Chapter 20: The Sword or the Knee (Script)

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Pre-Battle

Excellus
Th-they... There must be several hundred thousand soldiers out there! Would they dare...?! Is it... Is it possible... Is it possible it was Yen'fay they feared all along, and not me?!

Walhart
Without him to back it up, your threat was only the grand shadow of a tiny spider.

Excellus
Tiny spider, is it? Well this spider has woven other webs in secret you could not even—

Walhart
You mean how you blackmailed Yen'fay to keep his loyalty? Or perhaps your correspondence with the Plegian woman...Aversa, was it? Yes, I know you have designs on the Fire Emblem... You have no secrets from me, worm.

Excellus
B-b-b-but... I... I don't... If you...knew all of that...w-why...

Walhart
Why haven't I killed you? ...I've asked myself the same thing, several times... But you're no threat to me. And I admit, you have your uses. Besides, I'm not one for court jesters, but you do...amuse me.

Excellus
Amuse you? I AMUSE you, like I'm a jester?! Are you AMUSED now? With a million swords at your door, come for your head?! You've lost! Lost, and you are going to DIE! All of you, ALL OF YOU! But not me! I want no part of this suicide!

Walhart
...Why, Excellus, did you just volunteer to lead my personal guard against the rebels?

Excellus
...What?! No, that's—

Walhart
Unless you'd rather fight me. Right here. RIGHT NOW.

Excellus
Mercy! Mercy! F-forgive me, my master! A moment's madness only—it will not return!

Walhart
Then it's settled: we have our new captain of the guard. Congratulations, Captain. You'll be right at my side until the fray is upon us.

>Walhart leaves

Excellus
*Pant, pant, pant, pant*

Cervantes
Do give our guests a warm welcome, snake. Perhaps offer them some of your tea? Hah hah... My equal... Pah!

>Cervantes leaves

Excellus
...They forget who I am. I could have fried them both where they stood with my magic! We will crush these rebels... We MUST crush these rebels... Or maybe...if Walhart is sufficiently injured...I might "amuse" him with a spell... Nya ha, either way, this spider crawls out alive! Eee hee hee hee!

Start Battle

Chrom
I see Walhart, still seated in his throne room. It doesn't seem like he's thinking about escape.

Robin
And his soldiers... They look ready to die before they'd surrender. One must admire their loyalty, at least.

Chrom
He does inspire that in people. It's part of what makes him so dangerous.

Robin
He inspires that in SOME people.

Chrom
Yes, in some. But not me.

>Battle Start

End of Turn 4

Soldier
Rally every last man! We make our stand with Emperor Walhart!

VS Cervantes

Cervantes
Let's have it then, rebellious scum! Like a flimsy belt around the waist of defeat, you shall buckle here!

VS Excellus

Say'ri

Excellus
...You. ...YOU! You and Yen'fay cost me EVERYTHING!

Say'ri
I only pray my brother is watching... Yen'fay, guide my hand!

Normal

Excellus
You think I'm afraid? Of YOU?! Come, then. COME AT ME!

VS Walhart

Chrom

Chrom
Walhart!

Walhart
Prince...

Chrom
Will you surrender?

Walhart
Don't waste my time with questions you know the answers to, boy.

Chrom
It did not have to be this way... You believed in mankind's strength... So did my sister. You believe that we are masters of our destinies... So do I. You could have joined with us.

Walhart
ME, JOIN YOU?! Does a pegasus join with the flea on its back? A dragon, with a cow it eats?! You forget your place, BOY. I am the Conqueror! I will unite the world!

Chrom
No! ...I will. And not by forcing all the people to choose the sword or the knee. Peace will only come by stoking people's hearts...not their fear.

Walhart
You think that's what you've done? What your sister did before you? No, she shouted some nonsense and leapt off a rock! Such weakness!

Chrom
Wrong. Not weakness—strength. That one act lives on, and WILL live on, longer than all your conquests...

Walhart
And longer than you will... Come then, flea, and die for your peace!

Chrom
Emm, I tried...

Normal

Walhart
You would challenge the Conqueror himself?!

Cervantes Defeated

Cervantes
I...am finished... Nngh... But I have no regrets... I die in the shadow of...greatness...

Excellus Defeated

Excellus
Eee hee hee... Eee hee... Heeeeeeeauuugh...

Walhart Defeated

Walhart
Nngh... Do you see? Often the sword...is the only way... My conquest...ends here...

Post-Battle

Frederick
Milord! Walhart's soldiers have agreed to cease hostilities.

Chrom
Finally... Then pull our men back immediately. ...It's strange, Frederick... Walhart and my sister were complete opposites. One gave her life to stop a war. The other took lives to create one. And yet they both inspired those around them; both walked a path to end all war. Both lived, and died, trying to unite the people.

Lucina
Yes, Father, but as they say, the method is the message. Your father suffered from beliefs similar to Walhart, and his legacy is plain to see...

Chrom
Mmm...these are matters too weighty for this moment. There will be plenty of time for reflection now that the war is done.

>scene change

Say'ri
Sir Chrom, a thousand thanks from every Valmese couldn't repay what you did for us. But I recovered Vert, the Gemstone that was stolen from Chon'sin as a trophy.

Chrom
You're giving it to me?

Say'ri
Of course, sir. It seems the fell dragon will soon threaten us all. I would feel safer knowing the Gemstone was in your hands.

Chrom
Then so it will be. Thank you, Say'ri.

>scene change

Chrom
Are we packed and saddled? Our business in Valm is finished, but we have another task ahead. One perhaps even more dire than we faced here... To Ylisstol!

After Save Screen

Chrom
*Sigh*

Robin
I know that face... "Dueling with unpleasant thoughts," are we?

Chrom
You know me well, Robin.

Robin
Hey, remember when Lissa first brought me here? When I met all the Shepherds? And Sumia... Ha ha! Oh, what a day! ...Actually, that's my first memory, in a way.

Chrom
Heh. I suppose so. I wish all our memories since could have been as joyful.

Robin
I know... So much needless bloodshed. So many days of pain and doubt and fighting... We would have never made it without you there to guide us, you know.

Chrom
Funny. I was going to say the same to you.

Robin
I guess we really are two halves of the same whole.

Chrom
I've sent Frederick to search for Sable, the final Gemstone. And I've been reading more about the Awakening ritual. It seems that whoever attempts the rite must brave Naga's fire. If both body and spirit survive the agony, they are blessed with the dragon's power. Otherwise, the candidate...dies.

Lucina
What?! No! ...Er, that is... Father, must you attempt this?

>Lucina enters

Chrom
Eavesdropping, young lady?

Lucina
Forgive me, Father. I didn't intend to... I came to speak with you, but I couldn't find the right moment and—

Chrom
It's all right, Lucina. And yes, I'll be all right, too. I will withstand Naga's fire. I'm sure of it.

Frederick
Milord, I have returned.

>Frederick enters

Chrom
Yes, Frederick? Did you find it?

Frederick
I believe so, sire. King Validar has extended an invitation. He says Plegia has been guarding Sable, and now he wishes to return it to you.

Chrom
Validar...

Frederick
They sent word to me, milord. They must have caught wind of my search... In any case, Validar asks that you visit him in person, that he might formally present it. Perhaps needless to say, milord, but I don't like this one bit.

Chrom
Neither do I, Frederick the Wary. Neither do I. At best, it's selfish political maneuvering at a time when the world can ill afford it. At worst, our run-in with those Risen last visit was no accident... But we will meet with him. Send word at once.

Frederick
Milord, are you...certain that's wise?

Chrom
No, but we haven't time to be certain. ...And my sister never refused a diplomatic gesture, no matter how foul smelling. If he doesn't give us the stone, he may at least reveal where it is. ...Don't worry, Frederick. I'm not walking into this blindly. We will make certain everyone is armed to the teeth.

Frederick
Then the Fire Emblem, milord—you ought at least leave it behind.

Chrom
Unless that's what Validar expects, and he comes to steal it with my best men away... No, it's safest with me, for now. We'll learn the truth of Validar's motive soon enough...

>To World Map