Paralogue 8: The Threat of Silence
It had only been a day since the group left the Mila Tree. Separating from the main army, Say'ri led them towards the nearby hills she had pointed to. There was nothing special about it from afar, apart from the abundance of flowers that dotted the fields. But that all changed when they entered the fields themselves.
The air was filled with a sweet aroma, while the sun seemed to shine down with comfortable heat while not being overly glaring. Even the breeze seemed to be blowing just right. Lissa commented that it was a tempting allure of napping amongst the flowers, something some of the Shepherds admitted was a compelling offer. Aqua and Terra, however, were focused on another aspect they could feel.
"This place, it is overflowing with light." Aqua breaths as she picks up a flower from the ground. "It reminds me of Radiant Garden before Xehanort drowned it in Darkness." Terra agrees, admitting that he was getting the same feeling of warmth that a heart of pure light would emit. Curious as to why this place felt like this, Aqua turned to Say'ri. "Is this place special to the divine dragons, Say'ri? We can feel a pure light from this place." Say'ri glances at Aqua with a warm smile as she glances around.
"Aye. This is Naga's Cradle. It is said the divine dragon once called this place home." That explained it. If this were where Naga once lived, then it would make sense that it was overflowing with light. But still, such a location would be an all too tempting target for the Darkness—especially Grima and his Risen. Walking forward towards a smile stone shrine, Say'ri continued. "Here, the Voice will enact a holy rite to commune with Naga and regain her power."
Say'ri glances at Kellam, who is carrying Tiki on his horse. He got off with a timid nod before carefully moving Tiki to the shrine, laying her down gently. As soon as Tiki was laid on the ground, a blue and green aura washed over her while small streams of water formed a semi-translucent bubble around her.
"The rite has begun. It will take time for it to be complete, but until then, we must let her sleep." Say'ri tells the group as they stand idly around. So far, things had been quiet and easy. No Risen or Heartless had been encountered, and judging by the reports, the only Valmese armies near them are the group at the Wyvern Valley. All other forces were at this Fort Setiger. All that was left was to wait for Tiki to finish the rite and link up with the main force. It was only then that Robin began to feel how tired he felt. The constant planning, marching and battling movement left him little room to relax. He was devoted to planning and drawing up stratagems the few times he did. He couldn't even remember the last time he had a proper rest since landing in Valm.
At least the ones around him are, in their ways. Terra and Aqua stood near the cliff edge, gazing over the forests, while Chrom watched Sumia give Lucina an aerial view. Despite her showing a determined front, it was found very quickly that she had a hidden side to her. To his surprise, Sully, Kellam, Miriel and Vaike were also standing alone with their respective partners. Seeing neither Sully nor Vaike using the calm as a chance to train was a different yet welcomed sight. Lea and Say'ri stayed close to Tiki, stating that someone had to watch her. While Robin was happy to see everyone like this, he couldn't help but feel some form of loneliness forming within him.
Stay focused, Robin! Now is not the time to beat yourself up. He releases a sigh before sitting down in the grass, letting the soothing breeze blow through him. Already he could feel himself thinking about the coming battles but forced that thought away. At the moment, all that mattered was making sure Tiki was not disturbed. Secretly he hoped that even having her travelling with them would sway the populace to their side and prevent needless bloodshed, but such a hope would be lost on Walhart's forces. That was plain to see in their past engagements.
Still, having Tiki with us will be a great help. But still, why does it feel like I'm missing something… Robin thinks to himself while looking at the sleeping Tiki. For some reason, he couldn't stop thinking about her. What is going on with me? I should be thinking about strategies for the upcoming battles. And yet, I can't help but wonder… Trying to shake his head free of such thoughts, he turns his gaze to the rope bridge they used to cross into the field. A suspicious large cloud of dust came toward them at a slow yet steady pace. Robin narrows his eyes in suspicion as he stands up in alarm. There shouldn't be anyone else in this area. His answer came to him when he saw inky black lines seeping through the cloud, a horde of yellow and red eyes gleaming like stars while wisps of darkness flow over them. Robin's eyes enlarged in alarm as a bead of sweat ran down his head.
"CHROM! HEARTLESS AND RISEN ARE COMING!" Robin shouts while pointing towards the bridge. Instantly everyone's heads pivot towards the bridge, eyes wide.
"Impossible! We would have been alerted the moment a group that large marched towards us!" Miriel says in shock. "Unless they were mass teleported, which I highly doubt, then they would have had to pass through the Army!"
"What about those 'dark corridors' that Sora and his friends told us about?" Sully asks while positioning her horse. "Would that have worked?"
"The Heartless are widely known for appearing wherever they want out of Corridors of Darkness, yes." Aqua confirms before glancing at the horde. "But a horde this large would require someone to summon them personally!"
"Can we talk about the 'why's and how's' later? We've got a battle coming!" Vaike yells while taking his axe out. Everyone grimaces at the large horde near the bridge, its vast numbers easily dwarfing the small group of Shepherds. Robin glances around the field, his thoughts racing.
We are outnumbered and can't retreat. Our options are limited. If they cross the bridge, we are dead… Wait. Robin looks at the area around the bridge, noticing how small it is. It was only large enough for six people to pass through, shoulder to shoulder. And since it was so close to the bridge… Snapping his fingers, he glanced towards Chrom. "I've got a plan! Chrom, you, Say'ri, Terra, Kellam, Sully and Lucina will block the bridge entrance at the narrowest point. The rest will stay behind and support with magic and arrows!" Chrom nods at Robin before yelling at the Shepherds to move into position just as the first of the Risen reached the bridge.
The moment it did, however, they noticed something strange about it. It had a single yellow eye and a single red eye, while the same Emblem that was on the dead priest at where they found Inigo was plastered on its chest. In fact, the same emblem was plastered on all of the Risen and Heartless's chests. While the Shepherds could only look at it with slight confusion, Lucina looked at it with anger. These are the same ones from my timeline! She growls inwardly at seeing the butchers of her time rushing towards her yet reminds herself to calm her anger. Fighting in blind hate will only get her killed.
"Stand ready! We are all that stands between them and Tiki!" Chrom yells as the first of the Risen-Heartless reach the centre of the bridge, a mixture of myrmidon's and fighters all glaring towards them with nothing but hate. For a moment, Lucina's vision changed to that of the palace in Ylisse, the same beings swarming around, butchering her people and the soldiers who fought with her. She shook the vision away, eyes narrowing on her foes as they finally reached the end of the bridge.
The second their feet touched the soil, a rain of arrows and magic fell upon them, sending several back to the darkness whence they came, while others leapt backwards, displaying some level of intelligence. But unfortunately, they failed to remember what was behind them and soon fell into the chasm below. Whether it would kill them, they could not say, but that did not matter at the moment. The rest of the swarm was still changing against them, pushing forward through the storm of projectiles and magic.
It was not long before they clashed against holy steel and enchanted blades. It would be a nigh impossible for any other formation to hold out against such vast numbers, but for the Shepherds, it was just another day. Where one would strike, another would move to block—a deadly dance of steel and magic. Holding the tight line, the Shepherds held out against the swarm, its numbers rendered useless by the narrow bridge.
"Hey, Vaike? How many are you up to? I'm on 33." Lea quips as he loses another flaming arrow at the gathering horde, followed quickly by a silver arrow from Vaike, a cocky grin plastered on his face.
"Need you ask? The Vaike is on 35!" He quips back, my to Lea's annoyance, before a ball of fire blasts past them, engulfing several Risen in a single engulfment of flame. The two glances at Miriel as she holds her tome in her hand, a slight smile on her face as she looks at the two in amusement.
"45. You need to, as Vaike would say, 'step up your game'." She quips at them before unleashing another blast of fire at their foes. Lea quietly whistles at the scene before looking at Vaike with amusement.
"Wanna team up against your wife?" Vaike gives him a grin before letting another arrow fly into the swarm before them. All the while, Robin could only shake his head at them. They were here to protect Tiki, and these two were having a competition! What surprised him was seeing Miriel take part in it. It must be some influence from Vaike.
Of course, they weren't the only ones. Casting a glance over to Chrom and Lucina, the father and daughter duo were busy having their own competition. And judging by the numbers, it sounds as though Lucina was in the lead by a few, much to Chrom's surprise.
At least there are no airborne threats for us to worry about. He silently thanks that before scanning the surrounding hills. He had learned the hard way never to tempt fate when things were going easy, Emmeryns death being his constant reminder. But so far, there was nothing, but that only made his feeling worse. Why does it feel like I'm overlooking something? He couldn't help but think about the growing itch at the back of his mind. Glancing around the sides of the cliff, there was nothing out of the ordinary, just some rocks and flowers. Some were a bit trampled, but… Wait a minute. We never walked over there! Robin's eyes widen in alarm before glancing back toward Tiki. To his horror, a single myrmidon was approaching the sleeping dragoness, darkness seeping off it like a thick fog.
"Damn it!" He cries before rushing towards it, the group wondering aloud what had caught his attention. However, the Risen-Heartless began another attack in unrest, this time accompanied by several Heartless Griffin knights, forcing Lea and Vaike to change their angle of attack. While the rest of the Shepherds focused on fighting back against them, Robin rushed back towards Tiki as the Risen slowly approached her. I can't use my tome at this angle! I'll risk hitting her! Sighing irritably, Robin but away his tome before drawing out his Levin Sword, placing himself between the Risen and Tiki, his lighting blade colliding with the dark infused katana.
"Not while I'm here!" He snarls at it as it pushes back at him. Robin narrows his eyes before giving it his all and forcibly pushes the Risen back. As it stumbles away, he pulls out his tome, ready to cast a ball of lightning at it. But before he could, the Risen before him changed. The darkness around it rapidly grew, consuming it before it rapidly enlarged into a giant humanoid creature. It was standing on its toes while in its chest was a gaping heart-shaped hole, while small pieces of myrmidon armour encased its body. A katana was in its hand, yet it had been warped and twisted, looking nothing like the elegant weapons he had seen Say'ri and Lon'qu wield. On its back were a pair of demonic-looking wings, while its face was covered in what seemed to be hair, and two eyes, one red and another yellow glared down at him in hate.
"A Darkside!? How did it get here?!" He could hear Aqua's cry of concern from behind the know identified Darkside as it stared down at him, a feeling of dread washing over him. His thoughts instantly went back to the Rock Troll and Gangrel's Heartless at the beast's sheer size, yet he could also see it seemed to move more sluggishly than the other two. Still, I don't like my chances. That Katana could easily cut me in two with just one swing! He glances behind him, his eyes falling on the sleeping Taki. Even so, I can not let her go undefended! Grimacing, Robin channels energy into his tome, charging it as the Risen-Darkside raises its left hand into a fist. Noticing it, Robin aims his hand at the fist, shouting the name of the most potent spell he knew.
"THORON!" He cries as a stream of pure electricity surges out of his hand, lunging forward like a snake's head before impacting into the Darkside's hand in a mighty explosion. The beast rears its hand back, clearly not expecting such a force of power, yet remained standing before swinging its katana behind him, hitting several while forcing some of the Shepherds back away. Robin winces at the attack, noting that only Kellam and Terra withstood the hit, no doubt from the weight of their armour. He also notices Aqua launching shards of ice at the creature's head, mentally noting the head as a weak spot. At least they would if they didn't impact the armour surrounding it. Resigning himself, Robin readied his tome as the beast turned its eyes back at him, anger clear as day.
Soon, the Darkside plunged its hand into the ground, summoning several Shadows from a pool of darkness. Yet from the way its arm seemed to move, it looked like it was grasping something. Robin couldn't help but wonder as he sent smaller orbs of Thunder towards the lesser Heartless, the rest charging toward the Shepherds. However, what it was grasping for soon became apparent as it dragged a sphere of, something, out of the ground, its internal colour a mixture of orange and red, black streaks streaming through like veins. Sweat dripped down Robin's head as the Darkside lifted it into the air before the orb shot towards the skies, exploding into numerous smaller orbs that rained down on them. Instantly, everyone began to avoid the falling spheres, no one needing to be told to avoid them while Robin stood over Tiki's body, blasting any orb that got too close.
Yet even then, it did not relent, for as the orbs rained down, the Darkside began storing purple energy within its heart-shaped maw before unleashing even more dark-aligned orbs against them. While Robin struggled to hold back the endless wave, the Shepherds were unable to assist as more Heartless-Risen began to swarm over the bridge. Not in the same numbers as before, but plenty enough to tie them down. Damn it! Of all the times for a second wave to attack! At least I can still do this! Thrusting his arm forward, Robin unleashed another blast of lightning at the Darkside, his target: the twin glowing eyes in its head.
It was not expecting such a sudden attack so soon, as the blast of Arcthunder sent the beast tumbling backwards. Yet frustratingly, it righted itself after several steps, its eyes burning straight towards Robin. Robin could feel the sweat building on his head as the beast glared at him. Casting a glance at his tome, he could only wince at seeing how bad the pages looked. He had been channelling so much energy in so short a time that the book was begging to fall apart from holding in so much energy. And yet this Darkside had barely been damaged at all.
And he was running out of strength!
It was a nice dream she was having—a familiar setting with friends and loved ones. A cheery atmosphere, even with the feeling of loss underneath. She could see Marth and Ceada, the king and queen of the United Kingdom of Archanea, sitting at the head of a long table with all of their friends and loved ones. She could see Yen Sid, seated in a shadowed corner gazing around with a content smile before vanishing. A simple time. Full of laughter, joy and wonder.
She could still remember their faces, the antics they pulled, and the shroud of safety they protruded, even after two wars and the loss of several friends.
And yet it was only in her dreams she could return to see it. To hear their voice and see their faces. And yet, like all dreams, it comes far too quickly to end as they each vanish into specks of light, leaving her all alone as the sun's light falls on her closed eyes. But even so, she knew she had to awaken.
Feeling the strength return to her, Tiki slowly opened her eyes as the sound of battle echoed around her. A battle? How-? As her thoughts began to pick in speed, she could feel the presence of Darkness around her, yet twisted and tainted in a way she had never seen. Turning her head slightly, her vision was filled with the wounded figure of Robin, glaring up towards a variant of the dreaded Darkside Heartless. She could still remember one of these reducing a city to rubble. She could feel her eyes narrow in anger as the beast brought its sword down on Robin, who ducked underneath the horizontal swing, yet the monument she lay on was not so fortunate.
Moving with the speed of age-old practice, Tiki leapt away from the crumbling rock before landing on the grass behind Robin. The Grandmaster turned to look at her with a surprised but relieved face as she stood next to him. Behind the Darkside's foot, she could see Chrom and several others of the Shepherds fighting back against another group of Heartless-Risen, exhaustion encroaching on their features. Without saying a word, Tiki removed a Dragonstone from her belt and held it tight as the gem glowed in a deep blue light before encasing herself in the same flower that Nowi envelops herself in. Within seconds, Tiki erupts from the flower in her Manakete form, a roar erupting from her.
While Nowi's form was a gem-yellow with green wings, Tiki's form was a brilliant white, with her green wings looking more emerald in colour. She also seemed to radiant a holy aura around her, no doubt in part being the Voice of Naga. It certainly affected the Darkside as it turned its gaze towards her. But, whether or not it showed fear in its eyes, Tiki did not care.
"Your kind have caused more than enough pain and suffering than I can tolerate. Begone from this land, spawn of Darkness!" Then, with a tranquil fury, Tiki unleashed a brilliant flame of divine fire from her maw, engulfing the head of the Darkside. It did not even have a chance to strike back, as the force of Tiki's attack sent it plummeting to the ground, even as it began to dissipate into nothing. Soon, nothing was left save for the gouges in the earth from its attacks. Sighing deeply, Tiki reverted to her human form before looking at Robin with unusual concern.
Thankfully, he had no serious wounds, only a few minor scratches, yet was visibly exhausted as his tome lay next to him, its pages burnt. But that still did not stop Tiki from worrying. "Are you alright, Robin?" She asks while helping him to his feet. He nodded meekly in reply yet sported a smile.
"I am, thanks to you. I'm glad I held it off long enough for you to complete the rite." Tiki smiled softly at him, thankful for his aid, before turning her attention to Chrom and the others as they walked up to them, Sumia already moving towards Robin to heal him with her staff. "I am thankful for all your help. With the rite complete, I have taken a part of some of the Divine Dragons' power. But it is strange; this same power had isolated me for a long time. Left me alone while I wept, cursing the charge I had been given."
"Having a burden placed on you without your consent will never be easy. Even for those of us that trained for it." Aqua comments while gazing at Terra. While not outrightly spoken, the underlying message was clear. Even if they chose to walk the path of a Keybearer, the burden that came with it was still heavy. A constant vigil to keep the light and dark in balance, ready to be called to fight at a moment's notice. Even if there were no other great threats, they could not rest or drop their guard, just like how Tiki could not abandon her duty.
"Indeed. But now, my power has a purpose, and the world needs it to avoid a ruinous future. And I have had quite enough of living along, thank you." Tiki quips with a slight smirk on her face. It had been a long time since she had last seen the world or travelled with companions. Nevertheless, she would not pass this up.
"We had pondered to ask if you would join us, Lady Tiki. And it would be our honour to have you with us." Chrom replies with a bow. Tiki smiles warmly in reply as the Shepherds begin to leave the sacred valley. However, a single question filled Robin's mind that he had to ask even though it was unimportant.
"So, who won?" He asks towards Lea and Vaike, only for said two to frown in a childlike manner before pointing at a smirking Miriel. The final count was Lea at 78, Vaike at 78, and Miriel at 90. Robin couldn't hold in his laughter at the two while Aqua quietly smirked to herself. While not voicing it, she kept a count of her own.
And she was sitting at 102.
Sorry about the lack of uploading. Was on a small break. And also struggled with this chapter a bit. But i have no intentions on giving up on this. I am with it till the end!