"Remember, I want the Emblem in my hand and Emmeryn dead on the floor. Unless you encounter the child visitor from foreign lands and her pets, let nothing else distract you from either purpose," the enemy leader, Validar, instructed one of his Assassins.

"As you will it," the Assassin bowed before quickly taking off and spreading the word.

"Whoa, whoa, did I just hear that right?" one of the Thieves mumbled to himself once the orders were relayed. "We're to kill the exalt and a kid with pets? I'm just here for the plunder. You know, line my pockets with some royal goods. The exalt's such a sweet lady... Sure, I'll rob her blind, but I'd never harm her or a kid!"

***Break Line***

"Emm!" Chrom exclaimed, relieved to find his sister safe in her chambers.

"Chrom! Take Lissa with you and flee while you still have time!" Emmeryn told him, having already deduced she was the main target for this assassination attempt from Plegia.

"No! We're not leaving you! Just stay where it's safe!" he refused to heed her words and took a defensive position outside her chambers alongside Marth. It was a blessing that Robin had suggested the Shepherds be stationed in the castle so that they could receive any orders as quickly as possible. All of the Shepherds were already prepped and ready to combat the enemy the moment they heard the explosion. They had already received their orders from her to split into two groups to fight off the assassins and to stick together to prevent any attempts of assassination on any single Shepherd. One group was to join up with Chrom while the other would be led by Frederick who would join them once he received further orders.

"The assassins should scatter if we can defeat their leader," Robin told Chrom once her group had joined up with him. She quickly debriefed him on what strategy was best for the situation.

***Break Line***

Unbeknownst to the Shepherds, they were being spied on by Validar through his use of dark magic. While he could not hear what they were talking about, he could still see that his initial plan had failed.

"Hmph! Two assassins and the little princeling was not even wounded?" he scoffed at the incompetence of the two assassins assigned to the task before noticing something amiss. "...Wait. Some of these actors do not belong on this stage..." He took particular notice of Marth and Robin. As he took a closer look at what his dark magic displayed, an evil grin appeared on his face. "Ho ho! Can it be? After years of searching... Tonight, fate truly piles the gifts at my feet!"

***Break Line***

"Falchion is gleaming..." Marth noticed her Falchion shining just as she began to draw it.

"What's wrong?" Chrom asked.

"It's not your concern," she replied as she quickly re-sheathed her sword to hide the shining light.

"Seems like nothing ever is with you," he sighed.

"My apologies."

"Just stay by Emmeryn's door. We'll handle the killers."

"Chrom, please! Flee while you can!" Emmeryn pleaded from within her chambers. "You each have but one life, and I do not wish it weighed against mine!"

As the Shepherds waited anxiously for any signs of an assassin, Robin suddenly yelped out in surprise. Chrom immediately ran to her side and spotted a strange female humanoid being who had somehow managed to get behind their group.

"I knew there was wisdom in slipping in with those rogues. Look how these man-spawn claw at each other like savages! I will repay my warren's debt and then wash my hands of their race," she spoke with clear disgust in her voice even as she stood guard in front of another entrance to Emmeryn's chambers.

"Another assassin?" Chrom gripped his Falchion tighter.

"Hold! Panne is not your enemy," Marth clearly knew the newcomer.

"You know her?"

"I know... of her. And I knew she would come here tonight."

"Quite the prophet, aren't you?"

"As you say. And I swear to you, Panne is an ally."

"...Good enough for me," Chrom accepted her words. "All right, Shepherds! For now, we leave this Panne character be."

"Is that wise, milord?" Frederick asked.

"Marth has earned our trust. She enjoys her secrets, I know. ...Like her gender, for one. But she's also saved our lives. Twice. And that's good enough for me," he supported Marth's claim.

"Chrom... Thank you," Marth gave her gratitude for believing her.

"Now, to the matter at hand: driving these scoundrels from our castle!" Chrom announced with a voice of finality. Frederick bowed his head in acceptance before riding off to lead the other group of Shepherds on the other side of the castle that also led to Emmeryn's chambers. The moment he left, one of the enemy's Thieves walked up to them in the open.

"Drop your weapon, or die where you stand!" Chrom demanded.

"Easy there, blue blood. I'm not here to hurt anyone," the Thief held up his hands to show he meant no harm.

"...Yet you run with a band of assassins?"

"Believe it or not, just trying to make a living. I'm a thief, see? Bust open doors, crack into chests... That kind of thing. This lot said they wanted to break into some type of vault. Nobody said anything about murder. I'd just as soon sit this one out."

"Hmm... Then perhaps you'd be willing to prove your good intentions?"

"Beg pardon?"

"We need all the help we can get to save the exalt's life. You appear capable, and we could use any information you have about our foes," Chrom offered him a chance.

"Oh, right... Those good intentions. Fine then, I'll prove my sincerity... if you sweeten the deal," the Thief added his condition to the deal.

"You want gold? ...Fine, you scoundrel. Let me just- Oops." Chrom was about to get one of the keys to the castle's lesser vaults when he dropped a bag of sweets Lissa gave him earlier during the day.

"Looks like you dropped something. What's in the satchel?" the Thief hummed in greedy curiosity.

"Nothing... Candies from my little sister," he picked up the small bag. "I'm sure you-"

"Candies? As in, sugar candies?" he suddenly sounded excited.

"Well... Yes, I'd assume they'd be sweet? But-"

"It's a deal!" the Thief quickly agreed to fight for Chrom.

"...You'll risk your life for us if I give you... a bag of candy?" Chrom exclaimed incredulously.

"I said 'sweeten the deal', didn't I? Don't get me wrong, I'll take the gold, too. Later. Unless you've got more of these. ...Have you got more of these?"

"Um... I'll ask Lissa."

"Great! The name's Gaius. I hope it'll be a pleasure working with you, Blue," the Thief introduced himself.

"Alright, tell us everything you know about the enemy and their plans," Robin was quick to interject herself and get the needed information about the enemy.

"Like I said, I was only here to break into some type of vault. It was only after we sneaked in that we got the word the boss wanted the exalt and some kid dead. Also, like I said, I don't plan on murdering anybody. Well, nobody on your side, that is."

"They're targeting Ricken too?" Chrom exclaimed.

"He'll be fine, Chrom. He's with Frederick and you know he can hold his own," she reassured him. "They probably want to exact vengeance on him for when he rescued Maribelle. Remember, Chrom. We will fight defensively and advance slowly at the same time. We will push them back and out of here. Marth can handle any stragglers that try to approach Emmeryn."

"Right!"

With Robin's strategy, none of the assassins stood a chance against the Shepherd's defensive line even as they advanced forward. It was not until the two groups reunited for a short breather and an update on the situation that trouble came knocking.

"Emmeryn will be fine from here on out. Marth and Panne are protecting her just fine," Robin updated the entire group. "Frederick, did any of the assassins on your side target Ricken in particular?"

"Huh? Me? Why me?" Ricken panicked at being called out as a target.

"I do not believe so," Frederick shook his head.

"That's not right," Gaius spoke up. "I think we've got a tiny bit of confusion with the details."

"What do you mean?" Robin asked.

"Say, kid. You got any animals around you?" he asked Ricken.

"The smaller animals in the wild like to play with me," Ricken answered.

"Do you keep any?"

"No, I don't."

"You sure don't look like a girl to me. Unless you're purposely dressing up like a guy."

"Wha-? Of course not! I'm male! A man!" Ricken squawked in protest.

"Gaius, is there something you're not telling us?" Robin asked.

"I told you all that I knew. I thought you'd already figured out the identity of the kid I was mentioning about. This kid is supposed to be a girl with pets," Gaius clarified. Now that it was clear, Robin paled drastically as she now knew just who the secondary target of the assassins was.

"Sumia, go to the servant's quarters! Hurry!" Robin ordered.

"Right!" Sumia took off on her pegasus with great urgency. She too realized just who Gaius was referring to.

"I'm going too!" Stahl chased after Sumia without any given orders.

"What's the matter, Robin? What's going on?" Chrom asked, seeing the panic and concern on some of the Shepherd's faces and realizing something had gone wrong.

"Besides whatever it is they're trying to steal and killing Emmeryn, Rachel and her Pokemon are also their targets!"

"What!" Chrom exclaimed in shock. "But that's impossible! Plegia shouldn't have known about Rachel yet!"

"Apparently they do, Chrom! And they know exactly who she is!" she snapped irritably as her fear for Rachel's safety momentarily overrode her mental processes. When she saw Stahl returning with a nervous and slightly fearful look on his face, her fear extended to him as well. "Stahl? What happened?"

"Well..." Stahl began to speak. He took a look down the hallway and gulped nervously. "I think Espy is extremely mad right now..."

"Espy?" Robin repeated. Right after she said that, an enemy Barbarian and Dark Mage were sent flying out of the hallway courtesy of a beam of light that shone with the colors of the rainbow. (Psybeam) The Dark Mage crashed into a pillar so hard the Shepherds could clearly see the cracks on the structure. There was no question he was dead. The Barbarian, on the other hand, only suffered a harsh landing on the castle floor and was struggling to get to his feet.

"Stay away from me, you monster!" he screamed fearfully as he tried to flee. Before he could, his body was enveloped in a blue light and was lifted off the floor. (Psychic) "Let me go!"

Espy walked out of the hallway with a patient gait and her eyes glowing with the same blue light, signifying the use of her powers. Although she looked calm, the Shepherds could tell that she was emitting a dangerous aura. With a loud crack, the Barbarian's neck had been snapped so severely his head was hanging at an unnatural angle. With the foe dead, Espy turned her attention to the Shepherds before beckoning someone behind her. Sumia's pegasus slowly trotted out into the open with Sumia and Rachel on it. Sumia was stroking Rachel's head gently and whispering soothing words to calm her down. Rachel was hugging Sumia tightly and had her face buried in Sumia's armor as she cried audibly.

"Sumia, is Rachel unharmed?" Robin asked.

"Yes, she is," Sumia answered.

"What did you find?"

"The wall and window to Rachel's room in the servant's quarters had been blown apart. I suppose that was where the assassins entered to kill her and the cause of the explosion. When I arrived at her room, there were two corpses and her Pokemon on high alert. Rachel was frozen in fear on her bed and I had to coax her out of it," she reported as the rest of Rachel's Pokemon except for Eclair appeared from the hallway. They did not know about her whereabouts as she always slept on the rooftops.

They would find out in the next second because they heard an angry roar coming from the skies. All the Shepherds rushed out of the castle and saw Eclair decimating the few remaining enemies by breathing out green flames to torch them alive. (Dragonbreath) The only enemy capable of evading her attacks and actually returning fire with an Elfire tome was a distinctive tall and dark man. Even the most naive person in the world could tell this guy could only mean evil.

"Accursed creature!" Validar cursed loudly. "Emmeryn was supposed to an easy target... You will pay for interfering with my designs!" After dodging another attack from Eclair, he took notice of the arriving Shepherds. Despite his situation, he smiled widely as he looked directly at Robin. "Well, well..." he broke into laughter. "Oh, I know you... Submit to me, and perhaps I might honor you with the truth!" Robin did not reply but she did have a furrowed eyebrow that betrayed her confusion at his words.

Instinctively knowing he was the mastermind behind this failed assassination, Chrom charged forward with a battle cry. Validar avoided his wide slash only to be struck by Robin's Elthunder spell. Staggering from the shock to his body, he prepared to retaliate with a spell of his own. Unfortunately, he had forgotten about Eclair's presence and was punished by an explosion of yellow energy to his back. (Dragon Rage) Seeing the opening, Chrom finished him off by a stab straight through his chest.

"No... This is... all wrong..." Validar groaned as blood spilled from his lips. "How could... you have known the plan..." When his head hung lifelessly, Chrom withdrew his sword and let his body fall unceremoniously to the ground. Now the battle was over, everyone returned to the castle to do one last patrol to ensure no more assassins were hiding within the castle. Chrom and Robin rushed to Emmeryn's chamber where she stood outside safe and sound with Phila by her side. They would not realize what a huge mistake they made by not confirming the death of Validar.

"Thank the gods you're safe!" Chrom heaved a great sigh of relief.

"It is you I have to thank, Chrom," Emmeryn gave the due gratitude to her brother.

"I beg your forgiveness, milord!" Phila bowed deeply in apology to Chrom. "I failed in my duty. They should have never made it into the castle in the first place."

"Peace, Phila," he told her. "You couldn't have known what was coming. Only Marth could..."

"...Marth?" Emmeryn repeated.

"Yes, I would speak more with... um..." Chrom paused awkwardly as he looked around for said person and not spotting her anywhere. "Robin, where's Marth?"

"Hmm... An excellent question. She was here a moment ago..." Robin shook her head as she too failed to notice Marth's departure.

"...Not again!" he groaned as he ran to chase after her. When he left, Panne revealed herself from the shadows as she stood in front of Emmeryn.

"Brave taguel, there are not words to express my gratitude," Emmeryn thanked her as well.

"So you know our true name?" Panne stated more than asked.

"Sorry, what's a taguel?" Robin asked.

"I am a taguel. The... The last taguel. We are shape-shifters," Panne explained. "Most of your kind called us 'beast' or 'coney' in the midst of their hunt. I only helped you because my warren owns Ylisse a debt. Do not think us friends, you and I!"

"I don't understand..." Robin was confused at her hate-laced statement at the end.

"Yes, it's precious little your kind seem to understand. It was man-spawn like you that invaded our warren and slaughtered my people."

"What? Is this true? Who would do such a thing?" Emmeryn was shocked to hear about such brutality.

"Ha! Do not act so shocked. You are all the same," Panne scoffed. "Right down to your base desire to ruin and destroy all you touch... even each other."

"...There is truth to your words, perhaps," Emmeryn admitted. "I'm told that, in taguel society, everyone is treated as an equal. Mankind could have learned much from your warren. The words may come too late and mean too little, but I am deeply sorry. We have stolen your friends and family and made the world a lesser place."

"Your Grace... you had no fault in this!" Phila spoke up.

"You claim to be blameless, and yet you would apologize? Pah! Your words are but wind," Panne was not moved by the apology.

"I know... But they are all I have," Emmeryn said regretfully. That seemed to have finally convinced Panne that she meant every word she said.

"...You seem sincere, man-spawn. You feel my pain as your own. ...I've never felt that before. Look at me. ...See what I am. I will never trust mankind," Panne told her firmly but there was a small smile on her face now. "But you... Perhaps you truly are not like the others."

"All I ask is a chance to earn your trust," she smiled gratefully.

"Oh, Espy!" Robin suddenly spoke up just when the conversation was about to be over.

"Welcome, Espy. What can I do for you?" Emmeryn asked kindly. Panne looked behind her to see a cat with lilac fur, a red gem on its forehead and a forked tail walking towards them.

"What is this creature?" Panne asked curiously, having never seen an animal such as Espy before.

"She is a creature known as Pokemon and she hails from a foreign land," Robin replied. Espy spared a glance at Panne who suddenly looked uncomfortable. Although she was just as smart as humans, the animal instinct of a taguel was telling her this was a creature which stood on a higher level the moment their eyes met. Espy turned to Robin and spoke seemingly to no avail as the Tactician had an utterly confused look on her face. Panne was surprised as she perfectly understood what Espy was saying.

"She's asking which one of you Ylissean man-spawns ratted her group out to Plegia," Panne translated.

"What?" Emmeryn exclaimed, shocked to hear such a heavy accusation towards her people.

"No! That can't be right! None of us would ever betray Rachel or the Pokemon! Please believe me!" Robin defended the innocence of the Shepherds. Espy replied in her Pokemon tongue, fully expecting Panne to translate her words for her.

"The only ones Plegia should have information on are Sparky and Eclair," Panne paused as Espy had more to say before translating her words. "Perhaps even Glacy, however unlikely that chance is. But if Rachel herself is targeted, someone in Ylisse has been giving their identities away to Plegia. She wants to know who so she can silence that man-spawn."

"That is a very heavy accusation," Emmeryn said but bore no hostility at the aggressive words. "I will investigate this matter, though I pray that nothing comes from this."

"I will ask the Shepherds in your stead, milady," Robin offered. The moment she did, Espy spoke.

"None of the Shepherds are the targets of her accusation. She is accusing at least one person in your council," Panne translated. Espy proceeded to leave Emmeryn's chambers to return to Rachel's side but not before leaving one last message. "While Rachel is on her journey, Espy is trusted to care for her on behalf of her mother. Rachel is like a daughter to Espy and she looks up to Espy like a second mother because Espy has helped to take care of her since she was a baby. Espy promises great harm, even death, to those that would seek to harm her child, regardless of who it is."

"Please tell Rachel I am truly sorry she was put in direct danger because of me," Emmeryn offered words of condolences. Espy stopped to glance back and nodded before leaving. She crossed paths with the returning Chrom and Frederick who gave her a nod of acknowledgement before heading to Emmeryn's chambers.

***Break Line***

Rachel could not bring herself to relax. After that assassination attempt on her life, her nerves were completely frayed. Her Pokemon understood her dilemma, so they were completely on guard around her. They were now bunking in Sumia's room in the castle waiting for further news from Espy who had left to meet with the exalt. Rachel was in Sumia's bed, wrapping the blanket around herself like a protective cocoon but unable to put herself to sleep. A knock was heard on the door and she sat up in fear, ready to hide herself behind her Pokemon.

"Rachel, it's me, Sumia," Sumia said before opening the door. Rachel calmed down when she saw her but her panic was clearly visible. Sumia sat down beside her and placed her hand gently over hers. "I promise I'll protect you. You'll be safe here," she reassured the young girl.

"Sumia, can I please stay with you...? Or with Robin...?" Rachel shakily asked. She was now too afraid to stay in a single room by herself and her Pokemon. If it was not for Blaze who just happened to be awake because he wanted a drink of water, she would have been dead.

As capable as they were in battle and having better senses than humans, they were not trained like professional soldiers. Shadow had been awake as well but even with his capabilities to see perfectly in darkness, he had not been able to spot the camouflage of the assassins. Everyone that was asleep was startled awake when they crashed through her window and Blaze's instinct immediately warned him of great danger. Before the assassins could complete the throwing of the dagger to Rachel's throat, they were burned alive in an instant by a five-pointed fire attack that blew up the entire wall. (Fire Blast) That was the explosion all the Shepherds heard.

"Of course. You are welcome anytime. I'm sure Robin feels the same way," Sumia replied. She could see Rachel trying to smile in gratitude but her fear was still overpowering. Being the kind, caring person that she was, Sumia brought Rachel in for a comforting hug and stroked her hair soothingly. She felt her stiffen up for a second before relaxing in her touch. They stayed in that position for a few minutes before Espy returned. Espy took a look at Rachel's condition before shaking her head in what looked like disapproval.

"Espy? What's wrong?" Sumia asked.

Rather than respond verbally, the gem on her forehead glowed red for a split-second. (Confusion) Sumia wondered what she had done until she heard Rachel gasp in surprise before gently falling unconscious. Knowing that Espy would never attack her own Trainer, she realized she had only put her to sleep with as little force needed as possible. She then tucked in Rachel before climbing in to resume her own lost sleep as well. Chrom would understand why she did not show up for the Shepherd's impromptu meeting. Robin would pass the message when she saw Blaze sitting outside Sumia's room like a guard dog and understood the situation without a single word being spoken.

***Break Line***

The next morning, the Shepherds had received orders to escort Emmeryn to another palace located to the east of Ylisstol. They had to trek through a path through the eastern mountains to arrive there. A member of Emmeryn's council was brought along as well so she would have some form of council when she arrived at their destination. Rachel was tasked to carry some of his belongings for him, so she had to walk instead of riding with the convoy. After what seemed like hours trekking the beaten path, Lissa finally had enough.

"Ugh, my poor feet. I've got blisters the size of eggs!" she complained.

"Oh, it's not so bad, Lissa. Just a healthy little stroll!" Chrom encouraged his younger sister. "Just look at Rachel. She looks like she can go a lot further." Both siblings turned to face Rachel who looked between them in confusion. True to his word, Rachel did not seem winded in the slightest even with the hierarch's belongings in her travel bag. "How are you holding up, Robin?"

"My legs feel like pudding..." Robin groaned. "Your endurance astounds me, Chrom. I wonder how Rachel isn't even tired yet."

"I'm used to hiking on foot for up to four hours," Rachel said, earning surprised looks from those around her. "W-What?" she stuttered, nervous from the sudden focus on her. A call from Espy distracted her from the awkward situation as she accepted a bottle of water from her.

As she drank, she missed Espy giving a pointed look at the hierarch with her tail raised and its tips quivering as she took a brief glimpse into the short future. Her eyes narrowed in anger at what she foresaw and her gem glowed with a rainbow-colored light before she returned to the convoy. If it was not for his desperate insistence that Rachel walk alongside him, she would not have suspected him of any foul play. Everyone knew their group primarily served as the supply convoy's last line of defense and Rachel was in charge of managing the supplies if the Shepherds needed anything from the convoy. Granted it was not that suspicious a request, but him not wanting any of the Pokemon nearby raised a red flag.

"I don't know if I want to be jealous or be encouraged," Lissa deadpanned while Chrom jokingly offered to carry Robin. "You can carry me!" she protested to her brother. "...No, seriously. I would really be okay with you carrying me," she added when he gave her his own deadpanned look.

"Hmm..." the hierarch groaned in great discomfort as he looked around the top of the mountains.

"Is something troubling you, Hierarch? You keep glancing up at the peaks," Frederick noticed his uneasiness and where he kept turning his sights to.

"Hmm? Oh, I'm just a b-bit nervous, I'm afraid. Gh-Ghasly times, these!" he stammered as he smiled awkwardly and turned away.

"Chrom, who is that?" Robin asked, having wondered who the hierarch was from the beginning but had gotten no chance to ask.

"The hierarch? He's been a friend of House Ylisse for many years. He guided Emmeryn during the early years of her rule," Chrom answered. "Why do you ask?"

"I can't quite put my finger on it, but something feels..." Before Robin could finish her sentence, two Plegian Barbarians suddenly appeared and blocked their path.

"Time to die, princey!" one of them cackled with a mad laugh.

"Plegian soldiers? Damn! How did they know we were here?" Chrom gritted his teeth in frustration as he drew his Falchion. "Everyone, prepare for battle!" It was fortunate that Robin suggested they march in a battle formation just in case of ambushes. He had agreed to follow her suggestion and he was immensely glad he did, because he had wholeheartedly believed nothing would happen on their journey to the eastern palace. Frederick even supported the Lord's statement because they were heading further in Ylissean soil and not towards their borders with Plegia.

"Come, child! Follow me!" the hierarch urged Rachel, grabbing her hand and pulling her to his side.

Robin, on the other hand, finally managed to pinpoint her uneasy feeling towards the hierarch. Espy's words of accusation towards one of Emmeryn's councilmen had bothered her since before they departed. She did not suspect anything amiss about the hierarch until they arrived at the mountains and Frederick pointed out his odd behavior. Looking at the mountain peaks herself, she spotted a decorated Wyvern Rider rapidly closing the distance and flanked by two generic-looking Wyvern Riders. She also spotted a few others flying further behind in the peaks and over the ravine. There was also more than likely Plegian foot soldiers down the path to prevent them from escaping on foot. Retreat was not an option as well as it was far too late to do so. When she considered Chrom's and Frederick's words of confidence that their journey was a safe one despite her suggestion to be prepared anytime for an ambush attack, everything pieced together in her mind.

"Oh no..." she paled drastically as she looked around for the hierarch. Espy was not wrong in her accusation at all! She may not have pinpointed the hierarch, but she had known a traitor was within their own walls! People who were privy to sensitive information could only belong to the council, and the decision to move Emmeryn to the eastern palace was made with the council. The hierarch was the traitor! When she did spot him, she was horrified to see Rachel with him and the ambush leader already in front of them with the two Barbarians that sprung the ambush.

"Smell that, men?" the leader asked as he took in a deep breath of the mountain air. "The winds of fortune are blowing our way!"

"Rachel, get away from the hierarch! NOW!" Robin screamed desperately. Both the hierarch and Rachel turned to her but unfortunately the former processed her words into his brain faster. With a harsh push, he pushed Rachel directly into the arms of one of the Barbarians, ignoring the dropped travel bag that contained his belongings and her sunhat. The Barbarian that caught her was quick to pin both her arms behind her back with his huge hand and covered her mouth with the other as Rachel let out terrified but muffled screams as she struggled in futility.

"Hierarch, what is the meaning of this!" Frederick demanded, already mounted on his armored steed.

"You dastard!" Robin cursed out loud as electricity sparked between the fingers of her free hand, ready to blast any enemy with her lightning magic.

"Hold, sir! I am the man King Gangrel told you about!" the hierarch spoke to the enemy leader. "Did you not receive orders to take me into your protection? I have delivered the girl as promised!"

"The girl is certainly in our hands and I've orders to protect a man, true... But I see no man here! ...Only a pig! A rasher of traitorous bacon that sold out his own sovereign!" the leader replied arrogantly with a pinch of disgust. "And what do we do with little piggies?"

"Well, you... I mean, perhaps... You let them go free?" the hierarch was getting panicked and scared.

"Oh, are you a chicken now? We've a whole barnyard in our midst!" he mocked him with a chicken's cry before shooting him a fierce glare. "Well, it don't matter what you are. The axe will fall just the same!" Without a wasted second, the second Barbarian beheaded the hierarch with a swift swing of the axe. "Right! Now for the main event. By moon's end, they'll be erecting statues of me in the capital! Ho there! Ylisseans!" he turned his attention to Chrom and the Shepherds. "Give me the Fire Emblem and your wench of a ruler, and spare yourselves a gory end!" With his piece said, the enemy leader flew off with his two Wyvern Rider escorts to take their battle positions.

"Phila, take Emmeryn to the rear of the column. We'll fend off these blackguards!" Chrom ordered and Phila obeyed without hesitation. He would give no second thought to the traitorous hierarch. As the Shepherds in the front line prepared to launch their assault, they were stopped by the two Barbarians that remained.

"Hold your horses, Ylisseans! Surely you wouldn't attack while we have her," the Barbarian holding Rachel hostage interrupted them.

"Using a hostage as a human shield? Despicable fiend!" Frederick berated them, cold anger within his calm demeanor.

"Say whatever you want! It won't do you any good!" he laughed as though the Plegians had already won the battle. His laughter stopped when he felt water drip on his finger. "Aw, are you scared, little girl?" he mocked as he lowered his head to rest on Rachel's shoulder to look at her directly in the eyes. Her eyes were wide with fear and tears were streaming endlessly down her cheeks as her sobs were muffled by his hands.

"Aren't you quite the looker?" the second Barbarian spoke up as he stood beside Rachel and observed her face. "If we knew girls from foreign lands were this good-looking, we would've sailed ship just to capture them!" The first Barbarian burst out in laughter at his companion's words.

"What are you implying!" Robin demanded.

"Nothing much," the second Barbarian shrugged his shoulders nonchalantly. "Just the usual. We'd have some fun with her with our buddies, then sell her off to some other guy who wants to keep a pretty face. In our case, we're selling her off to King Gangrel. She'll fetch quite the gold." He stroked her tear-stained cheek with the back of his finger gently, enjoying the feel of her soft skin and the growing fear in her eyes. "Quite the soft and smooth skin," he commented before moving on to her hair and stroking his fingers through them. "Your hair seems to be the same. Is the rest of you just as soft and smooth?" he asked as he licked his lips hungrily and lustily. Rachel ceased her sobbing as she was now frozen with fear. Only her tears flowed uncontrollably.

"Don't be afraid. We'll be real gentle with you," the first Barbarian mocked her. When they heard the panicked and furious cries of the Pokemon, the second Barbarian intercepted their path to Rachel with Espy in the lead.

"Well, look what the cat dragged in," he commented. "Try anything and your dear keeper's head flies off her neck!" He smirked widely when they paused in their tracks. He expected them to stop, which they did. He was not expecting a translucent ball of blue light to fall from the sky and land directly on his partner. (Future Sight) "What's going on?" he turned his head around to look at his fallen partner. That was his mistake as Sparky slammed into his mid-section hard enough to send him off the cliff to drop to his death in the canyon with Blaze doing the same for the other Barbarian. (Quick Attack) Espy immediately took hold of Rachel's body with her psychic abilities and telepathically threw her into the air where Eclair received her on her back. (Psychic) Eclair quickly descended and floated down to Robin.

"Rachel! Are you unhurt?" Robin quickly helped her down her floating Pokemon. Rachel snapped out of her frozen state and looked up at her with fresh tears.

"Robin!" she wailed as she hugged the Tactician for dear life and sobbing heavily into her cloak.

"I should have heeded Espy's warning more seriously. It's my fault you were almost captured by Plegia. I'm sorry," Robin apologized, putting a comforting hand behind Rachel's head.

"You're not the only one at fault, Robin. None of us wished that Espy would be right. We all hoped she would be wrong, but she wasn't. Call it a fool's ignorance. We were wrong, and we will redeem ourselves by wiping out these dastards that stand in our way," Chrom spoke with a cold fury. A loud bark from Blaze removed his fury momentarily. Blaze seemingly began speaking to his fellow Pokemon but did not turn to look at any of them.

"He is saying that this battle will be settled by their own hands. By attempting to kidnap Rachel, this has become personal for them," Panne stepped forward to translate the message. "We shall simply follow them as they clear the path."

"Alright," Robin agreed. "The Shepherds will focus on watching their backs and protecting Rachel in their stead."

***Break Line***

It was almost a complete massacre. The Plegian troops blocking their path on the road stood no chance against the Pokemon. The Plegians might have known they would have to engage in battle with the Pokemon but the moment they did, they lost all field advantage for both land and sky. The road was slightly narrow for human fighters, even more so for those mounted on horses. But it was more than enough space for six Pokemon the size of cats and dogs to run around with very little restrictions. None of the Barbarians even managed to get close to them without being blasted by some form of ranged attack and more often than not sent off the cliff to their deaths. The Archers did not have problems with range, but they were not used to shooting moving targets that were not human-sized or larger. As for the Wyvern Riders, Eclair had shot several down already. She had the advantage of not needing a rider to tell her what to do or where to fly. Due to that, she fought much faster compared to any of the Wyvern Riders. In addition, her streamlined body meant she flew faster than them and her ranged combat capabilities were much higher than the wyverns who only had their fire breath. Eclair had much more options when it concerned attacking from long range. Remembering one of the gripes Ricken had when they were training together concerning the weaknesses of aerial targets, she twirled around and whipped her tail forward, sending a miniature hurricane towards the Wyvern Riders. (Twister) Those that were caught had their wings shredded and mutilated by the violent winds, plummeting to their deaths.

That was the scene a Ylissean Pegasus Knight witnessed as she rushed to deliver urgent news to her captain and the exalt. From her location in the sky behind the Shepherds, she spotted charred corpses beyond recognition on the road and Plegian soldiers falling off the cliff and the sky screaming their lungs out as they fell to their doom. She saw none of the Shepherds making a move to fight. Just who or what was taking the Plegian forces out? All she could see was a long serpentine figure in the sky breathing out yellow balls of energy or green flames to defeat the Wyvern Riders in the air, and magical blasts of several elements being shot from unseen angles on the road. The Shepherds did not appear worried so she quickly rushed to their rear guard where she spotted her captain and the exalt to give her news.

***Break Line***

Coincidentally, Rachel was the first one to spot the unknown Pegasus Knight approaching from behind and very quickly. In her state of extreme terror caused by her near-kidnapping, she was unable to make any rational thought and let out a scream, alerting all present and her Pokemon. She was not taking a chance in trusting anyone she did not know, regardless if that person was an ally or not.

"ECLAIR, HELP!" she screamed, pointing to the approaching Pegasus Knight before clinging to Robin even harder.

"Prince Chrom! Captain Phila! Beware!" the newcomer warned right before she and her pegasus were knocked for a loop by a sudden impact. As she struggled to regain aerial balance, the Shepherds saw Eclair floating where the Pegasus Knight used to be with the wings on her head expanded. (Extremespeed)

"Is that... Gods, Cordelia?" Phila exclaimed in shock.

"Cordelia?" Robin asked as she held Rachel protectively. The poor girl's body was shaking violently from her sobbing.

"She's one of my knights. Young yet, but quite gifted. But she was stationed on the border... Why...?" Phila wondered before coming to an unpleasant conclusion. "Oh, gods! Could it mean...?" When she saw Eclair continue her assault on Cordelia, she turned to Rachel. "Hurry! Call off your creature! She is our ally! I assure you of that!"

"Rachel..." Robin tried to console Rachel. "Cordelia is not our enemy. We promise you."

"No... Not again... Robin, I'm scared... Help me..." Rachel mumbled. Robin was troubled by her reluctance, but she understood why the girl was so hesitant. They all trusted the hierarch, and that led to Rachel nearly being kidnapped. Fortunately that dilemma was solved by Espy who approached them. Rachel responded to her call and fell to her knees. "Espy..." her tears kept on falling even as she grabbed her for a desperate hug. Espy rubbed her paw on her hand much like a mother would to comfort her distraught daughter. She also licked away her falling tears to comfort her. She spoke to her in her Pokemon tongue and despite the language barrier, Rachel understood her intentions. Espy trusted the Shepherds and was gently imploring Rachel to do the same. "Alright... Eclair, return!"

Eclair ceased her barrage of ranged attacks against Cordelia when she heard the order to return to Rachel's side. She sent a suspicious glare towards Cordelia who was more than glad to return it. To Cordelia's credit, she took no other attacks other than the initial hit despite being slower than Eclair.

"Cordelia, report!" Phila ordered before Cordelia got any ideas to retaliate against Eclair who had returned to Rachel and floating above her protectively.

"Enemy reinforcements to the rear! They'll be upon us soon!" she gave the dreaded report. "Captain, why are we not engaging the enemy in front of us?"

"Prince Chrom has ordered us to watch the backs of the Pokemon for this battle."

"Pokemon? Do you mean the blue serpent that just attacked me?"

"Yes, that and six others that resemble cats and dogs to some degree. I suggest you remove any ill feelings you may have. We were ambushed and had a very terrible start. The hierarch had betrayed us and nearly caused the Pokemon's caretaker to be captured. She feared you were an enemy."

"The hierarch of House Ylisse did...?" Cordelia was stunned to hear that. She could not fathom why anyone would want to betray Emmeryn. Then, the painful screeching of a wyvern was heard over the mountains followed by the sound of something... shattering all the way down at the canyon floor? Moments later, Sparky returned and spoke to Panne.

"The battle is done and the enemy leader has been captured," Panne translated for the Shepherds.

"Well done," Chrom praised. "Now let's start questioning him." The Shepherds marched and saw the Plegian leader with various burns over his exposed skin and armor as well as being frozen in a thick block of ice up to his chest. "Start talking or else," Chrom demanded with Emmeryn by his side.

"You doves think... killing me will change anything? Heh..." the Plegian leader scoffed despite his severely weakened condition. "Even now, my brothers storm across your precious border... Go on, dear exalted coward! Run! Flee while they slaughter your subjects! Save yourself... Let their faith in you... bleed away... with the rest..." Having heard enough, Chrom shoved Falchion through his chest to silence him. Frederick proceeded to throw his dying corpse to the bottom of the canyon where many of his dead fellow soldiers were. Emmeryn had her eyes closed in regret, but did not object to the actions of both men.

"Your Grace! My prince! Run! As far and fast as you can!" Cordelia warned as she descended next to them. "More Plegians are coming, not a half day's march behind you!"

"Cordelia, what are you doing here?" Phila finally had the chance to ask her knight. "...Tell me the border remains secure!"

"That I could, milady! But it would be false... Gangrel himself led his might against us! The end was upon us when my knight-sisters begged me fly and warn the exalt... I should have stayed... I should have stayed!" Cordelia fell to her knees and broke down crying. "Ah, gods, I can still hear the screams..."

"Peace, Cordelia. You did your duty," she comforted her distraught knight. "The sisters rightly prized your youth. You've many years yet to keep their legacy alive."

"But I abandoned them! I'm weak... Their legacy deserves better."

"Sometimes fleeing takes the most courage. They knew that. Now pull yourself together. Let the faith they showed in you give you strength."

"Captain Phila, I... How can I go on like this? They were my... my family... Gods... Oh, gods..."

"Damn those monsters!" Chrom snarled as Cordelia continued weeping for her lost friends.

"I must return to the capital," Emmeryn suddenly declared in a firm voice.

"Your Grace, I cannot advise-"

"I never should have left," she interrupted Phila. "If it's discovered I'm away when this news comes to light... The people could panic. Riot. More Ylisseans could needlessly die." She took something from the folds of her cloak and handed it to Chrom. "Here, Chrom. I entrust this to you." It was a golden shield with a white gem embedded at the top and had what appeared to be four more slots for gems as well to each side.

"The Fire Emblem?" Chrom recognized it immediately.

"Take it to Ferox. To safety."

"And leave you? No, Emm," he refused.

"No part of House Ylisse matters more than the Emblem. It possesses tremendous power. But too much blood has been shed over it already. I hope it finds a better guardian in you than it did me."

"Emm, come on. You can't... Don't talk like that! You sound like you're ready to give up..."

"I am not giving up, Chrom. I am only giving what I can."

"Emm, please! This is madness!"

"Sis, wait! Let me go with you!" Lissa cried as she ran up to Emmeryn who was preparing to head back to Ylisstol.

"Stay with Chrom, Lissa. I command it," Emmeryn used her authority to force an order on her sister.

"This isn't fair! It's not fair! I know our people need you, but we need you, too!"

"Dry your tears, love. This is not goodbye," she smiled kindly to Lissa.

"Your Grace, the pegasus knights will accompany you to Ylisstol," Phila offered.

"Very well, Phila. Thank you."

"I will keep the prince and princess safe, Your Grace. You have my word," Frederick vowed.

"I know you will, Frederick. Thank you."

"It is my honor."

"Cordelia. You will stay here with Prince Chrom," Phila gave her own order to Cordelia who had just begun to recollect herself.

"But, Captain-" Cordelia tried to protest.

"I know your heart is heavy, but this is how it must be. Your knight-sisters will be with you in spirit, wherever you go."

"...May they give me strength. As you command, Captain. I will pray for your safety," she accepted her orders.

"Come, Phila. We must go," Emmeryn said.

"No! You don't have to go! This is absurd!" Chrom yelled in anger.

"Chrom, you don't-"

"Walking to your own death will not bring peace to anyone! Ylisse needs you. We need you!" he gestured to Lissa and himself. "Be selfish for once in your life!"

"I love you, Chrom. Both you and Lissa are my everything. As for the peace I seek... You cannot see who it is for. I have to go. I'm sorry... I really am. Let us embrace again in Ylisstol when you arrive with Feroxi reinforcements. I know you will come."

"...This is a terrible plan."

"The blood of the first exalt flows strong in us. You and I will keep Ylisstol safe. I believe it with all my heart. Safe journey, Chrom. Safe journey, Lissa." With her piece said, she left for Ylisstol with her escort of Pegasus Knights, painfully ignoring Chrom's last pleas for her.

***End of Chapter***

Author's Note: Yes, Panne can understand Pokemon speech. So will Nowi and their children as well when they show up. Readers should have seen this coming, at least I hope so. The aforementioned people are more like mythical creatures that have human form, so they are more in touch with their 'animal' side. I also did state that the Pokemon are able to speak to all animals in Chapter 3. You can start expecting the Pokemon to have their own proper conversations with said people instead of them just speaking the Pokemon language and me only writing down the translation.

In this chapter, we learn that Rachel and her Pokemon are now the secondary targets of Plegia, the primary targets being Emmeryn and the Fire Emblem. How Plegia got hold of that information is thanks to a sneaky hierarch out to save his own life rather than stay loyal to his kingdom. Espy makes her debut on the battlefield as well. She has the strongest bond with Rachel, having been with her since her birth, hence her title of being the 'family pet' as mentioned in Chapter 1. She's also the proxy leader for the other Pokemon. Speaking of the Pokemon, that also leads to a possible problem that might pop up if I don't address it now...

Are Rachel's Pokemon overpowered compared to the Shepherds and their enemies? Currently, they are. Prior to being thrown to the Fire Emblem Awakening dimension, the Pokemon are already well-trained. They are much stronger compared to the standards of the Shepherds that do not have formal military training, which is about half of the Shepherds not counting those that have a specialty with certain weapons and the two healers which are Lissa and Maribelle. To be specific, the Shepherds that are on par with the Pokemon right now, emphasis on those two words because we are only slightly past the starting point of the Fire Emblem Awakening story line, are: Chrom, Frederick, Virion, Lon'qu, Panne and Cordelia. The others, even the Plegian troops, at this point of time don't even come close. Not yet.

Another reason, mostly for the enemy side, is that the Pokemon are unknown opponents. Trained as they are, they are trained to fight against humans and those on mounts. Panne is no problem either because she transforms into a giant rabbit that is bigger than regular humans. She's still a fairly 'normal' target. The Pokemon, on the other hand, are the size of cats and, at best, large dogs, nowhere near the size of a human. As long as Eclair is, her body shape is like a snake so she's not as big as she is long. They don't know how to fight against the Pokemon at this point of time, but they will learn how to. Just not yet.

I hope you enjoy this chapter. If you like it, please Follow/Favorite/Review this story! Big thanks for those who do!