51WELCOME ONE AND ALL!
As stated in the Summary, this is a crossover between Fire Emblem Fates and Sword Art Online, but it is a sequel to Fire Sword by Mataras. For those of you who haven't read it, the important things are easy to pick up on. Anankos asked for Severa, Owain, Inigo, Sinon, Yuuki, and Aiko(the former three from SAO incarnate) to aid him in his quest. Kirito, Asuna, Yui, Klein, Suguha, Sachi, and Mako are the other fairies that remain from SAO in Ylisse, Robin married Lucina and had twins Morgan and Marth, Mataras placed himself as the future child of Kirito and Asuna, and Grima died after a sacrifice made by Mataras himself. Honestly, there's more that can't be explained here, so if you missed out on it, check out his story.
In this tale, we are going to find out about four things Fire Sword didn't answer. 1) How Chrom and Corrin knew each other. 2) How Takumi knew Sinon's name. 3) Why Owain, Inigo, and Severa didn't pair up with Odin, Laslow, and Selena. 4) Canonicity of the Amiibo use in Fire Emblem Fates.
Okay, I had to rewrite the whole first chapter of this story to re-fit the story at its end. The original tale involved Priam being renamed to be called Uther, Kirito's family starting in Hoshido, and would include all Amiibo characters as companions who would have quick supports with certain other individuals. The outline was pretty easy to rewrite and there were only two chapters that required a rewrite that were drastically different, but the tale continues on with very little to change aside from the simple fixes to Uther's character placement and Sinon being the main focus of that segment. In the end, I'm glad Mataras messaged me on the 4th of August to let me know what he wrote so I could fix this before it got too far.
Side note: At the end of each chapter, I'll be including a small character dialogue related to the current events in the story. These were funny little extras that made Mataras's story Fire Sword even more enjoyable and I feel that a sequel should show that same level of dedication.
That being said, enjoy the REAL Chapter 1 guys.
Almost a day after the encounter at Ylisse, Anankos, Yuuki, Aiko, Sinon, Inigo, Severa, and Owain were all gathered at the Outrealm Gates. Everyone had a small bag on them with simple supplies, save for Anankos himself, who stayed silent throughout the whole journey.
Anankos paused before anyone could enter the Outrealm Gates themselves. "I'm sure some of you may have questions. I'll answer what I can here, but not everything can be explained in this kingdom."
Yuuki frowned. "Why would you seek us out?"
Anankos gestured openly towards them. "I'd heard of your tales. How children from a doomed future were called to the past, a creator in another realm and his family was called to aid them, and the sacrifice of the Black Spirit to save his family and friends."
At this, the group was quite surprised. "Wait," Inigo asked. "How do you know about all of that?"
"I've heard about it from Naga herself. She told me about what she did to save Ylisse."
Owain held up his right hand. "The dragon of light herself? You know not what you imply!"
Anankos continued. "Honestly, it was quite astounding. The extreme lengths she took to bring forth so many heroes must have exhausted her energy."
Sinon shook her head. "Wait, what do you mean by 'exhausted her energy'?"
Anankos clasped his gloved hands together. "Magic, as most know, is not without its price. Naga's energy was the price for her tampering with the two worlds and time itself, but even dragons have limits to what they can and can't do."
Yuuki frowned again. "Are we finally going to get the answers?
Anankos let out a draconic roar. As he did so, all eight were surrounded in a brilliant light. As the light faded, they noticed different changes among each of them. Inigo's pure white hair was turned into a darker shade of silver. Owain's black hair changed into his mother's bright shade of blonde and his brand disappeared from his shoulder. Sinon's hair was turned into its cyan shade from ALO and GGO. Severa, Yuuki, and Aiko experienced no hair-related change, but all three of the fairies reappeared without their wings.
Yuuki was the first to notice the missing wings. "What the- Where did my wings go?"
Aiko tried moving them, but felt nothing. "Yeah, what gives?"
Owain looked at his shoulder. "What? My brand! It's gone!"
Sinon held a hand on top of her head. "I'm slightly confused how that happened."
Anankos sighed slightly. "This is a necessary precaution. In my timeline, any evidence of your heroic deeds must not be revealed. It could lead to disturbing results."
Yuuki nodded. "Will you explain the rest at our destination?"
Anankos nodded. "Follow me."
And with that, the group entered their destination's Outrealm Portal.
As the seven figures stepped through the portal, they began to take in their surroundings. Anankos had lead them into a world of disastrous surroundings and unknown wonders. Segments of land were floating in the air among ruined cities. The sky was a sickly orange with no sun nor clouds to see. All around them, destroyed buildings were scattered across the barren wasteland that composed the earth beneath their feet. Off of the edge of the platforms they stood upon, large segments of the sky stretched out beneath them.
As the six recruits looked on in horror, Anankos addressed their unvoiced concern. "This is my homeland, the Kingdom of Valla."
Inigo shook his head. "It's hard to believe such a place could be called 'home'."
Anankos turned back to face them. "Whatever happens, nothing about this land can be spoken anywhere else."
Severa huffed and crossed her arms. "So what? Do we just stay silent forever? Why all of the secrecy?"
Anankos shook his head. "Not exactly. This land has a curse upon it. Until such a time that the curse is broken, those who mention its name, the one ruling it, or its features will vanish and their soul will return here, forever haunting the ruined land as one of the Vallites."
Sinon was taken aback by this. "So that's why you couldn't tell us anything other than your name?"
Anankos nodded. "Precisely. I am Anankos, the soul of the Silent Dragon by the same name."
Yuuki tapped her chin. "Silent Dragon?"
Anankos folded his hands together. "Let's start from the beginning. I am the only remaining dragon from a small war between them. I was the only one whose nation was hidden from the rest of the world and was, therefore, blessed by my gifts of wisdom, salvation, and prosperity. The people of my kingdom were kind, gentle, and cared for nothing of material value. However, my heart had mixed feelings about their loyalty and their desires."
Inigo nodded in agreement. "No offense to your current stance, but those concerns weren't entirely unwarranted."
Anankos sighed. "I know, but my actions were not. One day, the people of Valla tried to kill me, saying that the gifts I provided were making them weaker species. In defense of myself, the King of Valla was injured by his own people. The king had shown only kindness for me and my gifts. In response to their actions that day, I went on a rampage and, in doing so, attacked my friend, the king, and killed him. I was beside myself with rage and felt betrayed by both the humans who attacked me and the royal family. My wrath consumed me, forcing my soul from my body and continuing my destruction of the land I built myself."
Aiko looked around them. "What about the people who lived here?"
Anankos continued, a slightly sorrowful tone taking over slowly. "All of them have become ghosts. They only do the will of my body and serve as his eyes and ears. Should you see any of them, you must defend yourself."
Sinon looked at the saddened dragon. "What can we do to help?"
Anankos reached up and wiped a tear from his eye. "Fortunately, there is someone who can help. During my rampage of this kingdom, the two daughters of the king, both carrying children at the time, fled to the lands of Hoshido and Nohr. Queen Mikoto, who fled to Hoshido, has my only son with her there in the royal palace. He is the only one who can end my rampage and finally let my soul rest in peace. What you six can do is protect him and help him realize his true path. I won't send you all on your own without help, but I'll not ask you to do what you don't wish to either."
Severa shrugged. "What exactly does that entail?"
Anankos continued. "Gather the five sacred weapons and bring them here with my son. Upon your return, I want you all to kill my body."
Everyone was taken aback by this. "Are you mad?" Owain hollered. "Kill the one who wants us to save the world? On top of that, kill a dragon without the Exalt's help?"
Anankos shook his head. "Fortunately, it's possible. I have powers I can bestow upon you all, but only if you agree to this task. Those who are unwilling to take up the task may return to the Mila Tree shortly after you left."
The party present didn't have to think about it. The chance at saving another world again? Some liked the idea for the thrill they would receive, others felt empowered by the fact that they'd be doing what was right. Even still, they all knew what they signed up for.
Inigo was the first to speak his mind. "Do you think we'd come all this way if we weren't prepared to face death itself?"
Yuuki smiled. "Even if we don't make it back to Ylisse, we're prepared to face the consequences."
Sinon pointed out a specific concern. "Is there any chance of us returning home?"
Anankos's sigh echoed. "If you mean after today, I don't know. I'm unable to open another gate to your time without sacrificing myself in the process. I still have a way for you to return now, but returning to your time is looking less likely."
Inigo nodded. "Then I suppose this path is the only one worth following."
"Sadly, I can't allow you to do that!" An unknown voice called from behind them.
All seven of them jolted from their positions and faced the newcomer. The figure looked to be human, a girl about Sinon's age, dressed in a blue maid outfit. She had blue hair in a braid that fell over her shoulder, the end of which became a regal shade of red. The girl held a small golden sphere in her hands, tightly gripping it to keep it safe.
She spoke with an echoing voice. "I've finally found you, Imposter of Anankos."
Sinon looked at the dragon in concern. "Imposter?"
Anankos shook his head. "As the soul of the Silent Dragon, I demand to know who you are!"
The maiden smirked. "As Lilith, the daughter of the Silent Dragon, King Anankos, I sentence you to death!"
Owain gasped at the elder dragon. "You have TWO kids?!"
Anankos shook his head. "Her lies deceive you! That maiden is no child of mine!"
Lilith smirked. "Of course. I said I'm the daughter of KING Anankos. You are a mere copycat hoping to overthrow who you cannot."
Anankos glared at her. "Impossible! The wicked dragon that is my former self fathered a child?!"
Lilith shrugged her shoulders. "Heh, I'm surprised you didn't know about little ol' me. Guess you can't foresee everything, can you? Like, say, the fact that your son resides in Nohr, not Hoshido."
Anankos took a step back. "He's in Nohr?! But how? They must have kidnapped him for use as a pawn… How could this happen? What about the future I saw?"
Lilith smirked at him, drawing a silver knife from her hip. "Oh, I like that look of despair on your face, you impostor Anankos. My father thinks you're nothing but trouble. So it's time to die, OK?"
Anankos pulled back his hood to reveal a face similar to Robin's from their time. "I should've seen this coming. Everyone! Get behind me!"
Yuuki and the others complied, but she raised her concern. "What's wrong?"
Anankos stretched his arms out, placing a barrier in front of him. "I've predicted this before, but I didn't believe it possible. Lilith is the pawn of my prior self. It is she who slays you all where you stand."
Sinon instantly drew her silver bow. "Not if we can help it."
Anankos tossed a small golden orb towards Severa, who caught it in her hands. "I don't care if you can defeat every single one of the Vallites or even escape to the other kingdoms! She's too powerful for you to defeat! Take the golden orb and head back to your own world. It will save you all."
Severa looked to the others before tossing the stone at Lilith. "Fat chance. We're not backing down now!"
Anankos was startled by her response. "What are you doing?"
Yuuki drew her blade. "If this is where we die, we'll do so fighting."
Owain held up his sword hand. "The voice of justice calls me to help you in your time of need. I can not ignore the call to action."
Inigo tapped on his shield. "If you think some simple fortune telling is going to scare us off, then why did you bring us along?"
Anankos looked back at them over his shoulder. "Are you sure? None of you may ever return to your own time."
Aiko looked at him with knowing eyes. "Trust me. We've already decided this."
Anankos smiled. "I understand." Turning to face them, he outstretched his arms. "However, I don't plan to let you do this alone. If you'll let me, I can grant you new powers to strengthen your prowess."
Sinon shrugged. "Why not?"
Anankos took a deep breath. "I bestow my power upon you and grant you new abilities."
With that, Anankos roared, causing a brilliant white light to surround the Ylisseans. When they emerged, each had been given new clothes, new weapons, and had power coursing through them.
Sinon's attire more resembled a thief than a typical archer. She was wearing a short dress that reached mid-thigh, black boots that reached just below her knees, navy pants underneath both, and a navy hood and cape over the whole attire. Her bow was made of silver and had been gifted with a green glow along the handle with a white, shining string to replace the standard one.
Yuuki and Aiko were again dressed in identical attire, but their color schemes were the differentiating factor. Yuuki's dress mirrored her ALO appearance while Aiko's was the same, but Yuuki's was purple with white designs along several segments and Aiko's was navy with red designs. Both were holding a Levin Sword in one hand and a Steel Sword on their hip, Aiko's on the left hip, Yuuki's her right hip.
Selena and Inigo had their signature Mercenary armor, but they were now adorned with gold and silver designs. Both had new swords with serrated edges and shields that resembled pauldrons more so than before.
Owain had the most drastic of changes. His Myrmidon attire was no more, now replaced with a yellow toned garb that resembled a Dark Mage. He held two tomes in his hand. The first had a large lightning bolt on it while the second was a Nosferatu tome.
All of them were astonished by the gifts bestowed upon them by the dragon and immediately took up their battle positions. Their opponent, Lilith, was shocked by the display of magic she had no idea existed. As she saw their determined faces, she teleported away in fright.
Anankos sighed in relief. "Odin, Laslow, Selena," he called, motioning toward Owain, Inigo, and Severa in turn. "Your new names are these." To the former fairies, he nodded. "I understand if you three wish to remain named as you were prior."
Sinon nodded. "We'd have it no other way,"
As they finished adorning their names, Anankos spotted Lilith across the barren field as she summoned a small army to assist her. "I have one more gift for you all. I can provide you with my blood so you can activate those."
Everyone looked to where he was pointing. A golden mist was swirling in place over a small area. "That," he continued. "Is a Dragon vein. If I bestow my blood upon you, you all should be able to use them temporarily and change the landscape to fit your needs."
Selena shrugged. "What exactly do you mean by 'temporarily'?"
Anankos held out his hand. "The amount I bestow upon you would last for almost a year, but the length at which I could grant you at its longest would last three decades."
Yuuki shrugged. "I'm fine on my own, but some of us might take you up on that offer."
Selena, Odin, and Laslow nodded. "We would," they all chimed in.
Aiko politely declined, but Sinon smirked at the thought. "I'll take up the mantle as well."
Anankos nodded. "I shall grant you four that which you request."
A faint golden light began to shine on their chests before dissipating. All four of them felt drawn to the golden mist, but only slightly. As they finished, they heard a war cry across the field.
"BRING ME THEIR HEADS!" Lilith roared.
Anankos nodded at her. "Reach the other side of this barren field and I can send you into the kingdoms above."
As he said this, the six of them began their charge. It was a long fight ahead of them and they all knew it would be that way.
Sinon kept toward the back, with Yuuki and Aiko providing as much cover as possible. Sinon was surprised at her firing speed, able to unleash a volley of arrows faster than prior by almost twice her prior velocity. Yuuki and Aiko were focusing on covering each other's blind spots more than anything, but they managed to form a spinning tornado of blue and purple as they swept through soldier after soldier.
Behind Sinon, Laslow barely managed to master his newfound powers. "And that's one more for the ladies to hear."
Sinon shook her head. "Do you think about anything else except ladies, Laslow?"
Laslow smirked. "Glad to see you've caught onto the new names. Odin's having a hard time remembering Selena's new name, but you're on top of your game today." After Sinon glared angrily at him, he promptly answered her question. "Mostly I come up with different pickup lines, some elegant speeches, but I have my fair share of maneuvers I concoct."
Sinon aimed for a distant Sniper and delivered a headshot. "Any dances?"
Laslow smiled nervously. "Not until Anankos gave us these new abilities. I've found that Owain and Selena have slightly more energy when I danced for them."
Sinon knocked two arrows to the string, firing them into twin Wyvern Riders headed for the twins. "I wonder what my special power is."
Laslow smirked. "I'm sure you'll figure it out eventually. There's still time for you to find out."
Sinon nodded, flinging one more arrow into another Warrior. "I guess we'll figure it out soon."
Odin used the Dragon Vein as commanded, but the warp placed all eight of them right in front of the leader Lilith summoned. "Begone, wretched scum of Valla!" Odin taunted at the Dragonkin.
Lilith's commander, who was on horseback and backed by two maids, merely looked at them in wrath. "Lady Lilith has ordered your demise and her wishes are my command."
Laslow predicted her next move and flipped over Selena to block it. The fireball bounced off of his pauldron and hit a nearby rock, flying right through it. Selena rushed in for a slash at her, but the horse leapt back, making her miss the commander entirely. Odin sent a thunderbolt at the commander, knocking her off balance and flinging her over the cliffside. Yuuki and Aiko both flanked the commander's left guard, keeping her away from the main conflict. Sinon took the other maid out with a well placed shot.
As the remaining shades disintegrated, Sinon sighed in relief. "Thank goodness we got through that."
Yuuki called out to the other five. "Is anyone injured?"
Aiko looked around to see no one so much as injured. "Not that I can see."
Lilith's voice called out from behind them. "Did you really think that was my whole army? I've got an endless supply of soldiers. It's time for round two!"
As she said this, forty more soldiers appeared behind her. "Gods!" Laslow swore. "There's no end to them!"
Anankos appeared behind them. "I'll have to send you all to Nohr now. There's no need for you all to fight any longer."
Aiko became slightly angered at him. "Are you mad?! What do you plan on doing here all by yourself?"
Anankos sighed. "Look, I'm bound to Valla by a curse. Speak nothing of this land while your out of it or you'll disappear. If you gain favor of the king of Nohr, maybe you could become retainers to my son. Go now while you still can."
Lilith was fuming at his scheme. "That's enough out of you!"
Anankos cried out as Lilith threw the knife in her hand at his leg. "Go! NOW! Promise me you'll return and slay me. This is your only chance to save this world."
Anankos roared again, forcing the six Ylisseans away to the kingdom of Nohr. "Just do this for me… Please."
Lilith stepped forward. "Your end is here. BEGONE IMPOSTER!"
Anankos braced himself for the end he would meet shortly, but it never came. He looked up, Lilith poised to stab him, but she remained motionless.
"WHY?!" she hollered. "Why can't I make the final blow? This mission is mine! Why can't I finish it?"
She slowly lowered her knife. "Is...Is it true? Are you…the real Silent Dragon? Is that why I can't kill you?"
Anankos looked at her with knowing eyes. "Child, if you must kill me, finish what you've started and end me. If I am to die, I'd die a happy man...while looking into the eyes of my dearest daughter."
Lilith's eyes went wide. "Don't you plant your filthy lies into my head! I'll finish...this… fight...right…."
Lilith never finished her line as the knife dropped from her hand. "It really is you. You're the soul of the Silent Dragon. But why?"
Anankos placed his hand on her shoulder. "Lilith?"
The younger dragon's eyes welled up with tears. "He's never treated me like a daughter. I've only ever been his pawn. I've had no love, no acknowledgement, no rest, and no attention. I've worked until my fingers bled and my soul was crushed! Never have I been anything but 'Maid' to him! Calling me your daughter is like saying I'm nothing worth having around!"
Anankos pulled her into a hug, which surprised her. "Lilith, your life has been harder than any other in this world. You've been broken, abused, and forced to fight for your life. For that, I'm sorry."
Lilith didn't say anything for a moment, but she finally broke the silence after a moment. "You really are my father. How could I have not seen this sooner?"
Anankos broke off from the hug, but he held her arms in his hands. "I can't believe I have such an incredible daughter. I dearly love you, Lilith."
A portal opened next to them, to Anankos's left, and another figure stepped from it. "Such a happy little moment. A father finally seeing his daughter all grown up. Sadly, this moment can't last."
Both father and daughter turned to see an identical individual to Anankos himself, but this newcomer was surrounded in a dark, almost black aura. "You see, Lilith, you may have saved my soul, but you've only angered me. For that, you must pay the price!"
The dark dragon fired a ball of dark magic towards the pair, but the Silent Dragon's soul intercepted it and took the brunt of the attack.
Lilith cried out in sorrow. "FATHER!"
The darker form of Anankos sighed. "Well, I guess you fulfilled your mission. You have my condolences, but also freedom. Begone, wench."
With that, the dark Anankos retreated into the portal, closing it behind him. Lilith knelt down and cradled the body of her father as he was slowly slipping away.
"Lilith...Please...help Corrin...save him from...my former body...lead him here."
Lilith couldn't believe what her father was asking her to do. "No! Don't do this to me! You just came into my life! Don't force me to go alone!"
Anankos chuckled in pain. "Don't you worry about me, child. I was destined to...fade out soon...anyway. Look my child...I love you with...all my heart. Just promise...me you'll...make the right...choice. I'm sorry...Mikoto...I'm sorry...Corrin."
With that, the Silent Dragon's soul said his final words, leaving Lilith with no one left to turn to. Standing from her spot, she brushed off her clothes. "I will, father. Corrin, that's who you said right? Then it's settled. Corrin, I'm on my way. I'll do what I can to protect you, should the time come for it."
Sinon: Where the heck are we now?
Laslow: Well, it seems you're the only one asking.
Sinon: I mean, where did Anankos send us?
Laslow: In truth, I don't know. It's difficult to say.
Sinon: Well, all we can do is wait...
Laslow: Not really. N-Sight's already uploaded the next chapter.
Sinon: Isn't that convenient.
Laslow: While it's just the two of us, care to-
Sinon: If you say, "Have a cup of tea," I will jam a burning arrow into your nostrils and out through your skull.
Laslow: ...Nevermind.
