Stefan: Hey, dudes and dudettes. It's me; your favourite green-haird swordsman...at least, I sure hope I'm your favourite. Wondering where the head author is? Well, the strangest thing happened. As soon as he finished typing up this part of the story, a couple of soldiers in beige armor grabbed him by the shoulders and dragged him off somewhere. Called themselves the 'Copywright Brigade', or something like that. Anyways, he was allowed to make a phone call, and used it to have me come and fill in for him. Oh, and save yourself the trouble; don't ask where a desert hermit like myself can find a cell phone, especially when I'm not sure they're supposed to exist around here. Now, before I go, he asked me to make this announcement. Ahem…
DISCLAIMER: AN ORDINARY FAN, WHO IS THE AUTHOR OF THIS STORY, DOES NOT OWN THE IDEAS THAT ARE INCLUDED WITHIN. THE CAST, LOCATIONS, AND PLOT OF FIRE EMBLEM BELONG TO NINTENDO. MARYLIN MANSON WROTE THE SONG 'THIS IS HALLOWEEN', WHICH IS INCLUDED IN THE TALE AND WAS HALF OF WHAT INSPIRED ITS CREATION TO BEGIN WITH. THE SONG WAS MADE FOR A DISNEY MOVIE, 'THE NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS', WHICH WAS CREATED BY TIM BURTON. NOW, ANYBODY, GET ME OUT OF HERE!!!
Stefan: And that's about it. Enjoy the remainder of the show, folks!
Last time we left Soren, he had escaped from the 'ghost' of a man he barely knew via the backdoor of a house/store owned by another man he barely knew. As he sneaked through the alleys, being careful not to get caught, he tried to figure out the most logical situation he could've possibly wound up in that did NOT involve these so-called supernatural beings.
Soren did believe in spirits; just in a different way than most. Having seen creatures bearing such a title during the Greil Mercenaries' last battle together, he had come up with the theory that they were merely fluxes in the world created and controlled by the being that they had all fought at the end. If there were any left, it was merely supposed to be residue from the battle, and nothing more. The possibility of warriors from beyond the grave being summoned from an afterlife for the sole purpose of murdering them was the last thing that was on the warlock's mind at the time.
Of course, that was then, and this is now. And now, Soren had to hide. He may not believe in the possibility of the living dead appearing in the world, but he certainly knew that getting injured in a place like this by a guy like Maijin was not good for his health at all.
Round that corner, man hiding in the trash can,
Something's waiting to pounce, and how you'll...
Scream! This is Halloween!
Red 'n' black, slimy green!
At last, after many minutes of sneaking around the horrid alleys of the strange town he was trapped in, Soren reached a part of town that was practically devoid of life…or afterlife, if it was true. As the young-looking mage leaned against a nearby garbage container, the cylinder started to shake a bit. Quickly pulling his hand away, Soren watched as the sniper who had attacked Lady Astrid's ship once upon a time poked his head out from inside. Soren couldn't help but let out a slight yip, as the character was covered in some kind of red, green, and midnight black sludge.
"Great. Another blast from the past," Soren remarked, dissatisfied that all he's seen so far in this creepy place was a faceless man and a bunch of guys he had already killed once, helped kill, or at least heard about from Ike. This man in particular fell into the last category.
"Hey, another mage. How 'bout that? I've rarely seen one of you smarmy types come 'round this part of town before," Norris the sniper told our protagonist. "Before, I haven't seen anyone pass by for the past two and a half years. And today, of all days, I get two visitors, and both magicians to boot! You're a lot different than the last guy, though; he was just some old coot in red robes that kept ducking into the shadows…"
"Red robes?" Soren asked, remembering the figure that had warned him not to traverse the forest in night. Had that geezer been trapped as well, and was trying to stop another from making the same mistake? Or, for some unknown reason and through unknown means, was he the one that had set up this gigantic illusion? "Tell me, please; do you happen to know why he came this way?"
"Said he was looking for the emergency exit. This year, some goof cursed the front gate so it was one-way only, but there's always a backdoor for those that are persistent."
"Good to know. With that in mind, I'll begin doing the same. Your services were very helpful," Soren told the bow-wielder before running off, not realizing (nor caring, if he did realize) that the character was calling out to him, wanting company for a tad bit longer.
Aren't you scared? Everybody scream; everybody scream!
Well, that's just fine.
Say it once, say it twice,
Take a chance and roll the dice.
Ride with the moon in the dead of night!
In our town of Halloween!
As Soren walked down some more alleys, he began to notice that the scenery was changing. If possible, the atmosphere was starting to seem even more eerie than before. But, that did not stop him from continuing onwards. The fact that there was a giant wall in his way stopped him from continuing onwards. There was no visible way around it, and if he tried heading back, he'd likely run into that Maijin fellow again. And though he had dodged a couple of times already, he really didn't want to press his luck.
Seeing a few bricks sticking out nearby, Soren walked towards them, thinking that he could climb up the barricade. But as he approached, the bricks were pulled back in just enough to no longer become climbable. For some reason, a discarding grappling hook lay nearby. But after Soren hooked it onto the wall, it suddenly burst into flames. "All right; that was unexpected," Soren commented as he quickly let go of the rope. He then faced the wall, and began to yell. "You there! If you can hear me behind this thing, this is NOT a laughing matter! If you continue to make this more difficult for me, I will cut you into ribbons the second I can work myself around this obstacle!
Soren was becoming surprised a lot today. When the wall suddenly grew two eyes and a mouth, it was no exception. "WHO DARES DISTURB MY SLUMBER?!" the thing boomed.
Wiping the look of shock from his face, Soren replied, "Soren, lead tactician for the Greil Mercenaries. As I assume you are the being that controls who gains passage through this obstacle, I request that you let me through. I do not belong in this land, nor do I plan on becoming a part of it. If you try and force me to stay, I'll have no choice but to huff, and puff, and blow you to smithereens!"
"HMMM….LITTLE MAN HAVE GREAT COURAGE. I LET YOU PASS TO THE MOONLIGHT MANSION, FREE OF CHARGE. HURRY, BEFORE MY MIND IS CHANGED," the living wall told the mage. Soren quickly bowed in gratitude, and as the barricade opened its mouth as wide as it could, he ran through it and to the other side of the wall. Seeing a gigantic building before him, curiosity took over as he began to investigate.
Stefan: …That's it? The joker didn't even finish it yet! What a rip-off! But, I've got to give the guy some credit; any yarn worth being jailed for has got to have its good points. Now, if you excuse me, I've got to polish my Vague Katti. Seeya!