Chapter 6: Beginning of a War

The next day, Pidgeon still flies around the sky trying to find its flock but no sign of them. It then perches on a tree taking a break from flying and lightly scratches its wings with his beak and then notices a group of humans ahead of him. Most are the from last night including the pink-armored girl and her pegasus.

Meanwhile, the Shepherds and Emmeryn reach to the Plegia borders. Emmeryn along with Chrom and Lissa by her side, finally meet up with the Mad King. He has darkened skin tone, with very spikey and messy hair. His outfit consists of very gloomy colors and shades; mostly gray, black and some yellow around his collar and cape. He also wears a crown on his head.

"What's this, then? The exalt herself, in all her radiance?" He says in a deep voice. "I fear I must shield my eyes! Bwa ha ha ha!"

"King Gangrel, I've come for the truth of this unfortunate incident between us." Emmeryn states.

"The truth? I can give you the truth." The woman standing beside the king speaks. She has dark skin with silver hair and possibly tattoos that covers around her forehead. She wears an outfit with black as its main base.

"Perhaps milady might first share her name?" Emmeryn asks.

"You may call me Aversa."

"Very well, Aversa. Is Maribelle unharmed?"

"Who? Oh yes, the little blonde brat." Gangrel says looking towards a Plegian guard who is holding Maribelle as she struggles to break free while her wrists are tied together.

"Unhand me, you gutter-born troglodyte!" She shouts at the guard.

"Maribelle!" Lissa calls out.

"Lissa? Darling, is that you?"

Aversa has a sly smile on her face when she sees the two talking. "This girl crossed over the Plegian border without our consent. And what's more…" She starts. "She wounded the brave Plegian soldiers who sought only to escort her safely home."

"LIES! You speak of nothing but lies, hag! Did they not teach the meaning of 'truth' in wretched-crone school?!" Maribelle questions in anger.

"…You see? No manners at all. Such a nasty bird simply had to be caged."

"Such violent temper speaks to her guilt. This calls for a weighty punishment. And if she were to later to confess she was an Ylissean spy. My goodness! It would take an act of CONSIDERABLE good faith to repair our relations." The Mad King's face wrinkles.

"I have done nothing wrong! It is they who should confess! They are the ones who invaded Ylisse. They razed an entire village!" Maribelle exclaims. "When I tried to intervene, they took be and dragged me across the border. Let the plunders shops and charred homes of the village serve as my proof!"

"That would only probe Ylisse has a bandit problem–something I hear oft late…" Gangrel insults. "But indeed, tonight I shall weep salty tears into my pillow for your dead villagers."

"Your Grace, please!"

"Peace, Maribelle." Emmeryn says calmly. "I believe you. King Gangrel, I request that you release this woman at once. Surely you and I can sort out these affairs without the need of hostages."

The king scoffs at her words. "Without so much as an apology? Why should I ever both with parley? I'm within my rights to have her head this instant and be home in time for supper."

"You black-hearted devil!" Chrom barks.

"Control your dog, my dear, before he gets someone hurt." Gangrel threatens making Chrom grits his teeth at the threat. "Now then, Your Graceliness. Perhaps we can arrange a trade? You give me the Fire Emblem, and I return Mari Contrary here in one piece."

Emmeryn gasps at the condition. "You would ask for Ylisse's royal treasure? But why?"

"Because I know the legend! The Fire Emblem is the key to having all one's wishes realized. I have desired it for years. YEARS! …Yet my birthday comes and goes each year, and nothing from Ylisse. Heheh…"

"The Emblem's power is meant for a single purpose, King Gangrel: to save the world and its people at their hour of most desperate need." Emmeryn points out. "Would you claim a more noble wish?"

"I want what every Plegia wants–a grisly end for every last Ylissean! What could be more noble than that?"

"What?"

"Surely you have not forgotten what the last exalt did to my people?" Gangrel then brings up. "Your father named us heathens! His 'crusade' across Plegia butchered countless of my subjects and my kin!"

"…I have never denied Ylisse's past wrongdoings. But I have sworn to never repeat those mistakes. Ours is now a realm of peace."

"You're is now a haven of hypocrisy! Now give me the Fire Emblem!"

"No, Your Grace! I'd sooner die than act as a bargaining chip for this filthy reprobate!" Maribelle pleads.

"No Maribelle…"

By then, Gangrel has enough. "Ugh… Taaaaaalk talk-talk-talk-talk. It's time to speak louder than words! This negotiation is over, Your Luminosity! I shall have the Emblem if I have to pry it from your shiny dead hands!" The Plegian king declares.

With a swing of his arm, three brigands run over to Emmeryn but Chrom jumps in front of her and draws his sword and strike one down.

"Stay back! Or you'll suffer the same fate!" Chrom warns.

Gangrel forms a disturbing smile. "Now that's a declaration of war if I've heard one…" Then his smile goes back to be the crazed one. "A big messy war will bleed you Ylissean dry! Bwa ha ha!" More brigands appear along with wyvern riders.

"Poor, stupid girl…" Aversa says. "Are you really worth fighting a war over? Years from now, you'll be remembered only as she who destroyed House of Ylisse."

Maribelle's eyes widen in horror of the thought. "No… That's not… Oh, Lissa… Please, no…"

Just then, a burst of wind magic blasts the guard that had her bounded unconscious and pushes Aversa aside, leaving her distracted enough for a certain mage to untie her.

"Maribelle! Go! You're free!" Her savior says as she recognizes him.

"RICKEN?! What are you doing here?"

"Just run! We can talk about it later!"

Aversa gets back on her feet only to give Ricken a teasing yet sinister smile. "Oh, is this your little boyfriend? Isn't he just precious."

"Don't talk down to me, witch!" He barks back before blasting with more wind magic.

"Nngh! W-Wing Magic?"

"Come one Maribelle!"

"Right!" Maribelle replies and both of them takes this opportunity to get away.

"Wretched whelp!" Aversa snarls. "I should… No. Our soldiers have then outnumbered. The brats will be long dead before they can reach their comrades." She laughs sinisterly at the thought.

Meanwhile, Chrom sees what happened at the cliff side from the distance as he tries to fight off the brigands who are attacking him. He couldn't decide whether he should be mad at Ricken for disobeying him or grateful that he got Maribelle away from them. Concurrently, Gangrel goes on ahead, fleeing from the fight.

"Bwa ha ha! I have my war!" He cheers. "Captain Orton! Remain here, and take down as many Ylissean as you can. You can expect reinforcements from the forts as well. Now, do your best… at doing your worst! Bwa ha!"

Chrom then turns to his tactician. "Robin, what's the plan?"

"Right now, we need to get Ricken and Maribelle out of there. Lissa do we have a Rescue staff?"

Lissa quickly looks through the convoy for one.

"Here!" Reina says as she hands her the staff, but stays in the convoy.

"Thanks, Reina." Lissa whispers and turns around and uses it before it is too late for Maribelle and Ricken.

With both of them back to the Shepherd, they continue to fight off the brigand when they hear roars above them as look through the area and look up to see Sumia being fighting by a couple of other wyvern riders with her losing.

"Sumia!" Robin calls out.

Sumia is struggling to hold off the wyvern riders, but with the injuries she and her pegasus has sustained, she is sure that neither would take another hit. She looks behind her and sees another wyvern rider coming her way with an axe in hand to cut off her head.

"PIDGEO–!"

Suddenly, spinning saw blades made of air (Air Slash) come out of nowhere and shoot the wyvern rider out of the sky and plummeting to their deaths.

"Wh-What was…?"

That's when she sees Pidgeon speed by her with white slipstreams (Arial Ace) to rip right through another wyvern's wing.

"It's you!" Sumia exclaims in surprised.

"Pidgeo!" The Bird Pokémon nods and the pegasus knight smiles.

"Thank you… Do you want to help?" She asks and Pidgeon nods again. "All right, here goes!"

"Pidgeo–!"

Meanwhile, the other Shepherds sees the Pokémon saved Sumia from impending doom and begins to aid her.

"Chrom. Since a wild Pokémon has come to our aid, it's now impossible to keep them a secret any longer." Robin says.

"You're right, Robin." Chrom nods.

Robin inhales deeply and shouts, "DRAGO!"

In the convoy, Drago lifts its head hearing its name being called. "Mozu?"

Reina, Emmeryn, Éclair, Luke, and Blade look at the Irate Pokémon in confusion.

"Drago?" Reina calls.

"What's wrong?" Emmeryn asks.

A whistle is then heard as Blade perks up at the sound and immediately leaves the convoy.

"Pikachu." Éclair points out.

"Could it's possible…" Reina trails off when Drago and Luke also take off. "Your Grace, with what Chrom asked me to stay here, I must help the others with the Pokémon."

Emmeryn nods her head. "I understand. Please be careful."

Giving her a bow, Reina takes off and leaves the convoy with the three Pokémon.

When the Pokémon giving the Shepherds the back-up they needed, Reina let's out Fuko and Éclair jumps on the Swallow Pokémon and begins to attack the Plegia army. While Captain Orton, who is left in charge of the Plegian army by Gangrel, whom left with Aversa, is in great disbelief at the sight before him. With Luke by his side, Chrom push through the ranks and reaches Captain Orton.

"Back down now, fiend, or you will suffer consequences!" Chrom says.

"Ha ha ha! You're a funny one ain't ya…" Orton says and his wyvern dives right to the prince and the Erureido.

Chrom and Luke have a hard time getting to him with the wyvern blowing off fires out of its mouth. Robin made it with Reina and both use their tome and bow against it. Once the wyvern is down, Chrom and Luke land the finishing blow on Orton.

"This matters not. Soon war will be upon… your soils… Heh heh…"

Now it is all over, Lissa rushes over to Maribelle at once.

"Maribelle! Are you hurt?!" She asks.

"Nothing I didn't return twofold, darling." Maribelle says.

"Robin walks over to the two. "I'm glad you're safe."

"Who…? Oh. It's you."

"Yes, I know you're not especially fond of me, but it's a relief just the same."

"Oh, it's not a question of fondness. I'm simply protective of Lissa. My treasure is very sensitive, and… Wait. Am I really justifying myself to a commoner? Gods… Yes, well, I do… apologize for being curt. And… And… And you have my thanks for your part in the rescue. There, I said it!"

"You're very welcome, Maribelle." Robin says giving her a smile.

Afterwards, Chrom approaches to his sister, who exits the convoy as soon as the battle had ended.

"Forgive me, Emm. I acted rashly." He apologizes.

"It's all right, Chrom." She assures. "King Gangrel is the one at fault here, you were only protecting me."

"The Mad King will be rallying his forces, if they have not mobilized already." Frederick points out. "I suggest we make haste back to Ylisstol and discuss out strategy."

Emmeryn nods at the idea. "Oh course, Frederick. It seems war is upon us. We must protect the Ylissean people at all costs."

"And our new allies as well." Chrom says looking over at the Pokémon.

"But what made you guys to bring out the Pokémon?" Reina asks.

"That's…" Robin trails off.

"This little one did." Sumia says pointing to the Pidgeon at her feet.

"Isn't that the same Pidgeon last night?" Reina points out.

"Yes. It seems he was nearby when the battle happened and wanted to return the favor." She assumes and the Bird Pokémon affectionally nuzzles her leg.

"Aww, I think it likes you, Sumia!" Lissa coos.

"After what happened last night, I wouldn't be surprised." Sully says.

"Pidgeo pidgeo."

"I think he's apologizing for getting involved in that fight." Reina says.

"Don't worry about it." Sumia assures. "At least this makes up even, right?" Pidgeon nods at her words. "And… What are you going to do from here on out?" The Bird Pokémon looks down at the question. "If you like… do you want to come with us?"

It looks up at her in confusion. "Geo?"

"You don't have anywhere else to go, right? You just arrived in our world, after all. If you want, you can stay with us."

Pidgeon stares at Sumia for the moment and spreads its wings. "Pidgeo!"

Sumia giggles at the action. "Well, Captain. Looks like we have a new Shepherd."

Frederick clears his throat. "Touching as it is, we must get back to Ylisstol."

Reina looks up and notices the sun setting. "That's true. But it'll be quite a trip going back. Unless of everyone is okay camping out here, we should find some place to sleep."

"She's right." Robin agrees. "And we're all exhausted from that battle."

"Mozu…" Drago sheepishly nods.

"Oh? Has the little dragon got braver?" Vaike asks leaning forward at it causing the Monozu to hide behind Robin.

"Or not. It looks like it's comfortable with Robin by its side." Stahl says.

"Vaike, if you do anything to this little one, I will zap you." Robin warns

"Why me?!"

Everyone laughs at Vaike's reaction as Reina stops before looking up at the sky.