A/N: 4k words and sheer determination to get the previous chapter to my readers...
One review.
*slow clapping* This is just painful.
Guh... My head feels like it's spinning all over the place.
...
Wait a second... I'm actually alive?!
Er, maybe I'm dead, and I don't know it.
... Wait... Am I in a room... An actual room?!
With a fire?!
...Where the hell am I?
I try to lift my head up to view my surroundings, only to have a sharp pain echo through my body.
GAH! SH- "Ravel?! Are you finally awake?!" Guh? What? Maribelle?!
... Huh? "W-What? What's going on?"
She frowns. "You were quite beaten in your last battle. Had the Ylissean army not approached when they had, you may have very well died." She smiles, before turning around and picking up a small glass. "Would you care for some tea?" What? Maribelle's offering me tea? Eh, why not?
"That would be good." Wait a second... I don't like tea.
Unfortunately... I already have the cup and am already bringing it to my mouth.
...
Ah, that was really refreshing. Didn't realize that I was that thirsty...
And that I could drink steaming hot tea in two gulps.
I look down at the empty cup nervously, before putting on a fake and still-nervous grin and looking back up at Maribelle.
"D-did I drink it wrong...?" I ask with complete uncertainty.
She nods. "You did, indeed. Yet I do not mind at this moment. It is a relief more or less that you are awake." she smiles, before grabbing a couple of cloths and placing them on my forehead.
Huh. "How long was I out for?"
She turns to me, her smile gone and her face straightened. "You were unconscious for about three days, if I had to make an estimation. Your friends were worried sick about you."
Oh.. Oh yeah! "So everyone's made it out alright?!" I smile. It's nice to know that we didn't lose.
Her smiles disappears. Wait.. That's not good. Oh don't tell me.
"There were... Some casualties..." she pales a bit, before looking into my eyes. "After the Grimleal forces had retreated, we had a tally of the mercenaries. We had counted only seven, including you."
I feel myself go cold. Not counting Gorge... There were me, Geoff, Tom, Ayla, Jafray, that Anna, Laurent, Alyssa, and Wilson. Calina and Niro had gotten the army...
Altogether, that makes ten people... Not counting Gorge. So only seven people survived, that means that four other people died...
Gods, this is worse than I expected...
I'm almost afraid to ask... "D-Do you know who all survived...?"
She sighs. "As far as I know, some of the other survivors include Geoff," I hear her murmur something as she says his name, "Two mages, Ayla, Niro, and an Anna. There may have been other survivors, yet whether or not they have been found has yet to have been told. Your friends may know who had died." she cringes a bit subtly, yet I simply sigh in response.
Gods, this is my fault. "If only I was able to help them..." I mutter.
She turns toward me, suddenly appearing angry. "You had done all in your power!" she yells. Well, more like a yell-whisper. "But according to Robin, one of our lower ranking Lieutenants had imprisoned two of your friends during the battle. He had almost cost all of Ylisstol to fall." after her slight rage ceases, a smile passes back onto her face. "I am pleased to assure you that the lieutenant has been punished for his rash actions." She gathers another cloth, before placing it onto another of my wounds and leaving the room.
Judging by how quickly she left the room, I'm willing to bet that she's going to tell the others that I'm awake.
I frown, still thinking about who could have died. Or maybe nobody else died at all, and the others were just seperated.
Y-Yeah.. That could be it. Or maybe it isn't.
I could just rip my hair out this is so ago-!
I immediately dart my gaze to the door, only to see it burst open, about a dozen people rushing into the rather small room.
Hah! So they were a bit more eager than necessary.
Wow, looks like everyone's here.
Geoff, Tom, Ayla, and Laurent are here... Not too surprised there. Huh? Chrom's here... Sumia.. Robin... Maribelle... Even Lissa's here. And of course there's Lon'qu and Susan...
Gods, this feels like some sort of cheesy reunion from one of those sitcoms... Which is ironic, considering I just found out that half of my friends died.
Gah.. My friends are dead...
J-Just forget it, Ravel! You can grief for your fallen comrades later!
But dishonoring them would be wrong...
Wrong... Whatever.. It's not like they're listening to my thoughts!
THEY COULD BE! Quit acting like you know everything that goes on in this world!
Grrrr... I'll have you know that-! Don't you-! JUST SHUT THE HE-!
"Er... Is it just me, or is Ravel looking a bit angry?" Geoff mutters.
"Maribelle... Maybe you put a bit too much towels on him.." Lissa says through a grin.
"Perhaps I was caught up in the moment..." the Troubadour frowns.
This sends a wave of laughter across the group.
Alright... I think I'm back together now..
"H-Hey guys... Sorry about a few seconds ago.." I grin. "Just a bit... Nervous..." Said grin disappears.
"Nervous? Why would you be nervous? If anything, we should be the ones to be nervous around the Hero of Ylisse." Chrom seems to be speaking for the rest of the group... Sort of.
H-Hero of Ylisse? H-Holy shit. That's flattering. "N-No.. That's not why I'm nervous. I just... I just heard that not everyone had survived that last battle ."
Everyone's grins instantly had flattened into frowns.
... "Yeaaaaaaaaah..." Geoff puts on a fake grin and holds a hand behind his head. "Niro's busy grieving. Dude's been locked in the room for days... I think I saw Calina get struck down... Not sure where Jafray went... Maybe the same happened to him."
I frown. It doesn't take a genius to figure out who died that's causing Niro to be upset.
Damn. I should probably avoid him for a while...
Because... This is all... My... Fault...
Oh gods, what have I done?!
Out of the corner of my eye, I spot half of the people in the room back away, most of them leaving the room.
I'm crying, aren't I?
... Shit. I've gone for three years without crying... and for once, I'm actually crying at my own will... Or against it. I dunno. It's just... It doesn't feel like something is forcing me like it did last time.
Gods. Grima...
"Uh... Should we go...?" I hear Geoff ask.
I nod lightly, before rolling onto my side. I barely notice the sharp pain as I slowly fall asleep.
Geoff
"Good Gods!" I yell to Lissa. "I've never seen him break down like that before..."
"Well wouldn't you do it if your friends died?" she frowns at me. Seems like she sympathizes. I think half of the Shepherds did. Robin's still a bit upset about all that happened.
"I wasn't THAT bad. I think half of that pain is from having been the leader. He's messed up lot's of times before- his luck's not too good- but still..."
Lissa shrugs. "I guess things are all over now. Chrom and Sumia are planning their honeymoon. Thinking about going to this beach resort in the Outrealms. And the guards are on the watch, so we aren't at risk for more attacks. So for the most part, things are getting kinda quiet..."
"Yeah..." I sigh. "In all honesty, I like the action."
"I don't." she frowns. "I sorta missed the peace. Never really got it when I was little. But it's what Emm would have wanted." she sheds a couple of tears, before wiping them and looking toward me. "Hey. Ricken and Maribelle are gonna be going on a date later today, and she wants me to be there. I was wondering... If you wanted to come with me...?" Her face turns red as she looks up to me.
What?
WHAT?! The princess of Ylisse is asking me out on a date?
That is... Just.. Holy shit... "S-sure." I grin.
Oh my gods, this is best thing e- AAAAGH!
Gah! C-Can't... Breathe... "Lissa... You're hugging me... Too... Tight..."
She looks up to me and grins. "A few more seconds..?" Agh.. Not the damn puppy face!
Can't... Resist... "F-Fine.." I groan.
"I can't wait to tell Maribelle!" she squeals.
"Oh no..." I whimper.
Tom
Sigh. Not even this library has anything relating to this tome. I still wonder what the thing is. We've long since established that it's wind, sure, but this says absolutely nothing about it's historical records! If it was any kind of normal tomes, other types of mages would use it. But since it's seemingly one of a kind, that would mean that it has some sort of significance. Is it-!
"Greetings, my little Russian Doll." Oh no.
No. "Go away, Susan!" I yell, not even turning around.
"Oh come on... Why not? We've hardly said a thing to eachother since we got to Ylisse. What, do you hate me or something?"
"I thought we agreed that I hate everyone... Just some more than others..." Except Ravel and Geoff. Those two are exceptions.
"Gee, isn't that nice?" she groans and I hear the sounds of her footsteps get closer. "While we're at it, are we going to burn down an orphanage?"
... That felt not-at-all like her. Whatever.
"Just leave me alone." I groan. "I'd rather not have someone bother me right now."
"Ouch. Fine. Suit yourself. I'll just go hang out with Lon'qu then."
I hear her footsteps gradually fade, until I hear her no more.
It's about time. I was about to think that she'd try kidnapping me.
... Huh. Nothing happened. Good. So the universe isn't going to beat me up like it did with Ravel.
I spot a book... 'Tomes of the Centuries', and pull it off of the shelf, before turning and placing it on a nearby table.
Let's see... Chapter one: The Origin of the Tome...
Ravel
I simply sigh into the darkness in front of me.
"And here I was thinking that you'd gone and abandoned us. After what's occurred since you've left us alone, I wouldn't be surprised if you had." I stomp on the ground... Is there ground..? Hmph.
Jeremiah materializes in front of me, the room turning white to accompany him. "I fail to see why you are so mad at me, all of a sudden."
"Fail? FAIL?! Are you some kind of Celestial idiot?!" I scream. "My friends DIED! And yet you were nowhere to be found! What were, you doing, having your stupid little tea party with Sygil?!" I summon a table in front of me, before looking up to Jeremiah and grinning.
"Don't flip the table." he keeps a straight face, somehow.
I do it anyways, earning a groan from the old man.
"Do you have anything better to do? I'll end this dream sequence if you do not."
"I'm only halfway through the timeskip." I smile. "Anyways, I have some questions." I immediately spawn a dream into the room, and proceed to sit in it.
... Hrm. "First, could I summon a butler with my dream powers?"
"No. Why would you want to-?!"
"Don't doubt me." Man, I never thought I'd be back-talking an angel. Or at least, I think he's an angel.. Sort of. "Second: what's the catch?"
"W-What?"
"You heard me: the catch. I've had this gut feeling ever since that first Grimleal battle that there was more to this than seems."
"Why are you suddenly so confi-!"
"Don't change the subject. Or else I'll spawn something dangerous."
"What do you mean dangero-"
"Ahem." I clap, a rather large wyvern appearing beside me. "I presume you already have met Rysor?" I grin.
He nods a bit unwillingly, causing my grin to grow.
"Do you know what it would look like if Rysor was ten times bigger?"
"Y-Yes. I'm aware. Yet I tell you: There is no catch. You simply receive a great reward for completing the Celestial Games."
"Hrm... Tell me what the reward is."
"I know nothing of the sort, only that it is very specia-!"
"'Kay. Be subtle about it. Fine. Not like I ca-!"
"ENOUGH!" Rysor and the chair immediately disappear, yet I'm still floating... Somehow. Jeremiah glares at me. "I have had enough of this conversation. Your questions shall not be answered! Begone!" The room fades to a sort of corridor, a bright light at the end.
... Oh. "I guess I have to run down it?"... My random rebel mode is gone. I'll probably just walk down it. Plus I'm sick of being asleep. Soooooooo...
"Good morning." I see a few people standing above me, but my vision's clouded, so I can't really tell who they are. I think the person who asked was Maribelle... No telling.
"I back-talked an angel." I grin.
... That's a lot of laughter. Come to think of it, maybe it isn't such a good idea to say something the moment you wake up.
And now I'm red. Shit.
"Anyways," Geoff says as he ceases his laughter. So why's he in here? "The hex has finally worn off, so we've gotten you healed. So Chrom and Robin want to talk to you after you get up."
"We've?" I hear Lissa ask. "We're the one that did all of the work."
"Ahem, Lissa. We have and We are." Maribelle explains. This earns a groan from half of the room, including me.
"That's it, I'm outta here. Thanks for everything, Maribelle." I climb out the bed, before grabbing some clean clothes and leaving the room.
"Hey, Chrom? Robin?" I peek into the door. "You wanted to talk...?"
I see Robin motion me toward a seat in front of them. I nod, and sit in said seat.
"So, what is it?" I ask.
Chrom looks toward Robin, before turning back toward me. "We honestly didn't expect you to come so soon..." I see him bite his lip, yet he simply shakes his head.
"Anyways, ever since the battle of Myra, Robin and I were considering whether we could recruit you into the Shepherds. At the time, it did not seem like such a good idea, since your were in the mercenary group. We don't want to seem like we're jumping at an opportunity, but..." Robin pauses, yet eventually sighs and continues. "Would you like to join the Shepherds?"
I blink. "That would be great."
They simply stare, confused. "You don't have to..." Chrom says.
I shrug. "What choice do I have? Most of the mercenaries are dead, the others are depressed, and me? I'm a terrible tactician. I'd do better as a follower than a leader."
Robin nods. "Alright, then. First, you are going to have to do some paperwork."
... "Paperwork? I have to do paperwork?"
Robin sighs. "Yeah, but if you can't read, I can just ask you the que-"
"Are you kidding? I can read." I give a light chuckle, before taking the paper from him.
"You can? It's just... We had heard from multiple mercenaries that you had used to work at the Ylisstol Blacksmith, and so we assumed that you couldn't..." Chrom quiets down, probably to try and not offend me.
Yet I just shrug. "No problem. I understand. Besides, I can read pretty quickly."
They hand me a quil, and I look toward the paper.
Full name? Er... 'Ravel Jerome Iote III'. I wonder how the hell I actually had remembered that.
Question one... Place of Origin...
Ylisstol, Ylisse.
Two: Class.
Hmph. Trickster.
Three? Strengths and Weaknesses.
Sigh. I hate this part. Strengths: Strength, Speed. Weakness: Luck.
"You're an unlucky Trickster?" I hear Chrom whisper. He's immediately shushed by Robin, yet I shrug it off.
Alright... Four.
Describe yourself in a few sentences.
Le-gasp! Is this a Roster entry?!
Good thing I had one per-memorized for me! ...or did Jeremiah just place it into my brain or something? Anyways,
An unusual individual with a slight hero-complex. He may act sometimes uncaring, but underneath the sarcasm is a kind and loyal person. The best at conducting electricity. Born on February 15th.
It looks even better on paper. Yay.
Signature... Alright! Great!
I pass the paper to Robin, who quickly gazes over it.
"...Interesting." he smiles, before digging in a nearby drawer and pulling out a pin. "Anyways, welcome to the Shepherds!"
I place a grin onto my face as I take the pin.
"You may leave now, if you wish." Chrom nods.
I smile, thank them, and get up.
As I step out of the room, I hear Robin quietly mutter "How did he know how to write the biography?" Earning a devious grin from me. Come to think of it, wasn't the roster magical or something? Maybe the universe auto-shifts it based on the information it is given. Heh. It would barely have to change mine. I hope...
So... I'm in the Shepherds?
That's it?
... Alright. So I guess I have about eight months until Valm!
Yet how will I pass the time until then...
"Help!" Huh? I look at the other end of the hall to see a guard rushing down it. "Risen are attacking the Eastern wall of Ylisstol!"
This sends a frenzy across the hall, various Shepherds barging out of the dorms.
So that's how it is, huh?
Well, so be it.
A/N: Le-gasp! It's over!... For now. But yeah! It took Twenty-five chapters just to join the Shepherds! Hah! Take that average self-insert! I have uniqueness!
... And OCs. Lots of them.
So that means I have to start the rewrite now.
...Damn. But then again, I haven't started it yet, so this will be the readers' chance to actually do something!
Please. Please. PLEASE! If you have any suggestions for something you may want to see or something changed in the rewrite, tell me it in a review.
If I get only one review like I did last time, I will summon dream-Rysor to kill you in your sleep.
Anyways, you don't have to specifically suggest things to me. You could just say what you liked about this story, so I can actually have some confidence restored.
So until then, my scarce amounts of readers...
And by the way, I actually did have that Roster entry pre-written. Yeah. I also have some for all of the other OCs. Even the future children, for some reason...
And I may also upload a couple of bonus chapters just so you can actually get some new content as opposed to simply rewritten things, though the rewrite will have new things...