Goodralisk: Dude, calm down. It was just a prank.
Deadpool: How the hell can I calm down?! That was my only bodysuit!
Goodralisk: Alright, fine, I'll figure something out. *Walks away into my office*
Lancer: Can't you just order another one?
Deadpool: No, I can't! Mr. Blue Balls over there said that the budget is off-limits to me and I spent the rest of my money on his birthday present!
Lancer: Out of curiosity, what did you get him exactly?
Deadpool: I got him a bodysuit like my very own.
Lancer: …..wouldn't it make sense for you to just wear it instead?
Deadpool: Huh. I guess it would. But it came as a set. I also bought an oca-
Lancer: *covers Deadpool's mouth* Do NOT say what I think you are going to. If he hears it, you will be a target and he will definitely jump you for it.
Deadpool: It's just an ocarina. *the word Ocarina echoes*
*...minemineminemine…*
Lancer: You did it this time.
*...MINEMINEMINEMINE…*
Deadpool: What the hell is th-ACK! *Goodralisk tackles Deadpool and grabs airborne ocarina*
Goodralisk: IS THIS REALLY THE TRUE OCARINA OF TIME?! I'VE BEEN LOOKING FOR THIS FOR CENTURIES! NOW I HAVE TRUE POWER! *plays Epona's Song and hops on Epona's back* ONWARD TO GLORY! *rides off into sunset*
Lancer: Um…. well, that escalated quickly. Anyway, we have a show to do.
We do not own Fire Emblem nor Intelligent Systems. But apparently, we own the power of God in a glorified egg flute.
"...ke up."
Confusion. Quite literally the only thing I can think of as I had no definitive answers to that little visit from Validar. And he seems to know so much about me, but I hadn't met him before, except when I killed him. That would have been sufficient, if it weren't for the fact that our encounter was far too brief. A voice roused me from my thoughts, but it was very unclear.
"...ge…p, Eric…"
I definitely hear a voice now. It was very clear and I knew exactly who it was. It was Chrom. And yet I couldn't see him. Or anything, really. I suppose my eyes were closed. Perhaps I was conscious to some degree, but it certainly felt as though I was. Or wasn't…? Damn it, I couldn't tell for sure!
"Get up, Eric! This isn't the time to be lounging around, we've got company!"
Company? Wait...oh shit, the ambush. My eyes shot open and I looked around me, the Shepherds locked in battle with a horde of undead warriors, just like Ryu forewarned. I got up to a knee to try and stand up, my muscles on fire. Most of the anterior part of my body was lightly coated in the dusty debris that covered the isle's rather barren land. I dusted myself off and swept away my questions to the side for now. I was needed to fight. I drew my sword and ran across the wastelands, intent on reaching the bridge to kill their leader. A Risen soldier stood in my way, axe in hand. It raised its weapon to attack me, but no later than that, I drove my sword through its body with murderous ease. As it disappeared into the black, murky mist, I rolled my shoulder, feeling a slight pain in it as it popped several times.
The pain would not subside, but this was no time to complain, else pain would be the least of my worries. I continued to run towards the bridge, turning every monster that came near me into mist with my blade. Another three stood in my way, just when I was perhaps a dozen meters away from the bridge. I growled with discontent, urging them to get out of the way as I dodge a lance thrust, but just barely.
'What's going on?', I thought. Usually, I'd be able to evade it, no problem. But now… The strike, plain as day, and yet what normally is child's play, nearly skewered me. A glimmer in my vision above alerted me to a sword that had been aimed to split my skull. I bring my blade to meet this second Risen monster's very own, I push it off and slice the creature in two, the victim evaporating again. I rush through the cloud of dark vapor, with another Risen head on my blade. But before I could get the third, rather beastlike Risen, I suddenly fell forward, my legs losing strength in them. Though I hadn't touched the ground, the beast in front of me took me be the back of my head and slammed me face first into the ground, the ground beneath me shaping a sizeable crater.
I snarled in pain, blood gushing from my mouth as I tried to stand up against the beast's pressure, but to no avail. A feral roar echoed above me, and I was pushed even further. I felt my muscles slowly getting weaker, and my throat burning from the strain of getting free. Though I needed to create a way out for myself, help was on their way. "Eric!" Now who could it be besides the exalt? I lifted my head just enough to turn it in the direction of the voice; the prince had a rather rude gash on his chest, his left arm hanging on his side. So that arm was most likely out for the rest of the fight. He quickly slew the beast that held me down, quickly covering his face with his arm immediately after the beast was killed.
"These Risen aren't normal. When they're killed, they spew this toxic mist that weakens a person's body.", Chrom said after the mist dissipated, quickly answering my unasked question. "This had to be Validar. I'm sure of it."
"Urgh...when this war is over, I'm kicking his ass.", I muffled, face first in the dirt, which urged Chrom to sheath his sword and help me up with his now free arm. "Well, most everyone is done at this moment, so for now, let's get you back-"
"I can't let you do that...Crown Exalt." That voice...no...nooooo… it couldn't be who I thought it was. I lifted my head and looked out on the bridge and my fears were confirmed. That feminine voice matched the person on the bridge… that sultry voice that rivalled Aversa. AVERSA. Only one person in the world was capable of that.
"Alice.", I growled.
"Oh ho ho! It seems my dear warrior remembers me after all!", she giggled. "It would have been such a shame if you had forgotten me."
"Hardly.", I spat back.
"Alice?", Chrom piped in. "Isn't she why I sent you out to Chon'sin?"
I nodded. My attention became drawn towards the clicking of heels on the ground, and the psychotic she-devil who wore them. Her hips swayed from side to side with every step and her arms waved slightly as she moved. "Gangrel… Validar… Those fools. One so stupid, he let his vengeance get the better of him, and couldn't even procure the Fire Emblem. The other decides to HELP the enemy. Even if it is a threat to us all, to waste so much time with the Ylissean and his lackeys… I've had enough."
When she stopped right in front of Chrom, she glared at him evilly and remorselessly. I could hear the gulp in Chrom's throat, he was in a bind just as much as I was. It got worse once we bared witness to Alice crooked grin. Though a smile, it held absolutely no positive feeling behind it whatsoever. "And even you, my king. I have a score to settle with you for those five years I spent in the damned prison." She began to raise her hand. And she pointed it at Chrom and I. With a spark, her hand began to glow a sinister, evil purple. "Remember this image as your travel gift into the afterlife."
That threat was never backed up, however, as two figures fell from out of nowhere, landing gracefully on the earth in between Alice and I. What's more, Alice's arm had been severed and was now airborne. Fluttering in front of me and Chrom was a jet black braid and a royal blue mane, both with all the captivating beauty of a butterfly. Then I saw the Falchion that was used to slice off Alice's limb, and the blade with the blue hilt pointed at Alice. This served to confirm my theory about these two in contact. It was Ryu and Marth who saved us.
"Leave…"
"What did you say to me?", Alice asked him.
"Leave them alone!" Following that roar, his bangs began to move and rise until his his hair sparked a golden yellow, the air around him moved in waves, and his power skyrocketed to immense levels. It couldn't be, but it was right in front of me. Right here. In front of me.
This man just did the Hyper Pandorian transformation.
Alice, not unlike me and Chrom, gasped at the sudden transformation, her breath becoming shaky with fear. She took a step back, almost completely unconscious of that action, as if her body told her to run away. "N-not another one of you!"
"Lucy! Get them back to camp! I'll end her!", Ryu said, and before Marth, or Lucy, could do what I figured was a protest of some sort, Ryu punched Alice and sent her flying across the bridge before he took off to follow up with another attack. The newly named "Lucy" muttered something incoherent, before biting her tongue and finishing with an angry "damn you".
"Go on ahead without me. I'll be fine." With an amused chuckle, I got free from Chrom's grasp and sat back on my heels. "I have something I need to speak to Ryu about anyway." I took a slight glance over at Lucy and Chrom side by side and looked at Lucy, who immediately jumped, albeit slightly, and turned her head down to the side, a blush creeping on her face. I turned away as well, feeling slightly guilty for embarrassing the poor child, but mostly surprised and amused. 'I see… that's who she is…', I chuckled internally. Taking Chrom and heading in the direction of our camp, I brought my attention to the person in combat with Alice. He was giving her a run for her money, matching her blow for blow.
"I'm getting tired of this shit, boy!", Alice barked, sending a punch in Ryu's direction and making the ground erupt in smoke. She gritted her teeth rather loudly, missing her target. The target in question, stood on the bridge above her, looking down on her condescendingly. An arrogant fighter, but he was rather strong to back it up, and he had the Hyper Pandorian transformation to add insult to injury to Alice.
"You and me both!" A ball of powerful energy was shot at Alice, and unable to think of anything else, she jumped over it to dodge it. She had her head down looking at the blast cloud, barely dodging it as it was. But she wasn't dodging just out of fighting instinct, no, besides, she realistically never needed to. She was dodging out of fear. For the first time I've ever seen it, Alice was actually scared for her life.
"Hey, dick breath!", Ryu called, making Alice wrench her head up. Her eyes widened in surprise once she realized: Ryu's first attack was just bait to get her into the air. All that was in her vision was the full moon, and in it, a golden braided man with a sword above his head. With a shout of effort, he sent his blade from her head straight down the middle until his weapon literally split her in two. It was unbelievable. Ryu didn't just beat her, he KILLED her. The same woman who antagonized so many people for years, including me. And I witness her own blood gushing from the fatal wound. He hadn't stopped there however. He continued to slice her torn corpse in many different ways and angles until her body was nothing more than chunks of flesh and bloody fabric, and finally, he blasted her remains, obliterating them.
Floating back down onto his previous perch, his hair fell back to his normal colour, relaxing once more. Swiping his sword, he cleaned the blood that coated the steel, sheathing the blade for another fight. Finally able to walk again, I walked towards Ryu, hailing him down to get his attention.
"That was quite the show there.", I laughed, nodding my appreciation for him stepping in for us when he did. "That explains why you know so much about the transformation, and it also seems my hunch was correct about you being involved with that time travelling girl Marth."
Ryu raised an eyebrow. "I never said anything about her nor I being time travellers. And her name… it isn't Marth."
"Oh?", I asked with a grin.
"Yeah, her name is…"
"It's Lucina."
The wind howled at the end of those two words, Ryu frozen in spot. Those last two words left his jaw on the ground and his eyes almost as wide as dinner plates, while I simply looked at him with an amused and slightly smug smile. "H-how did you…"
"Oh please. I saw the brand in her left eye when she came to help Chrom. And you seem to forget that little Lucy is alive in our time, so I've seen what she looks like." Reminiscing briefly, I thought about the little girl at the castle who had almost the same unique blue hair that was unmistakably hers. Well, excluding her father's of course. I scratched my head sheepishly, the thought of the cute little princess who I saw as my own niece, by all but blood, of course, but that was besides the point. "Honestly, she's got the same adorable face, just on a bigger body.", I finished with another laugh. "But now, I wish to study one more thing."
I drew my weapon. "Draw your swords."
"W-what?"
"We didn't get to finish our little skirmish, so I would like to continue where we left off. So if you wouldn't mind."
Absorbing what it is I was asking of him, he drew both of his own swords, the first being his sword with the blue hilt, the one he used to slay Alice. It had a shining steel blade, with nary a chip or blemish that hadn't shown any sort of wear in battle. It was a katana, so it curved on one side and tapered rather nicely. Despite this, it was the other blade that drew my attention. It was a deep purple, both the blade and the hilt. The blade pulsated with energy of the same color, and it even had the slight upward curve at the top quarter of the blade.
"Interesting." I internally chuckled as I put my steel away, befuddling the warrior before me. Ryu tilted his head at me and furrowed his brow, lowering his blades and relaxing his stance. "Oh, don't you dare look at me like that!", I scolded him.
I placed a hand on his head, a smile gracing my features. "And here I thought I taught my son better manners than that."
His head shot up in shock when he heard that. "What… did you call me…?"
I made sure I moved my arm so I could look at him. "You heard me, Junior. You're my son."
Lancer: Ugh, did this chapter really have to be short?
Goodralisk: Hah, hyahhh! Huahh, seeehh, toryaaahh!(I didn't know how to continue the chapter from there, sorry!)
Lancer: Well... I suppose it would be awkward to continue after that. Speaking of, that Ryu guy was Eric's son. So that's a thing.
Goodralisk: Grah! Toh, seeehh! Hi-yah!(But it was probably obvious.)
Deadpool: Uh, what's up with him?
Lancer: Oh, that ocarina you gave him? He overused it and now he has LVS.
Deadpool: The hell is LVS?
Lancer: It's Link vocal syndrome. Should wear off in a few hours. The good thing is, prolonged exposure to the ocarina actually reduces that little problem.
Deadpool: Well, that explains why he's on a horse, it's raining, AND the sun keeps rising and falling. Glad he liked the gift I got him, more or less.
Unfortunately, I have some bad news.
Lancer: What is it?
Deadpool: We're getting shut down. The Noble Strength trilogy is to end here. So...goodbye everyone.
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...Oh, right. Forgot what day it was today.