Chapter 8: Incursion
"It will take some time to investigate how the assassination plot got so far," Phila reports to Emmeryn as she overlooks the battle scared halls of the palace. "At present, we have no leads as to where they came from."
"It was Plegia." Chrom says as he walks towards them, Sora and Riku close behind. "I'm certain of it. They would do anything for the Emblem. And as we have recently seen, they are the ones who are in control of the Heartless."
"But that still begs the question of how Gangrel found out about them." Emmeryn replies with deep concern. She turns her gaze to Sora and Riku. "Do you have any ideas?" The two wielders of the key look to each other before Riku nods at Sora. With a deep sigh, he turns to face Emmeryn.
"At present, there are only two people that we know of that can summon the Heartless. But they have not been seen for the past year." Sora replies before folding his arms. "Honestly, they have been far too quiet for our liking. Who knows what Maleficent has been planning or searching."
"But all of that doesn't matter at the moment." Riku interrupts before casting a stern gaze at the Exalt. "Your grace, it is far too dangerous for you to be here. If this recent attack has just shown us, is that Gangrel is willing to do anything to kill you." Emmeryn closes her eyes in sadness; what Riku has said is true. They were lucky today, but who can tell if they will be so next time. Or if both the city and palace will be targeted.
"I can see where you are coming from, but would you have me leave the people undefended? War is at our borders. I cannot leave my people to stand alone. They must know I stand with them."
"And what about you?" Chrom asks with a stern voice. "What will happen if the people find out that you have died? Would you have them lose the light that has led them out of the darkness that was our father's rule?" Emmeryn moves to respond, but her words die in her throat. She looks at the ground in sadness, missing the softening look in Chrom's eyes. "At the very least, can you move to one of the Eastern Palaces? Not only would you be far from the front, but you would still show your support for the people. I can't leave for Ferox while knowing you are in danger."
"Please, your grace." Sora asks, an uncertain worry in his voice. "You are too important to lose." Not just for Ylisse, but for all the worlds too. We can't have a repeat of three years ago with Maleficent and Xehanort's Heartless. Emmeryn closes her eyes once again, seemingly debating the requests made to her. Then, finally, she opens her eyes, a sad resolve glistening from them.
"Very well." she says, to the relief of all present. "I will make some preparations before leaving. But, Chrom, can I depend on you to form a guard?"
"I will gather all of the Shepherds Emm. We will make sure you reach the palace before we head north to Ferox." He turns to his right, glancing at Frederick as he just arrived to the group. "Frederick, gather the Shepherds. We are escorting Emmeryn to the Eastern Palace before heading North to Ferox." Frederick nods at Chrom before turning on his heels and marching away.
"We should gather the others as well, Sora. Something tells me this won't be a simple hike through the hills." Sora nods in confirmation before they walk away. Suddenly, a cold feeling drips down both of their spines. They turn around, staring at the rafters above them, searching for the source. Seeing nothing, they shrug it off before continuing on, deciding to bring it up with the others. Unknown to them, a shadowy figure stares at them from above.
"Dang, I almost gave myself away there." He says as he watches them go. "Guess their scenes are still as sharp as ever, especially the kiddo. Well, either way, things are going to be getting a heck of a lot more interesting." He turns his gaze towards a pillar not far from Emmeryn, where an old man dressed in a green priest cloak watches her. "Wonder how they will get through this…." He chuckles to himself as he opens a dark portal and steps through it, not noticing another person staring at him from the Shadows.
"Luxu…what has happened to you?" he sighs sadly. He great plan in shambles, and his favourite pupil lost. Nothing seemed to be going right. "Well, can't really blame the Guardians. Following ones heart is part of the job description. Even so, this is worse than I feared." He turns away before melting into the shadows, silently swearing to fix this mess he had inadvertently created.
All is quiet in Emmeryns chambers as she slowly wraps the Fire Emblem in a thick blanket. No matter what happens to her, she Has to make sure the Emblem stays out of Plegia's hands. She sighs deeply to herself. How much pain must they endure until they could be free of their past?
"You seem troubled." A familiar voice sounds behind her. She smiles to herself before turning to look at her guest. How he manages to move about through nothing but shadows still amazes her. "Even though your death has been prevented, and the Emblem lies out of their reach, you do not seem happy about it."
"Even if I don't die today, fate will try to find its way." Emmeryn replies before picking up the Emblem. "We can not always expect miracles to save us." Her guest sighs before looking at her, his face forever shrouded by his hood.
"Here I am trying to lighten things up. But, still, I can see what you are planning in case the inevitable does happen. You know it will devastate Chrom, right?" Emmeryn glances at an artist drawing on her table, depicting the three of them in their youth—a sad smile forms on her face.
"I know. But, this is something that needs to happen. Weather Ylisse wills it or not." She remarks before leaving the room, her guest watching her go. With a sad sigh, he melts into the shadows, lamenting that their last meeting would be so sorry.
"So, we are leaving right now?" Kairi asks Sora as the Guardians prepare the supplies in the Shepherds Barracks. They had all just been brought together before Riku insisted they start packing to head out to escort Emmeryn. Despite some moans of complaint from Xion, much to Riku's amusement.
"That's right. Chrom and Riku have decided that it's too dangerous for Emmeryn to stay here. Especially with the Heartless under Gangrel's control." Sora replies while rolling up a sleeping mat before placing it on a horse. "So, Chrom suggest that she move to a more secured location away from the border with Plegia for safety before we go north to get aid from Ferox." Kairi hummed in agreement as she placed a similar mar onto the same horse.
"Still, I can't help but wonder. Who was it that taught Gangrel, or anyone from Plegia, about the Heartless?"
"As much as I hate to say it, but I think we can rule out Maleficent on this one." Naminé says with dread as she gives her staff a clean. The guardians all turn to her with surprise in their eyes.
"What makes you say that, Naminé?" Roxas asks. Naminé turns to her boyfriend with worried eyes.
"It's what Gangrel said back in the valley. I overheard him saying how a 'he' taught him how to summon them. But, of course, if it were Maleficent, she would have told him their name and other information. And I highly doubt that Pete would forget to mention it either. That's why I can't help but think it's someone else."
"But who would it be?" Xion asks as she brushes her Pegasus. "All of the members of Organization XIII have been defeated. Ansem, Xemnas, Young Xehanort and Dark Riku have all gone back to the past." She briefly looks at Riku with apologetic eyes at mentioning his dark half, to which he smiles in appreciation. "And the ones that have been made hole have shown no ability to summon any Heartless or Nobodies."
"Which means we have a new threat to deal with." Riku says in a commanding voice, being the only one to be at the rank of Master in the room. "In any event, our mission to this world is getting more and more complicated. At this rate, I won't be surprised if we end up staying for more than a few years."
"But what about the world in our realm?" Sora asks with worry. "If we all stay here, then who will protect ours? Even King Micky would be hard-pressed to protect them all."
"Who said he would be the only one?" Riku replies with a smirk. "Before me and Xion left, he asked Donal and Goofy to get the Twilight Gang and bring them to the Tower. He plans to make them Keyblade wielders to fill in for us while we deal with Grima. He also mentions Selphie, Tidus and Wakka, in case things drag on longer than expected." The news stuns the four present. Why did Yen Sid not tell them? "By the way, did any of you get the feeling of cold water going down your back at any point recently?" Kairi, Naminé, Xion and Roxas look at each other before shaking their heads. "So it was only me and Sora…."
"What do you mean, Riku?" What's got you so spooked out?" Roxas asks with suspicion. Sora explains how as they were leaving the meeting with Emmeryn, they both felt a cold feeling down their backs. And for Sora, it almost felt familiar. When they turned around to look for the source, they saw nothing, but the feeling didn't vanish until they left the hall. The four guardians look to each other with worry. "Maybe, it was the person giving Gangrel access to the Heartless?"
"We don't know. But, either way, let's keep our guards up." Riku says before mounting his horse while Xion mounts her Pegasus. The other four nod before mounting their horses, two on each, following Riku and Xion out of the barracks and joining with the rest of the Shepherds as they move out to the east, unaware of a deacons plot.
Several days pass as the Shepherds move to the eastern palace, all the while casting wary glances to the surrounding hills. So far, the border alongside Plegia has managed to hold, but what was worrisome was the non-existing reports of Heartless amongst Gangrel's forces. While the Shepherds were thankful for the news, the Guardians could not help but worry. Could Gangrel be holding them back or using them for some other means?
"Anyone thinking that things have gone too smooth so far?" Sora asks as Kairi and Virion walk next to him. "I can't help but feel that we are being watched."
"What makes you think that?" Kairi asks as she steps closer to him, placing a concerned hand on his arm.
"Just this feeling I've got. I can't explain it." He turns his head to look out over the vast ravine next to them, a sudden drop to an untimely end awaiting any who fell over.
"Perhaps the stress is getting to you, no?" Virion asks. "These are trying times we live in. So it is no surprise that people would be jumping at anything suspicious. Especially in the present company we keep." He spares a glance over to Emmeryn, walking beside her Guard of Falcon Knights. Sora reluctantly nods at the archer's suggestion. They have been on edge more than usual since the assassination attempt.
"I hope you're right, Virion. But, all the same, we can't let our guard down." Sora turns his gaze to the front of the group as Chrom walks ahead with Robin, Lissa, Stahl, Frederick and Riku, with Sumia and Xion flying above. Gradually, the group begins to slow down as Lissa's legs start to shake under her, prompting Chrom to halt the march before turning his eyes onto his sister.
"Urgh, my poor feet. I've got blisters the size of eggs!" Lissa exclaims as she rubs the soles of her shoes. Riku walks over to her, a bemused look on his face.
"Lissa, your overreacting. This hill is not so bad." He says to a pouting Lissa. "If you're finding this hard, how will you fare when we have to march through Plegia? I heard that place is a vast desert at some points." Lissa's face turns white at the mention of Plegia's desert while Chrom fails to hold back a chuckle.
"Riku is right, Lissa. This is just basically a healthy little stroll through the countryside." His smile never leaves his face before glancing at Robin, his hands on his knees while breathing deeply. "How are you holding up?" Robin could only meet Chrom's gaze as he regains his posture.
"My legs feel like pudding… Your endurance astounds me, Chrom. Same with you, Riku. How can you keep up with your horse at full gallop while on foot?" He asks the young master, who simply leans back on his horse with a smug look.
"Training." He simply replies to a dumbfounded Robin and Lissa as Chrom bursts out laughing. He then turns to Robin, asking if he should carry him in a joking manner, as Lissa begs for him to carry her.
"Here, my lady, you can ride with me." Stahl offers her, which Lissa thankfully takes before getting on behind Stahl, a slight tinge to her face. Sora and Kairi watch the exchange with sly smiles before a concerning hum from their 'guest' draws their attention. The guest in question is a senior Hierarch who is glancing around the peaks surrounding them. His worry was not noticed by Frederick, asking him if he was troubled. The Hierarch assures that it's just nerves from the current problems, but Sora was not sure. A glance at Riku and Roxas confirmed they two found his behaviour strange.
"Chrom, who is that?" Robin asks while giving his glance at the Hierarch. Chrom explains that he has been a friend of House Ylisse for years, even guiding Emmeryn during her early years. Chrom expression narrows as he sees Robins gaze harden before quickly glancing around them. "I can't quite put my finger on it, but something feels…" he begins, only for an arrow of light to shoot past him before embedding itself into a Heartless. "I knew it, a trap!"
"Grah ha hah!" a boisterous laugh echoes down the cavern, a laugh that the guardians are very, VERY, familiar with. Glancing to one of the ridges above them is a very familiar foe, but in a very different attire, making the girls of the Guardians shield their eyes. Wearing two dragon skulls on his shoulders, red fur guards and grey leather boots with a deep blue bear belt skirt and steel collar around his neck and no shirt save for two white straps across his chest, welding a silver axe in his hand is…
"PETE!?" Sora cries in shock, seeing his old foe looking down at them from above. "How did you get here!?"
"Grah ha hah! You wanna know how, eh? Well, Maleficent, that's how!" Pete goads before whistling, summoning Heartless warriors to his side. "That no-good King was rather impressed when Maleficent showed him the Heartless. Why he was so happy when he heard what they could do, he was bouncing around the room!"
"Had a feeling it was you who told or Maleficent who told Gangrel about the Heartless," Riku says while unsheathing his blade. "Why don't you come down here so we can get this over with?" Pete's wide grin seems to falter for a second before he shakes his head.
"I don't have time to deal with you pipsqueaks. I'm only here to deliver a present. Vasto! They are all yours!" Pete says while turning his back on the Shepherds, entering into a Dark Corridor as a Wyvern Knight with several fliers flies into view above them as Plegia soldiers, bolstered by some Heartless, swarmed the valley ahead of them.
"Damn, how did they get so many past the border!?" Chrom asks while drawing Falchion as the Shepherds move into battle position, mages and archers covering behind the frontline. "And what was that dark portal that he went into?"
"That was a Dark Corridor," Riku explains while keeping his eye on the foes before them. "Think of them as a shortcut to get from one place to the other, but unless you are wearing something that protects you, it can damage your mind." Riku spares a glance at the Plegians; their eyes are crazed and hungry for a fight. Then, suddenly, the Hierarch breaks from the group, startling them, before calling out to the Plegian commander.
"Hold, sir! I am the man King Gangrel told you about!" His proclamation stuns the Shepherds while Chrom clenches his teeth in anger, furious that the man who helped his sister sell her out like this. Naminé looks at Emmeryn, seeing the hurt in her eyes at seeing a friend betray her like this. "Did you not receive the order to take me into your protection?"
The Plegian commander flies down to his level as several brigands surround him. I've got an order to protect a man, true…." He begins before his face becomes sinister. "But I see no man here! Only a pig! A rasher of traitorous bacon that sold out his own sovereign!" He hefts his axe from his shoulder, running a finger along the blade. "And what do we do with little piggies, mmm?" The Hierarchs eyes widen in horror before one of the brigands brings his axe down on his back, ending his life. "Now then, time for the main event."
"Gods, he may have been a traitor, but even he didn't deserve this…." Chrom mutter to himself before turning to Philia. "Philia, take Emmeryn to the rear of the column. We'll fend off these blackguards!" Philia nods at Chrom before escorting Emmeryn and the rest of the guard away from the battle as Robin glances of the field.
"Frederick! Take Pane, Riku and Vaike, and hit the Plegians left flank! Sully, you do the same with Stahl, Lon'qu and Kellam! Sora, Kairi, Donnel and Gaius! Stay with Chrom and meet the enemies Center! Sumia! Take Xion and engage the fliers! The rest of us will hang back and provide support!" A series of confirmation responses from the Shepherds as the Plegians advance on them, with the Heartless leading the central charge. Twin arrows from Virion and Roxas begin the battle as Sumia and Xion engage the Wyvern Riders.
Robin and Miriel focus on firing spells at any archer they see, with Virion joining to help when not focusing on the charging Plegians. Pane begins by breaking through the first group of five, only to be surrounded by several spearmen until Frederick rushes through, sending them tumbling to the ground. Riku deftly dodges several arrows fired his way before charging at said archers with a Dark Aura, while Vaike brings his axe down on any unfortunate Cavalier who tried their luck with him.
Meanwhile, Sully was doing her usual hit and run, weaving in between the Plegians as Stahl focused on maintaining the enemy's attention as Kellam supported him from the side, impressively hitting the Plegians with a few Sonic Thrusts. Lon'qu, in contrast, was bringing his foes down with swift, precise strikes, ending them before they could even swing. But by far the most action was in the centre.
Dodging another swipe to his head, Sora takes a moment to scan around him after dispatching the Heartless warrior before him. Gaius, surprisingly, was holding his own against the Plegians, his speed easily out passing their axe swings. Donnel, for his part, was staying close to Chrom, no doubt for some peace of mind and a sense of calmness offered by the prince as he strikes down another Plegian. Chrom, for his part, was holding his own against several Heartless spearmen, their eyes narrowing in anger at the holy blade in his hands. They feared it as much as their Keyblades. A gentle glow covers him as he sends a mental thanks to the healers. They are glad to have three who can work on the different points of contact separately.
"Sora!" a yell from Kairi alerts him to a sneaking Plegian, taking a swing at him from the side. He barely dodges it, although a few strands of hair are removed from his head from the closeness of the blade before Kairi brings down the brigand. "Keep your eyes on the battlefield." She chastises him before they go back to back.
"Sorry, just taking a moment to see how things are going. Just how many are there?" Sora asks as another arrow of light along with a bolt of lightning fall upon several Heartless near them. Kairi was about to reply before the cry of a wyvern alerted them. Glancing into the air, their eyes widen at seeing a Wyvern Rider bare down upon them, Sumia and Xion distracted by the enemy commander to notice. Before its rider could get close to them, though, a flash of white impacts them on the side, sending them tumbling to the ground before landing in a crumpled mess on top of several other warriors. Casting a gaze to the sky, they saw what the flash of white was.
Another Pegasus rider, wearing the same armour as Sumia and Xion, but with glistening white armour and a deep red undersuit, deep red hair flowing down to her waist, deep red eyes, and a white wing hair clip. The rider turns her mount to the fight in the air, zooming to the aid of Sumia and Xion, armed with a steel lance. "Hey, Chrom. Do you know that Pegasus rider?" Sora asks before deflecting another strike and unleashing a Sonic Blade. Chrom glances in the air, his attention split between the two before his eyes widen at the sight of the new arrival.
"That's Cordelia! But why is she here? She was stationed at the border!"
Things were not going well in the sky. Despite managing to down nearly all of the Wyvern Riders, the enemy commander refused to go down. Evading yet another strike, Sumia motions her mount to gather distance from her foe before launching another assault. Her plan was interrupted, however, when Cordelia appeared next to her.
"Cordelia? What are you doing here? Not that I'm not happy to see you."
"I can explain later." She says while gathering her breath. Her eyes looked heavy while dry tear marks lined her cheeks. "For now, let us bring this dastard down. You think the other rider could pull that off?" Sumia's eyes widen briefly before she briefly thinks. The move Cordelia referred to would undoubtedly end the fight, but could Xion pull it off. She looks over the ravenette, her eyes narrow and determined. With a nod to herself, she affirms that Xion could do it. Cordelia gives Sumia a tiered smile before moving ahead, grabbing Vasto's attention. Sumia uses the distraction to fly to Xion, telling her to follow her and Cordelia's lead. Xion nods, albeit confused, before following Sumia into the sky, with Cordelia rising to meet them. With a nod to each, she motions her steed into a steep dive, followed closely by the other two, initiating the famed joint attack of the Pegasus Knights.
"Triangle Attack!" Cordelia yells as Sumia and Xion form up behind her, forming a triangle pattern as they fly towards Vasto, an aura of red, lilac and deep blue surrounding the three. He attempts to flee out of the way, but his mount is struck on the wing by Cordelia, with the Wyverns other wing sliced open by Sumia, as Xion ends the fight with a blow to his chest, sending both the rider and his mount tumbling to the ground. The sudden defeat of their commander sends the Plegians into a scrambling retreat, as several flee into the hills while others are pushed into the ravine next to them. The Heartless, however, continued their attack, determined to claim the hearts of all present, but without the added numbers of the Plegians, they were quickly eliminated by the Guardians. But no one had any time to breathe as Cordelia landed before Chrom and Emmeryn, rushing to them, panic in her eyes.
"Your Grace! My prince! Run! As far and fast as you can! More Plegians are coming, not a half day's march behind you!" her proclamation stuns all present. Last they heard, the border was secured. When Phila asked this, Cordelia could only say in sorrow that the perimeter had been breached and that Gangrel was leading the assault, along with a man dressed in a long black cloak with a hood up and a woman with a crowned headdress, with a crow on her shoulder. Cordelia begins to break down, lamenting how she should have stayed with her sisters, that their screams still echo in her mind as Phila attempts to calm the Pegasus Knight prodigy down.
"Maleficent…" Riku spits her name as the other Guardians clench their fists. Chrom and the rest of the Shepherds turn to them; some surprised at hearing the hate in Riku's voice. "She is one of the people who caused the whole mess with us three years ago. It was because of her I almost ended up killing Sora and Kairi while being deluded into thinking I was saving them!" he slams his fist into his hand as Sora and Kairi place comforting hands on his shoulders. Maleficent and Xehanort's manipulations still haunt him after all these years.
"She is a schemer and an apt manipulator. She can have her way with anyone when they don't realise it with her words or, failing that, by manipulating the darkness within their hearts. It's what she did to both Riku and Terra." Sora says while giving a sympathetic glance to Riku. "She also has control over the Heartless. If anyone could have told Gangrel how to control them, it would have been her."
"And what about the giant tubby cat? Pete, was it?" Vaike asks while scratching his head with the blunt side of his axe, much to Miriel's confusion and concern.
"Oh, Pete? He's not smart enough to tie his own shoes." Xion playfully comments. "So the chances of him teaching someone how to control the Heartless is a little hard to believe."
"Still, the fact that Maleficent is here is still bad news," Sora says before folding his arms. "No doubt she is the reason behind Gangrel being more brazen in his attacks." The Shepherds all glance at each other worryingly; A manipulative witch supporting a mad king with dark powers and a giant half-naked cat? How could things not get any worse?
"I must return to the capital."
The group turn to Emmeryn, wide-eyed. They had just come this far, and now she wants to go back as Gangrel leads an army straight to it? Philia tries to dissuade her, but she is adamant. She explains that if it was discovered, she was away, the people would panic and riot. And that would only lead to more needless death. Then, she turns her gaze to Chrom, walking towards him while presenting him an object wrapped up in a white sheet. Chrom looks at her puzzled before removing the sheet, revealing it to be…
"The Fire Emblem?" he asks. Emmeryn nods, saying that it must reach Ferox and safety. Unfortunately, too much blood had been sacrificed for it already, and now Gangrel is set to burn Ylisse for it. Seeing her decision to head back more and more set in stone, Lissa attempts to go with her, only to be held back by Stahl and Naminé. Philia turns to Cordelia, ordering her to stay with the Shepherds, soothing her injured heart with the knowledge her knight-sisters are still with her.
"Emm, please don't!" Chrom pleads as she prepares to leave with Philia and her Falcon Knight Guard. "Walking to your own death will not bring peace to anyone! Ylisse needs you." He motions a hand to the Shepherds around them. "WE need you! Be selfish for once in your life!" Emmeryn could only look at Chrom in sadness before embracing her brother tightly, tears threatening to fall down her cheeks.
"I love you, Chrom. Both you and Lissa are my everything. As for the peace, I seek…" he word die in her mouth as she breaks the hug, returning to Philia's side before mounting her Pegasus. "I'm sorry. I truly am. Let us embrace again in Ylisstol when you arrive with Feroxi reinforcements. I know you will come." Philia motions her mount to fly as the other Falcon knights follow suit, leaving behind a sadden Chrom.
"She will be fine, Chrom," Robin assures the prince with a comforting hand. "Ylisstol won't fall so easily to Gangrel's forces. Even with the Heartless adding him." Chrom turns to look at him, his face a mixture of emotions, before giving a small smile.
"Yes, you are right." He turns to face the Shepherds, renewed determination in his eyes. "Let us hurry to Regna Ferox. We have an army to recruit." The Shepherds nod reluctantly as they begin their march, only for Sora and Kairi to pause briefly, looking in the direction that Emmeryn had left in.
"May your Heart be your guiding key, Emmeryn."
To be honest, i wasn't going to bring Pete and Maleficent into the Story until the Valm arc, but i decided that brining them in here would be better. Next few chapters will be Paralogues, but it may no longer bee weekly updates, sorry!