A/N: Let the final pieces come to the chess board.
Uphill Battle
"That… is a lot of Grimleal," Kirito said, his eyes wide.
"Aye," his son said, echoing the sentiment. "Even I have only seen this number gathered in strength but once in my life."
The Shepherds were standing at the base of Origin Peak, where they had tracked Grima to his resting place. Despite it having been nearly three months since they last encountered the creature- what with having to run back and forth across the country, then gather together a few ships to take them to the island where the dark mountain loomed- he was only just now preparing to fully awaken, his evil powers finally fueled to their fullest extent. The upside to this was it had given everyone time to properly heal from their last encounter with Grima, which had been near-fatal for Kirito. Asuna had given him a stern lecture about being so careless in battle as soon as he had been well enough to listen properly.
Part of the Fell Dragon's grand introduction to the world, it seemed, was to have thousands of Grimleal and Risen standing between them and the lip of the mountain, where they knew him to be resting- or lying in wait. Perhaps both. Either way, several dozen fighters, elite or not, stood no chance against such a display of power.
Turning to Mataras, Robin asked, "How did you survive such an encounter, especially given how few of you there were?"
"We didn't," Mataras said grimly. "Well, Severa, Noire, and I did."
"What do you- oh," Chrom said.
"Yeah," the Black Spirit scowled.
"When we actually get up there, what is your big plan for taking down Grima?" Klein asked the young man. "You and Marth haven't said anything to anyone about it yet."
"And it's going to stay that way until it comes time for us to destroy him," Mataras glowered. "I dare not speak the plan aloud, lest he hear of it."
"Can he see us right now?" Klein asked, looking up at the mountain, almost as if expecting to see Grima's dragon head looking down at them.
"He always knew how to find us somehow," Lucina said somberly. "Whether he listens through the land or sees through the eyes of his servants, I do not know. But I am certain that he can hear us, possibly see us."
"Lemme give him an eyeful then," Klein grinned. Having a good idea of what was to come, Robin quickly put his hand in front of Lucina's eyes just before Klein turned around and mooned the Fell Dragon. "Get ready to kiss my ass, you stupid flying lizard!" he laughed while Mataras and Kirito face-palmed simultaneously.
Lucina, who did not understand what was going on, tried to remove her husband's hand from her face, but he said, "Trust me, Lucina. You're not missing much."
"But I hear his forces beginning to move," she protested while Klein pulled his pants back up. "I should think that I need to be able to see in order to fight properly." Once Klein was decent again, Robin took his hand off while shooting a small glare at Klein, who merely smirked in response.
"I'm telling Cordelia that you did that," Kirito said.
"I'll tell Asuna about that quest you and I did together in Alfheim- you know, the one with the hot loot?" Klein shot back.
Kirito paled and said, "We swore never to speak of that again!"
"You swore," Klein corrected him. "I waited patiently to use it as blackmail."
"How about we worry about the subtleties of backstabbing our friends later?" Robin said as he pointed up the mountain to indicate Grima's forces, who were beginning to stir. "We've got company."
"Yeah, speaking of that…" Chrom said as he drew the Exalted Falchion. "Looks like we should begin putting up our defenses- see if we can weather this out."
"Not planning on attacking?" Mataras asked with a raised eyebrow. "Trust me, if you want to make this a contest of endurance, Grima will win."
"He's right," Robin nodded as he rubbed his head, shaking it as if to rid himself of some kind of memory. "He can… He has the power to produce legions far greater in number than this one. He knows that even this is overkill, but of course he derives pleasure from seeing people lose hope."
"So why aren't we throwing our hands up and wailing yet?" Klein smirked. "I think someone's got a plan…"
"Not unless you can summon an army out of thin air," Chrom muttered.
Robin blinked once before looking at Chrom, then realized that he was being sarcastic. "Um, Chrom?" he asked. "About that…"
"Oh come on, Robin, not even you can-" Chrom paused before looking straight at his best friend. "Of course you can," he sighed. "Just do it- I don't even want to know how."
"Did I miss something?" Klein asked as Robin grinned and reached into the pockets inside his cloak. "What's Robin doing?"
Up above, the dark forces were now charging at the heroes of Ylisse and Aincrad.
"My ace card," the Grandmaster grinned. "Literally my ace cards."
"Wha-?"
"Come forth!" Robin cried as he pulled out a deck of intricately decorated cards. "My Einherjar!" There was a sound of thunder, a blinding flash of light. When it faded, the gathered forces of light were stunned at what they saw.
Standing between them and their enemy was a whole host of soldiers, having appeared out of nowhere. Yet these were not ordinary soldiers, no. These were stories heroes and villains, all.
"Is that… Ike?" Chrom asked as he pointed at the tall, muscular warrior, easily carrying Ragnell over his shoulder. "And over there, Legion?"
"Look- there stands Alm, another famed wielder of the Falchion," Lucina added.
"Master Robin," said an unfamiliar voice, accompanied by a young warrior who carried a familiar sword at his hip. Marth bowed his head in a gesture of respect to the Ylissean tactician before saying, "We await your orders, sir."
"Marth?!" Chrom gaped. "Is that really you?!"
"I am the Prince of Altea, yes," the young man nodded as he looked Chrom up and down. "Pray tell, have we met? You look familiar somehow…"
"N-No, we're-" he began, but Robin intervened.
"We'll have time to chat later," the blond man said. "Right now, we have but one goal in mind." He pointed at advancing enemy force and said, "They stand between us and our destination. I need you and the others to destroy them so that we may reach the summit unhindered."
"No small task," Marth said as he gazed at Grima's army.
"I wouldn't have called upon you otherwise," Robin grinned slightly. "What say you?"
"I say that nothing worth having is gained without a fight of some kind," Marth replied as he turned away, drawing his sword. "We shall destroy them for you, sir."
"Very good," Robin nodded. Raising his voice, he said, "Einherjar- heroes of your homelands! Prove that your titles are not just names given- prove that your names should be feared by those that would stand against you!" The summoned fighters growled their approval and began swarming out to meet the dark forces, ready to battle to the death at Robin's behest.
"You have some explaining to do, old friend," Chrom said as he turned to look at Robin. "What are they? Some kind of Risen?"
"They are what Grima tried to create when he made the Risen," Robin answered. "In the Outrealms, they resided as ghosts, locked in eternal combat until the day that someone would come and give them new purpose. They don't seem to realize that they are no longer alive, but it doesn't seem to concern them, either. All that matters to them is service to the one that holds their card- me, in this case."
"How long does the, err… contract, last?" Klein asked, still a bit in awe of the sight of two armies of the undead fighting each other.
"Unknown, but thus far none of them have seemed to want to leave," Robin shrugged. "The point it, I was saving them for something exactly like this."
"Why not save them for the actual fight against Grima?" Kirito asked.
"If we had fought this horde on our own, we would have been exhausted when we came to stand against the Fell Dragon himself," Robin answered. "We need to be as fresh as possible for that battle.
"Fair enough," Klein nodded- it made sense to him. "So now what?"
"Now we follow my army and wipe out any stragglers," Robin said as he pointed back at the colliding forces. It was proving to be a massacre. The unorganized, mindless Risen were no match for the intelligent, driven forces of times gone by. "Shepherds, time to move out!"
"That's my line!" Chrom complained.
As the Shepherds made their way up the mountain with the Einherjar carving a path for them, Mataras made it a point to stop and talk to Marth once they were about halfway up the mountain. "How's it holding together?" he asked in a low voice.
"Better than I expected," Marth replied in an equally low tone. "We're ready."
"Good," Mataras murmured. "Remember, we can't let your grandfather deliver the final blow with his Falchion, or else he'll go through with his own plan."
"You'd better not hurt him," Marth growled.
"I have no reason to," Mataras sniffed.
"So long as we're clear," the prince muttered.
The battle had just finished with no casualties and very light injuries dealt to the Shepherds. They were near the summit when Robin called for the men and women to halt while he called back the Einherjar.
"We can keep going, sir," Marth said as the ghosts began to burst into flashes of light and reform into their cards, stacking up quickly in his hand.
"I may call on you again soon, but for now, rest and regain your strength," Robin told him. "You need your rest just as much as any of us."
"As you command," Marth nodded. "But do not hesitate to call upon us again if your life is in danger. Tired or no, we will defend you to our last breath."
"I appreciate the thought, Marth," Robin smiled. "When this is all over, I'd like to sit down and have a long talk with you and your companions- you remind me a lot the Shepherds."
"The feeling is mutual," the hero-king said before he too was drawn back into his card.
"Huh," Klein said. "You don't usually meet such nice ghosts."
"I think it's cos we're used to these Risen and all those astral-type mobs back on floors sixty and sixty-one," Kirito grinned. "Right, Asuna?"
"Sh-Shut up!" she squirmed. "I can't help it that those things creep me out!"
"Haha, you're very cute," he teased her.
"Flirting?" Mataras said dryly as he and Yui floated down to land next to them. "In the middle of a battle, really? Shameless."
"Battle's over," Chrom argued.
"Oh contraire," the Black Spirit said with a shake of his head. "It's only begun."
"He's right," said a brand-new voice. The lead group looked up to see ten figures somewhat veiled by shadows. "The real battle has yet to begin."
"Who goes there?" Chrom asked as he leveled his Falchion at the people. "Friend or enemy?"
"If we were your enemy, would we have alerted you to our presence?" asked the other speaker. "We come to lend our aid in your fight against the Fell Dragon."
"I would have the names of our helpers," Chrom replied, his sword lowering a fraction. "Yet I have the feeling that I have heard your voice somewhere before…" His eyebrows drew together as the ten figures stepped into the light.
"It's been a long time, Chrom," said a blond man who strode forward, dressed in light armor, the colors a mix of black and silver. Around his neck went a blue gem that the Ylisseans thought looked familiar somehow, and his feet were bare. His reddish eyes met Chrom's, and therein a spark of recognition flashed.
"Corrin?!" Chrom asked, his eyes widening. "Is that you?!"
"Good to see you again," the other man said with a smile as he moved to shake hands with the prince. "I take it that these are your Shepherds?"
"Many of them have joined us since we last spoke, but yes, this is they," Chrom nodded.
"Father, who is this?" Lucina asked as she cocked her head at Corrin, who noticed the lady standing beside her father.
"Your father and I met some years back," Corrin said as he bowed slightly to Lucina. As he straightened, he added, "My friends and I had gotten ourselves into a bit of a pickle, so your father, Lady Lissa, and Sir Frederick lent us their aid. We have come to repay that debt, and another on behalf of some who could not be here today."
"We?" Robin asked as he eyed Corrin's companions, who were drawing closer, coming into the light so that they could be seen more clearly.
"Yes," Corrin nodded as he turned to indicate each person as he introduced them. "This is my family- from Valla, myself and my wife, Azura." A young woman with flowing blue hair curtseyed gracefully to the Ylisseans while giving them a shy smile.
"I am honored to meet you," she said in a soft, melodic voice.
As she stepped back, the blond man indicated a group of people that looked like they had come from Chon'sin. "From Hoshido, King Ryoma," Corrin continued, indicating a tall man in samurai armor with an elegant katana strapped to his waist.
"Pleased to make your acquaintance," he said.
"Prince Takumi." A young man with fine brown hair and a powerful-looking bow gave a small salute.
"Point at who needs to be shot, and they're as good as dead," he said stoically.
"Princess Hinoka." A red-haired girl with a pegasus mount grinned fiercely as she twirled her naginata.
"Been a while since we did some dragon slaying," she chuckled.
"And Princess Sakura." The girl he had indicated was the smallest one in the group, and she was actually trying to hide behind Ryoma while Corrin spoke. "She doesn't say a lot to strangers, but you're hard-pressed to find a more dependable healer, or sister." He smiled kindly at her, an expression she returned, tough she stayed where she was.
Turning to indicate the remaining four members, who looked to be dressed in armor more similar to Ylisse, Corrin said, "This is King of Nohr, Xander." The one he had introduced was the tallest in the group, his blond hair framing his dark eyes and grim face.
"I look forward to seeing more of Corrin's friends in action," he said.
"Prince Leo." A dark mage riding on horseback gave them all a polite nod by way of greeting.
"Let's see if this Grima fellow has anything on the Silent Dragon," he murmured just loud enough so that those closest to him could hear.
"Princess Camilla." A very sly-looking woman that enjoyed showing a little too much skin gave them all a wink, which sent shivers down the spines of the men standing there, even Klein.
"Come now, those are some cold greetings for someone who only wants to help," she smiled. That did nothing to set the others at ease.
"And finally, Princess Elise." A small girl with pigtails that reminded the group of a younger Lissa gave them all a cheery wave and smile from where she sat on her horse.
"Hiya!" she chirped. "Ready for duty, big brother!"
"I like that guy," Klein grinned as he pointed at Ryoma. Kirito smacked the back of his head as a reprimand. "What?!"
"I've never heard of Valla, not to mention that Hoshido and Nohr are mythical kingdoms," Robin frowned. "Yet you claim to be from there, in addition to being its royalty?"
"Who else would dress like this?" Corrin asked with a raised eyebrow.
"That's fair," Mataras nodded. When the others stared at him, he added, "What? It's not like we're unfamiliar with multiple dimensions and timelines!"
"Fair enough, but I still have two questions," Robin said. Turning back to Corrin, he asked, "What was that about dragon slaying and a silent dragon? Also, what debt have you come to fulfil?"
"I can answer the first, but not the second," Corrin said, coming to stand before Robin directly. "In our world, we laid waste to an evil dragon, much like Grima in the sense that he wished to destroy humanity in its entirety. He is known as the Silent Dragon. Since we have some experience in what you are about to attempt, we thought we would lend a hand."
"Why can you not answer the second question?" Chrom asked, though his tone was not hostile.
"I can only say this," Corrin replied. "A day will come when a man named Anankos will come to your home and ask for the aid of some of your Shepherds. You must heed his wishes, or else everything that has come to pass thus far will be undone."
"Anankos…" Robin murmured. "That name… sounds familiar, but why?"
"Anankos," Chrom repeated. "I'll remember."
"Good," Corrin sighed with relief. "Now- shall we slay a dragon?"
"Let's," Mataras grinned as he cracked his knuckles. "I've been waiting a long time for this day."
"Then let's not keep Grima waiting, shall we?" Chrom growled as he re-gripped Falchion. "Shepherds, come! Today, we slay destiny itself!"
Mataras: Before the shouting begins, let me clear something up!
Asuna: ...Go on.
Mataras: thank you. Now, in case it wasn't clear, Corrin has met Chrom, Lissa, and Frederick, just as in the DLC pack 'Before Awakening'. He has come to fulfill not only that debt, but also at the urging of three certain retainers from Nohr (we all know who). At this point, said people have told him that the people from their time could use their help, so being the good new king that he is, Corrin has valiantly come to lend his power.
Kirito: Question.
Mataras: shoot.
Kirito: What are you and Marth planning?
Mataras: Soon to be revealed, old man.
Lucina: I find it difficult to grasp that you have been chronicling this journey of ours for more than two years now.
Mataras: Aye- and it all comes to an end in three chapters. This long, wondrous journey will be over...
Yuuki: Hey, chin up, guy! It ain't over 'till the fat lady sings!
Aiko: Or this case, the dragon screams.
Kirito: I dunno, they sound about the same to me.
Klein: Shots fired!
Sachi: Next time- To Defy a God
Agil: Who wants to be we can hit 500 hundred reviews by the end of this thing?
Lisbeth: I'll take that bet!