VERY IMPORTANT! PLEASE READ!
Hey guys, one announcement before I begin this (very) delayed story. First off to the non-followers or people without Fanfiction accounts, I'll be moving this story on Wednesday to the crossover section, making this an Official BlazBlue x Fire Emblem story. To find this story easy, just go to either the Fire Emblem or BlazBlue crossover section and hit 'view all cross-overs' or head to my profile page and bookmark the damn thing. Anyways, enjoy!
Chapter XIV: A Friend in Need
Ragna was fast asleep in his bedroom the following morning. Despite being rushed off his feet for most of the day, he'd decided to search around the castle library for books on strategy, which he'd at least found. Using them he'd tried his hand at creating his own strategies, but he'd quickly realized that he was falling short on making sure he had everything covered. In the end he'd decided to call it a night and ask Robin in the morning for help, but it'd been so late that he hadn't gotten much sleep. Under normal circumstances he'd at least be guaranteed the chance to sleep in since Chrom was insistent he start taking break but… when were circumstances ever normal for the Reaper?
GET A MOVE ON!
"GET YOUR ARSE UP!" Ragna immediately jumped out of bed and got up with a very startled expression on his face. His body had gone on auto mode so he hadn't realized what he was doing, but then he saw who'd yelled at him.
"Damn it Sully!" he shouted at sharp tongued knight. "Why the hell did you have to wake me up like that?!"
"We've got trouble, and it ain't good," Sully told him with a scorn on her face. "We just got word that Plegia's finally gone and attacked our city of Themis."
"So they've started the war," Ragna realized with a groan as he rubbed the sleep out of his eyes. "Wait, did they declare it or is this worse than I thought?"
"It's pig shit bad!" Sully shouted at him with one of her curses thrown in for emphasis. "Plegia ain't claiming what they did and they dragged Maribelle across the border claiming she invaded after bandits attacked!"
"Wait, what!?" Ragna's drowsiness was completely gone, replaced with his growing rage. "You're saying that they're blaming us for ATTACKING them!? Damn it, where are Chrom and the others?"
"Chrom's busy getting everyone's arse in gear and Emmeryn's gettin' ready for a peace talk with Plegia's arsehole of a king," Sully tone suddenly lost some of its earlier rage. "I've got a bad feeling about this, an' poor Maribelle's caught in th' crossfire."
"Do you two got back?" Ragna asked as he quickly gathered all of the tactician's gear how could find in his room.
"All of the Shepherds do," Sully told him. "A lot of us have been friends since we needed a grown-up to wipe our arses, but Lissa's probably taking it the hardest. Maribelle's always been there for her and now she's worried we won't be able to help Maribelle now that she needs her."
"Then do me a favor, tell Lissa that I said that no matter what happens today, we're getting her back safely. That's a promise I'll die to keep if I have to."
"Tch, damn hypocrite," Sully said in annoyance, despite there being a smirk on her face.
"What's that supposed to mean?" Ragna asked as he stopped packing for a moment.
"You always tell us that you won't give up and you ain't gonna let anyone die, but you never seem to think about yourself idiot! The rest of us have always felt that way about each other and I'm sure a lot of people here would die before they saw you kick the bucket. I'm on that little list there. You ain't dying while I can wield a lance! And when I can't I'll trample anyone who tries to mess with you!"
Ragna was silent for a moment as he pondered Sully's words. "What are the requirements for becoming a knight anyway?"
"Huh? What the hell's with that question?"
"I'm just thinking it must be tough if you haven't reached it yet. You're one hell of a woman and you've proven you're practically meant for knighthood."
"Damn straight," Sully attested. "Now enough with the sweet talk! We've gotta get a move on!"
"I'm just saying. Anyways, be sure to tell Lissa that everything's going to be all right today, okay?"
"Yeah sure, I'll let her know," Sully promised him as she left with a smile.
Support Rank B Obtain with Sully
Ragna made his way into the palace and he could already see that people were in a mad rush to get everything ready for the Exalts departure. As Ragna was in a mad dash to find Chrom, he eventually ran into Robin who was just finishing up a conversation with Phila.
New Connections
"Where are we at?" Ragna asked as he walked up alongside Robin as she was making her way off elsewhere. Had she spent the night in his… the tactician's office? It would explain how she'd beaten him here.
"Phila and I just finished getting everything ready for protecting our villages from another attack, but I need to find Chrom so we can discuss the trip to the meeting point on the border. It shouldn't be that long of a trip, half a day at most, but there could be several Plegian bandits on the road."
"That was pretty quick, how long have you been here?"
"Since yesterday," Robin told him as they continued to speed walk past several maids. "I was trying to get some work done on strategies late last night, and I accidently fell asleep in your office. Sorry about that."
"Don't be sorry," Ragna said as he finally figured something so obvious out. He quickly reached inside his trunk and got out what he needed, not stopping his pace. "Here take these. They're strategies I was working on last night, but I'm missing something in each of them. They'll help you get started at least."
"Started with what?"
"You're going to be taking over my job for now," Ragna told her. Seeing Robin start to protest he held up his hand. "Look, I've been doing my best with these books, but I'm not the one that should be doing this. I'm the guy who's always in the frontlines taking down a dozen troops at a time, not the guy who's organizing our troops or making sure everyone's in position. You've got a talent for this stuff Robin; I need you to do this for me."
"But why?" Robin asked as she followed Ragna closely behind. "You just said I was your assistant a week ago, why are you asking me to do this now?"
"I told you about my promise I've made right? No one dies under my watch," Robin nodded. "Well I need everyone in the right place, and I can't give commands easily when I'm on the frontlines. You, on the other hand are a pretty accomplished mage, better than me actually. You can stay back and continue to fight and you've got a better grasp of tactics than I do."
"So you're giving up?" Robin decided to ask. "I could help you with tactics Ragna, it's what my job's for anyways. You're not out of this yet."
"I know Robin, I know," Ragna told her. "Look, I NEED you to be tactician for today, alright? I need you guys to keep up appearances while I take care of finding Maribelle and getting her out of harm's way. I can't be giving orders while I'm doing that, so I need you to do it for me."
"Okay, I get it," Robin told him. "If you really want me to take your job I will, but always know it'll still be waiting for you if you change your mind."
"I understand, and thanks," Ragna said as he continued to hurry to the throne room.
"Hey, anything for my big brother," Robin assured him.
"Excuse me?" Ragna asked, a little startled with what Robin just called him.
"Well, you certainly act like an older brother, and you've been looking out for me since I've got here. You even gave me a name, somewhere to go, and a reason," Robin told him. "As far as I'm concerned, you're the closest thing I have to family right now."
"I guess," Ragna said as he continued walking. "Just... don't do anything rash, okay?"
"Ragna we're about to go into a war zone, I don't think we can-"
"Promise me," Ragna said as he looked Robin dead in the eyes. The look he was giving was one he'd only used very few times before, a pleading one. He was begging Robin to stay safe.
"All right, I promise," Robin told him. "Just promise me you'll do the same."
"Deal," Ragna said as they continued walking. 'I already lost one sister before... I'm not going through that hell again... I'm making sure Robin lives through this...'
Support Rank B Obtained with Robin
The two silver heads made their way into the room where Emmeryn and Chrom were waiting for them. Chrom seemed to have an fairly annoyed expression on his face, which Ragna could understand considering what they were about to go through.
"How are preparations for the journey?" Robin asked.
"As good as can be expected for this," Chrom admitted. Noticing Ragna narrowing his eyes at the young prince, Chrom decided to reassure his friend. "I'll play the part, don't worry. We're trying to get Maribelle out of here alive, not start a war with Gangrel."
"Remember that," Ragna said in a low tone. He knew Maribelle was Chrom's friend, but he couldn't have Chrom put anything everyone risk today… even if he'd been likely doing just that.
"Do you have a plan to get her back if negotiations sour?" Chrom asked, in fact it seemed like he already knew things were going to go poorly.
"If talking doesn't work I'll be ready, but I'm probably going to need a way to get close to Maribelle," Ragna told him. "He might have heard of me by now, so if I'm not there he could expect something and threaten Maribelle for it."
"Not sure how we're going to pull this off," Chrom admitted to his friend. "Maybe we could-"
"Hey, I could help!" a young voice shouted from the hallway. Ragna turned and saw what appeared to be a small child, wearing blue mage robes similar to Mariel's and a wizard cap. "I have a way to make what you need!"
"Ricken?" Chrom voiced in confusion. "What are you doing here? I thought you were still studying magic."
"Hey, I've practiced a lot since last time," the youth told him. "You're going to want my help if we're rescuing Maribelle. I can make sure no one knows that Ragna's gone."
"Well, we're going to need everyone's help we can get," Robin told Chrom. Noticing the prince's continued reluctance, Robin tried to reassure him. "Chrom, I'll keep Rick back with Mariel and myself. He won't be in any danger and we'll have a better mage unit this way."
"Fine..." Chrom admitted. "So what's your big idea Ricken?"
"Well it's like this..."
The Plegia-Ylisse Border
Emmeryn approached the meeting place with her personal guard consisting of Ragna, Robin, Chrom, Fredrick, Lissa, Miriel, and Ricken.
"Well now, is this the current Exalt of Ylisse?" sounded a voice the somehow managed to be both rough and shrill. Standing on the cliff edge was a man in a gaudy attire with palish grey skin and a strange, crooked sword. Standing behind him was a woman with darker skin who wore an outfit that was both regal and very revealing. "I'm not sure whether I should look away out of awe or spit in disgust... Maybe spit then look away HAHA!"
'Okay, he's clearly psycho...' Ragna thought to himself. 'Damn it, where's Maribelle?'
"King Gangrel..." Emmeryn said to the king. "I hope that we're willing and able to come to terms regarding our current situation."
"Oh, I'm certainly at terms. At terms that you're current pointing the fingers at Plegia! And for what? Defending ourselves from a self-righteous harlot with an umbrella club. For shame your highness, for shame."
"Maribelle is not harlot!" Lissa shouted.
"Oh, and here I was told that Ylisse took their politics very seriously," the woman said as she looked upon Lissa with a mocking gaze. "I guess that must not be true if they're letting children represent them."
"It almost seems proper Aversa!" Gangrel cried out gleeful. "Send an immature brat to represent a nation of them!"
"Enough!" Chrom yelled, trying to stop the Plegian's from raising his anger and making him do something rash. "Where's Maribelle?"
"Ah yes, the girl," Gangrel said as he motioned with his fingers. One of his burly, bearskin clad soldiers roughly forced a hand bound Maribelle to the cliff's edge. "And now that we're on equal proper speaking terms, I think now's a good time to talk about our demands."
'Bastard,' Ragna thought as the soldier left with their political prisoner, the woman known as Aversa followed closely behind. 'I can't make my move yet, but I'll no doubt have to soon enough. What the hell's his game anyways?'
"What is it that you wish?" Emmeryn asked. Ragna could easily tell that she was trying to remain calm and peaceful, despite her friend being threatened by the monster in front of her.
"Aw, you don't know? What I want is the Fire Emblem!" Gangrel shouted. Seeing Emmeryn's startled reaction, he let out a shrill laugh. "Oh, I certainly know of it! The power to grant your innermost desires? How can that be kept by the people who so badly slaughtered my own people!?"
'He's gotta be lying,' Ragna thought to himself. 'Then again, Chrom said that the last tactician wasn't fondly remembered, could this be why?'
"You have two options!" Gangrel shouted at the top of his lungs. "You can either give me the emblem I want right here and now or you can make me pry it from your cold, dead, well-manicured fingers!" As soon as he finished shouting that several warriors ran forward with axes ready. One of them even made for Emmeryn with their axe.
Chrom roared as he brought out falchion and cut through one of the warriors with ease. "Take another step and you'll join him in hell!"
"So glad to see that you're looking forward to the war you just started!" Gangrel shouted with a laugh. "Commander Orton, I leave these freaks in your capable hands!" A loud bestial roar was heard over the cliffs. "And with that, I bid you Ylissian's farewell!"
One of the warriors yelled as he threw his axe at Ragna. The Reaper made no motion to dodge it as the ax hit him... well passed through him. Both warriors were struck with awe before they were struck with spells from Miriel and Ricken.
"Nice! Our synchronized magic mirage worked!" Ricken said as the image of Ragna faded from view. Glancing to where the Reaper had been watching the encounter, the group saw that he'd left long ago. "Let's hope that Ragna's able to get Maribelle out of there."
"He will be, don't worry," Chrom told his short friend. "Shepherds! Get ready! Let's teach these Plegians what it means to start a war with us!"
Meanwhile
Aversa smirked as she looked at the bound Nobel in front of her, a group of soldiers standing behind her. "It seems like you're responsible for starting a war, one that could very well result in the destruction of Ylisse. How does that make you feel?" Maribelle said nothing. "Hmph. Bring her with us, she's going back to the base."
"Hopefully for a little fun!" the man holding Maribelle bindings said with a dirty sneer. Maribelle let a shriek as her breasts were violently groped, resulting in some of the soldiers to jeer. "We've been waiting to get some of her since we bagged her!"
"Don't count on it," Aversa said to the man with a glare. "We have these little things in our army, they're called standards."
"Right," the man said with a fairly disappointed look as Aversa turned her back to leave. Once he was sure his commanding officer wasn't looking, he forced Maribelle closer to him and sensually grabbed her neck. "I don't care what she says," he whispered roughly in Maribelle's ear. "When we get out of here, you're mine."
"Hands to yourself," came a voice that the warrior didn't recognize. In the next instant he was blasted off his feet with a fatal wind spell. Despite her closeness to the target and the caster's inexperience in Ylissian spellcraft, Ragna's precise aim left Maribelle unaffected by the blast of wind. Maribelle let out a gasp as her red coated savior landed in front of her. Even Aversa was caught off guard. "Who's next?"
"You are bastard!" one of the warriors yelled as he and his comrades rushed the Reaper.
Ragna gave a smirk as he unleashed a massive slash with the Aramasa, cleaving three of the enemy in half like he was cutting paper. Another warrior tried to attack from the side, but Ragna blocked to move with his sword before blasting his opponent in the chest with his fist, destroying his heart and causing him to crumple. The last one was then cut down by another basic slash from Ragna. Out of the corner of his eye, Ragna noticed Aversa charging a spell. This one appeared to different than those he encountered, instead of reflecting an element, this one appeared to made of pure darkness.
"Face Grima's wrath!" Aversa shouted as she fired the blast which resulted in a blast of darkness. If Ragna dodged the attack it likely would have hurt Maribelle, but he wasn't sure if blocking it with his sword would nullify it completely. A crazy idea formed in his mind as he instead brought his BlazBlue in front of the spell, resulting in the dark attack becoming completely absorbed. "How did you-!?"
Ragna then channeled the energy he'd absorbed into his sword before unleashing a massive slash darkness. Aversa felt herself get blasted with her own spell as she let out a scream and fell to the floor, limp as she lay. His new technique far from the most important concern at the moment.
"You alright?" Ragna asked as he turned to Maribelle.
"I'm f-fine," Maribelle told him shakily. She knew it was always mandatory for a lady to retain her stature, but those had been some dark threats levied against her. Besides, she could muster her courage enough for Lissa at least.
"You're going to hate me for this," Ragna said to her as he reset his weapon on his belt. Before Maribelle could question him, he picked the young Nobel up... and of course it had to be a bridal-style carry. "Hang on," he warned.
"What are you-!?" Maribelle demanded, her face flushed crimson. Ragna then broke into a quick sprint, the steep and jagged terrain didn't seem to be slowing him down.
"Getting you out of here, I promised Lissa I'd get you out of here or die trying and if I carried you on my back you'd get hit by an archer or something." Maribelle said nothing as Ragna continued to sprint. "…Not going to curse me out on this?"
"…Let me walk back on my own feet before anyone sees us and we'll have no issue."
"Deal."
Meanwhile
"Hold the line! Hold the damn line!"
"We're getting overrun! What the hell are they!?"
"We're surrounded on the left flank! They have us cornered!"
"Retreat! Retreat!"
"COWARDS!" Orton shouted. "I'll personally see that whoever leaves is executed for-!" The commander's eyes grey wide as he noticed a wind spell coming right for him. "DAMMIT!" he shouted as he was blasted off of his wyvern and fell a long drop to his death. His remaining soldiers retreated after that and the Shepherds let them go having spilled enough blood.
"Good shot with the captain, Ricken," Chrom said to the young mage. Ricken gave his commanding officer a beaming smile for being praised by his role model. "And of course, your strategy was impeccable, Robin. I think Ragna's happy to have you."
"About that..." Robin was about to inform Chrom what Ragna had said to her in the hallway when Lissa ran over to them.
"Have you guys seen Maribelle yet!?" she asked frantically. "Ragna should've been back by now!"
"Try not to worry Lissa," Chrom told his little sister. "I'm sure that Ragna wouldn't let anything happen to her. He promised you, didn't he?"
"Yeah, but..."
"Lissa!" the princess turned as she was approached by none other than Maribelle and Ragna.
"See?" Chrom told her. "She's fine." As Lissa went over to embrace her friend Chrom turned to his elder sister. "It looks like Gangrel's gotten the war he wanted."
"I was afraid that'd be the case," Emmeryn told her brother with a sigh as Ragna approached the two. "I'm afraid there was naught we could do about it. We'd best head back to Ylisstol before more soldiers come after us."
"Yeah," Ragna agreed with him. "First off though I've got something I've got to check. Start heading back without me, I'll catch up."
"I'm not letting you go alone," Chrom said to the Reaper.
"Won't be long," Ragna said, ignoring the prince's refusal as he took off in a sprint.
"Why do I ever think he'll listen to me?" Chrom asked with a groan. There was a noticable pause from him when Emmeryn gave a small giggle.
Elsewhere
"I figured," Ragna said from where he knelt as he felt Aversa's neck as it gave a slow, steady pulse. "Looks like I just knocked her out, but it doesn't look like anyone's about to come back for her. Maybe they don't know she's gone?" Ragna then picked up the sorceresses. "I guess I'll have to bring her back with the Shepherds. With a little luck I might be able to get some answers about Gangrel and what he's got planned... Things are gonna be pretty complicated now."
Author's Note: I don't own anything.
Sorry that this is a shorter chapter, I just wanted to do this so I could get the message out and you were reassured that I wasn't abandoning this fic (which I never will). This was probably my worst chapter from the story thusfar, be assured it's going to be getting MUCH better from here, I just had a hard time writing in this event.
Review Responses:
The Shard of Flame Ice: Thanks for the additional advice and correcting my mistake about Ylisse's haildom. While I think Emmeryn would still hold most of the power, her so-called 'husband' might be able to sway the people into a war anyhow. Thanks for a long and good review.
Dread: Two behemoths of darkness fighting each other. Hmm... Someone get a JAEGER!
ad: I always enjoy the bonding, for now it's the highlight of the story.
IdeaPerson1097: Not sure how I'm going to deal with Emm dying... JK I totally have an idea. You'll just have to wait and see though.
warrior of six blades: Ragna hasn't punch Virion yet, just for the sole purpose that he's already wounded his pride enough as it is.
animeandgamerlover2: Thanks.
BloodedgetheReaper2113: Tiki will come in futher down the line unless someone has an idea that can bring Tiki here in the first arc.
Guest (1): Looks like Nu may have a competitor for Yandere goddess.
Guest (2): No kid pairings, but I will give each of the second gen ladies an S-Rank 'What if?' convo with Ragna.
black sun 123: Stop calling him Ragna the Pimpedge! That name brings up the wrong kinds of ideas...
animeandgamerlover2 and Darklight of the 0 arcana: Sadly no, Elphelt's going to be the only OC.
Guest (3) and Helspawn007: This is the most popular pairing, but I'm not sure if this is the one I'm going to use.
guest (4): Update here :-)
kaizero6: We'll see...
See you guys around! Check out my other crossover story 'A Reaper's Game if you haven't yet! You won't be disappointed (in my opinion anyways) Ciao!