Alright, here's number two! This one will start some of the general insanity, but the real big stuff hits in chapter… 4 if I remember correctly

In any case, let's join Robin and Cordelia first.

Marks of Power

Robin sighed as they sailed over the endless sand. "Anything yet?"

"For the thousandth time, no." Cordelia sighed. "We've only been flying for an hour, there's no way we'd have seen a building if we haven't even seen a mountain yet."

Robin grunted and went silent for a time. Cordelia, feeling his grip tighten around her waist, could guess what was on his mind. "Worried?"

"About the others? No, of course not." Robin scoffed. "I'm more worried that we'll get into trouble and it will make our search a lot harder."

Cordelia chuckled and gestured to the ground. "Speaking of trouble, it looks like we have some travelers neck-deep in it."

Robin blinked and looked down, spotting what he believed was a caravan surrounded by large figures. As he watched, one of the figures smashed one of the caravan carts into rubble.

"Well what are we waiting for?" Robin asked. "Let's go help them!"

Cordelia pulled on Theresa's reins and they entered a dive. "You read my mind!"

Weapons were drawn and Robin loosened his legs from the stirrups. Once they were close enough, Robin leapt from his seat and planted his boots into the back of the green giant he'd targeted.

The giant fell to the sand with a thud, Mercurius claiming its head with an errant swing. Smirking, Robin dashed for the next monster and opened its gut before blowing away its torso with a blast of lightning.

Cordelia put Gungnir into the back of another monster's skull, Theresa lashing out and dazing the dead monster's friend. Cordelia whipped Gungnir from its mooring and sliced he other monster from shoulder to hip, the beast bulging and exploding right as she attacked another.

"That's what you were working on?!" Robin called as one of his summoned wolves ripped open a monster trying to ambush him. "What's the name?"

Cordelia smirked and took to the air again, Gungnir piercing through a monster trying to attack a cart. "I call it Fire Blight!"

Robin rolled his eyes and turned aside a punch from the last monster he could see. Rather than stain the ground with its rancid blood, he clamped his hand on its arm. "Ausführung!"

Lightning raced into the monster's body, the extreme voltage blackening its skin and flesh before it crumpled to ash.

Dusting his coat, Robin waved Cordelia down. "That all of them?"

Cordelia signaled an all clear and Robin relaxed. "Good, I didn't get any blood on my coat this time, either."

Hearing the tell-tale scuff of boots, Robin turned to see a man dressed in strange pants with a bare chest approach him. Over his shoulder was a Killer Lance.

"Hello, I assume you are part of this caravan?" Robin asked.

The man tilted his head and spoke in a strange tongue. Robin groaned and held up his hands in the universal symbol of surrender. "Ok… looks like I have to pull out that old trick again."

The man narrowed his eyes at Robin and the lance blade hurtled forward. Robin shook his head and stepped forward slowly, trying to think of a way to get the man to stand still. "Hmm… oh, that's right."

He looked to the sky. "Cordy, my love, can you immobilize our friend here? He thinks I'm a threat but we don't speak his language."

The man followed Robin's gaze only to dive out of the way as Theresa slammed into the ground where he had once been. He rolled and came up in a crouch, but Robin was already before him with his hand on the man's bald head.

"Sorry about this. Sprache Nehmen."

Electricity shot from Robin's hand and invaded the man's skull, the ropes of energy tracing the tracks of his brain and copying every scrap of language it could find. Once it was done, the electricity fled from the man's skull and entered Robin's hand.

Robin let go of the man's head and Cordelia pulled out her emergency staff. A moment later, the man was glaring at them again. "What was that, stranger?"

Robin held up his hand, speaking in the man's tongue perfectly. "A moment, I have to make sure my wife can speak to you as well."

He put his hand on Cordelia's head, far gentler than he was with the man. "Lernen."

Cordelia winced as the language was implanted into her mind, but sighed when Robin sent a burst of healing magic through her. "Thank you, now we can converse."

She looked to the man. "Who are you, sir? Are you part of this caravan?"

The man remained tense. "Aye, I am. My name is Fuga, chief of the Wind Tribe. Who are you to swoop out of the air and save us, but then attack me?"

"Well," Robin began, scratching at his head. "See we didn't speak your tongue until a few moments ago. That little trick lets me learn other languages and transfer it to others, but it's rather painful."

"We're also loathe to leave those in need alone." Cordelia continued. "We were able to help, so we did."

She looked to the corpse of a monster. "Speaking of, what are those things? I've never seen such ogres in all my years."

Fuga chuckled and stood, arms crossing over his impressive chest. "Then you have lived a charmed life. Those are Faceless, abominations made by Nohrian sorcerers during their last war with Hoshido. After the barrier was erected by Queen Mikoto, Nohr let their abominations run loose inside Hoshido's borders as their own troops cannot cross."

Cordelia and Robin shared shocked glances. Hoshido and Nohr, really?

"In any case," Robin coughed. "We're glad to have helped. We're actually lost, so if you're heading for a town, we'll gladly follow."

Fuga grinned. "Certainly. Having such powerful travelers by our side shall make this journey all the safer, especially since everyone else is a civilian."

A voice called for his attention, a plain woman in white robes running up to him. "Chief Fuga, a horde of Faceless are making their way here!"

"Gather everyone and get moving!" Fuga ordered. "We can outrun them now that we're not under attack!"

The woman nodded and ran off, but Cordelia looked around. "Where would you say they are?"

Fuga frowned, but decided to humor her. "If I had to guess, from the west, towards Nohr's border."

Cordelia nodded and mounted Theresa. "Ok then, you guys take your time. I need to blow off some stress."

She took to the air without another word, leaving Robin amused and Fuga puzzled. "What does she mean 'take our time'?"

Robin shrugged as he watched the crimson streak fly away. "She's going to wipe those creatures from the map."

"It's either that or we fornicate for several hours."

-Cordelia-

Why do I have a feeling Robin shared something personal again?

Ignoring the feeling for now, Cordelia looked down to see a large cloud of dust making its way to the caravan. She could make out large shapes in the cloud, so she guessed this was the horde.

"Alright then." Cordelia chirped. "Let's let loose a little."

She placed Gungnir before her, both hands on the grip. Slowly, she felt her hair begin to whip on its own as fire replaced the crimson locks. Once she was ready, she separated her hands as slowly and deliberately as she could, drawing a copy of Gungnir from the sacred metal.

The only difference lay in that the copy was made of pure flame.

Smirking, Cordelia sheathed Gungnir and held the replica aloft, her eyes blazing orange and white while her locks of flame whipped in the wind. "This should be enough."

The blade of flame turned downward, Cordelia raising the lance as high as she could before casting it to the earth with a roar.

"Lancea Seraphim!"

The spear of fire flashed to the earth, striking at the center of the cloud. Fire burst into a great pillar from the impact, flame and light expanding exponentially until all within fifty yards was consumed in the pillar that reached for the heavens.

The fire burned for several seconds before giving out, Cordelia using the time to circle the aftermath and examine her handiwork. "Not bad… for a quarter power."

Everything in fifty yards of where she'd thrown the lance was glass, not a sign of life within the circle of carnage. Cordelia let her flames die and her hair return to normal. She eased Theresa back toward the caravan.

This would be fun to explain.

-Olivia-

"So… we're in a prison."

Lon'qu stared at his wife, dumbfounded. "No, really?"

Olivia smiled helplessly, looking around the makeshift cell unconcerned. "Forgive me for stating the obvious, but I'm just bored. I thought we'd be brought straight to the High Prince, but I suppose that's a little much."

"Of course," Lon'qu snorted. "If you caught two strangers wandering around your camp, you'd put them in whatever holding cell you could cobble together."

Olivia shrugged. "Well I hope this'll be resolved soon. Maybe we can even ask for their help finding Inigo."

Lon'qu muttered something about a tanning knife before the woman from earlier blurred into existence before them. "The High Prince will see you now. Follow me, but keep your hands forward at all times."

Olivia and Lon'qu nodded, the cell door opening. They stood and stretched before following the woman, Olivia quickly realized she didn't know the woman's name, "Excuse me, I don't believe we were introduced"

The woman glanced back to them before speaking. "I am called Kagero, but that's all you need to know. Hurry, Lord Ryoma received important news not long ago."

Olivia's eyes widened at the name, her voice descending to a whisper as she leaned next to Lon'qu. "Kagero's her name. If the book's right…"

Lon'qu nodded, his frown deepening. "Then we're being led by a future queen."

Silence fell over them and they followed Kagero into a strange tent. Inside was a man wearing a white robe and red armor, the design reminding Lon'qu of two things.

A lion and a lobster.

The lion was likely the intended motif, so Lon'qu dropped the thought before the man spoke. "So… you're sword-masters as well?"

Olivia and Lon'qu took a seat, both trying to copy the man's posture as Olivia spoke. "We are called as such, Your Highness."

The man looked to Lon'qu. "Do you not speak our tongue? Kagero has told me only the woman speaks."

"He speaks very little." Olivia answered. "And I am not fluent. It's… a struggle to communicate this way."

The man closed his eyes before sighing. "Very well, then how's this?"

Olivia and Lon'qu's eyes widened. "Wait, you can speak Ylissian?!"

Ryoma shook his head. "I've never heard the Nohrian tongue referred to as Ylissian, but it appears you know that one better. Tell me, why are you here? You're no spies, not with how you stumbled into our net?"

"We're here to find our son." Lon'qu answered. "He went on a trip to this region close to a year and a half ago, but he hasn't checked in with us since."

Ryoma's face remained stoic. "You appear rather young to have a son old enough to travel on his own."

Olivia twirled her hair around her finger. "We're older than we look, milord. However, we've been searching for our son for some time and we've had little luck."

"You would like my help." Ryoma reasoned. "The question is, what can you offer in turn for this help?"

Lon'qu gestured to his belt, where Balmung had hung before it was taken. "Our skills as fighters are well developed and we're used to following orders. We'll help you with any troubles requiring a blade so long as our son is found."

Ryoma cupped his chin, apparently intrigued. "…Kagero, Hana and Hinata are with us currently, correct?"

The woman bowed. "Indeed they are. Shall I fetch them?"

Ryoma nodded and Kagero blurred away. Standing, Ryoma gestured for Olivia and Lon'qu to follow him. "We'll see if you're skill is as you say. Hana and Hinata are two of my best samurai, they'll likely join the ranks of the sword-masters within six months. If you're genuine, they should be a good test."

Olivia and Lon'qu stood and followed the prince, both silently musing how this test was going to work. Olivia in turn recognized the name Hana, but decided against jumping to conclusions.

After a short walk, they arrived in a cleared field. Two people stood opposite Lon'qu and Olivia, one a man with black and orange armor, the other a woman in white and pink armor.

Ryoma strode to the center of the clearing. "Hana, Hinata, glad to see you were free."

The man bowed. "Your wish is our command, Lord Ryoma."

The woman did as well. "Always glad to help."

She looked to Olivia and Lon'qu. "These the guys Kagero was talking about?"

Ryoma nodded. "Yes, they are. They've asked our help in finding their son, offering their blades in exchange. I would like you two to test and see if their skills are up to par."

"Alright, then let's get to it." Hana said. "Practice blades, right?"

Ryoma smirked. "Of course, we don't want to kill anyone."

The samurai bowed again before walking over to a stand on the edge of the field and retrieving four blades. They took two before tossing the others to Lon'qu and Olivia.

"I've already read their holds." Lon'qu grunted. "I only need one arm."

Olivia sighed. "Don't kill them, we're trying to make good will, not get in trouble."

Lon'qu smirked and fiddled with his right hand, grunting as he pulled the false hand free. "There we go."

"Wait a minute!" Hinata shouted. "You don't have two hands! How can we call this fair if you try to fight one handed?"

Lon'qu shrugged and held out the practice blade in a form resembling a fencer. "Oh, I'm just fine. You want to take me on big mouth or are you too honorable?"

That got under the samurai's skin. Hinata took his stance and Hana retreated to the edge of the field, Olivia taking only a few steps back while she tested her blade's balance.

Ryoma, seeing both were ready, gave the rules. "This is a duel and will be treated as such. The winner will either knock out or disarm their opponent. No crippling blows, attempts to kill, or blood drawn. I will step in if needed."

He looked to see if there were any disagreements, but found none. "Very well then."

His hand went up, held for a moment, and fell. "Begin!"

Hinata didn't know what hit him. One second he was getting ready to charge, the next he was flat on his back with Lon'qu's blade perched squarely over his throat. "Yield."

Stunned silence reigned for several seconds before Lon'qu grew sheepish, a rivulet of blood oozing from the cut he'd made. "Oops."

Ryoma sighed and held up his left hand. "For drawing blood Lon'qu is disqualified, Hinata is the winner."

Lon'qu shook his head, feeling something wet slap the back of his head. Glaring at his wife, who was whistling innocently, Lon'qu stepped away and stalked to the edge of the field.

Hinata picked himself up, too stunned to ask what had just happened. Stumbling to the edge of the field, he plopped on the ground and stared at his hands.

"Wow," Hana mumbled as she took her place. "I didn't even see what happened."

Olivia smiled at the other girl as she took her stance, looks like she was right. "Well, it's hard for most people to see when Lon'qu wishes to end something. I can explain later if you like."

Hana smirked. "Well, I'm not Hinata, so I know we'll at least cross blades."

Oliva smiled again, waiting for the girl to charge when the signal was given. When she did, Hana went for a flying strike to try and knock Olivia off balance.

Instead, when their swords met, Hana's blade was sheared in two and a foot planted itself into her gut. Before Hana could overcome the shock and sudden lack of air, Olivia's hilt cracked into the side of her skull and sent her sprawling.

Silence reigned again, Kagero dashing forward to check Hana. "…She's fine, but she'll wake up with a bad headache."

Olivia bowed out of habit. "I'm sorry! I tried to only knock her out!"

She silently hoped that the future queen she'd knocked out wouldn't hold it against her.

Ryoma regarded Olivia silently before sighing through his nose. "Your skills are not in doubt it appears. As promised, I will send some of my men to begin searching for your son."

Lon'qu wandered over to Olivia's side, a smirk on his face. "And we'll be helping you out in the meantime. I assume you'll need a description?"

Ryoma nodded, gesturing for them to follow him again as healers came forward to take care of the defeated samurai.

Lon'qu and Olivia, on the other hand, shivered. The same thought ran through their minds.

Why do I feel like we just took on disciples?

-Lissa-

"Die bastards die!"

Lissa cackled madly as yet another group of creatures disintegrated under her barrage of light. Beams and blasts fled her hands unceasingly, the land around her little more than a wasteland.

Donnel, who was well away from the carnage, was trying to comfort one such creature as it cowered in fear. "It's ok, just go back where you came and my wife won't kill you."

Another creature tried to attack him, but a rope of purple shot from Donnel's arm and wrapped around its neck. A moment later, the rope constricted and decapitated the attacker.

"Hey Donny!" Lissa called over the blasts. "Do you think anyone can see this light show?"

Donnel sighed as Lissa cackled again, a giant fist of light smacking an island out of the air. "I hope not. I don't need you getting worshipped again."

-Lucina-

"What is going on down there?"

Lucina sighed as the excitable Elise tried to lean over the ravine, Effie puling her lady back before she went too far. "Lady Elise, you must not move so much. The footing is unsure."

The princess pouted. "But I want to see what's happening! When's the last time anyone's seen light shine in the Bottomless Canyon?"

Morgan, who was cantering on Theresa's back rather than flying through the jagged ravine, came up beside Lucina. "I think we know where Aunt Lissy ended up."

"I'd bet gold on it too." Lucina groaned. "Let's just hope she doesn't keep at it for too long."

Morgan nodded and they continued on their way. Why they were passing through the Bottomless Canyon was a mystery to the two plane-walkers, but getting to meet with the young Princess Elise who'd they'd long thought a story was a joy.

"More Faceless milady!" Arthur called from further ahead. "Looks like a decent sized pack of them."

Elise groaned. "More of them? Can't we get a moment's peace without those things showing up?"

Lucina saw a spark of opportunity. "We can take care of them, Your Highness. Morgan and I are skilled in battle."

Elise looked at the two girls, a frown marring her face. "I can't ask you to do that! You're our guests, we should treat you as such!"

"Actually, their help would be appreciated!" Arthur called. "There's at least a dozen of the monsters and it will take more than Effie and me to prevail. A hero I am, but I'm not foolish."

Elise rolled her eyes. "Fine, you guys can help. Just be careful, I don't want to see you get hurt!"

"We'll be fine," Morgan assured her. "We've tangled with our fair share of bad guys!"

Elise still didn't look sure, but she moved out of the way, Effie at her side for obvious reasons. Lucina and Morgan went past them and joined Arthur at the top of the path. "Where are they?"

Arthur pointed to a ledge further up the ravine, the distinct figures of Faceless crowding on it. "There. It's our last leg of the climb they're blocking, so there's no way around them."

He pulled his axe free. "Shall we, ladies?"

Lucina tried to stop him, but the man took off with a battle cry. Morgan giggled, enjoying his enthusiasm. "He's like a more mature Owain! I can't wait to hold this over his head!"

"Just get up there and burn them." Lucina sighed. "I'll take care of the other half."

Morgan grinned and took to the air, beating Arthur to the Faceless by almost thirty seconds. Grin still in place, Morgan held out her hand and summoned her magic. "Immolate!"

Fire bloomed from her hand, forming snakes that slithered through the air and into the holes of the Faceless masks. The monsters howled in pain as the snakes ate their way through their flesh and made their way to dead hearts.

Morgan snapped her fingers a moment later, the snakes bursting into a raging inferno at the command. Fire burst from the skin of the Faceless, half of them falling to the ground as burning piles of flesh. Lucina had long overtaken Arthur as she dashed to meet the remainder, but she stopped short once she reached the ledge.

"Begone abominations," she muttered. "Loch Gheimhridh!"

Her Falchion entered the earth and ice bloomed, blades and spikes spawned from the advancing frost. The remaining Faceless were consumed by the ice and skewered on the blades, their remains nothing but sculptures of sundered flesh.

Sighing, Lucina sheathed her blade and waved to Morgan. "Inform Princess Elise we're clear! The sooner we get away, the better!"

Morgan nodded and dove out of sight. Lucina turned to journey down the path when she was met with a sight that made her scream.

"Sir Arthur, how are you frozen?! You were behind me by almost thirty feet!"

-Severa-

She didn't know why she kept shivering, but damn if it wasn't annoying!

Severa stalked through the halls of Castle Krakenburg, heavily annoyed by three things. The chills, the lack of sleep she'd had because of said chills, and lots of frustration.

Camillla had no need of her, instead going with Beruka to check on the youngest Nohrian sibling, while Prince Leo was off observing a resupply operation with Niles. That left the Ylissian trio alone in the castle for a few days with nothing to do.

Spotting Inigo, Severa marched up to him. "Laslow, are you getting chills at all?"

Inigo scratched at his chin. "A little, but nothing that would portend disaster. Why, are you having them?"

"I am," Severa growled. "And it's not the 'Camilla's mad' kind of chills either. I'm talking the tactician chills."

Inigo grew pale. "That's… not good. You don't think our parents…"

Severa shook her head. "No freakin' way. We may have been here for a couple months, but that's not enough time for Morg or Lucy to tell anyone we vanished yet. I just feel like everything's going to hell in a handbasket soon."

Inigo gulped, but a voice called for him. "Laslow! Come with me, I need to tell you our plans for next week!"

Inigo schooled his face into its normal mask. "Coming, milord!"

Severa glowered as he marched away, eventually throwing her hands into the air and setting off for the cellars.

She needed a drink, and a strong one at that.

-Northern Fortress-

A young man sat up with a gasp, glancing around furiously. "It… was the dream again…"

He sighed and placed his feet on the floor, the bare skin aching on the cold stone. He didn't know why, but he'd had this dream before. A confrontation between his siblings, those he knew to be his siblings, and others who claimed as much. It was the third dream is as many nights.

This time it was different though.

On the side of his siblings stood a black Pegasus mounted by a figure clad in burning metal along with a demon with skin made of ice and steel, a glowing blade in hand.

On the side of the strangers writhed a great serpent of water, its eyes bulging with primordial power, while a six armed-three faced demon with a sword in each hand slaughtered its way through the Nohrian forces.

Then the scene changed, showing a great canyon that seemed to be without end. Deep in the darkness lay a river of light, bands of purple energy arcing between the white strands in a dazzling display.

In the sky above hunted wolves of lightning, all surrounding a figure of flames with great wings of fire stretching to cover the horizon.

Finally, the scene changed yet again to show but two colors. Light brown and light blue.

Sighing into the cool air, the young man stood and stretched. "Alright, what shall we do today?"

Looking around with bright red eyes, he set off to find his friends. It'd be entertaining to see them react to his early waking.

Especially since he hadn't gotten his usual case of grape-colored bedhead.