Heirs of a Fated Past
Despite being a unified empire, Valm still was, for the most part, segmented. The southernmost region, Chon'sin, was one big predominately grassy and windy plain. Considering Chon'sin's capitol was under severe Valmese occupation, Princess Say'ri wouldn't have the chance of reclaiming her homeland unless Walhart fell. As effective as the Shepherds were now, there was little chance that they could lay siege to an occupied capitol on an occupied continent without more aid.
As far as soldiers were concerned, nearly one-hundred thousand loyal Chon'sin had decided to defect to the Ylissean's aid, thanks to now-Emperor Ryoma and his prophetic Raijinto rallying a foreign country behind him. However, those numbers were far spread out across the continent so the Chon'sin rebels wouldn't have a chance to combine forces until the opportunity arose. Without the Shepherds pressuring their interior areas, the rebels were stuck in an impasse; Either retreat to their homeland earlier than was deemed safe and risk execution by the masses for desertion, or be trapped by a joint-occupation force who, as each day passed, grew closer and closer to finding out their new intentions. Some deserters like General Yen'fay and his legions got lucky, being stationed in places closer to the Shepherd's army with low personal risk.
Combining with the Shepherds and the Feroxian/Chon'sin army, the Liberation Army grew to a formidable size, but still found itself dwarfed by Walhart's. But from the torrential rains to the howling plain winds, Chon'sin's environment was nothing of tactical note for the Shepherds, who, instead of rounding the continent's curvature south, took a more direct route through Valm's forests westward.
East of the Valmese mainland lay hundreds of miles of coastline; the site of the Shepherd's invasion about four months before. Hundreds of villages dotted the seaside region and passing further inward, hundreds more created a rough network only connected by man-made pathways in otherwise dense forests. Nothing traveled faster in that labyrinth than gossip, and right now, rumors of the Shepherds' numbers and whereabouts was the most valuable currency one could attain.
So when news that the Shepherds were passing through a local river-town spread, a young merchant girl by the name of Midori felt it within herself to find them.
And find them she did. She was a ninja's daughter and a ninja herself, after all. She didn't remember much, but her training was too embedded within her to just forget after... whatever it was she tumbled out of.
So many unfamiliar faces passed by her when the Shepherds resumed their march, but not even unfamiliarity could hide a distinct head of green hair among their number.
Black and purple wrappings, loosely bound for mobility and stealth? Clearly a ninja's garb.
And only one other person she remembered had green hair.
"Aha! There you are, father!"
Day 138, dawn
Kaze walked along the town's border, maintaining a quiet vigil as the sun began to rise. It was a nice change of pace, listening to the birds chirp and the river flow. The wind was refreshing, calming the Hoshidan's nerves as the weeks of endless marching and fighting began to take their toll.
Still, what they were doing, what all the Shepherds were doing, was for the good of all of humanity. As long as Lady Corrin was safe, Kaze was fulfilling his oath to the Princess and to his fallen liege, Sumeragi. So, for now and for the unforeseeable future, Kaze would stay this course not only for his sake, but for those that depended on him. A ninja was bound to his master, and the fact that all of humanity relied on Kaze's skills was enough to trouble him at times.
Of course, the pattering feet of a young girl was not nearly stealthy enough to offer the same discomfort, and he turned to see a short girl, no more than 16, waving at him.
"Hello," he greeted politely. "Up early I see. I apologize if our company woke you and yours up before intended."
Immediately, the girl shook her head, the smile still present on her bright cheery face.
"Nonsense! This is a lovely day to wake up to! I'm Midori. Are you Kaze of the Saizo clan?"
What.
The green-haired ninja did a double take, looking at the similarly green-haired village girl. She didn't look as if she posed a threat, and upon a thorough examination, no weapons were to be found on her person. Kaze knelt on one knee to speak to the girl, clearly alarmed, not to mention worried at the breach of his usually irrelevant identity.
"...Indeed. As you somehow knew, I am Kaze, brother of the Fifth Saizo. I would ask how a villager, not to mention one of a foreign nation would ascertain my identity on sight."
"Easy! I'm not a villager, nor a foreigner! I'm your daughter!"
"..." Kaze raised an eyebrow, caution turning into curiosity.
"Er, that's probably a weird thing to say to someone who hasn't even married yet, huh?"
"Yes. Yes it is. I suppose I must ask you to explain yourself if you are to have me believe that claim."
"Well, some things we just have to push through, right? I am Midori, of the Saizo clan, through your bloodline. I can't quite explain it as my memories are all jumbled, but I think I was... sent here. F-for a reason, that much I'm sure. Fairly sure, at least."
"I'm afraid I'm not following."
"I... I know it's a bit of a stretch, but-"
"And you are certain you are my child?"
"What, I-I mean, yeah!"
"But do you know your mother's name?"
"...Not really."
"And neither do I," Kaze added silently.
Interesting. Soleil knew both her parents after enough recollection, as did Ophelia. But Odin and Severa were already together at that point, as was Laslow and Felicia. Perhaps... if this Midori is from the same future as the others, then perhaps she may know more than I do about the matter...
"I know my story is really hard to believe, but-"
"Indeed, it is hardly a plausible tale," Kaze admitted, looking at how Midori's face sank at his doubts. "But luckily for you, hearing a hard-to-believe story multiple times from different people gives it more weight."
"Wait. Different people?"
"I would ask for proof," Kaze sighed, but he looked at Midori's eager eyes in familiarity, "but I've seen my fair share of children claiming to be related to our numbers. Are you certain that, despite your memories, you know that I am your father?"
"Yeah. I'm certain. But... you're oddly calm about this. I had all these explanations planned out for you-"
She's quite a clever girl. I like her already. Witty and cunning, not to mention determined.
"It's quite alright," Kaze laughed, taking Midori by the hand, much to her delight. "As I've stated, you're not the first child with such outlandish claims and scattered memories to grace our presence. What else do you remember?"
"I... I remember a portal, of sorts. A young man was singing, and his voice was so... echo-ey and... hollow. Like he was singing underwater? Next thing I know, I found myself being cared for in this place called Valm, and..." Midori trailed off, trying to voice her thoughts.
"And you figured that you weren't from Valm in the first place?" Kaze suggested.
"Well, yeah! Gee, how do you know all this?"
"Are you from a country called Hoshido, by chance?"
"Hoshido," Midori pronounced slowly, taking in each syllable. "Yeah! That sounds familiar! Which reminds me..." Stopping, Midori took off her pack and began digging through the contents.
"You don't have to show me anything-"
"I brought proof just the same!" Midori chimed, pulling out a faded blue mask, similar to those that ninja wore. "I didn't think I could read this 'cuz it didn't look readable, but if I can translate it correctly, it says:
'This belonged to my dear brother, Saizo the Fifth, the only true son of that name. His blood was spilled by my hand, a traitor not worthy of sharing his story. I wear this mask in his honor, and to remind myself that each breath I take is because of my act of murder and betrayal.'"
"In the future... I murder Saizo?" Kaze wondered, his interest re-ignited.
"I... I can't recall why you had it, though..." Midori trailed off, "Something about him being killed defending that Hoshido place you mentioned?"
"Killed defending Hoshido?" Kaze repeated in question, holding Midori's keepsake in his hand. "That would mean that I... I would attack..."
"I just remember that I had to find you again, somehow. And here I am! If you guys need help, I'll offer it as best I can, Father!"
Father, me? Is it wrong to not have as many doubts as I should? Or do I embrace this turn of events, and take advantage of Midori's knowledge of the future, as little as it may seem?
No. Midori is not a resource to exploit for information. She is my own flesh and blood. She is my daughter, as wild a tale as it may seem.
"Very well, Midori," Kaze warned, holding her hands in his and liking the familiarity of that gesture. "If you can tell me how to avoid the mistakes of my future self, then I will protect you as best I can in return. I swear this oath not as a ninja of Hoshido, but as your Father."
Day 142, midnight
Robin yawned atop his table, pressing his head against the map as he continued drafting battle plans far past his normal resting hours.
"W-we should really get to bed," Corrin groaned, doing her part as Joint-Commander. "I won't be able to think straight, toiling away like this..."
"Not yet," Robin insisted, lighting a candle and almost burning his hand in the process. "If we're lazy, it could cost us a life."
"We're not even on the march tomorrow!"
"Doesn't matter," Robin replied, seeing sense in Corrin's words. "But you're right. We're not moving until two days from now. Get some rest."
"And leave you with all our plans? Sorry, Commander, but... I'm... I'm afraid not..." Corrin yawned again, plopping against the table, her eyes closed.
"..."
"..."
"Corrin."
"...zzz."
"Really?"
Quietly, the tactician extinguished the candle, leaving him chattering his teeth in the war tent with a sleeping dragon by his side. Corrin echoed his shivers a split-second later, her face still smothered gracefully against his maps.
"You planned this, didn't you," Robin groaned, taking off his coat and draping it around Corrin's smaller frame. Seeing her snuggle against the black cloak in unconscious delight brought a smile to his face, which stayed pasted on his visage as he left the tent.
All for that blasted cloak. Maybe I should just commission Cherche to sew her one for her own use...
He was greeted with the guards on duty, Panne and Anna, the former holding the latter in a stiff hold of submission.
"Oh. Man-spawn. Excellent timing."
Robin slowly backed away, looking between the two women.
"What's going on here?" the tactician wondered, glancing at the two, noting how Anna made no effort to free herself.
"Let me explain myself dear-"
"This peddler took my beastrune into her portal and disappeared for a good hour!"
"You opened up another portal?" Robin exclaimed, his eyes wide.
"Well, if you would help me get back to it, I could tell you why!"
"This better not be another of those 'sales' of yours," Robin warned, leading the way.
"Even better," Anna replied, rubbing her arms sorely. "It's a two-for-one deal!"
"Hey."
"Oh, more humans!"
Robin, Panne and Anna opened up the door to the merchant's tent, being greeted by two humanoid forms and a portal still whirring around in the middle of the room.
"So you opened up a portal to... what I'm assuming is Hoshido and Nohr."
"Again," Panne added.
"Again," Robin affirmed. "Why is there a portal to Hoshido and Nohr?"
"I heard stories from our friends' gossip, see," Anna reasoned. "Something about Kitsune and Wolfskin. Mythical creatures not unlike our own Taguel."
"Which I'm assuming you two are," Panne sniffed. "You smell of wolves and foxes. I grew up among some of your kind long ago."
"And you smell like a bunny!" the fox-looking shifter exclaimed. "And you're gorgeous! Whoa..."
"She's alright, I guess," the wolf-looking shifter agreed with embarassment. "Look, Miss Anna, if we're done here, can you help me get back home now?"
"And have you miss out on your only chance to live a few days outside your tribe? Do you want an adventure or not, Keaton?" Anna winked, looking at the wolf, whom Robin assumed to be 'Keaton' daringly.
"...Fine. I'll stay."
"And you, Kaden?" Anna asked. "Do we get the pleasure of having a Kitsune among our company?"
"Only if you tell me the truth!" Kaden replied, bringing a hand up to comb his hair. "Am I not the most beautiful creature you bunch have laid your eyes upon?"
"Of course, sweetie," Anna answered, not missing a beat. "The very definition."
"..." Kaden egged on Robin with a wag of his tail, forcing the tactician not to roll his eyes in bewilderment.
"You are... the most beautiful Kitsune I have ever seen?" Robin attempted, not entirely convinced with what Anna was getting at. Panne shared his sentiments, crossing her arms as she maintained a notable distance from the two newcomers.
"Foxes and wolves weren't the best of friends to us in the Warren. Anna, I must ask you let this opportunity pass us by-"
"It's fine! It's fine! Panne, was it? I won't eat you! And neither will Keaton!"
"Is that so?"
"Y-yeah. But only because I think you're... cute," Keaton muttered under his breath. "I don't eat cute things."
"See?" Anna exclaimed holding out her hand to Robin for an unanswered high-five. "A wolf, a rabbit, and a fox! We have our own little Warren in our army!"
"Did you even ask them?" Robin wondered, "Or did you yank them from their homes?"
"We were lost," Kaden and Keaton replied simultaneously. "We kinda wandered into her tent after stepping through the portal near the Dragon Gate Ruins..."
"Figures."
Day 0- Lucina: Claims to be Chrom and Olivia's daughter.
Proof: Falchion, Brand of the Exalt
Day 1- Odin/Owain: Claims to be Lissa and Lon'qu's son.
Proof: Brand of the Exalt
Day 1 - Laslow: Claims to be Chrom and Olivia's son.
Proof: Brand of the Exalt
Day 1- Severa: Supposedly Cordelia's daughter
Proof: Future Children vouched for her existence (Is assumed dead)
Day 2- Ophelia: Claims to be Owain and Severa's daughter.
Proof: Brand of the Exalt
Day 14- Soleil: Claims to be Laslow and Felicia's daughter.
Proof: Brand of the Exalt
Day 38- Cynthia: Claims to be Sumia's daughter.
Proof: None (she has a wedding ring, but Sumia is not yet married.) Was familiar with future children though, including most of the Ylissean Shepherds, regarding them as 'her childhood heroes.'
Day 59- Gerome: Claims to be Cherche's son.
Proof: Minerva, a few years older than Cherche's own. '' with Cynthia's.
Day 88- Yarne: Claims to be Panne's son.
Proof: Is Taguel (Could just be a survivor of Panne's Warren, but he claims otherwise) Also '' with Gerome and Cynthia.
Day 106- Percy: Claims to be Arthur's son.
Proof: None. Assumed to be of Nohrian descent. Claims Nohr won the Nohrian/Hoshidan war.
Day 138- Midori: Claims to be Kaze's daughter.
Proof: Saizo's mask (?) Assumed to be of Hoshidan descent. Claims Hoshido lost the Nohrian/Hoshidan war.
Day 142- Keaton and Kaden: Nohrian/Hoshidan shapeshifters, courtesy of Anna. Not from the future, as far as Anna is concerned.
Day 192, midday
Robin looked over the list one more time, trying to find a pattern between the Shepherds finding new children from the future and...
"This still doesn't make any sense."
Sitting by his side was Lucina, driving herself to exhaustion at the same critical analysis of the list.
"Half of these newcomers were not from my group, yet they claim they were sent to aid their parents in our time of need. Did Naga open up more portals for them? If so, how is it that they are Nohrian and Hoshidan?"
"We warned them that Grima threatened Nohrian and Hoshidan existence as well. I hate to say it, but I think our white-lie has more truth to it than we thought. If these 'off-shoots' are indeed from ruined futures like yours, I think we're stepping into something a lot bigger than I anticipated."
"Gods... So it will take us all the more to overcome this, not just for our world, but many others..."
"Our mission stays the same, Lucina," Robin assured, patting Lucina's shoulder before quickly removing his hand. "We'll pull through this no matter what."
"Still... this changes everything I know! Grima destroyed the world, but as far as I know, Naga only communed with us because we performed the Awakening!"
"Not completely, might I add," Robin corrected.
"I... without the gemstones, Naga heard our prayers, but could not answer us with redemption. The Fire Emblem held no power without the gemstones. But that is the past. I am here to change the future, and so are all of the newcomers, Ylissean or not."
"If this is the case, we should be expecting more. How many others came with you?" Robin asked.
"..."
"Lucina?"
"I... I do not wish to give any more false hope... Severa is already dead-"
"We're beyond that point, Lucina. How many more came through that portal with you?" Robin insisted, stern and resolute with his tone.
"L-let me see..." Lucina recalled, not off-put by Robin's aggression. "Including myself, Owain, Inigo and Yarne, there was Severa, who... Ahem! Brady, Noire, Kjelle, Laurent, Nah, and... M... that's it."
"It sounded as if you were about to say one more name," Robin noticed.
"I... I lost count, that is all," Lucina reasoned, obviously not solid in her response. "I cannot say names for the Hoshidan or Nohrian children, though."
"If you say so," Robin ignored, thinking whether there were any more Ylissean children that Lucina had withheld. Were they dead perhaps? Had Lucina already lost hope with finding more? Did they come across some the deceased on the march to Valm?
Suddenly, the tent opened up, a familiar voice greeting the two with energetic gusto.
"Robin, we need you and Lucina to saddle up right away!"
Both Robin and Lucina turned to see Corrin already leaving, her bare feet dancing atop the grass as she joined up with the growing patrol. With a quick glance to each other, both Shepherds left the tent and made their way to the assembly area. Most of the Shepherds were either saddled or ready to ride, with the majority of the fliers already taking off.
"What's happening?" Robin called to the crowd, to which Corrin, after a brief search for her fellow tactician, replied quickly.
"There's a temple nearby. 'The Ruins of Time,' I believe it is called in the texts. There's supposed to be an artifact there called 'Naga's Tear' that could prove useful to our units. Plus, with such a high concentration of Risen in the area, I think there might be a future child in the middle of it. Fresh out of the portal, judging by the numbers reported."
"That would be in accordance with the previous trends," Robin noted. "Alright, let's get to work. How far away is the temple?"
"Cami's gauging it about four or five miles away. We should hurry! Risen are crawling all over the place."
"Alright," Robin stated quietly, gesturing to the Shepherds to begin their ride. Turning to Lucina, who stayed by his side as their horses accelerated, the tactician shot off a question.
"Friend of yours?"
"Hopefully."
In a dark ruin, surrounded by hundreds of minions of the Dragon of Death, a young girl awoke to the sounds of war and combat.
Oddly enough, it was quite familiar to her, despite the vagueness of everything else.
"Ugh, my head... wait."
Rising to her feet, she locked eyes with a white-haired woman who, after a jolt of realization, immediately began rushing to her position.
"Are you alright?" she yelled, fending off the Risen around them. "Did they get you anywhere?"
"...No," the girl stated, patting herself down for wounds and shaking her head for emphasis.
"Good. We'll get you out of here, I promise!"
And right back to me, Morgan. Always back to me...
Corrin gasped as the stranger passed right back out onto the stones. Picking her up and signalling for help, the princess slung the robed girl over her shoulder and made a dash back to safety.
Run all you want, daughter of dragons... You cannot escape fate.
Corrin swore she heard another voice, but it was probably just the heat of combat. Yeah.
"I really should get more sleep."
