Disclaimer: I do not own Fire Emblem nor any of the characters in the franchise. I am in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of such content. No copyright infringement is intended.


Chapter 1: Beginnings of a Pilgrimage

The day was a cloudy one, and the sounds of the Church Bells clanging filled the air. Today was the day that the Lima IV, the King of Zofia died. Despite the death of her father, Celica gathered her belongings without a care in preparation for the journey that lay ahead. As she did, she began to think about the past that led to her current circumstances. Sir Mycen, her "grandpapa", had dropped her off here after that fateful day, and unfortunately, things had a rocky start, with her having left the Village of Ram and being placed here with those she barely knew.

Despite this however, she managed to find solace in this monastery, having met a few friends that she stayed close with to this very day and coming to terms with the lifestyle that the Church demanded. In a way, she found a certain feeling of peace here, yet she always knew, such an experience would not last. Destiny it seems, always did have a way to call those that it needed, and she was certain it had called her a few nights ago.

Alm...

While the thoughts of her childhood friend never left her, not ever since he made that fateful promise that they would reunite, her thoughts of him had never been clearer after that dream she had around a week ago. She saw Alm, a now hardened warrior fighting against none other than the King of Rigel himself.

Under a shadowed sky, snow drifted downward as Celicia slowly became aware of the scene before her. She was in the openings of a Fortress. There were many soldiers who held nothing but stone cold expressions surrounding her, creating an arena-like area, but she could only watch in horror as she saw what was unfolding before her.

On one side was a man whom she instantly recognized as Alm however, the once peaceful and caring expression that she remembered fondly was gone, and all that remained was a glare of hatred and disgust for the opponent he was facing. That very opponent was the King of Rigel, whom wore a grand piece of gold and crimson armor, with a lance ready at one hand, and shield ready at the other.

"RUDOLF! DIE!" yelled Alm, as he charged forward recklessly, while the King simply looked on, readying himself.

With that, the clash of weapons began, as Alm tried to strike first by jumping, only to be met with the shield that the King held. Parrying the green armored warrior's attack, the King retaliated, thrusting his spear forward, which Alm managed to dodge.

"ALM!" she cried, desperate to get his attention, only to be ignored as the warrior continued his assault.

"YOU TOOK EVERYTHING!" he continued, his strikes being blocked once again and again.

"EVERYTHING THAT I EVER LOVED!"

"YOU TOOK ZOPHIA!"

"YOU TOOK MY FRIENDS"

"AND NOW...CELICIA TOO!"

As Alm tried striking more, this time from one angle or the other, his frustrations only increased as his blows were parried by either lance or shield. Soon enough, the two managed to hold each other off by weapon, but it did not take long before the King overwhelmed the warrior, knocking him aside with his shield.

Celica continued to watch what initially seemed to be a standstill, with Alm not able to get any effective hits in, while the King also being forced into the defensive, the tides of battle however, soon turned with that attack. Besides a few scratches on his armor and shield, the King seemed fine, but Alm struggled as he used his sword to force himself up. She wasn't the only one to notice either, as the King soon threw away his shield, preparing for one last strike to end his opponent once and for all. With lance in hand, he prepared to plunge the spear into the boy's body, as his entire body shone with a darkened aura.

"ALM!" she screamed, right as the spear was brought down, waking her up from her nightmare.

If there was ever a dream that felt as real as any waking moment, Celica would be willing to place everything she had on what she saw...what she felt. Ever since then, she thought about Alm more than ever as well as what was happening in Zofia and thus, her conscious began gnawing at her to go out into the world. Her home kingdom was currently plagued with a drought and famine as well as the ever increasing threat of the "Terrors", corpses of the deceased attacking the living in all shapes and sizes. Along with this, what looked to be an inevitable conquest by it's neighboring kingdom, Ridgel, only worsened the situation.

With all of these pangs...these truths gnawing at her very core, she soon realized that she had to venture out, she had to go see what had happened to Mila, the Patron deity of Zofia, as these problems must have had something to do with her. With that, she was currently where she was now, praying in front of a statue of the Earth Mother. As she did, she heard the steps of an all too familiar man. Rising up, she saw the priest whom had taken care of her since childhood, a man of his word so much so that her "grandpapa" had entrusted her not as a commoner, but as a princess in hiding to him. His very appearance felt solemn, and he was someone that Celica had grown to trust greatly, having taught her many of the skills she knew today.

"Little one, are you sure you want to leave? Out there lie unspeakable horrors, and though you may be a priestess with talent I haven't seen in decades, I worry for your safety." Nomah advised, which made Celica smile in return.

"You've always helped me out when I needed it, whether it came to magic or my studies and I appreciate your advice, truly I do." she said. "But I can almost feel it calling to me. There are people dying out there, and crimes and poverty among others are only increasing by the day right? For most, this would have been a great dissuasion against the journey that I am about to make but it is thanks to you and my friends that I may have some resemblance of readiness and for that, I am eternally grateful to you. As such, the only path I can take now is the path that lies beyond this place."

"Surely you can stay until the bell's last peal? It is the death of the king, as well as your father after all. And what is there to do out there in the land out there that only gets increasingly dangerous? Would it not be safer here for you to achieve your goals?" he responded.

"Nomah, you know I don't see that man as anything even remotely close to what a father would be. As for the other matter...I must leave now...it's because of the fact that it's getting increasingly dangerous out there that I must go." she continued. "There is something that lies out there that I can only find if I am willing to go. Things have stayed as peaceful and serene around me as long as it could, and when things begin to change, the only way to address this is to move on ahead and confront it. I'm sorry Nomah, but this is something I have to do."

"So no matter what happens, it the cogs of destiny will never stop...Celica, I never took a wife or sired children, I've dedicated my existence to Mila's teachings. I had expected this to be a path of solitude yet it is due to this that I was able to watch you and your friends. You've all grown into youths of the noblest hearts that I would treat no less than any loving parent would their sons and daughters and that has all but brought me endless joy in this path that I've chosen. If you and your friends must go however, I can only pray to Mila that you'll each live out your lives to the greatest of your desires, unbound and free."

"I see...thank you Nomah. No matter what happens, know that I'll always remember you." said Celica as she thanked the priest and prepared to leave.

"Before you do, let me give you this. This item is known as Mila's Turnwheel, I am certain that it will aid you well in your journey. May you walk always in the light of Mila's blessing, little one." replied Nomah as he handed Celica the item.

"I'm not sure how it will help but regardless, I thank you for your gift. May we meet again in the future Nomah, thank you." she said before she gave the room of worship she had grown so accustomed to one last look as she headed towards the entrance.

"Celica, you aren't going to wait for us?" called a voice as she turned around.

Catching up to Celica was Mae and the other two friends that she had made here. All three of them were relatively young and around Celica's age. Mae was the one that called her, having Pink hair and matching clothing with an upbeat personality to boot. The boy that was following behind was a stark contrast, with darker skin and clothing, as well as messy white hair. Finally, the last girl was of a similar color to Mae, only sporting much plainer clothing and a more nonchalant expression.

"Eh? I thought you guys weren't coming? I already told you guys that it would be dangerous, and I don't want any of you to get hurt." replied Celicia, only to be met with sharp opposition.

"Right back at you Celica, we don't want you to get hurt either, which is why we're coming! What kind of friends would be if we just sat around while our friend went out to fix the problem by herself? Besides, if we're here to help you out, then that makes everything better!" smiled Mae. Boey sighed at her response, but agreed as well.

"I don't like to admit it, but she's got a point milady. Besides, I'm not gonna let the two of you off on your own." added the boy, which made Mae laugh.

"Hah, you say that as if you could protect us better then we already can. Knowing you, you'll probably just end up being added weight!"

"Am not, I'm also a pretty good Mage too! I'm sure I can do a thing or two to help!"

"A-Alright you two, calm down. We'll all go together alright? Celica, as you know, we can all help, so t-take us with you alright? It will put us at ease, and will make your journey all the more easier." added Genny.

"If you put it that way, I guess I don't have much of a choice. At least I'll have good company." said Celica as she resigned to her friend's wishes.

"Great! You'll be glad for this Celica! We already have our stuff ready so let's go!" exclaimed Mae excitedly, showing the travel bags behind her.

"You know, things aren't that exciting outside right Mae? There's famine and drought, war is getting closer and closer to our shores, and Terrors remain an ever increasing threat. It will be anything but something that would warrant your cheerfulness..." corrected Boey, only to smacked lightly in the back by Mae.

"Oh don't worry, with our strength, it won't be as bad as you think! Unless you're scared?" she taunted much to Boey's distaste as Mae and the others let out a light laugh.

"N-No! No, not at all! Let's go milady! You definitely won't regret this, you'll see!"

"Yes Boey, I think I won't." replied Celica.

As they prepared to leave, the four friends took a sip from the Sacred Springs of the monastery in preparation for the journey, and soon departed. Though various dangers and sights few would wish to see laid ahead, the four continued on, and though they all had individual desires that differed from one another, there laid a singular goal uniting them, and that is to find the source of the problems that plagued their home, and fix it.


Robin watched as the many abominations began to rise out of the grave, crawling and walking towards him in different shapes and sizes one after the other. Despite this, there was no fear to be found in him, only a strange form of curiosity as the things came. He had no doubt that what he saw around him were Risen, denizens of the dead that were given some twisted semblance of life through either the most sinister of spells or worse, via the Fell Dragon's will. Despite this knowledge however, the traits of these Risen raised a few concerns.

For one, these Risen were somewhat similar, but also differed greatly from the ones he had grown accustomed to, with some of them being humanoid in shape while others seemed to be of various animals. The Risen that he had faced often in the past were mostly reanimated warriors, average ones wielding weapons with inhuman strength, while stronger variants were able to match a formidable swordsman such as Chrom in skill and sometimes, even surpass him. The few inhuman Risen he had faced were monsters of their own, retaining their ferocity and strength, while often carrying deadly venom in their deceased maws and claws.

These Risen however, were a far cry from those that had plagued Ylisse. The humanoid ones seemed twisted and malformed, late in the decaying phase, looking as if they could fall apart with a few simple cuts. The animals he saw were similar too, which gave him a sense of relief. He could also feel some form of energy powering them, but it felt much weaker and less sinister than the noxious aura that the powers of Grima held. It seemed that while these things were Risen, they were definitely not the same type as those that he had encountered in Ylisse, but rather a byproduct of whatever was going on in this world.

So it looks like Grima isn't here, or at least not a threat...

Taking off a glove and looking at the dorsal of his hand, he saw that the accursed mark that had plagued him for so long was no longer there, much to his surprise. Despite this however, he could still feel the Fell Dragon's power inside of him, granting him a natural affinity towards all forms of magic except for light, along with the skill that had allowed him to go as far as he did, "Ignis". The only one who could have had the power to sever his connections to the Fell Dragon yet allowed him to live in this state could be none other than that woman...that goddess that he had met before ending up here.

Still though, I would've never thought of such an outcome, the scenario in itself was absurd... Her name...Ashunera, it seemed that she had apparently given him another chance at life and more.

It was then that the Tactician had remembered that woman's words in full, she had promised him another chance, another chance to see HER, to grab that future he felt for that split moment. If this was true, then that would mean that SHE was here. Whether close by or far away, SHE was here and SHE was alive and he would get the chance to see her again. As Robin realized this, a smirk of sorts crept it's way onto his face as the energy at his fingertips crackled with greater power, as if resonating with his emotions.

"If that's the case...then I don't have time to deal with the likes of you!"

With that, the first of the Risen attacked, lunging at the Tactician, only for it and the numerous others around it to be annihilated by the lightning strikes that followed after Robin casted Arcthunder. The power behind the strikes were great, with their targets now nothing but ashes and destroying a few of the tombstones around him as well. The rest of the Risen seemed momentarily stunned, though they continued their advance soon after.

This feeling...that spell was a lot more destructive than I remember it...

Two other Risen attacked soon after, attempting to overwhelm their target with speed this time, but it was futile as Robin quickly maintained his distance and switched tomes, now casting Elthunder, a quicker variant of his earlier tome, which eliminated the attackers with similar ease. Unfortunately, this only seemed to anger the Risen, as they now decided to attack together, dozens of them charging at the Tactician.

There's no doubt about it, my magic's gotten stronger overall. Casting it also seems so much more...natural. Is this because of that goddess too?

Before he had more time to ponder, a Risen tried to grab at his back with it's claws, only to be met with a swift strike of electricity. Whatever was different about his magic, it had helped him significantly, allowing him to react with spells a lot quicker than he could before, and amplified the output of his attacks too. With newfound strength at hand, he concentrated further, casted Arcthunder to greater speeds which eradicated nearly all the Risen that were around him. Much to Robin's dismay however, more began to quickly fill their ranks as they emerged from the surroundings and rose from underneath the ground.

So they still have the numbers advantage huh... Let's change things up then...!

Outside of the borderline legendary spells such as Rexbolt, Thunder Magic generally held the greatest power among the three main elemental types of Anima magic, but was much more single target focused compared to the others. Even in the hands of an experienced user, if one wanted to cause more damage to an area of enemies, fire was typically the better elemental type. As such, Robin quickly switched to the most powerful tome of such element that he had on hand, Bolganone.

"My apologies..." he muttered, for what that Tome was about to do would only leave a sense of distaste for the Tactician, especially if it's power was enhanced, but for the sake of ending the scourge here, it had to be done.

As he casted the Fire spell, a rumbling spread from underneath his legs to the surrounding areas around him. Followed by that, was a scene that would get the attention of all those in the area, within the cemetery or not.

The ground area near the graves and underneath the Risen began to boil before a fissure ripped open, erupting into an explosion in the area with a horribly loud *BANG*, effectively destroying everything around it, Risen and all. As the explosions happened, the tombstones and ground were blown apart, and where the explosions had occurred, not even bones remained. Fumes began rising from the area as the flames quickly died down once their targets had been blown away, with only holes of magma remaining at the targets.

"That did the job but-"

Before the Tactician could finish, he fell on one knee as his breathing became heavier. Looking on ahead, the area near him was all but ruined but the lava would at the very least prevent more Risen from emerging in the area around him, hopefully. He began to worry however, as the Risen here seemed to be much more of a natural phenomenon then back at his home world, and even if he as an individual could defend himself, that did not mean well for the others of this land.

Taking notice at his exhaustion, Robin realized that he had most definitely overexerted himself without thinking. As he looked at the Tome he was using, he almost felt like facepalming for not noticing it earlier.

So channeling of power for a spell here doesn't draw energy from the Tome, but from your own reserves instead...!

As this became more clear, he cursed at himself for making such a foolhardy mistake. This simple fact explained why his spells had a greater output of power than usual, why he reacted as naturally as he did when casting said spells, and most importantly, explained why his Tomes had did not deteriorate at all, despite the power he thought he was supposedly drawing from them. If he had thought clearer, he would have realized it a lot sooner but he got caught up in the action and as a result, failed to notice this change until the effects finally took a toll on him.

It seems I need to learn a more direct method of control over my output; I'll keep that in mind...if I manage to last the rest of today...

As he thought about the system of magic here, his attention shifted to his surroundings which were now permanently scarred, with the black smoke around him causing him to cough. In addition to this, he also saw that Risen that were coming out from the distance towards him, along with many hands now emerging out of the grounds outside of his spell's range, as if they were awakened by what he had unleashed earlier. The Tactician watched slowly before he let out a small chuckle, today was NOT his lucky day.

I definitely don't have the strength left to use Bolganone anymore, and I doubt Arcthunder or Arcwind would do me any good either. Looks like I'll have to do things the hard way...

Putting away his tome, he took out the single blade that he had with him, a Levin Sword that he held close in case a close quarter's fight ever happened. While it definitely wasn't as powerful as some of the tomes he had, it made up for it in it's versatility, allowing the Tactician to fight up close to some extent, while still allowing him to call down lightning. With the realization that spells here consumed his stamina, he would not risk using the sword's ranged effect for now, but instead rely on it's intended form, a sword.

I guess I'll begin dragging myself away from here and once I get near an opening, I'll muster whatever energy I have left and sprint. If a Risen manages to get close, I could parry it's attack and at the very least, stab it back...hopefully.

Robin hated to admit it, but compared to many of the Shepherds he knew, his skill with the sword was barely passable at best. With only the experience gained from a multitude of spars with Chrom and Lon'qu all of which ended with him being beaten one way or the other, his experiences was anything but great. Despite this, now would be the moment that he would finally thank them for their "lessons", as they at least gave him some chance versus none at all.

As Robin looked on ahead, he could see that while the Risen were approaching, they seemed more interested in the scene, the raw energy that was around him and not him as an individual. Due to this, they were still relatively separated, which meant that with his sword in hand, he go forward with his plan. It was an incredibly risky one however, especially in his current state, but what other choice did he have?

Gripping his sword tightly, the Tactician began his advance slowly, due to his fatigue as well as to not arouse any more attention from the Risen than he already had. He was fearful for his life, fearful that things might just end here, but he suppressed these feelings as best he could as he limped forward. He was the Grandmaster for the Shepherds, someone who his comrades saw as one who could bring forth a miracle from the smallest of chances. He was entrusted with a chance here and now, and he would be damned if he didn't make the most of it. As he pushed himself forward. he could once again see the desire he had before with such happiness, the desire that may have been beyond his grasp, but if he could do so for another...

Do you want a chance to fix these burdens? If not for yourself, then for those which may become who you are now?

"I won't die here...! Not here, not now, and CERTAINLY not to the likes corpses!" he declared.

With sword ready at hand, he ran forward, prepared to strike down all that was in his way. As he did, the few Risen that did notice him snarled and readied their claws. Before either of the two parties could attack however, they all heard the voice of a girl.

"Then today's your lucky day mister! Now step back!"

With that, the Tactician staggered back and fell, right as balls of fire were shot from the direction of the voice towards the Risen near him.


As Celica walked down the pathway out of the Priory, she began to see for herself just how bad things were. The route that the group was walking on used to be much more busy, with merchants and villagers frequenting it but now, it laid empty.

If even this route is empty, things really must not be good... We must make haste...!

The Priory that Celica and her friends had spent their childhoods in was near the edge of Novis, with only a few villages being nearby. This had their benefits, as they were able to grow and fish their own food for the most part, while trading goods with their fellow neighbors in order to make ends meet. As of late however, the fields had yielded less and less crop due to the drought that had begun a few years ago. The villages also slowed on their trading activities, having experienced the effects of the drought just as badly if not worse.

It wasn't much longer when she and the others had heard that people within the villages were dying, either of starvation, or other reasons that Nomah and the others had omitted, with good reason. Crimes involving brigands were on the rise, and traveling between places became less and less safe. The Priory had encounters with them before, but luckily, they had managed to fend them off thanks to magic. This was one of the main reasons why they had studied magic in the first place, hoping that if they became stronger, they would be able to defend those they loved from the dangers around them.

Unfortunately, the brigands and sackings of villages were only the beginning of their problems. It did not take long before monsters became appearing, among them were Terrors, denizens of the dead that reanimated for a singular purpose, to feast on the living. They, or rather their presence, was most likely the reason why this road was devoid of beggars and even brigands. The Terrors were monsters that could not be reasoned with, and none were exempt from their hunger, whether they be brigands or villagers. Celica could only hope that where they were about to cross, contact with those monsters would be as minimal as possible.

"We will be headed towards the Novis Greatport. As you know, this means we'll have to go through the Cemetery..." she announced.

Boey was the first to gasp, as his face began to contort into one that held fear. Mae and Genny both tried their best to be calm, but they knew that passing through that Cemetery was risky at best, and deadly at worst.

"But milady... I don't think that would be a wise choice. There are rumors that the Cemetery was where the Terrors here originated from in the first place, and Terrors are..." muttered the mage.

"So there has. We best proceed with care then." replied Celica.

Though her reply seemed a bit dismissing to Boey's worries, Celica could understand why he felt the way he did. The Terrors were unfeeling monsters that feasted on the living, so naturally they would be attracted to human settlements, villages especially. Unlike Brigands who would back off if appeased or opposed with sufficient force, the Terrors held no such emotions. They would attack relentlessly, until either their corpses were crippled sufficiently, or outright destroyed. Boey's village was one of those that had been attacked by the monsters, and while they managed to fend them off, there were many casualties among them, some of his childhood friends. Right now, the only way Celica could help his fears was to downplay it, and she could only hope that they would pass the area as quickly as possible.

"Oh Boey, how can you be so scared of spooks and spirits at your age?" taunted Mae, much to Boey's displeasure.

"Will you give me a break? A man can't help what gives him fright! Besides, I'll face down brigands anyday, but Terrors? Terrors are...different..."

"Brigands, Terrors, what's the difference!? Blast them with fire or lightning, and they both turn to ash!"

Before Boey could say anything in response, Celica let out a sigh, which got both his and Mae's attention. To their surprise, the girl who seemed so ready to lead them now held an expression of melancholy.

"Oh milady, is something wrong?"

"I'm sorry Boey, I was just remembering my brother... He was a sweet thing, but meek. Frightened to death by ghosts just as you are. Then he became one, alas. And much too young...If he was still alive, I'm sure you and him would've gotten along nicely..."

"O-Oh...I did not realize that milady, sorry..." muttered Boey as he realized what he had brought up.

"Great Boey, look at what you did? Your whining has gone and dredged up a bunch of sad memories for Celica..." said Mae, which seemed to have angered Boey.

"Wait how is that my fault? I'm not the reason why there's potentially a danger zone in front of us! We should walk around the cemetery, maybe use the woods as cover!"

"U-Um guys, I hate to break your argument b-but we're kinda getting off track." interrupted Genny, much to the trio's surprise.

"Yes, Genny's right," admitted Celica. "We really ought to get going. The Cemetery is the quickest way through the area and while it may be dangerous, it's a lot less risky than walking around it and potentially getting lost here. Besides, the quicker we get to the Port, the better it is for all of us."

"You're right I suppose, milady..." conceded Boey. "I just hope nothing big will happen and we'll get through this place quick-"

Right as the apprentice mage said this, numerous streaks of lightning shot down from the heavens, striking into the near distance. The sound of clapping thunder and the appearance of over a dozen smoke trails off into the distance followed soon after. This continued on continuously for the next few minutes or so before it finally stopped, much to the group's surprise and awe.

"Aaaand there goes that hope. What do you think happened?!" exclaimed Boey, clearly disgruntled at the current situation.

"Alright, that definitely wasn't normal! Lightning like that doesn't appear suddenly out of nowhere, and certainly not continuously like that! There must be something going on up ahead, maybe a fight between some extremely powerful sage and monster?" continued Mae, clearly disturbed by what they had seen as well.

"I-I agree, that looked more like something I read about in the books back at the Priory more than anything I've ever seen. M-Maybe we should follow Boey's advice after all...?" added Genny who shared the sentiments that the other two had, only she seemed worried as well.

"You guys are right when you say that wasn't normal. It seems whatever that was, it happened at the cemetery so we should progress with caution, so make sure your tomes ready at a moment's notice." said Celica.

"W-Wait, we're gonna go TOWARDS that?" asked Boey nervously. "N-no offense milady, but I don't think that's a wise course of action. We don't even know who or WHAT caused those lightning strikes and you're suggesting that we go towards where it is?"

"I don't like the idea either, but those lightning strikes confirmed a few things. There are monsters, Terrors nearby, and staying here will all but guarantee an encounter with them. Now I don't know about you guys, but I can only think of three things that could have caused something like that," explained Celica.

"And what are those?" asked her friends with newfound curiosity.

"One of them are existences of myths and legends, the other is something that we would have heard about long ago if even one of them resided here. This leaves only the last option, and that is a HUMAN albeit a powerful Sage or in a special case, a human hybrid of one of the previous existences I mentioned. And with how things are now, I think I'm more willing to interact with someone who has a CHANCE of being reasoned with versus Terrors where there is NONE at all."

"Hmm...When you put it that way Celica, it does make sense. Maybe if they're nice, we might even get them to join us! With power like that on our side, they will surely make the journey easier!" said Mae as she entertained the idea.

"I...will also agree with you as well. I-It definitely can't be as bad as fighting against a group of Terrors if you p-put it that way." said Genny, also agreeing with Celica.

"W-Well, I guess we don't have much of a choice huh..." resigned Boey.

"Then it's settled, we'll approach the area with caution. If we deem that they aren't hostile, we'll make an attempt to interact with them otherwise, we should be able to sneak past them and in the worst case scenario, defend ourselves long enough to escape." proclaimed Celica.

Mae, Boey, and Genny gave their agreements to the plan, and the four soon hurried towards the Cemetery. Once they arrived, they quickly hid behind the forest trees at the Cemetery's borders and what they saw confirmed their suspicions.

In the graveyard, they could make out packs of Terrors by their rotten smell and their decaying corpses, all walking or crawling towards the figure that stood at the center. There were many destroyed tombstones along with the darkened ashes of what they assumed were Terrors. It seemed that whoever the figure was, they had used that spell in self-defense, eliminating the lot that had tried to attack them. Unfortunately for the figure, there were still more of the monsters intact, all heading towards them.

"Looks like you were right Celica, it was a person. The clothing they have though, that doesn't seem like any mage or sage clothing I've ever seen before. I guess that means they are the hybrids you were talking about?" asked Mae quietly.

"I don't know yet, but they do seem to be a Magic user of some sort though, look at the Tome that's in their hands." replied Celica as she pointed at the yellow grimoire that the figure held, their free hand still radiating with the power they had used before. "Although I've never seen that Tome before, even back at the castle..."

The figure was of moderate height and wore a black cloak with golden lines running through various parts and purple markings resembling eyes on the sleeves. a hood of similar color obscuring their facial features. The group watched as the figure slipped his current Tome under his cloak, only to take out another one that was of a deep crimson color, mumbling something to themselves as they did so.

"I think they're casting another spell...! Stay back!" warned Celica as she along with the other three stepped back and watched what would unfold.

With a gesture of the figure's hand, Celica and the others soon felt a wave of power that was released by their spell and they braced themselves for what was about to happen, though none of them were ready to see what was about to happen.

At the spell's activation, the ground soon shook much to Celica and the other's surprise, and within seconds, fissures began opening up around the figure. These fissures seemed to specifically target areas near tombstones as well as the approaching Terrors and soon after, an unrestrained force of lava erupted from the fissures, unleashing a shockwave from the explosion and effectively destroyed everything within their range. The group whom was now transfixed on the scene unfolding before them, could only watch as the Terrors were melted down to nothing along with the surrounding area. The spell's effects probably lasted less than half a minute but in that matter of time, the entire landscape had changed.

The area around the figure had changed into something of of a mix between the grass and lava, with patches of grassland invaded and blackened with cooling lava which oozed out the various fissure holes around the figure. What were corpses and stones that stayed in the way of the flow simply melted down, joining the flaming black mass. Though the spell held great power, it had luckily left a few areas unaffected by the eruption and lava, which were big enough for a person or two to walk through. Smoke began to rise from all around the area as the realization of what had been done finally reached the group.

"Gods, I know they were Terrors, but talk about overkill!" exclaimed Boey, much to everyone's agreement.

"Wait look, I think they're in trouble!" said Celica as she urged the rest of them to look.

The figure had apparently fallen down onto their knees after the spell's casting, accompanied by what seemed to be heavier breathing. Their hood fell back, revealing them to be a male of pale complexion. What stood out to them however, was his hair color, which was stark white, almost unnaturally so. He seemed to be struggling, as he barely were able to force himself up, using what appeared to be a lightning sword to keep himself up.

As Celica and the others watched the figure stand back up, their attention shifted to the area outside of his spell, where Terrors were now emerging from underneath the ground as well as coming from the forest that surrounded the cemetery. Within a few minutes, a small pack had formed once more, along with the ones now coming up from under, as if they were attracted to what the figure had done.

"The Terrors seem to be gathering milady! We should get out of here before we're swarmed by them!" said Boey as he urged the rest of the group towards the cemetery's exit, which was down to their left.

"Wait, what about that man? Shouldn't we help him?" asked Celica, who looked at the figure with concern as she saw him limp towards the exit with sword in hand.

"Celica, the guy had enough juice to do something like this after using that lightning spell earlier. He'll be fine, it's us that needs to leave!"

"N-no if we don't help, I don't think he'll make it." interrupted Genny. "I can already tell from here, he's suffering from fatigue due to Magic Overuse. While this would not normally be lethal, combine that with the fumes that he unleashed and is breathing in, along with even further imposed stress through fighting, he'll probably die within an hour without treatment, hybrid or not."

"Alright, but what about our lives?! I get that saving him a person when their life is in danger is important, but there's no point if it means we're just going to die with them if we try!" he retorted.

As the group argued on what to do, their attention turned back to the figure as he readied his sword. It seemed that he had forced himself to stand fully, and with a shout, he declared;

"I won't die here...! Not here, not now, and CERTAINLY not to the likes of corpses!"

He then sprinted forward towards the exit, despite the fact that around three Terrors were in the way. They had noticed him and snarled in return, readying themselves to attack. In return, the figure had his sword ready, putting his all in the next few swings that he was about to make. Celica, Boey, and Genny held in their surprise as they saw his sheer willpower, having forced himself forward despite the odds. While they still were not able to make out what to do, a friend of theirs had already ran forward out into the clearing, taking the initiative to do something they all should have done a few moments back.

"Then today's your lucky day mister! Now step back!"

With that, Mae's palm flared with power, and from her hands shot fire towards the Terrors that were in his way, right as the figure noticed her and staggered backwards, falling.


As Robin fell, he watched as the Fire spell that was shot his way earlier had engulfed the Risen that were closest to him in flames, having avoided the attack himself thanks to the girl's warning. Hitting the floor, he got a clear view at the mage that had helped him. She was a teenage girl, with pink pigtails along with what looked to be mage's attire of the same color, and apparently used a standard Fire Spell from her hands.

"Hey, do I have to do all the work myself?! Get down here and help me out!" she yelled, turning to the other three figures that were now approaching.

The three figures she had referred to all seemed to be magic users, with one being a cleric due to her staff, while the other two looked to be mages too. They were also of similar age too, with the boy having tanned skin along with a worried expression, the cleric user wearing clothes of the same color as the mage from before's, only a lot more plain. The last girl had red hair, her clothing reminding him of the War Clerics that he had met in the Ylissean army.

"Alright now that we're all here, let's blast these Terrors with everything we've got!" declared Mae.

"Wait!" interrupted Robin, which made the four turn to him. "That won't be an effective strategy, there's too many of them. Since you burned the Risen that were in the way of the exit, we should hurry towards it and just kill the ones that come close. If we go far enough, they should leave us alone."

As the figure said this, Celica watched as the Terrors that were trying to dig themselves out of the ground before were almost fully surfaced, along with the attention of a few of the other Terrors now turned to them after Mae had helped out the stranger.

"Mae, he's right. Those monsters are approaching as we speak, and I don't think we can put them down fast enough before they overwhelm us." said the girl with red hair.

"I also agree, the less time we have to spend fighting against those monsters, the better off we'll all be!" agreed the boy.

"Aww that's a lot less exciting but alright. Hey you, stranger!" said the girl whose name was Mae. "Can you walk?"

"Yea...I should be able to...!" replied Robin as he began to get up, only to stagger a bit.

"Scrap that then, Genny, Boey, support our friend here so he doesn't fall. Meanwhile, me and Celica will defend you guys as we escape."

"Hey, why can't I help you guys fight too?" asked Boey, frustrated with the role he had been given.

"I thought that was obvious, it's because you're the least competent mage out of the three of us!" replied Mae, much to Boey's displeasure.

"Alright you two, stop arguing and Boey, let's just help him out. The faster we get out of here, the faster I can start healing him." interrupted Genny as she hoisted one of the figure's arms on her back.

"Well alright I guess, but you owe me one Mae!" resigned Boey, hoisting the figure's other arm up as well.

"I don't know why you're helping a stranger like me to this extent, but thank you." said the Tactician to Boey, only to receive a sigh in response.

"No, don't thank me, thank milady...and Mae, it was their idea to come here in the first place. It's shameful to admit this, but I probably would have ducked out...sorry."

"Well...I wouldn't blame you four if you did. It was incredibly reckless, but kind of your friends to help me like this and regardless of your intentions, your actions speak a lot more than words so I offer you my thanks."

"Y-You're welcome then I guess...Anyways let's focus on the exit alright? The faster we're out of here, the more relieved I'll be!" responded Boey to the figure who nodded in agreement.

The gates to the Cemetery lay closer and closer as the group approached. Any Terrors that came close were blown away by the Fire spell that Celica and Mae used, though Robin noticed that they had begun to tire. Seeing this, Robin gripped the Levin Sword that was still in his hands as he prepared to make a gambit.

It did not take long before their fatigue began to influence the power and cast rates of their spells, and Robin wasn't the only one that had noticed either. A canine-like Terror ran towards them and when it got in range, it soon jumped at the duo, right as Robin took the gambit. With a wave of his sword, lightning shot down and electrocuted the monster until only a charred corpse remained. It seemed that channelling magic through the Levin Sword still used his own reserves, but the drain was much less than his tomes, much to his relief.

"T-Thanks..." muttered Celica in response to the figure's aid.

"Don't mention it, you can properly thank me later when we get out of this place!"

Rushing forward to the exit, they soon left the entrance, and as soon as they did, Mae and Celica quickly grabbed the gates and quickly closed them. Taking the opened lock on the gate, they then locked it, with the group letting out a sigh of relief as they did. With that, their pace slowed down as they looked for a clearing so they could recuperate.

After a few minutes of searching, they soon found a good area to rest, and the two put down the Tactician down as Boey and Genny sat down along with Celica and Mae. Sitting for a bit, Genny then got out her staff as she prepared to put her healing skills to use. Within a short five minutes, the rest of her group began to feel a lot better. With the main task at hand done, Genny then moved on to help the Tactician out, and after a minute, most of his earlier problems had passed for now.

"I-I've treated the symptoms of your Magic Overuse for the most part, but if you want to prevent rebounding, you're going to have to stop using Magic for the rest of the day, at least. I would also recommend you take it easy with yourself and not do anything reckless, like running towards Terrors when you can barely stand."

"That was pretty quick honestly, thank you. Also, I'll follow your advice to the best of my ability, but I can't promise you anything." said Robin with a smile, as he gave the young cleric his thanks, Genny blushing a bit in return.

"That's Genny for you, she always did have a knack for healing. I'm honestly surprised that you got off as easily as you did, I had expected at least a week's worth of rest being needed in addition to treatment with the amount of spells you casted and the power that was in them." added Celica.

I guess I always did have a knack for going overboard with things...

"Anyways, what's someone like you doing in Novis? Hard to believe that a mage like yourself would lurk around these parts." interrupted Boey, which seemed to cause confusion in the figure.

"Novis...? Is that where we are now? replied Robin, grabbing Celica's attention.

"You didn't know? We're currently on Novis, which is an island that's part of the Kingdom of Zofia. While Novis is by no means big, it's not exactly an unknown place either." explained Celica, which confused Robin even further.

"An island...Kingdom of Zofia...? Sorry, but until just about a while ago, I was on the continent known as Ylisse, and near a place called Origin Peak." replied the Tactician, omitting the more...personal events.

"I'm sorry, but I've never heard of the places you speak of. We are on the continent of Valentia, which is home to two kingdoms, Zofia and Rigel."

"The continent of Valentia...? No, that can't be...that's impossible..." said Robin who was stunned by the information given to him.

"Hey mister, I think it's more impossible that you don't seem to know information that's pretty much common knowledge. If I were a betting girl, I'd say you're lying, so you better tell us the truth! You may be an extremely powerful mage, but with the state you're in right now, we can and will kill you if you prove to be a threat to us." threatened Mae.

"Wow, and that's twice we've made an agreement, all in one day! I think that's a new record!" added the boy. "Anyways, I agree with Mae as well. I don't want to do it, especially after we put our lives on the line to help you, but we will if you don't tell us the truth right now. Where did you come from, and who are you?"

Robin was all but shocked at the accusations, but more so the information that was given to him. If he had remembered his history, Valentia was the previous name of the continent he knew as Valm. It was named after the king of the First Empire of that continent, who had managed to unite the kingdoms that had existed on the continent prior to this, their names lost to history. If the Valentia that these four were referring to was that very same continent, which would mean...

Wait, if this is a whole different continent, shouldn't the language spoken be different? No...The case here seems different...did this have something to do with Ashunera...? Gods, am I in the past? That shouldn't be possible though, even if "Time Travel" exists...

While the concept of "Time Travel" was possible, Robin knew that there were limits to it, and many at that. First, the period that one traveled to was in fact not the traveler's world, but an "Outrealm", a world that was "parallel" to theirs. In other words, whatever their actions they performed in that world would not affect the world that they had come from in any way.

Second, the amount of worlds you could travel to was limited relative to the traveler's home world. This meant that one could only travel to a world of similar circumstances and possibilities as their home world, as going anywhere further was incredibly difficult to outright impossible. This was what Lucina along with the rest of the Future Children as well as it had used to travel back in time, to travel to his world. In other words, "time traveling" to a world that could have been a "Parallel World" to the traveler's own, but further in the past or future was possible, but only to a limited range as going too far back or forward would result in a drastic change the circumstances and possibilities and thus, worlds like those would be out of range for the traveler.

Finally, the sheer amount of energy and control needed to travel through worlds was immense, to the point where even god like beings such as Naga would be limited in their usage. In addition to this, if the sufficient amount of energy and control were not met sufficiently, the Outrealm Gate would simply not open. This was not the worst case scenario however, as he knew that if control had been lost in the process of said travel, the one traveling would be forever trapped in the "Void" between worlds. This meant that traveling between Outrealms was incredibly risky and dangerous, something that existences close to gods would only use as a last resort.

This was what he had learned from Anna, one of many of her sisters who he had come to know as "Merchants of the Outrealms". They were knowledgeable on the subject to the point where they perhaps even knew more than Naga herself. The information that he had also seemed to be somewhat confidential too, with him only learning it from their Anna after saving her, getting to know her over a long period, and most importantly, after giving her a hefty "donation" before anything was said. Despite this, it seemed that this was simply just the tip of the iceberg, as the expression that Anna had shown him that day showed that there was A LOT more than what he now knew, but her lips were sealed.

Although I don't know yet, but it seems like the idea of me being in the past is likely... While I should not, cannot tell them the truth of my situation, I don't want to betray their goodwill either. They had risked their lives for me so I should be somewhat honest... I guess a half-truth will have to do...

"I'm sorry if I gave off the notion of dishonesty, but allow me to clarify things. My name is Robin, and as for where I come from, Ylisse, it is most likely a continent that's pretty far away from here. I was a tactician for the Shepherds, a militia for the Halidom of Ylisse, one of the many nations on the continent. The reason why you found me in the Cemetery was because it seemed that I had been sent here after an...incident that I got involved in. While the information here might seem a bit...faulty... I can assure you that I am telling the truth, and I apologize for my confusion from earlier."

"I...think he's telling the truth. While I'm not an expert or anything, his expression did not flicker at all when he had said that. I think that we should at least consider what he said, even if it does sound a bit outlandish." said Celica first, to her group's surprise.

"I CAN'T exactly disagree with what Celica says, but I still think he's hiding something..." said Mae.

"Yea, how do we know beyond a doubt that what you're saying is true Robin?" added Boey, agreeing with Mae.

"Well I can't exactly prove it to you, but what reason would I have for lying? You four did help me out greatly there, so I don't really have any reason to hold any ill will towards any of you. Besides, it's as you said, I am currently in no good condition to defend myself so even if you for some reason still think I mean to do you harm, I wouldn't be capable of doing such to any significant extent for at least the next few days." responded Robin.

"I-I think we should trust him for now..." said Genny nervously. "He doesn't really seem like anyone we've ever seen before, nor does he hold any ill intent towards us at the moment."

"Now that we're done with the trust issues and all, I feel like we can finally introduce ourselves properly. My name is Celica, and once again, thank you for helping me out earlier."

"Celica already mentioned it before, but my name is Mae. Since you did help us wipe those Terrors out and Celica seems fine with you, I think we can trust you in that regard. I'll be watching though, so don't try anything sneaky!"

"My name is Boey, a mage and a close friend to milady and Mae. I hope for your sake and ours, that what you say is the truth."

"I'm Genny, unlike my friends, I'm just a simple healer. It's nice to meet you Robin."

Celica...that name sounds familiar...but anyways, that should have warmed them up a little to my presence. I guess I can ask them a few things now without worrying about too much backlash.

"Yes..it's nice to meet you four as well. May I ask what you four were doing though? Since this place seems filled with Risen, I would think that traveling isn't that good of an idea?" asked Robin.

"We didn't really have a choice. I assume the "Risen" you mentioned were those monsters?" replied Celica, to which Robin nodded. "The monsters you call "Risen" are what we call Terrors with those specifically being Revenants. We are in the middle of a famine, and the appearances and aggressiveness of those Terrors have only risen as of late. With food and water getting sacer by the day, we needed try to find a solution. We believe that these problems have something to do with Mila, the patron deity of Zofia so we decided to go investigate."

Mila...that's the name of the Divine Dragon that the Mila Tree in Valm was named after. It was also the place where we found her...This pretty much confirms that I'm in the past. Is this perhaps the time period of when the First Exalt appeared...? Perhaps I should confirm it with a question..."

"The problems you present do seem dire Celica, and I admire you and your group's actions. It's usually people with a mindset like yours that gets things done most of the time. Anyways about your problems, have any of you ever heard of a figure by the name of Grima?"

Alright, depending on how she answers that, I should be able to have a firm grasp on what time period I'm in. Whatever it is though, it seems like I've been sent a long way backwards, almost impossibly so. If this was that woman, Ashunera's doing, then she really was someone whose power was otherworldly, a true "goddess".

"I've...never heard of such a figure, why do you ask?" replied Celica.

"Grima, that's the name of the figure that used to plague Ylisse. It was known as the Fell Dragon, and one of its greatest and most terrifying powers was its ability to raise the dead at will. The Risen that you saw here are like mere specks of dust compared to the monsters that were raised by that dragon." said Robin as he remembered some of the more powerful Risen that he and the others had to fight, such as the Deadlords. "They were revived in the most twisted way possible, with any semblance of humanity erased but nearly all of the abilities they had in life retained. The more powerful ones held intelligence as well, being able to give me and my friends a fight that we would never forget."

"I see...so that's why you held no fear in the middle of the cemetery despite seeing all those monsters. As for this Grima, how did you ever manage to put down such a threat?" asked Celica curiously, both her and her friends holding a small bit of disbelief along with fear towards Robin's story.

"Through countless battles and sacrifices along with aid from those that knew that monster better than we ever would've dared found out, we...managed to put it down with the power of a Divine Sword." responded Robin, though his reply was shaky, due to the true nature of how things ended. Luckily for him, Celica and the others didn't seem to notice.

"A Divine Sword...that sounds like something out of the legends themselves, but I digress. Anyways Robin, we were planning on going to the Zofia Greatport in hopes of getting onto a ship. Since you seem to be new to this land and all, would you like to come with us, at least until we reach the port?" asked Celica.

As Robin got Celica's reply, the situation before him had both good and bad to it. The good part about it was that Grima most likely did not exist yet, which meant that the Fell Dragon currently wasn't a threat. The bad news however, was that he was most likely in a time period known as the "Lost Age", a time period in Valm's history that predated the creation of the "First Empire", whose history had been lost to the scholars of his time. This meant that whatever time period he was in now, he no knowledge of what would happen. This meant little however, as what he planned to do had already been decided when the group in front of him stated what they were looking for.

They said that they were looking for a solution to their problem, and that it most likely had something to do with Mila. If this is the case, then it's likely that they were looking for the Divine Dragon herself. The Tree that was named after Mila, that's where we had first seen "The Voice"...which means that if I follow them, perhaps maybe I'll get to see her too...

Though the chances were slim that Celica and her friends would even get to meet the Divine Dragon known as Mila, the chances of that dragon knowing where she was even the smaller than that. Despite this, he had to take this it, and he would do everything in his power to make sure that the group in front of him reached their goal, for if that would give him that very chance, he would take it.

"Do you want to see her?"

That was one of the things that Ashunera had asked him before she sent him here, and appearing before him now was that very chance. In the tactician, a new hope had birthed in him and he wanted, needed to see it through to the end, if not for his sake, then for her's.

"If you're willing to have me, I'd be happy to come with you." he replied simply, yet that very same reply held in it the greatest of hopes.

He could see her again, he could see Tiki again.


Author's Note

And that's it for this chapter. Did you enjoy it? If you have any suggestions, improvements, or questions, I would love to hear them.

I will also be addressing a few points I've added to the story that may have been a bit confusing below. This may contain what some of you consider spoilers, so if you don't want any of that, then I hope to see you again next time.

...

First, Robin's Mark of Grima disappeared because the connection between him and the Grima of his world was severed, which meant that the Blood Pact between him and Grima had ended, which was supposed to result in both Robin and Grima's end, as they were technically the "one and the same". What I interpreted from his return back to Chrom and the others in the Canon lore, was that through The Avatar's bond with the shepherds, he was able to stabilize himself as an individual existence that wasn't Grima and thus, return even though Grima died. As for what specific world that Avatar returns to, I think it's up to what kind of individual existence that the Avatar had established themselves as, with them ending up in whatever world that is compatible or in the case of this story, the interference of someone with sufficient power. As the Robin of this story had accepted his role as the Fell Dragon's vessel in the end, and had wished for the security and prosperity of his friends and their future descendants at the cost of his life. As such, he ended up where Ashunera was, an endless ocean devoid of creation, with him only having some semblance of life at the time due to his final wish, the weight of it differentiating his existence to some extent from Grima. What Ashunera did was simply spur Robin on so that he would fully establish himself as a separate existence, and sent him to a world where he could fulfill his newfound goal. Since this Robin had accepted his heritage in the end, but managed to develop himself into a separate existence from Grima due the polarity between his and the Fell Dragon's desires, the weight of this contradiction resulted in Robin being established as a separate existence from the Grima, but still retaining some of the abilities he had as the Fell Dragon's vessel. Hopefully this explains Robin's comment about no longer having the mark of the Fell Dragon, but still feeling it's power inside of him. While Robin may technically now be his own separate existence, his likeness to Grima still exists, and this will be brought into question later on, especially when Duma, Mila, Tiki, and others appear in the story, along with The Creation.

Second, the rules that I wrote for Outrealm Traveling was a "common sense" method of limiting the sheer possibilities that such a concept possesses. If there were no theoretical limits to this concept, it would open up a whole Pandora's Box of issues, and affect pretty much the entirety of the Canon-verse. The limitation of "distance" between worlds relative to their similarities specifically, was my main method of doing this, and this rule was never truly broken in this story, but only bent due to the interference of a "true" goddess in the form of Ashunera. She was able to do this as I perceived that she was significantly more powerful than the Divine Dragons due to her powers of creation and destruction as well as her status as an actual deity versus Naga and the others, who openly proclaim that they aren't gods, but just really powerful Divine Dragons. With that, the rules I established were "bent" but not broken due to Robin's travel to Valentia being technically possible due to the nature of his existence, only needing someone of sufficient power such as Ashunera to do the rest. Fortunately or unfortunately, this means that besides Robin and Tiki, other members of the Awakening cast won't be making an appearance in this story. As for the rest of the rules, that was just to clarify things a bit clearer.

Finally, the idea of Robin getting fatigued here was my take on the idea of Spells needing HP to be casted in Gaiden/Echoes versus the durability system in Awakening. Basically, the main method of using magic in Awakening is the channeling of power through the Tome itself, while in Gaiden/Echoes, significant portions of the power is being used directly from the user instead of the Tome. Due to the difference in casting as well as being distracted with the situation at hand, Robin goes a bit overboard with the spells he used, which resulted in him finding out about this when it was too late. I would also like to make a distinction in this story between a Tome and a spell, where the Tome is the book containing the contents of the spell, while the spell is the actual effect of the attack released from the Tome. Though the spells he used would have been considered extremely potent if they existed in Gaiden/Valentia, they would also have a reasonable drain on the user's stamina and Robin was only able to spam Arcthunder as much as he did because of the traits granted to him as the Fell Dragon's vessel, but it has limits to it and in the end, he's only human.

Hopefully, this clears up a few of the questions you guys may have had for this chapter. If there's anything else that I left out, feel free to give me a Review or PM with your question, and I'll answer them to the best of my ability later on.