I ended up writing more this week than I had originally planned, so I'm releasing this a bit earlier than I had anticipated. So, here you go. The immediate aftermath of the Bathonean raid.
Chapter 4: The Cliff that Time Forgot
"Chrom, look!" Lissa shouted. Chrom tiredly parried a bandit's sword swing and thrust forward, falling the bandit. He stepped back, allowing another shepherd to fill in his spot before he looked to where Lissa was pointing. Nedata lay slain, fallen backwards over the top step with a spear through his stomach. Behind him was... Was that Bandanna Dee?
Sure enough, the Waddle Dee opened the backdoor to the building. The first thing to step through the doors was the mad penguin King Dedede wielding a giant wooden hammer and yelling out charge, followed by more Waddle Dees and... By the gods. People, carrying whatever they seemed able to find, charged at the bandits backside.
The raiders seemed lost. With Nedata dead and enemies at their rear, they were in disarray. A few of the raiders had surrendered by the time the fighting stopped. Bathoneo had been retaken.
Chrom didn't feel quite as relieved as he thought he should. The next few hours were going to be awkward.
After the fight, the Shepherds were, each and every one, baffled. Lissa had immediately taken to treating the injured, but besides her, they were all standing around tensely, waiting for something else to happen. The short brown creatures that now filled the room had thrown down their weapons as soon as the fighting ended. Since then, they had been... Well, cleaning. Around the hall, they piled up weapons against one wall, organized by type. They pushed the bodies to the opposite wall. A handful of them were doing more mundane tasks, such as straightening paintings propped against the walls and cleaning up broken pottery.
At the center of it all was the penguin man, shouting orders around the room.
"So Chrom. Maybe it's my amnesia taking it's toll, but... What is going on, who... no, what are they?" Robin started asking questions immediately as the fighting stopped. He had honestly thought they had been cornered. He had been planning a tactical retreat when suddenly the doors above them opened and the short brown creatures poured through them. Alongside them was the giant penguin dressed in a heavy red coat and the hostages the pirates were holding.
It was absurd. He could vaguely recall a saying about plans not surviving contact with the enemy, but he had no clue when he heard it. Possibly around the time he got a pet thunder-mouse.
Huh, the bird man seemed slightly less crazy all the sudden. Only slightly.
"I'll have to explain later," Chrom answered. "I can barely believe it myself, and I knew of them."
"Hey Chrom!" The penguin shouted joyfully. The... penguin shouted. Robin couldn't believe he had to process that. "We got all the bandits!"
The penguin's gloved hand pointed to where the short brown creatures were tying the surviving raiders hands together with ropes. Robin would have laughed if he had any idea what's going on. Even with amnesia, he felt certain that he should have remembered penguin people existing. Actually, he wasn't even really sure what a penguin was. The term just felt right.
"Yes." Chrom answered plainly, his weariness seemingly dissipated, replaced by wariness. "Yes we did Dedede."
"Your Greatness!" One of the brown things greeted, hopping into the conversation gleefully. This one looked slightly different from the rest, wearing a blue Bandanna instead of the absolutely nothing the rest wore. And how was it talking without a mouth? "We've untied all the people. One guy in a fancy dress wants to talk to you and Chrom."
"What? I don't know anyone we saved. How does he know about me?" The penguin demanded loudly with a stomp of his foot. Robin winced at the noise. Not a very quiet bird, was he?
"We told them all that the great King Dedede saved them. For some reason he thought that was me. He said thank you too many times for me to pass on, so I figured you would rather go get them," the creature answered. Everything that the creature said came out like a child who barely understood what language he was speaking, Robin noticed. A child that never learned how to lie.
The well dressed penguin, who Robin could only assume was Dedede, gave a sigh.
"Fine. I'll go see him. Chrom, you coming?" The penguin asked, waving him over. Chrom blinked a few times before absently nodding. They both stepped around the room full of bodies, up the stairs and through the back doors that Dedede came in through.
"Soooo," Robin started, drawing out the word as long as he could before continuing with a clap, "anyone want to explain to me what just happened."
"Hi mister," the Bandanna creature said, ignoring Robin entirely. He ran past Robin straight to Virion. "I'm glad you're okay. I was worried I was going too slow and you or your friends would be hurt. I'm happy I wasn't."
"Ha, fear not fair creature, for as long as I stand guard, no Shepherd will see any harm," Virion answered, bowing low towards the creature. Did they know each other? Robin was looking around at the other Shepherds, most of whom seemed just as clueless as he was. A few of them turned curiously to Lissa, who stared uncomfortable at the creature that.
"Yo, Lissa! Could you explain to the Vaike what exactly just happened here?" Vaike practically shouted. From the clerics wince, she seemed to have woken up from her trance.
"Oh, sorry. That's... Wait, why do I have to explain it?" She asked incredulously. "I barely understand it myself, and I was there to meet them!"
"Meet who? What. Is. Going. On." Robin asked slowly.
"What?" The small creature asked. He turned around and seemed to see Robin for the first time. After a second, just a second, of confusion the creature threw up an arm and started to wave excitedly. "Oh, hi! You weren't with the Shepherds when I met them. I'm Bandanna Dee, and we're the Waddle Dees! We serve King Dedede, the great king who your leader Chrom just went with."
Robin stared emptily at the creature for a second. He gave a slow nod, pretending to understand. So, Bandanna Dee, Waddle Dees, King Dedede. And they flew onto the scene with the Deedee power and saved the hostages with Dee efficiency because Dee. The amnesiac knew he made most of that up, but he couldn't figure out quite where his imagination started and reality ended.
"Alright, so... can someone clarify if these aren't just really short people and I'm just suffering some kind of hallucination," Robin pleaded.
"No, They are real," Frederick answered promptly. He held his hands curtly behind his back, ever ready to serve. He had been on foot, as his charger wouldn't be able to maneuver inside the building. "Your confusion is well founded. The Shepherds had come this far south just to investigate their ship's crash site. As we were about to leave we stumbled upon you. Though, I'm sure you knew that already, didn't you?"
"No, I didn't. What do you think I am, exactly?" Robin asked. With how well they had been getting along while planning, he would've thought Frederick was over his paranoia. The knight stepped forward, and got uncomfortably close to Robin's face. He didn't back down under the knight's withering gaze.
"A spy. You slowed us down by the river so the bandits could sack the city, and then you helped us so that you could gain the trust of the Shepherds and milord," the knight accused, glaring a Robin hard enough that he couldn't help but shrink a little.
"Oh, leave him be Frederick," Lissa intervened. "We wouldn't have saved the city without him! Besides, it was only a coincidence that we even found him. That would be pretty bad planning if they were depending on us finding him."
"Of course, milady," Frederick took a step back. The knight let out a breath. "Regardless, you did help us expel the looters from the city, Robin. For that, you do have my gratitude. I believe I could guess the source of the bandits anyway."
"Well, do not leave us in suspense, Sir Frederick," Virion pressed. His bow now hung lazily around his shoulder.
"Plegia," he answered. "I can't say where the pirates come from, but the bandits had distinctly Plegian accents."
Robin raised a single curious eyebrow. Maybe someone would remember he had amnesia without prompting.
"I believe you're right. Sir Robin, did you hear it too?" Virion asked curiously. Robin simply sighed and pointed at his skull. The archer stared at him for a second. After a moment, Vaike of all people started to crack up.
"He doesn't know what Plegia is!" He laughed, his shoulder shaking. When Virion sputtered out his apology, Vaike only started to laugh harder. Pikachu hopped off of Robin's shoulder and walked up to the mirthful Vaike. The man stopped rolling when a small jolt bounced off his chest. "Ow! Hey, you little..."
"Yeah, yeah. You deserved it," Robin jabbed lightly. "So, since we're all almost on the same page here, could someone please tell me what Plegia is?"
"It is the nation to West of Ylisse," Sumia stated. "The two countries have not had a pleasant history. Things have always been... Volatile. The rumor is that their king has been sending unofficial raiding parties over the borders for months now."
"It is not just a rumor. Every word of it is true," a voice came from behind them. The Shepherds and Bandanna Dee turned to see Dedede and Chrom both approaching them, "and the Exalt refuses to let anyone call them on their cruelty."
"Chrom, why is he with you?" Lissa asked.
"Because, the proud King Dedede of Dreamland has something he wishes to say to you, sister," Chrom answered, a smug smirk drawing upon his lips. The penguin king took a deep bracing breath before stepping forward.
"...sorryforyellingandthankyouforsavingmyfriend," he muttered quickly. He tried to take a step away before Chrom grabbed his shoulder and pulled him back, much to Lissa's amusement.
"No way. You're not walking away from this." Chrom said.
King Dedede ripped his arm away and brushed off his coat before taking a deep breath again.
"Fine!" The penguin hissed loudly. He took a step towards Chrom's sister before speaking, this time speaking slower and more audibly. "Lissa, I'm... s... sorry I was rude to you. Thank you for saving my friend's life," Dedede's voice quieted down, and his right eye seemed to twitch in pain at each word.
"Okay, I forgive you," Lissa answered through a sweet smile. Whatever had happened, it didn't seem to be bothering her anymore.
"Really? I mean... Good. Thank you," the penguin stuttered out. He was sweating profusely, and seemed to have shrunk a bit into his coat; an impressive feat, considering his size.
"So..." Chrom tried to start, trailing off as he looked blankly in the distance. Realizing he trailed off, the man sighed before continuing . "Dedede and a small group of his... Waddle Dees will be joining us on our way back to the capital. His situation as well as the city's plight needs to be brought directly to the attention of Exalt and her council."
"What? That's it?" Lissa complained. "No feast or gifts or even a day to rest? We just fought so many bandits and I'm exhausted! And look at the sky! it's getting dark!"
"And when it gets dark, we'll camp out just as we normally do," Frederick wore short smug smirk as he chimed in. "Do remember, milady, that you insisted on coming with us."
"Hey," Dedede cut in. "If I am going anywhere, we need to pick up one more person first."
Not waiting for a response, Dedede waltzed out the door and a handful of the Waddle Dees followed. After a bunch of uncomfortable glances around, Bandanna Dee reappeared. The short creature jumped up to the group, grabbed Chrom's hand and started to pull the uncomfortable prince out the door.
He was being babysat. He was a proud warrior, a proud captain, and most of all a proud knight. So when Meta Knight asked to meet the women who saved his life, even in spite of Dedede's lack of political ability, another important question came up. He could only move so fast on his crutches, but he was certain he would have been fine. It wasn't impossible for him to move.
But the self fashioned king of Dreamland insisted he take it easy. For the day it took them to catch up to the humans, these Shepherds, Meta Knight was being pulled along in a carriage fashioned just for him. Bandanna Dee had been sent ahead to figure out where they were. When he reported that he found two of the humans on the outskirts of the city talking about how bandits raided the city, the situation had gotten... Tense. If not for Meta Knight's insistence, Dedede would've left then and there.
Instead, they camped outside the city while a few of the Waddle Dees searched in the city for some way they could help. Information, the weak point, anything. One of them had found one of the bandits' hostages, and learned about a secret way into the palace the bandits were holing up in. When Dedede and most of the Waddle Dees went into the city, Meta Knight was left behind.
Waiting. Waiting. Waiting upon waiting. He could stand the waiting. He had a few books that survived the crash. A few nostalgic texts and cookbooks from Dreamland, as well as few handful of gifts he had received since the birth of this new world . He had lost every other work he'd collected. Even that, he didn't mind.
He did mind how useless the Waddle Dees' care was making him feel. He was being served like a king instead of getting his own food. Anything he wanted was brought to him, regardless of how little he truly needed it. He even had a tent, complete with a chair and a butler to wait on him. It was unfortunate that the Waddle Dee's very presence made him uncomfortable. It felt wrong to be waited upon, and to not have the privacy he was used to.
He tried to reach for his cane, but the Waddle Dee butler tutted him as though he were a child. Even crippled, he could probably knock out the overbearing Waddle Dee before it stopped him, but then he'd have an unconscious Waddle Dee to explain when Dedede got back. Maybe it would be worth it?
Meta Knight eventually decided against it. If things went well, then you he would be returning with the humans, including the one that saved him. They would be on their way to the kingdom's capital so that Dedede could formally introduce himself to the local ruler. With any luck, he could secure access to the supplies they'd need to rebuild the wrecked Halberd.
Lost in his thoughts, Meta Knight almost didn't noticed when the colorful Dreamland tent flap flew open. A Waddle Dee waddled into the tent and bowed courteously to the knight before speaking.
"King Dedede is on his way back with the humans, Mr. Knight sir."
"Thank you for letting me know. I'll come out to meet them," Meta Knight nodded. He grabbed his cane as the messenger bowed out of the tent. Before the butler thought to say anything, he had already escaped from the tent.
A few Waddle Dees gave him worried glances as he passed. Two asked if he needed help, but he refused. Every step stung, but he needed to greet Dedede on his own, if for no reason but his pride. He passed the huge, bright and colorful tent at the center of camp that served as the king's tent. It was covered red and yellow stripes bordered by a thin outline. The King's insignia, the blue outline of a rabbit's head, hung over the flaps.
The rest of the tents were similarly overdone and gaudy. Someone with a keen eye would to say that the Dreamlanders camp stood out like a sore thumb. Someone less observant would say the same thing.
The Waddle Dees, ever efficient, had found a surviving store of Dedede's favorite fabrics in the wreckage of the ship. They used those fabrics plus leather they had gather from around the crash site to fashion the tents. The designs and colors were doubtlessly because of Dedede, and Meta knight found it mind boggling. They might as well erect sky high signs point down on his camp, flashing 'we are here, please rob us' in bright colors.
He reached the edge of the glorified circus camp. He wouldn't need to go any further than that. Through a clearing in the surrounding foliage he could just make out the walls of the city.
Having reached the edge of the camp, Meta Knight leaned against the side of a tree, and slid down to the ground to wait. It was only minutes before he could make out voices in the distance, most prominent of which was King Dedede's. The indiscriminate snapping of twigs and heavy footfalls of armor and horses ferried the approaching party. They appeared in the clearing before the city, ten tired humans dressed for battle alongside the king and his company of servants. The king seemed to be explaining... Something, from the way his arms flailed around.
"So the point is that you and your country owe me now. You're all lucky I'm too awesome of a guy to take advantage of that. Once I meet this Exalt of yours, all I should need is supplies to fix our ship," the penguin declared with a cheeky grin. The blue haired man marching beside him stared straight ahead while clearly trying to ignore him. If only it were that simple.
Meta Knight grabbed his cane and carefully pulled himself to his feet. He would not meet the humans sitting down. A blonde girl in a yellow dress grabbed the man's shoulder and pointed up at him.
"Chrom, look!" She said far too ethustiacally.
As best he could, Meta Knight nodded. Given his body type, the polite gesture could also be seen as a bow. Chrom gave a nod back. King Dedede noticed him next, and from the exaggerated frown, he wasn't pleased.
"Meta Knight! What are you doing outta camp?" The penguin king shouted, running up to him. Meta Knight's yellow orbs kept on Dedede's own eyes, even as the later towered over the former. "You aren't feeling well enough to be out like this! Your king demands an explanation."
"I would greet my savior standing," he whispered back, turning towards the humans trudging up behind the large king. "Which one was it?"
The King's acted anger became a genuine attempt at subtlety as he stepped aside and discreetly pointed out the girl in the yellow dress. Meta Knight nodded, taking a step forward. When the humans caught up seconds later the swordsman from Dreamland bowed his head just enough to not throw off his balance.
"It is my pleasure to finally meet you. I apologize for the King's behavior, and hope you will find that we are not all so brazen and childish as he." Meta Knight was pleased to hear a distinctly offended 'hey!' from behind him.
"The pleasure is mine. I am Chrom, Captain of the Shepherds and Prince of Ylisse," the man greeted with a short bow of his own. A human with a yellow mouse on his shoulder seemed to be more surprised than Meta Knight at Chrom's introduction. "I will admit, your king put on a poor first impression, but his actions today spoke louder than his words earlier this week. As far as I am concerned, Dreamland has made itself a friend of Ylisse."
"You haven't heard him talk much than if saving a city overshadowed it," Meta Knight mused, managing an obviously informal snicker from the Shepherds. The muscular, snickering man was silenced by the glare of a lightly armored woman nearby. "Then again, he told me about your first meeting. I am glad to hear that Dedede has made up for his past transgression. Most of the time in these past few years, I've had to do that for him."
He didn't want to tell them that coming to find them had been at his insistence. The bandits' presence, unfortunate as it was, also served well as an excuse. Dedede's aid certainly meant things would move faster at least.
"Right." Chrom agreed. "I'm afraid that I haven't caught your name. Your King has only referred to you as Meta Knight."
"That is my name." The answer came out fast. Just a bit too fast. Chrom didn't look convinced, but clearly didnt want to push it. After an awkward moment, Meta Knight quietly asked, "May I meet the person who saved my life?"
Chrom raised an eyebrow, but nodded. He turned around to find that his Shepherds had mostly stopped paying attention and broken off into their own conversations. Meta Knight was surprised to find that even Bandanna Dee was enthusiastically engaged. Chrom yelled out for a 'Lissa,' and the girl in yellow stepped forward.
"Sister, Meta Knight asked to meet you," Chrom said. The girl locked eyes with Meta Knight's uncomfortably. Leaning on his crutch, Meta Knight gave a deep bow.
"I owe you my life. Thank you." He stood up straight before saying anything more. "Once I am done recovering, I would be honored to repay this debt."
"Oh, I... Uh... Thanks?" The girl looked to her brother, clearly unsure of how to react. When Chrom just laughed, she pouted. For royalty with so great a gift as healing, she didn't seem sure what to do with his offer. Must be a cultural thing. "I'll be sure to take you up on that..."
"Cmon, Meta Knight!" The King shouted mirthfully, his past impatience quickly forgotten. "You and me are going with them to their capital! Civilization! Food!"
The short swordsman sighed. Maybe the quiet had been nice.
A small, bright, and colorful open top carriage and a simpler, wooden horse-drawn wagon brought up the back of the group. The carriage was mostly empty except for it's sole passenger. The Waddle Dees at the wreckage had all rushed to make it just for the crippled Meta Knight. The part for his seat was just big enough to fit him. On the sides were compartments where he stored his books. Despite how many he had, the carriage was still light enough that it only took two of the Waddle Dees to pull it.
Meta Knight glanced up from behind a book every now and then to take in the group leading him. Little by little, he picked up on the weaknesses of one of the Shepherds he watched. One thing he had picked up on was that the Mage Miriel was easily distracted, as even now she was reading a book. She also seemed to be in relatively poor physical shape, and she also wore no protection beyond the clothes on her back. He suspected that her uniform was likely bathed in protection spells, as he had seen it before. It still wouldn't take a hit as well as armor.
The axe fighter without a shirt seemed easy to read. He prided himself on his strength. He also took every opportunity to show off. Meta Knight had caught himself staring at the scars that covered the man's body, a sign that the man wasn't keen on dodging if he didn't think he needed too, when the muscles suddenly bulged. This Vaike had caught him looking, and flexed. Another obvious weakness, he had no protection over his torso. Meta Knight could hear the man laugh as he quickly looked back to his book.
'The Ocarina of Time is one of many heirlooms passed down throughout the history of the Royal Harkinian family.
The Ocarina was given as a gift to help the famed Hero of Time from the young Princess Zelda V Harkinian. Using the instrument, the Hero of Time was able to prevent the coup of the infamous Ganondorf Dragmire, the King of the Gerudos and Advisor to the King of Hyrule.
Little is truly known about the origins of the heirloom, as even during the Hero of Time's life the royal family had admitted to losing the knowledge. Rumors and legends tell of ancient stones that could shift the sands of time that may have been used to craft the instrument. This theory has been largely dismissed as well, as despite all efforts made to find anything out about these stones has proven fruitless. With no other alternative explanation, the power of the instrument has been accredited to the Goddesses.
The heirloom has since disappeared, after the Hero of-'
Thud.
"Ow..."
Meta Knight cringed at the sound, and his carriage stopped. He lowered his book to find the human Sumia sprawled out on her back beside his vehicle.
"Are you alright?" He asked. No one else seemed to have noticed but the Waddle Dees, who rushed to help her stand.
"Yeah... I'm okay," the girl said, rubbing the back of her head. When she noticed Meta Knight's curious stare, she wilted a little bit. Excuses quickly started to fly out of her mouth. "It's um... these boots of mine. They weren't made quite right, and one is a different length than the other. That, and there is no..."
"Save it," Meta Knight insisted, putting up a hand to stop her. She quieted instantly. The Waddle dees picked up the carriage again and started to walk forward. The rest of the Shepherds had gotten a bit ahead of them, as even the wagon kept moving.
Sumia had quietly fallen in step beside them. She kept glancing at... Something.
"Can I help you?" Meta Knight asked.
"Oh? Um... I was going to ask you a question. Ha. Of course, that's why I'm..." She caught Meta Knight's glare. After a moment of silence, she sighed and asked, "What were you reading? "
"It was a gift from the first place we ended up when the world was remade," Meta Knight answered plainly, gesturing towards Dedede near the front of the pack. "The Legends of Hyrule."
Sumia quirked an eyebrow. She looked ready to ask more, but stopped herself. This routine irritably continued a few more times before she finally spoke.
"Hyrule?"
"Yes. It is a kingdom from across the sea. This collection was written in the year before the Rebirth brought the world's together. I obtained a copy from... a friend I made over there."
"Oh? What kind of friend?" Sumia asked. Meta Knight glared at the girl hoping she would retract the question, but the innocent curiosity that both her amiable smile and her questions tone emitted acquiesced him. He sighed.
"In spite of Dedede, I managed to make friends in the Hylian court. When The Rebirth happened, and Dreamland was no more, we... I found myself in a strange land. Eventually I found Dedede and the Halberd. The people of Hyrule found us..." Meta Knight cryptically trailed off. "The rest doesn't much matter. We had to leave eventually. They had an issue on their newly formed border, and we were only making things more tense for the populace by being there. The last time we tried to go back, I wasn't able to see my friend."
"That's a shame. I'm sure your friend misses you," Sumia said comfortingly. An awkward silence hung in the air. Meta Knight squirmed in his carriage uncomfortably. Sumia, having received no response, looked down at the ground awkwardly. If one watched closely, they could even see the Waddle Dees exchange an uncomfortable glance. "So... Um..."
"If you wish to speak, go ahead. I am in no position to stop you," Meta Knight said in what he hoped was a joking manner. His attempt bore fruit in the form of an uncomfortable giggle.
"I didn't actually have anything in mind. Although... Wait right here!" Sumia ran off to the Shepherd's storage cart. The Waddle Dees exchanged another glance, this time much more humoresque. Meta Knight wondered if she would notice her blithe faux pas. When she returned with a stack of books and an excited smile he could only assume that she didn't.
"Now, I'm not sure what you like, but I've got to have something you'd like to read!" She excitedly declared.
"Oh, that shouldn't be..."
"Here, how about this one?" She practically shoved one of the books into his hands. For the second time in the conversation, Meta Knight gave up even the notion of protest. For how friendly Sumia was clearly trying to be, she was pushier than Dedede. If anything, her friendliness was what made it work.
He silently read the title of the book. 'Wyvern Wars: Terror at High Noon.' That certainly sounded dreadful. He was tempted to return the book, but just a glance at the girl's almost desperate excitement dissuaded him.
"Thank you. I will return it as soon as I am done with it," he said instead. Sensing that there was nothing more to say, Sumia nodded enthusiastically. Though Meta Knight may have seemed to only barely prefer to make friends instead of enemies, he couldn't help but feel somewhat satisfied that he made someone downright giddy. He almost reopened the 'Legends of Hyrule' when he saw her looking back expectantly. With a sigh, he hid his reluctance behind his mask as he opened 'Wyvern Wars' and delved into the supposed Terror at High Noon.
He'd read Legends before, anyway.
The woods were quiet. The daytime birds were making their last calls before taking shelter, and the nocturnal birds had yet to awaken. The ground level was even less lively, with only two figures still awake and moving through the brush. Except for the wind brushing against the leaves, the whole world was silent.
The waning evening's natural silence was broken as an arrow cut through the air. Its target was startled, but could not react fast enough. The arrow buried into its side, and the wounded elk ran off with a pained cry.
Fredrick didn't react when the shot hit the creature anymore than pursuing his mark. He followed the trail through the woods, half jogging. He wasn't in much of a hurry, as the creature would have passed shortly after his shot. He didn't consider himself a great hunter by any means, but the only other Shepherd who could do it well refused to take off his perfume. Virion had their esteemed guests to impress, after all.
So Frederick, having begrudgingly left his arms behind, had to hunt. It wouldn't do for the Shepherds to only eat bread until they got home. It wasn't healthy.
He heard a twig the pained sound of the animal again just ahead of him, and then a thud. He almost ran towards the sound when a victorious growl echoed through the forest. Flinching slightly at the sound, Frederick quickly propped himself against a tree. He looked around the corner to see the source of the noise.
A brown bear had beaten him to his kill. It looked like a normal bear at least. He had here rumors of monster out bears with magical powers. All the same, Frederick wanted to leave that unremarkable beast there. He took a step away from the scene.
Snap.
Frederick's permanent scowl deepened when he heard the stick snap under his feet. He look back around the tree and made eye contact with the massive creature. There was a roar, and the bear left its first choice of dinner behind. It charged straight at Frederick.
"Who actually eats bear?"
The Shepherd's camp was curious when Frederick returned to get help with moving his kill. Vaike left with him and when the two returned they amazed the group. They stared with mouths gaping as the duo dropped the body of an entire bear nearby. Pikachu quickly hid behind Robin as they emerged with the beast. The mouse had dug his claws into his robe, and cautiously peeked out at the body.
"Vaike does!"
The response has been mixed. Besides Lissa's complaining, The Dreamlanders had disappeared to find their own food. Robin only cared that he had ravenously dug in as soon as the first bit of meat was cooked, and that Pikachu had something to eat. Turns out the mouse wasn't a carnivore.
"Ugh, I know you don't have any taste, Vaike. Robin, how about..."
Robin's head shot up upon having heard his name. Lissa, Vaike, and the rest of the gathered Shepherds looked at the piece of meat dangling conspicuously from his mouth. Robin kept chewing it slowly. Vaike failed to hold in his laughter, which spread to the others. Lissa let out a dramatic sigh.
"I guess any thing tastes good when all you've had is stale bread," she admitted through her empathetic embarrassment.
"Pikachu," Robin heard the mouse named Pikachu agree sickly. He looked down to see the mouse nauseously nibbling away at his dinner bread.
"Aw, the poor thing," Sumia lamented. "It probably isn't meant to be eating that much bread either." The comment hung in the air as more of the hungry company dug in. Robin couldn't even taste the meat anymore. He peeked up to see that Chrom had already finished his piece.
"Hey Frederick, I don't see you eating any of this junk," Lissa brazenly commented. The knight's normally unshakable stoicism faltered momentarily before he answered.
"Oh? Well, I had big lunch? Yes, that's it." Lissa's glare could've cut through diamonds, but she didn't have a chance to add words to her angry facade.
"Come on! I'm too hungry to carry it back for you!" Dedede's commanding voice demanded. Dedede emerged first from the woods, closely followed by Meta Knight on his crutch. Shortly afterward, the Waddle Dees emerged. Most carried sacks on their backs, but the last four carefully carried a gaudy, folded-up tent.
"Ah, so you've made it back," Chrom said with mock cheer. "What took you all so long?"
The penguin king's beak bent upwards into a grin.
"I figured that we needed something to eat that would never actively try to eat us first," Dedede proudly claimed. He easily grabbed one of the bags from a nearby Waddle Dee, who could barely hold up the sack, and reached his hand inside. He pulled a handful of berries from the sack and shoved them gleefully into his mouth.
"You... Went foraging?" Robin questioned, his own piece of bear long devoured. His stomach growled in disapproval at his haste.
"Yep! Jealous you didn't think of it first?" Dedede shoved more berries into his mouth, a smug sense of pride on his face. "Sorry if you all can't keep up with me and my Waddle Dees!"
"Dedede, that is enough," Meta Knight scolded.
"Aw, cmon Pinky! Let me have this one!" Meta Knights yellow orbs flinched as if struck, and it only took a second longer for Dedede to notice his mistake. "Oh crap... I said it, didn't I?"
"Pinky?" Vaike asked, a cheeky grin spread across his face.
"Call me that again. I don't need both of my legs to cut you down," Meta Knight threatened, his voice low and his expression unreadable.
"Hey, take it easy! The Vaike was just teasing. He didn't realize you'd be so upset by a nickname!"
The crippled Swordsman of Dreamland glared at the axe wielder one more time before turning his wrathful eyes unto the large red coat that Dedede was shrinking under.
"I'm going to my carriage and sleeping. If this isn't fixed by morning, it's on you," Meta Knight ominously warned before hobbling away. The fire crackled under the awkward silence that followed his departure. Dedede had slid his bag of berries away from him, his appetite clearly lost.
"Well... He's tense," Chrom said, hoping to dull the silence.
"Yeah. Couldn't tell you when that happened," Dedede said. A light smile painted his face. "Know how all of you owe me for saving your lives? I'm calling in the favor. Don't ask him about that. He gets prickly and it ain't worth knowing."
A round of confirmation went though the Shepherds. The only sound left was the flickering of the flames and the occasional flip of the page from Miriel. Eventually, small chatter rang up again and Pikachu hopped into the bag of berries. One by one, the Shepherds went to sleep. King Dedede left the fire for the tent that the Waddle Dees set up. By the time Robin laid down, only Frederick was still awake to watch for trouble. Shortly after Robin curled up his robe against a tree, Pikachu hopped into his lap with a satisfied mouse-y smile. Robin looked around the camp, at the people asleep on the ground by the fire, at the strange Waddle Dees and the tent they surrounded, at the carriage a Meta Knight slept in.
The amnesiac frowned for a second, reminded that these people were all he knew. He shrugged it off and began to gently stroke Pikachu's back. He couldn't say when slumber took him.
Chrom stood at the outskirts of their camp. His eyes were squinted as they slowly adjusted the darkness of the quiet moonlit night. He had been awakened to relieve Frederick of the watch. Frederick tried to take both shifts, claiming he hadn't tired yet, but he couldn't so no to an order from his Prince. Even this close to the core of Ylisse, it was still dangerous to leave their lives to chance.
After the harrying week Chrom had, most people would be comforted by the silence. Dedede's hubris was far from silent, Chrom had learned quickly. Whatever ill mood that the Penguin King had when they first met days before was gone by the time of his... Gods, he hated to call it a rescue. The Shepherds were a team of specialists, meant to adapt to be able to adapt small scale conflict, and they had to be saved. He didn't consider himself a prideful person, but it still took a hit when someone he first marked as an enemy had him indebted.
Despite his trailing and scattered thoughts, the absolute silence made him uneasy. The owls and owl-like creatures should have been hiding the sounds of bats and bat-like creatures. In turn, they would overshadow the light rustling of the wind. Chrom didn't even hear the wind. He only heard the occasional shuffling of one of his company on the grass.
He'd been ambushed enough to know the signs, but he also knew that it could be a false alarm. The capitol city wasn't even a day's march away. He hadn't heard of any bandits who would dare to be that bold. But then why have a watch if there wasn't any reason to be paranoid?
He briefly considered investigating on his own, but quickly dismissed the idea. If there was someone out there watching, they would know when the camp's only watchmen abandoned their post. He walked to Vaike's side, about ready to wake him for help, when he saw Lissa stretching out and clearly awake. She looked groggily at her brother.
"Hey Chrom. What'cha doin'?" She sleepily slurred. She looked at the muscular axe man below her brother. "Night-time stroll?"
"Yes," the prince fibbed. "Go back to sleep, Lissa."
"Nah... Ground's too hard. Mind if I join you?"
After a moment of consideration, Chrom shrugged. He could just pass the watch to Vaike while he investigated with Lissa. If nothing was wrong, he'd be going on a stroll with his sister. If something was, he wouldn't be alone nor would he be abandoning the camp.
"Sure, just one second," he answered. He lightly kicked Vaike on the shoulder. The Shepherd an let out a snort, and sat up. He gave his commander an annoyed glare which Chrom didn't even entertain. "I'm taking Lissa to walk the forest. You're on watch."
Chrom could hear the man grumbling behind him as he walked away. Lissa hurried to his side and matched with his pace, and the siblings walked into the forest.
They walked in silence, not exchanging words. Still, he couldn't hear anything but anything but the footsteps he and his sister produced.
Until he did. There was a light rumbling in the distance. Another, closer. Louder. Another followed it.
"Lissa," Chrom said. "Run."
She did so. He followed her. Both ran in the direction they came from. The rumblings grew louder, until they nearly stole the ground from below the prince. There was another quake, and liquid fire shot from the ground before them. Not knowing what else to do, Chrom grabbed his sisters hand and ran around the fountain of lava. Another rumble, more cracks.
A crack formed in the earth before the pair with one last quake. The Royal siblings jumped the crack as the very ground they'd stood on simultaneously rose and separated. The stone of the shifting earth fell. Chrom threw himself over his sister. The shaking continued for minutes longer, with Chrom taking the brunt of the falling sediment. A moment after it was over, Chrom rolled off his sister and stood face to face with the newly formed earthen wall.
"What in the blazes was that!" King Dedede demanded, stepping out of his tent. He stepped out into the chaos left in wake of the earthquake.
"Your Greatness! You're okay!" Bandanna Dee shouted gleefully. Even without a mouth, Dedede could still see the joy in his servant's face. He saw it dissipate when the relief was not returned. "There was an earthquake, and the Prince and Princess are missing!"
The King of Dreamland sneered at the news. An ominously chill breeze hit him as he stood in only his shirt. Of course they were. He ran back into his tent and threw on his coat and crown. Almost as an afterthought he grabbed his hammer. He didn't like this. That meant he was going to have to be a hero. Again, even! For the same people! This exalt better be happy with them.
"Cmon, Bandanna! We've got to save this idiot before we have no one to vouch for us!"
"Um, your greatness... We don't know where they-"
"Hey! King guy!" The loud mouthed shirtless man yelled. "I know where they went!
"Where?" Dedede demanded. Vaike pointed into the woods opposite the camp, away from the road. Dedede started to run in past the camp, picking up Bandanna Dee as he passed. He heard Vaike fall in behind him. It didn't much matter to Dedede. The Shepherds could set up their own perimeter with the rest of his Waddle Dees. He wasn't going to let something so petty as nature kill his best chance at repairing the Halberd.
"By the divine, Vaike just left on his own?" Frederick bemoaned.
"We'll have to deal with it later. We can't leave noncombatants alone in camp," Robin countered, pointing to the panicked Waddle Dees.
"You'd not be wrong in most cases, but we can't leave members of the royal family alone out there, either! We can't just expect an attack in light of a natural disaster."
"Hold, Sir Frederick. The supposed deserters are out there valiantly searching for our commander. If something happened then we need to be ready. T'would not do for our prince to have no safe haven to return to," Virion cut in. Frederick angrily glared at both men before sighing.
"Fine. I'll follow them alone. You two dig the rest in here." Frederick turned away from the pair and hopped on his horse. Without another word, Frederick left camp in pursuit of the others. Not even giving the stubborn knight a second thought, Robin looked around the camp. Miriel, Virion, Pikachu, Sumia, himself, and twenty barely trained Waddle Dees, if he'd understood right, plus a crippled Meta Knight. Just as he started formulating a plan, he noticed Kellam emerging from the trees. What was he...? Never mind, not important. His train of thought was interrupted again by a startled shout.
"What is that?" Sumia asked, fear evident in her voice. He followed her gaze to the sky where a magical symbol lit up the sky. A face appeared from the symbol, with bright red eyes, snarling as it tried to pull itself out. An arm emerged next, pale as if it were dead. And then the axe.
The rest of the monster fell to the ground with a sickening plop. And then it sat up, every motion rattling or cracking like a bone. And it roared. And it charged. And as it charged, Robin could see more pouring out of the sky.
Chrom barely had time to bring up Falchion to block the monster's axe. He hadn't even had a moment to acknowledge the unfamiliar symbol in the sky before monsters had poured out of it. Even as he dueled the first monster, he tried to edge the fight towards the other monster. If he could only... There!
Spotting an opening, Chrom slashed Falchion across the monster's stomach. Thinking it surely dead, he was making to move towards the other one when he heard the cracking. He rolled to his side, narrowly avoiding the axe's blade and reorienting himself back towards the first monster. It's stomach was cut open sure enough, but a darkness poured out of it. And the monster didn't care as it charged Chrom again. Chrom blocked the blow, catching the axe on Falchion. With a trained maneuver, developed in his spars with Vaike, Chrom managed to impale the beast through the heart. There was one last bellow, and then the creature slumped forward. The prince kicked the monster off his sword. As the body hit the ground it dispersed into more of the dark aspects, vanishing entirely but for it's weapon.
"Chrom!" Lissa screamed.
Chrom turned to where his sister was cornered by the other monster, it's axe raised. Even as he broke into a sprint, he was filled with dread. He would never be able to reach his sister in time. Even as sweat enveloped him and his body and spirit both told him to stop, for different reasons, he couldn't stop. He had to save his sister somehow. He couldn't lose family.
And the fiend swung it's axe.
"S-s-stay back!" The Waddle Dee squeaked. It pointed a parasol nervously at the encroaching hulking monster. Meta Knight knew he couldn't get away fast enough. He couldn't even reach his crutch. A fault of his own in his prideful anger early in the evening. He couldn't let an innocent die for him though.
"Flee," Meta Knight ordered his Chauffeur Dee. The terrified creature looked hesitantly back at him, and then back at the creature. "I do not fear death. Go. Live."
The shaking Waddle Dee nodded meekly. It took a few steps backwards, towards the carriage. The monster roared, which left it wide open when the parasol was thrown at it. The creature stumbled and fell over. The Waddle Dee ran away, tears streaking behind it.
Meta Knight was a warrior, and knew an opening when he saw it. He quickly threw himself over the side of his carriage towards his crutch. Pain jolted through his body as momentum forced his broken appendage to hit the ground, and he made his displeasure known in the form of a shout. He didn't have time to nurse it, as a quick glance revealed the creature already standing again. He crawled towards the crutch. The monster, surely certain of it's kill, roared to the heavens, a roar that was echoed in the distant fight by the fireside. It slowly moved towards him, heavy footfalls behind him. As the shadow of the beast hung over him, he made one last desperate reach for his crutch. It was just out of reach.
And the fiend swung it's axe.
At two points in the woods, there was the clash of steel against steel, practically identical in circumstance. A swordsman in a mask shaped like a butterfly stood between an axe wielded by a monster spawned and it's hapless target.
On one end, the swordsman in the blue mask with hair to match struggled to push back the enemies axe. The beast pushed against the blue mask's sword as Chrom looked on. Lissa ran out from under her savior.
"I could use some help!" The blue masked man demanded with an obvious strain. Chrom shook off his surprise and sprint, keeping Falchion low. As he was about to impale the monster, the blue mask pulled away from the monster. As though they were one, the two impaled the monster through each hip. It dissipated into darkness on their swords, just as the first one Chrom felled had. The two swordsman look to each other great fully, but they didn't have any time to express it as the ground started to shake again.
On the other end, the swordsman in a red mask did the same. He pressed his sword against the blade of a monster over the crippled Meta Knight. Meta Knight didn't even take a moment to be shocked. He grabbed his crutch and swiped it at the monster's leg. The monster fell onto its back where the red masked swordsman slashed into the monster, his sword practically burning the air as the long end was brought down into the monster's head. Nothing but a misty darkness remained of the creature when the man brought his sword back up. Even that vanished into the air quickly enough.
Robin watched from a distance in awe at the appearance of the masked man. He only stared for a second though, as another beast approached him, brandishing another axe. This one seemed a lot bigger than the others. He jumped away from the swing of an axe that he predicted have come close to him. Shows what he knew, as he felt a bit of blood drip down his nose.
The beast readied another swing faster than he expected, and was barely saved by a headbutt from Pikachu, straight into the monster's stomach. He glanced around the camp and noticed the Shepherds were all busy facing their own monsters in some capacity, so he was pretty much alone on this one. The haphazard swing at Pikachu was why it was only 'pretty much'. Robin pulled out his book and turned the page to the one spell he'd felt comfortable using.
"Thunder!"
The bolt staggered the monster momentarily. A shout of 'Pikachu' rang out, and another jolt of electricity hit the brute. The monster, bellowing out an enraged roar, punched at the air where Pikachu had just been. It kicked, jabbed, and swung at the nimble mouse that danced around it but couldn't land even a hit. Robin let loose another Thunder which singed its flank. Enraged, the monster threw another punch not at Pikachu, but at Robin. The fist jabbed into his stomach.
"Robin!" A feminine cry went out. Sumia, Robin assumed, but he couldn't quite tell. He fell to the ground with the wind knocked out of him and his vision blurred. His book fell away from him
"Pika-." There was the meaty thwack, and what originally formed as an aggressive shout deformed into a pained screech.
Robin's senses began to return to him, and he frantically reached for the sword on his belt. The beast, having closed the distance quickly, slammed its foot onto his arm, drawing a shout of pain from him. The beast bent low and roared. Sharp teeth and the inhuman red eyes stopped inches from his face. As Robin drifted from consciousness, his opponents roaring ceased as a tongue of silver stuck out.
Dedede and Bandanna Dee had followed Vaike into the woods expecting him to lead them to Chrom. King Dedede soon found that this was not that great of an idea. Seething at the apparent waste of time, King Dedede was about to turn around when they discovered fresh molten craters.
"Your Greatness, um... Can I go back?" Bandanna Dee asked with a forced calm. Dedede looked into the pleading beads of his closest servant, and shook his head.
"No! We need to find Chrom," the King said proudly, his posture tall. "For all your complaining, you get to go first."
Bandanna Dee sagged low, but started to tiptoe forward with Dedede close behind him. Vaike followed closely, laughing nervously as they navigated the field of craters. Scorched trees, many still burning, hung over head or collapsed into the magma. Dedede was tempted once more to turn back anyway, but he pressed on. He'd braved a volcano before. A couple of magma holes in the woods didn't hold a torch to that! Or did it? Dedede decided that maybe it did when he starred to fan himself down. Between his now sweaty cloths sticking to him and the muscular brute of a man practically clung onto his back, the situation was incredible undignified for a King.
He was silently grateful that his hammer was fireproof.
"See, this is why the Vaike doesn't wear armor," Vaike muttered absently. He kept his hand hovering above his axe's sheath.
Bandanna Dee stiffened at the distant sound of a tree crashing down across the field of fire. Dedede pressed the frightened Waddle Dee onward with a push of his free hand. The entire situation didn't sit quite right with Dedede. All of this destruction from a single quake and its first aftershock? It was unnatural.
"Axe man, has this happened around here before?"
"No, the Vaike's never seen a quake quite this bad. Worst one that he's seen knocked over a chair and a few potted plants. That was a crazy day," Vaike reminisced absently, ending with a fond chuckle. Too absently. Dedede grabbed the man's shoulder and pulled him away from the pool he was walking towards.
"Watch where you're walking, you idiot! You coulda just fried!" Dedede shook his head and walked past his frightened servant. Bandanna Dee shouted something incomprehensible just a little too late. A searing pain lit up his foot. "Yow!"
King Dedede fell onto his rear in surprise. Bandanna Dee quickly ran to him, and began nursing his foot. Even without proper healing equipment, the foot rub was keeping him calm.
"Hey, watch where you're walking," Vaike said, a cheeky grin spread across his face.
"Yeah, laugh it up servant man," Dedede muttered under his breath. Vaike walked past the king laughing even harder. He bent down a picked up a steel axe with its blade red hot. "What the..."
Steel hitting steel resounded through the woods. Vaike pulled Dedede up to his feet and the two were off, leaving a startled Bandanna Dee trailing behind them. They passed the last of the lava pools and stepped into a mostly empty clearing. In the center of the clearing, Chrom and another blue haired swordsman positioned themselves opposite of each other, their backs turned to Lissa who stood fidgeting between them. The princess was the first one to notice them.
"Vaike! Help!" She shouted. Chrom turned to the newcomers with a sideways glance. The masked man turned his covered face towards the newcomers momentarily. His unreadable gaze passed them over and returned vigilantly to the woods surrounding them.
Dedede wanted to ask why they needed help, but a roar echoing into the clearing him cut off the thought. Bandanna Dee jumped at the sound, and uneasily pointed his spear behind him as his king and Vaike, unsheathing he his axe, took up the similar stances. They started to back up towards the prince and princess when four red eyed monsters charged out at them.
Dedede yelped in surprise. With that same surprise he swung his hammer at the encroaching enemies, barely missing the one closest to him. Underneath his whiffed swing Bandanna Dee ran forward and jabbed his spear into the monster's leg. The monster made its pain know with a roar, and tried to kicked the spear out of his leg. Bandanna Dee hung onto his spear valiantly, flailing around long enough to distract the monster. Dedede brought his whiffed swing back and smacked the flat end of his hammer into the monster which such strength that the beast soundlessly exploded into black smoke. Bandanna Dee fell to the ground with a plop next to his spear.
Dedede had a cheeky grin on his face, proud of his victory. It vanished quickly, being replaced by terror when an arrow dug itself into his shoulder.
"Your Greatness!" Bandanna Dee cried. As Dedede toppled onto his back and grabbed at his arm in pain, Bandanna Dee turned his wrath towards the archer that had harmed his king. He jolted past the two monsters that Vaike held off in a melee. The Waddle Dee slid under the first arrow that narrowly brushed over his headpiece. The second arrow he jumped over. He spun his spear over his head as he jumped above his mindless foe. He knew it was a mindless monster, because a thinking creature would've looked terrified as he brought his weapon down into its head.
Bandanna Dee jumped off the monsters dissipating head with the shaft of his spear in hand. The spearhead buried itself in the ground where the archer had stood. He turned around to see Chrom, the masked man, and two clouds of whatever the monsters were. Behind them Lissa stood with her staff aglow beside Vaike's bleeding arm.
The immediate threats disposed of, Bandanna Dee bolted past the Shepherds-plus-one and to the side of his king. The Penguin King was seething, clutching his shoulder just below his wound. As soon as he looked up to his approaching servant the Waddle Dee broke down.
"I'm sorry Your Greatness I'm so sorry I didn't see the archer and I should have stopped it maybe I could have cut it out of the air or taken it myself but I didn't and you got hurt I'm sorry and-"
"Shut up and get the Princess!" Dedede demanded. Bandanna Dee shrunk a bit into himself and nodded meekly. He ran off to the Shepherds and pulled at Lissa's dress.
"The king is hurt! Help him please!" Bandanna Dee asked, tears in his eyes. Lissa looked down at him, then looked to Vaike, who flexed his blood-soaked arm with a grin that was trying and failing to look perfectly fine. Lissa looked back down to the Waddle Dee with a roll of the eyes and nodded. Taking this confirmation he jumped up and grabbed her free hand and started dragging her to Dedede.
"My name is Chrom. You saved my sister Lissa's life. Might I ask who you are?" He vaguely heard Chrom ask. Probably to the masked man. Lissa pulled away from the Waddle Dee's grasp and approached the whimpering King Dedede. She opened her mouth as though to speak, but quickly shut it. She gently touched his shoulder and stepped around him. A blood red stain tainted the not as bloody red of the rest of his coat.
"I'll need you to remove your coat. Can you do that?" She asked softly. Dedede did so without a word, but not quite soundlessly. With the coat out of the way, she saw the arrow just barely poking out the other side of his shoulder. Good.
"What are you-?" Dedede's crying was interrupted when she reached around, snapped off the feather end of the arrow, and quickly yanked it through. The decidedly not-kingly curses that spewed from the king's mouth made her grimace, and Bandanna Dee's glare certainly didn't make her feel better. Still, it had to be done. She set about mending the hole the arrow left behind.
"You may call me Marth," the masked man said simply. His voice sounded strained, but that could just be exhaustion. Bandanna Dee certainly didn't know how long they were fighting out here. He watched Lissa's magic close the wound on Dedede's shoulder. The hole in the undershirt didn't close with it, which was a shame. That shirt came out of Bandanna Dee's bonus. Dedede gave his shoulder a light pat and a nod. It was the closest thing Lissa would get to another thank you from the King of Dreamland.
"Marth? Like the heroic king of old," Chrom stated, more than he asked. "Well, you certainly fought like a hero. Thank you for saving my sister's life."
"Yes, thank you so much. You were very brave," Lissa added, rushing away from the now healed Dedede. A hint of a blush crept onto her cheeks. "So, um... That was quite the entrance."
Marth frowned. "I am not here to talk about me. This world teeters on the brink of calamity. What you have seen tonight is but a prelude."
Marth looked to turn away from the party, but was stopped by the approaching sound of hooves.
"Milord!"
Robin didn't know what who he was fighting. He'd seen this fight before though. Just before he woke up without his memories. Every night since. He hadn't ever gotten this far though. He recognized the man that stood between him and their foe. Chrom. The sorcerer opposite of them was quick. He shot out dark magic without chanting a single word, and any time Chrom got close he disappeared in a cloud of black smoke. He also thought he saw thin beams of light occasionally in the distance, but he wasn't so sure. He could vaguely hear Chrom yelling every now and then, but the words never meant anything. The only distinct voices in the room were the opponent's taunts and the voice at his side.
"Thoron!" Robin shouted, a solid ball of energy flying out of his hand.
"Raichu!" Another powerful blue bolt emerged from next to him. The sorcerer dodged Robin's spell, but could not dodge the second bolt. The impact flung the sorcerer into a pillar, and he fell to the ground. Dark flames encompassed him. Was... Was it over? Robin had never seen this far before. Chrom laughed and approached him. When he spoke, it was the first time his words were comprehensible in his dream.
"It's over. You carried the day."
"This isn't over! Damn you all!" The sorcerer threw out a dark ball that flew straight towards Chrom. Robin pushed his friend aside and stepped in the way. The next thing he remembered a sharp, yet burning pain as a dark spell hit him in the chest. It spread throughout his body and he howled. He absently noted that the sense of burning was the worst on his tongue. The scene of the battle disappeared in an instant. Suddenly, the pain was gone. He was enveloped in a darkness. He looked around, desperate to see anything, water, maybe, to get rid of this taste. In the distance he saw a spec. Six eyes stared him down, closing in on the back of a hungry wolf.
He couldn't move. He couldn't run. He couldn't breath. A guttural, earthshaking roar came from the monster as the vision fade.
...
Robin awoke with a jolt as a deathly spicy taste hit his tongue. He hit his head on something metallic as he sat up which threw him back to the ground with a headache and blurred vision.
"Monsters! Wolves! Monsters on wolves!" He cried out, blinded momentarily. It didn't take long for a barrage of laughter to surround him. As his vision cleared he saw the man in the red mask readjusting his mask with a frown plastered on his face.
"Ow..." The stranger's pain only deepened the laughter. The stranger shook his head and ignored the laughter. "Are you alright? That concoction is known to have some strange side effects, but it has a hell of a kick. It should keep you functioning long enough to find a healer."
Robin nodded, rubbing the bump on his head. "I am well, thank you." His eyes shot wide open. "Wait, where's Pikachu?!"
"Pika Pi!" The mouse shouted. The agitated mouse hopped onto his shoulder and dug his claws in. Robin winced, but made a conscious effort not to throw the mouse off. Sparks jumped haphazardly from the mouse's cheeks, and his hair stood up wildly.
"I woke him up first. Figured he wouldn't need as much as you to get moving," the masked man laughed. He stood up and reached his hand down, which Robin gratefully took.
"Thank you. You've saved a lot of lives today," Robin said.
"Indeed you have," the deep voice of Meta Knight came. The person in question stepped over, using his crutch. "You are a skilled swordsman. I do not say that lightly. I am Meta Knight, and these are the Shepherds. May I ask your name?"
"Oh... My name? You don't need that," the swordsman laughed. Though the mask hid his eyes, his body was emotive enough to still give away his discomfort. Especially his cheeks that were as red as his hair. "Still, if you have to call me something, I guess you can call me-"
"Roland?" An unfamiliar voice came from the woods. The masked man, as well as Robin, turned to the source of the voice. Another man in a similar blue butterfly mask emerged from the woods alongside Chrom, Lissa, Vaike, Dedede, the Waddle Dee in the Bandanna, and Frederick.
"Oh? Marth!" The supposed Roland shouted gleefully. He ran quickly towards the supposed Marth, throwing his sword down as he wrapped the clearly uncomfortable man in a hug. "Thank all that is good that I found you."
"Roland. Drop me," Marth demanded. Once his feet touched the ground again, he took a deep breath and scanned the campsite. "Have you warned them?"
"No. Have you?" Roland asked. When Marth nodded, Roland sighed. He turned around to face the Shepherds who were left behind. "This world is nearing the end. You must be ready. The message has been delivered."
Roland turned back to Marth. Marth gave a nod, and before anyone could respond to the warning both of the men disappeared into the woods.
"Not much for conversation are they?" Robin laughed.
"We will be seeing them again," Frederick said. "In the meantime, we need to move. If any of this has reached the capital, the whole country could be in danger."
"What?" Lissa complained. "Do you know what time it is! And we just did all that fighting too..."
"Really?" Robin complained. He pointed "Can I at least get patched up properly first? And poor Pikachu too?"
The mouse on his shoulder's head darted around, and his cheeks sparked. When Frederick and Chrom acquiesced, Lissa approached the duo with her staff. She held it up to the bruised and staticky mouse. As soon as it began to glow, Pikachu's already wide eyes widened further, and he jumped off of Robin's shoulders and ran away towards Dedede's tent. Gods, what did Roland have in that concoction?
Due to the sheer density of this story, a lot of information has to be packed in small increments of time. You know, if 10,000 words a chapter can be considered small. If I ever have a chapter that doesn't further character relationships or the plot enough, the entire story will move at an absolute crawl. I mean, I have around 50 characters I have to introduce to the story by the end based on the Smash Brothers roster alone. That doesn't even the other characters from their respective games, many of whom are just as important, if not more important, in the long run. Even now, its taken me 4 chapters and 30,000 words to get to Awakening's chapter 1, and we're stuck here until Awakening's chapter 9 at the earliest.
Those among you who have played Awakening will notice the greatest change I made to the story of the level in the game. For those of you who haven't, its not the presence of Pikachu, nor the people of Dreamland. Its one of the oldest elements of this story I'd considered, and it's probably my among favorite personal touch to this entire world.
I'd like to take a moment to thank the people that have reviewed thus far. I managed to finish my first draft of chapter 5 way earlier than I had expected based on your encouragement. It will still take a week or two before I'll be happy enough with it to share it, but it's completion is why I'm putting this up now. I'm not perfect, and this story is enormous in scale, especially for a first work, but I can keep going if you all can.
Any thought out suggestions, praise, or criticism goes a long way towards making this a better story.