"There comes a time when the fate of thousands is changed in the space of a moment, certainty suddenly disappears and the future suddenly becomes clouded. I should know I was there in the mist of one of those moments. It's certainly one of the most frightening experiences one can go through; they come without any sort of warning and rob you of all sense of security and control.

Gallia was at peace, or close to it. The Imperials had been driven out and reeling from a federation counter attack, and the civil war was behind us for the most part. The nation was still on alert, after all the federation had attempted to take our country from us, though from what I understood the Federation public didn't react well when they discovered that their government had supported a faction which actively pursued genocide.

Yet as we rebuilt, dark forces began to stir, and everything we knew changed."

-An extract from the memoirs of 2nd Lieutenant Ander Ulmenholz

Plegia

Aversa and Gangrel regarded the mage in front of them with interest. He wasn't too different from the dark mages that were often found in Plegia's lands. He wore dark red robes, trimmed with silver, his head was cleanly shaven. Aversa had once remarked that if it reflected the light any brighter, it could be considered a second moon. His eyes were a deep violet, like the intricate writhing tattoos that covered his face

There was no doubt that Zarik was a clever man, clever enough to understand that you shouldn't bother the king of Plegia unless it was worth risking angering him.

Sufficient to say that he had Gangrel's undivided attention and Aversa's interest. After he finished his explanation Gangrel leaned forwards on his throne. "So as I understand you have discovered a new mineral, one which can enhance one's magic greatly."

Zarik smiled. "Indeed, this 'Storm Iron', I call it, theoretically it has the potential to allow spellcasters of any skill level to conjure spells which can eclipse those found tomes." He explained before a hand slipped into his robes, before producing a shard of blue glowing rock. Aversa's eyes followed it intently, like a cat following a small rodent it had never seen before.

"But allow me to demonstrate." He said as he held the the shard of Storm Iron in front of him. The arcane glyphs that helped humans channel magic materialised around the dark mage, yet instead of glowing yellow they glowed a brilliant white. Suddenly a roaring pillar of fire manafested between him and the spectating royals. When it died down the Plegian king was grinning.

"With enough of this in our hands, Yissle will be on it's knees, begging to us to forget our little disagreement; offering every pitiful concession for peace." The king's eyes were filled with glee now that his victory was not only possible, but probable. Revenge and victory might smell like burnt carpet, but to Gangrel it was as sweet as anything. However Aversa knew that there was a catch.

"How do we obtain more of this vaunted mineral?" She questioned. Zarik sighed as he pocketed the Storm Iron, confirming her suspicions.

"The little I found was located in the Grey Valley." He stated, the grey valley was a small valley located near the inland sea and worryingly close to Regna Ferox, however the valley's narrow pathways meant that moving any army of significant size extremely difficult, no to mention that they would be at the least opportune area when they came out, but it was easy to defend in theory. However it's isolated nature meant that it was difficult to keep a fort there supplied, though the Ylissians attempted to do so at one point it was since long abandoned.

"Full scale mining operation there is ill advised and wouldn't yield a large amount, but I discovered a portal to another land, and I after using a enhanced version of the drowsing spell I used to locate the sample in the grey valley, I have reason to believe that it's rich with Storm Iron." Zarik stated.

The king paused for a moment for he gave the order. "Get me more Storm Iron, weather this new land wants to surrender it, or not."

Zarik smiled. He would do so, but not for Plegia.

For Grima he would retrieve the Storm Iron.

Gallia

Ander yawned, he had felt like he had forgotten what peaceful was, but now he was back in his home town of Straban, he now remembered.

He was a fairly average Galian young man, short but messy dark brown hair covered his head, his eyes were a fetching shade of hazel and his complexion was sharp and elegant. Cloths wise he wore simple blue trousers, a plain green shirt and a simple brown jacket, his dog tags stuffed underneath his shirt. It felt nice to be out of the uniform for once. That being said he often woke up not knowing what to do with the spare time he now had.

He reminded himself how lucky he was to receive leave time in the first place, even though the Imperial Alliance's forces had seemingly given up on taking Galia, there were still threats to the nation's security thanks to the remnants of the so-called Gallian Revolutionary Army who had refused to surrender unlike the majority of their comrades (how you could call yourself 'Revolutionary' when you're ideals outdated was a mystery to him).

Of course he wasn't just here to enjoy fresh air and walk down cobbled streets, his younger sister, Maria, had been taken ill. While in the doctor had expressed in his letter that her sickness was thankfully not life threatening, it could potentially have life changing consequences. As a result Ander had asked for leave time so that he could check on Maria and Gran.

He stopped when he heard irregular footsteps before turning around. He spun round to see to see, much to his annoyance and his surprise, Maria.

His 15 year old sister was certainly recognisable as being related to him, despite being noticeably shorter than him, with the same shade of brown hair as him and the same hazel eyes. She was dressed in a long white dress and wore simple slip on shoes. She looked decidedly pale, to the point where he wasn't completely sure if the dress was paler than her skin.

He sighed, somewhat annoyed. "Maria, you're not well enough, you need your bed rest." He said, exasperated.

"I'm fine." She replied quietly swaying slightly. Ander steadied his sister before speaking in a decisive tone. One that clearly stated that his word was final, no matter what protests Maria offered.

"While I do admire your determination, in this state your only going to hurt yourself. Now let's get you back to Gran then we'll sort out breakfast. Okay?"

The younger Ulmenholz, didn't say anything and let herself be led back to her home. She knew that it was an exercise in futility to argue with her brother, besides chances are they would be having pancakes for breakfast.

Ergrat rolled his shoulders as he as he awaited for the mage to complete his little ritual.

The commander was clearly a warrior, dressed in undectorated plate armour wearing a red cape with his reliable blade at his side. With a thick mane of blond hair and a beard it was no wonder he was often likened to a lion, and that was before you factored in his brutal way of fighting.

Of course he was not a commander of Plegia's forces because of his brute strength. His strategy were straight forward but effective, he knew that warfare was about ensuring that the enemy broke first and he knew how to spot a weak point and he knew how to exploit one so that his foes would break before him. His straight forward merciless approach to battle made him a favourite of Gangrel.

However his love of efficiency put him at odds with Zarik, he knew that the mage liked to pursue his own goals over other objectives. Ergrat suspected that Zarik wasn't as loyal to the king as he said he was, in fact he wasn't sure Aversa was completely loyal as well. Still he could put them to the blade later should they turn against his king. Right now the situation demanded that he wait for Zarik to complete his work so that he could move the rest of his forces over to this land. Gangrel had transferred some forces that were going to be used for the ambush of the Exalt over to securing the Storm Iron, if that didn't cement how important Zarik's incursion was to Gangrel, then nothing would.

As he waited he looked at the surroundings of this new land. They were surrounded by grassy fields which seemed to be flat, a few clusters of flowers dotted the field, like spots of paint on a green canvas. A way beyond was a small town. Surprisingly it had no walls and only one major vantage point, if you counted the windmill nearby.

Such a poorly defended town would be the perfect place to establish a foothold.

Suddenly purple light shone behind him, he smiled.

This land would tremble before Plegia's might.

Ander lingered around the market as he waited for the stalls to open. Despite having to escort Maria back home, he was still early and the various vendors were still setting up there stalls ready for market day.

While Ander had undoubtedly felt at ease in the barracks, Straban held a special place in his heart. To him it was everything he sought to protect. Straban was a small market town situated close to the heart of Gallia. Peaceful but it still held a certain energy, it was often dubbed 'the hidden gem of Gallia' and people from almost all walks of life rubbed shoulders.

During the Imperial Alliance's invasion they had mostly bypassed it, though when they did attempt to march through the town to join the forces that would attack Randgriz they found themselves ambushed by stubborn Millita. Despite being let off lightly during the invasion it hadn't been spared during the civil war and the scars of GRA attacks could still be seen, with some buildings still covered in scaffolding and floral tributes for fallen soldiers and civilian victims were found at many street corners. Yet Straban stood strong against all odds.

"Hey Ander."

He looked up to see a woman, a year or two his senior standing before him as well as a man a little younger than him. Both had short grey hair and brown eyes. Both wore Galian military uniform, vehicle crew uniform to be exact, the woman was the rank of Sargent as indicated by her badge and also carried a pair of binoculars in a case slung around her shoulder while the man was a corporal.

Ander smiled, he knew these two. Cathrine Weisswald and Kallum Zackary, he had trained alongside before they were transferred to another division and saw brief action together sometime afterwards during the civil war.

Cathrine had the bad habit of being a pessimist, often expecting the worst, which honestly wasn't the worst trait someone could have until you realised that it impacted her abilities. However she was an exemplary light tank commander and during the conflict with the GRA she was able to knock out a heavy tank B, after a bit of motivation, luck and fancy driving from Kallum.

Kallum meanwhile was the quiet type, rarely speaking and just getting on with the job at hand. His rather creative use of the handbrake, as well as some excellent coordination with Cathrine, had greatly aided the two, though they were also a nightmare for the maintenance crew who had to replace the tracks after their stunts.

"Hey Cath, hey Kallum, you two doing alright?"

Catherine nodded as she rested her arms behind her head. "Yup, we're finishing helping refitting a tank so that it fits in with the new standards laid out by the new maintenance plan."

"That and training the new crew." Kallum added.

"Yup. The sooner they're ready, the better. I have no doubt that we're going to see trouble sooner rather than later." Catherine finished in a matter-of-factly tone of voice. Promoting Ander to raise an eyebrow.

"You know it's not a healthy attitude." He chided, folding his arms and leaning to the side a bit. "I know that 'hope for the best, but prepare for the worst' are the words I live by, but looking at the horizon and- what the hell?"

A bright violet light glowed somewhere on the distant hills beyond the town. Already a crowd was gathering at the edge of the town, with more and more being drawn towards it like moths to a candle. Already there were questioning mutters as they looked on. The trio of soldiers slowly approached the crowd themselves to catch sight of the strange phenomenon and were able to get to the front of the crowd

"That isn't a flare." Ander muttered, Catherine rolled her eyes in response.

"Thank you for that brilliant insight, Staff Sargent Obvious." The tank officer muttered as she began to pull out her binoculars.

The glow began to take shape, for lack of a better term, it began to form something akin to a frame which, in turn seemed to take the form of an archway. Then slowly the frame filled in with rock and iron. The crowd watched in astonishment as the archway materialised, before long it looked like it had always been there. In the middle seemed to be a dark void with a single prick of light.

Then men began to walk out of the archway and assemble in formation. Many were armoured and carried a collection spears, axes and swords while others carried bows and quivers full of arrows while a few road dragon like creatures the size of horses and swooped through the air while a few wore robes.

Fear permeated the air before the ringing of an alarm bells sounded out.

"All civilians! Please prepare to evacuate! This is not a drill!"

The crowd hurriedly began to move to the evacuation zones as the town watch began to mobile en-mass. Orders were shouted as they got into position.

"You there! Fortify 2nd street!"

"Contact the military! Tell them that we are under attack and that we we need re-enforcements!"

"That's our cue to get the tank ready." Cathrine muttered before she tapped Kallum's shoulder before the two ran off, preparing their own contribution to the defence.

Ander looked at the gathering unknown enemy force. His home had been attacked once and he hadn't been there.

He clenched his fists as he walked towards one of the town watch soldiers. A captain with a impressive grey beard known as Zackary, a veteran.

"Sir! My name is Staff Sargent Ander Ulmenholz." He announced, standing to attention. "I would like to aid in the defence of my home!"

Zackary looked at him, even though he had only recently 'came out of retirement' (he was still close to his physical prime despite looking otherwise) to lead the town watch. Yet he knew that Ander was a professional soldier since he had helped him enlist. "Ander? I should have guessed you would volunteer despite being on leave." He smiled slightly.

"Go to the town watch base and tell them that I sent you and that you've volunteered, they'll give you a spare rifle."

Zarik couldn't help but smile like the cat that had caught the dove as the Plegian forces prepared for the coming battle. Everything was going according to plan, his plan. Oh, if he could see the look on Validar's face if he saw the fruits of his labour.

His smile disappeared, Validar was the whole reason why he was here. His failure to kill the Exalt had cost the Grimaleal many of their finest agents, worse still was the fact that the surviving spies and assassins were now in jeopardy, it would only be a matter of time before the Yissleans flushed them out.

Why Validar was still alive was a mystery to him. Though he claimed that he was saved by the fell dragon so he could carry out his wishes and herald in his rebirth, Zarik knew that this wasn't the case, he knew that either the brat's blade had either been off, or Grima had allowed him to live so he could suffer his humiliating defeat. In Zarik's eyes Validar's lineage was at its end and the Grimleal needed a new leader.

So when Gangrel gave his permission to claim the Storm Iron for Plegia, he decided to use the opportunity to prove that he was the better leader. Using a few favours he manage to secretly divert some of the wyvern riders from the mission to capture Emmeryn to his cause. By doing this he had not only bolstered his forces but also sabotaged the mission, dooming it to failure, sure they might kill some Pegasus Knights but the Exalt would escape. It helped that Ergrat believed his cover story that Gangrel had sent them.

Of course he had been careful, heads would roll for the 'breakdown in communications', but not his. He would ensure that his loose ends would be tied up nicely while the last few threats to him would be gone.

He looked at the Storm Iron in his hand, it was only glowing dimly after stabilising the gateway, yet considering that this was only a shard and it had allowed him to do something which would have required dozens skilled mages, it had certainly proved its value.

His smile returned when he heard the roar of the Wyverns, the vanguard of the force, as they prepared there assault. Now it was only a matter of time...

Ander ran down the cobbled road, silently thanking his training officer for putting him through torturous physical training.

Before long he reached the town watch base. It was a fairly unremarkable building at first glance, with whitewashed stone and clay tiled roofing, if it wasn't for the sign with the town watch insignia Ander might have missed it. When he arrived there was already a large gathering of Town watch members hurriedly gearing themselves up for the battle before organising themselves into squads.

He made haste towards a woman in town watch uniform handing out weaponry to various town watch members. Loose blonde hair from beneath her helmet. Blue eyes regarded Ander with a piercing gaze.

"Let me guess, a volunteer." It was less of a guess more of a statement. He nodded as the woman handed an old sub machine gun to a town watch soldier.

Ander nodded. "Yes, I was sent by the captain, I was visiting on leave."

The woman sighed before she handed him a Galia-6 rifle and several spare clips. "Head to the old farm house on the north east side of town and reinforce the squad there." She ordered, giving him a small Ragnaid canister. "And for the love of everything holy don't feel you have to play the hero! I know you're a soldier but you no one's a hero just because they died or a coward for choosing to live, got it?"

"Yes ma'am!" He answered quickly before he turned and began to run down the road. He knew that the town watch soldier was correct, but if today was his day to die, then it was his day to die. He needed to protect his home.

Yes he was a stubborn bastard, but right now that wasn't what mattered.

Suddenly a shrieking roar sounded right above him as one of the dragon riders suddenly swooped down towards him, viscous talons outstretched as the masked rider upon its back raised his viscous looking axe in his right hand.

Acting on instinct, Ander threw himself leftwards, a powerful gust of wind from the beast's leathery wings whipped against his back, he could have sworn that he felt the dragon's claws narrowly miss his shoulder. He felt the cold, lumpy cobble stones as he curled up his body, slamming into the road before he rolled to a kneeling position.

The rider, obviously realising that the narrow street prevented him from wheeling round to have another attempt at striking Ander, and was now hurtling towards the squad of town watch soldiers.

He drew his rifle to his shoulder and yelled out at the top of his voice.

"INCOMING!"

Whether the warning was necessary was debatable, Ander was so caught up on trying to line up a good shot on the dragon riding aggressor he wasn't quite sure whether if his comrades had seen the threat. What was important was the town watch had begun to bring their guns to bear and that the dragon rider realised that he was in serious danger.

The dragon rider pulled up at the last moment, it's claws lashed against an unfortunate soldier, ripping through their coat and staining it red. However their comrades retaliated as he attempted to escape, the air was suddenly rent with the sharp cracking sound of gunshots.

The rider was able to jinx out of the way of the initial barrage of rifle fire, while Ander struggled to line up a shot, however their luck ran out when the soldier who had been given a SMG opened fire. The volley of rounds made short work of the rider's leather armour and the dragon's tough hide. The dragon sailed over the soldiers and the crashed into the street, dead along with it's rider.

Ander stood up and was about to leave , however he paused to look back to see who had been hit.

He saw a soldier take out a Ragnaid canister to treat his wounded comrade, the woman who had handed him the rifle.

He tightened his grip on the rifle before he turned and began to run through the streets. He should have acted quicker.

He turned and began to run through the streets. The distant sound of gunfire fillin the air as the battle for Straban began.

AN: after playing fire emblem awakening, and watching a ton of VC videos, I've decided, screw it, I'm going to do a FE:A and VC crossover!

A few things that I'm going to quickly note here, mostly for my sake:

1. This story will be mostly focusing on a small squad of Gallian OCs, more on those later, and on Robin.

2. This is definitely going to be an alternate timeline in the FE:A universe, those of you that have keen eyes will have spotted where it diverges.

3. The Robin in this story will be currently based on the avatar I'm currently using, more on her later.

Anyway I hope you enjoy, please review, favourite or follow, or any combination of the three or all of them.