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A Team's Journey (FE Heroes fic)


Anacybele
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I decided to write a short story about RD Ike and Summer Frederick in Heroes since they're my favorite units and I feel like Ike and Freddy wouldn't really get along well at first if they interacted. :P Ike would definitely not care for Frederick's over-doting habits, and Frederick would probably feel insulted at some of Ike's criticism of him, methinks.

Don't worry, that other story I have in progress right now, Conflict of the Heart, is still a-go, I've just had some writer's block with it. This new little story won't be very long, btw, so people can just post feedback here if they'd like. And if the first part here isn't particularly exciting, it's going to get much crazier from here on out. lol Trust me.

 

Part 1: The Trickster's Spell
 
"You two sure you can take that side without the rest of us nearby?" the summoner and tactician of the group known as the Order of Heroes inquired. A woman in a white hooded cloak with hints of long dark blonde hair, she spoke to two tall muscular men. One was a blue-haired warrior garbed in ornate teal blue armor, a long red headband, and a dark red cape that was split into three flowing sections. He carried a large golden sword over his shoulder. The other man had dark brown hair and wasn't wearing much other than light blue swim shorts and a short-sleeved blue hoodie. He carried only a sharp seashell as his weapon. He had been brought into the army under rather unusual circumstances.


"Yeah, Kels, it shouldn't be much trouble," the blue-haired man agreed. "You did help us train to be quite powerful, you know. I can't even catch this version of Frederick! I'm surprised at how fast he is without his armor."

"I only do what is necessary to be strong," Frederick commented with a smile. "But yes, you can trust Sir Ike and I. We've been winning a lot of battles lately."

"...Oh, alright," Kelly, who more often went by the nickname of Kels, agreed. "I just feel like I can't leave you boys alone for five seconds without you getting into some big argument over something! If you're going to be an even better team, you have to get along. And I have so much respect for you both, you know. I'd be disappointed if you just butted heads all the time."

"Er...yes, well, we do try to set our differences aside during battle," Frederick pointed out.

"Yeah, we do," Ike agreed. "Though if he stops to pick up a shell or pebble in the middle of a fight one more time--"

"Well, would you prefer stepping on one and falling right into an enemy's attack?!"

"Except I'm not that clumsy!"

Kels brought a hand to her face before responding.

"See what I mean?!" she interrupted. "Just shut up and start killing things, please!"

"Oh, yes, milady Kelly," Frederick agreed. "My apologies." I would just like it if he stopped complaining about every little thing I do.

"Right, yeah," Ike added. "Sorry. Let's just go, Frederick." Though I still have no idea how Chrom and Lissa put up with this guy. He drives me up a wall!

Frederick nodded and the two made for the west side of the battlefield. The other half of their party went east. This was often done with Kels's teams to force the enemy to split up as well and cut through them easier. And this time, Ike and Frederick had to go around several trees and down a slope, where their opponents awaited. Frederick could only strike from afar, so he remained behind Ike, who could counter from any distance thanks to the abilities of his special sword, Ragnell. Ike was also considered a legendary hero, a hero that had a couple exclusive abilities in the Askr kingdom's world. Each one had an element, and Ike's was earth. Kels had given Frederick the earth blessing so they could be an even stronger team together. Though it unfortunately didn't help them get along much better.

Down the sloping hill, they were met with a horseback knight wielding a sword, followed by an infantry soldier carrying an axe. Ike knew he could easily handle the axe wielder since he had the upper hand with a sword. He and Frederick would then tag team the knight, if only one of them wasn't enough. Frederick could weaken him a lot to start while Ike dealt the finishing blow. Or, Frederick might've been able to defeat him on his own. Either way, they had a solid plan. And it was what Kels normally had them do in such situations anyway.

However, when the knight came charging forward, instead of then slowing down to prepare for an attack, he kept going. Ike was about to raise Ragnell when he realized the horse's hooves were getting very close.

"Whoa!" he cried, sliding to a halt in the dirt. The knight and his horse veered right past him, just inches from his face. Ike soon lost his balance from trying not to get crushed and toppled right into Frederick.

"AGH!" Frederick yelped as the two fell to the ground, Ike on top of him. "Sir Ike! Honestly!"

"...Ugh," Ike groaned before responding. "Sorry. I thought we were about to get trampled!"

The two looked up to find the knight and axe wielder looking down at them with devious grins. A moment later, the axe wielder suddenly transformed, and this time his appearance was a very familiar, and yet unpleasant one.

"Well, well..." the voice of a woman spoke up. "You actually fell into my little trap. I guess there are things even Kels can't predict!"

"Oh gods... Not her..." Frederick uttered.

"For once, I agree," Ike seconded.

The woman was wearing a very revealing dress with a large amount of cleavage and a rather high slit in the side. Her breasts were as large as the cleavage. She carried with her an eerie-looking staff and wore a headdress in the elaborate purple and gold style of Muspell, the kingdom of flame.

"Yes, it is I, Loki," the tricky Muspell sorceress confirmed and then chuckled. "Surprised, my dears?"

Loki had the ability to make herself look exactly like anyone she wanted with her magic, and emulate that person's voice as well. She could even disguise herself as a man. This made her one of the most difficult adversaries for Kels to deal with as of late since she could possibly try to infiltrate even Askr Castle in disguise. And until a means of seeing through her tricks was found, this would continue to be the case.

"Hardly!" Ike retorted, trying to stand up.

"We can fight and defeat you as we have before!" Frederick added.

"Why, silly heroes. I'm not here to fight you," Loki replied, still smiling.

"Wait, what?" Ike said, raising an eyebrow.

"I have a much more entertaining idea in mind," Loki continued. "I discovered a lovely spell some time ago and I'm just dying to try it!"

She then produced an eerie looking purple and maroon tome and opened it to begin reciting an unfamiliar incantation.

"Those called by the chosen one, whom they most trust," Loki began. "Away to the unknown, from their master they must!"

Suddenly, a dark ring surrounded Ike and Frederick, opening a blackish purple hole beneath them.

"What in--?!" Ike gasped.

"What is this?!" Frederick cried.

"Let's just say you're taking a permanent vacation!" Loki replied, cackling. "And to be honest, I could've actually cast this from wherever I wanted, but I thought doing it in front of you would be much more fun. And it is!"

Before the two could say anything more, Ike and Frederick plunged into the hole of darkness, their screams echoing until they could be heard no more. Loki could only chuckle deviously at her handiwork as she and her cohort walked away.
 
Meanwhile, in a completely different territory, Loki's portal reopened. Ike and Frederick were both spit out of it at the same time, landing flat on their stomachs atop dirt and leaf-covered ground. Groaning and moaning slightly at the impact of their falls, they both slowly began to return to their feet.
 
"Ugh..." Ike uttered. "That hurt. ...Wait, where are we?"
 
When both men were on their feet, they viewed their surroundings...which were entirely unfamiliar. Instead of the fairly clear slope they had been on before, they were now in what appeared to be a dark forest. Not much sunlight peered through the dark-leaved trees surrounding them. And all was rather eerily quiet.
 
"Hmm..." Frederick wondered. "I don't know. But something about it seems familiar for some reason."
 
"It does? Could it be your world then?" Ike replied.
 
"No, it isn't Ylisse or any other country I've been to. We don't have any forests like this one."
 
"...Then how is it familliar?"
 
"Well, we at Ylisse Palace have read and heard tales about other lands and worlds before. Including yours, of course."
 
"Ah, right. Well, all we can do is start exploring and find a way back to Askr."
 
"Indeed... Though I hope...I hope we don't run into any...wild animals..."
 
"What? Hey, if we're traveling long enough, we're going to have to hunt and forage. We can't just starve."
 
"I-I'm aware, but... Ugh, never mind. You're right. I shall do my part."
 
"Good, now let's go. Man, Kels is going to be worrying her arse off..."
 
"Oh, I hope she'll be fine without us."
 
"Me too... She does have plenty of other capable warriors to send out, but we're two of her best."
 
"Yes. And...I know we don't always get along, Sir Ike. But right now, we need to set all of that aside and work together."
 
"Agreed. Though I still wish you would just call me Ike."
 
"...Er, apologies. I'm just much in the habit of using formalities, as you might have noticed."
 
"So I've seen. ...Well, onward we go then."
 
"Right."
 
The two then began their journey further into the depths of the strange forest, bracing themselves for what might await them deeper inside it.
 
Edited by Anacybele
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Man, it's been too long, since I looked at places in here that aren't the Fire Emblem Cipher section. I'm surprised you're still alive, Anacybele! But...
> Her breasts were as large as the cleavage
What did you mean by this?

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3 hours ago, ScarletFlame said:

Man, it's been too long, since I looked at places in here that aren't the Fire Emblem Cipher section. I'm surprised you're still alive, Anacybele! But...
> Her breasts were as large as the cleavage
What did you mean by this?

It's as I said. She has a large amount of cleavage. And her breasts are also large.

And of course I'm alive. xP

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I've got part 2 ready to go! :)

 

Part 2: Into the Unknown
 
"UGH! Neither of you saw ANYTHING?" Kels erupted at the two comrades that had remained with her after the recent battle.
 
"I...got really caught up in the fighting," an aqua green haired lance wielder replied. "Sorry about that."
 
"I'm sorry too..." a blue haired main carrying a large axe replied. He was dressed in a brown and gold outfit befitting a veteran warrior, and yet, he looked like a younger version of the now missing legendary Ike.
 
"I suppose I'm not that good at noticing things around me when I'm fighting either..." he continued. "Frederick is much better at that. Maybe there are things I could learn from him and my older self."
 
"Me too, especially as prince of Renais," the lancer replied.
 
"Yes, I only wish I could've been there," the more normal version of Frederick replied, his light blue heavy armor clanking as he moved about. "But I know you were using an Earth team, milady."
 
Frederick's summer variation may have had an Earth blessing, but his normal self had a Fire one instead. It was to go along with another version of Ephraim that also rode a horse and held legendary status like the missing Ike.
 
"Indeed..." Kels sighed. "You really do notice all the details, Frederick! Though nobody knew something like this was going to happen, so I can't completely fault Ike and Ephraim. But I know SOMEBODY is going to get an ass kicking for this!"
 
"Heh, it is nothing, milady," Frederick replied with a smile. "I do say again though, it's awkward being able to see multiple versions and copies of oneself here..."
 
"Yeah, Breidablik is weird," Kels agreed. "I don't even like the weapons from my own world, so I don't know why I have to use this thing that's shaped like them. But it is my duty, and I have to fulfill it. I couldn't turn my back on a kingdom in need either, especially when it has some wonderful people and sights to see. Askr really is beautiful."
 
"It is! It's worth protecting," Frederick agreed.
 
The others also agreed with smiles and nods.
 
"But to address the matter at hand, what should we do since we have no idea what happened to the other Frederick and legendary Ike?" Ephraim wondered.
 
"Yes, if we don't find them soon, who knows what'll happen, to them or to us in the meantime!" Alfonse, the blue-haired prince of Askr pointed out.
 
"They could be in the middle of nowhere with no shelter, food, or water..." his sister, Sharena, added. Her long blonde hair, which was tied at the end, swished a little bit behind her. Her green eyes lowered with concern. Both siblings were garbed in similar white armor and tunics.
 
"STOP IT," Kels cried, the Askr siblings' words striking fear in her mind. "Let me think here now..."

She thought for a moment, bringing a hand to her chin. She was very worried about her two prized comrades, and wanted to search for them immediately, but did her best to focus on forming a plan first. Even a novice warrior knew that running into a situation completely blind was only foolhardy.

"Well, using what tactical knowledge I know, I have a feeling somebody lured us out there with that battle and targeted them specifically," she began. "This person or people took them somewhere in an attempt to gain an advantage over us. So it had to be one of Embla or Muspell who pulled this stunt!"
 
"That is probably what happened then," Anna, the Order of Heroes' commander, agreed. "And our main task now is to find our comrades! The castle library may have some insight into what Embla or Muspell might've done to kidnap them from us. Let's go!"
 
The group then followed her, her bright red ponytail flipping behind her.
 
***
 
In the unknown dark forest, the missing Ike and Frederick had begun exploring their new surroundings, hoping to find anything along the lines of a village or town or any form of civilization, if not anything else that could tell them where they were at. A silence had ensued among the two as they peered at all the eerie trees, seemingly dying shrubs, and dry leaves. Frederick began to wonder if it was dry enough for fires to easily start. He chose to warn Ike about this.
 
"Yes, I'm aware of that, thank you," Ike replied.
 
"Alright, just wanted to be sure," Frederick said. "Though this would come in handy if we don't find a good shelter by dark and have to make a campfire. We would just have to make sure the campfire doesn't go out of control."
 
"Yeah. And of course, those are your job. You are very good at them, I will admit."
 
"I do appreciate the compliment!"
 
Moments later, the sound of a twig snapping suddenly echoed nearby. The two heroes halted instantly. Ike whirled around, brandishing Ragnell, and Frederick did the same with a seashell in his hand yet again.
 
The two glanced around, only to see a terrifying sight between some trees not far from them.
 
"W-What the hell is that?!" Ike gasped. He and Frederick beheld what appeared to be a floating eyeball with tentacles, about the size of a dog. Near it was a humanoid creature that walked slowly and awkwardly, and its skin was a deep purple. And yet another short distance away from them was...a skeleton wielding a sword?
 
"I-I..." Frederick began, but then strangely went silent, seemingly holding his breath at something.
 
 He then brought up a trembling hand. His eyes were bulging wide and he was pointing at something to Ike's left. Ike turned slightly to see...a wolf. But it didn't appear to be an ordinary wolf. It looked grossly thin and had almost glowing eyes. It looked like it was missing a few patches of fur too. It was sniffing the ground in front of it.
 
"What in... These... These have to be some kind of monsters!" Ike deduced, gritting his teeth in disturbance himself.
 
"And we are not staying here to engage them!" Frederick added, grabbing Ike by the wrist and yanking him behind him.
 
"H-Hey! What gives?! We can take them! There are only a few!"
 
"We don't know that! And th-that wolf would definitely alert more of them if it catches our scents!"
 
"What?! What in the gods' names has gotten into you now?!"
 
"Will you please just RUN?!"
 
"And where do you think you're taking us, genius?!"
 
"Away from them!"
 
"Then you better change direction, because I see more!"
 
"AAAH!" Frederick yelped.
 
Suddenly, another one of the skeleton creatures jerked, having heard Frederick's cry despite seemingly not having ears. It quickly alerted other nearby monsters, including more of the floating eyeballs and another awkward walking humanoid, and they all began to go after the pair.
 
"Ugh! You IDIOT!" Ike snapped.
 
"No! Me and my loud mouth!" Frederick added, grimacing and raising his seashell. "STAY BACK, YOU FOUL BEASTS!"
 
"Now we definitely can't take them all on by ourselves! We have to find an escape route!" Ike pointed out.
 
"I'm looking, I'm looking!"
 
Frederick's keen eyes quickly darted around his surroundings, looking for something, anything, that could help them hide or get away. And finally, moments later, he spotted what looked like the entrance to a cave.
 
"Oh! Thank the gods! There's a cave entrance over there!" he cried.
 
"We'll hide in there then!" Ike replied.
 
Ike then quickly whirled around to swing Ragnell at a few trees, causing them to fall over. Hopefully they would stall the monsters long enough for the pair to dart into the cave unseen. The two rushed inside as Ike finished and ducked behind a large boulder sitting against the cave wall. Frederick was still trembling, though gripping his seashell hard in case he had to use it.
 
"A-Are they gone?" he wondered.
 
Ike took a slow and quiet peek from behind the rock. He could see nothing at the entrance.
 
"Looks like it," he confirmed. "I've never seen anything like those things in Tellius."
 
"I've never seen such things in my world either..." Frederick added. "Very, very disturbing..."
 
"Oh yeah. Seriously, what the hell was that back there?! I've never ever known you to turn tail and run like that."
 
"I...well..."
 
"What if Chrom or Lissa or both had been here instead of me? What then? You always put protecting them before anything else, isn't that right?"
 
"...Yes. You're right, Sir Ike. I must not behave like this in the event such a thing could occur. I apologize. I can explain, however. But first..."
 
"Hm?"
 
"I believe I know where we're at now."
 
"You do?"
 
"Yes. This forest being dark, the monsters, even finding this cave... It must be the Darkling Woods, on the continent of Magvel."
Edited by Anacybele
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  • 4 weeks later...

Part 3! I've had it on DA as well for some days, but just couldn't get around to adding it here until now. But enjoy! :)

 

Part 3: Breidablik's Secret Power

"Magvel? You mean Loki did throw us into another world entirely?!" Ike gasped, stupefied.
 
"I'm afraid so," Frederick replied. "This means we're going to have to find a way to open a portal in this world that will lead us back to Askr."
 
"...Well, that's just terrific."
 
Ike grumbled for a moment before continuing.
 
"Now that I think about it though, didn't that one dragon girl, Myrrh, mention that the Darkling Woods were her home? I don't get how she could stand to live here!"
 
"Well, these woods weren't always like this," Frederick explained. "At one point, it became a dark and dangerous place full of terrifying monsters. It was due to a being in this world known as the Demon King. He was originally sealed away in a temple here. But he had escaped and was later defeated by the efforts of Prince Ephraim and Princess Eirika of Renais. We must've been transported to a period where that hadn't happened yet."
 
"I see... Well, in any case, we'll have to find a way out of here and look for someone that might know anything about how to open that portal we need," Ike replied.
 
"Yes. Now that I know where we're at, however, I think I can guide us out. From what I know, due to both tales in my world as well as things I've also heard from Prince Ephraim and Myrrh, the only easy way to leave is to go east. The west, north, and south are very hilly and mountainous."
 
"Ah, so that means we check the sun or look for mountains, and if the sun is setting in the west, we travel in the opposite direction of both!"
 
"Precisely!"
 
"I just hope we can reach a good place to sleep before it gets too dark. But care to explain the reasoning behind your behavior now?"
 
"Ah...yes, of course."
 
Frederick cringed a bit before speaking again.
 
"Shall we start traveling again as well though? I don't hear or see any monsters out there."
 
"Oh, yeah, sure."
 
With that, the two quietly made for the cave entrance again. To be on the safe side, both took quick peeks around the area outside. No monsters were in view. It wasn't quite sundown yet, but the sun was near the position that it would be in during that time. So Ike and Frederick began moving in the opposite direction, being careful not to step on twigs that could alert unwanted guests. Frederick began trembling again as they did so, hugging his seashell to his chest. His eyes kept darting in all directions as well. Eventually, Ike let out a groan.
 
"For goddess's sake, calm down!" he quietly spat. "I don't see anything, and if we do run into something, we can surely outrun it or defeat it."
 
"Y-Yes, but...these creatures are still terrifying!"
 
"Well, get a grip, because there's still a chance we'll have to fight! Also, you still owe me an explanation for this."
 
"Ah, r-right..." Frederick replied. "Apologies. Well, you see... This...this is something I haven't even told Chrom, Lissa, or the other Shepherds. There are things I don't tell them because... Well, strangely, I do feel comfortable telling you. I feel like you're someone that wouldn't...judge. And I'm unsure if anyone in the Shepherds wouldn't since I am their lieutenant. I don't want there to be any reason they should look down upon me."
 
"Hm. Well, you're right. I don't judge," Ike confirmed. "Never saw a reason to. And I won't judge you either, of course."
 
"Thank you... I haven't even told them how afraid I can be of wild animals. Monsters are like them, only even more frightening. It took some willpower to even properly face the Risen in my world. If you don't remember, those were undead soldiers. They resemble people, only with darkness surrounding their bodies and their eyes glow a beady red."
 
"Yeah, Chrom told me about them. We've become pretty good friends. I was surprised to learn that he's a prince. He's nothing like the royals I know in my world. And the Shepherds remind me more of my own mercenary group than a royal army."
 
"I can see how he would be different. He needs more guidance at times, and maybe even more education. But that is why I am there. To keep him going in the right direction."
 
"It sounds like you do a good job of it, all things considered."
 
"I...guess that's a good compliment. Anyway..."
 
"Yeah, why exactly are you so afraid of wild animals?"
 
"Well..." Frederick continued with a sigh. "Truth be told, I was most frightened of that wolf creature we saw. Wolves are the animals I fear most. I always dread being even within a few feet of one."
 
Huh, I wonder how he'd react to the wolf laguz in Tellius then, Ike thought, vainly preventing himself from chuckling at the hypothetical scenario.
 
"I thought you might've been a little more scared of that one," he said.
 
"Yes. You see, seeing them triggers some...trauma I suffered as a child," Frederick explained. "I grew up in a village in a hilly area. I wandered into the woods one day, looking for my closest friend at the time... I thought he had been pressured by other children into going in himself. I wanted to stop him. And...a wolf attacked me. My injuries were so grave, my friend, parents, and the other villagers thought my chances of survival were slim..."
 
Ike blinked, surprised at the anecdote he had just heard.
 
"Wow... I had no idea. Now I understand. I might have felt the same way had I been in your position... Though, I always assumed you were a noble, given the way you dress, speak, and also your high level of education... You know so many things I don't..."
 
"Heh. Well, truth be told again, I actually am of noble birth. But my family history is...rather complicated. I'd rather tell you when we're not in the middle of risking our lives."
 
"Ah. Good point then."
 
Still explains why he acts the way he does sometimes. That manner of speaking, going annoyingly overboard with chores and tasks... Ike mused in his mind.
 
Silence then ensued as the two walked on, not sure of anything else to say. Though it only lasted a few moments, as Frederick later suggested that one of them climb a tree and see if they could tell which way was east or if there was a village or town not far from the exit. Ike thought it a good enough idea. Now it only came down to who had to do the climbing.
 
"I don't really know how to climb, so how about you do it?" Frederick suggested.
 
"Are you just trying to get out of possibly spotting a lot of monsters?" Ike wondered very bluntly.
 
"No, no, honest! I really have never climbed much other than into my horse's saddle."
 
Ike then sighed in slight annoyance.
 
"Alright, fine. My father taught me a lot of outdoor skills, so I can do it. But you stay around the bottom. I need someone to break my fall if I somehow slip off a branch or the branch beneath me breaks."
 
Frederick cringed a bit before replying.
 
"...Alright, I suppose that's fair then."
 
With that, Ike sheathed Ragnell and hopped onto a nearby, sturdy tree that wouldn't prove difficult to climb. He was heavy, so he obviously couldn't go to the very top, but he was able to go high enough to see a fair distance away. And luckily, he could spot mountains in the distance to the left. Which means they weren't exactly going the wrong way, but not entirely the right way either. As Ike was about to make his way down, he heard Frederick call up to him. And he wasn't wondering what Ike saw.
 
"S-SIR IKE! GET DOWN HERE! NOW!" Frederick shouted, clear terror in his voice. "H-HURRY!"
 
"Great, now what?!" Ike called back. "More monsters?"
 
"YES!" Frederick confirmed. "And this one is very terrifying!"
 
"Just one? And you said all of them were terrifying!"
 
"Yes, b-but this one is especially so!"
 
"...Is it another one of those wolves?"
 
"No, WORSE! And it's coming towards us!"
 
Ike blinked and then paused for a moment. Wow, what could be worse to him than--
 
Before he could finish his thought, Ike spotted what Frederick was so terrified of. And his eyes widened. Coming towards both was what appeared to be a massive horse, but in place of a horse's head, it had the torso, head, and arms of a monstrous-looking man. The creature was carrying a huge battle axe that had to be bigger than even Urvan, the axe Ike's father once used and was also being used by another version of Ike back in Askr.
 
"Oh crud..." Ike mumbled in shock and hastened his descent. ...And then he had a idea that Frederick was probably going to call him fantastically crazy for, but just might work.
 
"SIR IKE!"
 
"I'm coming! I have an idea! Lead that thing here and distract it for a little bit!"
 
"What?! Why in all the worlds would I do that?!"
 
"Just trust me!"
 
"Oh no..." Frederick uttered. "Very well, but if whatever you're thinking lands us in an infirmary or worse, it's all on you!"
 
"Yeah, yeah, just go bring that thing over here!"
 
Frederick obliged and waved his arms at the horse-man creature. It soon began galloping towards him, and with such force that it felt as though the ground trembled beneath his feet. He then looked up to see Ike had settled himself onto one of the lower branches of the tree he had climbed, waiting for something. Oh, he is NOT going to do what I think he is! Frederick nervously wondered in thought.
 
Before Frederick could object though, the creature had come close enough for Ike to make a daring leap off of his branch...and land right on the monster's back. He then grabbed hold of the mane on its back with one hand and used the other to reach for Frederick. Frederick was then yanked up onto the creature's back behind Ike.
 
"Waaah!" Frederick yelped as he found himself being swung upwards. He almost lost his grip the bag he carried and one of the seashells inside fell out as a result.
 
"Hang on!" Ike shouted as the creature attempted to throw them off like a bucking bronco.
 
"Are you jesting?!" Frederick retorted, clinging to Ike's torso. "You're insane! And I lost a seashell!"
 
"Forget the damn seashell, I saw where the mountains are, so this is how we're getting out of here quickly!" Ike replied, swinging Ragnell around the creature's arms and forcing it to drop its axe.
 
"You do realize that's my weapon, don't you?!"
 
"You have more!"
 
"A limited stock until I pick up more, yes!"
 
"You'll find another one before you run out, just worry about staying with me here and getting out of these woods!"
 
"Oh fine! But I should hope you know what you're doing!"
 
"Honestly? I hope so too!"
 
"...Argh!" was all Frederick could say to that.
 
With that, Ike forced the creature in the opposite direction of the mountains, hoping the two wouldn't have to ride atop this wild monstrosity for long...and that it didn't have some other secret weapon that they didn't know about.
 
***
 
Meanwhile, the Askr royals, Anna, Kels, Ephraim, and the other Frederick and Ike were busy looking through the royal library for any possible clues to rescuing their missing comrades. The latter three were allowed to help to fasten the search. Plus Ike and Ephraim felt it was right for them to help since the missing Ike and Frederick disappeared while they were present. They looked at books on magic spells, the terrain on which they had been fighting, and all sorts of other things. Even books that mentioned Ike and Frederick themselves. Turned out that Frederick was somewhat of a legendary knight, though perhaps not to the point to where he could've been considered an actual legendary hero. Surely Chrom, Lucina, and even Robin, their own tactician, would be in that category first and foremost.
 
They also ascended library ladders and checked books on high shelves. They were spending hours searching, but nothing seemed to give them any possible answers.
 
"Ugh, isn't there anything in here that will help?" Kels said nervously. She was beginning to wonder if they'd ever find their comrades.
 
"There has to be, I'm sure of it," Alfonse replied. "Though it would probably help speed things along if Sharena could search more than one section."
 
"Hey, there's a lot of information to go over here!" Sharena protested. "It's also rather interesting!"
 
"Just focus on searching, we'll get there eventually," Anna insisted. "We have to believe we will."
 
"Right..." Alfonse agreed. "But wait, Sharena, isn't that section just a bunch of old journal accounts of Askr history? How would that help us?"
 
"Hey, you never know!" Sharena replied. "...And...hold on! I think I found something!"
 
"Wait, what?"
 
"Yeah! Kels especially should see this! It's about Breidablik!"
 
"Huh? And again, how is that supposed to help?"
 
"Just read it and see!"
 
"Well, it wouldn't hurt to take a look," Anna agreed. Kels nodded as well.
 
"Yeah, why not," she said.
 
With that, the entire group huddled around Sharena and the book she'd been looking at and began to read the passage she was referring to.
 
"Breidablik's most hidden ability..." Alfonse began. "Wait, everyone knows about that rumor, Sharena. But it was never proven. I knew this wasn't worth it."
 
"Alfonse! Wait a second and keep reading," Sharena insisted.
 
"What rumor?" Kels wondered.
 
"Oh, there's been a rumor floating around for awhile regarding Breidablik that no one knows for sure is true," Anna explained. "Some people believe it has a secret power that's never been seen before, and the reason no one can prove this is true is because this power requires certain circumstances to be used."
 
"And I believe it's nonsense," Alfonse added. "What circumstances could possibly be required for that kind of thing? And we've seen for awhile now all Kels can do with Breidablik."
 
"Will you just keep reading?!" Sharena insisted. "Sheesh, Alfonse! You're so thick sometimes! It says here that this power involves being able to locate heroes that it summoned, but have gone missing! That's why it was never used, because there was never a case where it was needed. Heroes didn't go missing! Until now."
 
"...Seriously? Heroes never went missing until now? I find that hard to believe."
 
"Maybe it has happened, but they were found without the need of Breidablik's power," Anna suggested.
 
"It sounds like that would be the case!" Sharena said, reading further. "It also says here that should any heroes summoned by the divine weapon mysteriously disappear from this world and not by the hand of the summoner, there seems to be indication that Breidablik can show where they are at."
 
"...Wow!" Kels cried with a smile. "That would be perfect if it's true! I have to try it!"
 
"Wait, but how?" Alfonse wondered. "How are you supposed to trigger such a power?"
 
"I wish I knew..." Frederick said. "But if my other self and the legendary Sir Ike were somehow sent to another world, than that means..."
 
"Someone else surely had a hand in this," Ike finished. "Didn't you guys say things about being able to open and close other-worldly portals?"
 
"Indeed, we've had to temporarily visit other worlds for certain battles ourselves," Ephraim pointed out.
 
"Yes, but we can only open the portals. Embla is the one that closes them," Anna pointed out. "But obviously, we didn't open any in that battle and Embla can't open any, at least not under normal circumstances. Sharena, does it say anything about how to try using this power?"
 
"Just something about returning to the summoning altar and "raising it over the worlds," Sharena replied. "I have no idea what that means."
 
"Huh..." Ike wondered.
 
"Hmm..." Kels contemplated. "You know, one time when I was up there doing some summoning, I noticed something odd about the floor. It looked like...that wasn't all there was to it. Like it could open up."
 
"What? Our parents did once tell us that something is beneath the altar floor, but nobody knows what it is or what it was put there for," Alfonse replied.
 
"...Wait, then this could be indicating a large map of worlds is hidden there!" Frederick suggested. "That could be what that passage in the journal is referring to."
 
"Hmm, we do keep some records of every world Askr knows or learns of," Anna recalled. "It is worth a try."
 
Kels's eyes lit up at these words.
 
"Oh my gosh, Frederick, you're a genius!" she cried and threw her arms around his neck. "Thank you! Let's go try this!"
 
"Eh, heh, of course," Frederick replied, though slightly caught off guard by the gesture.
 
Kels then rushed out of the library, followed by the rest of the group.
 
"Wait for us!" Alfonse cried.
 
Kels didn't slow down much, however. She was too eager to try the idea Sharena and Frederick had come up with. She stopped to catch her breath for a moment up on reaching the altar upstairs.
 
"Okay," she began. The others soon arrived behind her.
 
"Well, let's do this," she said. "Though Frederick, if this doesn't work and I end up accidentally wasting some orbs instead, I'm blaming you."
 
"Yes, fair enough," Frederick agreed.
 
With that, Kels brandished Breidablik and leaped into the air above the circular area of the altar. She fired the divine weapon as quickly as she could in the center before landing.
 
A moment later, the altar itself trembled. Kels ran back to the outside of the summoning circle, and the group watched in awe as five sections did indeed move away to reveal a circular map featuring many different worlds, definitely over a dozen. Another moment later, two small blips appeared on one of them, and were slowly moving.
 
"Yes!" Kels happily shouted, leaping with joy.
 
"Hey, it really is a secret power!" Sharena cried, also smiling. "Eat your words, Alfonse!"
 
"...Yes, I suppose I must," Alfonse admitted rather embarrassingly. "I'm glad we could find out where the other Frederick and legendary Ike are though."
 
"I know that place!" Ephraim spoke up. "It's my world, Magvel! And...oh no. This may be very bad. It looks like they're moving through the Darkling Woods."
 
"Huh?" Sharena wondered.
 
"They're at mercy of many dangerous monsters if they were sent to a point before Eirika and I got rid of them," Ephraim explained.
 
"I learned about that once," Frederick added. "Those monsters sound so terrifying! I would never want to run into one of them... I fear for our comrades' safety!"
 
"Oh calm down. They're moving, so that means they should be alive," Ike pointed out.
 
"Yeah, we have to believe they'll be fine until we rescue them," Kels agreed. "The next step is finding out who did this and how to bring them back."
 
"Well, we know Embla surely didn't do it since they can't open portals," Anna reminded. "My money's on someone from Muspell!"
 
The others agreed, but now wondered what they were going to do to save the missing heroes. If Askr just used their normal abilities and opened a portal, they would not be able to close it and thus would be allowing Embla or Muspell into Magvel and obviously, they did not want to have to deal with them at the moment. It was a great conundrum indeed.
Edited by Anacybele
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  • 3 months later...

After a bit of writer's block, I finally got part 4 ready!

Part 4: Finding Their Way
 
Kels brought a hand to her chin as she looked upon the still-moving blips that represented her missing warriors. There had to be something they were missing. If Breidablik was able to show her and her allies where missing heroes she'd summoned were located if they vanished from Askr's continent of Zenith, there had to be a way they could use this power to bring them home.
 
"Well, I think all we can do is keep digging," she then said. "Maybe return to the library and keep searching the books or seek a source outside the castle. There has to be a way we can use the power we just discovered to save the other Ike and Frederick. Otherwise, there'd be no point to it!"
 
"I agree," Anna replied. "This can only be half of the answer we need. Whatever someone from Muspell did, it was surely a magic we've never seen. Perhaps we can find a counter spell somewhere."
 
"We've searched through hundreds of books already though," Alfonse pointed out. "I don't think our library has the remaining information."
 
"Then... We really do have to look elsewhere, don't we?" Sharena deduced.
 
"If that's the case, let's do it then," Kels agreed.
 
"I would say all of you are right," Anna seconded. "However, someone will have to stay here and keep watch on our missing comrades, in case something happens while we're gone. The map should stay open as long as Kels doesn't re-activate Breidablik to close it."
 
"Good idea," Kels replied. "Ephraim, you're the only one here that knows Magvel since it's your home. Can you remain here and keep an eye on those two?"
 
"Of course," Ephraim agreed. "I was going to ask to do so anyway since as you said, I know my homeland."
 
"Thanks! If anything happens, you can have a report sent to Anna. She'll get it soon enough."
 
"Alright."
 
"Well, where do we go first?" Sharena wondered.
 
"We'll ask around Askr," Anna decided. "There are churches, temples, and other places in some towns here that may have people with knowledge on magic not seen here. It could take quite some time to ask all of them, but... It's our best hope."
 
"In that case, we'll bring a few teams of heroes with us in case we run into trouble," Kels decided. "Frederick, Ike, that means we'll still need your help!"
 
"It shall be done," Frederick agreed.
 
"I'm ready to get to work," Ike added.
 
"Great. Let's go save...yourselves! Heh heh."
 
Ike merely rolled his eyes while Frederick let out a light chuckle. The group then departed the area, leaving Ephraim to his assigned duty.
 
***
In the Darkling Woods, the missing Frederick's voice had repeatedly begun crying out in terror as he clung to the Ike that was with him as tightly as he could. Ike still had control over the centaur beast, but it was moving very fast and there wasn't much else Frederick could hang onto.
 
"Oh, will you PLEASE knock it off?!" Ike demanded. "You're getting on my nerves!"
 
"If you would allow us off of this monstrosity, maybe I will!" Frederick retorted, tears flying from his eyes.
 
"Well, the woods are thinning, we're almost there," Ike replied. "So stop whining!"
 
Frederick merely grumbled, tightly gripping Ike's waistline and cape.
 
As the woods thinned, however, the area also grew lighter since with fewer trees, more sunlight reached the ground. Almost suddenly, the centaur jerked to a halt and reared back on its hind legs as it turned around.
 
"Yaaaah! Whoa!" Ike cried, almost getting thrown off as he nearly lost his grip on the creature's mane. Frederick bellowed in terror, his legs flopping about upon the creature's rear end.
 
When the creature turned to face the woods, however, it reared once more and this time successfully sent its riders sprawling. Their cries rang out loudly as the centaur then ran off back into the woods. Frederick's was arguably louder.
 
"Agh!" Ike yelped as he landed with a thud, dropping Ragnell next to him.
 
"AUGH!" Frederick bellowed. It felt like he'd landed on something that was...stinging him.
 
Ike groaned as he slowly got to his feet and picked Ragnell back up. He then turned to Frederick to see if he was alright.
 
"Sir Ike... You are...a MADMAN. What in all the worlds WERE YOU THINKING?!" Frederick demanded between breaths as he slowly rose as well.
 
"I was thinking of getting us out of there quickly! And I did!" Ike replied in annoyance, pointing ahead of them. "The way is almost completely clear here. The monsters must not like light, which is probably why they're living in those woods. It's darker in there."
 
"Well I--" Frederick began, until he felt a sharp pain in his torso. He grimaced hard as he stood up, pressing his hand to his stomach right below his chest. When he took away his hand, it was covered with...blood. The knight gaped in shock and annoyance.
 
"AAAGH," he loudly groaned. It turned out that he had fallen on a jagger branch and it managed to pierce him. It was lucky the branch was lying mostly sideways, or else he might've been completely impaled on it.
 
"And NOW look what you've done!" Frederick opined.
 
Ike's eyes widened when he saw the gash and the blood now staining Frederick's blue hoodie.
 
"Damn it all!" he replied in irritation and rushed over to help the knight.
 
"THIS IS YOUR FAULT!" Frederick spat at him.
 
"Yeah, I know! And I'm sorry! But at least we're alive and out of those woods! I'd rather us be injured than dead!" Ike retorted.
 
"And how do you know I won't bleed out before we locate a healer?! YOU'RE A FOOL!"
 
"We will, just stay with me and keep pressing that wound!" Ike insisted, placing his own hand upon the injury as well. "I don't think an artery got clipped, you're not losing blood that fast. And there has to be a town or village nearby."
 
"But I am still losing blood! You'll be fortunate if we do find a healer before I lose consciousness or this wound becomes badly infected!"
 
"ALRIGHT ALREADY! STOP SHOUTING! Geez! By the way, I don't think Chrom would like how much you're losing your composure here. This is yet again not like you."
 
"Well I apologize that this entire situation has flipped me upside down! Between the trauma resurfacing, that reckless stunt you pulled, and this injury, can you really blame me for coming this close to losing my sanity?! And trauma alone can certainly cause a person to exhibit out of character behavior."
 
"Okay, whatever. Come on. We'll move as fast as we can."
 
"Very well."
 
Frederick grimaced again as he and Ike began moving away from the woods and across a grassy field with a faint dirt path a few steps away. They chose to try following the path in hopes it would lead to a town or village.
 
"Owww! Careful! You're hurting me!" Frederick protested a moment later.
 
"Sorry! I'm not experienced at this!" Ike replied. "Oh yeah, as soon as we reach the town or village, we should definitely spend the night there so you can recover. You can't go far like this."
 
"Yes, you're right. Good idea. And... I do owe you a thank you for aiding me, in spite of everything else."
 
"Of course. I couldn't just leave you there bleeding. You're...a comrade. And regardless, Kels would slaughter me if I did."
 
"...Heh, that is for certain."
 
Despite Frederick's injury, the two warriors did their best to appreciate that they were finally out of the Darkling Woods and taking in fresher air and sunlight. The sun was setting, but could still be seen at the horizon behind them. It was probably a good thing that they were going to rest in whatever town they found first, as they might not have made it to another one before dark anyway. Silence ensued for a few moments as Ike did his best not to irritate Frederick's injury again. He was vainly wishing Mist or one of the other healers Kels had brought to Askr were with them. Though at the same time, he would've never wanted any of them to face the Darkling Woods monsters either.
 
Frederick broke the silence after a fairly short time.
 
"Well... At the very least, my wife isn't here to see this," He said. "She would be going closer to insane than I've been."
 
"You're married?" Ike replied. "I never saw a wedding ring on your finger."
 
"I removed it so it wouldn't be lost while on the beach. My wife did the same with hers. She always worries a lot when I get injured like this. But yes, we were married not such a long time before that beach trip."
 
"I see. She really loves you, I suppose."
 
"You do not know the half of it. I don't know what I did to deserve all her affection and love. But she gives me so much of it. To some, it may seem like too much. But I lost my heart to her. She gave new meaning to my life, you know. No one else wanted to spend time with me like she did. Assisting in my duties, pairing up in battle... No one seemed to appreciate me the way she did either. Not even Chrom and Lissa. "
 
I see... That sounds a bit like Kels when she's around you, now that I think about it. She admires me a lot as well, but with you, for some reason, it feels...a bit different."
 
"You're right. And she is quite fond of me. I feel...a strange connection to her as well. Like I'm compelled to be fond of her in the same way. She does have some differences, and yet also various similarities to my wife. They share the same name too, albeit with different spellings. I wonder..if they're sort of the same person in different incarnations."
 
"I suppose that's a possibility," Ike commented. "I'm not with anyone. Although..."
 
"Hm?"
 
"I do think that...I'm in love with someone."
 
"Oh?" Frederick said, and then flashed a grin. "It wouldn't happen to be...Lady Elincia, would it?"
 
"...Uh!" Ike suddenly uttered, his cheeks turning a rosy color.
 
"I've seen how you look at her at times."
 
And I also happen to know that you marry her in at least one reality, and raise two children as well. But I shouldn't reveal that, I think, Frederick opined to himself. It may needlessly complicate things.
 
"Well...yes, I guess you got me there," Ike admitted. "At first I wasn't sure what these weird feelings I'd have around her were. Then Titania told me. I figured she would be the most likely to know since...I always suspected she had a thing for my father. Despite that my father was already married. She respected that though. I suppose, even though I could see if someone else was in love, I had no idea what it felt like to love anyone myself."
 
"That's understandable. You never really were educated on things like this, were you?"
 
"With little memory of my deceased mother, a father that was mostly distant and secretive, and mentors that trained me in combat more than anything, yeah," Ike said. "I didn't even have a lot of education period. I only learned sword combat, outdoor survival skills, leadership, and war knowledge."
 
"I see. Well...if you ever desire, I could help you expand your knowledge. But of course, I will not force you if you don't want to."
 
"Oh, I wouldn't mind that, actually. I might find some of the things you could teach me useful."
 
"Ah, that's good to know."
 
"Say... We must've spent so much time arguing during battles that we never actually took the time to really get to know each other," Ike realized. "Maybe Loki actually did a good thing here."
 
"Heh, perhaps."
 
Ike then turned his gaze towards Frederick's torso, and then his arms. He'd actually noted before that the knight had very visibly sculpted abs and pecs, and he'd also seen that Frederick had the biceps to match as well.
 
"By the way, you have quite a built body," he commented. "You must train and work out a lot."
 
"Vigorously, yes. I have to be in the best possible condition if I'm to protect my liege efficiently."
 
"That makes sense. I train hard myself. I don't find many that come close to my strength, though. But you might actually rival me there. Have you ever done an arm wrestle?"
 
"I believe I've heard of that. But no."
 
"We should try one later and see who's stronger. I feel like you could give me a run for my money!"
 
"Heh, alright then. But I need to get this wound treated first."
 
"Of course."
 
Silence came again as the two then shifted focus back on looking for a town or village. They had to find one soon, Ike had no idea how to treat a wound himself beyond just using a powdered medicine called a vulnerary, and even if he did, he had no supplies on hand anyway. Not even a vulnerary, as he'd already used what he'd had long before. It wasn't long, however, before the pair finally reached what looked like a road. This was fortunate. A road had to lead to some form of civilization. Ike and Frederick made no hesitation to follow it immediately. And when the two thought their luck couldn't get any better, Ike soon spotted what appeared to be a wagon ahead of them and coming from another stretch of road that met with the one they were on.
 
"Frederick! Look! We might get rescued now!"
 
Frederick looked up from nursing his torso to see the wagon as well.
 
"Praise the goddess! We need to hail him!" he said.
 
With that, the two waved and called for the driver, who was an older man who appeared to be in his late fifties, maybe early sixties. He was wearing a light red robe. When the man noticed the pair, his eyebrows shot up at the blood still seeping from Frederick's torso.
 
"Please, can you help my friend?" Ike spoke up without a second thought. "He had an unfortunate accident and I don't have any medicine with me. We're also...rather lost."
 
"Oh my! You're badly injured, sir!" the man replied, looking at Frederick. "Of course I can help! Get in my wagon, quickly!"
 
"Thank you! You are most kind," Frederick replied. "This injury is extremely painful!"
 
"I can imagine," the man commented.
 
"Is there a town close by?" Ike inquired. "We could use a place to rest too. We're not very familiar with this area at all."
 
"I see. Yes, there is one up ahead, so you're in luck. I was heading there myself anyway. And you definitely look like you're not from around here. And...is your friend here dressed for the beach? What were you doing this close to the Darkling Woods?" the man wondered, raising an eyebrow.
 
"Erm... It's a complicated story," Frederick admitted. "We aren't from Magvel, no. But we can explain more on the way. We're looking for a way to return to where we came from. As he said, we're...lost."
 
"Yeah. But thank goodness, we thought we might be stuck in the wilderness all night," Ike said.
 
"Well, good thing I found you. An injury like that can easily become infected and cause all sorts of problems," the man replied.
 
"See, I told you!" Frederick echoed.
 
"Yes, I know that!" Ike retorted. "My sister is a healer, remember. And I once helped save a man who was suffering from brain fever. I'm quite familiar with some of these things."
 
"Brain fever? Oh my," the man commented. "That's something few people have managed to cure around here. We're still working on making said cure more widely available."
 
"I'm not surprised. My group and I thought there wasn't a cure at all at first...until we found someone who had one. But anyway, can you tell us more about where we are? We just know this continent is called Magvel."
 
"Ah, of course. The country you've entered is Rausten, for starters."
 
"Ah, yes. I do believe I remember learning that the Darkling Woods were close to there," Frederick recalled, and then grimaced. "Agh... This injury!"
 
"Dear me, I'll try to get to town as quickly as I can. I'm just a merchant, but I do know people who can treat you. Just hold on for a little longer!"
 
"Thank you..."
 
At this point, Ike and Frederick could only hope that even after the latter recovered from his wound, they could find someone that had any idea of how they could return to Askr. Even if it was just a small town in Rausten. And if the answer wasn't there, then maybe someone knew where they could look elsewhere. Anything to shorten their stay in this unfamiliar territory, and to ease the worries of Kels and the others.
 
At first, I wanted to avoid using any particular pairings here, but I couldn't think of ways to keep Ike and Frederick's lovers completely anonymous without it not making sense. So...yeah. Also, brain fever is another name for meningitis/encephalitis.
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