Fire Emblem Rekka No Ken: A Story Retold is a Fire Emblem Fan Fic written by GameFreakimage
, which can be read here.
The fic is a novelization of Fire Emblem: The Blazing Blade, giving the tactician character from that game, here named Michael, an expanded backstory and personality, with various interludes between chapters.
The author has also written two other stories set in more-or-less the same universe: Rekka No Ken: Extra Stories, which tells of what the various members of Lyndis' Legion did during the one-year Time Skip, and What If, a What If? scenario that depicts what might have happened if Michael's grandfather had accepted him and if Lyn's grandfather had given his blessing to her parents' message.
The author has also gone on to begin a rewrite of the original story. He considers it a bit of an Old Shame owing to the barebones writing in the beginnings of the story as well as all the spelling errors.
Warning: This article assumes you have played Fire Emblem: The Blazing Blade. Therefore, all spoilers regarding the game's plot will be unmarked.
This fic contains examples of the following tropes:
- Abusive Parents: Abusive grandfather in this case. Michael's grandfather, the marquess of Araphen, never liked Michael simply because he was conceived out of wedlock. A week after his birth, the marquess forced Michael's parents, Camael and Gabriel, to give him up and leave him in the custody of Jeigan, allowing them to visit Michael only sparingly until he was three years old; after the birth of his younger sister Uriel, the marquess forbade them from seeing him altogether. When Michael was ten, he attempted to go visit his parents himself, only for the marquess to try to have him executed; only Jeigan's Take Me Instead saved Michael's life. In chapter 6, when they visit Araphen for aid, it's a mix of the marquess' hatred for Michael and his prejudice against Sacaeans that leads to him refusing to aid Lyn.
- Adaptational Badass: In the original game, the tactician was little more than a Satellite Character who was rarely even acknowledged by the protagonists. Here, he's still an expert tactician, but also learns how to fight so as to protect himself.
- And This Is for...: In chapter 10-C, Lyn goes off on one of these while hacking Lundgren apart with the Mani Katti:Lyn: That's for the people you've wronged! That's for my Grandfather! That was for Michael! And this... is because I hate you.
- Ascended Extra: In direct contrast to his role in-game, the tactician/Michael is given a full backstory and personality, becoming a close friend and potential Love Interest for Lyn.
- Back from the Dead: In chapter 10-B, Michael is fatally impaled by Lundgren's lance. After his defeat, Anna uses an Aum Staff to resurrect him.
- Birds of a Feather: In chapter 7-A, when Nils approaches them for help in rescuing Ninian, Michael unhestiatingly agrees to help him, having been in a similar situation of loneliness to him.
- Butt-Monkey: Sain for most of Lyn's Story.
- Michael is a close second with him, but seems to have surpassed him since the beginning of Eliwood and Hector's Story. Both for comedic and serious effect. The author has expressed in private that he wants the little tactician to go through more and more crap because of his status as an OC of sorts.
- Erk could be considered one as well. What else are you when you have to constantly interact with Sera?
- Comforting Comforter: In interlude 4, Michael covers a sleeping Florina with his blanket.
- Curb-Stomp Battle: Lundgren single handedly delivers these to every member of the Legion he encounters during Chapter 10-B.
- Lyn then delivers one to Lundgren in the next chapter after being powered-up by the Master Seal.
- Dark and Troubled Past: It's been implied for a while that Michael has one. With time it's only been alluded to more. Whether it goes anywhere or not remains to be seen.
- Deadpan Snarker: Several characters have their moments, such as this exchange between Lyn and Sain in chapter 3:Sain: We were looking everywhere for you!
Lyn: Great. Just what I need. A knight to flirt with me as I get an axe through the head. - Deus ex Machina: The author outright confirms that Anna's giving Michael the Master Seal, and then coming along with the Aum Staff to resurrect Michael, during chapters 10-B and 10-C was a mix of this and a genuine
Ass Pull. - Distressed Dude: On two occasions, Michael is captured by the group's enemies and has to be saved by Lyn. After the second incident, he starts taking fighting lessons from Lyn to avoid any future hostage situations.
- Flash Step: Lyn often pulls one off while dealing out Finishing Moves.
- First Kiss: Michael and Lyn have theirs on Fargus' ship in Chapter 17.
- Heterosexual Life-Partners: Kent and Sain, to the extent that Michael lampshades it:Michael: If it wasn't for the fact that you at least try to hit on every girl you see, I would have thought you and Kent were a married couple.
Sain: Ha! You got us there! - Impaled with Extreme Prejudice: Michael meets the business end of Lundgren's lance in 10-B with fatal consequences. It don't stick.
- Incredibly Lame Pun: Michael has been known to make a few.Michael: Looks like the Bug just got squashed. note
- Major Injury Underreaction: In chapter 2, Lyn gets bashed over the head with the flat of an axe, but simply shrugs it off to save Michael from another bandit, completely failing to notice her head wound until Michael inspects the back of her head and sees that her hair is covered in blood; Lyn promptly takes a sip of a vulnerary, and it's only when the wound closes that she feels the pain.Lyn: Oh yes, I was hurt!
- Spotlight-Stealing Squad: Matthew and Sera have dipped into this from time to time.
- Stalker without a Crush: Ephidel has become this to Michael, what with having a shadow to haunt Michael's dreams and show him nightmares, as well as using said knowledge to tear Michael down.
- Physical God: It's implied that both Anna and Jake are these. The existence of a God Seal, something even more powerful than a Master Seal, supports this as well as the possibility of one of the cast joining them.
- Winged Unicorn: Florina's pegasus, Huey, has grown a horn after the Time Skip.
- Work Off the Debt: Michael works for Anna during the one-year Time Skip to pay off the money he owed her for the Master Seal and Aum Staff.
