Chapter Text
The secret city of Shambhala was a strange place to say the least. Full of mysterious contraptions, everything being lit by an ominous blue-green glow, and Agarthan weirdos slithering around in the dark. It took everything they had to infiltrate the underground city and route their enemy. But they had done it!
Ferdinand made the opening, and Edelgard did not hesitate.
“It’s over!” Edelgard shouted as she plunged Aymr into Thales’ chest.
“That’s—“ Thales coughed and blood trickled from his mouth. “That’s w-what y-you think.” He wheezed. He spat out more blood before his mouth curved into a menacing smile. With his dying breath, Thales revealed that Shambhala was set to self-destruct. His last words still rang in Ferdinand’s ears.
You only have one hour.
There was no time for celebration. An image of a destroyed Arianrhod flashed through Ferdinand’s mind. One shared look with Edelgard told him that she reached the same conclusion: they needed to leave now!
The Black Eagle Strike Force were in the process of evacuating their army, when they realized one person was still missing…
Hubert.
Ferdinand sprang back into action. Everyone who saw him tried to stop him. They all said the same things.
“It’s too late!”
“You’ll never find him in time!”
“If you go, you won’t come back!”
But it was no use. The only thing Ferdinand could hear were Thales’ words and the messager who reported that Minister Vestra was the only person unaccounted for. There wasn’t even time for goodbyes. Ferdinand knew his chances of finding one person in an entire city were next to none.
But that one person was Hubert… so he had to try.
***
When Edelgard approached Ferdinand, he was arguing with Linhardt, while simultaneously stripping off his heavy armor. It was rare hearing Linhardt raise his voice.
“—ou will be sacrificing yourself for nothing!”
“Hubert is still in the city, Linhardt! I will not leave him there! He does not even know the city is set to explode!” He unbuckled the last piece of armor and in a very un-Ferdinand-like manner, carelessly threw it to the ground.
“There isn’t enough tim—”
“Linhardt!” Ferdinand interrupted him, his voice was tinged with desperation. “Whether you like it or not, I am going to look for him. You cannot stop me! If you refuse to warp me, I will find someone else who will.” When it was clear that Linhardt was not going to help, Ferdinand turned to walk away when Edelgard stopped him.
She looked at Linhardt. “Do it.” She ordered.
“I don’t even know where to warp him! I could just end up warping him even farther away from Hubert! What if Hubert managed to escape and we just haven’t met up with him yet? Then Ferdinand will be risking his life for nothing!” Linhardt argued. His words were hollow. They all knew if Hubert really had gotten out, he would’ve been at Edelgard’s side.
“The last contact we had with Hubert was when he went to shut off the Viskam. Warp Ferdinand there.” Her voice was steady but anxious. She didn’t like this plan anymore than Linhardt, but there was no time to come up with something better.
“But—” Linhardt protested.
“That’s an order!” Edelgard commanded. Linhardt bowed his head in resignation to his emperor.
“Thank you.” Ferdinand sounded relieved. Linhardt could only stare sadly at his friend’s determined expression.
“Ferdinand, before you go…” Edelgard now faced Ferdinand. “I will expect you to meet me by the cliff where we first made camp.” She pointed to some cliffs way off in the distance. “And…I want to give you this.” Edelgard said as she carefully placed a small round stone made of glass in his hand. “Hubert gave me his last one. I know you will look for him until the last possible moment. So if you don’t f-find him…” Her voice wavered ever so slightly. “Use this to get back safely.” Ferdinand looked at the stone in his hand. Linhardt’s words from moons ago echoed in his mind.
These are warp stones. The name should be self explanatory. Just break them with your hands and think of where you want to go. You can even think of a person you want to warp to, but you’ll need to know for sure what area they are located in, so it’s much less reliable. They can only be used once and will only warp one person. But they’re very powerful. They can warp a person over much longer distances than a regular warp spell. And the user doesn’t need to use any of their own magic so anyone can use one. Now that you have these, you don’t need to always rely on me to warp you wherever you need to go. But they’re a real pain to make so they should only be used for emergencies. Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m off to take a nap.
Ferdinand wanted to give it back to her. He was going to come back with Hubert, or not at all. But he didn’t have any time to keep arguing so he slipped it into his pocket without protest. “I will find him.” Ferdinand steeled himself as if preparing for another battle. There was no hint of uncertainty in his voice. There wasn’t time for hesitation. He was going to bring Hubert back because failure was not an option. “And I will bring him back.” Without warning, Edelgard pulled him into a quick hug.
“Good luck. Please bring my friend back to me.” She whispered before letting go and stepping away. Ferdinand nodded his thanks.
“I am ready.” Ferdinand announced.
Linhardt nodded and cast Warp. In a burst of light, Ferdinand was gone.
Linhardt and Edelgard just stared at the spot where their friend had just been standing moments ago. Finally Linhardt spoke solemnly. “We shouldn’t have let him go. What if we lose them both?”
“Ferdinand has that warp stone. He can get out.” Edelgard said. Whether she was trying to reassure Linhardt or herself, she wasn’t so sure.
“It’s still a huge risk. What if he doesn’t use it in time?”
“You saw that look in his eyes.” Edelgard said as she turned to look at him, her face sad. “Nothing in all of Fódlan was going to stop him from trying.” Linhardt knew she was right. But now wasn’t the time to mourn. They were all still in danger. Linhardt sighed.
“We can’t stay here. We need to get everyone to a safer location.”
***
If Ferdinand had to guess, his time was almost out. He knew it would’ve been faster to search on horseback, but he couldn’t take his beloved steed Pearl on such a dangerous mission. At least he removed all his armor so he could move faster. He knew his chances of coming out alive were next to none, but that only pushed him to keep moving. He ran through the underground city, only stopping to check the bodies clothed in black, which was unfortunately most of them. He navigated through Shambhala’s dark passageways for what felt like hours.
“HUUUUBBBERRRTT!” He yelled for the umpteenth time. “WHERE ARE YOU?!” And then he saw it.
A flicker of purple light. A Miasma ∆ spell! Ferdinand had never run so fast in his life.
When he finally found Hubert, for a terrifying moment he thought he might already be too late. Hubert was leaning against a wall, slumped over like he had fallen asleep. He had several deep gashes on his leg, his nose was bleeding, and his clothes were charred and smoking from being hit with multiple spells. His tome lay in tatters next to him. At least he looked better than the enemy corpse nearby that had clearly taken that last Miasma ∆ spell head on.
“Hubert!” Ferdinand exclaimed as he ran to Hubert’s side. Much to his relief, Hubert’s eyes fluttered open.
“F-Ferdinand?” Hubert rasped.
“Oh Hubert, thank the goddess, I found you!” Ferdinand smiled, but it quickly turned into a look of worry. “We have to get out of here! There is not much time left! You must cast Warp—”
But Hubert shook his head. “I-I can’t. No magic left…” Hubert trailed off.
“You must try!” Ferdinand implored.
“I already d-did.” Hubert was clearly exhausted. He could barely keep his eyes open, much less perform a complex warp spell. Ferdinand’s eyes widened at the realization that they were both trapped. Or were they? Ferdinand would have to make a choice.
At least it is an easy one.
“Did you find Thales? Where’s H-Her Maj—“ Hubert began.
“Shhhh.” Ferdinand placed his finger lightly over Hubert’s lips. “Thales is no more and Edelgard is well. There is nothing you need to worry about except returning safely.” He took Hubert’s hand in his and placed a quick but hopefully reassuring kiss on his fingers. “She waits for you. All of the Black Eagles wait for you.” Then he tightly clasped Hubert’s hand with both of his.
“Ferdinand, y-you're squeezing…hand t-too tight.” Was all Hubert could murmur.
“I know, and I am sorry. But right now, I need you to imagine you are at Edelgard’s side. She will meet you by the cliffs where we first made camp. ”
“Cliffs…Her...Majesty…” Hubert murmured.
“Yes, exactly. Just keep thinking of her. She needs you.” Ferdinand said softly. “I am just glad I got to see you…one last time.” He gave Hubert’s hand a final hard squeeze before letting go. The last thing Hubert saw was the golden chain around Ferdinand’s neck, on which hung a single golden key. And then Hubert felt himself warp.
The moment Hubert vanished, Ferdinand felt his eyes fill with tears. Whether it was relief that Hubert was safe or fear of his own inevitable end, Ferdinand wasn’t sure. But it didn’t matter. All Ferdinand could do was whisper his last word that would never be heard by another soul.
“Goodbye.”
***
Edelgard now stood miles away, safely out of range from the predicted blast radius at the edge of a cliff looking towards the direction of Shambhala. Linhardt stood beside her. Time was almost up. She sensed a person warping behind her. Only one.
She didn’t know if she could face Ferdinand. She didn’t want to see the look of devastation that she knew he would have on his face. The look, she knew, would mirror her own.
“Your M-Majesty?”
That’s not Ferdinand’s voice!
She spun around and gasped. Hubert was on the ground looking…pretty terrible actually. But he was here! And he was alive! She rushed to his side, lifted him into a sitting position, and wrapped him in her arms. She was so relieved to see Hubert, it didn’t occur to her that he returned alone.
“Hubert! I thought I’d never see you again!” Edelgard exclaimed, her words were filled with relief.
“Oh good, you actually made it,” said Linhardt, who had knelt to Hubert’s other side and began casting faith spells on the worst of his injuries. “How do you feel?”
“Like I was just trampled by a Demonic Beast.” Hubert grumbled. He unsuccessfully tried to stand, but Edelgard held him by the shoulder to keep him from getting up.
“Stay still, Hubert.” Edelgard insisted, then she turned her attention to Linhardt. “Is he going to be okay?”
“He’ll live. But we should get him to a healer’s tent. He must be pretty lightheaded from losing so much blood and he’s exhausted from overexerting his magic. I’m surprised he managed to cast a warp spell without completely passing out.” Linhardt evaluated.
“..didn’t…cast.” Hubert mumbled. He closed his eyes to stop the world from spinning.
“What?” Both Edelgard and Linhardt said in unison.
“I d-didn’t cast Warp.” Hubert said, doing his best to ignore the pain.
“But then—“ Edelgard started.
“Edelgard!”
There was something in Linhardt’s voice that had Hubert on high alert. Because Linhardt rarely sounded nervous. Hubert forced his eyes open. The looks on his two friends’ faces told him that something wasn’t right. He followed their gazes where his hand had fallen and was now resting on his thigh. Then he realized there was a tiny object in his lap. It was so small he hadn’t even noticed it. He picked it up to get a closer look.
A fragment…from a warp stone?
“I thought you said you gave me your last warp stone.” Edelgard said uneasily.
“I did.” Hubert confirmed. “I don’t know where this one came from.”
“Hubert…did-did you happen to see Ferdinand?” Linhardt asked hesitantly.
Hubert closed his eyes again, trying to recall the last few minutes. His mind was still busy trying to process everything that had happened in Shambhala.
“I think so...I was attacked after I shut off the Viskam. Barely got away. Magic all used up.” Hubert started massaging his temples trying to remember. “Then Ferdinand was there… and now I’m here. Don’t know where this…” he held up the stone shard. “...came from.”
He opened his eyes to look at Edelgard. “It is as you said, I gave you my last warp stone.”
“And I gave it to Ferdinand…” Edelgard whispered, the look of shock on her face told Hubert something was very wrong. He gave her a questioning look, but Linhardt answered for her.
“We had to evacuate Shambhala. You were the only person unaccounted for. So Ferdinand went back to look for you. Alone.” Hubert didn’t like Linhardt’s somber tone and Edelgard’s troubled expression.
“And then he used the warp stone on me…” Hubert said as he started putting the pieces together. “That…that…” Hubert struggled to find the right word. “That…reckless imbecile!” Hubert missed the shared look between Edelgard and Linhardt. “So Ferdinand took it upon himself to search an entire city for one person?! And he used his only warp stone on me, when…when he can’t even warp himself?! What kind of foolish plan is that? Why must he be so impatient? And now he’s in that death trap of a city all alone? That moron!”
Hubert immediately tried to warp back to where he left Ferdinand, only to feel the magic in his body fizzle out. “Damnit!” He struggled to get to his feet. He stumbled a bit, but his frustration towards Ferdinand’s idiotic plan was giving him strength. (Or was it fear?)
When he finally managed to stand, he felt nauseous. But he pushed through it and turned to Linhardt. “Warp me back to the Viskam!” Hubert ordered. Linhardt had also stood up, but he made no sign that he heard Hubert. He just stared at the ground. “Linhardt! Warp me! Now!” Hubert ordered in frustration. He grabbed Linhardt’s shoulders forcing him to look him in the eye. He expected to see Linhardt’s usual passive expression. So he was surprised when Linhardt gave him a sad look.
“I’m sorry, Hu—“
“Don’t apologize! Just do it!” Instead of answering, Linhardt just slowly shook his head before he then exchanged a look with Edelgard. It was clear that neither of them would help him. “Fine!” Hubert growled. “If you won’t do it, I’ll find someone else.” Irritated, Hubert spun around to look for another magic user.
“Hubert, wait!” Edelgard called after him. He could hear Edelgard following behind him. For once he didn’t slow down to allow her to match his pace. Lucky for her, he couldn’t move very fast so she caught up to him easily.
“I’m going after him!” Hubert announced without turning around.
“Hubert, you can’t!” Edelgard sounded almost distressed.
“Your Majesty, I have to go. It’s dangerous for anyone to be down there alone. He’ll probably get lost or set off a trap—”
“Hubert, wait!” She grabbed his arm. He turned to look at her. The desperation in his face broke her heart.
Hubert’s voice now sounded frantic. “I’m sorry, Your Majesty. But I can’t leave him there! I won’t leave him there!”
“Hubert, you don’t understand! Shambhala is going t—”
Edelgard’s next words were drowned out by a deafening blast.
Time had run out.
***
Hubert had seen the aftermath at Arianrhod after it had been struck by the javelins of light. He had seen the destruction the Agarthans were capable of. But when the dust settled, nothing could have prepared him for the scene of absolute annihilation that now stood before him. Their enemy had been thorough. There was no trace of Shambhala. No sign that it ever existed. Everything as far as the eye could see had been destroyed. Everything was gone.
Ferdinand was gone.