~Fire Emblem-War of the Dragons~

It had been a year since Chrom and his allies had defeated the Fell Dragon Grima. One long, painful year. Long before the battle had even started, the exalted prince had resolved to deal the final blow to Grima himself, and thus seal him away, and yet...she had taken that chance away. He sought to spare her, but in the end she sacrificed herself in order to put an end to Grima in a manner far more permanent.

Chrom realized how selfish they had been...him, especially. They had all wanted Sonya to live, even if it meant risking Grima's return in the far-flung future. Even if it meant ensuring their descendants would have to rise to the challenge of sealing Grima again, never to be permanently rid of him.

In spite of Naga's reassurance that Sonya would return alive should their bonds of love and friendship prove strong enough to tether her spirit to their world, and their certainty that Sonya still lived, they had scoured the continents with no sign of her for the past several months. It was closing in on the anniversary of her disappearance, now.

Like many days now, Chrom and his sister Lissa were making their way to the spot in which they had first met Sonya, more than three years ago. It was funny, thinking about how quickly they had become friends after their initial meeting. Henry had joined them for this trip. Chrom could never figure out how Henry had won Sonya's heart, but he knew that, as strange as the young man was, he truly did make Sonya happy, and Henry had been beside himself for the longest time. After all, if Henry wasn't seen smiling, it was clear that something was terribly wrong.

Chrom gave a nostalgic sigh as he surveyed the field. It was just the same now as it was on that day three years ago...a warm breeze blowing in the wind, the sun bearing down from a cloudless sky...and a hooded, feminine figure lying down on the ground-wait.

"Chrom!"

"I know, Lissa!" Chrom replied, hurrying towards the figure. It couldn't be...here? Like this? It was almost exactly the same as it was then. He kneeled beside the woman, drawing back the hood on her head, and broke out into a grin. It was indeed her...it was Sonya. He'd recognize that sleeping face anywhere. "Finally..."

~

Sonya looked up at Chrom as he pulled her to her feet, stunned. How long had she been gone? She didn't know. The last thing she remembered was bidding farewell to her closest friend before fading away. It seemed like only minutes, but now she was here.

She almost broke into a laugh when Chrom had pulled her to her feet and greeted her once more after apparently reciting his words back when they'd first met. "It's good to see you too, Chrom," she smiled. "And Lissa, too," she grinned, before being hugged by the younger woman. She turned, seeing Henry before her. "Henry? Oh gods, you came too?" She was smiling so wide as if to make the top half of her head pop off from joy. Her beloved Henry...judging by his face, she'd been gone for quite some time.

Henry's face was grinning ear to ear and he pounced his newly rediscovered bride, tackling her into the brush again. "SONYAAAAAAAA!" Henry shouted out, giving her a kiss like she hadn't been kissed since well...since the last time he had pounced her into some overgrowth. At least this one didn't have thorns, though knowing Henry he would have been more than happy if it had. "I hope you've enjoyed your treat of darkness for a while, because if you do that to me again I'll take up necromancy next." he grinned. "Oooh. You think we could have Necrobabies after that? Like...half risen half human? That'd be awesome!"

Lissa was near beside herself with joy now that they had found Sonya again. It took so long after she disappeared to feel even hopeful she'd come back, but Chrom had suffered the most from the separation. Finding Sonya again meant they had their entire family back, and nothing mattered more to Lissa. She laughed as Henry attacked his wife into a bush with hugs and a good kiss, and was too happy to even find his comments all that disturbing. The only thing different about this encounter with Sonya was that Frederick wasn't around to warn of any danger.

"We're going to throw the biggest party when we make it back to the capitol!" she exclaimed, bouncing in place. "So many cakes and pies and I bet everyone will want to come and see you again! Just like old times without all the fighting! Chrom, we'll have to send out invitations right away!"

"Eugh!" Sonya visibly blanched at the mention of 'necrobabies.' "L-let's just try for a living child, Henry," she smiled weakly, touching his jaw. "It's good to see you again, my love..." she whispered, embracing him tightly. Even though she had only, in her sense, been gone for a few minutes(though she knew well it had to be a lot longer for the others present), she had missed him just as much. After all, she thought that she had died. It made sense.

Chrom smiled. "I'm sure Frederick will be more than happy to get started on those when we return to Ylisstol," he replied.

"Hee hee. Sounds good to me. Once everyone else gets to see you I guess. Can't be greedy. The crows that often followed Henry had all swooped down and were cawing and clamoring at the return of their master's wife as well. There was Corvinus, Aria, Corrine, Traska, Naesala, Nealuchi, Vika and... A crow smaller than the rest in the murder was hopping around on his shoulder wildly, making excited little noises and hopping on top of Sonya's head, tugging gently at a stand of her hair. "Nyaha. See how missed you were?" he grinned.

Lissa smiled at the mention of Frederick. It was too bad he couldn't tag along with them this time. As much of a fastidious worry wart he was, particularly for her well-being since they got hitched, she adored him all the same. Even now she missed him and felt so odd without him trailing her and her brother, or rather, running ahead and clearing the path of every conceivable hazard. She smiled as Henry's crows flocked around him and Sonya. They always were a noisy bunch but even she had been guilty of sneaking them food and had even tried to teach them a few tricks when Henry wasn't looking. All but one had taken pretty well to learning a trick, and it was obvious which one had failed to catch on to anything.

"I do," Sonya replied, smiling as she reached and allowed the smallest to hop onto her finger. "I missed you all, too." Her eyes trailed to the back of her hand, free of the Brand of the Fell Dragon. Sonya had no idea how long she'd had that Brand to begin with. All she knew was that, with it gone, so too was her Heart of Grima. It felt as if a great and terrible weight had been lifted from her breast with that foul creature vanquished forever. "We shouldn't linger too long," she smiled. "If you're gone too long, I'm certain Frederick will start rallying the troops to seek you both out."

Rego was the rather odd one of the lot. A special little bird she liked to snuggle and would give a faint chirp when content, an unusual sound for a raven. Henry helped her back to her feet, a more stoic looking raven had landed on his shoulder and gave Rego a bit of a pained stare. It was clear that this raven was the leader of the lot, and to him, Rego was such an undignified little thing, not that he looked after her any less, in fact it seemed he did more so. "We'll be there by dusk at this rate." he piped up.

Rego seemed completely oblivious to the annoyance of her fellow ravens and hopped from Sonya's hand onto her shoulder, where she almost took a tumble after overbalancing. She was less than graceful on the best of days and it was a wonder she could fly at all, or even remember her name. She snuggled against Sonya's cheek and let out a soft little chirp. Finally a shoulder all to herself. She was usually jostled off.

Lissa was practically dancing around them. "Yeah, let's go! I've got a whole big list of things to do to give to Frederick! He'll love putting it together, I'm sure!"

Sonya smiled as she headed back to Ylisstol with her lover and old friends. Certainly, she wondered what had happened to her after she had sacrificed herself to slay Grima. Why did it take her a year to return, and why in this exact spot? Perhaps she would never know, though knowing nothing of how she got to a place wasn't uncommon to her.

~

"...onya? Sonya? Sonya, are you in there?"

Sonya jolted out of her reverie at the call of her name. "Ah, er, sorry, Leon. Did you need something?" she asked. She looked up at the man before her. He certainly was a man of considerable might, and he posed an intimidating figure.

"Captain Lucy wanted me to inform you that rest was over. We're to start our march again. You were pretty out of it there. You all right?"

"I'm fine," she replied, getting to her feet and brushing off her robes. "I was just reminiscing about the good old days."

How Sonya wished that the peace they had worked for had lasted longer than the five measly years that it did, only four of which she got to enjoy. It was only a week ago that she had been sent out with Chrom's Shephards, now led by his daughter from the future, Lucina, to seek out the Voice of Naga, their old ally Tiki, to request her advice and possible aid against a new threat to Ylisse and the rest of the world; dragons. They knew of five dragons that still yet lived, both Naga and Tiki included, and they were a gentle sort, with Naga, Tiki, and a third taking a more inactive role in the world outside of the former two's duties as deified beings. These dragons, however, were another matter entirely.

Long thought to be extinct, these breeds of dragons were quite feral, and carved a path of carnage wherever they appeared. Regna Ferox had been the first to be hit, with Plegia next. Within the next three days, the rulers from both nations, save for Khan Basilio had arrived to discuss the matter with Chrom, and now here they were, escorting the former Mad King Gangrel back to Plegia in order to secure a few boats to make off towards Valm from Port Ferox.

Magnus rode astride his Wyvern high in the sky over his lands within Valm. The realm of Rosalyn on the outskirts of Roseanne where Duke Virion presided was the home of his family, and his responsibility to keep safe, however, since the appearance of the dragons that task had been beyond difficult. His people were suffering and more of the land burned every day. The problem was growing too large now, the only thing he could do for his people now was get them out, lest more lives just be thrown forth to be charred into nothingness.

Only the Wyvern riders such as himself even had a chance against the beasts, and there were not enough to go around to properly take the beasts down. His father had insisted on staying with the manor, and though it gave him a heavy heart, Magnus knew that he and some of the more stubborn folk would fight the lost cause until they too were burned to oblivion. The land wasn't what mattered to Magnus, his people did. Today he had three ships commissioned to transport his subjects and as many as Virion's as had agreed to leave to the sea and to safer land until reinforcements came and it was once again safe to return to their home. He turned his head. He could see Cherche arriving on Minerva, and Razylym gave a roar of greeting to the female Wyvern approaching. "What news do you bring of Roseanne and the southern Rosalyn border?"

~

Henry poked his head in. "Aw. You woke her up already? Jeez and I had the perfect little wake up call all ready too. Sorry Rego. you don't get to do the little tapdance you showed me on her head this time."

The Earth Dragons weren't having much of a fun time in Plegia. Many Plegians were tired of war and fighting, which only made them fight all the harder against these reptilian beasts that kept cropping up and making messes. Plegians were hardy and fiery tempered by nature, and they weren't standing for this needless destruction. Dragons had left a bad taste in their mouths ever since Grima's awakening, so they would be damned to let these pests overrun them.

"Captain! One of the devils has popped up by the orphanage!"

"Eh? Too cowardly to put up a real fight and has to eat children? Tch, what a waste of a good lizard!" Heane laughed as she spun her pegasus around, digging her heels into his side so he'd pour on the speed. Just over the barren hills was a decent sized town. The orphanage was on the outskirts and a perfect target for a weak little ground lizard. Heane steered her mount around behind the beast who had begun to claw at the walls of the orphanage and pulled an Arcthunder tome from her belt. She just needed to distract it and lead it away a bit before she drove her lance through it's flesh. She extended her hand and lashed the beast with a nice, powerful jolt of electricity and laughed when the dragon gave an annoyed roar.

Now that she knew she had gotten under the earth dragon's skin, she continued to pester it, leading her pegasus into dives, jabbing at it's back with her lance to get him good and angry, and to put all his attention on her. "Come on, you little newt! Pick on someone closer to your size, eh? You'd rather have a pegasus to snack on than some scrawny little brats anyway, right?"


Olivia sighed quietly as she sat in one of the tents that had been set up while the company camped. A squirming, baby Inigo refused to settle down in his mother's arms and was insisting on throwing a small tantrum. She understood how uncomfortable he must be, retrained to her arms for hours on end, no real place to set him down for a nap. She and Lon'Qu had both been sent to assist Lucina on this mission, but she didn't understand why she had been included. While she was grateful she would never be far from her husband's side, as she tended to worry herself sick when he was away, surely this wasn't a place for a mother with such a young child. She couldn't ask the company to stop just for her when they marched, not that she had the courage to speak in most cases anyway, but what was she to do? Regna Ferox was just as dangerous anyway, but the burden was wearing on her. She sat down on the ground inside the tent which had provided a good deal of shade to make the temperature inside bearable.

"Hush now..." she said softly to a squalling Inigo, getting him out of a layer of his clothing and setting him down in her lap so he could stretch his arms and legs a bit. She leaned back some to stretch her back and closed her eyes for a second to rest them. Inigo seemed content for the moment, able to move around some, and settled right down after a few moments, much to her relief. Her heart sank a bit when she heard someone giving the signal that they'd be marching again. She had just started to relax, not a single roar or screech of a dragon for a few hours, and now they were moving again? "Come here, you." she smiled softly at Inigo and scooped him back up in her arms and pushing herself to her feet. "Let's go find your father. He's probably napping somewhere if he hadn't been woken up already.

"She was dancing on my head? Silly thing," Sonya smiled, gathering the few belongings she brought along. "Henry, could you grab those books for me there?" she asked, pointing out a small stack, no more than three by the stump nearest her.

~

The earth dragon let out a mighty roar as his long neck twisted to follow the flier, his feet stamping firmly into the ground.

"Dragons? On my land? Scaring my children?" Tharja glared towards the monster as she stepped out from the doors of her husband's orphanage. Libra was inside, protecting the children with his axe and a string of prayers to Naga. Well, she preferred a more direct and immediate approach: one that would be a great deal more catastrophic to the creature. In recent years, her hexes and curses had become quite potent, and she had been itching to try out her latest.

She was grateful that Her Majesty's captain of the royal guard had chosen to distract the creature. It would make this easier as she began to chant, concentrating on the creature's head. The dragon stopped mid-step as the curse began to take effect. It seemed like the dragon was in quite a great deal of pain, and a loud pop resounded, followed by a few spurts of blood from both ears. The dragon let out an ear-splitting roar, staggering as his sense of balance was set off by the destruction of his ears. Tharja grinned smugly as it tumbled over on its side. "That'll teach you."

~

"Dire, I'm afraid," Cherche replied once her own mount had finished its response. The breed we face is quite cunning. I've never seen something with a long body like it has being used to such lengths to cause destruction."

Lon'qu was out watching the border of the camp. he wasn't happy with this situation either. This was no fit place for Olivia and Inigo, yet no place was, truly. Not in these troubled times. His only comfort here was that he could be present to protect his wife and child, the one woman he could allow himself to be truly close to, and the little one they had created together. Oh, he'd spent his fair amount of time with his son from the alternate future...and to this day it still baffled him that two ill adjusted, timid people could have raised such an ill adjusted, overconfident person like him. Of course, when it came to his dancing he was as shy as his mother, but with the women...the WOMEN of all things...he couldn't imagine what could have possibly driven him to be such opposites of him and his mother. This didn't make Lon'qu love his infant or future son any less, but it troubled him. He knew too that carrying their child around from camp to camp was difficult on Olivia, and he tried to help shoulder the burden where he could, carrying Inigo, and sometimes even an exhausted Olivia during the march at times.

He saw Olivia emerge from the tent in search of him and turned to join her, certain by her exhausted features that Inigo had been restless and kept her away from any true rest. He skirted one of the women soldiers in his path with a wide berth, but reached his wife and child quickly enough. "Did you manage any rest at all?" he asked Olivia in concern.

~

"Dire news indeed, this voyage could not be carried out soon enough. The evacuation is the only way to protect our people before more reinforcement arrives. Taking them on as they are now and in their numbers would be suicide for the pitiful numbers that remain. I pray Walhart's forces arrive this way soon. I hear that they've been moving their way out toward our territories, though it may only be hopeful rumor."

~

"She was going to, but Leon here spoiled it by waking you up first." said Henry.

Rego seemed less than phased and fluttered over to Sonya's shoulder where she floofed up and gave a soft little chirping noise of contentment. Sonya's shoulders weren't as broad as Henry's were, though they weren't by much, but she enjoyed the company of any human who would pay her any attention. Her fellows did their best to keep her excluded, so it was nice to get some recognition.


Olivia gave a tired smile to her darling husband when he approached. "Not at all." she admitted quietly, holding Inigo against her shoulder. He was fed and changed at least, and once they found a proper place to camp, she hoped for a hot bath and a comfortable place to sleep. Just a few more hours and they'd have to stop again. She just prayed there wouldn't be any trouble. It wouldn't do for her to bring an infant into battle at all, though she doubted she would ever be needed.

"D-did you get any sleep or were you patrolling this time?" she asked quietly. He always looked so stern and serious, and he always did such a good job at hiding his fatigue, it was hard to tell. She hoped he had more of a reprieve than he did, at best. He was certainly one of the best swordsmen in the company, and it wouldn't do for him to be injured because he was exhausted.


Heane swooped in after the beast fell over and sliced through the softer scales on the dragon's throat with the blade of her lance, severing the jugular and pulling back quickly before she was showered in blood. She had to make sure it was dead. She grinned at Tharja.

"Almost a shame you aren't fighting alongside us in the guard, milady. You'd certainly keep the brigands and the vultures looking to finish us off from even getting close." she adjusted her seat in the saddle. "We'll do a few more patrols around here to make sure there aren't any more on your doorstep or in the town anywhere. Hopefully we can get a handle on these over-sized lizards before they create more orphans, eh?"

"Hey, I was only doing my job," Leon replied with a shrug.

"It's quite all right, Henry," Sonya smiled, gently stroking Rego's head with a slender finger. "Rego doesn't seem to mind."

~

"Join the dark fliers? Thanks, but no thanks," Tharja replied. "I've enough to look after with these orphans, and if these dragons create any more, there will be trouble."

~

"According to my lord husband, one of his scouts reported that Walhart was indeed marching on the dragons. It is a shame...if those dragons weren't being so destructive right now, they really would make for such adorable pets."

"I slept a little." said Lon'qu. "But I have been patrolling for most of our stay here. Don't worry about me. I'm fine. It's you and the child I worry for." he said. "The both of you would be safest with Chrom at the palace, this is no place for an infant and fresh mother." his deep voice had such a deep timbre to it, so that even his vocalizations of concern for her always seemed so stern and cold, but it was just his way. No one understood him better than his wife, and gods knew she was patient with it. "I will be glad when we can get Inigo safe in the stronghold of Ylisstol castle. If I had my way you would stay there as well protected and able to care for our child, but I understand there are to be wet-nurses available and our orders are our orders..."

~

"They've gone beyond destructive, Cherche. There is nearly nothing left of my western lands, just charred housing and crops. Are your refugees far behind? We must soon escort them to the dock."

Olivia reached and gently touched Lon'qu's arm. Even to this day she would catch him flinching and pulling away from her touch, which she had learned to stop taking personally. She gave him a gentle, reassuring smile. "I know, but I'd like to be there with you, like I was before. I couldn't rest knowing you were out and never knowing when...or if you'd return." Olivia wanted to be there for him always. Olivia felt a bit worried at the prospect of leaving little Inigo with a wet nurse. Surely Chrom, Frederick, and Sumia wouldn't allow any harm to come to him and would see he was looked after, but the thought of him suckling from some other woman...it felt odd and discomforting for some reason. She and Inigo had bonded so much during his feedings, and the thought of him bonding to some other woman, or him growing up without her made her feel a little sick.


"Of course, of course." Heane smiled, a little disheartened she couldn't recruit a powerful mage like Tharja, but understanding completely. "Those little ones and this town need you more anyway. I'll leave a few of my ladies here once our patrols are done just in case they try to visit once I'm gone." she gave a short wave and took to the skies again, on the look out for more of those ground-dwelling snakes.

"They're just up on that hill over yonder," Cherche replied, nodding her head to where she was referring to. "It was difficult to round everyone up, but we've done the best we can to make sure that no one was left behind."

~

"I don't need any help," Tharja muttered. "I can take care of anything that comes my way myself," she said, though she was certain Libra would be more than relieved.

~

"How much longer until we arrive, Captain?" Sonya asked. It felt so odd not to call Lucina by her name. Certainly she understood why, though it was still a little annoying.

"It won't be long before we arrive at the outpost," Lucina replied. "About three hours' walk from here."

Magnus nodded. "Good. Let's meet up with them then and get them boarded as soon as possible the quicker they're evacuated the better." He turned his mount in the direction that she had indicated and flew with Cherche to rendezvous with the refugees. The lot he had gathered had already been on the ship for a few hours.

~

Lon'qu gently covered the small hand on his arm with his large one and gripped it. "I know." he said. "We have always sought to protect each other in dire times, and I know it would be wrong to rob you of that comfort. We promised one another we would never leave each other's side. Though I would not see you harmed, I can no more break my promise than ask you to break yours. I only wish that Inigo could have his mother as well, but I intend to see to it that he will have us both again once this is over." He couldn't help but think of their 'other' Inigo, the older one who had lost both of his parents in the terrible events that followed Grima's reawakening. He couldn't allow that to happen to his son, not again. He'd soldier through it all with Olivia and Inigo, and whatever *shudder* woman Inigo would one day bring home seriously.

"Ah, my dear Plegia!" Gangrel crowed in relief as they arrived at the border of the former "Mad King's" nation after a brief stop at the town recently built along the northroad to serve as a meeting grounds for the three major nations of the continent of Ylisse, merely to drop off Inigo so that he could be taken to Ylisstol to be among safety. Lucina glanced towards the monarch. How strange it was that they were now allied with him after all he had done...to her aunt, especially. She knew well of the many visits he had made to Emmeryn, who now lived in Regna Ferox as a mere villager after the loss of her memory.

Lucina closed her eyes. If nothing more, he at least was doing his best to make amends, even if it meant he would never be forgiven. "Where is that captain of mine?" Gangrel wondered, surveying the damage to his kingdom. Thus far, it appeared to be minimal.

~

"Hurry up, now," Cherche encouraged, keeping her eyes out for any dragons, Minerva doing the same. She kept her axe at the ready, not wanting to risk being caught unawares. She couldn't allow these villagers to be harmed.

Olivia had to keep herself from crying as she handed little Inigo over to Lissa for safe keeping. She smiled sadly and gave her darling son a kiss on the cheek and gently smoothed his hair. "Please be good, okay?" she murmured quietly, her voice wavering. She knew they wouldn't let him go hungry or leave him unattended, but she still wanted to stay with him. Her only child and she had to leave him with strangers he didn't know, and it was tearing her apart.

Lon'qu gently placed his hand on Olivia's shoulder as she transferred their son into Lissa's waiting arms. He hoped that Inigo wouldn't make a fuss when they left, this was hard enough on them to leave their child for they didn't know how long. The next time they saw him he could be crawling for all he knew...but he wasn't going to mention any of that. Olivia was upset enough. In a show of his powerful paternal affection he moved over to Lissa and gently smoothed Inigo's hair. In an undertone to Lissa he said. "Just don't let Sumia hold him unless she's sitting down, all right?"

~

Magnus kept in pace easily with her, riding out to herd their 'sheep' to safer pastures. He reassured some mothers that the oceans had still been safe to remain upon and that they would do their utmost to deal with the dragon problem and get them home as quickly as was humanly possible. He jumped down off of his mount once they reached the dock, helping some of the elderly aboard.

Gangrel's eye twitched faintly. "Be thankful that I have become a great deal more merciful these past few years, 'Heane', otherwise you would find yourself on the chopping block within the next five minutes," he scowled. Since when was such an uppity brat so high up in his chain of command? It was sickening. "I am still Gangrel, King of Plegia, and I expect at least some respect around here," he muttered. Whether I deserve it or not, he mentally added. Things were a great deal easier to run, and thanks to Validar, Gangrel at least had enough to get the nation back on its feet after the war. "Now, if that's settled, I would appreciate a report on the damage and casualties our nation has sustained, aside of my captain and my general."

~

"There's a dragon!" Cherche called out, a Mage Dragon's long neck jutting out from behind some nearby ruins, spewing its dark flames at the people and just coming short of its mark. Cherche flew Minerva straight into the fray to put a stop to it before it could cause further harm to their charges.

Heane narrowed her eyes, but her smirk grew and she had a dangerous look to her. "You're welcome to try, but your dear Plegians, the ones you abandoned with your tail between your legs, will wonder why you beheaded one of the most capable soldiers that's been keeping them out of the maws of those dragons while you were...what were you doing again? At your play date and feasts with your snooty Ylissean king and queen?" she scoffed a bit.

"There's been quite a few casualties. These dragons are an ongoing problem and with no real leader to give them direction, the people aren't sure what to do with themselves. Our forces are spread so thin it's amazing if we kill one without several of our own going down in the fight. As for the damage? Widespread, but you and your playmates will see enough if you stick to the path back to the capitol. And even that's just a fraction. We've tried corralling our people to safer refuge...but there is none, and they become a bigger target all grouped together." she twirled her lance in her hand and looked thoughtful for a second.

"Now if that's settled," she smirked, using his own words on him now, "you'll have a proper ass kissing and boot licking, as well as my title and my head when these dragons are all rotting in the ground they came from. If you can keep from running off like a kicked puppy again. But not a moment before then."