick-knacks for the wedding within an hour of arrival.
Of course, none of this would've been possible without a workforce of slav- I mean volunteers. Said volunteers turned out to be all of us males. All of us, except for Libra and Chrom. Libra, because the lucky dog could slip away with the excuse of volunteering to officiate the ceremony, since he's an ordained priest. Chrom, because he's the groom.
And so, the most hectic three weeks of our lives began. Everything had to be perfect, carefully scrutinized under Maribelle's watchful eyes while Tharja served as extra…motivation. As in, motivation by Elfire. It's surprising how efficiently lazy bums like Virion and Vaike work when threatened like that.
To round up this messy period was Cordelia's reconciliation with Sumia. The weeks were dedicated to awkward talks, emotional arguments, more talks, dozens of tea times with Sumia's home baked pies, even more talks and an innumerable number of tears shed and hugs exchanged before the two Pegasus Knights managed to reconcile regarding Chrom. Seeing the two women mend their relationship was equal parts heartbreak and wacky comedy. Thank Naga they managed to become friends again.
It helped that Sumia eventually found love with Frederick. Not only did it help her move on, it was precisely the stalwart Great Knight's steadfast and patient guidance that helped Sumia realize that he was the one she wanted all along, not Chrom.
By the end of the three weeks, Cordelia finally breached the question of whether Sumia wanted to be the maid of honor. She accepted in a heartbeat.
We managed to finish preparing for everything, from the banners decorating the pillars in the cathedral, to polishing every little surface of the palace's ballroom for the wedding reception, about a full day before the appointed date. Needless to say, everyone who participated (except for me) spent that free day staying in bed and sleep. Wedding preparations is tiring work.
The day has finally arrived. The cathedral of Ylisstol is packed with people who wish to witness the royal wedding. Fortunately, we Shepherds have front-row seats.
It's a good thing we have Virion and Maribelle, since everyone else have just about no clue about fashion and garbs fitting for times like weddings. Virion found me a combination of shirt and pants that, honestly, seem to blend together well. Robin's sitting on my right, wearing a modest blue dress that allows her plenty of movement, while still being easy on the eyes. Maribelle, you've done a fine job finding this for her.
Chrom stands at the altar, nervously tugging at the collar of his wedding suit. Gone is the armor for a more decorated coat with the brand of the exalt sewn on the backside. His pants have been changed to match the royal blue of his jacket. And to complete the outfit, he wears a cravat made from the finest silk around his neck, generously donated by Virion.
The gathered crowd has settled for hushed whisper amongst each other. As a result, it's easy to hear Chrom's conversation with Frederick, Chrom's chosen best man.
"Can't we just get this over with, Frederick?" Chrom mutters nervously. "These clothes are horribly uncomfortable, and every moment I spend waiting for Cordelia frays on my nerves. If I have to wait any longer, I'll be a wreck by the time she makes it here."
"Please, try to be patient a little longer, milord." Frederick replies as comfortingly as he can. "This is your wedding, after all. Do not rush this moment, savor it. Take in everything you see, every person gathered here today to witness this joyous occasion. Cordelia is worth every moment you need to wait."
"Indeed, my prince." Libra adds from in front of the altar. "Today is a day of celebration, both for all the hard work we have all put in to rebuild our fair halidom, as well as witnessing two people join in matrimony. If I may be so bold, I believe a smile would fit you much better than a frown at this moment."
Before Chrom can reply, we hear the cathedral's bells ring. Their tune carries through the entire building, making everyone suddenly sit up much straighter in anticipation for the lady of the hour. At the sound of the cathedral gates opening, everyone turns to the entrance.
Oh, wow…
BGM: Tifa's theme, Final Fantasy 7 music
Cordelia slowly walks into the cathedral, garbed in a pure-white dress that flows almost like an aurora as she moves. Her gait shows hours of practice under Maribelles' strict tutelage. It's as if every step flows into the next as smoothly as the way the fabric of her gown waves in the slight breeze in the cathedral. What demands the most attention, however, is her smile. If I squint at just the right moment, I can see Cordelia smile at Chrom from behind her veil, and it's radiant.
In fact, Cordelia takes so much of our attention that we hardly notice Phila accompanying her to the altar.
After what feels like an eternity, Cordelia finally ascends the steps to the altar, where Phila leaves her with Chrom and goes to stand beside Sully, Maribelle, Olivia and, most importantly, Sumia.
With everyone in place, Libra steps forth, opens a tome and begins the wedding sermon.
"Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to witness these two people join together in holy matrimony…"
*Sniff*
I look to my left and see Nowi in tears.
"Something wrong, Nowi?" I whisper concerned.
"Ibs… Ibs so bweadibul… (It's… It's so beautiful…)" the manakete sobs.
I Trace a handkerchief and hand it to her.
"Here."
Nowi accepts the handkerchief without a word and blows her nose HARD. Then she hands the handkerchief back to me.
"Bwanks, Jabk… (Thanks, Jack…)"
I gingerly grab the piece of cloth by a corner that, miraculaously, managed to survive the manakete snot assault. Manakete mucus… Lovely… It's not like I can dismiss this handkerchief either, since that would just leave all the mucus to freefall to the floor.
"Having trouble, Jack?" Robin whispers teasingly from my right.
An eyebrow twitches. "Not the time, love."
Well, I suppose I'll just hold it for a while longer. It's time for the big moment.
"Prince Chrom of House Ylisse…" Libra begins. "Do you take this woman to be your lawfully wedded wife, to love her in health, as in sickness? In wealth, as in poverty? Through happy times, as well as times of sadness, 'til death do you apart?"
Chrom nods with a resolute smile. "I do."
Then Libra turns to Cordelia.
"Cordelia, do you take this man to be your lawfully wedded husband, to love him in health, as in sickness? In wealth, as in poverty? Through happy times, as well as times of sadness, 'til death do you apart?"
A tear can be seen sliding down Cordelia's cheek as she smiles at Chrom.
"I do."
Libra turns to the gathered crowd.
"If anyone has any objections to these two being wed, then speak now, or forever hold your peace."
The hall is completely silent, save for a few people sniveling alongside Nowi.
Libra clears his throat before he raises his voice. "Then by the power vested in me, and by the grace of Naga, I hereby declare you husband and wife!" He smiles at Chrom serenely. "You may kiss the bride."
Chrom slowly lifts Cordelia's veil to reveal her tear streaked face. Then he gently cups her cheeks and brings her in for a kiss. Cheers erupt through the cathedral as their lips join.
Frederick stands by Chrom's side, smiling while freely crying tears of pride over seeing his liege take this monumental step in his life.
"Atta boy, Chrom!" Vaike shouts from the other side of the row I'm sitting on.
"Whoo, these two will need a room soon!" Flavia comments grinning.
BGM ends
After finishing the wedding ceremony, everyone invited moved to the royal palace for the wedding reception. And what a reception it is. I should know, I carried a lot of the stuff needed for this party alongside several of my fellow male Shepherds.
Lissa and Maribelle went all-out in planning for this shebang. Dozens of tables filled to the brim with all sorts of food and refreshments. Servants walking everywhere and holding trays with drinks for anyone feeling thirsty. An entire orchestra softly playing music in the background. And, of course, more decorations than you can shake a stick at. And we males had to carry all of that around during preparations. Okay, not the orchestra, but definitely the musical instruments!
In the end, it was worth it. The atmosphere is cheerful, the music leaves a soothing tone, and the food is delicious. The kitchen staff really outdid themselves with this food, and more is still on the way as the party goes on.
"Ooh. Just look at him."
"Such a handsome stud."
"I wonder if he's single."
Of course, no high-class party would be complete without the mandatory gaggle of airheaded female aristocrats. And as luck would have it, they've set their sights on Lon'qu. To add insult to injury, the ladies believe themselves subtle, when, in reality, anyone with even a smidge of common sense can spot their passive flirting from the other side of the ballroom. Lon'qu caught on faster than he can swing a sword, and the poor guy's looking mighty uncomfortable.
"I think we should help him." I whisper to Robin.
The Tactician is about to agree when Gregor comes to the rescue. The Mercenary simply needs to flex his muscles a bit while narrating some stories from his many years as a traveling sellsword. He has the ladies flocking to him within seconds, much to Lon'qu's relief.
I turn back to Robin. "Well, that should settle thi-"
There's a garishly clothed fop flirting with my girlfriend.
"And I must say, Lady Robin, the grace with which you execute those strategies is simply mesmerizing! Ah, what I would not give to stand by your side and witness your tactical genius be unleashed on whatever foul evildoer who would attack our fair halidom."
I repeat. There is a garishly clothed fop. Flirting. With MY GIRLFRIEND!
Winds whip up around me as I slowly advance on the soon-to-be dead man.
Robin subtly tries to tell him to back away, but she'd have more success pouring water on a goose.
"Make no mistake, my dear." he continues. "Far be it for me to let any harm befall you so long as I am with you. Yes, you will be perfectly safe with me. I guarantee it."
"Yes, most impressive, good sir." Robin replies politely. "Though I really think it would be in our best interests if you kept your distance-"
"Nonsense, my lovely!" the sleaze interrupts. "I could, in fact, be so bold as to say that your rightful place-"
"-is with me." I interject.
Robin and the fop turn in my direction. The relief on Robin's face in unmistakable as she hurries to my side.
"Thank goodness you're here." she whispers and grabs hold of my arm.
The fop scoffs. "Hmph! And who, pray tell, might you be?"
"Call me Jack." I reply.
"Well, then, mister…Jack… Unless your lowborn mind has caught up on the situation yet, I was just about to profess my most sincere intentions for Lady Robin here when you so rudely butted in. I must ask you to kindly leave us alone."
"And I must ask you to kindly shove off." I counter.
"I beg your pardon?!" the fop hisses indignant.
"Unless your garishly clouded mind has caught up to the situation, Robin is already spoken for."
That finally stops the snob in his tracks. "I-indeed?" Then he turns to Robin. "If… If I may ask, who is the man who has wormed his way into your heart, fair lady?"
Robin smiles and points at me. "Jack."
The fop points at me. "You?! But- But you're a commoner! A lowborn nobody who just happened to sneak your way into this prestigious wedding!"
I glance at Robin, who's doing a good job at stifling her laughter.
"Clearly, this man has no idea who he's talking to." I muse. "If I may ask, who are you, good sir?"
The snob puffs up his chest proudly. "Who am I? Well, since you asked so politely, I suppose it is only right that I deign it worthy an answer. I am Gaston, heir of House Ferros. Surely, you must have heard of my illustrious family name during your life, have you not?"
A quick Observe tells me everything I need to know about this guy. Womanizing pretty boy who uses the prestigious name of his family to get anything he wants, wherever he wants, whenever he wants. Preferably, flirting with the ladies of the courts and maybe even spend the night with one of them. Has hardly ever done any effort to contribute to the family name. Typical spoiled brat.
"Never heard of it." I reply blandly, which makes Gaston sputter in shock.
"Wh- Is there no end to your ignorance?! I will have you know, my family supplies Ylisse with the bulk of their iron, thanks to the rich ore mines in our lands!"
"Iron, eh?" I muse.
And this fop is the heir of said family? That can't be good for business, especially if a competitor were to enter the scene. Hm… I wonder if I could dab into some mining business of my own, if only to give this Casanova a sick burn in the face?
"Yes, iron." Gaston declares. "So if I were you, I would make sure you stayed on my good side."
"Is something the matter, Jack?" we hear Chrom ask.
Gaston is quick to bow to the Ylissean prince and kiss up.
"Ah, Prince Chrom! It is an honor for me to represent my dear family at your wedding. Simply marvelous. Oh, and congratulations to getting married. I am sure it fills your heart with joy."
Chrom raises an eyebrow. "And you are…?"
Gaston sputters indignant once more (which only makes it harder for Robin to hold in her laughter) before he regains his composure – somewhat.
"Ah, how rude of me! I am Gaston of House Ferros. I am sure your dear sister has met my father, the head of my house, numerous times during her rule."
Chrom suddenly scowls at the noble. "Wait, I remember you. You're the philanderer who kept pestering Lissa into courting her when she was younger. To make matters worse, she soon found out you tried the exact same thing with Maribelle at the same time!"
"Chrom, you know this guy?" I ask as I point at Gaston, who's sweating at this point from Chrom's accusing remark.
"What?! You're on a first name basis with the prince of Ylisse?!" Gaston exclaims. "But- But you're just a lowborn nobody!"
Chrom's scowl grows deeper. "He's anything but a nobody! If it wasn't for Jack, neither Phila nor my sister may have survived the war against Plegia. He saved both of their lives, and for that, I owe him a debt I could never repay."
Gaston's sweat nearly flows in rivulets at this point. "Hold a moment. YOU are Jack, as in Jack, the hero of Ylisse? The man who singlehandedly defeated dozens of Risen to protect Captain Phila's life and rescue Her Grace?"
I cross my arms with a smile. "The one and only. In fact, had you been by Robin's side while we were in Plegia, you would've witnessed it firsthand, right alongside her, Prince Chrom and both khans of Regna Ferox."
"But I only thought those were rumors – tall tales spun within the army to glorify minor feats among the soldiers!"
My smile turns into a condescending smirk. "Really, Master Gaston. Is there no end to your ignorance? If I were you, I would make sure you stayed on my good side."
Gaston sputters in shock of having his insults thrown back in his face. Ah, the sweet satisfaction of turning this flirting wannabe's words against him. Robin's whole body is shaking with suppressed laughter as she hangs onto my shoulder for support (much to Chrom's confusion).
"You- Yoouu…" Gaston grinds out angrily. "Mark my words, this is not over!"
With that, the garish aristocrat indignantly turns to leave.
"Remember, it's bad form to leave royalty without a proper farewell!" I shout after him.
Gaston halts mid-step, gives Chrom a quick bow, and then continues his trek out of the palace.
The moment he's out of sight, Robin lets the dam burst.
"Ah ha ha ha haa! Oh- Oh, gods! Did you see the look on his face?! Absolutely priceless!"
I grin at Robin. "Oh, I saw, all right. Almost looked like he got slapped in the face with a fish."
Robin wipes a tear of mirth from her eye. "Ooh, I needed that. Thank you, Jack."
I look back at where Gaston stormed off and raise an eyebrow.
"How did you even end up talking with that fop in the first place? I thought you were a better judge of character than that."
Robin straightens herself out. "Well, I decided to try my hand on this whole negotiating thing. Since the Ferros family indeed supplies Ylisse with most of its iron, I figured some negotiating could help make the trade easier for the halidom. You know, in case the need for iron would increase."
That raises my eyebrow even further. "Negotiating? During a wedding reception?"
"You'd be surprised how many business deals are made between merchants, nobles and other high-profile people during festivities like these, Jack. Official meetings with the ruler of a country barely make a fraction of all those deals."
I wince at the implications of her words. "Oh. Does that mean I went and ruined a possible negotiation you had there?"
Robin shakes her head. "No, fortunately not. I thought I would be able to negotiate with Gaston, but the moment I struck up conversation with him, he wouldn't stop trying to woo me. I tried to decline his advances as politely as I could, but he just wouldn't take the hint."
The thought of going Dio Brando on the snobby pretty boy feels very tempting all of a sudden. As is stacking UBW on top of that. And a few hundred Rasengan for good measure.
Me, jealous? I have NO idea what you're talking about.
"Well, that wasn't a big loss at all." Chrom remarks. "Gaston has made a name for himself as a womanizer among the nobles. He shamelessly flaunts his family's name to get in the good graces of any lady who catches his fancy, but he's never done anything to actually contribute to House Ferros. In fact, despite being the heir of his house, he hardly has any sway in the deals and negotiations his family is involved in."
Robin sighs relieved. "Good. Then this venture wasn't a complete loss after all." She leans to my shoulder with a smile. "And…thank you for standing up for me, Jack. Enemies on the battlefield, I can handle. But politics with unsavory men is out of my depth."
I return the smile and bring my arm around her waist. "Anytime, Robin. Should you try something like this again, just tell me. I'd be happy to stay nearby, if only to act as a deterrent for anyone trying any funny business with you."
I grab a nut from my bag and flick it out the nearest open window.
"And if that fop plans to try anything with you again, I'll know."
After the little incident with Gaston, things were generally peaceful at the reception. Though I have no need for eating, I made sure to sample all the food on the tables. Delicious stuff, if a little lacking on the nutritional side.
However, that ended soon, as the host called for the bride and bridegroom to start off the dancing portion with the wedding waltz. Seeing Cordelia smile as Chrom led her over the polished dancefloor was a sight of beauty. I've never seen Chrom move with such grace. Either he's been holding out on us, or he's taken some serious dancing lessons during the past weeks.
As the waltz ends, the floor opens up for anyone who wishes to wow the crowd together with their partner. Really, people are supposed to enjoy dancing with the person most dear to them, not use the floor as a means to upstage everyone else. Freakin' nobles…
Personally, I would abstain from dancing, since I only know a few basic steps myself. That is, until I notice Virion ask Robin for a dance. Before Robin can answer, and before I have time to think, I've already swept her off her feet and placed her in front of me on the middle of the dancefloor. Cr-p.
Robin looks at me curiously. "Jack?"
Everyone's staring at us. Now that I listen, even the orchestra stopped. Double cr-p.
"Ah…" I begin nervously. "May I have this dance, Robin?"
My girlfriend raises an eyebrow. "You know how to dance?"
Gulp. "Not really… But I could try. How about you?"
Robin shrugs. "Amnesiac, remember? Your guess is as good as mine."
Triple cr-p.
…
Ah, screw it! We've handled worse situations than these. What's one dance surrounded by a bunch of dolled up aristocrats compared to fighting for our lives while surrounded by enemy soldiers?
I smile at Robin. "Well, I suppose we'll just have to wing it, then. I'll ask again, Robin: May I have this dance?"
Robin smiles back. "Certainly."
I indicate the conductor with a grin. "Maestro, music!"
BGM: Beauty and the Beast (Tale as old as time), Disney: Beauty and the Beast
As the music starts to play again, I close my eyes and listen to the theme. Orchestral… Slow and soothing… Perfect for ballroom dancing. Think of a good ballroom dancer. Think of a good ballroom dancer. Think of a good ballroom dancer!
Wait, that's it! Beast led Belle through a dance in his own ballroom during his date with her. Dude was a prince before he was transformed, so he definitely knows how to dance! Mimicry, go!
I gently take hold of Robin's waist and right hand. With a few sways, I ease her into the rhythm of the music before I take the first steps. As the music plays, the world shrinks down to only the two of us. I lead with dancing steps Mimicked from the Beast, while Robin follows along with the grace worthy of a fairytale princess.
Our feet glide across the floor as the music plays. Robin laughs merrily as I twirl her in a pirouette before I bring her in close again. By the Heron galdrs, I could listen to her laugh for eternity! Moments later, I notice that I've joined her in the laughter. Here we are, two lovers dancing and having the time of our lives.
I decide to get a little bold and take longer strides with Robin. She catches on quickly and follows my lead. A twirl here, a backstep there. Really, I'm flying by the seat of my pants at this point. I'm amazed she can keep up with my spontaneous choices. We're not competing for any spotlight. We're just enjoying ourselves on the dancefloor.
The moments we've spent together flash before my eyes as our dance continues. The day I met Robin on the field. Surviving our first battles together. Solidifying our bonds right after we settled in with the Shepherds. The march to Ferox, when we learned the art of snow-walking. Our team-up against Validar and me agreeing to teach her the Rasengan. Every lesson I had with her afterwards in teaching her the powerful technique. The time I tucked her into bed, brought her food and gently brushed away her hair, only for her to notice everything. The day we confessed our mutual love and shared our first kiss. Every tease. Every smile. Every embrace. Every assurance that we'll be there for each other.
As the music winds down, I slow my steps to a halt and bring Robin in close.
"What did I do to meet someone like you?" I ask affectionally.
"I've asked myself the same question for a long time." Robin replies with a gentle smile.
I shift my hold and bring her into an embrace. I close my eyes as we bring our foreheads together.
"Maybe we don't need to know the answer." I whisper. "What matters is that we're here together. Would you…mind if we stay like this?"
"I'd love to."
It may not be our wedding, but I will make Robin the happiest woman in the world. That's the promise of a lifetime.
BGM ends
A new skill has been created due to a special action! You gained "Dancing"!
Cheers and applause erupt around us, which jolts us from our trance and reminds us that we're still very much at a social gathering. A blush grows on Robin's face as reality catches up to her.
I grin and step back a bit before I bow to her at the waist. "Thank you for the dance."
Robin blinks before she smiles back and curtsies. The moment she rises back up, she grabs my arm and drags me off the dancefloor.
"Oh, that was beautiful!" Sumia gushes with stars in her eyes as we reach the other Shepherds.
Robin's quickly surrounded by her fellow female Shepherds.
"Robin, darling, that dance was absolutely marvelous." Maribelle comments with a beaming smile. "You never told us you could dance like this."
Robin blushes under all the attention. "Actually, I didn't know about it either. I just followed along Jack's lead."
Olivia pushes her fingers together. "Um, could you teach me how to dance like that? I haven't tried any paired dancing before, but it looked lovely."
I myself am surrounded by the male Shepherds.
Gaius puts his arm around my shoulder. "Niiice! Now that's what I call dancing, Buttercup!"
I scratch my cheek. "And I call that "winging it". Seriously, I just went with the flow."
"Yeeaah, no. I'm not buying it. There's no way you're an amateur. Not if you can move like you and Bubbles did."
I raise my hands placatingly. "I swear, I've never danced like this before. It's just, you know. Strange powers and all that."
Gaius gives me a flat look. "This again? There has to be something you can't do with those weird powers of yours. What was it this time? Steal someone's moves?"
"Uh, kinda. I can copy other people, to a certain extent. I just copied the dancing moves of a prince in a fairytale."
The lollipop almost falls out of the Thief's mouth. "Seriously?! I was just joking!"
The rest of the reception was mostly silly banter and the occasional pluck from the food tables. I did one dance, and that's plenty enough for me. There were, of course, more couples who danced after me and Robin, but no one tried to upstage us. We kind of became dancing celebrities after that little stunt.
"For the last time Frederick, it's only ONE small trip. How dangerous can it be?!" I hear Chrom shout.
I round the corner to see the Ylissean prince argue with his faithful lieutenant.
"I believe I have made myself clear on the dangers that even the smallest of ventures can entail, milord. Pardon my overstepping of bounds, but I must advice against you traveling without protection."
"Huh? What kind of trip are you two talking about?" I ask as I approach them.
The two look in my direction before they make room for me in their conversation.
"It's about mine and Cordelia's honeymoon, Jack." Chrom explains. "To make sure we can enjoy it in peace, we've arranged so that we spend it in a small, remote village at the outskirts of Ylisse. Away from all the attention of gossip mongers and whatnot." A scowl grows on Chrom's face. "The problem is, Frederick refuses to let us go without an escort to keep us "safe from whatever may happen on the trip", as he said."
The Great Knight nods. "As you should, milord. I will not shirk my duty just because you and your newlywed wife wish to have privacy."
Chrom rubs his temples. "We've been stuck at this point for over an hour now, and it's making my head hurt."
I look between the two before I settle on the prince. "Uh, can't you just order Frederick to stay here while you and Cordelia go? I mean, you're both his prince and captain, so you should be able to do that without any problems."
"I could…" Chrom agrees. "…but do you honestly think that won't prevent Frederick from sending everyone else after us just to make sure we're watched?"
I wince as I realize Chrom is correct. The Great Knight would probably throw in a threat in the form of "fanatical fitness hour while wearing heavy training armor" to make sure the other Shepherds actually focus on the task as well.
"Soo… One way or another, Frederick gets his way, huh?" I muse.
Chrom sighs. "If things stay this way, then, yes."
Frederick nods pleased. "It pleases me that you see things my way, milord. Now, the next step would be rounding up volunteers to join as escorts."
"Hold, Frederick!" Chrom interrupts. "I agreed, provided that things stand as they are. There is, however, one important person you've yet to discuss with."
"And that would be…?"
"Cordelia."
"I don't see why not." Cordelia replies without a second thought.
Chrom stands slack-jawed while Frederick nods sagely.
"Wh- Cordelia, why would you agree so readily?!" Chrom protests.
Cordelia shoots her husband a mild glare. "Chrom, when was the last time you were on a trip that went without you running into any kind of trouble?"
Chrom opens his mouth to answer, only to fall short as he realizes that his wife has a point. Come to think about it, every trip I've been on with the prince has always resulted in us running into one faction or another that wants us dead. Heading to the capital? First battle with the Risen. Trip to Ferox? Raimi mistook us for bandits. First meeting with Gangrel? The jerk wanted to declare war from the start. Rescuing Emmeryn? Freakin' Grimleal and their Lynel summoning spell. Return trip to Ferox? Mustafa.
Yeah, Chrom has a terrible track record when it comes to staying out of trouble while traveling.
The prince is eventually forced to concede that both Frederick and Cordelia are right. They'll need an escort.
"Now as I was saying…" Frederick begins. "…I need some time to gather volunteers."
Quest alert:
Side quest: Hazardous honeymoon
Chrom and Cordelia are about to set out for their honeymoon. As lovely as it sounds, things are bound to go south at some point during their time alone. At Frederick's suggestion, the newlyweds should bring some escorts to make sure they can enjoy their honeymoon in peace. Why not tag along?
Objective: Protect Chrom and Cordelia during their honeymoon, ?
Rewards: 4 000 EXP, 2 000 gold
Bonus objective: ?, ?
Bonus rewards: 1 000 EXP, 500 gold
Failure: Sure, they'll survive, but do you really want to see the consequences of Cordelia's honeymoon being ruined?
"I'll join in." I speak up.
Frederick smiles at me. "Excellent. How about you help me find more volunteers, then, Jack?"
I rub my chin. "Sounds like a plan. When do we meet up?"
"Early tomorrow morning."
"Oh, oh, I wanna go!" Nowi waves enthusiastically as I break the news for the other Shepherds in the barracks. Oddly enough, the young manakete seems to be the only one who wants to tag along.
"Are you sure, Nowi?" I ask. "We're supposed to protect Chrom and Cordelia during the whole trip, you know."
The manakete rolls her eyes. "Oh, please. Frederick's such a worrywart. We've defeated pretty much every threat that's after us at this point."
I raise my eyebrow. "Still doesn't explain why you want to join."
"Because I'm booored!" Nowi exclaims with a pout. "There's almost nothing to do here. I try to play with the soldiers and palace staff, but everyone's busy doing "grown-up stuff", as they call it. There should be at least something happening if I tag along on Chrom's honeymoon."
I stare at the manakete blankly. "That's your reason? You just want to go on a vacation?"
"It's pretty much a vacation at this point anyway. What kind of dangers do you expect on the trip? Bandits? No bandits would be stupid enough to attack us."
I cross my arms. "You have to come up with a better reason than that if you want to tag along, Nowi."
Nowi bows down her head until her face vanishes behind her bangs. As I take a closer look at what she's doing, she looks back up at me – with big puppy-dog eyes!
"Pleeeaaase!"
Hnrg! Cuteness…overload…! My one…true…weakness… Resolve…crumbling…
I look to the side and cough in my fist.
"*Ahem!* Well, I… I SUPPOSE I could have a word with Frederick…"
"Yay!"
Nowi's instantly rainbows and flowers again. No, seriously. She literally has flowers and rainbows floating around her as she jumps around in exuberance.
Sigh. This girl will be the death of me.
We head out early the next morning. Chrom and Cordelia get to sit in their own horse drawn wagon during the whole trip, while the rest of us settle for our usual means of travel. Yes, even Frederick. He'll only mount his horse in case we're attacked. Incidentally, all our supplies are stowed in the very same wagon our newlywed couple sits in. It's amazing what an efficient packer Frederick is, since he managed to stuff all the luggage into the wagon without making it cramped anywhere. Man, if he ever picked up Tetris, he'd reach god-tier within an hour.
The trip is uneventful for the most part. Nowi volunteers as the lookout, as she wants to be the first to notice anything happening to us. While Frederick was less than pleased about her motivation, he let it slide. I'm driving the wagon, seeing as Frederick is busy leading his own horse. It's fortunate that our trip is so peaceful, 'cause I have no idea how to act if the horses pulling the wagon freak out.
We've made good progress by the time night falls. According to our travel plans, we should reach the designated village tomorrow at noon.
Setting up camp was a quick affair, since there's only five of us, one of who is Frederick. Nowi's gone to gather firewood while I'm on watch duty. Our newlyweds are busy getting comfortable in their own tent (which Frederick made during the preparations for the wedding).
Food isn't an issue, since our luggage includes travel rations for the journey (also made by Frederick). We eat our supper in comfortable silence. Well, as comfortable as having two newlyweds going gaga over each other gets. Sigh. If this is how you get when you're married, I worry for mine and Robin's mental health in the future.
…I miss Robin… Maybe I should've tried harder in asking her to join.
…I've got it bad…
The moment supper is done, Cordelia dragged Chrom to their tent and closed the flap with strict orders to not be disturbed unless it's an emergency. The slight feeling of dread that passed through my spine when she said that told me everything I needed to know.
Frederick's on watch duty while Nowi and I have some time alone by the camp fire.
The manakete stretches and sighs in satisfaction as she feels a few joints pop.
"Ah, that's better. I really needed to get out of that stuffy palace. Tagging along on this trip was the best decision ever."
I glance at her. "That bad, huh?"
"You have no idea."
To my surprise, Nowi leans to my side.
"Do you remember the last time we sat at a campfire together?"
I nod. "Yeah. On that night, we started to see each other as siblings of sorts. Thanks for helping me realize my feelings for Robin, by the way."
Nowi beams at me. "Hey, that's what family's for. We're always there to help each other, even when we don't want to."
I give her a flat stare. "Aren't you taking this "family" thing a bit far?"
"Nuh-uh. We're siblings now, like it or not." The manakete points right at my face. "That means I get to play with you whenever I want."
I sweatdrop. "There's a thing called "consent". Ever heard of it?"
"Don't care. If I wanna play, we play."
I'm about to retort when a sudden thought strikes me.
"Did you… Did you get to play with other children at all before you met us, Nowi?" I inquire.
Nowi's cheerful demeanor vanishes like a wisp in the wind. Her eyes become downcast as she stares into the campfire.
"No. I spent a lot of time traveling in search for a home." She tells me as she pulls her knees to her chest. "And those travels stopped when slavers captured me and sold me off at the auction. The Shepherds' barracks is the first place that I've gotten to call home in about a century."
A tear escapes her eye. "I… I was so lonely, Jack. I know we're not real siblings. And I know you won't have as much time with me in the future, since it's only a matter of time before you and Robin marry. It's just…" She looks up at me with more tears on the way. "…it's been so long since I could call anyone "family". I've already forgotten last time I did."
At that moment, something clicks in my mind. I think I'm finally starting to understand why Nowi's so set on playing with everyone she meets. I pull her in for a hug.
"Wh- Jack?"
"I'm sorry, Nowi."
"For what?"
"For not realizing this sooner. You…hardly had any childhood, did you? Even for as long as you've lived, you've rarely gotten to live as the child you're meant to be. You were forced to grow up in order to cope with everything happening around you."
I feel Nowi shudder as her tears flow.
"*Sniff* I… Whenever I saw all those children happily playing together, I wanted to do the same. When I saw their smiles as their parents picked them up and hugged them, I felt so empty inside. I wanted that. I wanted a place to call "home", a place where there would always be someone waiting for me to return. A place where I could share meals with the people I've come to cherish."
I hug her tighter as her crying continues.
"Nowi, I can't promise to become the family you wish for. I can't promise you any childhood. I think none of us Shepherds can. But that won't stop us from trying. Just… Please understand that not all of us grew up happily either. Some of us still carry wounds on our hearts because of what happened in the past. We're not a perfect family. In many ways, we're more like a wounded one. But that's what holds us together. We know what it feels like to hurt, so we stay with each other to help soothe each other's wounds."
Nowi dries her tears on my shirt sleeve (Hey, not cool!) and looks up at me.
"I don't want a perfect family. I want a family where I'm welcome home."
I smile and pat her head. "Then you've come to the right place, Nowi. We don't always see eye to eye, but we always care for each other. That's part of what being a Shepherd means."
A smile grows on Nowi's face before she buries it in my chest.
"Thank you, Jack."
I decide to stay with Nowi by the camp fire. Eventually, I notice that she's fallen asleep. Well, it has been a long day. Taking great care, I lift her up and carry her to her tent. I tuck her into her bedroll and give her cheek a light caress.
"Sweet dreams." I whisper before I exit her tent.
Your relationship with Nowi has advanced! Your relationship with Nowi is now "Allies"!
The moment I leave Nowi's tent, I see Frederick stand in front of me with an unreadable expression.
"Do you have a moment, Jack?" the Great Knight asks.
I shrug. "Sure. I'm up next on watch duty, right?"
"Indeed. Before that, however, I wish to discuss something with you."
I raise an eyebrow, but follow him back to the campfire.
As we're both seated, I decide to take the initiative. "So, what brought this up?"
"I overheard some of the conversation you had with Nowi." Frederick explains. "I would like to thank you, Jack. I think none of the other Shepherds managed to notice her plight, and for that, I commend you."
I scratch the back of my head. "It wasn't that commendable. Heck, I only realized it myself less than half an hour ago."
"Yet you did realize it." Frederick points out. "And with that realization, you've helped Nowi with a burden none of us knew she was carrying."
I stare into the campfire. "It's just…I have a soft spot for children. Nowi may be older than the rest of us combined, but deep down, she's still a child. From there, it was only a matter of giving her the attention that every child needs. Children usually show how they feel, you know. So long as you show that they can trust you, they're willing to share what's on their mind."
Frederick hums in thought. "I am afraid childcare is something that is beyond my abilities. You, on the other hand, seem to possess quite the aptitude for it. I could tell from the way you spoke with Nowi."
I smile at the Great Knight. "In my case, I can hardly vouch for aptitude. It's more a matter of how much you care for the little ones. If your concern for them is genuine, figuring out what to do comes naturally. At least, that's what I think. It sure would explain how some people who seem completely unreliable turn out to be the best parents, simply because of how much effort they put in for their children out of love."
"Oh?"
"I could even take it one step further. Frederick, you believe childcare is beyond you, right?"
"That is what I said, yes."
I bump my fist against his pauldron. "Well, I beg to differ. Should you ever find that a child has been placed in your care, ask yourself this: how much does this child mean to you? Based on your answer, you might turn into a great caretaker."
Frederick smiles back at my reply. "Why, thank you. Your words were certainly encouraging. I shall take them to heart. Feel free to ask me a favor, should you ever need it. Within reasonable limits, of course."
I direct my gaze at Nowi's tent. "Well, we've got an energetic manakete child in our care. It's going to take every one of us to help her grow up be to the wonderful woman I have no doubt she will one day become."
Frederick nods sagely. "Indeed."
I rise from my seat as I walk in search for a good lookout spot.
"Well it was nice talking to you Frederick. Here's to hope you get some good rest tonight."
"Likewise, Jack."
Your relationship with Frederick has improved!
The next morning
Nowi, Frederick and I are up early for breakfast. It's only several hours after sunrise that Chrom and Cordelia emerge from their tent. Chrom looks happy enough, but Cordelia's smile speaks of bliss beyond description.
After we packed everything up, we're back on the road. There's a notable skip in Nowi's steps that weren't there yesterday. Guess last night's talk helped lift a heavy weight off her shoulders.
We arrive at a small village around noon.
Wow… It's been so long since I was at such a peaceful place. No signs of conflict, no anxiety hanging over the village like a cloud, just the bustle of a small village where the inhabitants are hard at work with their daily chores.
Our traveling company draws stares from every direction as we proceed into the village. Frederick leads us to a small hut near the center of the settlement.
"Well, here we are." Frederick declares. "I took some time to send a messenger to this village in advance to prepare this house for milord and Lady Cordelia to spend their honeymoon."
I raise an eyebrow. "Exactly how much did you prepare for this trip?"
Chrom sticks his head out the window of the wagon. "Don't ask. He'll list things until sunset."
That's everything he manages to say before Cordelia pulls him back in and shuts the window. The sounds coming from within…are not for children's ears…
"Well, howdy. You the wun who wanted to rent this here cottage?" the voice of a young man greets us.
Donnel Lvl 10 Class: Villager
Well, what do you know? Of all the villages they could've picked for the honeymoon, it was Donnel's home village.
Frederick nods. "Indeed. I assume everything is in order."
Donnel grins cheerfully. "Sure is, sir! We did everythin' just like ya wanted it. Thanks fer the gold, by the way. Should pay fer some nice new tools fer us to use in our fair village, it should."
"My thanks, young man."
"By the way, where're the two lovebirds that're gonna spend the week here?" Donnel asks as he looks around curiously.
"That would be Chrom and Cordelia." I reply from my seat. I point my thumb at the wagon. "They're busy inside there at the moment. Maybe we should find a place to put this wagon while we wait for them to…ah, finish up."
Donnel nods. "Sure thing!"
It takes some maneuvering, but I manage to park the wagon beside the house. With some help from Donnel, we lead the horses to the nearest stables and get them settled in.
"Soo… What now?"I ask as we head back outside. "Chrom and Cordelia will obviously be busy doing their own thing during our stay, but what about us?"
"The probability of this village getting attacked is quite low. You are free to do as you please for the duration of our stay in this village." Frederick replies. "I advise you find some lodging."
"Yay! Vacation!" Nowi cheers and runs off into the village.
I scratch the back of my head. "Uh, hope she won't cause too much trouble for you."
Donnel shrugs. "Nah. We're a small lot out here, an' we don't get many them visitors. A new face here is always welcome." The young farmer boy scratches his head as well. "But why in tarnation does she have so little clothes?"
"That's…" I stop as I realize that I have no answer. "…a good question. I've never asked. Frederick?"
The Great Knight shakes his head. "I believe no one among the Shepherds have managed to find the answer."
Donnel stops abruptly. "Shepherds? As in, the Shepherds led by his Lordshipness, Prince Chrom?!"
I nod. "The very same. Didn't my mentioning of Chrom earlier tip you off?"
Donnel blushes. "I thought the name sounded familiar, but… Yeeps!"
The Villager runs to a nearby house. "Ma! We've gots some bonafide royalty in town!"
"I know, boy." a female voice replies from within the house. Yep, that's Donnel's mother, all right. "Ya gots ta hear that when the messenger told us two weeks ago."
"He- he did?"
Donnel's mother sighs. "Honestly, you've been outta it lately, boy. I knew Iris gettin' hitched with Feenie hit ya hard, but ya can't let it keep ya down forever, son."
The woman turns to us. "I apologize fer my son bein' a bit absent-minded, sirs. He's been in a slump ever since a girl he liked married another man an' left the village. Fine lass, at that."
Donnel's face turns as red as Cordelia's hair. "Maaa~!"
Frederick coughs into his fist. "*Ahem* As interesting a story your son may have to share, we have other matters to tend to, ma'am. For starters, do you know of any place in this village where we can have lodgings for a week?"
Donnel's mother rubs her chin. "Well, there are a few houses that have been a bit empty lately ever since some o' the young'uns moved out. I'm sure some a' them elderly would welcome some young folk ta' keep 'em company for a while."
The Great Knight nods with a smile. "My thanks. Well, then, Jack. Now would be a good time to find a place to sleep."
With plan in mind, I walk through the village for a place to stay. Fortunately, Donnel decided to tag along. That should make my search easier.
"Beg yer pardon, sir, but I think I never got yer name." Donnel remarks.
I offer him my hand. "Name's Jack."
Donnel accepts the handshake. "Donny. Er, actually, it's Donnel, but everyone here calls me Donny."
I'm about to let go when I feel Donnel's grip stiffen.
"Wait a sec…" the Villager murmurs. "Yer Jack? As in, Jack, the hero who saved the exalt?"
I scratch my cheek. "Technically, that was Captain Phila. And us reaching Exalt Emmeryn was a team effort. But, yeah, I had a hand in saving her." Seriously, I get that I played a role more important than many in Ylisse may ever realize, but that only makes my role feel so much more overplayed.
Donnel slips his hand out from mine and starts bowing.
"Jack! I mean, sir Jack! Fergive my rudeness earlier! I didn't-"
"Relax, Donnel." I interrupt with an eye roll. "You don't have to treat me like royalty. Honestly, the way you talked to me earlier was a lot better. No need to spew all those titles whenever you want to talk to me."
That calms the young Villager down. "Phew. Well, if ya say so."
I eventually manage to find lodgings with a friendly elderly couple, whose son moved to the capital to join the army. They were more than happy to let me stay the week.
With nothing else to do, I decide to explore the surroundings outside the village. Some walking later, I notice that Donnel's been following me all along.
"Was there something you wanted, Donnel?"
The boy fidgets a bit before he straightens up. "Well, it's, uh… Si- I mean, Jack. Ya know how ta fight, right?"
I nod. "Yep. When you get dragged into a war, you either learn that, or you die."
Donnel gulps at the implications before he steels himself again. "Well, the thing is… Can ya teach me? Ta fight, I mean?"
I raise an eyebrow. "What for? This village seems peaceful. Why would you want to learn how to fight?"
Donnel shakes his head. "It's peaceful now, but everyone's been feelin' that somethin' big is happenin'. I wants to learn how to fight so I can protect my ma and pa in case somethin' nasty made it here."
Donnel's father is still alive? Well, that's interesting.
I rub my chin in thought. I'm not sure how much I can teach Donnel, save for some sparring. That might actually be enough. Besides, if Lucina was any indication, future-me knows how to train people. Well, I've gotta start somewhere. Might as well begin with the guy in front of me.
"Sure thing." I reply.
Donnel smiles ear to ear. "Thanks so much, Jack! Ya won't regret it!"
A small smirk forms on my lips. "No, but you might. Make no mistake, Donnel. My training is harsh. You either give it everything you have, or you go home. There will be pain. There will be bruises. But if you can endure the training, I'm sure you'll grow stronger from it."
A nervous look crosses the Villager's face before he nods resolutely. "Let's get 'er done!"
I nod. "Good. But first, make sure you don't have anything to do at home. Meet me here again when you're in the clear."
"Gotcha!"
While Donnel's away, I sit down under a tree and enjoy the peaceful afternoon sun shining through the treetops. Let's see… Which is the best way to train Donnel? If he's anything like in the game, I've got to make sure he finds his style. That should make recruiting him a lot easier.
Donnel returns an hour later.
"I'm back!"
I get up from my spot under the tree. "So I see. Follow me."
I lead Donnel to an empty clearing. "Tell me, Donnel, what are you good at?"
The Villager scratches his head. "Gosh, uh… I've never fought before, so I don't think I'm much good fer any fightin'."
I shake my head with a smile. "You'd be surprised how many skills work both inside and outside a fight. Take me, for example. Do you know how I defeated my first opponent?"
At Donnel shaking his head, I reach into my bag and pull out my Frying pan.
"I snuck up behind a bandit and swung this beauty right in the back of his head. He went down like a sack of bricks. Then I took his sword and killed him with it."
Judging by Donnel's wide eyes and pale face, he's equal parts fascinated and horrified by my story. Guess he's not used to the whole thing about killing another human. Makes sense, since he's a civilian."
I put away the Frying pan. "My point is, any skill can be useful in a fight, no matter how weak it may seem. How about we start with what you're good at, no matter what it is?"
After the color returns to his face, Donnel adopts a thinking pose. "Well… Pa says I'm a good hand at cuttin' trees and makin' firewood, so I guess I'm good at handlin' an axe. And… this might sound silly, but I've always been a good shot with slingshots."
That last sentence makes the breath hitch in my throat. It can't be… There's just no way…
"Uh… You wouldn't happen to be good at digging too, would you?" I ask tentatively.
Donnel nods happily. "Sure am. I can make all kinds o' traps to capture animals, but my favorite is the good ol' pitfall."
A shudder runs down my spine. Donnel's no ordinary Villager. He's a Naga d-mned Smash Villager! My mind flashes back to when I still played Super Smash Bros. Freakin' Villager mains with their freakin' trees and Loid rockets and bowling balls and balloons and- Gaah!
AN: My brother mains Villager in Smash, and he's terrifyingly good at using that kid's bottomless bag of tricks. Freakin' death by triple turnips! Every time!
"Uh, you okay, Jack?" Donnel asks.
That snaps me out of my trance. Okay, calm down, Jack. Donnel's not that kind of Villager. And while he has the potential to be one, he'll also be an ally. It's all good.
"Yeah…" I reply. "Yeah, I'm fine. Just relived some bad memories, is all."
I straighten up and look the young farmer in the eye. "All right, I think I have an idea on how to train you. During my travels, I met a warrior with a very peculiar skillset. You, Donnel, have the potential to develop such skills yourself, all based on the skills you have now."
Donnel's eyes widen. "Really? I can fight with my measly skills?"
I chuckle at what I'm about to unleash. "Believe me, that was no ordinary fighting style I saw. That warrior had a bag of tricks the size of Ylisse. Unless his opponent knew exactly what he was doing, nothing could touch him. What's more, he defeated his opponents in the strangest ways I've seen, yet they were frighteningly effective."
I rummage in my bag and hand Donnel my Frying pan. "You'll be using this as your training weapon."
Donnel accepts the cooking implement with a raised eyebrow. "Uh, beg pardon, si- I mean, Jack… It's just, uh… How do I even fight with it?"
"Gimme a sec."
I walk toward the trees and look around on the ground. Let's see… Ah, that one will do. I pick up a Tree branch from the ground and give it a few test swings as I return to Donnel. Enough heft to qualify. Just the right length too.
"We won't use any real weapons while I train you." I explain. "However, I didn't bring any training weapons, so these will have to do. Don't worry about any fancy moves with that Frying pan. Just aim and swing."
I get in a fighting stance with the Tree branch pointed towards Donnel. "Ready when you are. Come at me!"
Donnel hesitates a little before he grasps the Frying pan in both hands and runs towards me with a battle shout.
Fifteen minutes later
"Gurgh…"
Donnel falls down on his back and groans in pain from the numerous bruises all over his body. While the young Villager is busy catching his breath, I take the time to assess his performance.
As expected, he's no good in a fight as he is right now. While his physique is passable, probably from all those years of farm work, his movements are laughable at best. Though that can be attributed to his lack of combat experience. I should know – I was like that at one point too. And to his credit, he lasted far longer against me than I did during my first spar against Lon'qu. Then again, unlike me, Lon'qu doesn't hold back. Ever.
"Man. I knew fightin' was hard, but I never knew I was so weak." Donnel groans on the ground.
I smile and offer him my hand. "For your first training session, I'd say you did well. When I started practicing with one of my friends among the Shepherds, I got at least twice as many bruises as you did, and that was after I had already begun learning how to fight well."
"Ya think I gots what it takes to fight well?" Donnel asks as I pull him up.
One Observe at his skillset tells me everything I need to know.
Aptitude, Lvl MAX, Passive
You possess potential only seen once every few generations. You might be weak now, but if given the time to harness that potential, you'll become a titan on the battlefield. Think Magikarp. So what if the enemy has an army? Your side has you.
All stat growths increase by 50 %. All stats increase by 10 when changing to a higher-tier class (only works once per ascension).
I grin. "You have no idea, Donnel."
Timeskip
It's been about five days since we arrived in Donnel's village. The guy kept himself busy almost non-stop during that time. During the days, he helped on the farm with whatever needed attention. Curiously enough, Nowi decided to help at the farm too. After making it very clear that, no, turning into a dragon does not make farm work go faster, the young manakete obediently stayed in her human form. Turns out Donnel has a knack for teaching as well, since Nowi picked up on the many chores at a farm after only a day or two. More importantly, she seemed to have fun.
The evenings, however, Donnel spent training with me. I should've expected this after reading about his signature skill, but this guy's growth is nothing short of astounding. We were only on our third spar when I discovered that I had to push harder because his swings grew increasingly stronger and more precise. His combat prowess grew with frightening speed, at a frightening level.
And, just for kicks, I asked him to demonstrate how well he can handle a slingshot. A bit rough around the edges, but good Naga, the Villager has some good aim! Slingshots may not seem like an ideal weapon in a death match, but they're great for disrupting the opponent if used correctly. I should know, after all the flashbacks I had from fighting Smash Villager mains.
Frederick decided to try his hand on some of the mundane chores in the village as well. Needless to say, the Great Knight became popular in the whole village overnight after he completed at least five days' worth of work in a single afternoon. And he did it all with a smile on his face.
Chrom and Cordelia…I hardly saw at all during my stay in the village. According to the villagers, the newlywed couple had almost never left the cottage. And, sometimes, some of the more curious inhabitants heard strange noises coming from within the building. Noises that reminded them of furniture hitting a house wall. That was…oddly specific.
It's a few hours after sunset, and dark has fallen over the village. Most of the inhabitants have retired for the evening, with supper cooking in just about every house.
I decided to break off my spar with Donnel a bit earlier today. One particular swing from the Frying pan snapped my Tree branch in half and carried on to me. Even when I stacked Reinforcement on top of Iron body on instinct, I felt that swing. Yeah, Donnel's come a long way.
The Villager wipes some sweat off his brow. "Phew… I think I'm gettin' the hang of this here fightin' thing."
I nod in agreement. "Sure do. For someone who's only trained for a few days, I'd say you're good enough to at least drive away a small-time bandit or two."
Donnel nods nervously. "Feels nice hearin' that. But I hope it ain't never happenin'."
"Same here. Bandits are always bad news."
We just re-enter the village when we notice that there's more noise than normal in town. A lot of that is screaming. Oh, come on! Don't tell me we jinxed it!
Thinking fast, I reach into my bag and retrieve my old Bronze Sword. "Use this!"
"Huh?" Donnel asks as I shove the weapon into his arms.
"There might be trouble in the village. If so, you'll need a real weapon."
Donnel's eyes widen. "Oh no! Ma! Pa!"
Before he can run into the village, I grab him by the shoulder.
"Whoa there, Donnel! Calm down. The last thing you want to do when danger's afoot is running headfirst into a dangerous area with no protection. We need to go in carefully, or we might run into nasty surprises."
"But I've gots to find my ma and pa!" Donnel protests. "What if they're bein' attacked by bandits?!" *Smack!* "Ow!"
"I said: calm down! Look, I get that you're worried, but running in there without knowing what's happening will help no one."
I draw my Windcleaver. "Stay close to me. We'll head for your house first."
Donnel nods before he straps the Bronze Sword to his hip and draws it.
"First time I'm holdin' a real weapon." he mutters.
"Let that tell you how bad things are." I explain. "We might find people in the village who could kill without a second thought. This is no training. This time, we might fight for real. If you want to help your family, you have to give everything you got, even if it means killing."
Donnel gulps at my warning before he steels himself.
"For my family." he mutters.
I nod. "Let's go."
As we reach the village plaza, we spot what I was fearing. Bandits are raiding the village! The good news is that the villagers seem to have barricaded themselves in their homes. That should buy us precious time to drive them off before any innocents get injured or, worse, killed.
Granted, their average level is 14, so they're not any threat to me. The villagers, on the other hand, are in serious trouble.
"Get ready, Donnel." I whisper as I get into a fighting stance.
*Boom!*
Several bandits fly through the air from a massive dust cloud. What the-
"WHO DARES RUIN MY HONEYMOON?!"
Holy s-it, Cordelia's furious! I don't see any weapon in her hand. That means she sent those bandits flying barehanded! And…is that a pink aura surrounding her body?
The other bandits in the plaza note the furious Pegasus Knight as well. After they look at each other and shrug, they decide to gang up on her.
This is bad! Cordelia may be strong, but even she will have trouble against half a dozen bandits when she's unarmed and only wears a night gown.
I try to come up with a weapon that I can lend her, but the only thing that comes to mind is my Frying pan! Well, better than nothing. Better retrieve that thing from my bag fast.
"Cordelia, catch!"
Cordelia spots the Frying pan fly through the air. The moment the cooking implement lands in her waiting hand, she swings down on the approaching bandits.
*BOOM!*
An explosion spreads from the point of impact and scatters the bandits everywhere. Some land as far away as on a roof.
What in Ashera's name- I didn't know the Frying pan could do that!
Wait… The Frying pan is enveloped in the same glow that's surrounding Cordelia. Did something happen to it?
Frying pan of Feminine fury, Blunt weapon, Base damage: 200, Legendary
In the hands of a furious woman, this seemingly mundane household tool has achieved its true potential as a weapon. No matter your reasoning, no matter your defenses, no matter how much you resist, this weapon will smash through anything and everything. Houses have been leveled in the rampage of angry housewives. Men cower at the sight of its deceptively innocent looking shape. Yet, for all its destructive power, no one has ever died from it. They've only had the ever-loving s-it beaten out of them.
This weapon is indestructible. All defenses are ignored when attacking with this weapon. Enemies cannot be killed with this weapon. Can only be wielded by a female with the Female Fury status condition. If the wielder is no longer in a state of Female Fury, or is no longer in contact with this weapon, it automatically reverts to Frying pan.
BGM: Bombing king, My Hero Academia OST
What. The. Actual. Heck?! What did I just unleash?!
"Come on!" Cordelia shouts in challenge as she runs in search of more bandits to smash.
Moments later, Chrom enters the scene, Falchion in hand and garbed in only his smallclothes.
"Jack, what happened?" the prince asks as he approaches me.
"I have just unleashed one of the deadliest forces in existence…" I reply in a hollow voice.
"And Cordelia?"
*BOOM!*
"Just follow the giant plumes of dust…"
Chrom nods before he runs in that very direction.
I shake my head to clear my thoughts before I turn to Donnel.
"That should distract the bandits a little. Let's hurry to your home!"
Donnel nods dumbly while still witnessing unholy amounts of destruction spread through his village from a furious woman with a Frying pan. I roll my eyes and grab the Villager by the arm before I drag him with me through the village.
We soon run into more bandits. Seeing as we're pressed for time, I make a beeline towards where I remember Donnel's house being while I slice my way through any bandit standing in the way.
"Wait up!" Donnel shouts from behind me. I glance back and notice him locked in combat with a Barbarian. The training finally bears fruit, as Donnel manages to keep up with the seasoned killer.
However, the Barbarian pulls a fast one by feinting an axe slash. Donnel falls for the feint, which allows the bandit to trip him up and line up a deadly swing.
*Wham!*
"I gotcha!"
Right on time, Nowi. That Barbarian won't get up any time soon after getting squashed by a transformed manakete.
Nowi reverts back to her human form and checks Donnel over. "You okay, Donnel?"
Donnel blushes at the contact while gaping like a fish. "What in tarnation?! Yer a dragon, Nowi?"
Nowi nods with a smile. "Yup! Oh, guess my little secret's out. Oh well, you would find out sooner or later."
"Spencer!"
We turn in the direction of a woman's voice to find Donnel's mother. Following her line of sight, I spot a man fighting against a particularly rough looking bandit. Spencer manages to land a brutal punch at the bandit's torso. The cracking noise indicates a broken rib.
"Yargh! You'll pay fer that!" the bandit roars as he raises his axe.
"Pa! No!" Donnel shouts from behind me.
Gotta act fast! Telekinesis, go!
The moment I feel a connection, I dump a boatload of MP into the skill and yank the man towards me as hard as I can.
*Shing!* "Augh!"
I catch the villager as he flies into me. He's wounded, but I managed to pull him out of the worst of it.
"Pa!"
"Spencer!"
Donnel and his mother check him over in concern.
"Don't worry, he'll live." I assure them.
Both breathe a sigh of relief.
Right after that, Donnel's eyes harden. There's determination in his eyes. The young Villager confronts the bandit and brandishes the Bronze Sword.
"I ain't lettin' you do any more killin' tonight, ya hog!"
BGM ends
The Barbarian sneers at him.
"Feh! An' watcha gonna do about it, kid? Stick that sword there in me gut? I'll slice ya to pieces 'fore you can even touch me."
"You ain't slicin' nothin' tonight!"
Donnel's mother looks at the impending stand-off in horror. "Donnel, no!"
"It's alright, ma'am." I assure her. "Donnel's trained hard these last few days. He won't lose to some amateur like that bandit. And if he's ever in danger…" I raise my Windcleaver. "…I'll step in."
The combatants stare each other down. The tension is thick enough that you could scoop up some of it with a spoon. That is, until the bandit takes the initiative.
"Yaargh!"
Donnel steadies his breathing and sidesteps the clumsy swing at the perfect moment. Before the bandit can regain his balance, Donnel nicks him in the side with his sword.
The bandit backs away and feels his side with his free hand. After seeing his own blood on it, he charges Donnel with a snarl.
Donnel steps back as the Barbarian swings wildly, trying to look for an opening. That plan goes down the drain as he accidently trips on a pebble and momentarily loses his balance. The bandit takes that moment to wind up a massive swing.
*Clang!*
Donnel manages to block it, but the sword flies from his hand in the process and lands to the side. The Villager stares in horror at what happened while the bandit attacks with renewed vigor.
Donnel's training fortunately gained him some fast legs. He manages to keep his distance from the bandit, but that's all he can do, as the bandit refuses to let him approach his sword. Running out of options, Donnel dives into a house through a window.
"Ya can't run forever, kid!" the bandit snarls as he stalks towards the same building.
He only makes it a few steps before Donnel emerges and attacks with-
*Whack!*
-a bundle of turnips?! Where in the world did he get those? And for crying out loud, Donnel! You are NOT supposed to turn into a Smash Villager!
The bandit barely has time to process the fact that, yes, he just got hit on the head with a bunch of vegetables, before he's forced on the defensive under Donnel's strangely effective assault. Donnel manages a feint similar to the one he fell for himself only a few minutes ago. The Barbarian falls for it, allowing Donnel to wind up a swing on the bandit's torso.
*Crack!* "Uargh!"
Oh, right on the ribs! I didn't know Donnel had it in him to fight like that!
The bandit drops his Steel Axe from the intense pain. Donnel quickly discards the turnips and picks up the dropped axe. Seeing no other option, the bandit backs away until he notices the Bronze Sword that Donnel dropped earlier. He pulls it out and brandishes it, while Donnel mirrors the action with the Steel Axe.
The two clash again, but this time, Donnel has the clear advantage. First, Donnel clearly shows his experience at handling axes, even if he's just cut wood with one, while the Barbarian shows how inexperienced he is at wielding a sword. Second, the bandit's ribs are most probably broken after he suffered two heavy hits in less than 10 minutes. This leaves his movements sloppy and stiff, while Donnel has full mobility.
It all culminates when Donnel finally manages to overpower the Barbarian with a heavy swing. Before the bandit can regain his balance, Donnel has already swung the Steel Axe right into his chest.
The bandit coughs up some blood. "Gahaugh! Nngh… This ain't…where…"
He collapses before he can complete his last sentence.
Bandit leader has been killed!
Donnel has leveled up!
Donnel drops the axe and falls down on his butt.
"Donny!" his mother shouts as she brings him into a hug. "Gods above, boy, you had me frightened to death!"
"I- I did it, Ma…" Donnel whispers. His face lights up in joy. "I helped protect the village! I'm strong enough to fight and protect everyone now!"
"Oh no, ya don't! Do you even realize how worried me and yer pa were when we saw you fight that bandit?! You be a good boy and leave the fightin' to the soldiers."
"Ma!"
"Oh, let 'im, Holly." the man I saved earlier interjects. "He handled that there bandit just fine. You've grown when I wasn't lookin', son."
Donnel smiles. "Aw, thanks, Pa."
Oh, yeah. Donnel keeps referring to this guy as his father. Wait, that means I prevented Donnel's mother from becoming a widow! Well, guess that makes another good deed under the belt.
While the family of three are busy comforting each other, I look around for the rest of our traveling party.
"Hey, Nowi. Do you know where Frederick went?"
Nowi puts a finger on her lip (So adorable!). "Hm… Well, the moment the bandits attacked, Frederick jumped on his horse and rode off in search for Chrom and Cordelia."
I scratch my head. "Well, he should've found them by now. Did you notice the giant plumes of dust that erupted in the village?"
"How could I not notice them?"
"That was Cordelia." I reply dryly.
Nowi looks at me in disbelief. "Seriously? I knew she was strong, but no human I've ever met can make dust plumes of that size."
I roll my eyes. "Same here. You'll be surprised how it happened. Long story short, I now know better than to anger a woman holding a Frying pan."
Timeskip: The next day
Fortunately, no villagers died during the bandits' raid yesterday night, though quite a few got injured. Nowi and I found Frederick in the company of Chrom and Cordelia after a few minutes of searching. As it turns out, the Great Knight found the newlywed Pegasus Knight almost at the same time as Chrom, through the exact same method. As no bandits were killed in Cordelia's rampage, Frederick tied them up while they were unconscious and left them in the care of the villagers to be sent to the nearest garrison.
Our group of five woke up early in the morning and immediately made preparations for the return trip to Ylisstol.
Right now, we're at the outskirts of Donnel's home village.
"Is everyone ready to depart?" Frederick asks. At everyone nodding, Frederick nods back. "Very well, then. Let us be off."
"Wait!"
We stop at the sound of a familiar voice and turn back to find Donnel running towards us with a pack slung over his shoulder, the Bronze Sword strapped to his hip, the bandit's Steel Axe across his back, and…a brass pot on his head? Well, at least there's something familiar about his appearance now.
Chrom jumps out from the wagon. "Donnel?"
The Villager takes a moment to catch his breath. "Phew… Made it just in time."
"What are you doing here, Donnel? And what's with all the gear?"
"I wanna go with ye, yer Lordshipness, sir!" Donnel explains.
"Oh, I knew there was somethin' fishy the moment ya left the house in such a hurry, boy!" Donnel's mother yells indignant right behind them.
Donnel's face pales when he hears his mother's voice. "Uh-oh…"
"Honestly, Donny, you should know yer manners around noble folk!" she continues undeterred as she finally catches up to her son. Then she turns to Chrom.
"Please forgive my son, Yer Lordliness. He's had this idea stuck in his head since yesterday night that he wants to be a Shepherd. My Donny? A soldier? Heaven forbid!"
"Oh, come now, Holly. It ain't that bad." Donnel's father protests as he finally catches up as well.
"Hush, Spencer! This is our son we're talkin' about here! Our Donny's a farmer, not a soldier!"
"Actually, we'd be thrilled to have him." Chrom interjects with a smile. "The Shepherds need every good man we can find, and from what I heard, he fought bravely. Isn't that right, Jack?"
I nod at Chrom's question. "He did. If anything, you saw it with your own eyes, ma'am. When I first started training Donnel, he had almost no skill at fighting at all. Five days of training later, and he's good enough to take on the leader of a group of bandits all on his own. Donnel has the makings of a great warrior. He just needs time and training to nurture his strength."
Donnel blushes under my praise, but the grin on his face is unmistakable.
Holly, on the other hand, seems less enthusiastic. "I appreciate what ya did for my son and my husband, sir, but still…"
Spencer places a hand on her shoulder. "Holly, I thinks we should let 'im go. He ain't a child anymore. He's old enough ta make his own decisions. Life as a soldier ain't peaceful, but if it's what Donny wants, keepin' 'im here won't do 'im any good."
Holly lets out a sigh. "I know, hon, I know. It's just… He's our boy – our only son. Don't tell me seein' him leave the village tugs at yer heart."
Spencer nods. "Yeah, sure does. But if a bit o' heartache is needed for my son's happiness, I'll take it."
Donnel smiles at his father. "Thanks, Pa. I'll make you and Ma proud. Heck, I'll make the whole village proud! Just you watch me!"
Holly walks up and wraps Donnel in a hug. "I'll miss you, Son. Know that you'll always be welcome home."
Donnel blushes at the affectionate gesture. "Ma~"
Holly walks back to stand with her husband and see their son off with a smile. "We'll make sure the village still stands when you gets back, hon. Next time we see you, you'll be a hero. We just know it. Well, off with you. The world's waitin'."
Donnel nods. "Alright." Then he turns to us. "I'm in yer care, Yer Lordshipness."
Chrom sighs with an exasperated smile. "Please, just call me Chrom. That should make things easier."
"Yes, sir Lor- I mean, Chrom."
"This is great!" Nowi exclaims from the top of the wagon. "And here I was afraid I'd have to tie up my future mate and drag him all the way back to the capital."
Donnel looks at the manakete curiously. "Mate? Who?"
Nowi points at the confused Villager. "You, silly. Who else?"
"M-me?"
Nowi winks at him. "Why do you think I spent so much time with you on the farm? I knew I wanted you as my mate from the moment I saw you. But I'd never marry a man that I don't know, so I made sure to get to know you."
Spencer laughs at Nowi's casual confession.
"Hah! Would ye lookit that, Holly! Our son's barely out of the village, an' he's already gettin' married! Kids these days grow up so fast!"
Donnel pulls the pot over his head. "Pa~"
"Alright, Son. When ye gat back here, we'll be expectin' a grandchild or two. Jus' make sure ta treat 'er right."
Donnel's blush deepens. "Pa~!"
"And make sure to tell 'er to dress properly." Holly interjects. "Goodness me, the girl dresses like a harlot."
"Harlot?! These are the traditional garbs of my people, Mother-in-law!" Nowi replies indignant.
Holly shakes her head. "Traditional or not, I'll not have my Donny look like he married some child tramp."
"Child?!" the manakete snaps. "I'll have you know I'm at least twenty ti- Mmph!"
"I apologize for Nowi's…choice of garb, ma'am." I interject while keeping a hand on Nowi's mouth. "Rest assured, Nowi's nothing like the deviant you imagine her to be. Your son will have a wonderful and (somewhat) responsible wife."
I turn to Frederick with a subtle sense of urgency (due to the pissed off manakete in my hands). "Well then, shall we be off?"
Frederick nods. "Indeed. It is high time we returned to the capital."
With heartfelt farewells and a few dozen tears, our traveling party of five-plus-one-Villager leave for Ylisstol.
Even a few minutes after Donnel's village vanishes from sight, I notice Nowi fuming from her spot on the wagon.
"Call me a child, will she? My future mother-in-law needs to learn to respect her elders…" the young manakete mutters irritably.
"To be fair, Nowi, if you want people to treat you like an adult, you have to act like one." I reply. "There's a saying where I come from: Act your age, not your shoe size."
"If I acted my age, I'd walk around like a skeleton! And I'll have you know I'm an Ylissean 24."
"Yes, and you're also a Feroxi 6. Judging by your behavior, you lean more toward the Feroxi number."
"Meanie! You're supposed to be on my side! What happened to the whole family thing?"
"It's called tough love. I'm blunt. Get used to it."
The rest of our journey until nightfall proceeds with me bickering with Nowi. It feels weird having a sibling argument with someone more than a dozen times my age, but it's surprisingly entertaining, if only because of how adorable Nowi is when she gets riled up.
"Ugh! I can't wait 'til you mellow out from old age!"
Quest alert:
Side quest: Hazardous honeymoon
Looks like Chrom can never catch a break. Even during his honeymoon, there's trouble afoot. Good thing the bandits were taken care of quickly. Besides, the trip was overall peaceful. But now is the time to return to Ylisstol.
Objective: Protect Chrom and Cordelia during their honeymoon. Defeat all bandits.
All objectives cleared!
Rewards: You gain 4 000 EXP! You gain 2 000 gold!
Bonus objective: Protect Donnel's family. Donnel performs his first kill.
Bonus objectives cleared!
Bonus rewards: You gain 1 000 EXP! You gain 500 gold!
Timeskip
Turns out I wasn't the only one having it bad during Chrom's and Cordelia's honeymoon. The moment I returned to the barracks, Robin practically flew into my arms and pulled me into a kiss (ah, bliss…). We probably would've gone further than that, if it I hadn't noticed Tharja spying on us. Her giggle spoke of more imagined debauchery than I'm comfortable thinking about. Good thing there's a thing called repression.
It's been a week since we returned from our trip. It was eventually decided that Donnel would train under Frederick's guidance instead of mine. Not only is Frederick more used to axes, Donnel's new weapon of choice, but I won't be around for a while. That's right; it's finally time for me to take Old man Hubba up on his offer.
I'm currently in Robin's room, embracing my beloved girlfriend from behind as we stare out the window.
"Are you sure I cannot join you?" Robin asks.
I shake my head slowly. "Unfortunately, I'm the only one who was given the offer."
Robin turns around in my embrace. "And Chrom?"
"He's already given me the clear. I'm allowed leave from my duties as a Shepherd for an undetermined amount of time, seeing as I don't know how long I'll be traveling."
Robin tightens the hug. "I'll miss you."
"And I'll miss you. It was bad enough for the week we were away for Chrom's and Cordelia's honeymoon. I'll…try to complete my journey as fast as I can – for both our sakes."
Robin bites her lip. "Even so… Waiting for you without knowing when you'll come back is agonizing. A small part of me wonders if you'll come back at all."
I slip out of the embrace and reach beneath the collar of my shirt. "Robin, take this."
I hand the Mysterious medallion to her.
"Jack, what is that?"
"I'm not sure. I found this around my neck on the day I woke up in this world and met you. No matter what I do, I can't figure anything out from this medallion. Still, I can't help but feel that it's important. That's why I'm leaving it with you during my journey. Will you keep it safe for me?"
Robin nods. "You know I will."
I place the medallion in her waiting hand and close it over the accessory. "One day, I'll come back for it. And when I do, I'll take you as my bride. That's my promise to you. That is, if you'll have me?"
Robin looks at me wide-eyed. Cr-p. Maybe I asked too soo-
BGM: Those who inherit the will of fire, Naruto OST
Robin pulls me into a deep kiss. Just when I think I'm going to suffocate against her lips (which really doesn't sound too bad), she pulls back with a smile.
"I thought you'd never ask."
Then she hugs me again. "I'll wait for as long as it takes, Jack. Just…please. Don't make me wait for too long…"
I return the hug and place my forehead against hers. "I'll make myself worth the wait. That I can promise."
"I suppose that's good enough."
Let's see… Clothes? Check. Chain mail? Check. Leather armor? Check. Windcleaver? Check. Traveling cloak? Check. Infinite inventory bag? Check. All right, looks like I'm all set.
As I exit the barracks, I notice several of the Shepherds lined up.
"Huh? What's the occasion?" I ask.
"Friends see you off. Should be obvious, no?" Gregor replies with a grin.
"We heard that you're leaving on a journey." Stahl continues. "Since we won't see you for a while, we decided to at least say goodbye before you leave."
Next up is Ricken. "I hope you'll have a great journey. I know you'll train to become stronger on the way, and I'll do the same here. I'll be both bigger and stronger by the time we meet again, count on it."
I grin at their thoughtfulness. "With friends like you guys, I have more than enough reason to return from my journey. You'd better keep working hard, or I'll leave you all in the dust by the time I'm back."
"Do not think that it will be easy." Lon'qu replies. "I can only speak for myself, but know that I will push myself to my limit until you return. And I expect the same from you."
I smirk at my rival. "Oh, you can bet your fancy sword that I'll train hard. Just don't complain when I'm the one smacking you around after I'm done traveling."
Lon'qu smirks back. "Challenge accepted."
After I exit the capital, I make a brief stop in the nearby woods and whistle. A squirrel lands in front of me moments later. I give it a nut and a note.
"Itachi, what I'm sending you on here may be among the most important missions I've ever requested from your clan since I became an honorary member. This note contains a list of humans that I want you to search and keep tabs on while I'm traveling. Next time I call you, I'll expect that you have a report on every name on this list."
Itachi accepts the note. "In that case, I might need to enlist the help of THEM."
I nod in understanding. "Yeah. THEY could be instrumental for the success of this mission. Know that you'll be handsomely rewarded by the time you leave the report, so I expect some promising news."
Itachi nods before he vanishes into the foliage. All right, that's all the preparations I needed to check off my list.
"Took ya long enough, sonny." Old man Hubba remarks as I approach the Outrealm gate.
"Oh please." I answer with an eyeroll. "You're the old one here. Aren't you supposed to be the more patient between the two of us? Besides, I had a few things to prepare before setting off. So excuse me if I'm a bit late."
"Well, the important thing is that you're here." Anna comments.
I raise an eyebrow. "Have we met before, or was that just one of your cousins?"
The redhead smiles. "Actually, the merchant you helped in Ferox is my twin sister. She prefers staying in this world."
I- You know what? I'll leave that convoluted family tree alone.
"Well, I'm here. We doing this or what?"
Anna waves a hand. "Yeah, yeah, I gotcha. You're on a tight schedule and all that. Well, let me the first one to introduce you to the wonders of cross-world traveling."
The massive gate behind her opens with the noise of stone grinding against stone.
"Welcome to the Outrealms!" Anna presents cheerfully.
I take a moment to take in the sight before I take the first step forward.
"Let's go."
With those words, I enter the shining portal with Anna and Hubba in tow. After passing through the gate, it closes with a boom, looking to the world like some random stone monument once again.
War against Plegia
E N D
(BGM ends)
Omake: How to one-shot a Mad King
Jack and Gangrel stand face-to-face, ready to clash at a moment's notice. The only thing stopping the two men from tearing into each other is the electrifying tension in the air separating them.
Curiously enough, Jack has yet to draw any weapon.
Gangrel sneers. "Hmph! You come here to face me alone, and you intend to do so unarmed? You're either a fool or conceited. Either way, you die."
Jack grins at the Mad King. "I don't need a weapon to defeat you. Watch this!"
Jack claps his hands together and then slaps them on the ground. "Alchemy style: A thousand years of pain!"
Sparks travel along the ground before they dissipate into the dirt. Gangrel raises an eyebrow at the strange maneuver.
His eyes suddenly widen in shock and pain as he flies into the air in an arc. The Mad King's flight ends with him landing face-first on the ground in an undignified heap. His butt sticks up in the air, still smoking from the violent and focused assault that it suffered mere seconds ago.
Jack rises up from his crouch to admire his handiwork. Right behind where Gangrel originally stood, there is now highly compacted dirt shaped into two arms with the hands clasped together, save for the index and middle fingers pointing straight forward.
"Kakashi-sensei, I hope I made your legacy proud." Jack whispers in the wind.
Then Jack looks at Gangrel. The Mad King is unconscious, face is frozen in shock and agonizing pain. Deciding to end the battle quickly, Jack draws his Windcleaver and beheads the unconscious king with a single cut.
The other Shepherds soon arrive to the scene to see Jack completely unharmed and Gangrel headless.
"Jack? What happened here? Did you defeat Gangrel?" Chrom asks.
Jack nods. "Sure did, Chrom. As for how… You don't want to know."
New skills:
Dancing, Lvl 1 [0.0 %], Active, Cost: 0 MP
The art of moving your body to the beat of music has been practiced by mankind for centuries. With various types of music in various parts of the world, many different dancing styles have developed over the course of history. While different aspects, such as speed, posture and the number of participants, vary among different styles, skill is a common factor among all of them. The greater your level in this skill, the better you can perform according to a learned style, whether you're dancing solo or with a partner.
Current dancing styles: Waltz
Jack's encyclopedic corner
No Name, Keyblade, Base damage: 60, Unique
The mysterious keyblade wielded by the younger incarnation of the seeker of darkness, Xehanort. The shaft is made of compressed mana, and therefore lacks a fixed form. This allows No Name to be wielded like a whip, just as much as a sword or wand. What's more, this keyblade seems to have the power to bend time itself around the wielder.
Passively increases critical hit rate by 20 %. Magic of all elements deal 28 % more damage.
Skills available when wielded: Time clone, Rewind
Female Fury, Status condition
Hell hath no fury like a pissed off woman. This variant of the Enraged condition is only seen among females. Being blinded by rage would normally be a bad thing, but this is a clear exception. Any woman in this state will hit harder, move faster, and aim better at anyone she considers a worthy target. It's not necessarily a personal matter. She just wants to vent some frustration. This status condition is known to occur at its highest frequency during that time of the month.
STR, VIT, DEX, movement speed and accuracy increase by 100 %. INT and WIS decrease by 20 %. Additional effects may occur as well, depending on the person. Only women can have this status condition.
Dancer, Class
Professional entertainers who move with a grace rarely seen among soldiers. Dancers are team players, typically relying on their allies to fight for them. While capable of defending themselves to a certain extent, Dancers rarely fight, as their training emphasizes dancing over combat. Don't let this fool you, though. A skilled dancer can make for a deceptively deadly assassin.
Passively reduces enemy's accuracy by 5 %. Attack speed and accuracy increase by 5 % when attacking with a sword. All stats increase by 5 % when teaming up with an ally. Damage taken from all sources increases by 10 %.
Tree branch, Sword, Base damage: 5, Very common
A sturdy tree branch. It does little good in combat, but you might be able to poke someone in the eye with it. Or you could just set it on fire for some extra heat and light. Just make sure it doesn't happen in a forest. No, really. Forest fires are disastrous.
The Frying pan strikes again!
Don't worry, people. This isn't the end of this fic. It's just the end of the first arc of Awakening. I haven't even unleashed half the ideas I have for this fic. With how I've set things up, it would be a shame if I didn't take this fic all the way through the Awakening story. So rest assured, there's more to come.
I had to toss a few ideas around regarding the fight against Gangrel. At first, I planned to let Chrom deal the finishing blow. But after deciding to let Emmeryn live, I realized that Chrom wasn't as emotionally invested in the Plegian war as he is in canon. Bandit raids and kidnappings aside, he just didn't have anything personal against the Mad King. That got me thinking; who among the Shepherds was the most emotionally invested in this war? The answer was quite obvious: Cordelia. Gangrel personally led the attack that robbed Cordelia of the unit that was her family in all but blood. Heck, by the time she joins you, she's an emotional wreck. To me, letting her deal the final blow on Gangrel was a way for her to have closure on the whole matter. In a way, Cordelia's gotten a lot of spotlight in this arc. Honestly, that's probably because I'm biased towards her. Oh well…
Seriously, though. Donnel is like the Magikarp of Awakening. He starts out as the weakest recruitable unit in the game, but the moment he changes classes, Boom! Instant top-tier unit! That aptitude skill is seriously overpowered, especially when combined with his already high LUCK growth and the option to give him the Armsthrift skill. Donnel is, bar none, THE best 1st-gen Shepherd at using that skill. Increase his weapon level enough, and he can spam legendary weapons for eternity. My favorite one is promoting him into a Bow knight or Warrior and equip him with Nidhogg, which increases his LUCK by another 10. He'll never run out of durability on that weapon!
Ah, writing this chapter was fun. What wasn't fun, however, was trying to figure out how to write the country accent in Donnel's home village. There were times when I wondered if I had slipped into the Brooklyn accent. Well, until next time.
VipeR out.
