After this I'm rewriting a crapload of the other previous arcs, so sorry but stay posted. I'm going to clean up the random 'humor' stand alone's first, along with changing the names to their English variants or at least coming up with a clever reason to change them, like Laslows.
Corrin and Marth - Divergence
Even before the first Risen splattered itself upon Ylissean soil, Corrin had already conjured up a plan. Gathering the three Ylisseans around her, she faced them towards the open wasteland where the enemy was bound to appear any minute now.
"Seeing that my sword arm is a little less than useless... not to mention that Frederick's lance is slightly out of reach," Corrin slowly unsheathed Yato, holding her stare at the Ylissean knight confidently. She held the blade in her left hand, admiring its form and soft blue glow before handing it over to him. "This is essentially Hohsido's equivalent to the Falchion. I trust you know your way with a blade?"
With reverence, Frederick gently grasped Yato and nodded, at awe with Corrin's sword.
"It's horribly well-balanced," Frederick remarked, twirling it around with the poise expected of one of his station. Corrin nodded, and for the first time she realized that Yato was being held by someone else other than her. She felt almost jealous, but shook it off.
"Our first priority is Lissa. Chrom has Falchion and Frederick has my Yato. Lissa is unarmed and doesn't have her healing staff so we'll need to protect her as much as we can." Chrom butted in, pointing at the strategist among them.
"And how about yourself? You are unarmed and injured, so shouldn't that make you-" Corrin pulled out her dragonstone, and without a word, shrugged her shoulders with a smile.
"I'll be fine." Chrom raised his eyebrows, not exactly keen on what that object in her hands was going to do.
Oh, I forgot about that. Even when you saved Chrom and Lissa with your dragon blood, I forgot you could turn into a dragon entirely.
"Now then, seeing as the fort we slept in isn't exactly fit for protection, we'll need to keep near the wood line, both to avoid getting flanked and to protect against archers." Lissa stood between Corrin and Chrom, fear apparent on her face.
"How did you know they'll have archers? And what are these things anyway?!" Corrin shook her head, pointing to the sky as more and more Risen started to drop.
"Just trust me. I know what's going to... I know someone who's been through this exact fight." Chrom and Frederick looked at each other, and their suspicions returned.
"And as for what we are fighting... they're the Risen. I'm not exactly keen on their origins but they are strong, deadly, and most of all, heartless. Don't relent until they are purple mist; otherwise they're not dead."
"You've brought us through this strange night thus far, Corrin. We have no choice but to trust you," Chrom sighed, drawing Falchion as he faced the Risen horde. Corrin merely tilted her head with a smile, closing her eyes as she took a deep breath.
I am very curious to see how you pull this off. Robin could do it without complication. Can you?
"Stay safe, everyone," Corrin ordered, pulling out her dragonstone. With a cry, her body shifted into its draconic state, letting out a roar when she finished. Her voice still rang out, and the three Ylisseans stared at the mythical being in awe.
"A Manakete? I thought I'd never see the day," Frederick whispered.
"Whoa..." Lissa breathed, more curious at the fact that the dragon still appeared as youthful and spry as Corrin did, even with the slight limp on it's forward right leg.
"You heard her. Protect Lissa," Chrom repeated, holding onto Lissa's shoulder as he positioned her behind him. With Corrin at the vanguard, Lissa had her back to a tree and her trusted brother and bodyguard at either side.
The first Risen force appeared a few seconds later, and Corrin made no time charging at one and completely eviscerating one ax-wielder with her horns, before bisecting another with her tail.
Chrom on the other hand was locked in combat with an undead warrior, who was proving a much more difficult foe than he predicted. Deflecting multiple ax strikes and returning desperate blows of his own, Chrom cursed himself as he realized the effort it would take to put down these new foes.
"Gods, they don't die!"
After what seemed like an eternity, the prince finally gained an advantage, folding the Risen's legs from under it with the tip of Falchion before impaling it into the dirt until it dissolved into purple smoke.
"And that's one," Chrom sighed in relief. Opening his eyes in disgust, Chrom rose to face the two others who had taken its place. Laughing nervously, Chrom dove into the fray, hoping aggression would prove a better strategy than careful riposting
Frederick on the other hand proved more capable, both because of his current skill and the legendary blade in his hands. Slicing through an ax wielder and the ax he wielded in one clean stroke, the knight felt more and more in awe with the blade in his hands. Just who was Corrin, and with her skill and blade, could she truly be a princess as she claimed?
Hoshidan blade indeed, Frederick thought as he focused on this next wave of Risen at his front. Both woman and blade had seemed to match details of the martial skill expressed in Hoshidan mythology in the few places such texts existed. But that was for another time. Three archers revealed themselves from behind some trees, and Frederick had to reposition himself. Not that his armor or his steed could take the arrows, no, they very much could without complaint, due to the archer's apparent lack of strength.
Lissa on the other hand, was not wreathed in steel, and was decidedly more delicate than it as well.
Waiting patiently and intercepting arrows that were flying towards Lissa, Frederick waited for Chrom to dispatch his foes so that he could flank the archers while Frederick had their focus. Even with the arrows pinging off him and his horse, Frederick was incredibly calm. For the meanwhile, the archers seemed to be attack Lissa, so the utmost concentration had to be held so that their arrows hit him instead.
Out of the corner of his eye, Frederick saw a forth archer, and the knight winced when he realized it was drawing a bead on Lissa instead of him. Not to mention he was not in the position to block all four archers. As soon as the first arrow flew from the flanking Risen, Frederick yelled at Lissa to duck.
It was not necessary, as another arrow pinged off the incoming one, causing an audible steel on steel clang to reverberate throughout the field. Everyone's heads turned briefly, and even Lissa was amazed she wasn't hurt.
"Huh?"
"Captain Chrom!"
Out of the woodline , Sully and Virion emerged, the latter chuckling at his rescuing shot just moments before. In a manner of skill, Virion had splashed two of the archers with two rapid shots while Sully threw her naginata into the last archer's face.
"Ah, Sully! Perfect timing! But... what are you doing here!" Chrom asked, wiping dirt and sweat out of his eyes and greeting his childhood friend.
"I went looking for your dumb ass ever since Southtown was attacked, and here I am in some piss-hole with this idiot," She gestured at Virion who merely fawned over her graces.
"Ah, the heavenly lips that whisper nothing but frivolities in my midst," Virion breathed, subsequently being kicked onto the ground by Sully's armored leg. "S-such shapely legs..." Slowly rising, he shielded himself from Sully's onslaught as Chrom watched on in confusion.
"Who's he?"
"Some idiot I found blundering about before I came here! He was muttering something about his country or some pegasus shit-"
"Ah, you foul me milady. But fear not, Lord Chrom. I am-"
"Virion! Sully! We have the upper hand for sure now!" The three heads turned to see the draconic Corrin standing amidst a screen of purple smoke.
"What is that?!" Sully gasped, not seeing a dragon, let alone one that spoke to her, before. Virion was slightly more at shock.
"How does she know me?"
"I uhh..." Corrin laughed nervously, and after a brief scan of the area, shifted back into human form. At the sight of the white-haired princess, Virion was once again smitten with love.
"Such grace and beauty!" Corrin ignored him and looked at Sully and Chrom.
Ah, Virion's not the only blue haired idiot who's smitten with a dragon princess, is he?
"You two still holding up?" She asked in a concerned tone. Chrom nodded at her with a light smile and Sully pouted at the lack of Risen aside from the ones Frederick was holding off.
"We just got here, and it doesn't look to be much of a fight anymore." Corrin nodded and gestured for Frederick to circle around back to protect Lissa. "And who are you?" Chrom nodded reassuringly at his friend, signifying that Corrin could be trusted.
"Well, once we mop up, I'll explain." Corrin sighed, "We need to get back to Ylisstol. Though... Where is she?" The last part of her question was too quiet to hear, and was dismissed as mumbling. A clang of blades forced all of their attention back to Lissa, as another blue-haired swordsman was just noticed, locked in swords with Frederick. Parallel Falchion and Yato drew sparks as both divine weapons resonated violently in their respective owner's hands.
"You may be no Risen, but don't think you can just waltz up at us like an ally!" Relenting under the knight's assault, the swordsman backed off and braced when Frederick began to lunge again. A white streak went in front of his horse however, strong enough to stop his charge.
"Wait!" Frederick stopped, looking at Corrin who was looking at the swordsman.
"Do you know him?"
I was wondering when the stupid princess would show up. Don't reveal her to everyone. Not yet. She's too idiotic to handle being Lucina right now. She's Marth, at the moment.
Corrin nodded, not only to Frederick's question but to Grima's insistence.
"He's an ally." Turning to Marth, Corrin smiled lightly even though Marth had no idea who was in front of her.
"Are you certain, Corrin?" Eyeing Marth, even with her mask, Corrin could see that she did not recall the name.
"He is a dear friend in the world I come from," Corrin lied. Technically this was true, but Lucina and Corrin sparred and that was about the limits to their friendship. Not only that but they had pined over the same man apparently for the last few months.
"I am sorry milady, I have no memory of you," Marth said deeply, and the Princess stifled a laugh at her attempts to keep her voice as masculine as possible. Corrin waved it off and turned to Frederick and Chrom.
"Give us a moment?" When both of them nodded their suspicious approval, Corrin led Marth over by some trees, and sat down on a stump.
'You said don't reveal her. Can I talk to her as Lucina in private?'
Go ahead. You deserve as much for that victory. Hmm. Actually, it might really help her if she knows her efforts will be fruitful in killing my evil self, actually. Tell her everything.
"Lucina." Almost instantly, Marth recoiled and he drew Falchion, pointing it at Corrin's throat. Even under her mask, Corrin could see the Princess' glare. She didn't flinch.
"How do you..."
"You kill me, and that's one less person protecting your father," Marth hissed and lowered her blade. Nodding her approval for Corrin to continue, the Princess instead made room for Marth to sit. When she didn't, Corrin groaned and instead stood up so they were face to face.
"I don't know why I'm here, but I know what I have to do. Ironically it's the same mission as yours: Save Chrom, Save Emmeryn, Save Ylisse."
"Who are you?" Lucina asked, dropping her act.
"Princess Corrin of Nohr and Hoshido," Corrin replied with a slight curtsy, but remained straight-faced. "Like it or not, I know everything you're here for, and that's all the more reason for us to succeed."
"B-but... Who told you of me?" Corrin laughed and put a hand on Lucina's shoulder. In this world, they were not rivals, she decided. She needed Lucina to be her closest ally.
"In my world, Ylissean, Nohrian, and Hoshidans combined as one force to stop Walhart and Grima. We're almost about to complete our first objective, and then we need to get back to Plegia. But in order for that to happen, I need to win here. Which means killing Grima in this world." Lucina nodded, agreeing with Corrin's sentiments.
"I do not trust you, but if you kill Grima, you would have my gratitude. I would suppose you are the tactician for the Shepherds?" Corrin shook her head.
"That job belongs to another man, who should have been in my place. I suppose the name 'Robin' would not ring a bell?"
"Robin?" Lucina smiled. "He's here?" Corrin shook her head.
"In my world, Robin was the one in my place. He led the Shepherds to victory against Plegia and eventually accepted you when you decided to reveal yourself. He also found Emmeryn, or at least found her alive. She did get severely injured when she sacrificed herself for Ylisse's people."
"Gods," Lucina muttered. "If you know me... Have you met the others?"
"Cynthia, Gerome, Inigo, and the others?" Lucina brightened up, and her grin was much more noticeable now.
"Yes! They made it?" Corrin once more shook her head.
"In my world at least. I have yet to meet Severa, or Serena, as she was called in Nohr. But yes. Your brother was in service to my older brother, if you would imagine that. Your cousin served my little brother. Serena served my older sister."
"They made it..."
"No, actually," Corrin corrected. "Inigo, Severa, and Owain, instead of being transported to Ylisse, were transported to Nohr instead. It was by sheer luck that the Ylisseans came to us for aid to defeat Grima."
"Gods, was it that bad?" Lucina asked.
My Robin beat me without any foreign help. I'm rather proud of him.
"It's gone smoothly so far. But right now, I'm under some curse right now in my world, forcing me to relive Robin's memories by my own path. I imagine I've strayed very far from the original course by now."
"This is real, though. You act like you are in some sort of dream, but you are not."
"So it seems," Corrin sighed, feeling her dislocated shoulder lightly, "You can't injure yourself in dreams, yet here I am."
"But if you're here... Where's Robin? My father met him before the Plegian war, in a field."
"That, I do not know. But stay with us, Lu- Marth. I'll keep your secret and your father safe, as long as I can."
"I can't... I'll change the timeline too much if-"
"Do you want to know something, Lucina?" Lucina paused, and nodded slowly.
"In my world, my son Kana is absolutely smitten with you. He loves your determination, your passion, and most of all your kind heart. Do you even know Kana?"
"I'm afraid not..."
"Exactly. You wouldn't even know half of the Shepherds in my world. You won't harm anything or anyone by being here. Besides, if you stick with me, I'll get a chance to indirectly know my future daughter-in-law better!" Corrin laughed at Lucina's blush, but she dispelled it rather quickly.
"Very well, milady-"
"You're a Princess too, you know."
"R-right." Lucina was uncomfortable on how Corrin knew so much of her, but she had to go with it. "I will join the Shepherds under the name Marth."
"And for the time being," Corrin added, looking at Parallel Falchion,"That is part of your act. It's not the real Falchion, until you reveal yourself."
"But when should I do that?" Lucina asked, readjusting her mask.
"Whenever Marth loses his purpose," Corrin replied cryptically. "Now come on, we have to get back to Ylisstol." Marth nodded and followed Corrin back to the others, where Frederick was holding Yato as if it were burning his hand.
"Something the matter, Frederick?"
"I have not the slightest idea, milady," Corrin smiled slightly at his acknowledgement of her. "Your... Yato seems to be... burning?"
"Huh?" Retrieving Yato, Corrin held it and winced at the hot sensation her hand was feeling. It was oddly familiar, as if...
"Chrom, is Falchion burning as well?" Chrom tilted his head and drew Falchion, nearly dropping it from the temperature.
"What the hell?"
Corrin recalled back when she was first in Ylisse, how her encounter with Lucina had caused both weapons to react. She had no idea why, but recalling a myth both her older brothers told her about the Rainbow Sage and their respective holy weapons, Corrin had a slight idea what was happening. Yato was the fifth divine weapon, with Brynhildr, Siegfried, Raijintou, and Fuujin Yumi being the other four. Apparently, Falchion was along that level as well.
Yato was reacting with the divinity of Falchion, just as it had earlier in Ylisse with the Parallel Falchion, giving it it's blue glow. Now what was happening?
"It's cooling down," Corrin remarked, holding Yato and eyeing it for changes. When it had reacted with Parallel Falchion, Yato had adopted a bluish glow. Now it seemed to be changing shape entirely! Right where the grip and the blade connected, Yato had morphed to include the familiar Naga's tear shape, just as the Falchions did.
"Is that... the mark of the Exalt?" Corrin wondered, and Chrom and Frederick agreed.
"Amazing... Your sword and mine seemed to have reacted together."
That's new.
"Awoken Yato," Corrin blurted out, feeling the words imprinted on her mind. Oddly, it suited it. She was in a dream, and this sword would be the key to her waking up somehow. She smiled and sheathed it, before looking at Marth.
"Marth is an ally," Corrin reassured when Frederick appeared suspicious. "Until he proves otherwise, he is as much a Shepherd as I am."
"You're not a Shepherd," Lissa remarked.
"She is," Chrom smiled, gazing at Corrin awkwardly, before averting his eyes when Marth cleared her throat. "And so are you, Marth, I suppose."
"Thank you, Chrom," Marth replied, not comfortable with calling his father by his own name.
Was he seriously just eyeing you again?
'What? He's not that bad.'
