Dragon for a Day

by Grey-X

After Mila and Duma's passing, much hard work awaits stabilizing the continent, and unfortunately, sometimes Alm and Celica still can't see eye-to-eye. Oftentimes, Celica wishes she could truly be a force like Mila reincarnated, as her people have come to believe she is. Then an old friend, who aided her during her time in Aytolis, arrives in Valentia with a possible solution.

4. Invasion From Within

Dragon for a Day

a Fire Emblem Gaiden GTS story

Chapter 4: Invasion from Within

4-23-2019

by Grey-X, with help from DunamisSolgard1002 and CubedCinder128

Disclaimer: The Fire Emblem franchise is the creation and property of Nintendo and Intelligent Systems. Princess Apple is an original Super Mario Bros. character created by cubedcinder128, and is used with his permission.

Note: This story is a sequel of sorts to CubedCinder128's Super Smash Bros. story, Apple's Smashing Army.

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Alm once again found himself stirring awake when Celica stirred in her sleep. Naturally, Celica was simply too big to sleep in any of the village's buildings. She was even liable to smash apart a barn from the inside if she got restless in her sleep. So Celica settled on sleeping on the village's outskirts, finding a comfortable, sloped field currently not being used for harvesting grapes, due to crop rotation. Alm had opted to sleep outside as well, wanting to stay at Celica's side. The villagers, at first, insisted on offering a room fit for a king, but Alm had been adamant. Gigantic as she was, Celica was still vulnerable while she slept. Alm was essentially sleeping with one eye open, on guard for anything.

Sitting up in a sleeping bag provided by the villagers, Alm watched as Celica slowly stirred, rolling onto her side. He let out a sigh of relief, glad he wasn't sleeping TOO close to Celica. Celica was right to be worried about one false move meaning someone's end.

Celica fell still again, her face now more or less filled Alm's vision as she slept on. He swore he could even feel gusts of air as she breathed out, which rustled grass and weeds along the hills. As always, Alm was overcome by her beauty, the aura of serenity about her. She truly was the most selfless person he had ever met. Celica chose to spend her day at that size, this brief vacation from her responsibilities as queen, using it to help others. If it wasn't clear before that she was the embodiment of Mila's teachings, this was it.

How ironic, that this shone through while she was this unstoppable juggernaut, also helping to establish order through strength, as Duma would want. What Alm had seen her do would go a long way to forging a lasting peace and stability in Valentia. Yet none of this would have been possible with Princess Apple. Someone Celica had only met briefly, but obviously won her over with her conviction. It was a testament to how Celica affected people, even those from far-off worlds.

Which now made Alm's heart ache with dread. Any friend of Celica's was a friend of his, but hours had passed, and there was still no sign of their giant dignitary. Eventually, it convinced Alm that action had to be taken. He didn't want to wake Celica and worry her, too, so he ordered Clair to take Mae and scour the countryside for Apple. A pegasus knight could still potentially cover more ground than Celica.

Alm guessed that had been about two hours ago, yet Clair and Mae hadn't reported back yet. Alm glanced over into the village, and his heart sank, seeing so sign of Apple. What could be keeping the princess? Were necrodragons still around? No, Apple was big enough to mash those monsters easily. And with all the tricks up her sleeve, any lingering Duma faithful would be hopelessly outmatched as well. So if Apple was in trouble, what in Valentia could be causing it?

Sighing, Alm leaned back in his sleeping bag, cursing how he could do next to nothing on his own. He had grown accustomed to always being in the thick of things, with troops at his command, able to tackle many threats at once. Tagging along on Celica and Apple's little trip changed things up. Here he was, no pegasus and no magic, only able to keep watch over his giant wife while worried sick about the other giantess.

Alm almost drifted back off, but whinnying overhead snapped him to attention. He sat right back up, spotting Clair's white pegasus descending. "Please have good news," Alm muttered.

Unfortunately, when the pegasus landed, that somber look on Clair and Mae's faces told Alm everything. "Bad news, my liege," said Clair.

"Yeah, Alm. We saw where Apple's clearly been, but no sign of where she's gone," said Mae.

Alm quickly digested this, and asked, "So just what did you two find?"

"There was wreckage of a ship washed ashore," said Mae. "From the looks of it, the ship was of Achanean design, and the garb worn by the unfortunate souls on that ship looks like Archanean fashion, too. How it looped around to the west side of Valentia, I have no clue. And what survivors there were, by the time we arrived, it was too late."

"But you say Apple was clearly there? How?" Alm demanded.

"It's a bit difficult to miss her footprints in sand, my liege, even at night," said Clair. "Apple must've spotted the ship, flown over to it, but... There's no sign of footprints leading AWAY from the wreckage. Which is perplexing, considering Princess Apple needs a running start to fly with that raccoon tail..."

"Part of the hull was ripped away, and it's clear by who. We guess Apple was looking for more survivors. But there's no sign of Apple doing anything after that. As if she just... disappeared," added Mae.

"What's this about Apple disappearing on us?" came an echoing voice, full of concern. The three of them looked up see Celica sitting up, her gaze now looming over them.

Alm had fervently hoped to have better news upon Celica awakening, but there was no avoiding it now. Alm relayed everything Mae and Clair just reported. Even in the nighttime gloom, Alm could see Celica's expression darken. He couldn't blame her. Nothing about Apple's sudden disappearance was adding up.

"Then I've got to go find her!" Celica cried. "Clair, you must take me to this ship. Maybe I can pick up the trail, and..."

"We already tried, Milady" Clair protested. "We had a good view of the surrounding area, but... The trail simply went cold!"

"Isn't it likely that Apple had less time in Valentia than she thought?" Mae suggested. "I mean, maybe she DID just vanish, teleported back to wherever she came from."

"That's a possibility," Alm agreed. "But I won't let it go at that, not without more evidence."

"Good to see we're in agreement, Alm," said Celica. She rose to her full height. Bits of dirt rained down as Celica did so, and her head blocked the moon from view. "So let's go and..."

"Milady, isn't there... another concern?" Clair called out delicately.

Alm could see Celica's eyes narrow down at Clair. He didn't blame the pegasus knight for having to suppress a shudder. "What would that be, Clair?" Celica demanded.

"Wasn't Apple, well, your ride home?" Mae pointed out.

"I think I see what they're getting at, Celica," said Alm. "Even if Apple really did run out of time in Valentia, in a few hours you'll run out of time at that size."

Celica turned her steely gaze on him. "So?" she challenged. "All the more reason to cover as much ground as I can, looking for Princess Apple!"

"You'll simply exhaust yourself, Celica, and for nothing!" said Mae. "Even in Clair missed something, she can cover as much ground on her pegasus."

"I second that, Milady," said Clair. "You may yet make it back to Zofia Castle in the time you have left. Otherwise, you and the king could be stranded a long way from any support."

"NO!" Celica roared, making the three of them wince. "Apple's done so much for me, for us... I will NOT just slink back to the palace when she needs MY help!"

"Celica, I know we have a debt to repay to Princess Apple, but running around aimlessly won't fix anything," said Alm. "And you'd hardly be doing nothing. While Clair and Mae fly around to get the word out to forces up here in Rigel, you could alert our forces along the route back to Zofia Castle. We could get ships and other pegasus knights out scouring the continent for any sign of Apple."

Celica was now glaring daggers down at Alm, but he could also see the conflict raging within her. "Just when did I become the one itching to tackle problems head-on without thinking, while you got more strategic and a big picture thinker, Alm?" Celica grumbled.

Alm couldn't help but smile up at her. "What can I say? We've been together just long enough to rub off on each other."

Celica's expression seemed to soften a little, but Alm still saw the smoldering fire in her eyes. In their short time together, Celica and Apple had forged quite a bond. Alm could tell Celica's every instinct was to rush off and find Apple herself, something Alm wouldn't object to much if she still chose that route. Yet she understood it might be a foolhardy thing to do. Plus, Celica knew Apple wouldn't want her to put herself at risk on a fruitless search, especially if it turned out Apple was simply transported home.

"Fine, you three win," Celica growled. "Clair, you and Mae get back in the air and alert all our forces in Rigel. Alm, you're coming back with me."

Clair and Mae didn't waste any time getting back on the pegasus. Alm, meanwhile, forced himself to stand motionless as Celica reached down for him. He did his best to stay calm as Celica lifted him up and planted him on her shoulder. "You know the drill, Alm. Tie yourself down with some of my hair, try not to get thrown off. If you want me back at the palace before my growth spurt expires, I'll have to run. REALLY run."

There was no mistaking the bitterness in Celica's voice, the sense of helplessness, being boxed in. "For the record, Celica, I didn't exactly say you HAD to retreat to Zofia Castle. Just that I saw the logic behind it. Besides, it's not like I can order you to do ANYTHING right now."

Celica turned her head, just enough to glare down at Alm. "So if I had gone against Clair and Mae's recommendations..."

"Where do you think you picked up this combative streak from?" Alm quipped, smiling.

Celica snorted, but at least it was in amusement. With that, Celica hopped over the village wall and broke into a run, heading for the sluice gate. Of course, without Apple to fly her over the waterway, Celica had to wade through it. The water barely stopped below her shoulders, nearly submersing Alm, and Celica's teeth chattered from the cold, thundering in his ears. Once she reached the other side, she stopped briefly to alert the forces stationed there about Apple, then continued her sprint back home.

Celica was indeed running faster than before, though Alm could tell her heart ached with guilt with every step. Alm couldn't blame her, also feeling like this was betraying Apple. To force down those thoughts, it helped having to concentrate on not being thrown off Celica's shoulder. Each thunderous step of hers jarred him to the bone, forcing him to squat and hold onto her hair for dear life. Alm wondered what Celica running was like for people nearby. The earth rumbled when she simply walked. Celica was potentially causing mini-earthquakes now.

When they were halfway through the forest, whenever Alm got a clear view over the forest canopy, he saw the faint glow of the sun peeking over the mountains to the east. Alm knew Celica wouldn't dwindle back to normal the instant dawn broke, but he did feel a twinge of dread. It wouldn't do Apple any favors if they got stuck in this forest, unable to alert any more of the royal forces.

After Celica finally cleared the forest, it wasn't long before her long strides got them back to Zofia Castle. Alm looked longingly at the palace in the distance. As much as he enjoyed being close to Celica, even when she was transformed into this behemoth, this ride had worn him down. Hanging onto her hair for support had sapped his strength, and Alm's insides felt like a soggy mess from being shaken up for hours. Alm could only imagine how exhausted Celica herself was. Hauling butt with a few dozen extra tons of bulk couldn't have been easy.

Indeed, when Celica trudged up to the northern wall, Alm had to hang on again. Celica hunched over, gasping for breath while Alm nearly slid off her shoulder. Alm said nothing, letting Celica catch her breath. Seeing that the wall wasn't too far a drop, though, Alm drew his sword and cut the lock of hair he had tied to his torso. He ducked and rolled to a stop, just as Mycen and a few other knights walked up.

"My liege, Milady, it's good to see both of you back," said Mycen. "There is much to discuss now that this vacation of the queen's is over, but... Where has Princess Apple gone to? Has she already returned to her world?"

"No, and that's the problem," said Alm. "She vanished in the middle of the night. Clair and Mae found evidence of her investigating some beached Archanean ship west of Rigel Village, but the trail went cold after that. We're here to rally all the other pegasus knights to start scouring the continent, look for any sign of Princess Apple."

"Not just that," Celica cut in. "Someone find Tatiana, Silque and Genny for me. I must speak with them."

"I'm already here, Milady," came Genny's anxious voice. Genny stepped forward from the other knights gathered. Alm wondered if it was always this easy to overlook Genny, given how small and demure she was. Little wonder Celica hadn't spotted her friend from her vantage point. "What is it you need from us?"

"Don't you remember what the three of you told me about, weeks ago? You were researching an advanced warping spell, capable of sending entire armies across the continent," said Celica. "Well, that's exactly what we're about to do."

Genny gazed up at Celica, aghast. "B-B-B-But Celica, w-w-w-we're not even close to a trial run yet!" Genny protested.

Alm looked up at Celica as well. "This is why you were willing to retreat to the palace, wasn't it? You had this up your sleeve."

Celica nodded. "It might've been fruitless to scour that part of Rigel until my growth wore off, I get that Alm. So if there's a chance to send entire search parties on horseback, each equipped to deal with whatever could render Apple helpless..."

"Errr, Milady, there may be no need for that," Genny interjected anxiously.

Celica looked down at Genny quizzically. "Genny, why would you say that?"

"Well, your friend Princess Apple, does she look anything like THAT!?" Genny pointed up at something in the sky, behind Celica.

Celica's eyes widened, then she whirled around. Alm had to dash quite a stretch before he could see past Celica's frame. Neither of them could quite believe it, but then, that distinct sound of a raccoon tail flapping reached their ears. That was indeed Apple flying down toward the palace, the rays of the dawning sun gleaming off the armor Celica bequeathed her. The princess was still a good distance up, but she was closing fast.

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Celica's heart was still hammering from her sprint, but now it nearly leapt out of her chest. Here was Princess Apple, safe and sound! But where had she disappeared to? And why was she flying all the way back to Zofia Castle? Had she been following her and Alm?

Apple dropped down several hundred feet away. Judging by the annoyed grunts of her soldiers, that had caused quite a tremor. Apple slowly approached the palace, eerily silent. Her hair looked more unkempt than when Celica last saw her at Rigel Village, to the point it nearly covered her eyes. No, more like it got soaked some time ago. Was that why Clair and Mae lost her trail, she went into the ocean? What had she run into? Why wouldn't she utter a word?

"Apple, where have you been!?" Celica demanded. "Alm and I were worried sick about you! Clair and Mae saw that Archanean ship you found in Rigel... What happened back there?"

"An Archanean ship," she heard Mycen repeat thoughtfully. "I've heard rumors, possibilities that... Oh no, Milady, GET AWAY FROM APPLE!"

The warning came too late. Apple had already bridged the gap between them, and in a flash jumped at Celica, twisting in midair to slam the queen with her raccoon tail.

Celica got the wind knocked out of her and tumbled backward. Her momentum and mass caused the palace walls behind her to crumble. Celica just prayed everyone along the wall had ample time to run to safety.

Of course, Celica had her own safety to worry about. Apple reached down to pull Celica off the rubble, then delivered a body blow. Celica's battle dress offered some protection against weapon strikes and blunt force, but Apple was even stronger than she looked. That punch to the gut nearly knocked her silly. Instinctively, she grabbed at Apple's face, clawing at it. Apple then chucked Celica over her shoulder with contemptuous ease.

Celica rolled away and scrambled back onto her feet, coughing up blood. Her legs still felt like jelly from her sprint. "A-A-A-Apple, what's gotten into you!?" Celica demanded. "What could possess you to..."

But as she stared up as Apple advanced, Celica saw the princess's eyes. They were glowing underneath that messy auburn hair, a peculiar shade of blueish-purple that somehow seemed familiar. Then she remembered Mycen's reaction to hearing about that Archanean ship, and all the pieces fell into place.

"You're back, and you've tracked us all the way here," spat Celica. She looked into Apple's eyes, finally understanding. "Forneus's Creation! You didn't get the message before? You dare try to possess my friend!?"

Apple said nothing, but paused, as if considering her next move now that Celica deduced the truth. However, given that her growth spurt was due to expire any minute, Celica knew she had to act fast. Instinctively, her hand went to her sword's hilt, but Celica stopped short of drawing it. Was she really willing to cut down her friend like this? There had to be some other way!

Apple seized upon her hesitation and leaped at her, twisting in midair to once again strike with that deadly tail. Celica rolled aside, deftly avoiding it, but Apple was already on the attack again. She came at Celica with deadly speed, and it was all Celica could do to block her strikes. Celica just hoped there was no one foolish enough to stick around underfoot. This is not good, Celica realized. I usually fight with swords and magic, while whoever Apple trained under obviously taught her to primarily fight barehanded.

To emphasize that point, Celica blocked what looked like another incoming jab, but it was a feint. With terrifying swiftness, Apple launched a roundhouse kick while Celica was wide open. Her armored boot smashed into Celica's face. Celica's own blood gurgled in her mouth, and she swore a tooth or two popped loose.

Celica hit the ground hard, sputtering out gallons of blood. Apple was instantly on top of her, pinning her down with one knee. A sinister snicker resounded in Celica's ears. The abominable creation that was possessing her friend, Celica could sense it taking root further. The evil spreading like an infection, seeping into Apple's very soul. And Apple was taking her time, relishing her triumph over her quarry.

The world was spinning, the pain making it impossible to focus. Celica knew she had to summon up a spell, get Apple off of her. If she couldn't put Apple down before she shrank, there was no telling how much carnage she could unleash. That was, before Apple was transported back to her friend Rosalina.

And then, this thing will have free reign among Apple's friends. And possibly get access to the worlds of the other women in Apple's army! Celica realized with horror. For their sakes, and for everyone in the castle... I've got to end this! She struggled to get free, but Apple pressed down on her spine harder, eliciting a scream.

But then, Apple's scream mingled with her own, and the pressure on her spine vanished. Celica spared a moment to catch her breath before rolling away. Their battle had taken them close to the palace again, where Alm had assembled a strike force along another part of the wall, and they were firing at Apple.

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Sonya, Boey and Genny all kept firing spells up at Apple, aiming to get her off Celica. Meanwhile, Leon and Alm fired arrows loaded with burning liquid at the possessed princess. Alm could hardly believe it. That thing they encountered in Archanea survived, and made it all the way across the sea!? But there had been no mistaking the horror in Celica's voice. She seemed certain of it.

So now, they had to get that thing out of Apple, one way or another. Alm lit another arrow and nocked it back, just as Sonya flung more lightning and Genny unleashed Seraphim. The latter seemed to hurt Apple the most, naturally, but Alm knew they had to keeping piling it on. He fired the arrow, and it landed just under Apple's neck. The searing flames spread, and finally, Apple got off Celica. Even better, that raccoon tail and ears vanished in puffs of smoke. So no more flying or smashing anything with tail strikes. Provided Apple doesn't have any more of those 'power-ups', Alm noted glumly.

For a moment, Celica just lay there, coughing up blood. Alm saw the hit Celica took to the face. It was a wonder her jaw wasn't broken. But soon enough, Celica rose to her feet, and saw her opening. She still didn't draw her sword or summon magic. Instead, she simply moved in and unloaded a flurry of punches on Apple. Given that Apple now wore her old armor, she had few options on where to strike.

A few hits to Apple's face, though, soon toppled the possessed princess. The walls shook from the force as Apple fell. Celica went further, grabbing Apple by the legs and spinning around. From where Alm was on the wall, Apple's hair brushed dangerously close as she swung by. Celica then let go, chucking Apple a good distance away. Alm and the others nearly lost their footing when Apple hit the ground that time.

Celica hunched over, panting, drained from the effort. Given she had little sleep, little to eat this last day, and just jogged clear across Valentia, no surprise she wasn't in top fighting form. Her head slowly turned to see the force assembled on the wall. A small grin appeared, bloodied as it was.

"T-T-T-Thanks for the save, everyone," Celica got out. Then Alm saw something in her eyes that disturbed him, though he wasn't sure why. "B-B-But Genny, where's T-T-T-Tatiana and Silque? We s-s-s-still need them! The warping spell, we're still using it..."

"Wait, what!?" Alm demanded. "How's that going to help us here!?"

Celica looked over to Apple warily. "I-I-I don't know. I-I-I-If nothing else, we've got to get the fight away from here, and maybe..."

Now Alm knew what had made him so anxious. Celica was aiming to do something reckless again, sacrifice herself in the hopes of getting everyone else in the clear. But Alm knew in his heart that, once again, such a plan would backfire.

"Celica, NO!" Alm roared. Celica glared back at him, no doubt furious he would argue with her again at a time like this. "Whatever you're planning to do on your own, it won't work. Don't make that mistake again!"

"Alm, there's no time!" Celica protested. "I can't endanger the people in the palace, and I've got to hurry and find a way to exorcise this thing from Princess Apple! I can't bear this... S-S-She's been so kind, gave us a good deal, and now something from this world..."

"Celica, I know better than anyone what you're feeling right now," said Alm, calmly but firmly. Tears welled up in Celica's eyes. She knew exactly what he was talking about. "Let's not repeat our past mistakes. Let's not fight when we need to put our heads together."

Celica just stared blankly at Alm for a moment. Alm tore himself away from her gaze to look back over to Apple, who was slowly getting back up...

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Even if Celica hadn't been distracted by her conversation with Alm, what could she have done while Apple was down? Put her to the sword? Granted, her remaining time as a giantess was ticking down, but killing Apple would probably do nothing about the noxious creature parasitizing her. Even if that weren't the case, Celica just couldn't do it.

Apple rose to her feet, those blueish-purple eyes glaring at Celica with pure malice, her expression cold. Celica moved in before Apple could strike. This kept her on the defensive, but Celica knew this would only buy time. Apple was deftly blocking her strikes, and her greater familiarity with hand-to-hand combat would give her the upper hand eventually.

Miraculously, Celica got a lucky break instead. Apple got overzealous, moving in to grab Celica after deflecting a chop aimed for her throat. Celica sank her armored knee into Apple's gut, just under her breastplate. Her armored suit soaked up some of the blow, but not all of it, and Apple was stunned. Celica followed up with a palm strike to Apple's chin, knocking the princess back.

Apple glared at Celica again, flustered that this wasn't as easy as she must've figured. Instead of charging again, Apple reached into her armor. She fished out another one of those flowers. Her body glowed again, turning the orange parts of her armor a lustrous white. This time, however, no frigid mist rose from Apple's body.

Wait, if that wasn't an ice flower, then what... Celica's eyes widened when she saw flames lick at Apple's palms, similar to when using her own fiery spells. Oh don't tell me...

Apple flung outstretched hands, and fireballs erupted from her palms. Celica barely had time to call upon her own magic for a blaze of her own, literally fighting fire with fire. A furious, shrieking roar filled the air as their fiery attacks clashed. For a moment, it looked like Celica staved off Apple's blaze. But Apple's fire attack worked differently. They were more like bouncing balls, and some got under Celica's volley and slammed into her.

With a shriek, Celica went down, oppressive heat seeping into the marrow of her bones. She caught glimpses of brushfires all around, which could soon spread out of control. It was imperative she get Apple away from here, but Apple was advancing again, a sinister grin across her face, more fireballs at the ready. But before Apple could fling them...

"Eat this, princess!" came a faint voice, seemingly from nowhere. Suddenly, a glowing ball of light hit Apple square between the eyes, making her reel back, shrieking in agony. As Celica sat back up, she felt something rush by her head. It was Clair on her pegasus, with Mae once again tagging along. Mae had struck a direct hit with Seraphim, and now Clair was moving in to strike with her lance. Given how her class could easily dispatch Terrors, it was no surprise Apple shrieked again when the lance ripped a gash in her cheek. Celica felt a swell of relief when Apple's armor, once hers, briefly flashed, and the white parts reverted to orange.

Unfortunately, even giving Apple the one-two like that couldn't stop her for long. She swatted the air as Clair tried making another pass. Her fingers barely made contact with the pegasus, but it was enough to knock them out of the sky, sending all three flying in different directions.

"NO!" Celica shrieking, diving for them. She barely managed it, but Celica caught them all, ending with Mae falling into her palm as she skidded along the ground, upturning the earth. "Clair, Mae! Speak to me!" Celica implored, eyeing the whinnying pegasus and two tiny women in her hands.

"Ugh, good thing while scouting, we saw Apple emerge from the ocean, flying south..." grumbled Clair. "She got ahead of us, but..."

Mae looked up to her friend, forcing a smile. Celica could tell the little priestess's heart was hammering in her chest, but she said, "Whew, what a rush! Let's do it again!"

Celica snorted, but smiled back. She carefully set the pegasus and her friends on the ground, then angrily turned to Apple, who was already moving in. This had gone on long enough. She flung another fire spell at Apple, and with no fire flower, she couldn't deflect the raging flames. The force and heat were enough to knock Apple back towards the castle walls, but luckily, not into them. Finally, Celica had Apple right where she wanted her. And to Celica's relief, when she looked to those walls, she saw Genny, Tatiana and Silque assembled there. It was now or never, given that she could dwindle back to normal any second.

Before Apple could rise, Celica rushed in and grabbed her from behind. She had the princess pinned, a few paces from the castle walls. Apple tried kicking at the wall, and her friends gathered on it. They stumbled back in fear, but they were just out of Apple's reach. With an annoyed grunt, Celica swung Apple around and backed up toward the wall.

Looking down over her shoulder, Celica bellowed, "OK you three, it's now or never! The warping spell! Send Apple and I all the way back to Thabes! I'm taking this thing inside her back, burying it where it belongs!"

Genny still looked horrified, and Silque and Tatiana's faces mirrored hers. Silque was the first to voice her horror. "Milady, that's INSANITY! The mass of just ONE of you exceeds that of a platoon! A-A-A-And sending you across the ocean!? We could easily miss, assuming our reach can go that far, and you'd materialize underneath the ground, killing you both!"

"Please listen to her, Milady! Too much can go wrong!" Tatiana pleaded. Celica knew there was risk, that these three were far from conducting even rudimentary testing. Unfortunately, with her dwindling time as a giantess, and the nature of the threat, Celica had no other choice. "W-W-W-We can't risk losing you like this! We c-c-c-can't..."

Celica glared down at them coldly. "Tatiana, that wasn't a friendly suggestion. This is an order from your queen! Warp us out of here NOW!"

The trio still looked aghast, but fortunately, didn't look ready to disobey. They huddled together, glancing down at the books Genny told them to bring, and began chanting. Celica could already feel her skin prickling, and judging by how Apple was struggling even more, she could feel it too. Apple was stronger than Celica, and she couldn't hold on indefinitely, exhausted and battered as she was. Celica sighed in relief when she saw ethereal magic circles, big enough to encompass the both of them, appear around them.

Then, there was nothing but blinding light, and that prickling became a searing sensation all over her flesh. There was a good chance this spell could rip them apart. Celica just prayed that, if that was the case, Apple would forgive her. That she would rather sacrifice herself than be a vessel for this creature.

Celica lost track of time, not sure how long the magic burned her inside and out. Then, as suddenly as it began, the light faded. Now there was only the light from the sun. Looking up while still clinging to Apple, Celica noticed the sun was higher in the sky. Could that mean they were indeed in Archanea now? But how close were they to Thabes?

As Celica pondered this, she became dimly aware of something: there was nothing under her feet. Her eyes widening, Celica looked down. Far beneath her was the abandoned Thabes capital, just as she and Alm had left it all those months ago. Silque had been right about the warping spell missing its mark, only they materialized high above the ground rather than under it!

Apple finally wriggled free of her grip, noticing the same thing. They exchanged anxious glances, right before the last of the magic vanished and gravity took hold. The pair screamed as they plummeted toward the capital. The dusty, arid ground came up fast, leaving Celica no time for a graceful landing. In her panic, she collided with the side of the Tower of Thabes, smacking into Apple as she rebounded off it. They became a tangle of limbs before crashing into the ground hard, sending up a plume up dust and sand. Celica was sure that their crash landing caused an earthquake that could be heard and felt for miles.

"Urrrrgggh," Celica groaned, trying to pick herself up, but every joint shrieked in protest. Even if being this big made her more durable, Celica was amazed nothing felt broken. With great effort, she turned her head. Apple looked like she felt just as beat up from the fall, hardly able to move herself.

Something caught both their attention, though, making them sit up. It sounded like something was crumbling. Glancing down, they noticed the ancient paved courtyard they landed in wouldn't support their weight much longer. Cracks spidered out from their impact crater, and before either could stand, the ground crumbled away entirely.

Celica and Apple screamed as they plummeted, landing hard on the level beneath. They could already feel and hear that giving way beneath their combined weight as well. Before they took another plunge, Celica glanced around, and felt a small swell of relief. The blunder with the warping spell aside, she had brought Apple right where she wanted: the labyrinth under Thabes's capital.

The two titanesses plummeted through level after level of the labyrinth, its construction never meant for anyone of their stature, filling the air with dust and debris. It got so thick, Celica nearly choked on it. Celica lost count of the floors she and Apple fell through. But then, at last, the two of them fell and rolled onto someplace that didn't immediately crumble underneath them.

Coughing, Celica waved her hand to dispel the kicked-up dust. From what she could gather, despite seeing it from a different perspective, this was where she had encountered Forneus's creation months ago. Somehow, this beast pulled itself back together and slithered free. Celica vowed to bury it here again, this time for good.

Rattled to the bone, every joint still screaming, Celica slowly rose. Apple was already back on her feet, coughing in annoyance, those blueish-purple eyes glowing through the kicked-up dust and sand. "So, you think to entomb me here once again?" Apple asked in a raspy voice, one filled with madness. "You think you're clever, getting me away from your castle? You've accomplished nothing."

"Oh I don't know," Celica said airily. "Now that we're miles from another living soul, I can really let go." With what time I have left, that is, Celica silently added.

Celica unleashed Seraphim, hoping its holy attributes would exorcise that creature. The searing light engulfed Apple, eliciting more screams, but somehow she powered through it. "You should be more choosy about who you lend armor to!" Apple sneered. Celica, being so beat-up and groggy, couldn't defend herself in time. A flurry of punches decked Celica, making the chamber quake. When Apple reached down to hoist her up, Celica planted her boot in her face. Ignoring the pain, Celica picked herself up and moved in. Blood sprayed from Apple's mouth as Celica landed a right hook.

For a moment, it looked like Celica was getting the upper hand. The warp and the tumble through the labyrinth had taken a toll on Apple as well. Celica connected with more and more punches, but suddenly Apple blocked the next incoming punch, then swiftly followed up with a jab to Celica's throat. Celica staggered back, gagging. That had almost crushed her windpipe. Apple was still stronger, and had been less fatigued from the get-go.

Her prey now wide open, Apple sank her boot into Celica's gut. Celica instantly doubled over, coughing up blood. A kick to the head downed Celica. She rolled into some pillars, instantly smashing and toppling them. Everything was spinning, and Celica couldn't muster the strength to get back up.

Seeing this, Apple grabbed Celica by the throat, hoisting her up with one hand. "What were you thinking, little queen?" Apple sneered. "You humans, so conceited, so conflicted. You brought us here, saying you would no longer have to worry about collateral damage. Yet you held back, refusing to unleash your strongest magic. What was the point, then? Soon, this princess's time in our world will expire, and I can use Rosalina's base of operations to travel to any world I wish. Your people won't be safe for long. You threw your life away for nothing."

Blood gurgled in Celica's mouth, but to Apple's confusion, Celica was forcing out laughter. "You're right about one thing. This habit of being too ready to self-sacrifice is a nasty one. Say what you will about us humans, though, but we can learn from our mistakes!"

With that, Celica reached up and pulled back on her battle dress. Alm leaped out from the confines of her bosom, brandishing Falchion, dropping down toward Apple's head.

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Alm screamed as he descended, aiming to drive Falchion down through the top of Apple's skull. It would be painful, but he and Celica were betting it would hurt worse for the creature parasitizing Apple, perhaps give them the chance to exorcise it. This had been the plan all along. Wait for the right time to strike, catch Forneus's Creation by surprise.

At first, Alm feared his angle of descent was off, and he'd impale himself on Apple's crown instead. Luckily, he missed her crown, but just barely. He rolled to a stop atop her head, grabbing some strands in case Apple tossed her head to throw him off. With his other hand, he drove Falchion down deep into dense bone.

A deafening scream rang in Alm's ears, though it didn't quite drown out the sound of Celica hitting the ground hard. Apple's head thrashed about, trying to shake Alm off. But he held onto her hair for dear life as he stabbed at Apple's skull again and again. C'mon, let go of the princess, you miserable creature! Alm cursed silently. This has got to work, it's got to! Don't tell me we went clear across the ocean, only to...

Apple finally managed to shake him off. Her hair slipped through Alm's grip, and he was flung through the air, dozens of feet above the chamber's floor. Luckily, Celica had had plenty of time to catch her breath. She dove for him, and Alm landed safe and sound in her palms.

"Alm, are you OK!?" Celica asked with a pleading look. He could only gaze up into Celica's huge, ruby-like eyes and nod, still quite shaken up. Her lips curled into a bloodied smile as she knelt to let Alm hop down to the floor.

"Yeah, I'll be fine," said Alm, looking up to Celica again. "Just still banged up from being cooped up in there for a stretch..."

Celica shot him a wry look. "Please, are you really going to tell me you DIDN'T enjoy hitching a ride in there?" Celica scoffed.

Alm smiled. "Good point. Why couldn't you have kept me there during your jog back?"

Celica snorted, but the sound was drowned out by Apple screaming some more. The two of them turned back to Apple, who was still flailing in pain. Falchion had inflicted more hurt on the creature than Alm thought. Apple's mouth was open wide, wider than should've been humanly possible, an impossibly continuous scream issuing forth. And then they saw it: the head and writhing neck of that fell dragon shooting out of Apple's mouth, wriggling like a serpent.

Celica rushed past Alm, one foot crashing down uncomfortably close, and grabbed Apple's neck. She plunged her other hand right into Apple's mouth, grabbing the dragon by the neck as well. With a furious howl, Celica pulled with all her might, and at last, the creature was yanked free of Apple's body. It was just as Alm remembered it from months ago. A four-winged misshapen dragon with a blueish-purple tint, with a long, bony neck that writhed like a serpent. Celica flung it clear across the chamber, where it crashed into some pillars.

Dear gods, I hope that hurt, Alm thought. That creation dealt with for the moment, Alm looked back up to Apple. The blueish-purple glow in her eyes had vanished. Now they looked glassy and unfocused. Apple fell to her knees, then toppled over, making the chamber shake yet again.

"Oh gods, Apple!" Celica cried. She knelt beside her friend, trying to rouse her, but Apple remained deathly still. "Apple, please, speak to me!"

"Do what you can for the princess!" Alm called out to Celica. Looking back to where the dragon had fallen, he saw the remains of those pillars shift and shake. "In the meantime, we have to make sure it doesn't get another chance to possess Apple. I'll take it from here." With Falchion in hand, Alm charged. By the time he reached the rubble, the creation poked its head out. It immediately turned to Alm, letting out an echoing sneer.

"Rage and fume all you want, it ends here!" Alm roared. He jumped onto part of a collapsed pillar and leaped off, slashing at the creation's face. It reeled back and snarled, then snapped at Alm with the speed of a snake. But it wasn't fast enough to snag Alm. He ducked aside, crying out as he swung Falchion again, scoring another direct hit. "You will NEVER endanger anyone close to me again, do you hear!? NEVER!"

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Celica watched Alm run after Forneus's creation, sword drawn, then looked back down to Princess Apple. They had finally exorcised that monster, but was it enough? How long had this thing been inside her, its evil festering? Did forcefully ripping the dragon out actually do more harm than good?

If that's the case, better get to work rectifying the problem, Celica thought. She knelt down and put her hands over Apple, chanting under her breath. Her magic sprang forth, casting her healing magic from what she could still draw on after taking such beatings. The most basic healing spell there was, though. Would it be enough to rejuvenate Apple after all that happened?

Tears in her eyes, Celica rolled her over and lowered her head close to Apple's. She couldn't quite be sure, but Celica thought she heard some raspy, weak breathing. Encouraged, Celica reached for Apple's wrist, pushed the armband further down her arm, and felt for a pulse. It was erratic and thready, but there, and reasonably strong.

Relief and joy welled up within Celica. I don't believe it, Alm and I saved her in time! And that thought soon proved to be truer than Celica knew. As she held Apple's limp hand in hers, Celica noticed something looked off. Was Apple's hand getting... bigger as she held onto it?

Celica stood up and backed away, realizing what was happening. She and Alm had exorcised that thing with only a minute or two to spare. The effects of Apple's bracelet were finally wearing off. Celica looked down at herself as she shrank back down, then around at the labyrinth, watching everything get bigger and bigger. She turned back to Apple just as she returned to normal size. Even while she was lying down, Celica couldn't see over Apple's body. But from this vantage point, Celica could now easily see the slight rising and falling of Apple's chest.

Celica let out a sigh of relief, confident that Apple would be fine, simply glad her last moments as a giantess made all the difference. Now it was back to being plain old Celica. Howls of fury from that monster snapped Celica back to attention, letting her know that even a normal-sized Celica was still badly needed. That fell dragon was forcing Alm back by belching purple flame, who now had to keep his distance, attacking with arrows.

"I didn't dare draw my sword against you before, monster. That's no longer the case," Celica snarled. She charged at the dragon, finally unsheathing her blade, determined to deny this thing another chance to seize Apple's body. Alm's arrows weren't inflicting much damage, but they were at least distracting the beast, letting Celica blindside it.

Forneus's creation reeled, shrieking as it floated backward. Now that Celica created an opening, Alm didn't hesitate to seize it. Just as the dragon was recovering, Celica turned to see Alm was readying his Scendscale art. Dazzling blue light poured out of his sword, essentially enlarging it. With a sharp cry, Alm leaped up and slammed it down right on the creation's scrawny, writhing neck.

Knowing they couldn't let up for a second, Celica summoned what last bit of magic she could. Battered as she was, this last ditch effort would drain her completely, but she had to keep this thing away from Apple, whatever the cost. Just as Alm backed away, Celica's flaming palms struck the ground, making the air and tiles around the dragon combust, scorching the monster horribly. Celica could see it writhing within the flames, but it wasn't striking back.

But Celica was just about spent. She sank to all fours, panting heavily. Celica felt Alm's hands at her sides, helping her get back on her feet. "T-T-T-Thanks, Alm," Celica managed to get out, trembling all over. "D-D-D-Did that finally do it? I-I-I'm spent, couldn't fling another f-f-f-fireball for the life of me..."

"I... think we got it," said Alm, though he didn't sound too confident. "I hit it with Falchion enough times, and you just charbroiled it. There's no way..."

An ear-splitting roar mockingly cut Alm off mid-sentence. The fell dragon crawled through the flames on its belly, which still seared and licked at its putrid, scaly flesh. Yet it blocked out all the pain, fixing its multi-eyed gaze on the pair. Alm kept one arm around Celica, holding her close as he drew Falchion again, glaring back at the beast defiantly. Celica's gaze showed nothing but defeat and disgust. Even after all this, that monster was going to win? Just how strong was this thing now?

The creature paused, but didn't seemed cowed. If anything, it sounded like Forneus's creation was chuckling, its unnaturally hinged jaws clicking mockingly. Then, the thing actually spoke in a growly, gurgling voice.

"Nice try, you two. But you couldn't finish me before. What hope is there now?" jeered the creation. It began to hover again, readying itself to strike any second. "In the end, humans will always come short. Your new nation, one built from the ashes of dragons, is doomed to fail. And I'll only speed along its demise after I once again merge with that girl, find a way to return, and..."

"Oh, will you put a SOCK IN IT!?" Apple's voice suddenly thundered. Not only that, the ground was shaking violently.

Alm, Celica and the fell dragon all turned in the voice's direction just in time to see Apple run in, rearing back one foot. Alm and Celica were nearly knocked down by the sheer force of Apple's kick., which somehow seemed to radiate pure energy. Forneus's creation, however, was engulfed by the energy and force of the kick, sending it flying clear across the chamber. The fell dragon struck the wall beyond the platform so hard, it was nearly embedded into the stone. It weakly tried to pry itself off, only to slide out of sight once it did.

Celica and Alm stared blankly at where Forneus's creation slid down, then back up to Apple. Her chest heaved from her heavy breathing, fists clenched at her side. "D-D-D-Damn I've been waiting to bust out some soccer kicks like that," Apple croaked out with a grin.

"Think maybe THAT finally destroyed it?" Celica dared ask. "I-I-I-It couldn't be strong enough to..."

Ominous rumbling echoing all around the trio cut Celica off. "Doesn't look like we'll have a chance to confirm if it's beaten or not," said Alm. "That kick's about to bring the rest of this place down!"

"Allow me to starting making things up to everyone, then," said Apple. The pair looked back up to see Apple's huge hand coming down for them. They fought the urge to back away, allowing Apple to scoop them up. Apple held them tightly against her breastplate as she sprinted for the spot she and Celica tumbled down from.

Even while sandwiched between Apple's hand and her breastplate, Celica could hear huge chunks of stone raining down, perhaps big enough to crush even Apple. With one mighty leap, Apple soared up through the gaping hole. Apple turned to look back, just as the level right above where they fought Forneus's creation began to crumble. Peering over her hand, Celica watched as it was buried under tons of rubble, and hopefully, that fell dragon along with it.

"Well, even if that thing survived, it'll be some time before it digs its way back out," said Alm, thinking the same thing. "What do you think, Apple?"

Apple said nothing. Only a sharp, sorrowful sound rang in Celica and Alm's ears. Celica slowly craned her head to look up. Apple's free hand was digging into the stone, holding them up. But then something splashed all over Celica's face, making her gag. When she cleared the liquid out of her eyes and looked up again, Apple's face was now angled down at them, her chin tucked against her neck. And Celica could see tears streaming down Apple's cheeks.

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And... that's that. I always like to mix in a bit of suspense and a bit of horror into my stories, give the reader a nasty surprise. CubedCinder128 himself approved of having a Grima-Apple go to town, and I'm glad he did. I mean, c'mon, was there really anything in Fire Emblem Gaiden big enough to threaten Celica? And since I didn't want to use any beasties from Fire Emblem Warriors, wanting to keep that unique to CubedCinder128's Smashing Army series, all I had to work with was Apple herself!

So long,

Grey-X