Disclaimer: I don't own Fire Emblem.

Thanks to LW for prereading this.

Fire Emblem: Island of the Lost

Prologue

A Departure and a Reunion

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The end of one adventure merely heralds the beginning of another.

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On the plains of Sacae, where the tribes worship Mother Earth and Father Sky, a lone rider galloped across the lush grasslands and far into the horizon.

The traveller's skilled horsemanship had clearly been honed since childhood, and they appeared at home in the saddle as the earth was pounded into dust beneath them by the rush of thundering hooves. They only stopped once they reached a hilltop at the edge of the plains, whereupon they finally paused to look back the way they had come. At that moment, a gust of wind blew back their hood to reveal a young woman with green hair, matching eyes, and a wistful expression.

My name is Lyndis of the Lorca tribe… and this is my story.

Lyn gave her homeland one last glimpse before she turned away with a heavy heart and resumed her ride into the distance.

Years ago, I lost everything. My family, my friends… my tribe. I was all alone. But then, I met you… and everything changed.

Grey clouds rolled overhead and gathered into the shapes of familiar figures. One by one they appeared – a man with a blazing sword, another man with an axe, a girl riding on a Pegasus, and a girl who transformed into a giant dragon. Like a living picture book, the clouds illustrated Lyn's past and followed her on her journey.

You took me out of Sacae and showed me the world. Because of you, I met my grandfather – the only remaining family I never knew I had – and made so many irreplaceable friends and allies. Together, we thwarted assassins, slayed dragons, and even saved the world.

It was an adventure of a lifetime and part of me wanted it to last forever…

The clouds and heroic figures disappeared with the wind, and Lyn once again brought her steed to a halt. Before her, the sky had already been dyed red and the sun sat halfway over the horizon. Beset by memories of the past, she watched as light gave way to darkness and the day came to an end.

…But before I knew it, our adventure was over, and everyone had gone their separate ways. You left me, and I was all alone again.

After setting up camp for the night and starting a fire, Lyn stared up at the stars. The flames cast a shadow of her lonely figure until they fizzled out and only the light of the moon remained.

After Grandfather died, I returned to Sacae believing I would live there until the end of my days. Deep down, however, I secretly hoped we would see each other again. But as the years passed and you did not return to me, I began to lose hope.

Finally, I made a decision.

Under the dawn of a new day, Lyn galloped up another hill and found herself overcome by the vista revealed at the top. Before her eyes stretched blue ocean and boundless skies, and beneath her gaze emerged a familiar port town with a large galleon moored in its docks. The plainswoman finally smiled and, as if blessed by the wind blowing at her back, she rode down into the port of Badon.

If you would not come to me, I would come to you.

I would search every corner of Elibe for you… even if it meant I had to leave the plains behind.

In Badon, Lyn left her horse in the care of a familiar redhead but not before she caressed her loyal steed goodbye. At the docks, she found the galleon with the name Aurelia emblazoned across its hull along with a crowd which had gathered to witness its departure. Without a trace of hesitation on her face, Lyn squeezed her way through the crowd and made a beeline straight for the ship.

Your trail has led me here – to where Elibe ends. Now, I leave for new lands and new adventures…

With only the swords on her belt and a bag slung over her shoulder to her name, Lyn boarded the ship without looking back.

…hoping I might find you.

The Aurelia's white sails unfurled and caught wind, and the galleon left port to the cheers of the crowd. Lyn paid them no attention; instead, she stood on the bow to stare at the ocean she would soon voyage across. She imagined what – or who – waited for her on the other side, and failed to notice the hooded figure amongst the other passengers…

If I do, I will finally say the words I should have said to you all those years ago.

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Night fell on the first day of the voyage, and the Aurelia sailed straight into a freak storm.

In seconds, the galleon found itself tossed and turned by ferocious waves while thunder and lightning menaced it from above. Below deck, the passengers could only huddle in fear while they listened to what sounded like the heavens tearing in half. After one particularly violent wave crashed into the ship, a little girl screamed as she found herself torn from her mother's arms… only for Lyn to catch her before she fell.

Lyn returned the stunned child to her mother's arms and reassured her with a smile and a pat on her head. With the girl safe, the plainswoman turned her attention towards the stairs which led outside.

Wind and rain pelted her face as soon as she opened the cabin door, but Lyn merely clenched her teeth and marched into the storm to see if she could help. Through her rain-soaked vision, she saw the sails had bloated like a sheep's carcass and threatened to send them to a watery grave. At the ship's helm, the captain barked orders to the sailors who scrambled to and fro, and amidst the chaos Lyn noticed she wasn't the only passenger who had ventured out on deck.

Across the ship, assisting the sailors with the mast's rigging, was a hooded stranger. Lyn couldn't explain it but she found her eyes instantly drawn to them, and when the wind blew back their hood she knew why. They had grown older, but it was the same face Lyn had long dreamed of seeing again.

Her tactician.

Their eyes met and time appeared to slow as they registered their shock… only for them to be interrupted by a literal eye in the storm.

The tactician saw the change in Lyn's expression and turned just in time to witness a giant tentacle slam itself onto the deck. The entire ship rippled and cracked from the impact, and more tentacles followed until they had wrapped the Aurelia in their slimy grasp. A glowing eyeball rose from the waves and revealed the monster's true form: a terrifying kraken almost as large as the galleon itself.

While the others reeled in horror, Lyn had already thrown off her cloak and drawn her swords. She charged at the sea monster and severed a tentacle in half with one fell swoop of her blade. As the amputated appendage writhed on the deck, the kraken screeched and used its other arms to lash out at the plainswoman.

Lyn dodged the whip-like attacks with graceful footwork, and the ship's wooden planks were smashed to splinters in her place. She sliced more of the incoming tentacles in mid-air, but one from above almost caught her off-guard. Before it could touch her, however, a fireball appeared out of nowhere and blasted the tentacle to a crisp. Stunned, the plainswoman looked behind her to find the tactician with a spellbook in one hand and their other arm outstretched.

Lyn and the tactician smiled at each other, and without exchanging a word they fought back-to-back like old times.

Buoyed by the pair's bravery, the captain and crew of the Aurelia joined the fray. They hacked at the tentacles with swords and axes, and pierced the kraken's main body with arrows and harpoons. After one harpoon speared its eye, the sea monster shrieked and released the ship from its grip before it retreated beneath the waves.

With the danger now apparently over, Lyn and the tactician breathed simultaneous sighs of relief before their eyes wandered to one another. Although the tempest still raged around them, they were lost in their own world and had smiles on their lips. Finally, they could relish in their long-awaited reunion.

However, it was not to be.

Unbeknownst to them, a tentacle had slithered up on the tactician from behind. By the time they noticed it coiled around their leg, it was already too late. With a violent yank, they were dragged overboard and under the angry waves.

Lyn did not hesitate.

She dashed after the tactician and dived straight into the sea. The water was freezing cold and she could see nothing except pitch-black darkness, but she gave no thought to her own well-being. She could only think of her tactician, and reached out desperately for them even as she sunk deeper into the abyss.

Finally, she felt something brush up against her fingers.

Lyn grabbed the tactician by the hand… and vowed she would never let them go ever again.

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You wake up, dazed and disoriented.

The first thing you notice is the speckled white lights in your vision, and soon you realise you're looking up at the stars. It's the dead of night and the air is cold, yet you feel warm. A cloak has been draped over you like a blanket and a small campfire crackles nearby. Your ears pick up on the rhythmic slosh of waves lapping over one another, and you discover you're lying on a beach.

You sit up and grasp your head, and your memory begins to stir.

The ship.

The storm.

The sea monster.

You were dragged overboard and should have drowned… but she saved you. A girl you never expected to see was there on the ship with you – a girl so dear to you that you could never forget her no matter how much time had passed. Her smiling face appears in your mind, and you have already begun to wonder if it was all a dream when you hear footsteps in the darkness.

A familiar woman with green hair and eyes enters your vision, and you're hit with a bout of nostalgia. This is not the first time you've awoken to your saviour. Years might have passed but you'd recognise the girl from the plains anywhere. No… she is no longer a girl but a woman, and your breath is taken away by how much more beautiful she has grown.

The moment your eyes meet, Lyn drops the kindling she had been carrying and it falls into the sand with a clatter. She's frozen, as if her legs are rooted to the spot, and the two of you can only stare at one another. Finally, her eyes begin to water, and she lunges forward to pull you into an embrace.

"Oh, my tactician…" Lyn whispers. "You've come back to me…"

Tears are streaming down her face. Her arms wrap tightly around you. Slowly, you hug her back.

She's real, and this is no dream.

Fate has brought you back together again… and another adventure is about to begin.

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Author Notes

This story arose from my need to explain Lyn's absence from Binding Blade, and I imagined a whole game out of it. This prologue would have been the opening cinematic (I wish I could draw...).

Sadly, although I have a whole saga planned out, I've decided to reduce Island of the Lost to just a oneshot (I am a notoriously slow writer and have other projects...). For now, I will leave the rest of the story to your imagination.

BTW, what other heroes in the Fire Emblem series do you think are 'lost'? Whose fates are left mysteriously unexplained? Perhaps they have been stranded on the very same island...