Sorry about the late upload, updates wont be weekly as much anymore. Will try to get back into a swing, but no promises. Anyway, onto the chapter!
Chapter Text
Chapter 16: Smouldering Resistance
The sun had not yet risen as the Ylissean League neared the Valmese Port, all light extinguished to avoid detection. They were lucky that the sky was covered in a blanket of clouds, obscuring the stars and moon. At the front of the fleet is the stolen Valmese ship, hosing the Shepherds ever since they left Port Ferox. Only know, instead of waving the Ylissean flags, it flew the Valmese flags—all for a singular purpose.
"Are you SURE the Valmese will be tricked by this Robin? Won't they realise that it's the ship we have captured?" Xion asks Robin as the Shepherds gather in the hold of the ship. Robin flashes the Dark Flyer a grin before telling her it will be alright.
"We have several advantages on our side Xion. One of which, thanks to Owain, is that a Valmese ship has just recently left port to scout for us. Second, after looking at the weather patterns and climate changes, I have good reason to believe that there will be a heavy fog this morning. These two advantages, plus additional actions on our side, will give us the best chance possible of getting into the port and securing a foothold."
"We have another advantage as well." Chrom interjects, missing the mock pout on Robin, much to Lucina and Owain's amusement. "Since the Valmese are now busying themselves with finding and eliminating the Resistance, their cavalry won't be in the port. Which gives us an advantage."
"I fear we will not have the favour on our side for long, dear Uncle." Owain suddenly says, his eyes downcast. "I fear that, if rumours I have heard are true, then we may also be beset upon by the creatures of shadow." Everyone turned to look at him, but instead of signs of worry or interest, all he was met by was a wall of confusion. While Owain looked around in bewilderment, Lucina shook her head at her cousins' antics before turning to 'translate' his words.
"What Owain means is that the Valmese have the Heartless on their side, according to these rumours." That got everyone's attention proper, as their eyes turned from surprise to anger at the mention of the Heartless. "And you can all guess who it is that gave the Conqueror this power."
"Maleficent." Sora says bitterly, with the rest of the Guardians giving similar looks. "Why am I not surprised at this point." He finishes with a deep sigh as Kairi rubs his back soothingly. Riku and Terra share Sora's annoyance, each pinching the brow between their eyes before Riku's eyes harden with finality.
"Sora, this might sound extreme, but this is the final straw. No matter what happens, Maleficent is not walking away from this. She has already caused too much destruction over the past years, so it is time we finished her threat for good." Some of the Guardians were surprised at Riku's declaration, but they could not fault his reasoning. Because of her, the worlds almost fell to darkness once, and after that, she tried again to rise to the exact position of power again. Even if Xehanort pushed the fairy down this path, she has shown no interest in leaving it. It was time her evil was removed for good.
"If everyone is ready, it's time to set sail." Chrom announces as he steps up from his seat and walks to a set of stairs behind him. "We have a port to seize."
If one could see through the fog around the Valmese Port, one would see a flurry of activity as Valmese troops ran around in a fit. Not that long ago, they had discovered Lea's hideout and stormed the cellar, only to find it abandoned, chests empty, and any form of paperwork gone.
Searching the roof above showed no signs of the occupants leaving, but they would have found Lea and Say'ri hiding in a false chimney if they had looked more closely. And now there were searching the streets for the two, never realising that the people they were searching for were watching them from above as they made their way towards the port.
"Fi, they are hunting us like mice." Say'ri comments as she glares at an armoured knight flanked by two soldiers walking down an alleyway below them. Then, she turns her gaze to Lea, a frown plastered on his face as he looks towards the ocean. "I pray the League arrives soon, or we will be in chains by the time they arrive."
"You're not the only one." He comments as he continues his gaze. "Starting to really hate waiting right about now. If only we had a signal too…." His words die in his throat as a Valmese ship appears through the fog, Valmese colours waving the wind as it nears the docks. "Crap, that scouting ship has returned. Things have just gotten more complicated." Say'ri turns to look at the ship, her gaze falling before noticing something off about it.
"Are you sure that is the same ship, Lea." She asks as he walks up next to him. "Its design is different. It closely resembles a transport ship the Valmese use before the battle on the seas." Lea arches an eyebrow at her before returning his gaze to it. True, it does look more prominent than the scouting ship, armed with cannons and looks to have a Falcon knight, two Dark Flyers a Wyvern Lord on its deck, but that doesn't…
Hold up a sec! Lea thinks as he does a double-take on the deck before his frown becomes a devious smirk. "Looks like we won't be waiting any longer, Say'ri." He comments while placing a hand on Flame Liberator. Say'ri looks at him with an eyebrow raised, asking what Lea was talking about. Lea's smirk became ever more prominent before looking back at the approaching 'Valmese' ship. "You'll see in a few more seconds."
No sooner do the words leave his lips than the Valmese flags are suddenly cut away, revealing in their place the flags of Ylisse. This is followed by the ship suddenly increasing in speed before crashing directly into the sandy beach. The four flyers waiting on the deck take to the air, carrying four passengers as several more warriors leap over the ship's sides before charging into the port itself.
"About time they showed up." Lea quips before pulling Flame Liberator from its sheath and jumping down into the alleyway, Say'ri following close behind. They were not missing out on this.
Charge. A simple word, yet when shouted, carried more weight than written. Such was the effect generated when called by Chrom, propelling the Shepherds to act the moment the flags were dropped at the shit hit the sandbank. No sooner had the ship touched the sands had the Shepherds leapt over the rails, boots and hooves hitting the sand before charging up onto the stone steps leading into the port. The Valmese guards overlooking the docks had no time to react as a blast of lighting from Robin, and a fireball of light from Nowi silenced them.
Not that there was no resistance to be met. Valmese warriors soon began to make their presence known, fanning out from the multitude of alleyways as several armoured knights for barricades in the streets. Along the roofs, mages and archers stood at the ready, but with the thick fog covering the port, any action on their part was greatly diminished.
The same could not be said for Sumia, Xion and the flyers. Soaring above the fog, they could easily see the Valmese archers and mages rushing along the roof tops, desperately trying to find an opening, only to find themselves attacked by Cherche and Sumia. At the same time, Cordelia and Xion unleashed a storm of magic upon them. All the while, Xion could swear she could see what looked to be a sword of fire moving about the fog, but due to the density, she could not make it out clearly. But distraction on a battlefield could be deadly.
"Xion, look out!" Cordelia's cry snapped Xion from her daze, only to see two arrows zooming towards her from the roofs. She ducks her head, the arrow just scratching her cheek. However, the other arrow strikes into her mount's wing, sending them both tumbling to the ground. Thankfully, Xion's Pegasus managed to land but injured its leg in the process. While Xion shook her head to remove the disorientation, several Valmese warriors surrounded her. Grunting, Xion tightens the grip on her spear while reaching for one of her tomes on her hip until several arrows of fire rain down from the mist and hit several of the Valmese.
Blinking in surprise, Xion turns to the source to see Say'ri dashing in through the mist, striking down the Valmese warriors with precise and swift strikes while more arrows of fire fell around them. Eventually, only one was left before he ran into the mist in retreat. Say'ri breaths a sigh before looking at Xion, who had dismounted to look at the injury on her Pegasus.
"Fi, that was close. Are you alright young warrior?" she asks as she walks up to her. Xion turns to look at Say'ri with a relieved grin on her face.
"I am, thanks to you and Lea." She says before turning to look into the direction the arrows came from. "Don't think I didn't recognise those arrows; I know it was you." She calls out. Soon enough, Lea walks out of the mist, Flame Liberator in his right hand with Eternal Flames in his left, all the while wearing a proud smirk on his face.
"I can never fool you or Roxas, Xion. Glad to see you still kicking." He says before glancing around them, "Still, best we get a move on. We don't have time for a Q and A. House your mount?" Xion looks over the wing of her Pegasus, frowning at seeing the wound caused by the arrow. She will not be flying anywhere with this wound. Before they could make a plan of action, the sound of wings flapping in the wind drew their attention skyward as Sumia, Cherche, and Cordelia flew down to the three.
"Xion! Thank Naga, you're safe!" Cordelia says as she gets off her Pegasus and rushes over to her. "If anything had happened to you, I would not know what to tell either your siblings or husband!" She says while hugging Xion. Xion pats Cordelia on the back, saying that she was fine, other than the cut on her cheek, but her Pegasus was injured and could not fly. Cordelia nods, saying that she, Sumia and Cherche will provide air cover as they return to the rest of the Shepherds before noticing Lea standing nearby. "Oh, forgive me, Lea. I did not see you there." Lea laughed it off, saying it was fine, but reiterated his last point about moving out. Especially as seeing the mist starting to clear up. The three riders nod, although they did give Say'ri a curious glance, who said she would tell them all she knows when the battle was one, to which they accepted before flying back to the skies as lea, Say'ri and the now grounded Xion made their way back to the Shepherds.
That had a battle to win here.
"Chrom! We've got more Valmese soldiers coming from the right!" Sully calls out as she, Riku and Panne engage in several cavaliers near a Bazar. Chrom glanced over to the area Sully pointed out and groaned at seeing more cavaliers, along with a Dark Knight, charging towards them, the mist dissipating as the morning sun rose higher. They were lucky that all foes on the rooftops had been dealt with. Disarming the myrmidon he was currently engaged with, Chrom glances over towards Sora as he, Kairi, Henry, Maribelle and Nowi beat back a group of Valmese fighters.
"Sora! We've got more Valmese bearing down on us!" He calls out to him, pointing Falchion in the general direction. Sora glances at him before nodding and rushing over to engage the reinforcements, Kairi and the others right beside him. The Dark Knight seems to growl at them before firing a burst of fire towards them as the cavaliers break off. One levels its lance towards Maribelle, who was busy conjuring a barrier to stop the flames from passing, her eyes widening at the charging knight. Only for a haze of darkness to engulf him and his horse before collapsing to the ground, drained of stamina. Maribelle glances to the side to see Henry smiling at his work before grinning at her. A response Maribelle responds with. Meanwhile, Nowi quickly dealt with the other cavaliers as Sora and Kairi charged at the Dark Knight, who was busy trying his best to scorch the couple with searing flames.
"A fiery death to all who oppose him! Long live the emperor!" He yells in fury as he fires another burst of flame at them. He growls in anger at seeing them dodge him again, ignoring the growing shadows around him. Sora and Kairi, on the other hand, recognise the pools of darkness around him, mentally bracing themselves for their old foe to appear. Soon enough, the Heartless emerge from the pools of darkness, in the form of Paladins, before they turn their yellow eyes on the couple. The Valmese Dark Knight grins at the sight of the Heartless until he sees two of them turns their eyes on him. His face soon gave way to horror as the Heartless turned on him, ripping his heart out with lightning speed.
"Dear Naga!" Maribelle cries as she looks at the unfolding scene. Nowi stares on in shock while Henry, uncharacteristically, frowns in sadness as the Valmese commander fades away into darkness, only for a Heartless Dark Knight to replace him in mere seconds. But unfortunately, it was not just the five who saw it happen either. Nearby Valmese soldiers, witnessing their commander's brutal death, turned and fled the battle, not wanting to meet their commander's fate. Several of the Shepherds, who had never seen a Heartless ripping out a person's Heart, mirrored Maribelle's reaction, while Lucina and Owain frowned in anger.
This was a sight they had seen far too much.
"Form up! Shields in front! Ranged behind!" Robin cries as the Heartless Valmese advance towards them. Rushing forward past Sora and Kairi, Terra Kellam, Frederick and Stahl form a wall to block the charging Heartless, while Nowi takes flight with Naminé to fire holy fire on the Dark Knight, forcing it back to stop it casting any spells at the four. As the Heartless Paladins tried to break through the armoured wall, Sora, Kairi, Ventus, and Riku ran around the sides before attacking the flanks, while Roxas and Aqua rode ahead to deal with the Dark Knight, as it tries, and fils, to hit Nowi with blasts of dark fire.
It only realised it was under attack when an arrow of light destroyed its horse beneath it. By the time it got up from the ground, Aqua and Roxas had both stuck it across the chest with their swords, destroying the Heartless as its captured heart flew past Nowi and Naminé, the latter sighing sadly as the heart floated into the sky.
As for the Heartless Paladins, they did not last long to the flanking attacks of the four Keybearers, fading away to darkness just as they had arrived. All that remained were the sounds of flags flapping in the ocean breeze as the waves crashed against the shore. Before the Shepherds could take stock of the situation, the flapping of wings from above drew their eyes to Sumia, Cordelia and Cherche as they flew down to them, but eyes were filled with worry at seeing one of their number missing.
"Where's Xion?" Riku asks, worry evident in his voice. He knows Xion can look after herself, but not seeing her with the others could mean too many things. But before his mind could wander, Cherche walked up to him and placed a calming hand on his shoulder. She told him that Xion was okay, but an archer had injured her Pegasus during the fight. Then, before Riku could ask anything else, the sounds of hooves clacking along the stone roads drew their attention to one of the alleyways as Xion, Lea and Say'ri entered into the main road, Lea throwing a casual wave at the Shepherds.
Everyone sent relived looks at Xion and Lea as the Guardians walked up to them, Xion herself being looked over by Riku and her siblings, much to her annoyance and amusement. She only had a cut on her cheek! Lea gave Xion a traitorous chuckle before showing Say'ri to Chrom and Robin as the Guardians regrouped with the rest of the Shepherds.
"The tales that Lea had told me were no exaggeration…." Say'ri says as she looks around the port. Already the Shepherds were fanning out to secure the area, while others were busy signalling the rest of the fleet. Then, turning back to Chrom, she bows towards him respectfully. "I am called Say'ri, former princess of Chon'sin, and I fight with the Resistance."
"It is an honour to meet you, Say'ri." Chrom replies, returning her bow with his own. "I am Chrom, Prince of Ylisse. With me is Robin, my Grandmaster, my sister Lissa, my wife Sumia, and to my left are some of our most faithful companions." Next, he motions to the Guardians and Lucina. Say'ri looks at them before her brows rise in realisation before smiling gently.
"It is an honour to meet wielders of the Key." She says while bowing respectfully to them. "Lea has told me a great deal of you all." The Guardians look at each other a little flustered before Sora returns the bow.
"It is a pleasure to meet you as well. My name is Sora. My wife, Kairi, and my siblings Roxas, Ventus and Xion are with me. Along with Kairi's sister, Naminé." He motions to said people on his right before looking to his left. "Riku, our best friend since childhood. Terra, Aqua and Isa." Said people bow in respect to Say'ri, who smiles warmly at them before turning to look at Lucina, who had remained silent through the exchange.
"It's a pleasure to meet you, Lady Say'ri and Sir Lea. My name is Lucina."
"Lucina? As in the same as Chrom's baby daughter?" Lea asks in surprise while the Guardians share a knowing look. Chrom looks at Sumia and Robin, who nods before he and Sumia walk up to Lucina, placing hands on her shoulders while wearing a smile only a parent would.
"That's right. It is Lucina, from the future." Chrom says to the now wide-eyed pyro, who then slaps his hand on his face while mumbling away at how they don't need another time-travel plot on their hands, causing all present to laugh at his misfortune. Not that the Guardians could deny Lea's annoyance. "We can explain about it later, Lea, but I think we should hear about what has been happening here."
"Aye, we have a lot to tell you about the situation here in Valm. For one thing, is the status of the Resistance. We are divided into small groups and act with independence of one another. If we could unite as one, we would be able to bring down Walhart, but we cannot."
"Why is that? If you all face Walhart as a common foe, then why can't you all join together to fight him?" Kairi asks with confusion. If the Resistance was as strong as she said it was, then how have they not been able to overthrow Walhart? Was it because of Maleficent and the Heartless, the Risen, or some other matter?
"I fear it is the same weakness that plagues all of man. Greed. Jealousy. Sloth. Even if we didn't suffer from these, the creatures that Maleficent calls, that you call the 'Heartless', have made it all the more difficult in challenging the Conquer. It is because of her that Chon'sin no longer exists." Say'ri grits her teeth in anger as Lea places a consoling hand on her shoulder, which did not go unnoticed by Roxas, Xion or Isa, the three giving each other sly smirks. Oh, they were going to have fun with this. "There is one other factor that hampered my attempts to bring us all together, though, and that is my own brother who fights for Walhart." That snapped the three out of their planning as they all looked at Say'ri with surprises.
"Wait, your own brother is fighting for Walhart? Why is that?" Sora asks, dumbfounded. How could someone fight against their own sibling? His thoughts turn to Vanitas, the dark half of Ventus who could be called Sora's dark-haired twin. Why couldn't he have just surrendered instead of fighting to the death? Even if he walks beside them as their shadows as he said.
"Wish we could tell you Sora, but that man is just a mystery. Even when he and the rest of Walhart's generals oversaw the launch of the Valmese fleet, all he did was just stand around." Lea responds with his hands on his hips. "Doesn't really help when those Generals are in command of maybe over a million men, not counting the Heartless under Maleficent's command."
"Did you say over a million men, Lea? How are we going to beat a force that big?" Naminé asks as her face turns pale. They only won the battle with Gangrel due to his own forces deserting him, thanks to Emmeryn. If what they have deduced about Walhart, his men fight for him with zealous dedication. Everyone turns to look at Chrom, his eyes low as he ponders the situation before them.
They had already scored three victories against Valm, one of which was a significant clash on the seas. But none of them had any of Walhart's top generals. And as they had just seen in this battle, the Heartless are just as willing to turn any of his men into their own, bolstering their strength and Maleficent's. And now they are up against an army that numbers in the millions, with a probable equal number for the Heartless. And yet, is there really any choice with what is to come after?
"This is not an easy task you ask of us, Say'ri. We have our own causes as well: a Halidom to save and a future to not only win, but prevent." He casts a gaze on Lucina, who looks down in sadness. "I know a great battle has been foretold and that if we are not careful, the end of the world as we know it will be on us. But is this is? How does one see the signs?" He sighs deeply as Sumia places a comforting hand on his shoulder, worry caressing her face. Say'ri's face also seems to fall as she looks at the clouds above them.
"Aye, Lea has told me about Grima's rise falling upon us. I can only imagine the weight it places upon your shoulders that this war also brings."
"It's not just that Say'ri." Sora interrupts before looking at Lucina. "Lucina actually comes from a future in which Grima HAS revived."
"Wait, really? You mean that we failed to stop Grima in Lucina's timeline?" Lea asks, eyes wide open. Sora and the other Guardians nod sadly at Lea, confirming that they failed to stop Grima's rise and that the deaths of Chrom, Robin, Sora and Kairi initiated it. Lea's face morphed into one of anger before slamming his balled hand into a wall. Say'ri turns her gaze to Chrom, eyes now understanding just how much the weight on his, no their shoulders are. If this was the case, she could not fault them if they couldn't help defeat Walhart, for Grima's threat is even more dangerous than even him.
"But even so, Say'ri, your mission is perhaps the best way to achieving ours." Say'ri shot her head up to look at Chrom, his face now sporting a determined smile. "So, to answer the question you have yet to ask, we will join you in stopping Walhart and Maleficent." Say'ri could not stop the smile spreading over her face even if she wanted to before grabbing Chrom's hand in a firm handshake, thanking him for his support.
"Now that we have that done, is there anything we can do while waiting for the army to disembark? Even with the port in our hands, it will take a while for us to unload everyone." Robin says as he glances at the docks, the harbour filled with countless ships. Say'ri ponders for a moment before snapping her fingers.
"There are two locations that come to my mind. To the north is an old fort that was once used by an ancient cult back in the days of King Alm and Queen Celica. Legends say that Celica, in her quest to end the suffering plaguing our lands while Alm thought the mad king, attempted to pass through the fort numerous times. However, she was forced to retreat several times due to the mages knowing powerful spells that shook the earth. It was said that she had almost lost several of her companions and yet never lost one." Her face briefly smiles at the legend before turning serious. "Recently, there have been reports of Risen and heartless prowling around the area, attacking neighbouring villages. I heard that a resistance member had departed to deal with it, but it is a single person against a fortress."
"Then we shall send people to assist." Chrom says before looking at Robin, eyes narrow at determining who would go before looking back at Say'ri. "What is the other location?"
"It would be a ruined shrine dedicated to the god Mila." Say'ri replies. "I have heard talk of villagers and priests taking refuge from Walhart there, but there is talk of Valmese raiding parties searching for them. If they are found, they would be massacred without mercy."
"All the more reason to find and rescue them." Aqua says before looking at Robin. "Alright, Robin, who is going where?" Robin closes his eyes for a moment before opening them up, steel blazing behind his gaze.
"For the group heading north will be made up of Olivia, Virion, Cordelia, Gaius, Cherche, Lon'qu, Naminé, Roxas, Sora, Kairi, Vaike and Miriel. As for those heading to the Shrine, I'm thinking of Henry, Maribelle, Libra, Isa, Stahl, Frederick, Lissa, Panne, Terra, Aqua, Lea and Say'ri." He looks at Say'ri, who looks surprised that she would be part of one of the groups. "Judging by how you talked about the ruins, it made sense that someone of the Resistance would know a quicker way to it. Think you can lead the way?"
Say'ri's surprised look turned into one of determination before nodding at the Grandmaster, stating that she would lead them there long before the raiders found the shrine. Chrom nods before ordering the group to move out before turning back to look in the Ylissean Fleet in the harbour. No matter when fate would throw their way, they WILL overcome it.
Small torches lit up the stone temple deep in the sands of Plegia. Deep in the stone monolith lies the room where Emmeryn lays, asleep in the glass tube while a alter raises behind her, a slight indentation on its surface while seven similar pods like hers ring around it, her located next to the central one. Looking over it, Validar could only smile in building excitement at the sight, even with 'Robin' standing next to him ominously.
"I trust Luxu has left to bring us another piece of the key?" He asks Validar, hi red eyes locked on the alter. Validar hums in agreement, stating that it should not be long for him to return. No sooner do the words leave his lips than a corridor of darkness opening sounds behind them, along with a familiar voice.
"I got what you need, and it was one of the tricky ones." Luxu says as the two turns to look at him. At Luxu's feet is a young woman with a shoulder and armless pink dress with white highlights, held up by a pink string around her neck that falls below her knees. Brown boots cover her feet while her brown hair from two bangs fall past her face, while a pink bow is tied to her braided pony tail that falls to the base of her spine. "I tell you, trying to get Aerith from under the noses of the RGRC was much harder than you'd think. Especially with Cloud and Tifa always looking out for her. Should be glad her boyfriend is currently MIA, huh?"
"You can complain later, Luxu." 'Robin' says coldly before picking up the unconscious Aerith and placing her in one of the stone circles. Like with Emmeryn, a glass tube forms over her as chains wrap around her body, all the while 'Robin' smirks at their latest acquirement. "But we now have two of the ten pieces we need. It is only a matter of time before we get the rest." Luxu huffs at him before turning on his heels, opening another corridor of darkness.
"Whatever you say, boss man. As for me, I'll be going after the other hard target. After all, her father IS the king of the sea." He walks on through without care, vanishing from the temple, while Validar looks on with a sadistic smile. Let the Ylissean fools busy themselves with Walhart and Maleficent. In the end, HE will be the victor.
After all, it is fated to happen.
While the Shepherds and Guardians rest and scout, Validar's plans continue to move along. Next time will be going into two Paralogues (but not the same chapter), so look forward to it.