Well, it's been a long time, hasn't it? Sorry about that. I've had a lot of work to do this whole month, which burned me out on everything else. I've kept writing stuff, but I had little progress. Int he case for this story, I would forget about it for days and days and then come back to it, re work what I had, but could never find a good ending point. I finally decided that, seeing as my schedule for this coming month is looking a bit better, I will be making shorter chapters for the time being. I don't want to have you guys wait a month for a single chapter. Plus, shorter chapters mean that I can get them done in two or three sittings instead of a dozen. This is coming at the right time for his story, actually, as we are very near the end of this arc. You'll see what I mean later, hehe.
Anyways, thanks a lot to everyone that left a review and to those that PMed me asking about the story.
As always, remember to let me know what you think by leaving a review! Also, if you a re really liking the story, follow and/or favorite the story! Enjoy~
Chapter 19: And so worlds collided
"That has to be the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard in my entire life!" Sully paced around Robin while, at him as if waiting for him to say that he was joking and come out with the "real"truth. The other Shepherds and the khans were mulling over the news, also unconvinced of what the tactician had said. The timing of this new army's appearance couldn't have been worse. Had it been just Canas that showed up, it would have been easy to cover up any suspicion like Robin had done before, but this? This was on a whole other level. It was understandable that the others wouldn't take his word at face value, but it didn't mean Robin wasn't finding it frustrating. It seemed like not only his credibility was being questioned, but also his sanity, as only a someone that had lost it would believe him. "You expect us to believe that a whole army lead by a man of old fairytales just popped here out of a freakin' book? And you know this man personally? And he's gonna to help us? I'd been thinkin' that maybe I'd been wrong about you, Robin... Chrom wouldn't normally trust anyone unconditionally and so fast as he does you. But it turns out you were just another lying snake like I first thought! You Plegians are all the same!"
"I understand that you may find it hard to believe, Sully, but it's the truth," said Lyn as she took a step forward to stand next to Robin. She did this without showing any hesitation. Though she didn't show it, Robin could tell that she felt liberated with the truth out in the open. She'd been good at keeping the details of her past to herself, but sooner or later, if someone had poked enough, she would have let the cat out of that bag. Given how things turned out, that would have been preferable. She exchanged a look with Robin, her eyes full of determination. "I myself would never had believe the existence of a world that is not my own. It is a ridiculous notion. I once stood in your shoes, and believe me, I was as skeptical as all of you are now. But then I found myself here, in this strange new world. I found Mark again too! He'd been gone from our world for six years, and here he stood, safe and sound…!"
Sully wasn't having it. Instead of listening to the good points that Lyn mentioned, she focused on her own argument instead. "So what you are saying is that Robin did lie to us! You just said it yourself, he came from "your" world, am I right? That means that this whole thing about running away from Plegia was a ruse! What's next? Tharja is actually some princes that was kidnapped by an orc?!"
"That's enough, Sully!" Chrom had to step in, his hand pulling at Sully's shoulder. Robin hadn't said a word throughout all of it, trying to find a way to fix things, but with no luck. Chrom, on the other hand, had kept his cool all the way. He didn't look at Robin suspiciously or with spite. He looked more like he wanted to understand. He turned to look at Lyn and said, "I'm sorry about this, Lyn… You have to understand that Robin never mentioned anything about this to us. He shared what we thought was his full story with some of us, my sister included, but not once did he make a mention of Elibe. Even after you showed up, he kept it to himself. And truth be told, I can see why. This is...too hard to believe."
"You may not understand it, milord, but it doesn't make it any less true." Isadora joined the inner circle of Shepherds, walking tall and strong, her hand resting on the hilt of her sword, not defensively, but just like a knight would when tensions ran high. "I too have been withholding information at the request of Lord Mark. The truth is that I come from the same world that Lady Lyndis does. I am a paladin of house Pherae of Lycia. I was given orders by Lady Eleanora to come in seek of Lord Mark as rumors of an old enemy's activity surfaced. These rumors had him in harm's way and, as someone that once lent us his mind, Lady Eleanora thought we should repay the favor by lending him our steel."
"I appreciate your honesty, Isadora, but that doesn't make things any easier to process. It is as Sully said. Elibe and the events that transpired there are considered old tales here. Some call them legends, others fairytales. But no one could ever prove that they did indeed happen." He looked over at Legault, who stood a distance away, though was listening in on the conversation as were the rest of the Shepherds. "That being said, if what you've said is true, then I assume that everyone that refers to Robin as Mark would be from Elibe... Then, what about Legault? Is he from Lycia too?"
"No. Not from Lycia, milord." Finally Legault joined them. Somehow, he was able to keep his composure. He walked slowly towards the center, which gave time for Isadora's words to sink in as well as Robin to think of what to say. He came to a stop, standing between the knight and the tactician. "Though I do come from Elibe as well, like you implied, my home and my loyalty belong to the Kingdom of Bern, ruled by King Zephiel. Though I came here under orders of Princess Guinevere for a similar reason as Dame Isadora... I was an assassin for the Black Fang at an earlier point in my life. It was soon after I left and taken up a life of thievery that I met Lady Lyndis, Dame Isadora, and Lord Mark, though back then, most of us referred to him as Tactician, most of the time. Lord Eliwood, Lord Hector, and Lady Lyndis were the only ones that always referred to him as Mark."
"And Canas…?"
"I come from Ilia, milord. I too joined the forces of Lord Mark, Lord Hector, and Lord Eliwood some six years ago when I learned they were to visit the Dread Isle. And though after the war I returned to Etruria, a month ago Lord Hector sent for me to join him in this expedition. I was the one that opened the portal between our worlds, allowing us to, ehm...cross to this side, if you will." Canas smiled at Chrom, looking satisfied with his own answer. He had certainly answered a lot of the questions in Robin's head. Opening a portal was something he didn't think was possible… And to open one large and for long enough for an entire army to go through? That was even more impressive.
"All of this is giving me a headache." Chrom rubbed his head to dispel the pain for the information overload.
"It's not that hard, Chrom," said Lissa as she approached her brother, holding a thick book in her arms. When she got close, she opened the book to some page and showed it to Chrom and Sully, who examined the image in detail. "That's Elibe there. See? Erturia is at its center, Ilia is on the north-east, Sacae, where Lyn comes from, is on the east, Bern is on the south-east, and Lycia is on the south. The other territories you don't have to worry about. That's what your best little sister is here for!"
"Sacae? How do you know that Lyn is from Sacae, Lissa?" The prince's brow furrowed as he turned to look at his cheerful sister, crossing his arms over his chest. "It sounds to me like you've known about this for some time, Lissa… You wouldn't have a book ready like that if you didn't. When exactly did you learn about this?"
"Ugh!" Lissa immediately backed away, looking like a scared cat. "Hahaha...haha...ha… W-Well, I kiiiinda overheard Robin, Isadora, and Lyn talking about it the night of the assassination attempt on Emm… But! I wasn't sure about it! I didn't want to make a fuss over nothing, so I just… I didn't think it would turn into something like this! I certainly wasn't expecting the Marquess of Ostia himself to show up with a whole army!"
"I guess this explains all your mumbling and sneaking around lately… Very well then. There is only one more person that can give us any answers, isn't there?" It had finally come. The moment Robin had been trying to avoid. He grimaced just thinking about it. Chrom and everyone else deserved answers. "Robin… You have never given me a reason to doubt your word. Ever since we met, I know you've had our best interests in mind, which is why I gave you the benefit of the doubt so many times before. But there is no avoiding it anymore, my friend… Tell me, is all of this true? Have you lied to us all this time?"
They all went silent, giving Robin their full attention. He knew that he had to choose his words carefully to avoid anyone jumping to conclusions too quickly. The others had already said their parts, explaining only what they could. The main problem was Robin… He too had many questions in his mind that he wanted answers for. He didn't understand how it all had happened in the first place! And why the Black Fang thought he would be connected to Grima! And why Lucina had said that it was him who had murdered Chrom in her future! And!-
He took a deep breath, readying himself. "I am Plegian. I never knew my birth mother. My parents—they found me in her dead arms and took me in. They gave me a home, food, clothing, and anything else a growing child needs. I was raised as a farmer, living a peaceful life… And then the war started. It was during the war that my village was attacked and my parents killed by soldiers of Ylisse-" Most of the Shepherds and both Khans reacted to that statement. Frederick especially. If Robin left it there, it was as good as confessing he had ill intentions. "-I was taken in by my first master and taught the basics on magic as well as tactics. Some years passed and I was sent to my second master… He was the one that tortured me for years. I've told you this before. These are all facts. I have the scars to prove it. I could even take you to what is left of my village if you don't believe me."
The memories were old, but even to that they, Robin had a hard time talking about it all to everyone. He'd been able to share his past before because it was only with a small group, but here were all the Shepherds. It was as if he standing naked for all of them to see. His fingers felt cold. He had clenched his fists without noticing, nails digging into his gloves hard enough to cut into the leather. He could taste the bile pooling in his mouth. Swallowing it back, he continued on. "But that's not the whole story. Before I met Tharja, while training under Validar, I was sent to do a strange kind of training… That's where things get complicated for me to explain. I still don't understand it myself, but I somehow ended waking up in Elibe… I thought I was hallucinating, or dreaming, whether from a hex or a drug. It was the only way to explain the things I was seeing. I was there to hone my craft as a tactician, I knew that… All I could do was play along. So I played my part. The first person I met was Lyn, who had found me unconscious in the middle of nowhere. Though hesitant at first, I helped her with her journey along other people we met on the way… Some time passed, and I found myself helping others in their own journeys, Lord Hector and Lord Eliwood amongst them. And, as chance would have it, I reunited with Lyn and the rest of the group of people I first met.
"I was there for more than a year. A year! ...A year of constant battles. One after another, guiding these people I thought were part of my imagination into combat while I stayed behind, hoping that none of them would die because of my mistakes… And then! After peace had come to Elibe… Nothing… As quick as it had started, I was back here. I didn't get a chance to say goodbye to everyone. That's how sudden it happened. I was back again. And to my surprise, only a fraction of time had passed since I'd left… Just like that, I was back to the torture that was my everyday life learning under Validar…
"Time passed and I slowly pushed the memories of the people I'd met during that training to the back of my mind. I eventually met Tharja, and… Well, you know the rest of that story, don't you?" The brunette's voice had become more and more hoarse the longer he talked. No one dared stop him. Be it because they didn't know what to say or because they wanted to hear the truth on its entirety, who could really say? But he wasn't done yet. Tears were starting to pool on the corner of his eyes as he smiled at Lyn. "So imagine how I felt when I saw Lyn back in Arena Ferox! Had I not been so shocked to see her when she pulled me cloak back then, I think I would have fallen on my knees and cried my eyes out from the joy. More amazing than seeing that she was real was the fact that she had grown so much! You see, when we first met, she was sixteen and I was twenty two. When last I saw her, she was seventeen and I was supposed to be twenty three. But in front of me didn't stand the same teenage girl I once knew. There was a woman that had caught up to me and grown past me while I wasn't looking… Hehe…"
Robin wasn't the only one with watery eyes. He could see that Lyn was teary-eyed herself as she smiled back at him. He could also see her cheeks were slightly flushed. Seeing her like that was strangely beautiful for Robin. It reminded him of the first time they had parted ways back in Caelin, right after they had rescued her grandfather. He took her hand on his own, squeezing it firmly as if to confirm that she was still there, because even after everything that they had gone through since meeting up again, he still didn't feel like it was all entirely real. With his free hand, he quickly rubbed his eyes to get rid of the tears before looking back at Chrom.
"I didn't think much about it back then. I mean, I was curious about it, but because we were dealing with the Risen threat, I didn't think her showing up had any major significance… But then we met Isadora. She told me that the Black Fang was looking for me. Or so was the rumor. Again, I dismissed it because I didn't think it was worth exploring at the time. We were going to take Emmeryn to safety, after all. Then I was almost killed. Legault did confirm some things to us about the rumors surrounding myself and the Fang, but we were heading to war. My personal problems could wait."
"Are you saying that Marth is part of the Black Fang?" Lissa asked, looking more confused than she had been before.
"No. We talked to her when we took her to the dungeon in Ylisstol, before Chrom and Frederick showed up. I… She told me a lot of things, but I can assure you that she had nothing to do with the Fang...to the best of her knowledge." There were many more things he could tell them. He could talk about Grima, or about Lucina being Chrom's daughter from the future, but there was a time and place for everything and that wasn't it. "There are many other things I wish I could tell you, Chrom. If I understood them; if we weren't in the middle of a war; if Emmeryn's life wasn't in danger, I would tell you. For now, believe me when I tell you that this is all the truth. It is all I can give you..."
Chrom gazed at his tactician intently in complete silence, not hinting at what his response would be, most likely weighing all the points to decide what the best course of action would be. After a couple of minutes passed, Chrom stood straight, still looking at the brunette. "I believe you, Robin."
Robin let out a long sigh of relief, thankful that he had gotten through to Chrom. On the other hand, Sully wasn't as pleased. She immediately protested. "Chrom! Ya can't be serious? Didn'tcha hear half the things that came out of his mouth?"
"It is precisely because of what he said that I believe him," Chrom said, turning to look at the cavalier. "Think about it, Sully. What kind of spy or conspirer against Ylisse would come up with a far-fetched story like that as a cover? I doubt Plegia would risk sending in someone that couldn't come up with a better story if it meant a shot at getting the Fire Emblem and eliminating Lissa and I. Moreover, Robin has show in the past that he deserves our trust and respect. He's kept us safe all of this time, yourself included, by the way. Who do you think had the idea to leave you behind during the attack? With that sandstorm, you could have gotten yourself injured or worse…"
Sully took a step back, looking over at Robin. He could tell that she had clenched her jaw hard, the muscles on her face tensing up. He had expected her to throw a few swings at him for not bringing her, but something about the way Chrom put it made the tactician think that there was a reason why that hadn't happened.
"As hard to believe as it may be, I still believe in Robin," Chrom continued. "Lissa too obviously does, if she kept that secret for so long. Everyone here knows her well enough to know that she isn't the best at keeping secrets-"
"Hey!" Lissa whined.
"-and I doubt that she would have anything to do with it if it put Emm, her, and I at risk. That being said, I still don't know how to feel about this army appearing here and now. It could be that someone in Plegia found out about this same stories and the connection to Robin and are using those banners as a way to catch us off guard. I think we should discuss what our next move will be before they get here. Perhaps we should consider sending a group to meet with them to see if they do pose a threat to us or not."
"Oh! Oh! I'll go!" Lissa jumped up and down, waving her hand up in the air. "I've always dreamed of seeing Lord Eliwood with my own eyes! If Lord Hector is there, then he will be there too!"
"Nonsense, darling!" Maribelle moved to her friend's side, holding down the hand of the other blonde. "Have you forgotten what your brother has just said? If it is some kind of trap, then we can't risk you going in!"
"B-B-But! I really want to meet him, Maribelle!"
"Lady Maribelle is correct, milady," said Frederick, who had been strangely quiet throughout the entire ordeal. "With the Exalt in perille, we can't risk any more of the exalted bloodline to be captured. Gods forbid that something were to happen… I will lead a team to meet with these people. If they are to be trusted, then we can have them meet with Lord Chrom and the khans."
"It looks like we won't get a chance to make the first move," said Basilio. Behind him, a slim girl with fair skin and long, pink hair was cowering, looking at the Shepherds nervously. Basilio extended a hand to the girl, as if presenting her. "I'll keep introductions short. This is Olivia. She is one of ours. She's kept watch of the unknown army since it was first spotted." He put one of his large hands on her shoulder, eliciting a small peep from the girl. "Tell them what you saw."
The girl took a step from behind the Khan, fidgeting with part of her outfit as she came into full view. Her cheeks were as pink as her hair, either from nervousness or the heat, as she pumped herself up to talk. She took a small bow first, and when she finished, she said, "mi-milords…! A small group of armed men detached itself from the main force. They are heading in this direction as we speak!"
"The choice has been taken off our hands then," said Chrom. "We have no other option but to greet them as they arrive. If this turns out to be some elaborate plan, then let them try to hit us when we are all together." The prince ordered his men to form three rows, telling Robin that he shouldn't stand at the front in case they did need to go into combat. In front of these rows the bluenette, Frederick, and the khans would stand, hoping that if they strangers were going to be diplomatic, greeting them with the leaders of their forces would be best (Frederick wouldn't let Chrom stand at the front unless he was there, so Chrom had to give in.)
Everyone stood shoulder-to-shoulder, waiting for the first one of the Ostian party to show face. The Shepherds looked somewhat nervous. This was something that an outsider would not notice, but as their tactician, Robin could see each individual's little tells, be it running a thumb over their weapon like Vaike was doing, or increased breathing like Donnel. They all knew that the group of eight approaching could be defeated easily if it came to that, but if the full force were to attack after that, the desert would become a backdrop to a bloodbath.
Soon enough, one of the figures came from the horizon. Whoever it was, they were pushing their horse to go full throttle despite the terrain. The sand was lifted off and scattered behind the horse as they kept getting closer and closer. It was a knight, judging from the heavy armor that he was wearing. Unfortunately for Robin, because of where he stood amongst the Shepherds, he wouldn't be able to tell if he recognized the man or not.
The man forced the horse to a stop a few feet away from where Chrom and the kahns stood, pulling the reigns to have the horse lose momentum by having it turn. The knight remained on his horse, looking down at the people in front of him. "Are you the leaders of this army?" asked the knight in a voice that Robin found to be rather familiar, despite, or perhaps because, of how stoic it was.
"That we are," said Chrom. "My name is Chrom, and I lead my Shepherds, a force of soldiers from the Halidom of Ylisse. The big man to my left is Khan Basilio, while the woman to my right is Khan Flavia, both of Regna Ferox."
"That would be ruling Khan. Don't lump me together with that old oaf," said Flavia as she crossed her arms. "You look like a knight to me. Shouldn't you introduce yourself before making questions? I assume you are with that large army."
"My apologies, Khan Flavia. You are correct to say so, but as it is, I am short on time. I will have to keep this brief, as the rest of my party will soon be here. I am a vassal to Marquess Ostia, though for the time being I've taken back the role of an Ostian Knight. My name is Oswin, and I serve under Lord Hector. It is...pleasant to make your acquaintance."
"Is he someone you recognize, Robin?" Chrom asked. Of course, as a precaution, Robin had casted Mind-Link with the prince and the khans, which Chrom had been thankful for. This also allowed them to be able to talk without having to exchange looks, given Robin's position. "That name does sound familiar…"
"It sounds like Oswin, alright," Robin said back. "Though, I can't see him very well from where I stand. Have him talk some more, maybe get him to get closer so that I can take a better look at him. It's been six years, so without a good look, I won't be able to tell for sure."
"And what brings you to us, if I may ask?"
The man identifying himself as Oswin remained put, keep some distance between himself and the front line. He was probably wary that he would be greeted by more than twenty armed individuals. Though not as cautious as Frederick, Oswin always had an eye out for immediate danger, especially where Hector was concerned. That was what made him a good asset, if not somewhat hard to deal with at times.
"Some of our own got separated from the main force some time ago," answered the knight. "We've been looking for them ever since. But this dessert is vast, slowing us down on our pursuit."
"Ah, Lord Oswin, it was you!" Heads turned as a certain druid walked to the front of the group, Nowi and Gregor following behind him. "I ask for your forgiveness in this matter. There were…complications after I was done with the auction. One thing lead to another and, well, here we are! I have to say, Lord Chrom and everyone here helped us rid ourselves of our pursuers. They are good people. Oh! And there are a few familiar faces here too!"
"Familiar faces, you say?" Oswin repeated, looking at Canas with a raised eyebrow. "And whose might those belong to?"
"I would like to know about this too," came another familiar voice from behind Oswin. they had all been so preoccupied with the exchange between the knight clad in orange armor and Chrom that they had forgotten about the other seven that formed the approaching group. This new figure came on his own as well, likely having followed Oswin. But this man wasn't just any other man. No, this man was clad in a royal blue heavy armor, with hair that matched it. He had changed his cape from a crimson red one to a white one, same for his trousers. His beard had also grown longer, but there was mistaking him, even with all these changes. In front of everyone, getting off his horse, stood Hector.
The Marquess walked the rest of the distance, getting closer than Oswin had with his horse. Like always, Hector didn't look afraid of his choice, be it because he had guts or because he was too stupid to consider the consequences for his actions. Robin inwardly smirked, seeing that even time hadn't changed the man all that much. Hector stood in front of Canas, taking a quick look at him. "Tell me, Canas, what was it this time that got you separated from us? Walking while reading another blasted book or following some other "interesting" magical aspect?"
That does sound like Canas, thought Robin.
The druid laughed nervously as he scratched the back of his head. "Always so insightful, milord… It was the latter…" Hector sighed in annoyance, shaking his head.
"Excuse me," Chrom interjected, gaining the attention of the Ostians. "I'm sorry to interrupt when you've finally found your man, but… If it's not too much to ask, who might you be?"
"Are you serious, Chrom?!" the shriek came from the last row. Lissa pushed those in front of her out of the way as she tried to make her way to her brother's side, Maribelle on her heels. The princess looked incredulously between Chrom and Hector as if she was expecting that by doing that he would know who the man was. "This is the First Great Lord himself! You know, Lord Hector? Geez, Robin even mentioned him before they showed up! I can't believe you don't remember! You used to really like the stories about him when we were little."
"You seem to know who my liege is, fair lady," said Oswin as he finally descended from his horse, standing to the side of Hector like Frederick always did with Chrom. "This is Marquess Ostia, Lord Hector of Lycia." He then took it upon himself to introduce Chrom, Flavia, and Basilio to Hector. Of course, Lissa made sure to introduce herself too.
"There is no doubt about it now, Chrom. IT's really them." robin noticed Chrom nodding to himself.
"I still want you to stay back there for the time being," said the prince. "Just because it is them doesn't mean they have our best interest at heart."
"Is Lord Eliwood with you, too?" Lissa asked, failing to hide her excitement as she balled her fists and brought them to her chest.
Hector stared at her for a second before shaking his head. "Someone had to stay back in Lycia in case something happened over there too." Lissa looked like she deflated when she heard that. "I have to say, you have me at a disadvantage here, princess Lissa. You know a lot about us, but we know nothing about all of you except for your names."
But before Lissa had a chance to respond, they were joined by the remaining six of Elibe. Three horses and three pegasi carrying two men and four women stopped when they reached Oswin and Hector.
"We couldn't stop Lord Hector from getting here before us," said Serra, looking down in defeat. Robin noticed that she had gone through a big change. Instead of her two pigtails, the cleric had braided her hair with it falling over over her shoulder. Her attire had also change to a simple orange dress, though her scarf still remained. she moved to Oswin's side, giving him puppy eyes."I'm sorry, dear. I know you wanted to have a talk with these people before we arrived."
"Lord Hector has always had a rather headstrong approach to this type of situations. It's a miracle that I still have a job," said Matthew as he got off his own hoarse. Strangely enough, he look almost exactly the same except for a few pieces of leather armor that covered his shins and chest. His red cloak fluttered as he elbowed the man to his side. "Don't you think so too, Lord Kent?"
"I will refrain from commenting on such things," said Kent. His suit of armor was still red, but it somehow looked more regal. What really interested Robin was since when he had become "Lord Kent".
"Stop berating the big guy," said Farina as she made her way to Hector. Robin noted that she was wearing more armor than she did last he saw her. Not only that, but she had chosen to wear a similar style of armor, down to the royal blue color, that Hector had. Her hair had also grown as long as Fiora's. She elbowed her husband and grinned, though she kept talking with Matthew. "He might do all those things, but that's why I think he is the best for this kind of things! Besides, I can't have you saying those things about the father of my child. I may be Lady Farina now, but that won't stop me from driving my lance through you, Matthew."
Meanwhile, Fiora, the eldest of the Pegasus Sisters, giggled from the top of her pegasus as she looked at the exchange between the others.
The last one there was the youngest of the Pegasus Sisters, and also the most shy girl Robin had ever met. Florina landed besides Fiora, keeping her distance from the group of strangers that was in front of her. It seemed that despite the years she had gained, she hadn't been able to come out of her shell all that much. She did sit taller on her pegasus, but her meekness was noticeable. Robin could see her scanning the Shepherds, one by one. He was glad that he had his cowl up, covering most of his face, as if he was seen, who knew how everyone would react. Isadora and Legault, though they also knew Florina very well, had been sent to the furthest spots on the back row, probably so that they wouldn't be recognized either. But there was someone that Florina spotted immediately. He knew she had when her eyes widened and her lips curled up to a wide smile. She jumped down from Huey and broke into a sprint, dropping her lance on the sand near where Hector stood. Chrom and Frederick could only get out of the way when she came running at them as if they weren't even there. Finally, like a cat of prey, she pounced in the air towards a certain greenette that was standing besides the tactician. "Lyn!"
Robin let go of Lyn's hand so that she could catch Florina without dropping to the ground. He could see how happy both of them were to see each other, and he had no plans to stop their heartfelt reunion. He himself smiled as Lyn caught the shorter girl and laughed full heartedly, after all, it is not every day that two best friends get to see each other after gods knew how long.
After a much needed embrace, the two separated with a smile on their lips. "It's so good to see you again, Lyn! I can't believe you were here of all places," said the girl with the lavender hair. She gasped as if she had realised something. "If you are here, then what we heard about Mark being alive must be true!"
Hector looked to Canas, who was looking at the scene with a warm smile. "Was Lyn who you were referring to before?"
"Well, yes… Partially," answered Canas. "She wasn't the only one, though. I did say I saw faces." As if on cue, both Isadora and Legault forced their way to the front line, where they each bowed to Hector.
"This is a surprise. Dame Isadora I expected to see. Eliwood told me of your journey. Legault, on the other hand, I never expected to see for as long as I lived! What business does King Zephiel have here?"
Legault smirked. "The same business you do, I suppose."
"I should have known better than asking you about it."
"You should have."
Hector frowned, not pleased with the toying of the assassin. He had to know that he wouldn't be getting anything out of the Hurricane because he turned his attention back to Isadora. "You've been here for close to two months, correct, Isadora? Tell me, have you been successful in locating Mark?"
For whatever reason, that was the moment Robin decided to break out into laughter. It was so sudden that Florina, who hadn't noticed him before, jumped back in surprise with a little "eeep!", which only made Robin laugh that much more. He couldn't help it! Even when most of the other people stared at him in both awe and suspicion all he did was laugh.
When his it finally died down, he was left without breath. With everything that had happened earlier, a good laugh was well appreciated. He smirked as he looked over at the two bluenettes, the prince and the Marquess, "Six years is a long time, but I didn't think you would go that blind, Hector," Robin jested. the new arrivals faces were turning to that of surprise as soon as they heard him speak, but their eyebrows raised higher and jaws dropped lower when Robin removed his cowl, showing the face they would all remember. "It's good to see you all again."
The first one to speak was Hector, who had taken a good look at his old friend. He furrowed his brow, not looking all that convinced. "If you are Mark, what's with the armor? Do you think yourself a fighter now?"
"If you are Hector, what's with the beard and hair? Do you think yourself as Uther now?" Robin retorted.
"He's got you there, Hector," said Farina as she smirked at the tactician. "When you let your beard grow the first time, I though it may be out of tradition. But as I explored Castle Ostia, the only portrait with a beard and long hair was Uther's."
"Ah, shut it, you," said Hector through gritted teeth, looking flustered before turning once again to face the brunette. "And you! I don't know what I find more disturbing about all of this: hearing you laugh out loud, you looking like you haven't aged in all this time, or you being able to jest with so many people around. What happened to the reserved and serious tactician we all knew all those years ago? Hell, I would say you would be some kind of skin-wearer if it wasn't for Lyn standing by your side! I doubt some hex would get past her that easily. But what I'm really curious to know is what you are doing here, Mark."
The question surprised Robin. It seemed that, despite everything, Hector wasn't jumping to the simplest answer. Then again, he could have been thinking that Robin had shown up recently like he had done with them.
"This is my home," said the Plegian, spreading his arms as if to show it. "This where I came from. Of course I would be here. And though I'm happy to see you, I wish you had chosen a better time to visit. As you can see, we are marching for war. More specifically, to rescue Chrom's sister, Emmeryn, the Exalt of the Halidom of Ylisse.
"Taking on another war on your shoulders, huh? Living through three wars is more than any man should ever live through."
"This is the fourth war I've lived through, actually. I was too young at the time of my first to go into combat… But that is a story for some other time. What I really want to know, and I think I speak for everyone else here, is what you are doing here in the first place? And why would you bring an army? Seeing as Bern sent only Legault and Eleanora sent only Isadora, I can't understand what would make you bring so many soldiers with you."
Hector glanced back at his wife, who shrugged at him. "Someone came to us some time ago, claiming to know where you had gone to after you disappeared," he said. "Many times in the past people had started rumors or approached lords with similar claims, but it always turned to be red herrings of one kind or another. What made this one different was the evidence that they presented… They said you had found yourself in the midst of another conflict, and with a small army, again! So I did what anyone in my position would do. I made a call to arms. You once helped us in our war. Let no one say that Ostia doesn't repay their favors. Our army is at your disposal."
It was decided that they would reconvene the next morning to discuss their movements towards the Plegian capital. With the added force of Ostia's army, it opened a whole bunch of new ways they could fight. Not only that, but they also had some pegasus knight with them, guessing from the appearance of Florina, Farina, and Fiora. They would come in handy in the rescue operation. Not to forget that with their original attack force increasing in size about four times over, they would stand in a more equal ground with the Plegian army defending the capital and their surroundings.
Hector and the others returned to join their army. Canas and Florina decided that they would spend the night with the Shepherds—Canas would probably speak with Nowi while Florina would spend her time with Lyn, Robin assumed. Speaking of whom, Robin noticed that the the former kept eyeing him from time to time. He would have gone and greeted her more properly, but he was pulled away by Chrom and the khans, who all wanted to understand what exactly this all meant for the war effort.
"To put it simply, we've secured our victory already," the tactician explained. "Ostia's knights were always regarded as the strongest warriors in Lycia back then. I doubt they would soften much since last I saw them. But even if we know we can win the fight and end the war, it is all for nothing if we can't get Emmeryn back."
"The lad is right," said Basilio. "We could bring an army of a hundred thousand men and it wouldn't make a difference. If the Mad King plans on executing the Exalt, then we need to make sure to rescue her before we go for a full assault."
"Agreed," said Chrom. "We slimmed down our numbers in the first place so that we could reach the capital much faster. Though I would like to be able to finish this war in one sweep, we can't endanger Emmeryn's life. We will be in a good position, even if we have to retreat and regroup after rescuing her. Gangrel won't have anywhere to run."
Robin nodded. "I think we should consider a variation of the original plan of rescue. Now that we have more Pegasus Knights at our disposal, we could try to get to Emmeryn at the same time that Basilio's men are rescuing Phila and the rest, or we could have Ostia's and Ylisse's Pegasus Knight join forces to try an aerial rescue. My only worry is that with so many of them, archers and wind-casters will become a problem."
"If that's the case then we will need to make sure they don't become a problem. If we prioritize our targets, we should be able to get things ready."
Robin was happy to see how things had changed so quickly. From the tension that was there not long before, to the sense of certainty and confidence that everyone was displaying, things were looking up. If everything went their way, in a week's time Emmeryn would be reunited with Chrom and Lissa, the Pegasus Knights would be rescued, and maybe, just maybe, the war would end... with a sword through Gangrel's heart.
I'll address something that I'm sure a lot of you noticed here: a sort of jump. That was me sort of rushing to end the chapter. Truth be told, I had some smaller things planned for this, but I decided to scrap them because they weren't completely necessary or I could bring them up either on the next chapter. It may seem off putting but it was either that or going back and doing a lot of stuff again, which would delay the chapter to who knows when. No, I rather have it end like this so that I can start fresh with the next chapter.
This chapter must be overwhelming for people that never played Rekka No Ken. So many character to speak of! I hope you guys didn't get lost with so many new names on there. I originally planned on having more people on there, but I would have become more hectic. Eight characters in one go is a lot...
To those curious and those that didn't notice, there are two pairings that are confirmed on this chapters. One is Hector and Farina, who you might remember mentioning before long ago. The second one is one that I personally like a lot. There's just something about Oswin and Serra that works for me, even if there is a big age gap there.
Something that has nothing to do with the chapter is that I got myself a laptop. Finally! This means that I can go out and find inspiration to write or just write while I'm on my bed, haha! This should help with updates in the future, hopefully.
On to reviews!
starlightkitsune2178 -Hector has always been one of my favorite characters from the series in general. Not only was he super badass when playing, but his characterisation was really good, imo. I'm really going to enjoy having him around for this story, that's for sure!
animeandgamerlover2 -I don't think that age matters all that much when writing, especially fan fics. I started when I was around 12, though that was roleplaying, which is pretty similar. (Fun fact, my first ever roleplay was a Fire Emblem 7 RP.) Grammar is something that you can fix with practice. English isn't my second language, but I've been practicing for a long time. Even now, I still make mistakes. But the more I write, the fewer mistakes I make. No one's perfect. People won't chew you out for a few grammar mistakes. As for lazyness, well... Just work your way up. This story started with 3k chapters and at it's peak, the longest one was 11k. I also went from writing it all in one sitting to doing through multiple days. As long as you can write a little every other day, you should be fine! Also, as for Hector, he is a year older than Lyn, which would put him at 24...ish.
Tumerboy12 -Hahaha, that is one thing that will remain a mystery for the time being. It's one of those things that may be revealed soon or not at all, depedning on how the plot develops. Because of the perspective lock, it's hard to say who it might have been, since Robin couldn't see all that well. The only way for him to know is if someone came out and said it. As for Canas' mother, I don't see a reason to mention her right now. It's wouldn't add anything to the story at this point. I have a few things planned regarding her, but name dropping her just for the sake of it for no reason would seem out of place.
Sugouxxx -So many peeps showing up for you here xP But no one form Sacae just yet, sadly.
Antiques thief -Aaah, I see what you mean. I'm not too sure if I'll integrate all of those effects because some are a bit silly, but it's food for thought later on.
Yugiohfangirl -If you were finding it confusing before, you are going to hate me for this chapter xD It'll get even more hectic in the future. With the characters from FE7, some of FE8, Awakening, and a few OCs, this story will have close to 100 characters. That's a lot of names to keep track of... Yeah, FE7 came out on game boy advance. Good times. I think I still have my old game back home. I really want it now. I think it's hard to keep track of all the games because they don't add a number to the actual title like Final Fantasy does, and because characters rarely show in more than one game.
Whatstoknow -A little late from me, but I hope you had a merry christmas and new years too! It's good that you took notice of that...not that I was really hiding it or anything. Can't tell you why, but it's...good. Yes.
potatoman098 -Shit explosive... Diffused?
Guest (Dec25, Ch18) -Hugh will definitely show up in the future. Though that's still a bit way off. I haven't thought much about any order for introducing the child units. I should really do that, haha
AdvancedAlto -They did return them shortly after Nergal's defeat because they were only meant to borrow them. Having them be out there could lead to them getting used all at once, causing another catastrophe like the one that forced dragons to take on the manakete form. So for now, he doesn't have Armadas. That doesn't mean it won't show up in the future, though. Ah, yes, my plot is a big web. There have been a few hints, though very well hidden. Maybe too well because no one has pointed them out before... No worries, we are getting there soon enough. I just need to plan a few things before the next big arc begins. Lloyd and Linus showing up is something that I'ver seriously considered. I have it written down on my ideas list, but I need to figure out a good way to make it happen so that it makes sense if I do go with it. I agree that they are really cool characters that didn't get too much screen time. From FE8 games, so far I've only decided on bringing in characters that are related to ones from FE7. Having 2 Karels would be pretty funny, though.
Animefortin95 -Other than playing all the games, you could read the plot section for each game on the Fire Emblem wiki. The problem there is that you don't learn anything about the personalities of the characters from each game or smaller interactions. With so many games and with each one of those having around 30 characters each, it would takes you a long time to figure all that out. You can obviously choose a small cast, picking one or two characters per game, but it would still be very difficult. You might be able to find youtube videos that explain the story for each game, though I kinda doubt you'll find any for the older games.
Fireofargentis -The only things that would make Rekka No Ken better would be if the tactician had supports. I wish they released a remake where they did that. I would be all over that. Making fun of Hector's beard is a must. Always.