Hey! Before you read further, check back on Chapter Three! I made some changes that MIGHT be important, indicated by the asterisks next to the edited paragraphs. Look for the *, guys! (Unless you're a first-time reader, in which case you didn't see the unedited version. Who says coming late to the party is a bad thing?)

Also, there's a lot of talking in this chapter. Beware!

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Before anyone celebrated anything, or stuffed their faces with grub and alcohol, there was an injured champion to check on.

Well, two.

Obviously, I felt bad for the dragon-man. He got his neck sliced, for crying out loud—well, his dragon neck, but that's still dangerous. But I knew Lon'qu better than I did this "Zant" guy and it was kind of, sort of, maybe my fault that he had to fight against a freakin' dragon in the first place. If I had left stuff alone, maybe Lucina would've had some practice against defeating intimidating dragons. Or maybe she would've died via lava plume, or maybe it was because I changed things that Chrom wasn't the east champion. I don't know, it's all speculation at this point. I really shouldn't have to contemplate my ramifications on the space-time continuum of any reality, let alone one I had considered fictional until about a month ago.

(I was still having issues with that, by the way. Didn't know you could wake up practically a month straight and still think you were dreaming, but boy, you sure can. It's disorienting and depressing as hell.)

But I digress. The instant my feet were back on the ground, I was checking up on the surly myrmidon.

The infirmary wasn't packed like I thought it was going to be, but it was still decently filled. It didn't always take a dragon to make a fighter seek medical attention. And running the place, efficient as always, was a face I was beginning to think was following me around Ferox. I hailed him with a smile, grateful for these fleeting instants of familiarity I'd developed here.

"Do you just heal everyone in Ferox?"

"Sure looks that way," Jael chuckled, clasping my arm in greeting. His dwarfed it, but I was used to that around here. He smiled, joking, "Here to see whether your favorite swordsman will make it?" I rolled my eyes.

"He'll be fine," I argued, despite the fact that he was right. That "favorite swordsman" thing better not turn into a running gag. It had the beginnings of one, for sure. (Trust me: I'm a writer, I know these things.) Shaking my head at his grin, I couldn't help asking, "How long will he be feeling it, though? Burns aren't fun."

"I'll be working on him. He might even make it to the evening feast."

"Gosh, you're so humble."

His laughter was interrupted by a booming female voice, bringing my attention to the new Khan Regnant striding through the door. Oh, damn, she looks like a super bad-ass, in-person. Red and white is good on her, in my totally expert opinion. Wild blonde hair pulled into a poof-y ponytail, it bobbed as Flavia inquired, "Where's my champion?"

"He's enjoying the peace and quiet as he recovers," Jael responded, grinning wryly. "He gave us quite a scare with that neck injury."

I glanced at the cot he referred to, noticing that was where the manakete was resting a fair distance from Lon'qu. Pointed ears, an angled jaw and cheekbones... He reminded me of an elf with dark shaggy hair, to be honest. And horns. I should call him Legolas. I kept this to myself, of course, and watched with interest as Flavia strode over and rummaged through the man's belongings to bring out a stone looking something like a fiery diamond. Wait, was that his dragonstone? Um, should we be letting her take that?

"Ma'am?"

Seeing my concern, Flavia declared, "I'll hold onto it while he rests. My champion only trusts me, or my right hand, to keep it safe." She turned to Jael, informing him, "That neck isn't as serious as it may be to us, although don't neglect it by any means. Manakete are a hell of a lot sturdier than we give them credit for."

"Yes, ma'am." And with that, the older man returned to Zant's cot, muttering incantations as he waved the staff back and forth. Healing magic was definitely useful. Perhaps I should attempt picking that up as well.

"You." I jumped. Yep, she was referring to me. "Basilio's said some interesting things about you, girl. Walk with me."

Well, I can't do anything here except get in the way. So I took her up on that offer, not that I really think refusing her was an option. Something about Flavia, like Basilio, suggested she was going to get her way in the end. It's probably the fact that she demands instead of asks. She was a leader, not a follower. I can get behind that attitude. Better than being a leader, myself.

Glancing sideways at her bouncing ponytail, a thought struck me to ask for a favor. "Uh, excuse me, ma'am... do you have any hair ties to spare?"

It was a relief to finally have all of my own dark hair up. So much hassle! I don't know why I still have it this long. Oh, right, my friends threatened to end me if I cut it too short again. That had been an interesting couple of months. Still, it was much easier to deal with in a ponytail versus free and in my face. Probably safer in combat, too. Was that Flavia's reason, or did she just like the way it looked? ("Both," my brain supplied a la The Road to El Dorado. "Both is good.")

When she entered a hall where Chrom and his lead men were quietly milling about, she boomed, "Happy, prince? You'll have your support after all."

"Very much so," he agreed. I couldn't help staring because, well, blue hair what the hell, and he noticed. "Hm? Who's this?"

The woman slapped me on the back, causing me to squeak and stumble forward a bit. It seemed all Feroxi habits included embarrassing me at every turn. "This is one of Basilio's tagalongs. Speaking of, where is that oaf? He must've turned tail the moment he realized I had the better warrior."

"Bah ha! 'Fraid not!"

Ah, there he is, I thought warmly. Damn, their loud behavior grew on you after a while. It had a blunt sincerity to it.

"This here mouse," he explained as he walked up, "is tougher than she looks." He slapped the other side of my back, which detracted from the credibility of his words as I nearly fell over.

"Really? Erm..." Chrom didn't look so convinced, which I couldn't really blame him for. Still, give me a break, man. "She's... well, surprises come in small packages?" Wow, rude. I wasn't insecure about my height, but...

"I'm not that small," I couldn't help retorting, only realizing afterwards that I was back-talking a prince. Frederick did not look happy. Robin seemed amused more than anything else. Oops. Oh well, he's casual enough, rolling with it. "Come on, I'm five-foot-one. That's at least average, or something. Sir, tell him!"

But Basilio just laughed, a beefy hand grasping my shoulder. "Don't let her pretty face fool you. She's got quite the mouth on her!"

"Aw," I mock-cooed, "you think I'm pretty." He started laughing again, encouraging me to continue being a smart-aleck. "I'm sure you lament only having one good eye to adore me with."

"See? Sharp tongue, that one!"

"I like her," Flavia declared. I couldn't help preening a bit. SWEET. I entertain two-out-of-two khans! She then returned to business, telling the prince, "I offer my troops for your cause, including my champion. Imagine their surprise when they realize what they're up against!"

"Are we volunteering men?" Basilio rubbed at his beard, a grin sprouting on his smug face. "Well, then! I offer my champion! Barring a dragon or two, Lon'qu is the best of the best!"

Always with the praise. How cute.

Then I realized my chance was here, and I needed to jump before I missed it.

"I'll come, too!"

Eyes turned to me, inquisitive or skeptical, and I straightened when I noticed Robin's calculating gaze and Frederick the Wary's stern frown. Okay, now was the part where I made myself seem super useful and—

"Bah ha, eager to scrub more pots, lass?"

I grimaced. God damn it, man.

"No, sir, but I'll do what I'm ordered to do." I realized, subconsciously, I was standing at attention, steadily meeting Chrom's gaze. Huh. Nothing like a militia's stare to bring out the cadet in ya. At least it made me look more professional. "I also have some magic at my disposal."

"You wield magic?" When I confirmed this, the lord became thoughtful as he murmured, "A Feroxi who uses tomes..."

"Actually," I corrected, "I'm not from around here. I'm not entirely sure how I got here in the first place."

I tried not to notice how Robin perked up at that. He was of course the one to inquire, "What do you mean by that?"

"I woke up in Ferox to find a bunch of guys—probably Plegian—shoving tomes in my face and arguing about selling or killing me. I want to figure out why." Grumbling, I added, "I'm a long way away from home." And the award for "understatement of the century" goes to...

"...hm."

Chrom looked to his tactician. "What are you thinking, Robin?"

"I'm thinking," he answered cheerfully, "that we'd be glad to have you, ma'am."

I tried to curb my enthusiasm, but he still had an excited expression to grin at because I somehow hadn't expected it to be that easy. Chrom may accept anyone from amnesiacs to reformed Plegians into his fold, but I thought that was just a gaming mechanic to have more units to use. I always mentally prepared for worst-case scenario so, in situations like these, I was either pleasantly surprised or I was proven right. I still appreciated that it was the former this time, of course.

"Bah ha ha!" That hand slapped my back again, but this time I (mostly) kept my footing. Ha! Getting better at that! "Can't stand to leave your favorite swordsman to fend for himself, can you? You fell for him hard!" Oh, no, he didn't.

"Sir, you are positively the worst." I furrowed my brow, cutting through his laughter with a sharp, "Hold on, you weren't there for that incident! How did you—"

"Word travels fast in Ferox, lass!" Another thump that I stubbornly held my ground against, causing his grin to widen. "Especially when it concerns my champion!"

"I guess I shouldn't be surprised." Rolling my eyes to the ceiling, this reminded me about my other self-appointed task. "I'm leaving before you start matchmaking. Got enough of that at home." I smiled sweetly. "Try not to lose your other eye while I'm gone!"

"They'll have to pry it out of my corpse! Bah ha ha!"

I wasn't normally affected by macabre imagery, after the many violent and spooky games I've played or watched footage of, but I turned my back on everyone to hide the grimace this statement brought on. Because it reminded me of the Risen, and the idea that I'd just volunteered to deal with them on a more regular basis. I didn't know how the reality of randomly spawning undead creatures would work, but it could hardly be as simple to deal with as the game had been. I just had to stick around long enough to figure things out, I told myself. Then I could get out of this weird dream-turned-real and get back to the obligations I'd left behind.

Shit, I was going to miss these people, though. Basilio was so much warmer in-person, and seeing how cool Lucina and Lon'qu were... fiction didn't do them justice.

Regardless, I was going back to see if this Zant person was awake. I had a few questions for this anomaly, namely concerning his dragon-y presence in the tournament. But he wasn't in the infirmary when I returned; Jael told me he had likely gone to find his own bed. Dammit, this fortress is like a maze! How was I going to find him?

My first idea ended up being a lucky guess, which was going to the room where all of the Feroxi were feasting and being jovial folk. The khans had beaten me there, as had Zant; I entered from one side and caught sight of him leaving through the other. Unless there are OTHER people walking around with horns. Also he was still shirtless. I guess guys weren't obligated to wear shirts, but he could've at least grabbed a spare before leaving the healer's room. Isn't he freezing?

Carefully, I followed the manakete through the halls, hesitant to call out but still really wanting to talk to him, until he finally slipped into what had to be his room. I stood indecisively for a while, weighing the pros and cons of bothering a dragon so soon after being bludgeoned and sliced by another warrior. Ultimately, the "he's a dragon" pro won out, and I scurried over to knock on the door before he had a chance to lie down and be totally unwilling to converse. Or that was the hope, anyway.

First thing I said upon entering the door was a hurried, "So! You're a dragon!"

At the look on his face, that probably wasn't the smartest way to start out this conversation. I cleared my throat and tried not to shout this time.

"So. You're a dragon?"

...nailed it.

With a voice grumpier than I expected for a majestic creature from fairytales, he replied, "Yes, a very tired dragon who would appreciate it if you kept it down."

We locked gazes, and I noted the wound at his neck had vanished without a trace. Wow, manakete are crazy. And he had put on a shirt! How thoughtful.

"Eh, sorry about that." I shut the door behind me, realizing it probably wouldn't look so good if someone caught me standing in the doorway. I already have people thinking I'm goo-goo for ONE champion, no need to add to the list. "Uh, so, your name is "Zant," right?" I made sure to pronounce it correct, remembering my confusion with Kail earlier today. He confirmed this with a nod. "Where did you come from? I didn't think Ferox had many dragons running around. ...or any. ...ever."

Like, really. The only manakete mentioned are Naga and Grima (as gods), Nowi and her daughter, and Bantu (in a passing reference). It was a sad thought, but perhaps by Chrom's time most of the various dragon species had died out, save for wyverns?

Shrugging, he explained tiredly, "Hard to say. We don't exactly keep track of each other. As for where I came from, west is the shortest answer. From Valm through Ferox, to here."

Huh, he had definitely traveled a fair bit of distance to get here. I wondered what had made him come all the way to Ferox to fight in a tournament. Perhaps thousands of years had bored him?

He sat on the side of his bed, still scrutinizing me. "I'm sorry, did you need me for something?" I was keeping him from much needed rest, but I needed to know why things were different. He has plenty of time to sleep, I reasoned. Like, several of my lifetimes.

"I was just curious about Flavia having a giant dragon on her side. That wasn't what... it wasn't expected." Yikes, no mentioning of plots or scripts, idiot! "I was thinking Lon'qu's opponent would be more..." How does one describe the younger brother of the Exalt? "Ylissean human-y. With blue anime hair. And a boycott against sleeves that cover his cool tattoo."

He stiffened, clutching at his neck. The injury was gone, but there might have been lingering pain. He DID get cut with a sword Inuyasha-style. Then I realized what I had said and covered an awkward cough.

"Uh, wait, don't ask what anime is, not important."

"Sorry. Neck still stings." Hand falling back into his lap, Zant continued, "Anyway, I highly doubt anybody outside my tribe would wish to walk through boiling fire resin. I simply boxed the prince in and forced him to yield, and most of that fight was fought with swords."

"I guess it's a credit to the West Champion's skill that you had to use your dragon-powers to beat him, then? Maybe that'll give him solace."

...ooookay, awkward silence is awkward. Things were really awkward here. Why were they so awkward? Why can't I be calm and collected in front of a dragon?

I ventured slowly, "Sooo... I noticed you could morph parts of your body to be dragon-y? Is that... normal for your tribe? I never saw—"

NO.

"Er, never read anything about that, other than some Asian-style—"

MEGAN COME ON.

"Er, Chon'sin-style stories of dragons."

...hm. Was that accurate?

I frowned, muttering to myself, "Wait, would that be Chon'sin? The trailers didn't specify... hmm..."

Before I had magically been transported into the Awakening World, I'd been excited about eventually getting my hands on the next installment in the series. I hadn't done a lot of research into the game (games?) yet, but from some of the trailers I'd assumed it was partially inspired by eastern culture like Chon'sin was. But would a direct comparison work between them all? I wasn't aware of all of the nuances and what references they made to my reality, and I didn't want to make assumptions on the matter.

"Trailers?"

I came back to the present to see Zant had raised an eyebrow in my direction. UH.

"...er." I frantically waved away my words, floundering for an explanation that made sense in this time and place. "Uh, I mean, books! The books from... um. That one place?"

Okay, that was lame even for me. I winced.

"I'm from a land very, very far away, so using words that everyone knows around here is hard." I gestured vaguely at the air in front of me, adding, "I don't have a convenient little device in my pocket anymore to translate things into Feroxi-nese or whatever."

Whatever I had been expecting after my long-winded insert-foot-into-mouth session, it wasn't the dragon-man breaking out into giggles, and then guffawing on his bed as if he'd just played the world's best prank on me. Which at this point I wasn't ruling out, because he had done things I hadn't expecting manakete to do and I wasn't sure I wanted to know what else he was capable of. Summoning liquid napalm was one thing, but I was seriously waiting for this man to admit that he was reading my mind or was actually just an elaborate illusion from some wizard-ninja bullshit.

His laughter didn't die down quickly, so I was staring for quite some time before finally broaching, "...uh. Not that I don't enjoy being the butt of the joke—that happens a lot—but what's so funny?" I blinked a few times, feeling very much like the clueless main character in a novel waiting for some exposition to drop.

With this, he found calm to answer my question. "Unless you are an absolute paradigm of the art, you cannot lie to a manakete." Well, Nah says as much to Cynthia in their A-Support. "Ever since the word "anime" was backtracked, you've reeked of deceit."

ACK. That was close enough to mind-reading to make me worried!

"I smelled no malice, so I decided to keep going and watch you bumble. You're a terrible liar, girl."

My smile was more of a wince, somewhere between annoyance and guilt. Don't call me "girl," BOY. Being caught in a lie, or something like it, was an awful experience. "Cool? I guess it was kind of dumb to lie. Silly me? And I'm... glad you don't take offense to my lying...?"

The smile I earned was a relief.

"As long as you speak truthfully from now on, I'll continue not to."

Aye, aye, cap-i-ton!

"To answer your earlier question, this—" He lifted an arm, which morphed into something more draconic that looked really freakin' cool. "—is something I was always able to do. I don't exactly know if it's common amongst my kin."

His gaze slid away, a frown creeping in. "I'm... not exactly close to my tribe."

Megan's Pro-Tips Part Two: Don't ask dragons about their pasts. They've lived long enough to see some shit.

"Oh. I'm sorry?" The last thing I wanted to do was annoy or depress him. Clearing my throat, I continued more cheerfully, "But, yeah! It's really freakin' cool! I've always been a big fan of dragons, and... and I'm talking to one right now! How crazy is that?!"

It hit me again, and I couldn't help a quiet squeal. Dragons are real here! Maybe I can detour a bit and see the sights before I leave!

Feeling a little embarrassed, I explained to him, "Sorry, I, ehe, kind of think dragons are really cool. Like, really cool." Super cool, uber cool, like so-far-beyond-anything-on-this-mortal-plane cool. "I called myself "The Dragon Lover" back home, I'm so obsessed with them."

...wait. That name wasn't exactly innocent-sounding. "...er. Is that too weird?" Why hadn't I thought about that before?

"Not particularly, as long as it's a modest love." I tried not to look too relieved as he went on. "Now, would it trouble you if I asked a question? And don't be witty," he continued, voice sharp, "that gets old."

"Uh, no, sure, go ahead. Shoot. Wait..." Firearms didn't exist in any of the Fire Emblem games. Oh... of course. "Yeah, "shoot" works, bows shoot arrows and stuff."

Megan, you're rambling again. I cleared my throat once more, jaw rigid to keep me from spouting more random nonsense because I was face-to-face with a dragon. How more fantastical can you get?

Leaning back, Zant asked me, sporting the biggest grin, "Would Chrom fit well in Fairy Tail?"

"In a fairytale, or in Fairy Tail?" Immediately after, I hummed as I admitted to myself, "Actually, both, I gue—"

Brakes, brakes! Full-on reverse!

"Wait. Wait, what? How do... is anime a thing here? People know about anime here?"

Things had just gotten more fantastical.

"Was that not covered in the games? Er, wait, I mean—"

Zant chuckled, informing me, "You are the worst actor ever, Megan."

"Hey, it's difficult—wait, how do you know my name?" Thinking back, I pointed out as he continued to enjoy himself, "I didn't introduce myself, did I? Or am I just Feroxi-famous for my "falling" joke?" That incident was going to follow me to my grave, even after I returned home.

When Mr. Chuckles could finally get a word out, he answered, "Oh, we've met plenty of times in the past, this is just our first face-to-face." Then he sighed. "I just wish it were under better circumstances."

The time for fun and games was over. Staring at him intently, I ordered, "Okay, let's both speak plainly so we all get the answers we need."

I paused, debating on being delicate or going all-in.

Eh, I already knew the answer to that one.

"...are you not from this world? Like me?"

"No, I'm not from this world."

The wind in my sails left all at once.

"Wow. Is... is someone just picking people at random to throw into Ferox?" I squinted, trying and failing to recognize him. This is just like with Theron-Kail. "How do you know me? In real life? Internet? Some other dimension I wasn't aware of?"

"Does the name Perfect Oblivion ring any bells?"

Oh yeah, it did.

Holy shit!

That name belonged to a user from the same writing group I'd met "Kail" in. We weren't nearly as close, but fairly recently (pre-interdimensional kidnapping) he had begun messaging me about Fire Emblem after realizing I played Awakening. It was fun to talk to someone new about favorite characters and classes, or the various plot points that we enjoyed or dissected. He had some interesting ideas to explore, and he reassured me on the not-suckiness of my writing.

And now he was romping around Awakening World with claws and wings? What was next? The forums' moderator who'd been MIA for years suddenly popping out of the ground as a talking wolf?

"No. Fucking. Way! You're here, too?!"

I raced over, patting his horns in disbelief. They were totally real, and they were totally on his head. Oblivion's head.

"And as a dragon? Dude! Not fair! At all!"

"Ack, what did I say about being loud?"

My hands rose to muffle my next words.

"Sorry, sorry, inside-voice activated—" The groan was still very audible, filled with all of the contempt for the universe's unfairness. "—but seriously, I get thrown into the snow in Plegian underwear, and you are practically Natsu over here with a fire in your belly. I'm calling total BS."

Expression darkening, Zant countered, "Being a dragon is not as glamorous as you may think." His hands didn't move, but his voice was very much like a pointing finger. "You got thrown in the snow, I got my vitals acquainted with an axe—and my self-preservation instincts could have had me killing an innocent village along with the bandit group. I think different, I feel different, I sense different. I burned bandits alive and I felt nothing."

...oh.

"I... well."

There were some mentions of manakete and their differing perspectives on mortality, and in fact one from the fire tribe had been credited (I believe, speaking to Roy) to accusing all of his kin of not feeling emotions as strongly as humans. This didn't mean they were all emotionless, certainly with Tiki's past and Nowi's present childishness... but I can't imagine how awful it must feel to suddenly not feel human anymore, because you weren't.

I took a deep breath. My heart went out to him.

"Obviously, I can't say I understand. My transformation was more mortifying than horrifying." Even for the more serious matters, nightmares and constant magical exhaustion weren't exactly the same as believing you were losing your humanity. Still, I continued quietly, "But, dragon or not, you're still you. Maybe focusing on your memories from our world will help keep that in check?"

"I hope so, Megan. I hope so." Gods, he sounded so weary. How much of that was from the tournament? "I'm just worried my manakete mind is stronger."

Okay, I'm getting uncomfortable flashbacks to other world weary men. I needed to lighten the mood around here.

"Psh!" I lightly punched his shoulder, affecting a happier tone as I challenged, "Stronger? It's basically a hatchling! You've been human far longer than you've been a manakete!"

Of course, Kail had been dropped into Awakening World more than a year prior...

"...right? Er, how long have you been here?"

Instead of answering that question, his eyes widened as he posed, "Hey, you wouldn't happen to know why Lucina wasn't the one in the arena?" The genuine curiosity sounded real, which supported my theory that manakete weren't emotionless, simply differently-emotional.

I grimaced, hoping he wouldn't blame me for his injuries after this explanation. "Er. That was... because Lon'qu knew she was female. Because I... kind of... told him. Not the whole truth," I quickly blurted, wary of the repercussions. "Just her female-ness. I... didn't think it was a fair fight, otherwise."

I still had my doubts, but it was far too late to regret my actions. Hopefully, I wouldn't stick around long enough to leave anything more lasting on this world.

"Well, he sure as heck put me through the wringer, even as a dragon. Then again, I was making things fair for him."

Zant—Oblivion? Nope, sticking with his alias. Zant got onto his feet, and I gave him room as he stretched and popped with a grunt. I had the passing, random thought of whether or not his tail and wings made those sorts of noises.

"Anyway, I'm feeling a lot better, so I'm going back for more food. Sophia's probably worried sick for me." I didn't know who he referenced, but I nodded anyway. There was an entire world here. It wasn't as if I hadn't met several other "side characters" not featured in the game, myself.

At this point, who even cared about the game anymore? Barring the obvious key events.

"Ah, okay, cool," I breathed, feeling the whiplash from all of this new information. I've met two people from my world in less than twenty-four hours. I think I need a break from mind-blowing discoveries. "I'll be around the fortress for tonight at least. You're heading out with Chrom and his Shepherds too, right?" For all I knew, he had refused Flavia's command. He was a dragon, after all.

"Of course," he replied, debunking that theory. "Flavia wouldn't dare let Basilio one up her. Besides, you expect me to spout references and have no one get them?" His grin was infectious. "Yeah right, you're not ditching me that easily."

Mine widened as I realized what fun we could have, sharing inside jokes that no one else would get. "Sweet!" Oh, but that did remind me. "Well, we aren't the only ones here. Do you remember Blazing Scep—"

Three slow, formal knocks caused me to fall silent. Uh-oh. This could be awkward.

"Hold that thought." Zant approached the door, and I waited patiently and quietly as he stood in the way of his visitor. Although it completely blocked anyone from seeing me, I also couldn't very well see through him. He posed mildly, "Um, do I know you?"

"We need to talk."

I jumped, recognizing that voice easily. It wasn't the fake-male voice I'd heard in-person, but I'd heard enough of "I challenge my fate" to realize that Chrom's daughter was in front of him. And if that wasn't enough, she leaned to glance past him and into the room, catching sight of me still standing by the bed.

"May I come in?"

I had chosen to remain standing, unsure I could adequately sit still for this important conversation; Zant returned to his bed, hands patiently clasped in his lap. Lucina, seated in a chair, examined us closely. Her Falchion was lashed to her side, reminding me of the stunning blade I hadn't had the chance to see Chrom use. How would their duel have gone in reality versus the game's mechanics? I had enough time to wonder about these legendary blades meeting like magnets before the silence was broken with the quiet, yet strong words of this young woman.

"Do you two know who I am?"

Shit, I thought, realizing I hadn't come up with an excuse for knowing her true gender. It was a good thing I was used to BS-ing conversation.

"Yeah, we—uh, we met on the road, remember?" As her attention focused on me, I continued more enthusiastically, "Your wicked duel with Lon'qu was awesome! Too bad about the... er, tournament thing."

It really was a shame. She was so confident with hacking through the Risen. It would've been nice to see her fighting to prove herself to her father, even if he wasn't aware of it at the time.

I thought I saw a faint smile on Lucina's face, but then hands were rising to remove the disguise and free long, blue locks from their confines. The mask was placed on the study desk as she murmured, "That's not what I meant."

She turned back to us, and I couldn't help staring at the Brand of the Exalt on her left eye that cemented her identity later on. It was jarring, even when I expected it, and I swallowed dryly.

Be prepared to see more familiar faces, Megan.

"Do you two know who I am," Lucina insisted. I swallowed again.

"...if I say "yes," are you going to say "now I have to kill you"?"

It was a serious question, even if said in a goofy fashion. And Lucina was anything but goofy. So color me surprised when I was laughed at a second time in this same room.

Lucina, serious and burdened, was doubled over, laughing.

Not that it sounds particularly cheerful. It was more hysterical than anything else. I looked to Zant, uncertain of what had just happened.

"Heh heh," I halfheartedly laughed. "Yeah, funny me! I... was kind of serious, because I do know."

Oh, the things I know...

"You are Lucina."

I jumped, now looking at the manakete in alarm. Are you really—

"Daughter of Prince Chrom," he continued matter-of-factly, "Exalt of Ylisse, but most importantly, the biggest pain in the ass Grima has ever gotten."

Seriously?! Lucina wasn't laughing anymore, but she was certainly still shaking like she was. That had been a hell of an introduction from supposed strangers, so I didn't exactly blame her if she thought we were crazy—

Except she flew from the chair to collapse onto Zant, embracing him tightly as she wailed in despair. The sudden movement made me squeak, and even Mr. I Don't Feel Human Feelz appeared shocked by the gesture.

"Holy—" I aborted the swear, shaking my head as the girl sobbed something about a "uncu-hu-hu-hul" into the man's chest. "Geez, lay out the entire deck of cards, why don't ya? Never cut to the chase with me," I added more quietly, a bit perturbed by that fact. He'd certainly had his fun with me. Jerk.

Then what I had heard really clicked.

"...wait."

Both of us displaced souls stared at the young woman, as if she had said...

"Did she say "uncle"?!"

"Um," Zant blinked, venturing, "does that mean I married Lissa?"

It was a fair question, and if he had already decided not to care about keeping our knowledge of the future a secret then I guessed it made sense to ask a person from the future about it.

"Oh gods," he muttered, "Owain as a manakete. Even Naga couldn't handle something like that."

The comment got a watery laugh out of Lucina, and I tried to muffle my giggle-snorts with limited success. "What," I just had to tease, "can't imagine his "twitching sword hand" being all scaly and on fire? I think he'd make a great manakete."

Owain the manakete son. Heh, THAT would be interesting. Really taking in the idea, however, brought up a very foreboding thought: If Lucina had expected us to know her, and she referred to Zant as her "uncle"...

"But, if Lucina knows us both, then that means..."

"That we were in the future past as well," Zant finished for me. The solemnity in the room made it difficult to breathe.

Lucina, after some time, had finally calmed down enough for conversation. Wiping her face clean, her voice still shook, and that left me shaken.

"It is as he says, Aunt Megan."

Aunt Megan. Oh, gods. Oh gods, she was calling me aunt.

"You both were in the ruined future with us."

The words hit me like a lance through the chest.

"When we crossed through time," she continued, heavy with grief, "you two stayed behind to hold back Grima's forces for as long as you could."

I was there, in her time, helping her jump into the portal.

"I... holy shit. Sorry," I immediately apologized, feeling like I should probably start censoring myself here. "Just... shit." A trembling hand rose to my forehead, trying to emulate the stability I felt was crashing down around me. She knows me, and thinks of me as an aunt. "I'm guessing that means we... were there the entire time. And that we..."

Deep breaths, Megan. Deep... breaths...

It was pointless to think about how inevitable being trapped in this world looked now. To think about the people I apparently befriended but wouldn't be able to save. Like Kellam, the poor guy... or Miriel, or Virion, or... Robin. Breaking down in front of this troubled girl and this equally lost guy wasn't going to solve anything. It wasn't going to save anyone. I could feel something like glass shattering inside, but I couldn't let them hear it. Theron—KAIL had said as much, anyway. He's been here a year already. If he couldn't find a way out, why should I bother getting so worked up over hearing this?

Calm. I could pretend to be calm. I'd been denying my fears during daylight for more than a month already. How hard could it be to keep this charade up?

I smiled, and it was painful.

"So. Aunt Megan, huh?" The title was both endearing and terrifying, because how the hell was I supposed to be a role model to a bunch of scared kids in an apocalypse? But I managed to sound cheerful regardless as I joked, "Kinda scary being someone's auntie, but I couldn't complain if I was stuck with an awesome kid like you."

Because Lucina was so, so amazing. So wonderful, even through her tears. A child. A survivor. A hero. Seeing her in-person now, I could attest to that.

The young woman sniffled. "Kids, Auntie Megan." Man, that nickname wasn't getting any easier to swallow with repetition. "You two were all the Shepherds' children had. You trained and taught us, and if it weren't for you... I fear we never would have survived."

"Oh. Oh, you..." To think of these kids watching their parents die all around them, forced to fight at such a young age, struggling to survive... it broke my heart. Those glass shards were plentiful enough to cover this entire floor. "You poor kids. I'm... I'm sorry."

I didn't know what my future-self had been up to, but I desperately hoped I had done all that I could, script be damned.

Seeing just how troubled this young lord was, I opened up my arms to offer, "Come here, Auntie's feeling left out of the hug-fest." I couldn't find the right words to fix everything because they simply didn't exist. At the very least, I could give her this small comfort. It surprised me that she accepted this idea, but she held me tightly as if afraid I'd disappear once she let go.

"I'm so sorry for failing you two," she muttered.

"What? Failing?" I began patting her hair, hoping it was motherly enough to soothe her distress. "You look pretty full of win, if you ask me."

There might've been a better way to put that. It was really hard to discern what phrases would sound strange in this world, especially on the fly.

"I—" Lucina choked, tugging me back to reality. "I tried to change this tournament, but I wasn't strong enough. If it hadn't been for Uncle Zant, nothing would have changed." Her grip was becoming unbearable, but I couldn't have pried her off even if I had wanted to as she sobbed, "H-how am I supposed t-to save the future i-if I can't change anything?"

This was my fault. If I hadn't said anything to Lon'qu, it was highly likely that Lucina would've won in their duel like the script had said. He wouldn't have expected her to be a woman, and she would've taken advantage of his distraction to disarm him. But because of my interference, the man had been adequately prepared, and now this young woman was crushed by her failure.

Not even five minutes of being an aunt, and I had already royally fucked up.

Fix this, Megan!

"Shh, shh, no, don't cry!" Man, what a weak start. I hugged her more tightly, willing every ounce of sincere motherly love I had for this poor girl to osmosis its way into her heart. "It was just one setback, and it turned out all right in the end, right? You have a very hard task to accomplish, Lucina, but don't think that you don't have the power to change anything. I mean..."

Even with the "fuck the plot" mentality Zant had presented, I was hesitant to mention anything pertaining to "destiny" or "fate" and my own hand in fucking with it. I looked to the manakete, perhaps a bit desperately. Was I doing all right so far, at least? I don't know how to deal with crying heroes!

I continued, "I mean, since Chrom has Feroxi support after all, it means you still have the chance to change things for the better. Right?"

This was where Zant stepped in, putting a gentle hand on Lucina's shoulder.

"And most importantly," he added calmly, "you have us, Lucina. We may not be the same aunt and uncle you had in that desolate place, but we know what's at stake, and we are more than happy to help. Know that you can always come to us for anything. Be it planning, advice, or just to be held close as is the case now—we will always be there for you.

"You are our niece," came the strong finish to his inspiring speech. "And no amount of time-travel will change that."

This proved to be exactly what Lucina needed to hear: She stretched out an arm and pulled him in to make it a group hug, crying more freely as she finally let go of her fears and doubts. This was a much healthier way to cry, and although I felt awkward being so close to someone so emotional, I was glad that this incredible warrior wasn't giving in to despair. If she could manage that, maybe it'd rub off on me and I wouldn't feel so fragile all of the time.

"Wow, Zant," I teased, even as I sent him a grateful look over her head, "you really know how to make a girl cry!" He didn't respond, likely absorbed in his own thoughts. But it felt good to joke regardless.

After quite some time, Lucina released us to clean her face. "Thank you, both of you. You've no idea how much of a burden has been lifted from my shoulders."

I could say that I did, but with all that I knew of the future I understood that she was right. I couldn't relate to the horrors that she had faced. ...not yet. But I couldn't think like that. Had to keep that locked deep, deep within. Maybe I could get away with never letting it out.

She donned the mask and fixed up her hair once more—she was scarily efficient, and I thought I'd ask her later to teach me how to braid hair—and then returned to stand before us.

"Goodbye, Auntie," she murmured, the embrace much more careful this time. No doubt she needed to practice keeping a good distance between us, to keep up appearances. She did the same with Zant. "Goodbye, Uncle."

Look at your niece go, Megan, I mused as Lucina strode for the door. So amazing. I wonder how she'd feel to know that she's a role model for ME.

"There is still much to do, but I'm glad I have you two to support me."

Before I could think of some cool farewell to try pulling another smile out of her, she was gone. The door shut softly, leaving Zant and me to our thoughts.

"Goodbye, Auntie." She said it so easily, like it came naturally to her.

I hoped I was a good aunt.

"...wow." Swallowing, I managed to point out the obvious as I said, "I'm an aunt to, like, ten kids or something." I could've mentally counted heads, but seeing as how I was physically in this world as opposed to looking through a screen it didn't seem too wise to count the chickens before their parents hooked up.

"And possibly a mother," Zant added, giving me a minor heart attack.

"Oh geez, please don't talk about me being a mother." I shuddered. "Being an aunt is scary enough."

Being called "aunt" was one thing, but being a mom? That was a big no-no, uh-uh, no way in hell was I tampering with this world like that. Plus, I'd already decided not to have kids! I wouldn't be any good at it! What do you even do with kids before they can talk, anyway? Shake keys in their face and pray they don't cry all night?

Thankfully, the manakete broke through these thoughts before I could start hyperventilating.

"What's more disconcerting were the little things in that conversation that had some pretty big meanings. You said Blazing was here, right?"

I sighed at the reminder, wondering how that meeting was going to go. The dragon-man probably won't mess with HIS mind. Already had his fun.

"Yeah," I answered aloud, "he is. Goes by "Kail," because apparently everyone except me got the memo to give ourselves cool code-names." Honestly, it wouldn't have been out of the norm to use their real names, would it? I mean, you had names like Robin and Frederick next to Gangrel and Chrom, for crying out loud. Would Kail and Zant's real names have really been that weird in comparison? Whatever, what's done is done, and I'm the only one with the boring name. Figures.

"Yeah, well, where was he in the future past? According to Lucina, it was just us two."

"He—"

I stopped, a stone sinking into my gut to hit glass-filled rock-bottom.

No.

Kail... Theron... one of my closest friends... the guy who always put others before himself, who listened to my ranting and offered sage advice alongside goofy one-liners...

Had I let him die?

No... NO.

I would not think it, I would not imagine it—I would not let it happen.

"He... well, it doesn't matter where he was in the future past," I declared forcefully, both to Zant and to my own doubts. "Because failure is not an option. We're keeping everyone safe and making sure everything doesn't go to shit until we can figure out how to get home."

Home. Where estranged family or writer's block were the worst things I had to contend with, where I hadn't seen men die or corpses walk, where I led a simple existence with quiet aspirations and goofy puns and didn't have nightmares every night. That was the endgame, here.

We would all make it home.

"Everyone, Megan?"

My gaze snapped back to him, hackles rising at the incredulity in his tone. Yes, everyone!

"I appreciate the mindset," he continued smoothly, "but saving everyone is impossible. Oh, I'm going to do my damnedest," he added for my growing frustration. "Same as you. But all it takes is one slip."

My teeth were grinding together.

"Also, I smelled a roiling mass of negativity all over Lucina, Megan. Self-loathing, depression, low self-worth and -esteem, disgust, and a couple others I don't want to mention. Now what on earth, besides an apocalypse, could make a girl feel such a negative perfume, hmm?"

His tone of voice was not appreciated, and neither was the needless reminder that everything was fucked if we didn't help this girl save the world from Grima's plotting. I already knew that everyone could die, I already knew that we could die, I already knew that the world was doomed if we failed, so could he maybe let me at least pretend to be an optimist for a little bit?

Dragon or not, friend or not, he was going to be very sorry if he kept this up, because a month of nightmares and uncertainty had not been kind to my self-control.

Through gritted teeth, I told him, "I don't care what sort of future she came from. I'm going big, and I'm going home." I lifted my chin, wishing he had reclaimed his seat so I didn't have to look up to meet his gaze. "I can out pessimist you any day, trust me on that, but I can't look that girl in the face and tell her I don't plan on doing all I can to keep everyone alive. I can't focus on the idea of being stuck here and watching people die all around me—"

Damn voice crack. It was undermining my attempt at being assertive. I needed him to understand this. Thankfully, he remained quiet, allowing me to tighten the coils around my emotions and continue more calmly.

"I won't survive whatever hell she's gone through if I focus on the idea of eventually fucking up. On death. I'm going to focus on preventing it. No ifs, ands, or buts."

Because how could I live with myself otherwise?

Sighing, Zant seemed to relent with something close to an apology in his expression. Perhaps he hadn't meant to sound so cruel. I had to remember that I wasn't the only one lost in this world, and that he had a different situation to handle than my bizarre wardrobe change.

"All right, all right, I'm gonna be doing the exact same thing. Just keep what I said in mind." He gestured at the door. "Now, lead the way to Theron, or "Kail" I suppose. None of us are surviving this without a plan."

He was right, of course. Straightening my spine, I stepped out into the hallway as I once again forced a neutral expression on. I would have to smile and joke with any Feroxi we came across, so I prepared to not look like the weight of the world was on my shoulders. It wasn't like I could answer the questions, anyway. How exactly does one say they're worried because the world might end in the next few years?

I came to a halt soon after, though, realizing something important that had me groan.

"I have no idea where he is." Rubbing my face, I decided it wouldn't hurt to retrace my steps. "Maybe he's eating with the others." After all, going there the first time had led me to Zant.

I just hope there are no more surprises along the way.

.

And that's a wrap! Boy, there was a lot to cover this chapter. But separating these scenes didn't make much sense to me, so you get it all in one go.

Remember when I said it wasn't all gonna be funny? Yeah. Keeping that promise. But don't worry! Laughs are still in our future!

-Dragon

P.S.: Aw, there was no "being picked up and carried" in any of these scenes. I guess you could say... I just got CARRIED AWAY with this dialogue! Ahahaha I'm the greatest