A/N: Okay, we have two big things to celebrate today! First off, we hit over 400 reviews last chapter- I honestly can't believe there are that many!

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I've got a raging fire in my hands now, cos the keys on my computer are HOT!

The Deadlords

"Well…" Kirito muttered as the Aincrad Warriors looked across the sandy field that stood between them and the gates to Castle Plegia's temple. "There's a sight." A great mass of Risen, perhaps two or three hundred stood between them and their goal, not to mention that there were sure to be plenty of other defenses awaiting them inside. Perhaps most disturbingly, none of them were moving to attack, or even moving at all. They all just regarded the intruders with glowing, empty eyes.

"I find the mindless horde travelling here a lot more perturbing," Yui said, her white wings shining even in the afternoon light. She was referring to the hundreds of thousands of people that they had all seen on their way to the castle since their last skirmish. Whenever one of the Shepherds tried to speak to them, whomever they talked to would only mumble some phrase or another about 'Grima's Table'. No one knew what that meant, but they all knew it couldn't be good.

"I'm more worried about the unlucky thirteen out there than all the others put together," Mataras said grimly, his wings vibrating impatiently. "See them?" The fairies were waiting for the other Shepherds to arrive, having already overrun the outer and middle walls of the castle.

"I see 'em," Sinon nodded after scanning the battlefield. Her sharp eyes had spotted the beings of which the Black Spirit spoke. Twelve of them were Risen, but unlike the hordes that surrounded them, they did not appear nondescript; each of them were wearing fierce, deadly-looking armor, and wielding weapons that looked like they could a man just by touching them. The thirteenth was Aversa, wearing her proud smile as she waited for the Ylisseans to come to her.

"Which one's the worst, do you think?" Asuna asked as she gripped her rapier tightly.

"Aversa," Kirito and Mataras said in unison. Glancing at one another with a slightly feral grin, the elder Kirigaya added, "She might have about as much common sense as a Risen, but she definitely still has more brains than they do."

"That's not really saying much," Mataras chuckled.

"Never said it was," Kirito replied. The two men bumped fists, much to everyone else's surprise.

"Since when were you two so buddy-buddy?" Lisbeth asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Since I started being even remotely 'buddy' material," Mataras shot back. His smirk quickly turned into a frown as he muttered, "But where in the blazes are the others?"

No sooner than he had spoken, the wall below them exploded, causing the fairies to scatter in order to avoid being hit by the rubble. "You had to ask, didn't you?!" Leafa shrieked.

"Blame Morgan and Marth!" Mataras snapped as the stones finally stopped flying upwards. "I'm sure that they're behind this!"

"What gave us away?" a soft male voice said, accompanied by the fluttering of undine wings.

"Your flair for the melodramatics," Mataras growled as he watched Marth rise up to meet him, Sachi holding onto him firmly as she flew the two of them up to meet Kirito.

"Then I suppose it's a genetic trait, because this was Father's idea," Marth said as they finished levelling with the other fairies. Down below, the Risen still had yet to move. "He said that the rubble will make for good ammunition for our wind mages.

"Not a bad idea, just give us some warning next time!" Kirito grumbled. "We could've been killed!"

"Doubtful," Marth grinned slightly.

"Lady Sachi, could you, I don't know, maybe just accidentally lose your grip on him?" Mataras growled through gritted teeth.

"Sorry, I think Lucina would be very angry if I did that," the girl shook her head quickly.

"We could always say that the Risen did it," Mataras argued.

"I'm right here, and we're about to begin our attack," Marth said, annoyed.

"I know you're there, that's why I-" Mataras paused as he looked down to see the Shepherds gathered together, with Robin and Chrom at their head. "Wait, now?"

"Now," Marth nodded.

"Then let's get to it," Kirito said, drawing his swords along with the other fairies. "Tell Chrom that we're all ready." Yui rejoined them to fight beside her brother, brushing dirt off of her Ylissean healer's gown.

"Done," Marth nodded. Looking at Mataras, he added before Sachi began to descend, "My terms still hold."

"As do mine," Mataras replied coldly.

"What was that?" Yui asked, concerned.

"Let's call it a bet," her brother answered. "And he's set up to lose, but he's probably got something up his sleeve."

"Is that good or bad?" Yui asked, her concern turning into suspicion.

Mataras' answer was accompanied by a wolf's smile. "Depends on who you're asking."

"Charge!" Chrom's voice rang across the field, spurring the others to action.

"Feast on the living!" Aversa shouted back, her words seeming to stir whatever life was left in the Risen soldiers. With a collective groan, they all swarmed forward at their mistress' behest.

"Yui!" Mataras shouted, extending his hand, darkness emanating from his palm.

"We're continuing this later!" the girl scowled, her expression bearing such a similarity to his own for a moment that he nearly laughed.

The laugh was held back by both the current situation, and the thought, What that there would be a 'later', dear sister… Inhaling sharply, he barked, "Flux!"

"Iyadi!" Yui cried. Their magics melded briefly and exploded between the charging forces, sending the remains of dozens of Risen back at their fallen brethren. The Shepherds gained more room to build momentum from this, and gain they did.

Like a nail being driven into wood, the small-yet-elite force of dedicated Ylisseans charged into the pack of Risen, ready to confront their destinies.

The fight was going surprisingly well, Robin thought with a frown.

"What's that look for?" Chrom asked as he beheaded a Risen axeman. "We're winning aren't we?"

"Yeah, that's why I'm worried," the tactician frowned as he incinerated a zombie that was trying to maul Owain. "This is too easy."

"Owain needs no aid!" the boy cried, affronted that he had been caught in a bind like that.

"He does when his mother tells him he does!" Lisa scolded him as she blew back another trio with an Arcwind spell. "Thanks, Robin!"

"You call this easy?!" Chrom grunted as he blocked and subsequently shoved back a swordsman so that Robin could finish him off with a burst of lightning. "We're not even halfway to Aversa yet!"

"That may be so, but despite our progress…" Robin paused before whipping out his Levin Sword and zapping a dark mage. "…she doesn't seem very worried, does she?"

"What are you saying?" Chrom asked as he leaned on his sword for a short breather.

"I don't think they want to stop us," Robin frowned. "Just slow us down."

Back in the dark room, the hooded figure was chuckling to themselves as they watched the battle unfold, everything taking place just as he had known it would. "Just as you suspect, dear Robin, this is not a battle of extermination… yet," he grinned. "I must be getting rusty at this whole 'tactician' game. I wouldn't have realized as much until far later than now. Fortunately, I've had all the time in the world to think about this…"

He sat in silence for several more minutes before there was a knock at his door. Sighing to himself, he waved a hand at the viewing orb, causing it to darken as he said, "Enter." He heard the sound of someone coming in, but before they could speak, he said, "If this is yet another 'we are even closer to having altar prepared' announcement, I'm going to skin whoever that is, alive."

There was a tense pause before Validar's voice said with a slight tremble, "We are ready, my lord."

The hooded man sat perfectly still for a few more moments to make his favorite servant sweat a little before standing up slowly and hissing, "Then let our guests in. After all, it's rude to keep people waiting."

Waving his hand at the chess table, he arranged the pieces until only the black king and bishop sat a couple of spaces away from the white king and knight. It was, of course, set up so that it was all but impossible for one of the white pieces to get away without sacrificing the other.

"Welcome to your doom, Prince Chrom," the man chuckled as he left the room, Validar close behind him.

It took about half an hour, but the Shepherds and the fairies finally came within a few yards of Aversa and the twelve strange Risen that Mataras and Sinon had noticed before. "Welcome back to Plegia, little princeling," Aversa said wickedly. "Did you miss us so?"

"I missed the chance to carve out your heart," Mataras growled, pointing his sword at her directly. "You used my rage well, temptress. Taking my focus off of you by supplying me an opponent you knew I would never pass up on the chance to kill… It's a mistake that will not be repeated."

"Ah yes, you made short work of that little plaything of mine rather quickly," Aversa admitted. "You surprise me, boy. What does a little man like you have in common with the virtuous Shepherds?"

"Blood," he shot back immediately.

"Blood ties?" she laughed. "That's all? You never considered once renouncing those useless things in order to pursue your own interests?"

"Blood runs thicker than water or honor," the Black Spirit. "No matter my own ambitions or desires, blood will always win out in the end. For it is the inescapable design of human beings to be bound to one another through our blood… Something I doubt that you could understand."

Interestingly enough, this seemed to give Aversa pause, which in turn caused the remaining Risen to shuffle in place. It seemed that she had somewhat of a more direct mental link to these elite soldiers.

"I do not know of blood ties," she said. "Lord Validar is my only family, yet it is only by his mercy that I still breathe." The implications only took a moment to sink in.

"He's… your father?!" Chrom sputtered, eyes wide. Aversa's smug expression was the only answer that they needed. "Does that make you and Robin…?" He looked over at robin, who seemed to be just as abhorred at that little revelation as his leader did.

"I would not presume to call him my father," Aversa grinned, her dark eyes flashing. "He found me, a filthy wretch that had no home. Yet he took me in and gave me a purpose, when he had no real reason to do so. I know that he does not love me, but all that I know of love is directed towards him- should he ask that I die, I would gladly lay down my life."

"What a blinkered existence," Kirito said with disgust. "Blind service is not love- it's just a mindless duty fit for a drone."

"Then a drone I am, and a drone I am content to stay," Aversa chuckled. "Your attempts at rhetoric have failed, Shepherds. There is nothing left to be said."

"Oh, I think someone here has plenty to say," Chrom said as Robin stepped forward, lightning dancing across his sword. "Shepherds, it appears that we've stumbled into another family matter. Let's give the two of them some space, shall we?"

"If you think that all of you can hold off these twelve, the Deadlords," Aversa chuckled darkly as the Risen shook off their stupor and began to advance, "you'll be sorely disappointed. Each of these here were celebrated warriors of their times, rivalling that of Ike and the rest. One wrong move, and you'll be going to join their souls on the other side."

"Then it's a good thing that we've got leaders that trained us with that in mind," Morgan said as she stepped up to the front of the crowd alongside Marth and her mother. A blue tome was in her hand, Marth and Lucina's Falchions were poised to strike. "We don't have to worry about our mistakes, lady. Cos we've got each other's backs exactly for that reason."

"How poetic," Aversa said with a roll of her eyes. "Lord Validar promised me rather savory rewards if I brought him the heads of you two abominations."

"Keep them off of us," Robin ordered Chrom, his eyes never wavering from Aversa's. "I'm going to have a little chat with my 'sister' here."

"You heard the man!" Chrom shouted. "Get them!"

The second round of violence began, and it quickly astonished the Shepherds just how hard a dozen Risen could fight back.

Back in the now-unoccupied room of Validar's master, a shadow finally stirred that had been stock-still for several hours now. It peeled away from the drapes from which it had concealed itself, stretched its cramped muscles, groaning softly with relief as the blood began to flow properly again.

"Man, that guy talks to himself a lot," the figure muttered as it moved closer to the table with the chess board and the viewing orb. Their eyes quickly scanned the game board before the owner laughed to themselves a bit and picked up two pieces that had been knocked aside.

"You think you've already got a checkmate all lined up?" they grinned wickedly. "We'll just see about that." Their hand moved quickly and the two pieces found themselves standing beside the white king and knight.

"I think these cult-worshiping freaks are about to be surprised at just how much of a difference another knight and pawn can make."

The Shepherds and the Warriors of Alfheim together made up a unit of seven-and-fifty fighters altogether. So the fact that it was taking every single one of them besides Robin and his family to hold them off was surprising in the extreme, especially after they had just plowed through at least two centuries of the mindless fighters.

"Why won't these things die?!" Kirito grunted just before he was bashed off his feet, courtesy of a blow from a heavily armored Risen wielding an axe. He saw Mataras incoming, so he beat his wings just hard enough to keep himself off the ground and curl his legs up to his waist in preparation. "Mako!" he grunted, hoping that he would get the message.

"I told, you, then name's Mataras!" he grunted as he leaped up, his own feet coming down to plant themselves of Kirito's heels. With a mighty heave, Kirito shoved his son forward with his legs, propelling him to his maximum velocity in the span of a half-second.

The boy sped faster than a bullet to slam into the armored Risen, his sword piercing where the heart should be, followed up with a burst of darkness into the monster's helmet. The dark being fell on its back, twitched once, then began to dissolve.

"Finally…" The boy grunted as he sank to his knees, dropping his sword as he cradled his left wrist, the one that he had used for magic. "Damn…" he grunted. "I broke my wrist…"

"How'd you manage that?" Kirito asked as he got up off the dirt.

"Tactic of mine," he hissed as Yui knelt beside him and began to heal the injured joint. "They're usually so busy focusing on the sword that they don't notice my palm-hand until their neck is broken. However, my opponents usually aren't wearing armor that thick- most Risen would never get anywhere with that weighing them down."

"Am I the only one that's totally wiped?" Asuna groaned as she looked over to see that everyone was still fighting the other deadlords. They had been fighting them for more than ten minutes by now, which seemed like an eternity on the battlefield. "These things are as strong as Walhart!"

"No joke," Mataras grunted as he flexed his wrist before thanking his sister. It wasn't completely healed, nor would it be without further treatment, but he could fight again. "I'd heard the tales of the Deadlords the same as the Outrealms, but I never expected them to be so powerful."

"Are you giving up?" Kirito teased him.

Mataras had the grace to crack a grin as he said, "Only after you do, old man."

"We should help out the others before they get overwhelmed," Yui advised them as she pointed at Stahl's group, which was struggling against a katana-wielding Risen.

"All right, I'll take the five on the right, the rest of you take the six on the left," Mataras grunted as he picked up his blade.

"Taking shortcuts are you?" Asuna asked with a raised eyebrow.

"I was planning on killing Aversa after I was done with those," he said as he flapped his black wings and took off into the air to gain momentum for his next attack.

"What an overachiever," Kirito said as he rolled his eyes.

"He's your son," Asuna replied.

"I've never tried that hard at anything!"

"Aversa, stand down!" Robin snapped as he batted aside a fireball from the dark mage before him.

"Why, so you can show me mercy?" she replied mockingly. "Show me the heinous error of my ways?"

"If what you say is true, then you are the closest thing to blood family I can ever have!" Robin shot back, even as Morgan and Aversa began to trade spells, Marth, Noire, and Lucina waiting on the sides for an opening to attack. "Validar is the puppet master, and so I cannot forgive him, but you?!" He ducked a dark pulse before lashing out with lightning and shouting, "I want to forgive you!"

"I don't want your forgiveness!" Aversa shouted, her eyes burning like black coals. Switching tomes, she blasted back Robin's family with a small tornado before using an Elwind spell to launch herself into the air.

Robin's eyes widened- it seemed like such a small detail, but to him it was a shock to see his own personal spin put on the aerokinetic spell. What's more, he knew for a fact that he had only ever shown it to Morgan and Marth- or so he'd thought.

"Aversa!" he shouted as he too, switched magic books. As soon as she landed back on the ground and looked at him, he used the same spell to launch himself as fast as Leafa when she took off on her wings. Their eyes connected for just a moment before they collided, his shoulder crashing into her abdomen just before they went rolling in the dust.

When they finally stopped, Aversa was retching from the intense impact while Robin was getting to his feet a bit unsteadily. He managed to straighten himself long enough to stumble over and sit beside the dark mage, saying, "That move… I would have never taught it to just anyone."

Despite the physical trauma that she had just endured, Aversa stopped struggling and froze where she was. Seeing this, Robin pressed on, saying, "I've only taught that variation of that spell… to my children. So why do you know it?"

"I…" she wheezed.

"Aversa," he said, the sound all around them seeming to quiet, despite the furious din of battle. "The truth."

Her eyes closed as she growled, "You taught it to me. What of it?"

Robin's gaze changed from a hard one to an expression of softness as he said, "You and I… We were close once, weren't we?"

"This has nothing to do with what is happening now," Aversa snapped as she tried to rise. "Whatever relationship we had as children has no bearing on-" Her words stopped as she felt Robin's hand on her back, keeping her in place, the gesture firm though not harsh.

"Stay down, please," he said softly. "I don't want to hurt you anymore, because you're wrong. The past only has whatever influence we allow it."

"Again, so what?!" Aversa grunted, her attempts to get up still proving futile. "We are enemies now!"

"We don't have to be," Robin said simply. "I don't want to be… And I don't think that you really want to, either."

"It's not about what we want anymore, Robin," Aversa protested, though her voice and struggling were growing weaker. "We…"

"We are not Validar's pawns to use," Robin told her, the flame of hope beginning to stir in his heart. "We were once family, you and I. Though I have no memory of such a time, I want to try to recapture that bond that we once shared, even if it was only a slim one."

"We cannot-"

"Just shut up and accept his offer," Marth said dryly, surprising the two of them. Looking up, they saw that Lucina, Noire, and Morgan were also standing beside him, weapons lowered. "Once my father has made up his mind to take someone in, there is very little that can make him renege that offer."

"Why should he accept someone that has tried to kill him- multiple times?" Aversa hissed, though it was clear that her resolve was beginning to waver. "I heard about what happened to that mage Tharja that joined you."

"Do you want to be like her?" Lucina interjected as she knelt on the other side of Aversa, across from her husband. "Do you want to be remembered as someone who was slave to her passions, or someone that broke her chains, and became the champion of time itself alongside her brother?"

"I could never be a hero," Aversa laughed bitterly. "Even if I were to give in and accept this oh-so-noble olive branch, I would be forever accursed by the Shepherds and Ylisse. Not to mention that Validar would terminate me on sight."

"You underestimate the Shepherds," Morgan said as she flipped to a page in the back of her blue divine tome. "You underestimate my father, and by extension, the rest of us here."

"What are you doing?" Robin asked as magical runes began to swirl around his daughter.

"I'm helping out my family," Morgan said as the book began to glow.

"What is that magic?" Aversa asked, her eyes widening as she felt the light begin to touch her. "What are you doing, child?"

"Grima and Naga have long been enemies," Morgan said, her voice taking on a solemn cadence. "The Fell Dragon sought ways to destroy and corrupt those favored by Naga, and in turn, she found way to bring that which is lost back to the light."

"Morgan, what is this magic that you're using?!" Robin asked, eyes wide as he felt a strange energy emanating from his child. "I've never seen it before!"

"Marth, what is your sister doing?!" Lucina asked as the girl became enveloped in a brilliant light that was too great to look at directly.

"I have no idea!" he shouted as he tried to make her out in the midst of the light, but with no success. "I've never seen this magic bef- Hey!" His fingers were suddenly empty- his sword was gone.

"Sorry, Brother, but I'll be borrowing Falchion," Morgan's voice said, though they still could not see her. "I need it for a moment."

"What are you doing?!" Aversa screamed.

"Words alone cannot reach you," Morgan replied calmly. It was such a different tone to the bouncy, energetic trill that they usually heard from her, Morgan's family found it hard to even believe that this was the same girl. "Validar has had a deeper hold on you than you could have ever known, Aversa… For it was not love that compelled you to follow him, but magic."

"There is no such magic!" Aversa grunted, finally getting to her feet, though the light was so bright by now that she could not tell which way was which.

"You deceive no one but yourself if you believe that," Morgan said. "Validar has twisted your memories, your very being, perverting them into a being of darkness that hardly resembles your true self. Come… let the light set you free."

"The light blinds us to the darkness in ourselves!" Aversa spat, trying to conjure a dark spell, but the light was too strong. "What…?!"

"Come back to yourself," the daughter of Robin said somberly. "By the light of the sun eternal, and the Divine Dragon that safeguards its light… purge all that may be dark in this twisted vessel: Solaris!" The light suddenly drew in on itself, converging onto a single point- Marth's Falchion, now in the grip of Morgan- and aimed directly at Aversa's chest.

The witches' eyes widened for a brief second before Morgan ran her through. "May the dark prison holding you die with this blow," the girl said. She yanked the blade out, but instead of blood spilling forth, light beams sprang from the wound before looping around on themselves and forming a cocoon around the dark woman.

"Remember who you are, Aversa…" Morgan said, Falchion falling from her hands just before her eyes rolled up into her head and she collapsed. Not a moment later, the cocoon exploded and Aversa fell beside the girl, also unconscious.

There was a silence on the battlefield so loud, it made robin look up to see if there was anyone still alive. Fortunately, all of the Shepherds were still alive, though several of them had sustained injuries while fighting the deadlords. Apparently the blinding light had allowed the others to slay the dark warriors.

It was Khan Flavia who broke the extended silence. "All right, what the damn hell just happened here?!"

"Master?" Validar asked nervously as the hooded man looked over his shoulder. "Is everything well?"

"Things have… taken an interesting turn," the man muttered. "No matter. At this point, the change shall work in our favor. Robin and the others will be further delayed by this development, which gives us more time to prepare."

"Do I have permission to begin, then?" Validar asked eagerly.

"You do," the man nodded. "But if you cast the barrier before the right moment…" His eyes flared red under the hood as he growled, "Count yourself among those at the Table. Am I clear?"

"Crystal," Validar nodded with a nervous swallow.

"As long as we understand each other," the man nodded with a satisfied smile. Raising his arms, he said with a triumphant expression, "It is time… After a thousand long years, your god has returned!"

"Robin, we need to go, now," Chrom insisted. The Shepherds were gathered around Robin, who was sitting next to Aversa, who was out cold on the sand, cradling Morgan in his arms. Her breathing was shallow, her skin pale.

"I'm not leaving Morgan like this!" Robin snapped. Looking over at Tiki, he demanded, "What was that magic she used?!"

"A spell that not even I would dare to cast," Tiki said with a visible flinch. "It works against all but the strongest of Grima's enchantments to undo their effects in their entirety. However, even attempting to cast it is to gamble with one's life, due to the amount of raw magic energy and the high level of skill it requires to cast. She may not have realized what she was doing."

"She may be hair-brained, but my sister is not stupid," Marth said sternly. "She must have known exactly what she was getting into."

"Then why-?"

"Because if you had known how to, you would have tried it first, Robin," Asuna interrupted. "Morgan has your heart for others. She's inherited more than your skills in battle and your head for history. She's got the same loving spirit as you do."

"That doesn't help us now!" Robin groaned, torn between his duty as a leader and his desire as a father to make sure that his child was safe.

"Father!" Marth said sternly. "I will stay and look after Morgan- right now, you need to go and stop Validar from destroying our futures! This is no time to hesitate!"

"I will stay with him," Mataras volunteered, shocking both of the other men.

"But…" Robin said, stunned. "What about…?"

"Your son believes in you," Mataras said. "Since most children seem to question their parents instead of trusting them, I think the fact that he's choosing to place faith in you now should be enough for me." His dark eyes bored into Robin's, and the man read the underlying message therein.

"You're sure about this?" he asked.

"No," Mataras shook his head. "But then, if I was certain of anything, what would be the point in having faith in the first place?"

To his surprise, Marth nodded grimly as he took Morgan from his father and murmured, "Well said, Black Spirit." When the others continued to hesitate, the future prince scowled and said, "Go!" The shout startled some of them into moving, and from there, it was easy enough for Chrom to get them moving to the inner walls of the castle.

Still, Robin hesitated one last time. He looked back to see his son looking directly at him, so he asked, "I can't change your mind?!"

"No!" Marth shook his head as he pointed at the dark gates behind his father.

"Go on!" Mataras shouted. "Save the future!" Robin finally gave in, turning around and running to be swallowed by the darkness. And even though he couldn't hear the boy, Mataras added, "Save us all…"

Robin: Well, congratulations are in order now, I suppose.

Yui: Yeah, nice job on setting up that webpage!

Kirito: So, what kind of prizes are we talking about for that?

Asuna: Always going straight for the goodies, aren't you?

Mataras: Haha, it's fine. I'm actually very excited myself! So to answer his question, one has the opportunity to get ahold of:

Early-release chapters!

Original art pieces created by the artist who does the images for most of my stories (including my actual book series)!

Live video chats with myself and others on my team!

...and other awesome stuff!

Sinon: Okay, ho are you, and what did you do with Mataras? You're never this excited.

Mataras: Hey! Even I have my moments!

Special thanks go to:

Northern Warrior

N-Sight