Hero: Okay, I wrote all this in like, 6 hours. I had so much interest in writing this because WE FINALLY REACHED SOME OF THE ORIGINAL STUFF AND IDEAS I WANTED TO TRY. I MEAN THE GOOD STUFF. And this is only part one of this battle btw. I made the decision for plot reasons and for not writing too much for one big reading session again, I found the perfect time to split this up. Trust me, I think you guys might like the twist I added to make the moments feel more tense. Perhaps a bit forced, but I like it. And I will say, I may have rushed through the battle to get to the Gangrel fight. Sorry about that, I really wanna pick up the pace for this fic since I don't wanna let it go on for too long since I have so much ground to cover. But anyway, let's get into it! Chapter 14 of "Resolve of a Family" is now up! Enjoy! And PS: Put Hector and Lyn for FE:Warriors. They're the best Lords in FE so I want them in it cuz they're so much more interesting than what we've got so far

Chapter 14

The army was camped for the night, planning its final attack to ambush Gangrel and pierce through his lines to quickly take him out and end the war. Resolves about the Past were coming together if some weren't formed already. Everyone was in the proper spirits; all unified with the intent to bring about the end of tyranny and a threat to the continent. Some had personal reasons and it was things like that which kept everyone mentally focused. A chance like this would not appear again anymore without the loss of even more lives.

Orpheus had planned to resign for the evening, but saw a lit lantern far off in the distance. Curious to see who it was, he grabbed one for himself and made his way up the hill; to his surprise, it was two of the Shepherds. "Sumia, Cordelia. What brings you both here?"

"Oh, Orpheus!" Sumia was more surprised where-as Cordelia was brought at ease.

"We were just trying to relax a bit in each other's company."

"Oh, I see. Am I disturbing you both?"

"Oh, not at all. We weren't having any private girl talk like you might think. Please, join us." She would offer him a chance to sit beside her. An offer he would accept.

"You two feeling better now?"

"Y-Yes! I'm ready to win and go back home!" Sumia sounded pretty bold for her usual unconfident self. Perhaps she yearned to properly avenge her fallen sisters just like Cordelia did.

"It's good to hear you sound so motivated." Orpheus replied, a smile on his face now forming.

"I couldn't agree more." Cordelia nodded. "I don't think you'll have to worry about us."

"I'm glad. You remember the plan, yeah?"

"Yes, of course. We know our positions."

"Good. I know we'll end this before you know it. I don't intend to let anyone else die after tomorrow."

"You've changed since I first met you, Orpheus." Sumia would giggle at his confidence.

"What do you mean? I don't feel like I have." An expression of doubt appeared on his face.

"Yeah! You seem more open. At least around us. I don't know, it's hard to explain!" Feeling a tad bit flustered, she would drop the subject.

"Well, I think it's getting a bit late. You two should head to bed soon. I wouldn't want sleepy soldiers in the heat of battle." He'd finish, getting up and grabbing his lantern.

"Yes, sir. Good night, Orpheus." Cordelia would see him off first. With a wave signaling goodbye, he would begin his descent down the cliff.

When he was out of hearing range, something jolted up into Sumia's mind. "Oh, that reminds me Cordelia! I wanted to tell you something!"

"Oh? What is it?"

"If we win this fight, I'm going to do it!"

"What do you-Oh! I know what you're talking about now."

"What about you?"

"I really don't see that as a good time regardless. Good luck though, Sumia! I know you can do it!"

The battle had arrived, although not like it was expected to. Expecting the entire close-ranged army from Gangrel, it was surprising to see so many lay down their arms and surrender themselves.

"Milord, the Plegian Army is in disarray!" Frederick had approached, dismounting his horse and running to his Prince in haste.

"Wait, how? Why?" Chrom had replied, Orpheus too trying to see what would cause the sudden change of heart.

"It seems many of their soldiers are opposed to further violence. There has been infighting and desertion. Gangrel is trying to stamp out this mutiny, but with little success… Outside of his few faithful men, his main army has all but collapsed."

"This is incredible news, but why...? Could it be… Emm…?"

"Yes, milord. Emmeryn. The men report them chanting her name as they abandon the battlefield. Her words and her sacrifice have made her a bit of a folk hero of sorts."

"Emm… Why did it take me so long for me to understand? She believed all people deserved peace. She knew deep down that the Plegians wanted, no, needed it too. It just took her to make it clear to the world."

"Well, you finally realized it, Chrom. Good to see you're growing up a little."Orpheus would place a hand on his shoulder, Chrom accepting the praise that was hidden in the teasing. "But this is it, guys. This is the break we needed to win this damn war. We can really end it!"

"I hope she can see this moment, wherever she is… Today, we put an end to the Mad King Gangrel and bring peace to the land!"

"Alright everyone, to your positions! We're going with the two pronged assault tactic. Chrom's group goes to the right. My group shall go to the left." He relayed his orders. He would say one last thing to Chrom before heading to his spot. "By the way, Chrom. Whoever gets to Gangrel first gets first dibs. Sorry, I know you want to take him down for your sister, but now I think I got a good reason to take him down as well."

"I won't let you get there first, but you're welcome to try." Chrom retorted in a competitive tone. "If you do get to him first, hit him once for me."

"No problem. You do the same for me as well." With that noted, he would walk back to Cordelia. "Cordelia, you and I will pick off the head mage before rushing to Gangrel-" Before he could finish, speak of the devil, the Mad King would appear via the sound of loud and powerful flapping of wings. The King was riding a Wyvern Rider's dragon to relay a message to Chrom.

"Good day, my little princeling! Still dreaming of your squashed sister?"

"No more talk, Gangrel! Today you die here and peace will brought to both realms!"

"Pah! Such hypocrisy! You despise me wretch! You wish to cut me down! You don't know the first thing about peace. No man does!"

"And I know more than you ever will."

"Than me? THAN ME!? Pah, you ARE me! When life asks you a question, you answer with blood!"

"Perhaps you're right. I'm not my sister nor will I ever be! I can't forgive men like you who sow nothing but evil! All I've left are her words and memories. Perhaps if I've lived alone like you I've gone mad or worse. But I am not alone for I have my friends and brothers-in-arms at my side."

"...Are you done? May I vomit now? HaHA! What a flowery harangue! Men are animals; beasts! We hunt! We kill! We devour our prey! Beasts do not stand behind beasts, little prince!"

"And perhaps this explains why your own soldiers do not stand behind you? You are a poison. A festering wound that must be purged. I'll do what my sister could not."

"Such a clever tongue you have, little prince. It will look quite fetching hanging on my mantle, next to your sister's corpse!" He would order his soldier to fly him back to his central fort at the center of the battlefield. Orpheus would give the signal for everyone to move forward to pursue and defeat the Mad King. Some of the notable people who went on the opposite direction of Orpheus were Chrom, Sumia, Lon'qu, Lissa, and Stahl. Some that followed him were Tharja and Gaius. The grandmaster would lead the charge, going straight for the leader while riding Cordelia's pegasus, cutting through the top of the forest with ease, leaving behind the mages that were trying to pursue the others behind them. Hearing the sound of a wind tome, Orpheus spotted one mage casting an Elwind.

"Cordelia, evasive maneuvers!"

"Roger!" She would spot the Elwind quickly, signaling her horse to dive to avoid it, nearing the targeted Sage.

"Alright, throw your Javelin and I'll flank him afterwards. He'd give his final command before jumping off the horse when it stabilized its pace, landing on the ground and dashing for the fort to avoid the sight of the Sage. His sights were on the Pegasus and its rider. She would quickly throw her Javelin with such power and precision like it were a dart. But he would dodge it, but that was according to the plan. With a mad dash, the Grandmaster would brandish his Killing Edge and impale the Sage from behind, ending his life quickly.

Cordelia would descend to the surface, with Orpheus passing her the Javelin. "Say, this isn't like the standard military use. Did you make this one yourself?"

"Why, yes! How very astute. I was going to throw it away since it was a project I was doing since my time back at the Border base."

"Wait, why would you do that? This is a great weapon?"

"Because it felt like it was me finally letting go of the past. But, this battle felt more fitting since this could be used to defeat Gangrel possibly. At the very least, I can avenge my sisters using this weapon made from materials supplied from my sisters."

"Yeah, it may break fighting, but at least it'll have served you well." Orpheus would nod, getting onto the Pegasus as well. "Now then, how about we get going? I see Gangrel in sight. Chrom's squad has his forward guard's attention thinking he'll get there first. They aren't expecting us."

"Right! Let's go!" And with that, the two took flight once again, making another dash towards the Mad King, clear within sights.

As the two were getting close, from the opening in the fortress, a dark Pegasus would hover out, a familiar sight to the redhead. "It's her!"

"What?" He would notice it too, but was unaware of the history both riders had with each other. It would quickly approach her and the busty Dark Flier would speak.

"Ah, if it isn't little red. Oh, and you brought a friend. Little Orpheus has returned!" Aversa spoke with such forced playfulness and whimsicalness.

"How do you know my name?"

"Ah, perhaps I'm hinting at too much. Don't worry Orpheus, I'm not here for you. You're free to go down and fight Gangrel. I can't promise if you're truly able to best him the way you are now, but you have your friends to help you."

"Why are you helping me out?"

"Don't mind me at all, Orpheus! Please go fight him while I play tag with the cute Pegasus Knight friend of yours."

"Grrr, I'll make you pay for what you did to my sisters, you wench! Orpheus, leave her to me!" She would scowl at the Dark Flier.

"Alright, don't do anything dangerous. I'll end this quick and be back to help you out."

"Ahh, so cute! It's like you're a happy couple now!" She'd clap her hands, wind magic shoving Orpheus off the horse.

"No, Orpheus!" Cordelia would shriek out.

"Oh, don't worry about him! I won't kill him. He's important to us all."

"To us…?" She'd look down, seeing Wind Magic slow down his fall till he landed on his own feet. "You're mine!" She would not charge this time, planning a smarter way of attack. This woman was more skilled than any Pegasus Knight she had ever met.

Meanwhile, the Grandmaster was safely put on the ground, looking to see the King before him.

"Well, what do we have here? I thought the Little Prince would reach me first, but it was you of all people? Is it fate for you, boy? Do you wish to die in front of your friends?" He'd laugh with such mockery in his tone.

"I'm not dying. Today, you will and I'll see to it! I have a score to settle with you. Your same tricks will not work on me this time and there's no high ground for you to act all mighty and safe from."

"I'll not need such advantages to crush you like a bug! So you've gotten stronger, eh? That fancy new armor on your robe make you feel like a King? There's no way you've trained so hard and improved so much that you can even hope to challenge me? Haha, you're still too weak, boy!" He would pull out his trusty Levin Sword. "I'll smite you where you stand, boy!" He'd raise his sword to have lightning strike from Orpheus' right. The Grandmaster was sharp this time, the slightest changes in sound gave him the sight to react on cue; raising his sword to the right, he'd block the lightning, planting his sword into the ground so it may leave the sharpened metal.

"What? How did you-?"

"Did you think I'd just train myself in strength, speed, and swordplay in all that time? Please, I'm a Tactician, not a brute soldier. I figured tempering my reflexes was the best way."

"But how are you not shocked? You should've been stunned outright!"

"That's a trade secret. Just know distant attacks will not work on me." He'd gloat, savoring the fury of Gangrel's face. Of course, he took this chance to get closer, not allowing Gangrel to get far away. "It's on, Gangrel. You'll fight me for real this time!" He'd swing from up top, forcing the King to block, having his sword horizontal. Orpheus would adjust his weapon, trying to slash from the left and the King would step back. The King had great parrying and deflection type of skills, trying to use these as a way to get an edge over Orpheus. It looked like a close battle on paper of two matches swordplay users, but the front was quickly broken; Orpheus would clench his fist, taking a swing at Gangrel's face, punching him to literally put his back against the wall. "What's this, Gangrel? I'm mopping the floor with you. I thought I was not of your skill level? Perhaps now I see you've only lived by having your guards do the fighting for you!" Constantly swinging and forcing Gangrel to block them all with little success, the King looked to be on his last legs.

"I still have one ace up my sleeve, boy! Guard, bring out the Trump Card!" And within a moment's notice, a guard hiding from within the fort would bring forth a familiar face.

"What!? No, how are you still…!?"

Up at the sky, Cordelia was having a not as successful attempt to slay Aversa. Cordelia's breathing was paced faster than normal.

"Oh, poor girl. You should know this wasn't going to end well." She'd chuckle a bit to herself before looking down to see how Orpheus was doing. "Oh, what's this? He was pushed to bring her out already? I thought she was meant to be used to bargain against Chrom? Oh my my, this has gotten interesting!"

"What are you-No, she should be dead!" Cordelia was shocked and in the far off distance, Sumia could also be seen flabbergasted at the sight of this ghost; Chrom believing this was a lie. Magic to fool the eyes! Ghosts do not take physical form so well that they look exactly like the real thing!

Meanwhile, in the far-off distance from the battlefield on the the edge of a mountain, Henry and his mystery accomplice were watching the final battle, as the person wished for.

"Oh boy, what a plot twist! Isn't that just cruel of Gangrel!" The boy laughed at the worst situation possible.

Fist clenched, this shouldn't have been overlooked of them. "Yes; I must not have noticed this. Curses, I could've found a way to warn the Ylisseans about this tactic ahead of time. They might've changed their whole way of approaching this. How did that Pegasus Knight stay alive? I could've sworn she died instantly from those arrows."

"Phila!? How are you still…? You were killed before the Exalt!"

"Ugh, forgive me. I shouldn't have tried to wake up. I must've been spotted by Gangrel. Forgive me, Orpheus." Phila would mumble with all her strength, still feeling like her life was fleeting before her eyes. The dark magic was all what kept her alive thanks to Aversa's skill.

"Gahaha! I made sure she was treated before she lost too much blood. Now back away, boy! Less you wish her death to really be on your hands!" He would quickly push the guard away to be behind the weakened Captain, having his crooked blade near her neck. "You didn't foresee this, now did you?"

"How!? You monster, I'll kill you!"

"Ah-a-ah! Not another step forward! Back! Back down, you dog!"

"Ugh! How? HOW!? I didn't foresee something like this again!" The despair in his tone was bliss to the Mad King's ears. "I failed again. I couldn't do my job as a Tactician…! What have I been doing this whole time? We can't achieve peace like this? We're too weak…!"

"Orpheus, let it go." The feminine voice cut him off, his attention focused on her. "There are some who no matter what you say; no matter what you do to show them the way, they refuse to listen to reason, only to be consumed by their maddening ways. Words will not reach them. Gangrel is one of these people, I understand how you feel, Orpheus. You've changed since I last spoke to you. You've become more considerate of others feelings and how your actions would affect them. You did not care much for it, only the end goal of seeing soldiers come home for the sake of a prestigious record. You've realized now that war is not a game; it is a horrid thing that only brings to pain to both the losers and winners. Do you not remember the words Emmeryn left for you before we parted ways?"

In the recent past, before Emmerynn returned to the capital.

"Orpheus, do you know why the title of Grandmaster is bestowed upon so few?" A bizarre question was posed by the kind Exalt, with a tone intending to perplex the Tactician.

"No, I was never sure why. Sometimes I felt great Tacticians in history were robbed by not being given the title."

"Well, a Grandmaster is one who refined the art of war to a new height. One to bring peace. Because sometimes, ending a war never truly stops it. It only puts it in a cold state, watching and waiting for that chance to reignite and burn hotter than before. This conflict is proof of that. My father called himself a great tactician and declared himself Grandmaster, but he was far from that. Pundits and citizens all disagreed with that title. He nearly ruined the word for us all. And of course, he paid for his actions with his life The inhumane things he did to both our citizens and the Plegians was something from the title's meaning and worth.. A Grandmaster has wisdom in both combat and with society. A powerful person with an impressive repertoire of skills. Physical, mental, and social. Those who have mastered all can say they've earned the right, no; privilege to be given such a prestigious title. Some would say that it more valuable than that of a King; for if their is no wise person to steer him out of conflict. The title of ruler would only be short lived.

"But, do you really think I am worthy of that?'

"As you are… no. I'm taking a chance with you, if I'm to be honest."

"L-Lady Emmeryn!" Phila would interrupt. "You of all people know the title mustn't be flaunted and handed out like it were mere candy. Er, no offense, Orpheus"

"None taken for I agree. Why am I given this title from you?"

"Becuase, I see something with you. I'm not sure how I would describe it. I guess "a hunch" would be a fitting enough answer. I feel you may change for the better. And if all goes according to how I foresee this turning out, I know you'll be the Grandmaster my brother needs for our Kingdom to thrive again. Just have confidence in your actions. See it through to the end and I know success will await you at the end of this journey. Now, I must be off. Phila, let us be off."

"At once, Milady!"

At the present time.

"Yes. I remember. I couldn't forget that."

"You remember what it requires to be a Grandmaster and truly end this war for good! You must sever all off the hatred's source. Emmeryn has exposed the center of it all and soothed the masses. Now you must remove the final root of this problem, the Mad King Gangrel himself. You must cherish life and protect it if you want to be the greatest at what you do, Orpheus."

"Ugh, the sentiment is going to kill me! I appreciate you trying to help me bring the boy and little prince to despair, Phila. ...But I plan on doing this my way. Keeping a sharp focus as best as she could, she would form a strong smile before the Grandmaster.

"Please, release your true power. Protect all the lives I loved. You have the strength; I felt it in that last battle. Oh… and take care of Sumia and Cordelia for me, will you? They're both a handful, but I know you can do it. Please, end this war and just let it all go…" Gangrel would move the blade away from her neck, pulling it back. "...Grandmaster Orpheus." Blade drawn to her back, the Mad King snickered before driving the blade through her torso, traces of blood pushing through and landing on the earth before them. A gasp escaping from Orpheus' lips Gangrel would laugh with a maniacal shift in tone, pull the blade out and letting her body collapse on the ground, Phila, with the last of her breathing, would keep that smile as best as she could before truly passing on from this world.

Anguish was all over Orpheus' face, turning into an entirely different emotion as time moved forward. Looking at Gangrel's smug face, a horrid smile was plastered on.

"...Yet another Ylissean… you could've saved."

Thoughts coursed through Orpheus' mind. She died, fully aware that this final meeting was her end and yet, she did not fear it. She had resolved everything within herself, like she had lived her life to the fullest. And yet, Orpheus let her die. His cognition was changing. No more. No more deaths of those he cared and respected for. No more. He couldn't stand for it. He could not face Sumia, Cordelia, or even Chrom with this failure. But failures can be turned into success stories and the solution to fixing this problem was clear as day. End the War, End the Hatred. End the haunting memories of the Past that plagued everyone so. No more watching! It was time for action!

Fists clenched as hard as they could, power surged through Orpheus' body as the atmosphere around him changed, those pinkish flames from before that put out last time were surrounding his feet this time, but would not go. With a powerful and emotional scream that would echo through the battlefield, the wind and earth would feel like they were shivering in fear of this newfound power. The aura that was below him would now completely envelop his body, as if responding to his dire need for it. The earth around him showing cracks and small fractures around where he stood. Even Gangrel took some steps back in awe of this moment. Soldiers from both sides stopped to see the bright light that appeared out of nowhere with the Shepherds too, stopping to react to this moment. Chrom and Sumia still atop the Pegasus turned to look first, Chrom feeling like he has gone mad. First Phila and now this? Sumia had quickly tried to gather herself. Avera would turn to see this power, but no shock was on her face, but rather; a smirk. Cordelia had the expected look, however; her javelin stopping in its attack position like she forgot a battle was going on. Stahl who had faced some trouble from an enemy Hero unit and was on the floor, being treated by Lissa would open one eye to see this incredible sight from his best friend. Lon'qu however could not believe such hidden power was stored away within the Grandmaster.

"Orpheus…" The mystery person spoke his name as if they had known of this power as well. Henry who was all for laughs at almost any situation, had no smile on him and was looking with a serious intent; this was revolutionary and would change the fate of this battle completely.

The Grandmaster actually had an ace up his sleeve as well. One he did not think he had, but now it could possibly turn the tide of battle and possibly end this entire conflict for good!


Hero: Well now, things just got interesting! I think some of you may know where I got some inspiration for that scene. But yeah, I felt Phila was underwhelming and needed some more importance. But making her the catalyst for Orpheus' awakening of Ignis was very fun to plot out! Speaking of, I'll need to clarify this now and not regret it later. I said abilities like Counter won't be used, but cool abilities like Ignis, Aether, Sol, & Luna are totally fine since they can be seen by other people. Oh and this isn't even the peak of Ignis, we're just seeing a piece of its potential as it will play a pivotal role in combat and in the story. There's an obvious story reason as to why Orpheus has it, but it's never explained in the game, so I'll do it for us all! Not now, but in due time. It's basically a parallel to Aether so that'll be good to tackle later on! The fighting was fast paced, but it'll slow down a bit for the next chapter. Idk when the next one will come but if I'm this excited to write it, it could come sooner than you think! Also, Ignis doesn't have its name in the story yet, but it'll have a chapter dedicated to that soon enough. Anyway, I hope you all liked this as Orpheus is going through a lot of change of character! Also not gonna lie, I actually forgot what I was gonna make Emm say from the flashback for the longest time. A bit of a blooper for you all, but anyway; next time; Gangrel has met his match! How will he handle the empowered Orpheus? Shall peace be brought to the Realm? Only time will tell and I hope you're just as excited for that Chapter as I am. See you guys then!