A World of Crests and Creatures

Chapter 1

How They Came To This Land

Many years ago…

Two armies met at a field. Rain poured, muddying the ground and punctuating the atmosphere. The two armies consisted of armored warriors brandishing swords, shields, lances, and axes. However, with them were strange creatures that also wore armor. They all had different appearances. Some looked more humanoid, others were more beast like in appearance. They also looked as if they were tied to a particular element or state of being. The creatures that bore armor had either humanoid appearances or their bodies could easily be wounded, while others bore natural armor that was almost impenetrable.

With the flash of lighting and crack of thunder as a cue, both armies rushed towards each other. Their weapons drawn, intent on defeating the other. Some commanded the creatures to attack specific targets, others locked in battle with the opposing forces' creatures. Both man and beast knew they were fighting and complex commands were not necessary.

At the forefront of one army stood a green haired woman. It was obvious by her presence that she led one of the armies. At her side was an orange dragon with small wings and two antenna on its head. She was equipped with a curving sword and small shield, which she deftly used to cut down anyone who challenged her. She commanded the orange with expertise, not wasting any time for it to defeat large hordes of enemies. The opposing forces's creatures tried to defeat it, but they too fell to the dragon's might.

As the battle continued, the grey sky seemed to turn red. It caught the attention of everyone on the battlefield making them stare towards the sky. The green haired woman's brows furrowed in angry recognition. The red then seemed to fall from the sky, with lighting behind it. The light then crashed to the ground causing a blaze and incinerating anyone caught in it. When the flames dissipated, an older man appeared kneeling in front of a sword that seemed to be made of bone. Behind him was a creature, skin a darker orange, draconic in appearance, with a fire tipped tail. However, that was not what made him menacing. Flying above the man and dragon was a pitch black creature. It's white eyes glowed, as well as its blue tipped horn. It's strong wings kept it in the air, as well as the electricity circling it. At the ends of its arms were a sort of webbed formations with claws underneath it. It's most striking feature was its tail which looked cone shaped and glowed blue; likely generating its power.

The man quickly surveyed the battlefield and with a simple lift of his hand, the creatures launched themselves into battle. Both creatures decimated anything in their path with flames and electricity. The woman then ordered her own dragon into battle, but she knew hers would be no match for the pitch black creature. With a yell, she pointed her sword towards the sky and in the distance something seemed to roar.

Cloaked in flames, a pure white creature appeared on the battlefield. Compared to the black creature, the white one was slimmer in appearance. Its arms were also its wings, which glowed red with fire. Its tail was similar to the black creature's, except it was not pointed, from it fire burst. The woman then pointed her sword toward the black creature, which already had its eyes on the white one. Understanding its orders, the white creature launched into battle against the black creature; while the two smaller dragons battled each other.

The man and the woman locked eyes and knew they were each others opponents. The woman sprinted towards the man, while the man readied his blade. However, the blade seemed to segment and the man used the sword as a whip. The woman used the shield to block the first strike and continued her charge. The man used the sword-whip again, this time coiling around the woman's sword. The woman stopped her advance and tried to get her sword free from the coil. However, the man tried to pull the woman towards him and with his superior strength he was succeeding. The woman then used a split second opening to pull hard and managed to get the sword free from the man's grip. The woman discarded her sword and shield and sprinted towards the man, drawing a dagger in the process.

The man's orange dragon saw that its master was in danger and flew towards him, readying a large blast of fire. However, it was cut off by the woman's dragon who fired an electrical strike point blank. Before the attack fired, the orange dragon fired the strongest fire attack it could muster. The two attacks collided, causing an explosion of fire and electricity. The two dragons fell from the sky and crashed to the ground, unmoving.

The black and white creatures continued their battle, neither had the upper hand. Both launched fire and electricity at the other, attacks the made even the sky shake. The two creatures noticed each other's master were in danger, but knew their battle was of priority.

The woman tackled the man and held her dagger in the air. She then brought it down, cursing the man as she repeatedly stabbed him. Blood soaked the woman's armor, clothes, and hands. When she knew the man was dead, she tossed the dagger aside. With a final crack of thunder and flash of lightning, the rain ceased and the clouds parted revealing the setting sun.

The two creatures roared, realizing that the battle was over. The two then began to curl into a ball and slowly transformed into black and white spheres respectively. Around the woman and the man, the battle had stopped. Both sides had stopped fighting since the two leaders met in combat.

The woman then picked up the man's blade and held it close, blood staining her cheek.

"He's gone now, Mother," the woman said.

"My lady," a soldier said holding out the black and white spheres.

"Thank you for protecting me, Reshiram," the woman said kindly as she caressed the white sphere.

"What shall we do with the black one?" the soldier asked.

The woman glanced back to the man's corpse, then back to the black sphere. He expression hardened at the sight of the sphere, because of the memories it triggered. "Seal it away. Make sure no one can summon it."

The soldier nodded and turned away from the woman. She stood up and walked towards the still unmoving forms of the two dragons. She placed a hand on the lighter orange dragon, feeling as it took its final breaths. She had a sad smile on her face, knowing the dragon would not rise again.

"Thank you, Dragonite. You were an excellent partner, and an even better friend."

The dragon let out a low groan before taking its final breath. The woman could feel the tears as they fell, the loss of her friend was even more painful than she had anticipated. She turned to the other orange dragon, sadness washed over the anger she felt towards the creature. Despite its master, the creature was not deserving of such hatred. She placed a hand on the dragon, also knowing it would not rise again.

"Despite who your master was, you served him well. It's a pity your life must end here too," the woman said in a sorrowful tone.

The dragon also let out a groan, as it attempted to roar, and let out its final breath as well.

"What shall we do with them?" another soldier asked.

"We'll bury both. It's the least we can do for them," the woman said.

The battle was over and enemy was vanquished. Since Reshiram had turned into a sphere it likely meant she would not have been needed for a long time. The woman knew it would be a long time before Reshiram would return. Reshiram had always protected the people of her family, so she knew it would return when it needed protection again.

—

Many years later…

A young boy ran through a forest. He pushed aside brush and branches as to not impede his run. He looked back, but no one was there. However, he knew he was being chased. He had to get away. He just had to. Where he had been, was a place no one wanted to be.

I'm sorry sisters. I can't stay.

He continued to run in whatever direction was needed for him to get away from his pursuers.

The boy was about seven years old. He had long, light green hair tied in a small pony tail. He wore a simple white shirt with a black one underneath. He wore white pants as well. However, it was torn as he was running through forest brush. His skin was cut too and he bled from cuts that were deeper than others, as well as his feet due to running barefoot. Around his neck was a necklace, where a small black sphere dangled from. He had it for as long as he could remember. As well as a cube that he had to leave behind.

It felt like he had been running for days, which was true. He barely had time to eat, much less rest. His pursuers were intent on catching him. When he reached the edge of the forest, he felt like it would only be a matter of time before he was caught. However, the edge of the forest was not an open field, it was the edge of a cliff. At the bottom was a river. The boy had no idea what to do next. He knew his partner would stay by his side, but his pursuers were bound to catch up.

"There he his!" a voice from the forest called out.

The boy looked down and he could feel the vertigo begin to creep up.

It's my only option. I'm sorry, sisters.

The boy then leapt off the cliff, plummeting to the waters below. He could hear his pursuers say something, but he could not hear them. The adrenaline and fear made him deaf. The boy collided with the water and he black out.

Someone, please. Help.

—-

"We'll set up camp here. See if you can find anything edible," a man said to the group he was with.

"Yes, sir!" those present said.

The man was Jeralt Eisner, and older man with blonde hair and many scares. He was the leader of a mercenary group. After finishing their recent employment, the mercenaries were returning to the more populated regions of Fodlan. Their assignment had taken them a lot farther away than he had anticipated, but the pay was better than most jobs they took.

After removing the equipment he kept on his horse, a Mudsdale, he began to set up a portion of the camp. Off to the side was his daughter, Byleth, who sat under a tree, while an Eevee she had befriended during the mission played around her. He watched her with a worried expression. She looked like she was playing with the fluffy creature, but her expression said other wise. It was blank, devoid of any emotion. It had worried him that she was like that, and he made an effort to try and figure out what emotion she was likely feeling. However, he knew that she had connected to the Eevee the moment she met it. He smiled and walked over to the two.

"You two seem to be having fun," Jeralt said with a chuckle.

Byleth looked up and nodded. That was something else that worried him. The girl barely spoke. She would either nod or give very short answers to questions.

"Eevee!" the creature said as it nuzzled Jeralt.

Jeralt bent down and pet the creature. He was glad Byleth had Eevee. He had assumed because Byleth was so emotionless, it would be difficult for her to make friends. Eevee, however, bonded with her almost immediately.

"Jeralt, sir! We found something you need to see," a mercenary called out.

Jeralt nodded and turned to Byleth. "Stay here with Eevee."

Byleth nodded and picked up Eevee as she got closer to her.

Satisfied, Jeralt stood up grabbed his lance, told Mudsdale to keep watch over Byleth, and followed the mercenary.

"What did you find?" Jeralt asked.

"You're not going to believe it."

The two made it to the river bank, where a group of his mercenaries were huddled around something. Jeralt rose an eyebrow, whatever they were huddled around seemed to worry them.

"What did you find?"

The group looked up to see their leader walking towards them.

"We found this boy," one mercenary said as he stepped aside.

Jeralt saw the boy in question and rushed to his side. He looked up to those gathered, and they knew he wanted to know what had happened.

"He's alive, but cold. When he spit up water, he mumbled something before passing out."

"Get back to camp and get a fire going. Try to find as much food as possible, this kid will likely wake up hungry," Jeralt ordered.

"Yes, sir!"

As the group dispersed, Jeralt look back towards the boy. He wondered where he had come from. If he was found at the bank of the river, it was likely he had drifted down it. Jeralt was surprised the boy was even alive. However, he was still prepared to face the worst. Jeralt let out a sigh and picked up the boy.

"Just where did you come from, kid?" Jeralt asked a loud.

As night fell, everyone seemed more relaxed since they found the boy. For some reason, Byleth did not keep her eyes off the boy. Her Eevee seemed to understand as well and curled up next to the boy to help with the warmth. Jeralt still had to wonder where the boy came from. There were not too many villages near by, not this far away from a more populated city. He hoped the boy was not dead, the steady breathing of the boy proved he was still alive. He turned his attention back to his mercenary band, wondering where their next stop would be.

Byleth, meanwhile, continued to stare at the boy. His sudden appearance had thrown everyone for a loop, even her. She also noticed, since the boy's appearance, a Pidgey had perched itself on the nearest tree and stared at the boy. Her eyes darted to the Pidgey again and it had not moved. The sound of a groan made her attention shift back to the boy. His face scrunched up as his eyes slowly began to open. Byleth tugged on her father's sleeve to get his attention.

Jeralt turned to his daughter to see that the boy was beginning to wake. The boys eyes then shot open and he sat straight up.

"Where am I?" the boy asked aloud.

He turned his head to where the fire was coming to see a large group of people. His expression instantly changed from confusion to absolute fear. He quickly stood up and backed away from everyone.

"Who are you people? Don't take me back to Pl-" Before the boy could finish, he began to cough violently.

"Easy kid. We found by the river bank, unconscious."

"Please don't take me back," the boy said in between coughs.

"We don't even know where you came from," Jeralt replied.

The boy scanned everyone. The fact that they wore armor and held weapons did not ease his fears. Jeralt noticed this, he could tell the boy did not believe him. He had not idea what place could instill so much fear in a boy so young.

"Are you hungry?" a feminine voice asked.

Jeralt looked down to see Byleth walking towards the boy. It had caught everyone by surprise that she had spoken to a stranger, much less ask a question.

The boy gave a fearful nod and slowly relaxed a bit.

"We can give you some food, and when we're all calm, we can figure things out," Jeralt said.

The boy nodded hesitantly, but kept his distance. However, the only person who could get the closest were Byleth and Eevee, though Eevee was the only one that could reach him. It seemed like the only thing that could get close to him was a creature. Byleth understood that and kept her distance.

When the boy seemed satisfied, Jeralt cleared his throat to get the boy's attention. He jumped in fright and turned away from the man. Jeralt let out a sigh, but still turned to face the boy.

"I'm going to ask you a few questions. If there's any you don't want to answer, just nod no," Jeralt said in a soft tone.

The nod nodded hesitantly. It was a start.

"My name is Jeralt Eisner. What's yours?"

"N," the boy said.

"'N?'" Jeralt asked, raising an eyebrow.

"It's the only name they gave me," N answered.

Jeralt released a breath. "Right. Then who's 'they?'"

N shook his head. It was obvious that whoever 'they' were were the ones that caused him to be so afraid.

"Where do you come from?"

"I've always lived in the forest," N answered.

N sure was strange. He was a different kind of strange compared to his own daughter. His fear of someone caused him to be guarded.

"Did you live alone?"

"No. I always had Zorua."

"Zorua?"

On cue the Pidgey that was perched on the branch screeched. All attention was turned to the bird, and they watched as it jumped down and glowed in a purple-black color. In front of N landed a black and red colored fox, ready to defend him. Byleth's Eevee got in front of her partner, ready to defend her.

Jeralt nodded. "I see now. Your partner is a Zorua."

N nodded and called for Zorua. The fox walked to N, but made sure that it was ready to defend him.

"That little guy is rare. You don't see too many of them. It's the first time I've seen one," Jeralt said.

"I didn't know," N replied.

"N, I'm going to say something you're not going to like, but I need you to listen to me," Jeralt said.

N hesitantly nodded, while Zorua seemed to get more defensive.

"It's obvious to me that you were running away from whoever 'they' are," Jeralt began to say.

Before he could continue, N whimpered and turned away. Jeralt expected the reaction, but continued to speak.

"The scapes and scratches we bandaged were how we knew."

Jeralt stopped and let his words sink in. N was still panicking, his breathing had gotten faster and Zorua was ready to attack even without his master's orders.

"If you want, you can stay with us. We'll protect you and Zorua. You can stay with us until you feel ready to go off on your own, or you stay and join our mercenary band. It's up to you."

N turned towards Jeralth, eyes filled with tears. "Are you being serious?"

Jeralt nodded. "Absolutely. I can't let a scared boy like you be alone. I can train you so you learn how to defend yourself, you won't have be scared any more."

N relaxed a bit, something Zorua caught and calmed down but was ready to strike if necessary.

"I'll try to not be a burden," N said.

Jeralt chuckled. "Trust me, kid, you'll do just fine."

—-

The sound of swords clanging rang out through the camp. At the same time, sounds of small explosions came from the same direction. To those unaware, it sounded like a battle was taking place. However, for those in Jeralt's mercenary band, it was a common occurrence.

Away from the camp, N and Byleth sparred. At the same time, their partners also sparred. The two had made it a regular training session to spar against each other as it would keep their skills sharp. Compared to Byleth, N was not that good with a sword. There were many occasions of her beating him. He did manage to win a few here and there, but if anyone was keeping count, Byleth had the better win-loss record. However, whenever Zorua and Eevee spared, Zorua was the one that usually came out the victor. Just like N and Byleth, sometimes Eevee would be the victor.

Byleth managed to disarm N and pointed her blade at N. N raised his hands in defeat and chuckled.

"I yield. Looks like you win again."

Byleth nodded and sheathed her sword.

"However, looks like Zorua wins again," N said.

Byleth looked over to see Zorua with a paw on Eevees head, pinning her. With a satisfied snicker, Zorua removed the paw and trotted over to N. Byleth, meanwhile, picked up Eevee and gently rubbed her head. Eevee cooed at the gesture.

"Feeling better already?" N said as he walked towards her, Zorua perched on his shoulder.

"Yes," Byleth said.

N sighed. He had been with Jeralt's mercenary band for a little bit over a decade now and he still could not get Byleth to speak more than a short sentence. He had gotten used to her expressionless face, as he managed to pick up on her subtleties that signaled to an emotion, but getting her to talk was a lot harder.

It had been a little more than decade since N had joined Jeralt's mercenary band. He had become part of the family, as close as they could get to one. His combat skills were not the best, so he more than content when he was relegated to the healer of the group. That did not mean he was allowed to no longer learn the sword. Jeralt made sure he was always practicing.

"How're you not even panting? We've been at it for a few hours now," N said.

Byleth shrugged. "I don't get tired as easily."

"That's an understatement," N muttered.

The two walked back to camp, where the other mercenaries were preparing for the night. The two had not realized it had gotten so late. The two helped where ever they could, as not many had creatures to assist. Only N, Byleth, and Jeralth had a partner. Zorua would turn into a human in order to help as well. Meanwhile, Eevee would give emotional support. Most of the heavier lifting was done by Jeralt's Mudsdale.

When night fell, everyone relaxed and enjoyed each others company. For N, it made him forget those horrible memories that would back from time to time. N had changed a lot since he started traveling with him. For one, he had grown taller, being about the same height as Jeralt. His hair had grown a lot longer, but he always made sure to cut it; however, he liked it long. All his training made him bulk up a bit, he no longer the lanky kid who Jeralt and the others found.

As N sat by the fire, while entertaining Zorua, he cleaned his armor, making sure it was in pristine condition. He wore a simple chest plate, a bit of armor on his forearms. He also wore armored pants and boots. Luckily his armor was pretty flexible, so he never felt hampered by it in battle. He opted to not wear armored gloves and wore simple, black fingerless gloves. Under the armor he wore a long sleeved white shirt with a black undershirt and long white pants. Minus the armor, he wore the same clothes as when he first joined.

Zorua let out a yawn as it seemed done playing. N could not help but chuckle.

"Getting tired?"

The fox nodded and curled up next to N's leg.

"What did he say?" a voice asked.

N looked back to see Byleth standing behind him. She was one of the few that believed could actually speak to the creatures.

"He just agreed," N replied.

She sat next N and both simply stared at the fire. Eevee joined them soon after and fell asleep next to Zorua.

Byleth had also matured considerably. When N first met her he could have sworn she was a boy. That did not mean she could not kick his ass, because she surely did on multiple occasions. However, N did question her armor choice and fashion sense, but whenever he did she would simply respond with 'it works.' N regarded Byleth as an older sister, at least he thought she was older than him. For some reason neither her or Jeralt seemed to know each others ages. He questioned it at first, but learned to just forget about it. Despite his new family, he could help but remember the people he left behind when he had escaped.

The thought made him feel saddened. Something Byleth caught and lightly nudged him.

"Sorry. Old habits," N replied.

"Do miss them? I hear you call out names at night," Byleth asked.

N nodded. "I do. I wish I wasn't so afraid to face my past."

Byleth remained silent and faced the fire that was beginning to die.

"Enough about me. Have you been having those dreams again?" N asked.

Byleth nodded in response.

"Which was it this time? The battle or the girl?"

"The girl," Byleth answered.

"Can you describe her to me?" N asked. He always asked the question when she had that dream. He knew it was pointless, she would never describe her, but he had to try. At the very least get her talking.

"I don't remember."

N sighed and hung his head, yet another failure. He would have to try again another time. However, he realized something as they spoke, her dreams were increasing in frequency.

"When was the last time you dreamed the girl?" N asked.

"Last night."

"And the battle?"

"Two nights ago."

"So they are increasing in frequency," N mused. His mind began to race, wondering the dreams meant anything. One time she had described a pitch black creature and a white one. Unknown to him, Byleth stared at him. He was broken from his thoughts when he saw her.

"Sorry, I was doing it again, huh?" N asked as he put a hand behind his head.

Byleth gave a small smile, something that rarely appeared on her face. The sight of it warmed N, more so than he cared to admit.

"Why don't we turn in for the night? It's getting late as is," N said.

Byleth nodded. She stood up gently picked up the sleeping Eevee and walked towards her tent. N turned back to the fire, his mind racing with theories again. He waved the thoughts out of his head, he would save that kind of thinking for another time.

N turned to the sleeping Zorua and gently pet it. The fox let out a gently purr, which made N smile. He gently picked up the sleeping fox and walked to his tent. Knowing Jeralt, they would have to rise early in the morning to continue their trek.

Just as N had predicted, Jeralt was the first awake and the one to wake everyone else.

"Just once I'd like to sleep in," N mumbled to himself.

N was used to the early rising the group did on a daily bases. He already had his tent fully packed before breakfast. He put his on his armor and his back back and met up with the rest of the band. A quick meal and they were on the road again. With Zorua perched on his shoulder, N walked with the group to the next destination. Above them flew a flock of birds, N was sure they were Unfeazant, but the sun cast a show on the birds undersides.

"Staring at the birds again?" a gruff voice asked.

N turned his head to see Jarelt next to him, riding his Mudsdale.

N nodded in response. "It helps me figure out where we're going. Speaking of, where are we going?"

"I sent a group up ahead to Remire Village. They came back saying they're willing to hire us as the village has been being attacked by thieves," Jeralt explained.

"Something a bit more routine," N mused.

"You could say that," Jeralt said.

He looked ahead to see Byleth walking in front of him. He wondered if N had gotten her to talk about the dreams she's been having, or anything at all.

"Hey, N," Jeralt began to say.

"She didn't say much," N said, cutting off the older man.

"Don't tell me you can read minds too?" Jeralt said with a smile.

"Nothing like that," N said with a chuckle, "I just saw your gaze fall on Byleth. I know that she feels a bit more comfortable around me, but even then it's hard to get a read on her."

"Does her Eevee say anything?" Jeralt asked.

"Eevee's worried too, but it's not something she isn't used to," N answered.

"Thanks, N. You being around I think has helped a lot," Jeralt said.

N shook his head. "It's only because you found me and took me in. I'm just trying to repay that kindness."

"Damn, kid, don't need you getting sappy on me," Jeralt said with a chuckle.

The two laughed as they continued to walk. Unbeknownst to either of them Byleth had over heard their conversation and a small smile formed on her face.

On the horizon, Remire Village came into view. It not be long know before their next assignment, but none of them expected what waited for them there.

AN: Here we go with a new story. This time it's a Fire Emblem 3 Houses x Pokemon crossover. The reason for this is because I absolutely loved playing Three Houses. It was my first ever Fire Emblem game and it was awesome. The reason for the Pokemon crossover is because of fanart I found on Twitter and thought this would be fun to write. I'll link the art at the end of AN so you can see which Pokemon each character will have.

Now for some clarifications. First off, why I'm using N. The reason for that is because I was originally planning to write this story as a twins AU for Byleth, but I could not think if a replacement name for either of them. For that reason N became the replacement for Male Byleth. The plan was always to give Female Byleth Eevee and Male Byleth Zorua, so that worked out. Also, they will not get together. N really does see Byleth only as an older sister. I'll be diving into their relationship as the story continues.

Second, I'll be taking a lot of elements from the Black and White games (if that was not obvious enough). Those are my favorite Pokemon games and thought that parts of the story would work for this one. While this story will be a retelling of the Three Houses story, N's story from Black and White will influence many of the events. Also, I drew a lot of influence from the opening flashback from the Lucario movie, especially for this chapters opening scene. I thought that would be perfect for this story.

Finally, the Pokemon. Let me get this out of the way, they will not be referred to as Pokemon. I'll probably write small jokes as to why no one calls them that, but they will never be explicitly stated as such. They'll always be referred to as beasts, creatures, and partners. Pokemon from every generation will likely appear (that includes Sword and Shield). It'll be to diversify a bit the characters and their teams. Speaking of teams, I haven't decided if the characters will have a party of six. I'll likely cap it a three, since Pokeballs have yet to be invented.

With all that out of the way, I hope you enjoy this story and look forward to its future. If you're enjoying remember to follow, favorite, and/or review if you haven't yet. Stay tuned for the next chapter.

Pokemon fan art:

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