Writing Paralogues is challenge... Sorry about the wait on this one and the shortness of it!
Also, a little late to say this, but this story is also cross posted on AO3! Just in case anyone was interested!
Chapter Text
Paralogue 5: Scion of Legend
It had only been a day since the battle against the Valmese fleet, yet the mood had not improved. The image of the burning seas still filled the mind of the Shepherds, merciless destruction born out of necessity. It didn't make them feel any better about it, though. Although, considering how Lucina did not react as much as them only hammered home just how dark the future must have been for her. All the more reason that it fails to come to pass. At least now, they were in the range of the Valmese coast.
"Robin, I think it's best if we send a small scouting party onto the coast." Chrom councils at a meeting. Around him are Robin, Sora, Kairi and Terra. "We need to know just how far we are from the Valmese Port and how defended it is. I don't want us to rush in and take unnecessary losses."
"I agree, Chrom. But, at the same time, I think it's best if we start to limit how many of the Shepherds we send out as well. Considering how large our group is now, we can spare to have some stay behind and help the main force against the Valmese." Chrom looks at the Grandmasters conflicted. It was true that their numbers were getting to the point they could spare some to stay behind. But at the same time, they were at their best when together.
"Chrom, even if we are apart, what really matters is our bonds between us. The invisible ties that our hearts make ensure that we are never alone. Even if we are apart, so long as we hold onto those ties, our strength will never waiver." Chrom looks at Sora with a curious look before chuckling at him. Kairi, in turn, gives her husband a loving glance, remembering a similar speech he gave her all the way back in Travers Town. Terra smirks at Sora before looking at Chrom.
"Well, you heard him, Chrom. So who will be going ashore?" Chrom glances at Terra before looking over the Roster for the Shepherds. Ignoring the bios for them (how does it know he was the most likely of them to break things!?) Chrom looked over who would work well with the scouting mission. Eventually, he found his picks.
"Alright. The team will be Lucina, Lissa, Roxas, Naminé, Riku, Xion, Stahl, Anna, Virion, Olivia and Aqua. It may be a small group, but it has speed. And for a scouting run, it's a necessity." The four nod at Chrom's suggestion before leaving to inform the chosen twelve. Chrom takes a moment to look out a window at the nearby coast, the feeling of rocks resting on his shoulders once again returning in force. "There is so much before us right now, threats unseen, and yet we barely know anything at all." He gives a long sigh before turning his gaze to the Fire Emblem, the sole gemstone glistening in the light. "I don't doubt that Grima needs me dead so he can return without fear, but how did me and Robin die? It can't be anyone in the Shepherds…." He shakes his head before running a hand down his face. "Well, I can worry about that when the war with Valm is over. For now, we have a Conqueror to defeat."
Landing on the beach was easier than expected, considering the four horses they were bringing along. Any initial fears of spotting Valmese patrols quickly faded away at seeing the idyllic nature of the forest, no extensive settlements insight. While Xion flew above the trees with Virion, the riders rode down the dirt path, senses sharp for danger. Stahl was carrying Lissa, no surprise, Riku carried Lucina, Aqua gave Oliva a ride while Roxas took Naminé. Anna, for her part, simply jogged alongside the riders, not bothered at being grounded. On the other hand, Lissa couldn't help but turn her attention to her niece, a burning question on her mind.
"Hey Lucina, just a quick question for you." Lucina turned her gaze to her aunt with a curious eye. "Just answer me truthfully on this, but I'm still around in your future, right?" The group gradually slowed down as Lucina cast her gaze to the ground, suddenly unable to look at her aunt. How could she, with her last memories of giving her life to save her as Ylisstol fell to Grima? Maybe she could say something and leave that out? That would be best.
"Well, your warm and kind, for starters. Even more so than Uncle Sora and Aunt Kairi, if you can believe that. You, along with Aunt Naminé, were beacons of hope for us in those dark times, despite all the death and desolation." Roxas gave his wife a gentle smile as she hid her bashing face. He always knew her gentle person would light up any room. Just as long as no one made her mad, that is. Of course, Lissa grinned from ear to ear at Lucina's description of her before another thought came to her mind.
"Another question. Do me and Stahl have any children?" Stahl almost lost his grip on his horse when his wife asked that question, prompting all present to laugh at his misfortune and blushing face. Lucina herself giggled profusely at her Uncle before looking back at her Aunt, a faint fondness in her eyes.
"Yes, you do. His name is Owain. A tad over-eager and with a fondness of being overly dramatic. But he is one of my closest friends, who I would always trust to have my back no matter what." Lissa's gaze soon falls to the ground as a sad smile falls across her face. "I hope we find him and the others. I miss them so much."
"We'll find them." Riku says with determination. "If they are anything like you, then they won't be easy to take down. Just have some faith in them as you had in us." Lucina smiles at her Uncle before agreeing with him. Lissa looked on happily at her future niece before her face fell. She, in truth, had one more question to ask but refrained from asking. Stahl looked at her, understanding what it was she was thinking about until Xion swooped down before them, startling the horses.
"A little warning next time, sis! You almost made us fall off our horses." Roxas scolds his sister, who meekly rubs her head before turning serious.
"Sorry, but we just spotted a village not too far away from here. I think we can get some information from there."
"It's better than just walking around in circles. Lead us the way Xion." Xion nods before taking back into the skies, Virion hanging on for dear life. Oliva giggles at her husband's situation as the riders follow after Xion. Unknown to them, they were riding straight into a battle.
The yellow myrmidon walked through the forest not far from the village, his right hand constantly twitching as he glanced around him. "My sword hand twitches; the legendary blade is near. But so are the Valmese villains. But the village need not fee. I, Owain, shall protect it with all my might." He boasts dramatically before rushing off randomly, surprisingly finding himself on the village outskirt. "Ah, I have arrived before the fiends. Now, to find the legendary blade to aid me."
Owain couldn't help but give a bitter smile while walking through the small rural village and watching the villagers go about their everyday lives. How long had it been since he last saw people this happy? Owain shakes his head to disperse the few tears falling from his face. He could grow sentimental later. Walking with renewed vigour, Owain went straight to the leaders' hut, located at the centre of the village. Knocking on the door, he is greeted by a sage.
"Hail traveller. What brings you to our remote village." He kindly asks. Owain shakes the man's hand before stating that he had travelled far and wide, searching for a blade of legend and that his search had led him here. "I see. I think I have what you are looking for." He turns around before scavenging in a wooden closet, pulling out a long dark blue sword with jagged edges. The guard is two semi-circular pieces, while blue fabric with white edging surrounds the guard's centre. "Here we are, Missiletainn." The sage says before Owain suddenly takes the blade in his eyes, his eyes shining like stars.
"This is it! The Apocalyptic Brand, Mystletainn!" Owain cries in delight, much to the sages' confusion. Before he could speak, cries of terror rang out from villagers outside. The two ran outside, only to see to the sage's horror and Owain's anger, Valmese warriors ransacking the village, like thieves. "Vile villains! You will rue the day you attacked this abode! Come Mystletainn! We have villains to slay!" Owain leaps at the Valmese invaders, surprising them with the audacity of a lone warrior charging their ranks.
All the while, he failed to hear the leader saying that what he had in his hands was but a glorified vegetable knife.
Flying around on a Pegasus had many benefits. But the most obvious one would be the endless vistas one could see while flying above the trees. There were times when Xion found herself gazing at a rising sunrise or falling sunset, sometimes with Riku riding along. But another advantage was seeing approaching trouble from miles away, and seeing a village being ransacked was no different. Directing her steed to the ground while ignoring Virions objections at the sudden change, Xion swooped down to inform the group of the latest situation.
"The village is under attack by Valmese raiders!" She cries to the group, who stare at her in shock. "If we don't hurry, there might not be anything left to save."
"Well, you heard her! Double time everyone!" Stahl cries before motioning his horse into a full gallop, followed by the rest. Xion again retook to the sky and flew on ahead, hoping to help in some way. Flying closer, she was surprised to see the raiders tied down by a single myrmidon, fighting with a deep blue blade as the villagers rushed into a house behind him. Xion rubbed her eyes a few times, not believing what she saw before looking back at Virion, asking if he could see the myrmidon. Tilting his head, Virion looked over her shoulder, only to gasp in shock.
"I say! The lad is crazy to take on a full band by himself. Hurry Xion! We must aid him until the others arrive." Xion nods a reply before motioning her steed towards the fight, her left hand grabbing onto her ice tome. She could hear Virion knocking an arrow onto his bow before seeing a silver arrow fly past her vision, embedding itself into one of the Valmese raiders. Taking that as her cue, she unleashed a blast of ice from her right hand, catching several raiders in its icy grip. It also helped that it caught their attention, as they took their eyes off the myrmidon just long enough for him to take a medicinal vial out of his pouch. Then, turning her Pegasus around for another pass, she grinned when she saw Stahl and the others emerge from the tree line, the riders charging forward while their passengers leap off to fight on foot.
These raiders would not be making away with any loot today.
Owain could not believe his luck. The sword he got from the sage was a far cry from the blade of legend it was supposed to be. In fact, it was such a poor blade that it HAD to be a replica of the fabled sword! Not that he could place it away and bring out his katana. In short, he was in trouble. But then his rescue came in the form of a Dark Flyer, its rider firing ice magic on the Valmese as a Sniper clung to the back, firing off arrows at every opportunity. And there was only one flyer who used an ice tome anywhere. The rider's identity became solid when he heard the hooves of riders bearing upon them.
Turning to the source, Owain could hardly contain his joy at seeing the Shepherds ride into battle, even if they were in their youth and not the grizzled veterans he remembered as a child. Still, it was a sight that brought no end of joy to him. But what caught his eye the most was seeing Lissa and Stahl among them. The last time he saw his father was when he went on an ill-fated rescue mission, and as for his mother…
He shook away the memories before refocusing on the battle at hand. Putting away the 'fake' sword, Owain drew his katana before leaping into the Valmese raiders, his blade finding more significant success than the replica.
Striking down another raider, Owain turned to strike at another before said raider was struck down before her could strike. "Owain needs no aid." He says before looking at his helper, before flinching at seeing Aqua standing before him on her horse, Stormfall in hand. Unknowing, Lissa and Stahl heard his cry before glancing over at him, eyes wide at seeing him.
"I think you'll find us disagreeing on that part." Aqua says before directing her horse towards the Valmese raiders. Twin arrows of light zoomed over Owain's head and found a new home in two of the raiders as Roxas rode past and engaged in close quarters with Oblivion in his left hand. Olivia was dancing in between the raiders, using her skills of the art to her advantage, along with the leering looks the raiders were giving her due to her outfit, much to her embarrassment. Lucina, meanwhile, was showing the raiders just what not to do to make a princess angry, coming down on them with a barrage of Sonic Blades. She threw Owain a friendly and relieved smile at one point before turning her attention back on the Valmese raiders with a vengeance.
Anna, as usual, was making off with the raider's valuables while ending their careers, while at the same time pausing to heal any wounded village she found. Free of charge, of course. She may be a trader, but she wouldn't dare to put a price on healing a defenceless villager! Naminé, in turn, was tending more to the villagers rather than fighting, her mind still haunted by the inferno on the seas, even if she was gradually getting better. Riku, for his part, was showing them why cavalry was Valm's go-to strategy, running rings around them while forcing them towards Stahl and Lissa. At this rate, the raiders would be dealt with, and minimal damage done. And yet Owain could not shake the feeling in his blood as the last of the raiders fled into the trees.
His feelings proved true when he saw an assassin dart out from the tree line, running straight towards Lissa as she herself was busy tending to an injured villager. "Mother, look out!" Owain cries as his eyes narrowed before charging at the attacker, for once ignoring his usual dramatic flair as he stood between Lissa and the assassin. His opponent grunts at him before swinging his blade at Owain as he, in turn, slashes at the raider at an angle. His foe's blade glances past his left arm, tearing the sleeve away as Owain's found its mark in his chest, bringing him down. Owain turns to look at Lissa with a sigh, her eyes wide as dinner plates as her gaze is locked onto his arm. "Mother, are you all right!?" Owain asks with concern at seeing Lissa's wide eyes with the rest of the Shepherds gather. Before anyone could speak a word, Lissa finally spoke.
"Holy crow! Your arm!" she yells while pointing at Owain's shoulder. Owain looks at her in befuddlement before his eyes rise in realisation, before turning to look at his now bare shoulder. Resting upon it, glistening in the sunlight, is the Brand of House Ylisse. Owain confirms that it is indeed the same brand that Lucina and Chrom have. "Then you know? That I don't…" Lissa says while her face falls. Everyone, bar Lucina, Stahl and Owain, looked at her confused while Owain's smile never left his face.
"That you Brand never surfaced?" Owain finishes for her before explaining that she did tell him, saying that it always weighed on her shoulders like an immovable mountain. "You should have seen how happy you were the day mine appeared! You were sobbing and laughing for an hour without pause!" Some gave small chuckles at Owain's comment, while Lissa herself wished that she grew out of the crying bit while Stahl enveloped her in a gentle hug.
"You know, Aunt Lissa, if you asked, I would have told you that Owain does have the Brand." Lucina says as she walks up to her aunt. "That is one thing I would have been more than glad to share." Lissa nods tearfully at her niece before turning her gaze back to Owain.
"Well, Owain, do you want to join us? I'm sure there is a lot more you can do fighting alongside us than by yourself." Owain nods as he accepts Lissa's proposal without question, saying that he has valuable information to give to the rest of the Shepherds about their time here in Valm. But before they could move out, Owain's sword hand began twitching sporadically, as Owain seemed to fight against his own arm while the rest of the Shepherds looked on bewildered.
"I think we should have a look at that arm of his when we get back." Aqua says to Riku, who nods without question. Either Owain was overly dramatic, or something was wrong with his arm.
To say the Valmese were in an uproar would be an understatement. Just days ago, they had seen the most powerfully fleet, with the largest army ever assembled, leave to conquer Ylisse and bring home untold glory. Instead, only a dozen or so ships returned, several of which sported severe burn damage. News quickly spread of the defeat at sea, with rumours abound on the ferocity of the Ylissean League with the citizens of the port glancing towards the horizon, some with trepidation, and others with the hope of liberation. Some could not match the hope that filled Say'ri's heart at the news of the Valmese defeat, and for once, she felt that victory might actually be obtainable.
"I wonder if Robin took my love of fire a bit far with his strategy." Lea idly says while resting on his bed. The two had been hiding in Lea's hideout ever since news of the battle reached the port, resulting in a sharp increase in Valmese patrols. His smirk soon fades, though, as he looks at the sun's setting rays gleaming through the window. "Still, it can't have been a pretty sight, judging by how the remainder of the Valmese fleet described the outcome."
"Nothing ever will be, especially when it is you who caused it to happen." Say'ri agrees before looking over the pyro. "How long will it be until the League arrives? The Valmese will find us sooner or later, especially after the actions we have taken against them." Lea hums in thought at Say'ri's question. If what they were hearing was true, the League would take a longer root to reach the port. If he were Luxord, he would probably bet on either tomorrow or a few days, but that would be just grasping at straws.
"Honestly, I can say. I'm not a gambling man." Lea stands up before walking over to a little chest before opening it, taking out one of the last water bottles. "Still, if I were, I would say at a few days max."
"A few days we may not even have." Say'ri laments before looking over her katana. "I know what awaits me should Walhart's men find me. A painful and torturous death. A message for all members of the resistance to bending the knee and submit." Lea looked a Say'ri with a frown at the comment. In these past weeks of bonding, he admitted that he had grown fond of the former Princess. How far that fondness went, he did not know, but part of him was determined to see that she did not meet that fate.
Oh, light, I'm starting to think like Roxas dose with Naminé! Or is it like Sora? Lea shakes his head of the thoughts, mental telling himself there was no way Say'ri would think the same. Still, there was something he could say. "If destiny is so determined to have Walhart's forces find you, Say'ri, then I'll make it my mission so that it fails at every turn." Say'ri gave Lea a surprised look at him before her face morphs into a warm smile, all the while setting a flame in his chest he had never felt before.
"I thank you, Lea, for being at my side. Had you not rescued me that night, I would be in some dark room now, tortured and beaten to within an ilm of my life. Nor would I have been this effective at disrupting the Valmese forces here. I can never thank you enough." Lea rubs the back of his head shyly, saying that it was nothing while desperately trying to hide the blush growing on his face. Then, deciding to steer it away, Lead hurriedly says that he was going on a patrol while telling Say'ri to get some rest for tomorrow. Before Say'ri could respond, Lea had already left via a ladder leading up to the roof. Smiling softly to herself, Say'ri turned her gaze to the sun's reddening rays at night, drawing closer, a certain pyro forever imprinted in her mind.
The ocean waters were calm and quiet, and not a cloud above obscured the stars as the Ylissean League sailed through the waters, the coast of Valm ever in their sights. After picking up the scouting force and being introduced to Owain, the son of Lissa and Stahl and cousin to Lucina, the League set a course north to the Valmese port to the north, which Owain claimed that the fleet they engaged originated from.
But that was not all they learned. Owain had also informed the Shepherds of others like him and Lucina, who was busy helping the Valmese resistance at several points in Valm. While most of the Shepherds were curious to know the identity of the others, Owain and Lucina remained tight-lipped, saying that it would be a better surprise if they found them rather than be told about them. Most of them huffed at the comment but relented to the two. But that was not what had Chrom up late that night. Not when the coming battle with Valm approached them.
"I'm happy that Owain gave us intel on the port, but even though we have it, I still can't help but feel uncertain." He says as Robin, Sora, Kairi and Lucina gather around him. "How can we take the port without the Valmese setting it alight?" The four look at each other as they ponder Chrom's question. If they lost the port before they could unload their troops, they would need to either empty via small boats off the coast or try and find another port they could use—each resulting in more time spent unloading and giving the Valmese a chance to counter-attack.
"The only way I can see is if we storm the port with a single ship at dawn." Robin comments while looking over the map. "If we try and unload our forces while the port is still in Valmese hands, they could easily set fire to it before we even get a quarter of our troop on the beach."
"So what do we do? Have the ship storm into the port and then jump off at the last second?" Sora asks the grandmaster. Even though Sora meant it as a joke, he didn't expect Robin to look at him with a smirk and nod.
"But won't that ruin the port?" Kairi asks, seeing the look on Robin's face. "If we have our ship ram into it, won't it make it harder for us when we do secure it?"
"Who said we would be ramming into the piers?" Robin asks before drawing a finger along a sea wall. "Another advantage of coming in in the morning will be the low tide around the sea wall, allowing us to beach the ship right next to the wall. And since there is a spot that opens up to the beach…."
"We can storm into the port without trouble." Chrom finishes before smirking at Robin. "Simple, but again, it's always the simple ones that work." Robin agrees with a nod before Chrom turns to look at the couple. "Better pass the news around. Tomorrow will be a hectic day for us."
"You can say that again. I only hope Lea is alright. He's been in that port by himself ever since Virion, Oliva, and Cherche came to Ferox." Sora says with a sigh as Kairi places a comforting hand on his shoulder. Chrom agrees with a nod, praying to Naga that he had not been caught and had acquired valuable information they could use. They would find out tomorrow if Lea had been successful or not. All the while, Lucina cast a gaze around the room, debating with herself if she should tell them of a specific event that had to be avoided at all costs. But would it even happen in this timeline? Shaking her head, Lucina silently vowed to talk with Owain about it while praying to Naga that it never came.
Losing him would be a blow to them all.
So yeah, when it comes to the Paralogues, im not going to use only a select number of the Shepherds rather than the whole group. Maye do the same for the main chapters as well but that's how the future Paralogues will go!