Good evening, fair readers…unless you read this at a point in time that cannot be described as an evening. Halloween is coming up in a few weeks, and I thought I'd celebrate by giving you all a lovely scare…unfortunately, I'm not exactly the terrifying type. So, since the 10th Fire Emblem game will be released a few days after the holiday, I'm going to combine the two events and give you a treat without any tricks.


It has been a month since the grand battle had taken place. Since then, Ike, Ranulf, and Soren had decided that their presence was no longer needed in the land, and had decided to explore the other continents that exist in the world. Tonight, the threesome had arrived at a port town called Badon, and had been talked into staying at the local inn for free.

Apparently, the townsfolk didn't want to see another group of innocent travelers head off to their death. This day, in their culture, was the one a year in which the realm of the departed was at its strongest point, and the souls of the dead would be able to come back for the night. Although many foolish villagers had gone into the forest before, hoping to encounter a lover lost in battle or a relative that had been struck down by illness, none of them had ever returned.

Ike and Ranulf, being the friendly and slightly gullible people that they were, decided to take their hospitality and avoid any danger. But the 'calm wind user' was the complete opposite. He had heard of trouble further to the center of the country, and time was of the essence. By taking their time to get there, who knows how much the problems could escalate? If all that was standing in their way was a bunch of worried civilians and a ghostly story, he may as well temporarily ditch his companions in order to trek through the woods and reach the area even more quickly.

And that's just what he decided to do, too. But at one point in his journey through the nearby forest, as Soren was walking through the woods, he thought he could hear footsteps coming from behind him. He turned around just quickly enough to catch the shadowy figure of a robed man step into the nearby foliage.

"Who goes there?" the black-cloaked hero called out. Realizing he had been caught, the man stepped out of the bushes and faced him…at least, Soren assumed he was looking at his face, since it was too dark out here to tell.

"Greetings, young mage. What is a lad like you doing in a place like this on Allhallow's Eve?" the mysterious man asked.

"Pardon me, but I asked a question. And when I ask questions, I expect answers. Now, who are you?" Soren once more requested.

"My name…is of little importance," the old man replied. "Does it truly matter if a stranger follows you for a single night, and once the morning sun rises, follows you nevermore?"

"Depends on the situation," the branded mage answered. "I can't exactly let one who attempts a task like assassinating a mere traveler run away without penalty, can I?"

"Ah, how true. But, I have not come after you to perform such a deed. I am merely curious about your behavior…why run away from your trusted allies, and people that offer you great hospitality? And on a night as sinister as this, as well?" the man questioned.

"Because, quite frankly, they're all nitwits," Soren stated bluntly. "If a gathering of people is that large, and are all believers in supernatural poppycock, they are not the kind that I can feel comfortable taking a break with. Now, if you excuse me, I have a lot of land to traverse before morning comes. If I hurry, I may even be able to avert the danger I have heard of before Ranulf and Ike even show up."

"…Well, what hope have I to change a mind as determined as yours? But be warned, fair scholar: as I've gotten older, I've learned to listen to people rather than accuse them of things," the man quoted (Po Bronson, to be specific) as he headed back to the village.

Deciding that the old coot was as much of a delusional as the other villagers, Soren merely scoffed and continued on his way. After a few more minutes of almost-blind adventuring had passed, he had wandered into a rather large clearing with a single tree in the center. Since he was not exactly the type of guy to partake in many pilgrimages, he decided to take a small brake. He leaned himself against the tree, but all of a sudden, the world around him was bathed in eerie light! When the brightness died down, he found himself in a world very much like his own…but much, much more spooky.

Boys and girls of every age,

Wouldn't you like to see something strange?

Come with us and you will see,

This, our town of Halloween!

"…Very interesting," Soren mused as he looked at his surroundings. He (and the tree) had been teleported to the main gates of a town that, quite frankly, would frighten small children. The buildings looked like they have been decaying for quite some time, there was a spider web in every last corner, there was enough dust to suggest inactivity for at least a whole year, et cetera. Oh, and the sky had gone from midnight black to pumpkin orange. "I may as well investigate this matter while I'm here."

As soon as the mage took a single step inside, the streets that appeared barren instantly filled with people of all shapes and sizes! Children were playing in the mud, men with chiseled arms were trying to impress elegant ladies, and there was even a horse drawn carriage or two!

For a split second, the master of wind magic was befuddled. Not only had these folks appeared out of thin air, but they seemed completely content with the state this dreadful town was in! But, being the thinker that he is, Soren decided to simply ask one of the townsfolk and save himself a lot of complication. He walked towards a young man who was facing the opposite way, and tapped him on the shoulder. Soren was ready to ask the question…but he was not ready for the sight he saw when the man faced him. At least, it would be considered facing him, for the man had no face!

"O…kay…" Soren barely managed to utter. "This…is definitely…NOT one of my better days."

This is Halloween, this is Halloween!

Pumpkins scream in the dead of the night.

This is Halloween, everybody make a scene,
Trick or treat till the neighbors come and die of fright!
It's our town, everybody scream!
In our town of Halloween!

Deciding that some questions were better left unanswered, Soren quickly dashed away from the almost-human being and towards the gates. Unfortunately, when he was a few mere steps away from his exit, the gates were slammed shut by some invisible force! "Great…this night just keeps getting better and better," he sarcastically told himself as he searched for another exit, as well as whatever force was controlling this place.

I am the one hiding under your bed;
Teeth round sharp and eyes glowing red.

Deciding not to take his chances in the main street, where he figured more faceless entities likely awaited, Soren had ducked into an alley soon after the gates had closed. As he walked down it, once more he could hear the sound of somebody following close behind. And once more, he turned around quickly enough to catch sight of his stalker. But he did not expect to know the man he now faced. Especially since this was a man he had personally…killed.

"So, we meet again, foul mercenary," stated Maijin, a former general of Daein. He had been the first one that attempted to kidnap Princess Elincia, and if luck hadn't brought the Greil Mercenaries to the road it took place at during the right moment, Ike may have never gone on his famous adventures. Also, Daein would've conquered the world.

"No…this defies logic!" Soren exclaimed. "You were the very first general I had ever fought…you're supposed to be dead…how can this be possible?!"

"Impudent boy; obviously, you have no idea where you have wound up. This is Limbo, the realm between heaven and heck that I've been stuck in since your magic sealed my fate," the knight told him. "For many years, I've been waiting for the chance to encounter you again, and though I expected to be back in our world when it happened, I'll settle for what I can get. Do you have any idea how much pain you have caused my soul? Though somewhat higher-ranked than the others that were with me on that day, I was still a human with a heart. I was told to grab the girl by our mighty king, and though my conscience told me otherwise, I had to take the mission. It was the only way I could gain the gold to support my wife and children back home. And now, I can still hear their cries, as they mourn my passing every day! I wonder how many wretched scumbags like you will give a prayer when I cause your soul to remain here for all eternity? Let's find out!"

Maijin then picked up a javelin lying on the ground nearby, and quickly tossed it at the mage. Soren, since he was much more agile than the man in thick armor, managed to avoid the weapon and quickly dart into another alley and out of sight. As he saw his foe let out an angry grunt and run down the wrong passage, Soren decided to contemplate his words. "Limbo? Preposterous. Quite obviously, some sick mind that knows about my past is trying to mess my instinct. And as soon as I find out which psycho it is, I'll huff, and puff, and blow up his house into tiny pieces of shrapnel."

I am the one hiding under yours stairs;
Fingers like snakes and spiders in my hair.

Since running into that look-alike from his past and demanding more information from him wouldn't be the best maneuver, Soren took refuge in a nearby shop. Imagine the look on his face when he saw that, standing behind the counter, was another familiar face.

"Well, if it isn't the weakling mage. Though you're not much of a weakling now, I see" stated Balmer the sage. He had been one of General Petrine's subordinates in life, and had fought Ike's band when they tried to relocate Greil. It was a shame that, so soon after the reunion, the glorious leader had passed on.

"Great; another imbecile that wants to cause me great pain," Soren muttered. He had not actually been the one to kill Balmer, mostly because of the elemental disadvantage, but it was likely that the fire user had a grudge against the whole party.

Oddly enough, that wasn't the case. "Don't start whining; I've gotten over it," the Daein told him. "When you've worked for a gal like Petrine for a few years, death is something that is not considered possible, but expected. If I hadn't fought then, it would be only a week or two until I was drafted in another battle, and I was bound to fall at one point. Besides, when you live in Daein, it's better to die in an honorable battle than to be executed for defection. Speaking of Daein, how has it grown since then? I've heard that King Ashnard has fallen, but what else has occurred?"

Soren figured that this was yet another imposter, or possibly even the same imposter, but thought that he should still humor him for now. "For a period of time, Beignon took control of the kingdom and, ironically, ruled over it in the same way it would've done to the other kingdoms had Ashnard succeeded. But, due to the contributions of many soldiers, it has become a better, more civilized kingdom than it ever was before."

"I am glad to hear that," the Sage replied. Before anything else was said, some loud noises could be heard outside. "I take it you've already run into Maijin? I swear, he's not the same person he ever was in life. As reward for your information, I'll allow you to take the back way out, so you don't have to start a skirmish with the man."

Soren didn't say a word of thanks, but he did dart out the alternate exit fairly quickly when the volume of the noise began to increase.

This is Halloween, this is Halloween!
Halloween! Halloween! Halloween! Halloween!
In this town we call home,

Everyone hail to the pumpkin song!


And with that, the first half of Soren's adventures in the strange town ends. Who was the strange man he encountered before this journey began? Is he being deceived by a mysterious foe, or has superstition truly become reality? And will the mage make it out of this strange town…alive? Be patient, fair readers, and you will see.