That's another Persona 3 reference, for the record. And just like Akihiko Sanada, who was the controller of those Persona, Chrom can be called an Emperor, and he's about to go through some emotional turmoil. To be honest, I'm a little surprised at how the vote turned out. Mainly because, like Alfric, I went with my emotions and picked 'No' in my first play through. But if the Fire Emblem is deemed more valuable than the lady we stormed into Plegia to save, then so be it...
Yukari: I know it's hard to admit, Chrom, but it's the only choice. Compared to the lives of thousands, one person, any one person, is-
Chrom: DON'T! Just...don't say it.
Gangrel: What's this? You'll let your sister and ruler die, all to save some old family trinket? Oh, so delicious! I can't WAIT to hear what your people have to say about it. "THE EXALT IS DEAD! LONG LIVE HER MURDERER!" Your haildom will collapse before you could even begin your rule...
Chrom: We'll see, when the time comes. But first, I'll see you dead.
And at this point, Emm interrupts the conversation. She would also interrupt right about now had we decided that saving her is more important, too. She asks for Gangrel to listen to reason, but all that the Mad King wishes to hear now is the THUNK of arrows and the SPLAT of her corpse. Emm has spent so long looking down on people, and unless someone hands over the Emblem immediately, Gangrel thinks that it's about time she reached their level, the hard way. Chrom, who cannot live with giving up his big sis, says that he's willing to hand over the Emblem despite Emm's disapproval. Plus, the lord doesn't believe that a crisis where they'll need the Fire Emblem will occur anytime soon, and one it does, they can persevere without it together. The people of Ylisse need their exalt, and Chrom & Lissa need their big sister. Emm replies that, thanks to Chrom, she now knows what she must do.
Emm then starts to give a speech to all of the Plegians within earshot. She talks about how war will only lead to sadness and pain, and that it is not too late to free themselves from a cycle of pain and vengeance. She then states that they will now see how one selfless act has the power to change the world. We enter a cinematic of Chrom desperately running forward, unconcerned about the archers that would fire if he twitched because he knows what Emm is about to do. Emm takes a look at him, and then gazes at the land from atop the giant bone she stands upon. A bird flies overhead, and the exalt thinks about the torch that she's passing down to her brother. With one small smile, she resigns herself to her decision...and steps off. As she falls, Chrom screams in anguish, and Lissa covers her face with both hands as she tries to cover an expression of utter terror. Emm makes one last internal apology for this action, and hopes that her siblings and her people know that she loved them. The bird screeches, and as Chrom reaches her corpse on the ground, too late to catch her, he falls to his knees in despair.
The cut scene ends, and Yukari's stunned by what just occurred. Chrom yells at Gangrel, Lissa is pretty much in shock, and Gangrel is both happy that Emm had a lovely fall and disgusted by how noble that was. Gangrel wonders how such a beautiful sacrifice could be remembered, and suggests that he put the body on public display. Chrom is furious, but Basilio and Flavia arrive on the scene, as the situation is very dangerous and they have secured an escape route. The grief-stricken Chrom is barely able to say that he needs to get Emm's body, but Basilio thinks that running is more important right now, and urges Yukari not to let Chrom do anything stupid. Also, "Marth" is here despite her lack of a sprite on the screen, and she's aghast at being too late to prevent their future from returning to its bleak path. We then save and return to the map, where we can either go to the Midmire and continue the emotional plot, head to Paralogue 4 and have a complete Mood Whiplash (though I don't think my Gaius is good enough to get all of the chests there in time as of yet), or do our regular DLC/random Risen fights/previously unlocked Paralogue stuff.
Now, this has been a bit of a short update so far. All we've covered is the end of last update's battle, after all. So, after I dealt with some Risen for experience & cash, after I used that cash to buy another Second Seal from a Merchant, and after I watched some Supports (which will be included at the end of the update), I decided that now would be a good time to talk about the Bonus Box cameo teams. From the 'Wireless' option on the World Map, you can select the 'Bonus Box' option. From here, once they've been released, you can download new Double Duel teams, new powerful items, and new Paralogues (that you can only access right before the final battle) for free. There is also an option for 'Bonus Teams', and unlike Items (which you can only have one of), you can select the options available as many times as you want. Every two weeks or so since the game was released, new packs of teams are released, each based on characters from previous Fire Emblem games. Most of these characters are from games that have only been released in Japan (and will be represented by a (JP) next to the game's name), but all unlocked characters can be challenged in whatever region you're playing in. There's also usually one or two teams from a game that you can fight before the whole batch is released, but it's kinda random, and you won't be able to access more than a couple of challenges before they all become unlocked and one or two characters from the next batch are accessible.
As of April 10, 2013, there are ten groups available. Save for the recent Thracia 776 (JP) pack, which only has two characters in my file right now (the other eight, as well as a character or two from the next pack, will be unlocked alongside the Paralogue that will be released tomorrow), each pack has ten characters. This means that I can currently challenge 92 characters, based on important people throughout nine of the past Fire Emblem games (Since Genealogy of the Holy War (JP) had two generations of characters, each represented by a separate category), ranging from Level 1 Clerics and Lv. 4 Pegasus Knights to Lv. 25 Manaketes and Lv. 20 Paladins. Once you select a team (for example, Fee the Pegasus Knight from Genealogy's 2nd Generation), a character with that person's artwork as their portrait will appear on the world map. As with Streetpass characters (the protagonists of other copies of the game that can visit your copy if your 3DS connects with them), you are given the options to view the stats of the team they have, spend in-game Gold to recruit the team leader, Fight the team in whatever battlefield they appeared on in the World Map, buy whatever items the characters have equipped, dismiss the character and make them disappear from the World Map, or exit the menu and return to the World Map without causing the character to disappear.
Now, let's look at Fee's team. Other than Fee, all of the characters in her squad are generic Pegasus Knights, mercenaries, and fighters. Fee is the highest levelled member of the team at level 4, with her Pegasus Knights all at level 2 and everyone else at level 3. Fee also has two skills despite her low level: Speed +2, and Tantivy, a Level 10 Wyvern Rider skill that increases her hit rate and avoid when at least three spaces away from any ally (Pair Up units not included). They have nothing stronger than Iron Swords, Lances, and Axes equipped, and will also sell nothing better or worse than those weapons. To recruit Fee without having to fight her team, it would cost 3200 gold. But if we defeat her team in combat, we can get Fee for free, as well as some Renown that will help us earn some bonus items. So, let's fight her!
CHALLENGE: BORDER SANDS
Similar to if you were fighting Risen here, Fee's units are scattered across the map, and your team begins at the bottom (where we fought the boss during the main story). Clicking on Fee's name gives us the same description it gives all Bonus Team characters: "A mysterious traveller from the Outrealms". After making sure that I'm well equipped and that weak members like Donnel will get some action, it's time to recruit a Pegasus Knight!
- Cordelia, Libra, Lon'qu, and Miriel: They took on the right side of the field, where most of the slow-moving, non-flying units were located. Cordelia and Libra used a Dual Strike to take out a fighter with ease. Lon'qu then landed a critical hit against a foe hiding near a mountain of bones after Miriel's movement helped him reach it, and then Cordelia flew in to take out a fighter that was right next to the now-dead mercenary. Cordelia had taken some hits, so after flying onto an event panel right next to three units in the north (including a Pegasus Knight), she swapped places with Libra while Miriel tried to race up and meet them. He and Cordelia killed one with a Dual Strike, Libra weakened another, and the Pegasus Knight went after Miriel instead of joining her two allies. Miriel killed the flying unit at the start of Turn 4, and Libra got to heal her wounds. I tried to pass Cordelia's Javelin to Donny, but I forgot that Donny lacks the aptitude to wield it, and the last mercenary preferred to be killed by Miriel when it was his turn to do something.
- Stahl, Donny, Gaius and Nowi: They took on the left side of the field. In the first turn, Nowi got attacked by a fighter and a Pegasus Knight, though the latter did not have the strength to do any damage. Nowi then killed the fighter on his turn, and when Fee approached the manakete and hoped for a tough fight, the manakete nearly killed her. Donny landed the final blow on Fee, and then Gaius and Nowi used a Dual Strike to finish off one of the flying units that was targeting Yukari. The other Pegasus Knight down there preferred to become a stain on Gaius's blade rather than attack the defenceless Yukari again or risk being impaled by the villager. They then headed towards the last couple of units and didn't really do anything.
- Yukari: She spent the first turn grabbing some bonus stuff at an Event Panel, and then after taking off her Thunder tome to avoid stealing kills, she stuck by Donny and Nowi to make sure that they were not overwhelmed. Even weak level 2 Pegasus Knights can be a pain if they all gang up on you, after all. Because she was defenceless, she was attacked once or twice, but never took more than three damage from a Pegasus Knight.
- Turns: As with Risen battles, turns and heroes are not stated, but it took 4 turns (mainly because desert tiles impede movement)
- Heroes: The manakete and thief did well, but Cordeila & Libra covered a wider area and got to attack more enemies.
For winning the battle, we've made a good impression on the enemy leader (Fee), who is willing to join us for free. We can refuse to recruit her, though she will be added to our Avatar Logbook (in the Wireless Menu) regardless. No bonus team has a special quote for if you refuse their offer, but for letting Fee join us...
Fee: Partners it is, then!
We then save and return to the map, and our renown is increased. Thanks to the Renown I've earned in my previous play through and in Risen battles in this play through, I now have a total of 3002, allowing me to be rewarded with the A-Ranked Mercurius blade. Also, as stated earlier, Fee is now in our Avatar Logbook. From here, you can spend gold to recruit any Bonus leader or Streetpass leader that you've fought or bought the services of before, as well as your tactician from other save files of your copy of the game. It costs 6400 gold to hire Fee this way, which is twice as much as she requested in person. However, that Fee would always join as a level 4 Pegasus Knight. If we actually used her in battle and improved her abilities (an unlikely scenario, since she cannot support with anybody), we could update the Avatar Logbook with this information and hire the new and improved Fee from it in other play throughs. Considering that, like our tactician, Bonus characters can change into any class available to their gender and learn a wide variety of skills, the Logbook is a very handy thing to have.
And now, for a ton of supports! Supports from the Emmeryn battle, supports from the Risen I fought before fighting Fee, supports from actually fighting Fee, and supports available solely due to random Barracks relationship improving events! To think, this update would have been too short if I only described the aftermath of Chapter 9, and now it might be considered by some to be a tad too long! But before I describe them, please note that they are not affected by recent plot events, and any references to Emmeryn that are made without a pained expression are not my responsibility.
- Chrom & Lissa (C-Rank): Chrom notices Lissa taking a deep sigh, and it seems that Lissa doesn't think that she seems like a princess. Chrom makes a joke about how Lissa owes them rent for her room in the castle if she's not a princess, but like Chrom's conversation with Gaius, that's not what Lissa meant and they both know it. Lissa doesn't think that she lives up to her station, feeling like dead weight in comparison to Chrom and Emm. Chrom thinks that's stupid, since Lissa's fine just the way she is. Lissa's not happy with that lasy answer and calls him a jerkface, before realizing how un-princess-like that sounded.
- Ricken & Gregor (C-Rank): Ricken has sought out Gregor because he wants the mercenary to tell him everything he remembers about the last battle. Ricken was apparently stuck in the back the whole time and couldn't see the front line action. Gregor wants to know why Ricken wants to know, and his guess that Ricken is writing a book about their battles is correct. Ricken thinks that if they keep records, they can learn from them and do better in future battles. Gregor is glad to be helping, and starts talking about what he did, but Ricken tells the merc that he can skip that stuff. The young mage wants the history to focus on himself and Chrom, you see. Gregor does not sound insulted, but he has a bit of a frown when he asks about Ricken's hero worship. Ricken denies it, stating that Chrom treats him like a child and that the history will prove that he's just as good on the battlefield as their lord is. The young mage wants to get back to talking about the last battle, and Gregor says that it would be nice to be Chrom and have party of fawning flunkies.
- Lon'qu & Panne (C-Rank, and also the very first Lon'qu conversation I've ever obtained): Panne has apparently been running from Lon'qu for some reason and thinks that he couldn't possibly have tracked her down, but he's no ordinary man and catches up to her. Panne wants to know what he wants, which is...for her not to come near him. Panne wonders what he thinks she's been trying to do all day, and Lon'qu pulls out a bag containing what he thinks are weeds. It's Panne's bag, which he knows, and Panne wonders why he couldn't just tell her that she dropped her bag instead of chasing him everywhere. Apparently, Lon'qu was paralyzed with fear at first, and she fled before he could explain. He then hands over her weeds, but this whole mess has upset Panne and she tells Lon'qu to keep the bag. She walks away, leaving Lon'qu wondering what to do with the stuff...and then he tastes one out of curiosity, and finds that it was a bad idea.
- Yukari & Sumia (A-Rank, the maximum between two people of the same gender): Yukari is confused by the way Sumia's been acting lately, saying things such as 'demons and devils lurk in the shadows dark', but it turns out that Sumia was just pretending to be 'Madame Shambles', the heroine from the book she's reading. Sumia's been trying to get into the character's head and be more like her, and when she asks if that's weird...Yes, Yukari thinks that it's very weird. Sumia just wishes she could be less of a clod, but Yukari thinks that she's perfect...well, pretty good...just the way she is, and that it would be a shame to lose the Sumia everyone knows and loves. Sumia's surprised that anyone would give two hoots about her, but if people like Yukari would really miss her, then...her next book will be "The Princess Who Fell Down The Stairs", which is about a girl as clumsy and plain as she is. Yukari thinks that Sumia's missing the point, but if reading makes her happy, she won't stop her.
- Gaius & Nowi (C-Rank): Gaius is confused when Nowi comes out of nowhere and asks what he was voting for. Nowi says that she caught him and some other men standing around earlier voting on the best-looking girl in the Shepherds, and Gaius admits that there might have been a bit of a ranking going on, but he wasn't really interested. Nowi still wants to know who he voted for, but Gaius tells her that he left and didn't vote for anyone, instead choosing to steal the desserts of the fools he'd been talking with while they were busy ranking the girls. Nowi gets that Gaius isn't the kind of man for that sort of thing, but is still curious as to whether or not he at least has a 'favourite type', like 'blondes', or 'tall', or 'chubby'. Gaius is kinda ticked off by Nowi's persistence and admits that he prefers older women, and asks if she's satisfied and will let him eat Chrom's dessert in peace. Nowi's more than satisfied, since she's over a thousand years old and is thus Gaius's type, which Gaius realizes he forgot about after the manakete brings it up. He then adds how most older women have a certain gravitas (substance, weightiness, or a serious or dignified behaviour, depending on your dictionary) that Nowi lacks, and that the appeal of a mature woman is in how she carries herself, having class and bearing while knowing exactly what they want in life. Nowi's insulted that Gaius thinks that she lacks poise, though her little temper tantrum tells Gaius that she's still not sure what it means, and the thief tries explaining things again.
- Donnel & Stahl (C-Rank): Donny's gone black in the face trying to read a magic scroll, and Stahl suggests that the farm boy take a break and join him for tea. Donnel thanks him, and Stahl states that once he's relaxed, THEN he should start thinking about what kind of soldier he wants to be. Donny didn't voice his intentions, but being unsatisfied with his current role is the only reason Stahl could think of when he caught the farm boy trying to pick locks, practising with a bow, and now trying to cast fire magic. Donny asks Stahl for advice, and since the cavalier's good with sharp weapons, he used to watch the experienced sellswords and knights. Donny thinks it's a great way to try and find what weapon he'd be best with, and the eager farm boy runs off before Stahl can tell him it's more than just picking a weapon you like.
- Libra & Cordelia (C-Rank, and also my first Libra conversation): Libra walks in on Cordelia organizing some crates, and startles her enough to make her drop her current load. Libra apologizes, but Cordelia claims that she just tripped, and that it's her fault for carrying so much stuff that she blocked her own vision. She's unharmed outside of a bruised toe, and Libra offers to help carry some things. Cordelia claims that it's a bit heavy, but the War Monk picks things up with ease, and Cordelia leads him to where the stuff belongs. She thanks Libra for the assistance once the crates are where they should be, and when Libra asks if she always hauls such heavy loads by herself, Cordelia claims that she'd hate to bother others. Libra requests that she call for his aid next time she has a challenging task, which Cordelia agrees to due to his insistence.
- Sully & Miriel (B-Rank): Miriel's research on the topic of how Sully can fit in better has been going well. The mage has studied the cavalier rigorously, and made sure that Sully did not notice in order to avoid compromising the results. Miriel discovered that Sully's language and her general bearing are the main points of difference, as Sully's clothing choices fit within Shepherd social norms. Sully's vulgar language is irregular, and she has a very aggressive manner. If Sully wishes to fit in better, Miriel suggests change in these two areas. Sully's upset with this news, as it's the same kind of thing that less scientific people have told her before, and how she usually only pretend to change for a week before giving up. Sully rhetorically asks who came up with these rules, and Miriel replies that it's based more on social mores than natural law. Sully does thank Miriel for taking the time to try and help, and Miriel admits that it was fascinating.
- Nowi & Gaius (B-Rank): Nowi calls Gaius over, who's about to ask how things are going before a putrid stench fills his nostrils. Apparently, Nowi put on some perfume to improve her poise. A whole bottle, to be precise. Gaius asks if the manakete will wash it off immediately in exchange for telling her that she has a ton of poise, and Nowi is glad that she's now his type. Probably not registering that Gaius is only saying that to get rid of the stench, she then toys with him, asking if he's now in love with her. Gaius gives her a flat no, and states that he doesn't actually care about older women, claiming to have just made it up to get Nowi to leave him alone. Nowi now wants a real answer as to what kind of girl Gauis likes, and says that if she matches the answer, he must be in love with her and Nowi wins. Gaius is a bit ticked off now, and says that he likes tolerant, broad-minded women. Which Nowi definitely isn't. So she loses. Nowi mixes up 'tolerant' with 'taller' and asks what height has to do with it, and Gaius has to explain how 'tolerant' means that someone is kind, warm, and willing to embrace new ideas. Nowi states that as a dragon, she can embrace Gaius and keep him warm. Gaius asks her not to, and Nowi asks just what she should do to please him. The scene ends with Gaius lamenting how bad he is with kids, even 1000-year old ones, and Nowi waiting for an answer.
- Libra & Cordelia (B-Rank): Libra has caught Cordelia in the middle of handling another chore all by herself. Cordelia says that she would feel bad if she didn't help as much as possible in times of strife, and while Libra states that the gods frown on sloth, they also dislike pride, and Cordelia is working herself too hard for her own good. Cordelia has been troubled as of late with horrible thoughts about the future and hasn't been eating right, but insists that she's still fine enough to work. Libra tells her to put down the crates she's carrying and go back to her billet (living quarters), and while she insists on staying and not letting Libra do all of her work, the War Monk states how ironic it is for the girl that does everything by herself to not want Libra to finish this task by himself. Libra tells Cordelia that she must learn how to look after herself, and promises to come by her quarters later with a concoction after she's had a meal and a nice rest. Since he's once again insisting, Cordelia accepts.
- Lon'qu & Miriel (C-Rank): Lon'qu is trying to talk to Miriel, who is musing about how the moon reflects sunlight despite how the sun is extinguished at night and is on the verge of realizing a few things about space, orbits, and the cosmos. Lon'qu then shouts loudly and grabs Miriel, as she was so distracted that she was about to fall off a cliff. After the misogynist gets a bad feeling for having had to touch a woman, Miriel apologizes, but is then quickly fascinated by how her heart is now racing as a response to danger. Lon'qu urges her to just shut her books and sit down, but Miriel is now conducting a thought experiment and wishes not to be interrupted. Lon'qu tells her that her studies would have been permanently interrupted if he hadn't just saved her, and warns her to be more careful before walking away. Miriel tries thinking about the sun again, but her focus is lost.
And finally, when it comes to supports, we've reached a rather interesting moment. It was decided a long time ago that Vaike's not getting any time in the spotlight after his first battle, that future recruit Henry will marry Sumia, and that future recruit Cherche will marry Lon'qu. Thus, we have only two guys and two girls left to worry about. The final female character will be recruited in Chapter 11, and whomever doesn't marry Tharja will be left for her. Will it be Gregor? Or that forgetful knight that hasn't really been mentioned in the comments, probably because people forgetting about him is his shtick? Think hard about this choice, viewers! You won't get another choice of this magnitude for...at least five more instalments, if everything goes well. Thanks for sticking with me thus far, and have a wonderful day!
EDIT: Thank you, Otherarrow, for catching the error that was in the title of this instalment. Though I try my best to be error-free, I tend to ignore the squiggly red line that indicates a mistake when it comes to names not in my processor's dictionary that I'll only ever type once or twice in my life.
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