Chapter XXX: Exalted Words
A painful hiss was barely heard as enchanted steel cut through demonic flesh. A low groan followed from beneath a filthy and abused burlap sack as the monster's material started to evaporate into dark purple smoke. Said smoke stayed afloat in the air if only for a moment, before becoming guided by some sort of invisible wind and pouring itself into the gauntlet of its slayer, restoring their energy yet another step further. Its owner, the Black Knight, a legend made real who sighed before he poured energy into his gauntlet and then the blade he wielded, causing the weapon to be alit with fire. The powerful red flames danced upon the blade in a mortal dance for only a moment before the knight swiped his sword once more, cleaving through three heavily armored Risen in a single swipe without resistance. Six different halves of the Risen fell to the snow-covered ground with a unison collection of crashes. As their essence was absorbed into his arm, the warrior gave a grunt before twirling his large Armorslayer based sword in his hand a few times until the flames had faded and sheathed it at his side.
"That's another group dealt with," he said bluntly to himself. He realized a moment later that he'd spoken aloud, almost like he'd been expecting someone to hear it. Maybe a young Dark Mage, or long lived Manakete... or perhaps even a young woman who... 'Get it out of your head; you know she's gone...'
Beneath the helmet, the knight winced harshly as images blurred through his mind. Immobilized on the ground, helpless, torn to shreds, burned and rotted alive, his own breath nearly drowned out by his own blood. Unable to move, unable to feel anything but pain, barely able to think. He saw it in full; a glance to the heavens, a woman stepping from a structure far above him, falling faster and faster until... darkness.
"Naga dammit," he swore to himself as he tried to shake off the intoxicating darkness. He glanced at his gauntlet and gripped his fist, resulting in a short burst of flames as he tried to remind his tool that it belonged to him and he would not abide by whatever chaotic agenda it had. Sighing at his own seclusion, the knight continued walking on, not know what the future would bring...
...not that he cared.
Meanwhile -Ylisstol Gates-
"They may not be here for another hour," Robin tried to inform Chrom as the two stood at the front gates to the capital. Aside from the occasional traveler not even the guards were with the two, yet sentries were placed upon the wall with bows at the ready in case any invading force did try to attack. "Chrom, we don't even know if Flavia and Basilio are arriving today."
"Well they're old friends from the war, it won't do if they don't receive a proper greeting from the two of us," the young prince told her before smirking. "Now why else would I want to be out here?"
"Easy, you wanted to get out of paperwork," Robin readily answered with a groan. "Honestly, I don't know how you get away with this."
"The same way you do; after all you were here an hour before I was," he told her with a small sense of whimsy.
"Because I knew you'd be out here soon enough and I knew I should have kept you in tow," she countered.
"You could have brought your paperwork with you."
"And lose just one paper that could send the entire report into a spiral or lead to worse fate for our kingdom? I'm not stupid."
"And you're not clumsy either," he reminded her. "In all the time you've worked with us I don't think that you've ever lost one single piece of parchment."
"Now would be a poor day to start," she told him, sighing and leaning against the wall with her arms crossed.
Her posture brought Chrom back for a moment, something about it had seemed familiar. Had he seen Lissa do this before? That seemed right, but she'd done it because... because she'd been copying Ragna. He considered asking if she'd picked it up from the two of them, but remembered that Lissa's little display had happened far shortly before they'd met Robin. Still... the chance that Robin had gained that particular trait from the time they'd all spent amongst the former Reaper still existed.
"So..." Chrom began, hoping to end their little back and forth and move on to a more light-hearted subject. "Read any more of that book we started?"
"Of course not, you told me to save it for you," Robin assured him. "I did go back and reread a few parts though, something about the knight's uncles just seemed... too off to make him an outright villain."
"Yeah, I got that impression myself, a bit to clean cut for what I'm used to in stories," Chrom agreed. "Still that doesn't really excuse him for the abuse childhood he forced the main character through, wonder what his true agenda is?"
"Guess we'll just have to read a bit more the next chance we get," Robin told him with a small smile before looking over the horizon. "Looks like they've made it, I can see Flavia riding at the front of group from here."
"I see them too," Chrom said before sighing. "Damn, I was hoping they'd taken their time so I could've gotten out of paperwork for a while longer."
"No rest for the weary," Robin sighed.
A few moments later, Flavia and her company had made their way to where they stood directly in front of the gates to the town. Nonchalantly disembarking from her horse, she made her way towards the two.
"Skipping work?" she asked them both with a small smirk upon her face.
"Greeting the leaders of an allied nation is within my responsibilities," Chrom told her with his own smirk. "Robin just wanted and excuse out of signing papers."
Flavia let out a hearty laugh as the tactician delivered a small punch to Chrom's shoulder. "I see the two of you are as sickeningly sweet as ever," she taunted, leaving the two to give a small blush. The door to the carriage then opened revealing Basilio.
"Basilio, good to see you," Chrom noted before seeing the few bandages on the warrior's chest. "Did you have trouble on the roads?
"Some, we were attacked by a large group of bandits while we were focused on a battle we were observing at the time," the eye-patched man explained. "Wasn't a problem to deal with, but I might've lost a few of my men if our enigmatic friend hadn't arrived."
"The Black Knight..." Chrom guessed, his face somewhat scrunched as he considered the elements. "You met with him?"
"For a short bit, yeah," the Khan told him. "Honestly, the guy's power is even stronger than what the rumors have been saying, but they haven't said anything about his speed... I've never seen a fully armored man move like he could. 'Tore through the bandits like they were nothing."
"He does have a habit of showing off," a new voice said from inside the carriage, one that neither Chrom nor Robin recognized. Turning to the doors of the carriage they saw a green haired woman emerge from within, their eyes immediately noticing her brilliant green hair and her long pointed ears. Their time with Nowi already told her what this woman was, but they had yet to discover who she was. "You must be Chrom, these two have told me much of your bravery and valor."
"Thank you for the kind words, but I'm afraid you have me at a disadvantage, Lady...?"
"Please, call me Tiki," the woman said pleasantly. "I was hoping to meet with the Exalt, I bring an important news from across the seas, news regarding their Valm empire and their work in conquering their entire continent."
"The Valm?" Chrom questioned. He'd heard of Valm, they belong to a continent west of Ylisse that was home to a few kingdoms and several small provinces within them. From what he could remember, Valm had actually been a nation not too far from Ylisse, well rounded in all form of trade with a centralized government. "They're taking over an entire continent? I could understand an expansion of a few of their territories, but..."
"Hear her out lad," Basilio instructed. "She already told the story to the lot of us and it sounds like we've got more to worry than just some simple gossip."
"...Fine," Chrom reluctantly agreed, uneager to hear the news knowing that a potential war could be on the horizon. "I've already set the arrangement for rooms for each of you as well as some for you soldiers in the castle."
"Word of warning, I figure that you'll need a few more," Flavia told them as she gestured to the inside. Looking into the shadows of the carriage, two of other nobles that he recognized quite well though he wished dearly that he didn't. "...I didn't want to bring them, but their recent actions left us with little choice."
Sighing to himself with bitterness given the circumstance, Chrom nodded and the group made their way into the city and the castle that lie within.
"Could use a bath after that damn journey," Basilio muttered as they headed off. "...Not to mention a drink would go a long way as well."
"We just got a shipment of wines from our eastern province," the young prince informed. "Be careful though, this stuff is much stronger than your regular drink."
"Almost sounds like the prince is giving us a challenge," Flavia said with a smirk. The group gave a minor chuckle at this.
"Just don't drink us out of our entire stock," Robin asked with a playful smile on her face. "We're going to need that soon enough."
"My dear friend, you'll have to hire a hundred men to try and keep me back," Flavia promised. Despite what might've loomed over the horizon, Chrom let out a small chuckle. Some people would never change...
Later -Emmeryn's Office-
Basilio and Flavia were currently both resting in the rooms given to them (along with the bottle of the promised wine, courtesy of Chrom), which left Chrom, Robin, and Emmeryn with the enigmatic figure known as Tiki (though they'd been informed by a few clergy that she was the Voice of Naga). To keep the gathering as friendly as she could, Emmeryn had instructed the servant to boil a pot of tea and to bake a few Ylissean delicacies for the gathering.
"Thank you for agreeing to meet with me," Tiki told the group gathered around her. "As I stated earlier the western kingdom of Valm has been conquering its continent province by province, territory by territory... and once it is done, they will most likely set their sights on Ylisse."
"I'm not saying that I do not believe in the news you bring, but I am somewhat doubtful the given the context," Emm admitted. "I've spent a bit of time reading about Valm and its culture, it doesn't seem likely that they would start to rise suddenly, given their history as peacekeepers amongst the continent."
"That might have been true of the old ruler, but this new one is different, very different," Tiki informed. "The Hierarchy of Valm has had a tradition in determining its ruler that has been passed down for countless generations. Much like in Regna Ferox, their leader must defend their throne from anyone who would hope to challenge their rule, but there is another condition. The challenger must fight through all members of the Empire's council that still believe in the current ruler's power."
"So this new ruler," Robin began. "I take it he managed to convince the entire council that his rule was the better one?"
"Quite the opposite actually," the Manakete told her grimly. "The new ruler came from nowhere; an unknown soldier who strode to the capital's gates and simply demanded to challenge the current ruler. He cut his way through the entire council at once before overwhelming the king and cutting him down without mercy. Since then he's been bolstering his forces and making his way into the other kingdoms. Given his reputation, most people have taken to calling him The Conqueror. Their loyalty to him and his power is... almost inspiring, but for the wrong reasons."
"That certainly gives us reason to worry, but what would you suppose we do?" Emmeryn asked. "As much as I detest the thought of a figure conquering the lands, we're in no position to help you. We are still recovering from our own war and I doubt that our councils or our people would approve of starting another."
"It would be foolish for you to do so, yet the threat still looms on the horizon," Tiki admitted sadly. "Unfortunately, this conflict is impossible to avoided; the Conqueror will set his sights on Ylisse in time... but you'll have a few years of peace at the very least."
"What of the people under this Conqueror's rule? How do they fare?" Chrom asked with a slight scowl at the thought.
"They are worked hard, but not cruelly; he doesn't seem to have any special care for them, but he is making any attempts to be malicious to his subjects. We have little to worry about for them... save for the resistance groups," Tiki said that part with a hint of sadness.
"But like you said, there's little we can do until they make the first strike and we can get a unified response," Robin reminded. "For now, I think our best course of action is to repair our forces and our kingdom. We can put a larger amount of our energy and resources into training our troops for combat. We should try to keep this information between as few people as possible; any noble that discovers this could attempt to defect before the war begins and cause us problems from within."
"A wise course of action, but we may have a difficulty there," she admitted. "The two nobles that the Khans brought with them, I'm afraid they were present when I gave them this information. I've seen them act and their behavior with this knowledge may cause a degree of chaos."
"I'll talk to Basilio and Flavia then," Chrom assured. "If anyone knows how to keep the two of them quiet, it's the Khans. Until then, we prepare ourselves for the conflict."
"There... is more to say I'm afraid," Tiki said hesitantly, glancing a Robin for a short moment before averting her eyes. "I've had visions as late, an occasional premonition of dark days yet to come... the return of the Fell Dragon draws nearer."
"G-Grima returns?" Chrom questioned. "Impossible, that creature has been asleep for centuries! There's no chance he could awaken now!"
"If it's been asleep for so long, then it's due to be resurrected soon," Tiki countered. "All I can say for certain is that Grima will rise, perhaps within the decade, or maybe only within your lifetimes. Regardless, it will rise... and plunge this world into darkness once more."
"Meaning we'll have to prepare for that event as well," the young prince groaned. "What can we do?"
"You can take part in the ritual for the 'Awakening' Tiki told them. "That is part of why I am here; I have come from far away to deliver the sacred gemstone Azure to the emblem." The woman then took out a small sphere-shaped crystal that was quite small.
"That looks like that one crystal that takes up a place in the emblem," Chrom exclaimed as he brought out the Fire Emblem (which he'd yet to return to his sister).
"Indeed, and it seems that you only kept Argent in the emblem," Tiki told them. "There are five gemstones total, meaning you must obtain Vert who I believe is held by one of the resisting kingdoms of Valm, Sable, and Gules which I am afraid I know not where they are."
"Meaning defeating the Conqueror will also bring us one step closer to defeating Grima," Chrom said, starting to see how the events could transpire. "Which means we have to stay on our toes if we're to survive the next encounter."
"Indeed, but this knowledge could give you a small advantage in knowing what may transpire," Tiki told them. "I hope this information has been beneficial, even if I'm not to be believed."
"I do believe you," Emmeryn told her with a warm smile. "If you were lying to us, why travel all the way just to bring us one of the gemstones for the emblem? You've already proven yourself to us milady, and seeing as we can't send you back to Valm, we can at least give you what little refuge we can here."
"Thank you," Tiki responded with an equally welcoming smile. "I'm not sure what help I might be to your cause in the coming days, but rest assured I will do everything within my power."
"That's all we can ask for," Chrom told her with a nod of agreement.
"There... there was one thing I was wondering," Tiki then admitted as she glanced to the corner of the room. "I was wondering where that jacket was from; it doesn't seem to match any particular style that I've encountered and I can find the claim to call myself 'well-traveled.'"
"Jacket?" Chrom questioned before his eyes followed Tiki's gaze and landed on the nearly repaired red coat in the corner of the room, resting upon a wooden mannequin. "That... that coat belonged to a dear friend of ours; a man that went by the name of Ragna the Bloodedge," he told the Voice. "Someone that we lost recently in our short war against Plegia... we'd have not emerged as strong as we did without him."
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to drag up painful memories," Tiki assured the young prince.
"You didn't know," Emmeryn assured while trying to keep the atmosphere pleasant. "I'll instruct the servants to ready another room for you, feel free to stay here as long as you see fit."
"Thank you for your support," the longer-lived woman said in appreciation. "Perhaps there is still hope yet for this world."
"Perhaps," Emmeryn agreed, something in his sister's tone made Chrom uneasy and he could swear he saw a tear forming in her eye.
Later
Chrom gave a tired sigh as he exited his office after a long day of signing papers. Try as he might to get out of his duties of paper signing, it was a duty that had to be done sooner or later. Many nobles had brought documents to his attention; some saying that they planned to travel to Ylisse, other were offering to bring supplies to create a more festive celebration. Try as he might to keep this affair as tame as possible, it seemed like it was looking more and more like a post war celebration with the Exalt's speech as the main event as the days went on.
"My, my, running out of energy?" asked a flowery voice that took Chrom a long moment to recognize as he turned to face the speaker.
"Virion... I haven't seen you around much lately," the young prince admitted.
"I'm afraid I've been a very busy man; strategies to plan, men to meet... ladies to entertain." He added that last part with something of a playful smile.
Chrom rolled his eyes at the archer's words. "Fascinating... Look, can this wait? I've yet to have supper and like you said I'm starting to get tired."
"I promise to leave you be shortly, I just wanted to confirm something with you... That exotic woman I saw with you earlier in the hallways... that was the Voice of Naga, was she not?" Chrom's eyes narrowed slightly in suspicion, but he reluctantly nodded his head. Doing so seemed to change Virion complexion from somewhat haughty to a more saddened demeanor. "So... Valm's on the move once more..."
"You knew?" the young prince asked in slight surprise.
"Indeed, after all I am set to lead the fair nation of Roxxane... which was one of the first the Conqueror claimed for himself. I barely managed to leave that place with my head atop my shoulders... I only hope my vassal fares as well as I do..."
"So, you escaped one war... only to join another?" Chrom asked as he crossed his arms, trying to make sense of this. "Why bother?"
"Because I intend to return triumphant, I have a duty to my people after all," he said trying to seem triumphant, though his mask of confidence slowly faded. "Though it might be a foolish thought, I am not so blinded by pride that I would say the men and woman of my country are raising secret toasts for my return. I fled at the first sign of the enemy army... gaining back their trust will take time."
"You're willing to help us through this at least," the young prince acknowledged. "Why not tell us this when we first met?"
"Unfortunately secrets and alliances are games I must play if I am to emerge a victor," the revealed noble told him. "Had I told you outright you might have rejected my pleas for help or worse, headed to Valm for support against Plegia. I couldn't judge your character then, but now I know that we have the same ideals at heart."
"I should warn you; we're not prepared to strike at Valm until they make the first move," Chrom admitted. "We need the time to bolster our forces and no one wants a war as things stand."
"Time well spent I am sure, besides striking at Valm when we are so weakened would be suicidal," he said aloud before thinking, 'Especially considering we've lost our largest asset.'
"All things to consider in the days to come," Chrom assured him as he began walking off. "A word of warning though; playing around with the ladies of nobility is quick way for their fathers and spouses to make sure you'll never see the conflict with Valm... Interpret that as you will."
"I... understand the many meanings of that message," Virion agreed with a slight cringe.
Time Passes By -Eastern Regna Ferox-
'Curse these monsters,' Marth thought to herself as she impaled her version of the Falchion through a warrior Risen. The creature gave a low groan before fading to the shadows before her, returning to the darkness from where it had come. Seeing all the threats around her eliminated, she sheathed her sword at her side. 'So few of them were here... Are they finally starting to die off?'
"I was wondering who could slain the Risen before I arrived, but seeing you here tells me all I need to know."
With a gasp, Marth's blade was out once more in an instant and pointed behind her as she readied herself to defend against the whoever had managed to sneak behind her... only to see the man from legend standing calmly with his own sword sheathed.
"Calm yourself, I'm not here for you Lady Marth," the knight said, his tone on the title making it seem more like a form of ironic respect instead of mocking her dignity. 'Damn, I finally find someone to talk to and I can't even act my old self around them...'
"The Black Knight," Marth said as she slowly sheathed her blade. "Seems like the rumors about you were true."
"I could say the same of you, you seem to be making quite the name of yourself as of late... or was that something you were trying to avoid?" the knight questioned.
"The latter I'm afraid," the warrior woman admitted. "Though if I'd let anyone die at the hands of these monsters or those of bandits simply because I wanted to avoid a little attention, I'd never forgive myself. I have a duty to these people... to all people..."
"I understand and I can relate, but it's odd," the Black Knight began before looking to the skies. "There have been far too few Risen as of late. The group you just finished slaying was the first one I've encountered in some time; even local bandit groups have grown quite... It's almost like..."
"The calm before a storm," Marth finished. "Regardless, there's little we can do besides defeat these monsters as they appear and assist the towns as needed... Were you hoping to join forces?"
"…Not particularly," the Black Knight admitted.
"Then I suppose we'll continue on our separate ways." The young warrior woman then made her way past the Black Knight and continued on her journey.
"Wait," he spoke suddenly stopping Marth in her tracks. When he spoke again, his tone was different, an almost unnoticeable shake to it; he was nervous. "I... I've heard a rumor from someone I trust... Is it true... Is Exalt Emmeryn really alive?"
"You didn't know? It's been common news around many of the kingdoms," she told him leading the Black Knight to catch his breath. "She was rescued in Plegia when Chrom and the Shepherds lead a rescue attempt to free her. Many Pegasus knights lost their lives that day as well as a dear friend of the group, but they emerged victorious... despite everyone watching her die."
"Is... is that so...?" the Black Knight questioned, for he had little else he could think to say.
"If other rumors are to be believed, she's said to be conducting a post war speech in the capital city soon enough," Marth mentioned to him. "If you doubt my words, you can dispel any doubts you have then head there and see for yourself." The Black Knight said nothing, he merely stood there, thinking. Marth knew not to interrupt and began traveling on her own once more. "Good hunting sir knight... Don't let a single one of those demons escape."
Long after Marth had left, the knight was still standing where she had left him with thoughts rushing quickly through his mind as he tried to make sense of this information. Much of it was contradicted the nightmares he'd been suffering through sleepless nights for the past few months to avoid. Exalt Emmeryn was still alive, supposedly. She was also to be giving a speech for their victory, which should have been assured of long ago with the Mad King... disposed of. Were his last few months of solitude for nothing then? No, he'd needed to slay the nightmarish Risen where no one else could and he hadn't managed to save everyone, he knew that much... but the Shepherds-
"Damn it all to hell, I thought I was done with this," he groaned to himself as he walked off once more... not even sure what he wanted to do or where he wanted to go.
Ylisstol -The Day of the Post-War Celebration-
"This... situation confuses me," Panne admitted as she walked down the crowded streets of the capital city, trying to stay close to her friends. "We're here to celebrate that terrible war that we fought in?"
"No, it's more of a form of recognizing the war that took place and trying to celebrate its end," Cordelia told the Taguel. The Pegasus rider was dressed in a sleek velvet dress that was very fitting to her form and show off her curves where necessary, attracting much attention from the men that passed her by. "No one wants to remember the war, but the fact it's ended is reason enough for some to celebrate..."
"Is that so?" the were-rabbit asked as she tried to ignore the occasion glare that was sent her way. Focusing her attention elsewhere, she saw the countless stalls that were offering food, games, and other festive goods that took up nearly the entirety of the capital's streets. "This seems to be quite the festive gathering for the small celebration that Chrom described."
"That's something that he was trying to avoid," Olivia told her. The dancer/swordswoman was dressed in her familiar white trench coat and skirt, being the only armed woman of the trio with her katana at her side. "Robin told me that this was supposedly going to be a smaller gathering, with only the people inside the capital joining us, but the constant gifts from the nobles and the offerings to bring more goods and games turned it into a kingdom wide event. Originally, it was supposed to be an address from Emmeryn to the people, but now they've turned it into something else."
"She's still giving the speech, isn't she?" Cordelia mentioned as the ladies based by one of the stall where a certain red-haired merchant was trying to sell jewelry. "Speaking of which, how many Anna's have each of you seen today? I've counted four at least."
"Ten," Panne told her.
"It wasn't all the same girl?" Olivia questioned, leaving the other girls to give her twin blank stares. "What? How was I supposed to know?"
Outside the city gates, a small group of guardsmen stood at the ready, trying hard to ignore the sounds of games and smell of food coming from inside the walls.
"What cruel fate..." one of them moaned. "It's the biggest celebration of the century and we're stuck on guard duty, missing out on all of the fun."
"Someone has to guard these gates," a second soldier told him. "'Sides, it's not all that bad; that little girl with the pointed ears was kind enough to bring us some of the food from inside, bless 'er heart."
"Yeah, but I've heard that she's actually a member of the Shepherds that they picked up in Plegia," another commented. "Rumor has it that little girl can turn into a massive dragon, big enough to swallow a unit of mounted units whole in one gulp."
"You're kidding me, that lil' thing? She doesn't look like she could hurt a fly. My own daughters bigger than 'er even."
"Looks can be deceiving, but it would help if you were paying attention."
The guards gave a startled jolt at the ethereal and enigmatic voice that had sounded off before them. Standing close to them on the side of the road was a massive figure in thick black armor that no one had send or heard approach them, but now waited patiently like he'd been standing there for quite some time. (Kellam can relate)
"I-I-I-Um-Ah-!" The lead guard stuttered, half surprised by the sudden appearance and half terrified of why he was here. The rest of the guards weren't much better off as the mysterious stranger before them as yet to speak or move. "S-State your name and business..."
"The Black Knight, that's what many of the people I've met have taken to calling me," he told them, his tone and voice only adding to his intimidating appearance. By now legends of the knight had spread throughout all of Ylisse, an exciting topic at taverns and interesting material for theories of the enigma. There were very few people who hadn't heard of him, and these guards were not the exception. "As for my business... I wish to hear what the Exalt has to say about your victory in this war."
If everything else about the figure hadn't been alarming enough, the vagueness left in his words was very much the icing on the cake. The guards looked at each other nervously, many of them doubt that they could get through the impressive armor with the modest iron weapons that they carried.
"We... we can't let you through," one of the guards said trying to work up his courage. "Y-You're armed ye see and-"
"Had I wanted to strike against Ylisse I would've done so already," the knight told them, his patience starting to thin. "Also..." His arm then glowed with a massive amount of lightning, causing the guards to leap back and ready their weapons. "My sword is the least of your worries as of right now."
The guards glanced at one another in worry and said nothing, silently asking what they were supposed to do. When they turned their heads back however, the figure was already gone; disappeared without a trace, not leaving a single indicator that he'd even been there in the first place.
"Th-this is a problem..." one of the guards moaned as he tried to catch his breath.
"Oh man! When he starts causing trouble we're going to be held responsible for letting him in! We'll be branded as traitors to the kingdom! We'll-!"
"You mean... if he starts causing trouble," a guard suggested, trying to keep his voice steady.
"If..." another repeated. "...If is good."
"Is it though?"
"NO! But what else are we supposed to do!?"
Inside the walls of the capitol, a certain Plegian sorceress turned her head and glanced over her shoulder in silence, her eyes narrowed as a familiar feeling covered her sixth sense.
"Is something wrong?" Tiki asked as she bit down on a caramelized apple that she'd bought from the stall that sold them. The owner had tried to give her treat for free, saying that her blessing his presence was worth far more than any coin, but she'd insisted on paying the man what he had been owed.
"I... felt something..." Aversa told her, her eyes continuing to glare nowhere in particular. The two had met not long ago and despite their differing personalities, Aversa had insisted to spend her time guarding Tiki whenever it was required. The two hadn't exactly become close, but they'd begun forming a strange understanding of the other. "A strange sense of darkness... and it's not gone either, it's still here..."
"Could the Grimleal be trying to attack?" Tiki questioned with slight worry in her tone.
"Idiotic and cruel as they might be, they would know better than to try and execute Emmeryn today of all days, especially considering they'd be the first group that both sides would blame." She paused. "It's fading now, but it's still there..."
"Perhaps Tharja is cursing someone out of spite?" the Manakete thought aloud. "It wouldn't be a large step better, but it could explain this... feeling."
"No, I've felt her magic before, it's nothing like this; it's much too... chaotic," Aversa said, lacking a better word to explain it. Looking at bored guard that was posted close to the two, she snapped her fingers and demanded he make his way over to them.
"Is there something I can assist you ladies with?" he asked politely.
"Check in with the guards, we could have an enemy dark mage on in the capital," she instructed, trying to keep her voice down. "Spread word as fast as you can and-" Her words were silenced as bells from all around the town began to ring soon deafening her words and indicating to the masses that the Exalt's speech was about to begin. The guard looked to the two of them in concern before Aversa shook her head. "Skip that, head straight to Chrom and tell him to double, no triple the guards at the speech. Something's wrong..."
"Something?" the guard asked with confusion, at Aversa's glare however, he hurried off to speak to the Prince.
"Aversa?" Tiki questioned. "I thought you said-"
"I know what I said!" she snapped back furiously. "I'm just not taking any chances today..."
Later
"Alright, go send the message to Frederick, he can organize a larger force than the rest of us can," Chrom instructed the guard who nodded and headed off.
"Faster than any of us?" Robin demanded with something of a scowl.
"Frederick's been overseeing castle security for as long as I can remember," Chrom told her. "If this were a battlefield obviously I'll turn to you, but he'll know how to prepare for an assassination attempt."
"Do we really know it's an attempt on Emmeryn's life?" Robin questioned him. "To attack today of all days when security is already at its highest..."
"Would prove devastating on several levels, showing both a dead Exalt and how weak we are," he told her. "Just... damn! Why now!?"
"Chrom, look at me," Robin said, not giving the prince much of a choice as she grabbed the side of his head and forced him to face her. "We're not going to lose Emm today; we're not going to lose anyone today. She's going to be safe and there's nothing anyone can do to her."
"But..." Chrom began.
"But nothing," Robin told him fiercely. "Frederick will organize a guard force so large an ant wouldn't be able to get through. The rest of the Shepherds will be standing behind her on the balcony as well as the Khans. There's nothing that can happen to her I promise."
"Robin..." Chrom began before nodding reluctantly. "Alright, I trust you... We'll... We'll get through today, and then in a few days..."
"We'll tell them the news, I know," Robin agreed, trying to give Chrom a happy smile. "Is Emmeryn ready for her speech?"
"Yeah, she finished it a few days ago," he assured her. "I haven't seen it yet, but she's told me that it will address everything that needs to be said, all we can do now is trust in her words."
Ylisse Courtyard
'This is it, the moment of truth,' the Black Knight thought to himself.
Countless people had gathered in the Courtyard of the Castle, all of them hoping for a proper view of the balcony and the stage before them. The balcony was where Emmeryn would soon emerge and deliver her speech and he'd have his confirmation that she was alive and well... he hoped. At the moment there was a stage just below the balcony occupied by several actors in costume, showing the scene of a great battle before them. At first, he had thought it was a representation of the war they had just emerged from, but seeing a large dark dragon portrayed by several actors he guess that it might've been some tale of the hero king or the first Exalt.
'At least my damned stealth effect still works, but the way I'm using this though it's gonna drain me pretty fast.' In order to stay out of sight and mind, he'd used his gauntlet to place an enchantment over himself so that no living creature could hear or see him. As long as he stayed back and to the sides and away from any guards or large clusters of people, he was invisible to the world. It had been difficult to locate an appropriate spot with a crowd of this size, but he'd eventually found a spot that looked like it would meet his needs.
Eventually the show ended as the actor that the Black Knight assumed was the hero, stabbed his sword into the dragon, causing the actors for fall over and the audience to cheer in fanfare. The Black Knight said nothing merely rolling his eyes and waiting for the show to start. Out of the opening of his helm, he noticed more guards being led into the courtyard. He hadn't expected the additional security, but if he continued to stay as far from other's as he could, this would still be an easy matter.
Eventually a fanfare of horns sounded off and the doors to the balcony opened, revealing Exalt Emmeryn. The people around him cheered as the knight could on stare at the woman. She'd looked almost exactly like when he'd last seen her; a calm demeanor across her body, her regal robes still looking as pure as ever, and her smile... that warm, calm, beautiful smile that had even the power to keep someone of his temper in check.
'She's alive...' he could only think as he stood there, motionlessly. 'She's really alive...' So consumed by his thoughts was he that he almost didn't hear the chants of people around him.
"LONG LIVE THE EXALT! LONG LIVE THE EXALT! LONG LIVE THE EXALT!" the masses chanted, paying their respects to their beloved leader. Women, Men, Children, and even a few of the elderly were chanting in unison these words of praise. "LONG LIVE THE EXALT! LONG LIVE THE EXALT! LONG LIVE THE EXALT!" Eventually, the chanting died down and the speech would begin.
"People of Ylisse! Neighbors from across our Borders! Men, Women, and Children alike... thank you for joining me here today!"
The crowds gave an enormous cheer once more at these words alone. The Black Knight noticed Princess Lissa, Prince Chrom and the tactician Robin standing on the balcony just behind the Exalt. He then noticed a key detail; the Prince and his tactician were apparently holding the other's hand trying to remain subtle, but it was apparent to him nonetheless. Despite himself the knight chuckled, appreciating some good news for once. Once more the cheering of the people died down.
"We are all gathered here today to celebrate the end of the horrible, senseless war with Plegia and our efforts to rebuilding after its end!" Emmeryn told the people. "Thanks to my younger brother, Prince Chrom, and our militia known as the Shepherds I was rescued from the mad king and the war was brought to an end and peace was restored."
'Didn't think that she'd be this much of a showboat,' the Black Knight thought to himself before shaking his head. 'Well I guess when the situation demands it.'
"But... The wounds were made," Emmeryn said as she shook her head. "Families were torn apart, villages were razed, citizen were brutalized in ghoulish ways... it was unbearable." Many of the people were looking to one another with concern; they hadn't expected a Post-War speech to be like this. Ceremonies had already been held long ago for the deceased, this was something that needed to be addressed, not focused upon. "Many of the sisters in the Pegasus Knights left to guard Ylisse were massacred when Gangrel invaded and many more died in the rescue attempt. Our western villages were sacked time and time again to provoke the kingdom into another war and leaving its innocents to suffer. The nightmarish fiends known as the Risen destroying cities in the night and STILL remain a threat to us all."
Emmeryn then took a deep breath, the people waiting for her next words with bated breath.
"...The fault lies with only myself."
'What?' the Black Knight thought to himself as the people in the courtyard gasped and murmured amongst themselves. 'The hell is she doing!?'
"Gangrel had spent much time attacking our border, committing atrocity after atrocity and there was nothing I could do about it! I knew I had to stand fast, that I couldn't allow another war like my father's Blood Crusade, but what good did it do for the people!? They continued to be butchered while I remained safe in my castle! Trying to proclaim ideals of peace! ...My ideals have not changed, that much I can say for certain, but I now see the ramifications they have."
Emmeryn then gave a sorrowful smile as she tried to remain hopeful. "When I was young, I felt like I had very few people I could count on; the people of the kingdom hated me for my father, diplomates would often lay the blame in front of me, several of the castle's servants even left the castle wanting nothing to do with me. The only ones who I could truly say I trusted were my younger siblings... and my best friend; a young trainee in the Pegasus Knights. No matter what was said about me, Phila would not abandon my side, even when her parents wanted to leave their service to the castle, she insisted them to stay with me... her friend."
"But then, during my rescue attempt... she was shot full of arrows by the Risen... She saved my life at the cost of her eye and her pegasus and still continues to serve me. I was responsible for half blinding her and she still supports me... Then there was a man named Ragna... who..." Emmeryn shook her head, tears falling from her face. "I'm sorry... I can't... He... I can't..."
The Black Knight said nothing.
"I will continue to support my ideals for peace until my death, that I promise all of you. Hatred cannot be met with more hatred; steel cannot be dealt with by steel. We must overcome our differences... But that's the mind of dreamer; reality has proven already to be far crueler. I cannot make the call to go to war, nor can I lead any needed military action... Which is why... I, Emmeryn... from this day forth... do hereby renounce my title of Exalt."
A pin could be heard in the room. Chrom and Lissa's faces were unreadable, as were those of the townspeople. A leader had just given up their birthright, something they had fought through hell to retain, survived through capture and war for... and just gave it away.
"May any ideals of peace continue to grow after another takes my place... But for now..." Emmeryn could only stutter the final words through her tears. "I-I'm s-sorry for everything." Unable to continue further, the now former Exalt left the Balcony and withdrew into the castle.
"Emm!" Chrom and Lissa shouted as they rushed inside. Robin turned one last time to look at the crowd before following suit and closing the doors, leaving the crowd to murmur amongst themselves at the announcement that had just taken place."
"Did she really just do that?" one commoner asked in the commotion of whispers. "It's supposed to be her birthright."
"What happens now, is Prince Chrom to lead us as the new Exalt?"
"She ended the Blood Crusades when she was just a child, did this war really affect her that much?"
"Just what the hell did she have to see for that to happen? Poor thing."
"My father would have died in the Blood Crusades if it hadn't been for her... I don't want to see her like this."
Inside the castle, once she was out of sight from the balcony Emmeryn buried her face within her palms and cried uncontrollably, in front of the Shepherds, Diplomats, and any guards that were present there. They all watched as she sobbed in front of them, her emotions on full display for all of them to see. With her sibling following close behind, Lissa slowly made her way toward her sister, putting a hand of support for her sister and hugging her, a rare display of her being Emm's pillar support instead of the reverse. One of the diplomats made his way forward and was about to offer words of... something, but a glare from Chrom as fiery as the pits of hell quickly made him reconsider.
"Milady." Emmeryn briefly raised her head, only to come face to face with an eye-patched Phila who was giving her best warm smile to her longtime friend.
"I... I'm sorry," Emmeryn could only say again, and again. "I'm so sorry..."
"You don't have to apologize for anything, your grace," Phila assured her, drawing nearer.
"But... I... I'm not..." she said through choked words.
"You'll always be Your Grace to me," the former Pegasus Captain promised. "From now until my last days."
"Phila," Emmeryn said between sobs as one of her oldest friends also comforted her.
"Emm..." Chrom could only mutter as he watched, role model and leader breaking down with emotion right in front of him. He didn't know what he should do... he didn't know what he could do.
CLUNK
A loud, heavy footstep was heard throughout the room, though did not come from there, then another. A sudden scream was heard from outside, followed by several more as confusion and discord filled the courtyard. Chrom's eyes grew wide as he looked to Robin who only nodded that she was ready.
"All of you keep my sister safe!" he shouted before unsheathing Falchion and rushing for the balcony doorway, followed closely by his tactician. Bursting through the doors the two say the crowd and were relieved to see that there was no scene of a massacre like Chrom had feared... in fact he didn't see what was wrong immediately.
"Right there!" Robin guided, pointing almost directly below them.
Standing on the stage was the enigmatic Black Knight, his back towards them as he faced the crowd, his cape fluttering in the wind with his sword drawn in his left hand. There were soldiers poised all around him with spears pointed at him, Frederick himself on the ground in front of him as he kept his silver lance drawn and aimed at the knight.
"Steady!" he called. "Keep him surrounded and approach slowly! I don't know what he's got planned, but don't try anything yet!"
"How did he manage to get through!?" Robin demanded aloud. "We had guards everywhere!"
"My god..." Chrom could only murmur as he got a good look at the figure. "...Like right out of the story book."
Then... the knight drew his sword, the very sound of the action resonating throughout the entire courtyard. Soldiers all around the intruder tensed as Chrom readied his blade to attack and his body to jump. The fall wouldn't be enough to kill the prince, but it could wound him greatly. If managed to time it right though, he could catch the knight unaware which might've been the only chance they had.
The Black Knight then took the massive Armorslayer sword in his and pointed it to the heavens with a great forceful thrust. With a bellowing and ethereal voice… he shouted words worthy of history.
"LONG LIVE EMMERYN!"
Chrom was frozen as he was about to jump, Robin could only look on the enigmatic figure down below as did the townspeople. Even the soldiers that had surrounded him as well as Frederick had gone completely still, part of them not registering what he had just said. Inside the castle, the crowd that had gathered remained silent as Emmeryn slowly raised her tear filled face from her hands. The Black Knight shouted again.
"LONG LIVE EMMERYN!"
Silence. He shouted it a third and final time.
"LONG LIVE EMMERYN!"
Throughout the courtyard, not a single word was heard and not a soul dared to move. Then one person, a young girl raised within the walls of this city who had lived under Emmeryn's rule her whole life, spoke with all the conviction she could muster.
"LONG LIVE EMMERYN!" the girl shouted as best she could, finally breaking the silence.
"L-LONG LIVE EMMERYN!" a common farmer from an outside village repeated.
"LONG LIVE EMMERYN!" That had come from Frederick the Wary himself. His spear now aimed away from the knight as he realized that this had been his goal the whole time.
"LONG LIVE EMMERYN!"
"LONG LIVE EMMERYN!"
"LONG LIVE EMMERYN!"
Countless more chants sounded throughout the courtyard, then all at once the crowds of people shouted their new chant as one, proclaiming to the very heavens their love for their old pacifist leader, the woman that had guided them out of a war even when they had blamed her, who stood for peace where others would seek war, and who cried for loved ones they had lost where others would have not batted an eye. Slowly, the former Exalt emerged from the castle, her face struck with awe as the subjects continued to chant, only growing louder when they saw her. The Black Knight upon the stage then turned and faced her, seeming to nod... before sheathing his sword descending off of the platform, walking past the chanting guards, and disappearing into the crowd.
Emmeryn then wept once more, this time not her failures or for those lost, but for the love her people showed her. All around her members of the Shepherds, their allies from Regna Ferox, even the Diplomats joined in the call for her. Their love not for whoever held to title of the Exalt... but for the woman named Emmeryn who stood as the very ideal of harmony and empathy.
-The Plains-
From beneath his armor, the Black Knight gave a small smile as he cast his gaze back to Ylisse's capital behind him. Right now, he was so far away that most people could barely make it out with any detail, it was more of a point on the sun setting horizon. This hadn't been what he'd expected to return to... but still, he'd done what he'd needed to; erase his doubts and leave a clear path forward to the future. He'd continue on his journey, slaying Risen and Bandits as he came across them... nothing stopping him from moving forward.
As the knight walked on he encountered a strange sight; a riderless horse, running at breakneck speeds for the capital city, well decorated with symbols and a proper saddle.
'That horse had Ylisse's coat of arms on it,' he thought to himself before a thought emerged in his mind. 'Could bandits be attacking? This close to the capital?'
Looking to where the horse had come from, he took off at an impressive speed for someone in his armor travelling uphill., but when arrived at the top it wasn't a bandit force or an enemy army that awaited him... it was worse.
"What the hell do you think you're doing?" Prince Chrom demanded as he stood at the top of the hill, the sword Falchion already in his right hand as he scowled at the knight before him. "After what you just pulled, you think you can just walk away?"
"Funny, I would have expected this from one of your diplomats, maybe Frederick the Wary at worst," the Black Knight responded with a calm tone. "Sheath your blade Prince Chrom, there's nothing to be gained fighting with me."
"I don't think so," he responded darkly, surprising the knight somewhat his tone. "I'm not letting you escape!"
"What have I done to deserve this?" the Black Knight questioned coolly. "You should be thanking me for restoring the people's faith in your sister."
"And you think that makes up for it!?" Chrom shouted with betrayal in his voice as he readied his blade. "All of this time we've had to go on thinking that you were dead! That you had died for us! I'm not letting you leave us again!"
(Cue Guilty Gear: XRD -Reunion-)
"I see... So that's how it is then," the Black Knight responded before taking his massive blade out of his sheath once more, a powerful wind sending both warriors' capes flowing powerfully in the breeze. "Let's see if you can keep me here... YOU DAMN IDIOT!"
"NO MORE RUNNING!" Chrom shouted as he lunged forward.
Both blades clashed, sending a shockwave that rippled through the entire field and produced a massive indent under the impact spot. Wasting no time, Chrom threw himself in the air, flipped forward once, and dove down, nearly cutting into his target as the knight was forced to take a step back and avoid the lethal attack. As he landed, Chrom spun his entire body into a sword slash that the Black Knight managed to deflect with a heavy slash of his own. The two then lunged forward, both of their swords scraping against the other before stopping back to back.
The Black Knight then twisted his body to strike Chrom behind him. Just when looked like he'd make contact off of the prince, the image of him seemed to fade into air before him.
"What!?" the Black Knight shouted, having only an instant to react he raised his sword just as Chrom appeared before him and slashed with amazing speed. The blow slammed heaving in the blade, sending both warriors stumbling back. "That speed…"
"I've been practicing a few things!" Chrom shouted as he entered another definition of speed and lunged forward. The Black Knight again managed deflect the blow once more before the two entered a frenzy of slashes, each sent a storm attacks so fast it was unseeable to the naked eye. The ground beneath the two continue to crack with each destructive clash. Ending the lock, Chrom leapt back and the knight was surprised to see that Chrom's sword was glowing with radiant energy. Slashing it he sent a wave of energy that was similar to that of a Wind Edge attack.
"And that?" the Black Knight demanded as he cleaved through the attack and dispelled the energy. Chrom then rushed forward at high speed and the blades clashed and entered a lock.
"With the Black Knight returning I thought I'd try a few of the Radiant Hero's techniques, I didn't know that I'd be able to use them against you so soon!" Chrom shouted as both fighters vanished from view at the speeds they were travelling at.
Impacts were heard and felt all across their battlefield as Chrom and the Black Knight both pressed the offensive. Earth was torn from the ground and impacts sent strong winds the blew through the hillside glades like a storm. When the rush down ended, Chrom and the Knight appeared on the ground not far from each other.
"YOU WON'T-!" Chrom shouted as he charged forward with a glowing blade. The Black Knight was prepared and managed to block the strike with ease, but the instant he did so, he noticed that Chrom actually seemed to gain back some of the stamina he'd spent during the fight. The warrior prince then followed up with a second slash. "LEAVE US AGAIN!" The second slash was once more blocked by the Black Knight's blade... but now the Falchion had cut deep into the blade's side.
The Black Knight grunted while Chrom roared and finished cleaving his blade through, taking half of the Black Knight's weapon off and causing it to spiral through the air before it impaled itself in the ground near the two. The Knight stumbled back, but the prince wouldn't hold his assault even with his opponent carrying a clear handicap. The countless attacks pushed the Black Knight back further, actually managing to push him to the defensive.
"I should have known!" Chrom shouted as he brought his blade down and chipped off another small piece of the Knight's ruined sword. "A powerful figure emerged eradicating hordes of Risen singlehandedly!? Who else could it have been!?" The Prince lunged forward with a powerful stab and the knight's blade barely managed to deflect the blade away from hitting his helmet head. "Why didn't you come back to us! Why didn't you tell us you were alive at least!? Do we mean that little to you!?"
"ENOUGH!"
The Black Knight finally managed to hold his footing and struck back against Chrom's sword, deflecting the blow and leaving him with a small opening. Charging the power of his gauntlet into what remained of his blade, he sent out a wave of wind magic. While the split sword made this technique chaotic and unstable, Chrom recognized the attack and managed to cleave his sword through it at the last second, dispelling the attack. A sudden blow then stuck through the burst of gales, sending the young prince stumbling back. Emerging from the Black Knight's broken sword was a collection of Lightning magic, condensed to form a powerful blade and restore his weapon to its proper length. He brought the blade down sending Chrom reeling back once more as he struggled to keep a grip on his blade before the Knight tensed his entire body.
"HELL'S FANG!" he shouted, sailing forward with a fist coated in darkness. He made solid contact with Chrom's face, sending the young prince sprawling to the ground and losing his grip on the Falchion. Before he could go for his sword or rise, the Black Knight's sword was already at his throat.
(End theme)
The two warriors said nothing as the stared at each other; the Black Knight looking to the cerulean hair Prince while Chrom stared back at the armored enigma as the blade of lightning cackled between them. A strong breeze blew once more, sending a small cloud of dust through their ravaged fighting arena.
"Heh..." A small sudden laugh came from Chrom's lips, the Prince struggling hard to keep from laughing and failing horribly. "HeheheheHAHAHAHAHAHA!" Unable to control himself as well, the Black Knight dropped his sword and laughed as well. The two warriors who had almost seemed to want to kill each other were now laughing to their heart's content, the sound carrying on the wind to where a certain time traveler watched, her eyes lit with surprise.
"Not bad," the Black Knight relented as he offered the Prince a gauntleted hand which his friend firmly grasped as he helped him up. "Someone's improved."
"Glad you noticed," Chrom said, still chuckling a little despite himself. "You're still as strong as you ever were, even in that bulky armor."
"Trust me, it's not nearly as easy to do this as I make it look," the Black Knight admitted. "You almost had me..."
"...You know that you're still not off the hook," Chrom told him, his face turning serious once more. "Why didn't you come back to us?"
"...Up until a short while ago, I didn't even consider if Emmeryn was still alive," the Black Knight admitted as he glanced down to his broken sword. "I never heard any news that she'd survived as I traveled, so I assumed that she'd jumped and had died on the execution grounds, that... it was the last thing I had remembered."
"I was surprised to see that she had survived myself," the admitted as he retrieved his sword. "But even if she hadn't that shouldn't have forced you away from us. We would have needed you to help us if she'd died... and I get the feeling that you would've needed our help to get over it yourself."
"...That's why I began hunting Risen," the Black Knight admitted. "It made it feel like I could still make a damned difference and I could get some well-deserved payback for what had happened to us... Still, it wouldn't have been enough. If it wasn't for Tiki and Henry I would've gone crazy long ago."
"Henry?"
"A Dark Mage kid I met on the road... He was a real unnerving one, had a terrible love of puns, and batshit insane to boot, but he was still a good friend... Split up with him not too long ago..."
"Try to act as standoffish as you want, you still can't stand the thought of ending up alone," Chrom told him with a small smirk. "How did you even survive? That attack back during the rescue looked like it would have finished you off for sure."
"Would you believe me if I told you it just wasn't enough to kill me?"
"Anyone else I would have called crazy, but I guess I should know you better than that," the prince said. "Come on, you know everyone else wants nothing more than to see you again."
"Yeah... Like you said, no more running," the Black Knight assured him. "...I'm ready to come home now."
"Good, because I'd have dragged you back by your stupid cape if it came to that," the Prince promised before his confident complexion faded. "Actually... there's something else you should know... You're the first person we'll have told... Robin and I..."
"You proposed?" Seeing his best friend's blank stare, the enigmatic knight had all of the confirmation he needed. "Congrats."
"You... you knew?" Chrom asked.
"Saw the two of you holding each other's hand during the speech; given your nervousness now, it wasn't hard to guess what might've happened," he admitted before sighing. "Go on ahead, I'll catch up to you in a moment."
"You're not going to run off on us again, are you?" Chrom demanded with a scowl.
"Calm down, just going to grab the other half of my sword that you broke," he told him, causing Chrom to look away guiltily. "Won't take more than a minute."
"All right, don't keep me waiting long; no one really knows where I am," Chrom told him as he headed off down the hill.
The Black Knight then headed over to where he found the top half of his broken sword. Putting the piece and the other half in his sheath, he waited just a moment before speaking once more.
"Robin then?" he began, addressing the figure behind him. "She's your mother?"
"Yes," Marth said approaching the knight carefully, though her sword was now sheathed. "What are you going to do now?"
"We have some time before the Valm arrive; Chrom's probably going to try and prepare himself as best he can, as for me... I've got my own shit that needs to be sorted out, and a lot of it." He turned to face her. "Don't worry princess, both of your parents are in good hands. I see them both through this and whatever else the world decides to throw our way... from a closer distance this time."
"...I believe you," she told him hesitantly. "Godspeed... Uncle."
Marth couldn't see the warm smile the Black Knight had beneath his helm, but she could feel it.
Later -The Shepherd's Barracks-
"Is there still no sign of him?" Robin asked worriedly as the entirety of the Shepherds gathered as well as the visiting Khans and Tiki. The crowd in front of the castle had dispersed long ago and had returned to the celebration in the city proper. It hadn't taken everyone long to notice that Chrom was absent. Soldiers all around the capital were off in small search parties, but now everyone had reconvened at their base meeting point.
"I haven't found my lord anywhere," Frederick admitted. "A few guards had reported him leaving on horseback to the southern fields, but I just got a report from the stable master that a riderless horse has returned. Given the time difference, he can't be that far away."
"Do you think he could have gone after the Black Knight?" Flavia questioned. "You saw that he was ready to drop down on the knight when he was on the stage, perhaps he still considers him a threat."
"I doubt that very much," Frederick responded. "If he'd meant to do us harm he could have kept himself hidden like he managed to do against the additional guards that I'd brought in. I'd think my lord would have seen this."
"So that's why you let him go? You didn't consider him a threat?" Lissa questioned.
"We couldn't very well arrest him, not after what he'd done..." Emmeryn said, quite emotional spent at the moment. Everyone nodded their head in agreement.
"It's still a wonder though," Aversa began with her arms crossed. "Why on earth would someone like him do an act like this? It just doesn't seem like it'd match his supposed character."
"I disagree," Tiki objected. "I've spent much time travelling with the Black Knight." She smiled sadly. "This seems exactly like something he'd do."
"Still, where on earth could Chrom want with-?" Robin's words were interrupted as the group heard heavy footsteps coming from the entrance turning she saw her fiancé entering the courtyard. Robin was about to call him out on his idiotic behavior, before she and the others took notice of the enigmatic knight beside him.
(Cue BlazBlue Central Fiction -Hikari No Muko E-)
"Sir Knight?" Tiki said nervously as the two approached. She hadn't expected to see him again so recently, already a dozen questions were forming in the Manakete's mind. Not a single soul said anything as they approached, the knight finally deciding to stop just a few feet in front of everyone. Prince Chrom gave him a sideways glance and a smirk.
"Go on; they're waiting for you..." he told him calmly before stepping over to join his friends who only looked at him with amazement and confusion.
Letting out one long and final breath, the Black Knight steeled himself before he raised both of his gauntleted hands and placed them squarely on the sides of his helm.
"...Sorry I took so long."
The Shepherds then watched in silence as he raised the armor from his head starting to reveal his face, eyes growing wide as the legendary enigma finally unmasked himself. His skin was still pale as it had ever been, though it now carried an occasional faded scar along it. His sleek white hair had grown long and heavier, now falling over him like something of a mane... but it was still him. His eyes were their familiar crimson red and emerald green and he still carried that same serious scowl upon his face... Ragna the Bloodedge had returned.
"R... RAGNA!" Robin cried out as she rushed forward, surprising even the Reaper himself. He barely had time to drop his helmet before his surrogate sister leapt into his arms. He caught her just before she managed to slam into his heavy armor and harm herself. Even after he'd caught he, she pressed her face to his armor and sobbed uncontrollably.
"Jeeze sis," Ragna muttered softly as he continued to hold on to her tightly.
"Idiot... Idiot! Idiot! Idiot! Idiot!" she yelled at him while crying. Ragna couldn't help but smirk as this was sort of a running theme for him. He then noticed the crowd of Shepherds still staring at the two. Eventually, his sister let go of her absent brother leaving him to turn to the others as his scowl seemed to have faded completely.
"Hey everyone..." he said to everyone who had mattered that most to him in this world. "…I'm back."
All at once the Shepherds rushed forward to embrace their long-missed friend, leaving the still armored Ragna fearful that he'd get trampled by them. His friend gathered around him from every conceivable side.
"You're still alive!" Lissa exclaimed as she hugged his front, happier than most people had seen her in months.
"Teach wasn't fooled! The Vaike knew you had to be alive!" Vaike boasted as he slapped a heavy hand on Ragna's shoulder, while happy tears of relief were clearly in his eyes.
"Ragna can you...?" The Reaper quickly glanced behind him to where his eyes fell upon the 'vanishing knight' Kellam. He merely smiled, now realizing that there was someone here who could finally see him again.
"Damn you bastard, you had as all worried sick!" Sully cursed crossly with her hands on her hips, her harsh scowl betrayed by the smile that she couldn't hide.
"You've had us worried for so long, where's your sense of modesty?" Maribelle demanded crossly from beside him. Ragna merely chuckled guiltily. "But I think a proper welcome back is in order."
"My dearest friend has returned!" Virion cried triumphantly. "I am so very happy-! Nay joyous-! Nay exhilarated to see you once more!"
"You're back! You're back!" Sumia sang happily, so eagerly and elated that she didn't feel that she could trip even once... though she still did, once.
Gaius and Stahl had a hard time containing their laughter at the blushing Ragna, whose complexion was explained by Olivia, Elphelt, Cordelia, and even Panne, wrapping their arms and sides around his armored ones and holding them tenderly after they thought they'd lost him for good. Nowi was merely laughing as she'd latched onto him from behind and clung to him like a highly energetic child.
"Welcome back!" Ricken and Donnel could only shout.
"Aw, looks like I can't sell that steamy biography about you like I'd planned," Anna teased, leaving Ragna with a clearly horrified expression. "Just kidding! Glad to see you again!"
"Scary man is back! Gregor is with much happiness!" the mercenary called.
Aversa didn't say anything, she just sent Ragna a look. One which he had little idea of how to interpret, only knowing that she'd deal with him later.
Frederick, Lon'qu, Phila, and Miriel were of the few in the group that had stayed back, merely because the four of them had a hard time expressing themselves, though the smiles upon their faces were impossible to miss. Tharja and Libra also stayed back, not because they hadn't heard of or trusted this new man, simply because they hadn't become well acquainted with him as of yet. The two Khans and Tiki had decided to let the Shepherds themselves have their little reunion and settle for sticking back and laughing at the antics. This left... Emmeryn.
As everyone slowly parted from around Ragna, the former Exalt made her way forward towards her old friend that had not only been responsible for her rescue and ending the war, but had also restored the people's love in her and her faith in her own abilities.
"'Was afraid I had failed you..." he admitted, unable to hide the slight shame he still carried.
"...I was afraid we had lost you," she responded softly before stepping forward and throwing her arms around the Reaper's neck. Ragna froze at the contact, having to remind himself that this was real before he returned the gesture by wrapping his arms around her frame in a tender embrace. "But you returned for us..."
"Yeah... I… came back for my family," he agreed, holding her close.
"Sir Knight," Ragna heard from behind him where he saw Tiki, a small smile upon her face with arms crossed as she expected answers that had been long denied by her old guide. Ragna's embrace with Emmeryn ended as he awkwardly scratched the back of his head. "Care to explain all of this to me?"
"Sure, but..." Ragna couldn't help himself, he gave the biggest smile of his life. "It's a long story."
And thus, the Shepherds have been made whole once more. The Black Sheep thought to have been lost to them had returned to the fold to open arms and warm hearts. What lies beyond this reunion remains a mystery as of yet, but for now...
The Grim Reaper had found his way home.