Chapter 15: Flames on the Blue
"So, you really are Lucina?" Naminé asks with slight trepidation. It was not the first time they had encountered time travellers, but that was in a VERY negative case. Lucina seemed to notice as she answered Naminé's question, tear stains still on her face after breaking the embrace with Chrom and Sumia. "But why? Why are you here in our timeline? Not that we are saying we don't want to see you or anything, it's just…."
"I completely understand, Aunt Naminé." Lucina replies softly, causing Naminé to blush at suddenly being called an aunt as some of the Shepherds quietly chuckle at her, Roxas included. But he quickly shut up after getting a stern glare from Naminé. "In truth, I have come from more than ten years from the future. After history takes a dark and destructive turn…."
"But why? What happened that caused you to come back to this time?" Robin asks pointedly, but with no heat. Lucina looks at him, eyes low and sad, before sighing deeply.
"The worst of any outcomes to happen. The fell dragon, Grima, is resurrected. His roar was the death knell for us all, a scream that silences not only the hope of Archanea, but beyond the stars." Lucina's words are dripped in sadness as her eyes mist over. What she had seen and heard forever haunted her dreams. The Shepherds and Guardians could only stare at her in shock before she continued. "No one was left to oppose him. Farther, Mother, the Shepherds, everyone. Dead."
"You mean we failed?" Sora asks numbly as he could feel his legs turning to jelly, flashbacks of the massacre at the Keyblade Graveyard flashing before his eyes. If it were not for Kairi and Riku holding onto his arms, he probably would have collapsed right there. Lucina could only nod her head sadly before looking back at Chrom, his eyes showing grief.
"It is a tale beyond imagine, and yet she carried Falchion. There is only ever one Falchion to exist, the very same sword the first exalt used to defeat Grima all those years ago." He turns his gaze to those around with silent steel. "I believe her." Lucina couldn't help but smile at her father. He had mentally prepared herself for Chrom to deny her claims as madness, but here he was, accepting her without a second thought. If she hadn't already cried her heart out, she would be dropping tears of joy.
"Thank you, farther." She quietly says before turning her gaze back to the Shepherds. "To answer your question of how I managed to come to the past, I had help from the divine Dragon Naga. But, of course, I did not make this journey alone, but I was separated from the others. I don't even know where they are at the moment." Her gaze falls as her thoughts turn towards those she holds close to her. So far were her thoughts that she failed to notice Sora approach her until his hand rested on her shoulder.
"Don't worry about it. I'm sure they are fine. And besides, we will find them sooner or later." He says with his usual optimism to her. However, it was soon replaced by mild confusion when Lucina started chuckling to herself.
"That's one thing that never changed, Uncle Sora. Your unending optimism." She says between fits of giggles before it spreads throughout the Shepherds. Even Sora and the Guardians couldn't help but chuckle at the remark. It was definitely one part of Sora that will never go away.
"Alright, I think we have stood around for long enough." Chrom suddenly shouts with steel, although a smile is still resting on his face. "Everyone, we head back to Port Ferox. We make ready to liberate Valm from Walhart!"
To say the Valmese were ready to invade would be an understatement. They had been prepared to invade for ages and were only awaiting word from their scouting force that a landing had been achieved. Not that they were standing around for nothing. The constant attacks from two shadowy assailants led many of their commanders to be gravely injured, with several ships suffering from severe fire damage. Yet, no evidence of any fire mage could be found. It was a situation that was driving the Valmese crazy. Having four of their commanders and the two 'guests' overseeing the port did not help out.
"How have we not caught those scurrying rats! I had assumed it would be a simple task, but clearly, I have been mistaken!" A man of small stature exclaims in anger as he looks over the port. Dressed as a sage and with a red tome on his hip, he sports a large head with thin black hair, a large mouth and long pink nails. He turns his attention to a general standing next to him with bulky red armour, narrow eyes and no hair, yet with a giant moustache. A silver axe hung from his hip while a silver spear was held in his shield. "I had thought you were more capable than this Cervantes!" The General looks at the man with narrow eyes while brushing one of his whiskers like a cat.
"Come now, Excellus. YOU are the tactician, so this would fall under YOUR obligation. If I were in charge, it would be over in a snap, for my moustache makes ME invincible." Cervantes boasts at the sage, who is now fuming with anger. He probably would have shot a blast of fire at him were it not for the Valkyrie among them, standing between them, her long green hair obscuring half of her face.
"If you two are done arguing, I suggest we continue with the plan to invade Ylisse." She then turns around to look at the remaining three. "I trust things will go to our design, Maleficent?" The evil fairy looks at the Valkyrie before chuckling darkly, Pete nervously standing next to her.
"You need not fear, Pheros. Valm's forces will easily overpower Chrom's. Not even Sora or his friends will stand a chance." Her smile soon fades, though, and is replaced by a scowl. "But I must admit, Walhart and I are concerned that you have yet to finish off the resistance yet. He is especially considering that the exiled princess of Chon'sin is among their number. Even if she can never reclaim her lands or throne, her influence is considerable. Especially to a certain swordmaster. Am I not correct, Yen'fay?" She turns to look at the swordmaster, his white hair tied into a topknot and with a single stand flowing down his face while his eyes remained closed. His armour was pitch black, the outlines a dull white, and the cloth a mixture of black and purple. And on his hip lies a golden sword, with several 'branches', which are small blades, coming off at several points. Yen'fay merely looks at Maleficent before turning to look away, his gaze falling on the roofs of several houses nearby.
For a brief moment, he could swear he saw someone running along its roofs but dismissed it as a trick of the light. If he had paid closer attention, he would have seen Sai'ri and Lea hiding on the top, spying on them.
"Walhart's four generals and his two guests. I suppose it would have been a matter of time before we caught their attention. We should be glad Walhart himself is not here." Say'ri glares at the oppressors of her home before her gaze becomes mixed with sadness at the sight of Yen'fay. Lea picks up on her look before asking about the four generals before them. "Excellus is Walhart's taction. Cruel and cunning, he is willing to do anything to see victory, stratagems that would make yours pale with disgust." Lea cringes at the thought before looking at the bulky general. "That would be Cervantes. While he doesn't devolve to trickery like Excellus, he is a cunning Defensor. Apparently, he has never lost a battle, which he claims is due to his moustache."
"Seriously? Does he think he's invincible because of his moustache? Talk about a giant ego." Lea comments with a shake of his head before looking at the Valkyrie. "So, what's the deal with the holy girl?"
"She is an unknown to me." Say'ri admits with a frown. "Word is, she is actually from Ylisse, but that is all we know. It vexes me we don't know anything else."
"Well, that's a bridge we will cross later." Lea says before glancing at the final three. "Maleficent and Pete need no explanation, although the big cat looks like he wants to be anywhere than here at the moment. But who is the Swordmaster?"
"Yen'fay, my brother." If Lea had not been leaning on the wall they were hiding behind, he would be sprawled all over the floor right now. "Aye, you heard me right. That traitor is my own sibling. How he can stand fighting beside the ones who torched our home, I will never understand." Lea looks at Say'ri with a sympathetic look. As much as he hates to admit it, he can understand what she is going through. While not in the same league, Isa being a member of Xehanort's True Organization XIII, still left him with similar feelings. At least he knows now that it was not Lea's choice to join. Could the same thing have happened here?
"I'm not sure if this is much comfort, Say'ri, but it could be that he is there against his will." Say'ri looks at him with curious eyes. "Now, what could be so big that causes him to fight for a dictator is not something I can say. But there could still be the chance that he is there against his own will."
"Aye, you could be right." Say'ri admits before looking back at her brother. "But he would never admit it if that were the case. He is as stubborn as a Wyvern. But, when his mind is settled, nothing can dissuade it."
"Guess that's another bridge we'll cross when we reach it." Lea says before pushing himself off the wall. "C'mon, let's get going before any Heartless or Valmese patrols decide to have a look on the roofs." Say'ri nods before following Lea back to the hideouts, unaware that Yen'fay's gaze was on them the whole time. Despite his stone outlook, if one looked close enough, one could see a slight frown on his face. He knew, sooner or later, they would come to blows.
And only one of them would be walking away. So Kami held; it would be her and not him.
"Alright, girls, are we ready?" Aqua asks the gathering around her. After hearing Cherche's plea for help, Aqua had spent some time forming a plan with Naminé and Oliva to get Lon'qu to listen to what she had to say—going so far as to get Kairi, Sumia, Cordelia, Panne and Lissa to help. But, of course, they are using Lon'qu's fear of women, albeit it is not as bad as when he first joined, but still. A round of nods gathered was all Aqua needed to set the plan in motion. And not a moment too soon, for Lon'qu, was coming down the road in the Feroxi Port, his gaze focused in front.
Sending a nod to an alleyway nearby, Cherche nods back before revealing herself behind him, hands behind her back. "Lon'qu?" Lon'qu stops in his tracks before turning around to look at her with a stern glare.
"You again. Begone!" He says before turning to leave, before finding himself blocked off by Sumia, Cordelia and Aqua, each giving stern glances at him. Grunting, he looks to his left and right, only to find the alleyways blocked by Kairi, Naminé and Panne. And behind him, walking up alongside Cherche, are Oliva and Lissa.
"We have to talk. There's more to the story of Ke'ri and her parents." Cherche says as she walks forward, hands still behind her back, her face impassive. Lon'qu grunts, saying that he has no wish to hear anything and wants to be left alone. But Cherche does not listen, fully deciding that he had to listen to what she had to say, no matter what. Then, taking a breath, she speaks.
"Her parents did not hate you, Lon'qu." Lon'qu's eyes widen at the comment before looking at her slack-jawed. Cherche's face forms into a sad smile before explaining. "They were grateful to you. It's true that when Ke'ri was killed, they blamed you for her death. But then they learned how desperately you tried to save her. And when you vanished from the slum, they knew that it was their fault." Lon'qu looked at her as his eyes slowly closed, his impassive face briefly falling into one of shame remorse, and yet there was a hint of relief as well.
"Soon after Ke'ri died, they found her diary. They discovered what a good friend you had been to her. Your friendship made her happy, and that, in turn, made them happy. So they don't hate you. Not anymore. And I know they would want you to know that." Lon'qu looks at the ground, his face contemplating as he duelled with mixed emotions. Finally, he turns his gaze back to Cherche, but all heat is gone. In its place was acceptance.
"Thank you for delivering the message." That was all he said before he turned to leave, Aqua, Sumia and Cordelia moving aside to let him pass. Cherche watches as he leaves, her thoughts still aimed at him. Finally, she lets out a sigh before looking at the ground.
"You still worried about him?" Kairi asks as he walks up to her. Cherche gives a slight nod of her head, explaining that even though Lon'qu had accepted the message, he will still be beating himself about it. "In that case, then you had better keep an eye out for him then." She says with a gentle smile.
"You are serious?" Henry asks in surprise as he hangs around Sora, Riku and Terra as the fleet readies to set sail. They and the rest of the Shepherds were all located on one ship, the very same that had launched the assault on the Feroxi Port. A fitting way to start the campaign. He had been attracted to them when he sensed intense darkness in them and was curious about how they became like that. But he hadn't expected Tharja to do the same and give up so quickly.
"Yeah. Tharja noticed that the three of us are not 'normal', in a sense." Terra explains as he leans on a stone wall. "The way she was looking at us gave us the chills. If it weren't for Gregor coming in at the last second, I don't want to think about what would have happened." Sora and Riku shared Terra's thoughts, silently thankful that he had managed to divert Tharja's attention away from them. How that ended up with the two of them getting married is a question they did not want to be answered. But at least he has managed to keep her away from them AND Robin, much to the Grandmaster's relief.
"Knowing Tharja, she probably would have used you guys for testing hexes or whatnot, no biggy." Henry replies casually to them, making the three pale. They had heard 'rumours' about what her hexes could do. They were silently thankful that they managed to dodge that arrow. "Well, in any case, you won't have to worry about that from me. I'm not interested in that sort of stuff."
"There is one thing I wanted to ask you, Henry, and it's about Maribelle." Riku says as he looks at the Plegian with narrow eyes. "How did you manage to earn her trust? She wasn't the most pleasant back then, especially to Plegians, so how?" Henry places a finger on his chin and seemingly hums thoughtfully.
"You mean besides treating her like a person, right? Well, we DID have a conversation about flowers and animals. Does that help?" The three look at him blankly before nodding slowly and walking away. Henry doesn't mind them before spotting Maribelle not too far away. "Hey, Maribelle. What are you doing?" He asks as he walks up to her, his smile never falling. Maribelle flinches before relaxing at seeing him.
"Oh, Henry, it's you. It is nothing, just contemplating things is all. About how I could die at any moment, be it here or on the battlefield. And yet…" She turns to look at him, her face questioning. "No matter how fierce the fight becomes, you always have a smile on your face." Henry laughs at her before exclaiming that he loves fighting before making fake punching sounds. "But as a mage, you go into battle with little armour and are often the first one targeted. You could be injured or killed in an eye blink, and yet still you smile!"
"It's 'cause I'm not scared, Maribelle." Henry simple replies, his smile still on his face but smaller. "Fighting is actually pretty simple. I just have to kill the other guy before he has a chance to kill me. That's just how it goes. But, of course, if one person gives up, then that's a win for everyone." Maribelle hesitantly nods at him, admitting that it would be the best, yet she could still feel fear about death.
"But I'll tell you one thing—there's no reason to be sad about death." Maribelle looks at Henry in surprise, the mage's smile gone and replaced with one of thoughtfulness and deliberation. "Everyone in this army is going to croak sooner or later—it's a matter of when. And at the end of it all, we'll be reunited again on the other side."
"You think so?" Maribelle hesitantly asks to which Henry enthusiastically nods. Until he realises that he would meet everyone who tried to kill him again, he would be forced to do the same AGAIN. Maribelle looks on at the conflicting sorcerer before a small smile forms on her face and lets out a slight giggle. Suddenly, her fears of dying were no longer as large as they used to be. She could deliberate that later. But, first, they had a fleet to launch.
"You know, this is not the first time I was on board a ship sailing towards a sea battle." Sora casually comments as he stands near the front of the ship, Kairi, Riku, Chrom, Robin and Lucina standing nearby. It had been some time since they left the Feroxi port, and all around them was the open sea, a comforting sight to the three Islanders. Chrom and Robin give him curious looks while Lucina smiles fondly at him.
"You are talking about your time in the Caribbean, commanding the ship called Leviathan." As Lucina chuckles at him, Sora looks at her, shocked, mirrored by Kairi and Riku. "It was one of our favourite stories to listen to, Uncle Sora. You always found the time to regale us with your travels, and since we were told of the secret history, it was not a breach of the 'World Order'." Sora smiles gently at her while Kairi stifles a giggle at him. Of course, he would be popular with children, their introduction to Boo in Monstropolus being any indication.
"You alright, Chrom? You look a little shaky there." Riku points out as he looks at the prince, who was using a railing to hold him steady. He confesses that the combination of the impending battle, and his lack of sea legs, has left him in a not so great predicament. Lucina admits that this was her first time on a ship as well, due to all boats of their time being long since destroyed. Riku looked at her before frowning thoughtfully. There was something he had to ask. "You said you came here to prevent Grima's resurrection. Why did you not stay with us after you prevented the assassination on Emmeryn?"
"I had been wondering about that as well." Robin admitted before looking at her. "Having any knowledge of future events would have been helpful, even if things were progressing at different rates."
"In fairness, I did not know how far my actions would have gone, nor what changes it would have brought. I could have made things even worse than before if I were not careful." Lucina admits before looking over the blue horizon. "I only wanted to prevent events that led up to Grima's resurrection, but things are already progressing faster than in my timeline…."
"What do you mean? How different are things now compared to yours?" Kairi gently asks. "It's just, we have our own experience with time travel, but what's happening here is completely different to how we were told." Chrom and Robin glanced at Kairi, remembering the headache they were told of Xehanort's brazen scheme. Seeing the wince on Lucina's face said to them that she was probably told about it at some point, along with the accompanying headache.
"Well, for one thing, the war with Plegia did not end so quickly." Lucina begins as she sits down near the mast. "Nor were Regna Ferox allies of Ylisse at the start. The reason for that is, well, father lost to Lon'qu in a duel, so Flavia never came to power. But on the other hand, Basilio sympathised with my father about Plegia's actions but didn't guarantee Feroxi support. Then the night of Aunt Emmeryns assassination happened." She takes a breath before taking a sip of water, mulling over events in her mind. "While Aunt Emm was killed and the Fire Emblem taken, my father was greatly injured by the assassins sent after him. Those same injuries prevented him from taking part in any of the major battles for about two years."
"My wounds were that serious?" Chrom asks in shock. Lucina nods sadly, explaining that the Heartless assassin's blade did something to him, most likely an injury on his own heart that took longer to heal than his other wounds. But once he had recovered, and with Regna Ferox allied with Ylisse after Gangrel had sent Heartless to ravage its borders, the war with Plegia ended within a year. She had already been born when it had finished, which followed four years of peace.
"It was after those four years that the war with Valm started after Walhart had eliminated all resistance within his lands. Seven bloody years of conflict soon followed…." Lucina breaths sadly before looking at those before her. "It was only one year later that father died alongside Robin. But they were not the only two to fall that day…."
"Who else, Lucina?" Robin asks kindly. Lucina took a deep breath before turning her gaze to Sora, Kairi and Riku.
"It was during the battle which killed my father, a fight in which he tried to change destiny. When it became clear that it was lost, Uncle Sora and Aunt Kairi stayed behind to buy the Shepherd's time to retreat…." Lucina closed her eyes sadly before clutching her arm like a lifeline. "The only things that returned were your necklaces… And then, two years later, Grima revives…."
"So, that's how we died…." Sora says solemnly while casting a sad glance at Kairi, rubbing her arm. Riku folds his arms and holds back a huff, saying he should have stayed behind to make sure they lived. So much of an older brother he was. "It won't happen this time, Riku. We changed destiny once before, and now that we know what is in store, we can beat it again." The group couldn't help but smile at Sora's optimism. However, the mood quickly turned solemn when the flapping of wings drew their attention. Coming in from above, Xion, Sumia and Cordelia return after a scouting mission. "What's the news, sis?"
"Not great, Sora." Xion replies as she and others land on the ship. "The Valmese fleet is around the same size as ours. No doubt thanks to Lea, but even from where we were, we could still see the ships packed to the brim with men."
"If we engage in a standard fight, we will be swarmed…." Cordelia admits with a shake of her head. "Even on the sea, the advantage still lies with Valm. I doubt we would stand a chance even with Plegia soldiers." Chrom furrowed his brows before looking out over the horizon. The Valmese fleet was nowhere near visible, yet the sense of defeat was already in the air.
"What about the supplies Plegia has given us? Can't we use anything?" Sora suggested to Robin, his mind already devising strategy after strategy. Soon, his eye lit up with the familiar glow of a plan.
"We can, Sora." Robin says with a grin. "Amongst the supplies we have is oil. And lots of it. Our solution is simple; we burn the Valmese fleet. The only problem is delivery. Our mages aren't strong enough, or numerous, and drop by air won't work. Neither do we have any siege equipment to throw the oil. So, we have only one course. We ram them with our ships."
"But, won't our own men get caught in the blast?" Robin looks at Sumia before giving the Queen of Ylisse a comforting smile.
"Don't worry. There will be enough room on the other ships. But for the plan to work, we need to take out their lead ship and its escorts. So that will be our job."
"Simple, but effective. As always, my friend." Chrom says with a fond smile. Robin had come a long way since being found in a field with no memories. Chrom's smile soon fades, though, replaced by a frown of determination as he turns to Lucina. "Gather the Shepherds, Lucina. It's time to show Valm that it is not as invincible as it believes it is."
It was a glorious sight. The mighty Valmese fleet stretched on for miles as it ploughed through the ocean, its decks filled with soldiers ready for battle. Beyond it, the command ship and its two escorts sail proudly at the front, a sense of victory filling the air. Before them was the Ylissean League, the name given to all of the united kingdoms of Ylisse, its fleet matching their numbers, but that was all they could match. The Valmese commander smirks to himself, eagerly awaiting the coming battle. And yet, something was amiss.
A single ship ploughed on towards them, devoid of escorts and sails fully open. Had the Ylisseans come to surrender? If so, then why were they on board one of their ships? He sends a message to the ships on his side, ordering them to surround the approaching vessel. But no sooner did the escorts move to engage the Ylissean ship accelerated. Caught off guard, the Valmese commander could only look on in shock as the boat charged towards him, a boarding ramp ready to fall. Soon, the ship had arrived at his side, grappling hooks thrown over and attaching themselves to his boat. He growled in anger at the sight of the Ylisseans as they ran around the deck of the ship. Thankfully, his escort ships had already moved to attach their ramps to the enemy vessel, and yet the Ylisseans were not panicking. It was only then he realised one crucial detail.
The rest of his fleet was too far away to engage.
"Chrom, we have their attention!" Terra yells as he spies one of the escort ships approaching the bow. At the stern, the other ship readies its gangplank for boarding. Chrom nods at Terra before glancing at Robin, the Grandmaster smirking at the situation.
"Just as we planned, Chrom." He says before he turns serious. "Alright! Terra and Kellam! You focus on the escort ships to our front and back! Aqua, you along with Maribelle, Henry, Ventus, Virion, Lon'qu and Cherche assist him! Libra, take Ricken Miriel, Sora, Kairi, Donnel Gaius and Cordelia, and do the same with Kellam!. Everyone else with Chrom and me!" A quick nod at Chrom was all that was needed between the two before Chrom raised Falchion into the air, just as the ramps dropped.
"Take the Valmese ships and silence the commander! For Ylisse!"
Terra had braced himself for a cavalry charge the moment the ramp dropped. After all, that was what Valm was famous for. However, he did not expect to be met by several Swordmasters rushing down the ramp. Thankfully, none of the Swordmasters could break through his shield, their sword harmlessly bouncing off at every strike. It also helped that Virion's arrows found their mark on the Valmese, striking their arms or legs and leaving them useless.
It did not help that Aqua, Maribelle and Henry were unleashing a storm of ice, fire and darkness upon them as Terra slowly forced them back onto their ship. The moment Terra found himself on the Valmese vessel, Ventus and Lon'qu had already passed him, flowing through the Valmese force like wind, all the while Cherche dived down from above, snipping off mages at every opportunity she took.
At one point, Cherche dived down to strike at a Valmese Armoured Knight as he approached Lon'qu from behind before having Minerva knock said warrior off the ship and into the ocean. She hid a winced at the action before looking at Lon'qu, who gave her a thankful nod before returning his attention to the remaining Valmese soldiers as arrows rained down from Virion. It would not be long until the ship was theirs.
The same could be said for Kellam's side of the ship. Using the same tactic as Terra, with Miriel and Ricken unleashing a storm of wind and fire and Cordelia providing her own bursts of thunder, he had managed to stomp his way onto the ship. The moment he did, Libra, Sora, Kairi and Gaius rushed past before engaging the Valmese archers and mages that remained on the boat. The archers had been busy trying to snipe at Cordelia as she flew through the air or tried to outmatch Donnel as he let loose his volley of arrows.
Things were going well for the two groups until a new threat emerged. Several Pegasus and Falcon Knights took flight from secret doors that opened on the side and descended on the two groups. Caught off guard, Cordelia and Cherche both took immediate evasive manoeuvres to avoid the flyers, while Virion and Donnel switched their attention to the new threats.
At the same time the flyers emerged, a new wave of Valmese soldiers from below the decks rushed above, aiming to eliminate the Shepherds now that their support was distracted. Several fighters lunge toward Maribelle as she was busy fending off a Swordmaster, only to soon find themselves flung to the side by several orbs of darkness, courtesy of Henry. Maribelle gives a startled look in his direction before offering a thankful smile and turning her attention to healing Lon'qu and Ventus. They had each taken several cuts from Valmese Swordmasters.
Libra almost found himself being flung overboard by an Armoured Knight before Sora and Kairi rushed to aid him, disarming him of his weapon before a blast of fire from Miriel ended the threat. Then, taking the chance to grab his staff, Libra cast a spell on Gaius, healing his wounds as he drew out his bow and aimed at the Pegasus Knights attacking his wife.
Taking a moment to assess the situation, Sora and Kairi glance over at the main ship, anxious about what was happening on board.
"Focus on the commander!" Chrom yells as she uses his spear to parry a Swordmasters blow. No sooner does he call the order dose a storm of magic and arrows fall on the Valmese commander, who was taking shelter near the ship's rear. He was also supported by two sages, who were diverting their magic into barrier staffs to prevent all magic from hitting him, including the arrows of light from Roxas. The arrows from Vaike were not affected yet failed to pierce the General's thick armour.
Vaike grunted and readied another bolt but was momentarily distracted by an armoured knight charging at him. Luckily, Isa and Anna were nearby to lend assistance, covering him as he once again aimed at one of the sages standing next to the commander. Letting the arrow fly, he grins when he sees it strike at the staff the sage was holding, damaging it and weakening the shield.
But it was still not easy. Due to the confines of the ship, the Shepherds were having trouble moving about to head toward the commander. Not helped with Frederic, Sully, Riku, and Stahl dismounted from their horses to fight on foot. The only manoeuvrability they had were Sumia, Xion and Nowi as they took to the skies, but they were currently facing off against Valmese Falcon Knights. Even Panne struggled to find a way through the iron wall before them.
That was until Naminé took a glance at the central mast the Valmese were flanking. While still standing, its base had taken a nasty hit from a blast of thunder from Robin, with splinters and cracks running around its base. Glancing at it, an idea came to her, but she was unsure it would work. But it was worth a try. She took a deep breath and focused her thoughts on the weakened mast before unleashing a blast of light at its base, blinding the soldiers nearby. At first, nothing happened until the creaking of wood and planks snapping drew all eyes to the mast. Next, it could be seen visibly swaying as it tried to stay upright, the weight of all and the ropes trying it to the ship, drawing it to the deck. Eventually, the base gave, and the mast succumbed to the pull of gravity, falling backwards and towards the Valmese commander.
He cried with fright before leaping to the side to avoid the falling mast, he defending sage not being so fortunate. Several other Valmese dodged and ran from the falling mast, not wanting to be crushed by its weight, leaving gaps open in their iron wall. Openings that the Shepherds took advantage of instantly.
Chrom and Lucina charged into the breach no sooner had the mast collapsed, dashing towards the Valmese archers hiding behind the Armoured knights. The knights themselves, defenceless with the barrier clerics' loss of concentration, were soon engulfed in a torrent of fire, darkness and thunder, opening more holes to allow Frederic and the other riders a chance to charge through.
The Valmese commander realised that all hope was lost and resolved to end this with axe in hand. Struggling to his feet, the vast armour he was wearing hindering his movement at the worst time, he charged toward Chrom and Lucina as the father and daughter duo made short work of the Valmese archers. The two see the commander charging at him with fury in his eyes, yet only shoot a calm gaze at him. The commander swings his axe at them, aiming to separate their heads from their bodies, only to miss as the duo jump backwards.
Suddenly, an arrow of light lodges itself into his arm, forcing him to drop his axe in pain as Chrom dashes towards the commander before ending his life with a single strike. Breathing deeply, Chrom glances around the ship, seeing the rest of the Valmese force subdued, leaving all four ships under their control. With a nod towards Robin, Chrom then shouts to the Shepherds, ordering them to graft the three ships to their while ordering all heavily armoured personnel to retreat to the fleet. Naturally, they would not want to be here when the plan activates.
The Valmese fleet was almost in archer range when the ships were ready. Half of the Ylissean League fleet and the four captured Valmese ones ploughed towards the Valmese fleet, armed only with mages and oil. Chrom stared down the Valmese fleet, standing on the central one, Robin, Miriel, Maribelle Naminé, Cordelia and Xion standing alongside him. "Steady, everyone, wait just a little longer…." Chrom says as sweat runs down his face. They only had one shot at this.
Naminé clutched her Holy book tightly in her hand. She could understand Robin, Miriel, Maribelle, Cordelia and Xion being here, armed with fire and thunder tomes, but why her? How could she start a fire with light magic? Not that she had a chance to ask now that she was here. The Valmese ships were now almost on top of them!
"NOW!" Chrom yells as he runs to the back of the ship alongside Robin, Miriel and Maribelle. Naminé runs along with them, casting a blast of light magic at a nearby boat. To her surprise, the explosion of light lit the fuses, igniting the oil and setting the whole ship in a blaze that began to spread to the other vessels connected to it via oil-soaked ropes. She took a moment to be amazed at the sight before reminding herself what exactly would happen. And that she was about to rack up a large body count.
Though, such thoughts could wait as the other mages with them unleashed their spells, igniting the oil and turning the mini fleet into a blazing inferno and on a direct course with the Valmese fleet. Leaping from the ship's stern, Naminé soon found herself flying through the air rather than swimming through the sea, Xion diving below her at the last minute and grabbing both her and Maribelle. Cordelia had done the same, holding Chrom, Robin and Miriel before the two flyers returned to the Ylissean fleet, leaving behind them a scene that Hades would call home.
The impact of the sight left all stunned at the ferocity of the blaze, as the very water itself was on fire. Especially the Guardians, who had never seen such carnage in their life, unless you count seeing a world fall to darkness.
"Was this the only way?" Sora asks quietly those around him. No one could think of an answer to tell him as they watched the flames consume the Valmese fleet. But, to their relief, Xion and Cordelia soon land before them, as several smaller ships follow after, each holding the mages who helped spread the blaze. Although Roxas was more concerned with Namine at the moment, seeing his wife give a ghosted look at the destruction caused.
"Are you alright, Nam?" He asks gently before enveloping her in a hug. She didn't reply, just merely holding onto his arm as she watched the fires burn.
"I helped cause that… All those people and I helped…" she says quietly as she hangs her head in shame. "Was there not some other way, Roxas? Did we really have to resort to set them all ablaze like this?" her voice began to quiver as Roxas held on even tighter. He knew Naminé's gentleness would be affected by this sight, but it was probably worse since she helped it. But then again, ANY of them would feel that same weight if they were in her shoes.
"We feel the same as you, Naminé." She turns to look at him, curious as to what he means. "We have always asked ourselves, 'Was there another way?' or 'Could we have done that differently?' But in the end, we remember why we did it in the first place. To protect those we care about and to protect innocent civilians. And that is what you did today. You helped manage to save an untold number of people by helping stop that fleet Naminé. And you didn't do it alone. Robin, Miriel, Maribelle, Cordelia and Xion were also there, so they would also feel the same pain you are now. But it was Chrom who gave the order. And if what you are feeling is painful for you, imagine how Chrom and Robin feel."
Naminé looks at Roxas for a few seconds before turning to look at the others. Just as Roxas said, they, too, were showing pain in their eyes. Maribelle herself looked disgusted at herself as Henry was doing his best to console her. Gaius was also doing the same to Cordelia, trying to keep her mind off the roaring blaze. Xion was herself wrapped up in the arms of Riku as Sora, Kairi, and Aqua talked to her. Miriel looked fine, but she seemed to be reading her notes so much that she could burn a hole through the book, which Vaike had noticed. As for Chrom and Robin, they were busy chatting to Basilio and Flavia, no doubt trying to keep the image of burning ships out of their minds.
"Thank you, Roxas." Naminé says gratefully, yet still with sadness. "But I don't think I will be able to sleep well for a while after this…." Roxas replies that he will make sure those images don't wake her and that he will always be by her side. The clapping sound of attention drew their focus to Chrom, who was standing in the vessel's centre.
"Everyone, we will be taking a slight detour to the south on our way to Valm's Port for obvious reasons. So take the time to rest and recuperate. We won't be getting into any more fights for a while, and we will need to be at our best when we land in Valm. That is all." No one needed to be told twice as everyone began to go below decks, eager to get away from the roaring inferno. Roxas never left his wife's side for the rest of the day as the ships sailed south.
No one would have easy dreams tonight.
You didn't think everyone would not bat an eye at the inferno that appeared did you? Especially for the Guardians. I felt like it was sort of glossed over in the game, so i decided to show some fore of after effect from it. Anyway, next chapter will be another Paralogue, which i will explain more about later.