Insert this Xenologue whenever you want to in the Hoshido route, with the power of imagination.

The group was travelling, as normal. Eventually, Shiro called for a stop. As everyone started to take the chance to rest their feet, or take a sip of water, Kana could have sworn there was something in the trees...

"Shiro, look." Kana stood up, and pointed. There was a shimmer of light there. She was sure of it. So she walked a little closer, and tried to see the source. "I wonder if it's coming from somewhere. It's nice and pretty, like mama's Kinshi."

Shiro looked over, and he was surprised to see a clear light where Kana was investigating. Blue and red hues, and it seemed to move almost like smoke, or even magic. "Hey, what is that?" He walked over, and the strange light started to move, shaping itself.

It took a few seconds, but then white clothing became visible, along with a pale face and blue hair, red at the tips. Standing there in the woods, in front of Shiro and Kana.

"A spirit? But it's not... It's different to those purple evil spirits." Shiro looked at the apparition. "Hello?"

The spirit stepped forwards, form flickering. "Greetings, children of fate. My name is... never mind. There is much I could tell you about myself and this world, but I come bearing summons. Shiro, you have been called. I will take you to where you need to be, and return you here when it is done."

Kana looked at Shiro. "Can we trust them?"

Shiro shrugged. "Dunno. Pretty sure you're supposed to try and appease spirits normally. Let's just do it. Take me away!"

The spirit of Birthright's Lilith nodded, and waved a hand. There was a glimmer, and the world around Shiro and his forces seemed to bend, pan out, shift like running paint, before returning to normal.

In front of them was a giant stone gate, surrounded by thick forests. A tent was set up next to the gate, with a woman in red sitting down.

The spirit spoke again. "This is the Dragon's Gate. You've been invited to enter. Once you come back out, I will transport you to where you came..." They faded away.

Kana looked around. "These trees, are we in Nohr? They're not like any in Hoshido."

"Dunno. Let's go ask her." Shiro wandered up to the tent, to see a red-haired woman sitting inside, a small table in front of her. She was writing numbers on a sheet of paper, possibly managing money. "Hello there!"

Anna looked up. "Oh, hello! Not often I see people all the way out here. Well, even if you came to find the Dragon's Gate, you also found my little outpost. Care to buy anything?" She smiled, putting a finger on her chin.

"Okay. But where are we? Nohr?"

"You don't know? Oh, maybe you were warped here. I didn't see you approach, after all. Well, this IS Nohr, your lady friend was right. Now..." Anna reached behind herself and took out a large box, before opening it. A few trays of odd-looking trinkets and powders folded out, with a list of items and prices in the centre. "Rare items indeed, but with these I promise anyone will feel stronger!"

Shiro looked at one of the things, a tiny vial of something red. Blood? No, not quite... "What are these?"

"Those are Energy Drops! A blend of a few rare herbs, concentrated mint, a pinch of Duma Moss, and a couple other secret ingredients- though people aren't allergic to those ones. I guarantee it will increase your muscle power!" Anna said.

"How much?"

"7500 Gold."

Shiro made a choking sound, and very carefully set the vial back in the box. "I'll just stick to chicken. Though maybe if I ever strike it rich, I'll be back."

Anna just shut the box carefully. "See you later then! Good luck in the Dragon's Gate!"

Shiro nodded. "Yeah. Okay everyone, let's go in!"

Shiro walked through the gateway, without any real knowledge of how to choose the destination- or destinations in mind. But as it was, the powers that be had a destination in mind.

Shiro and his group found themselves in a giant stone colosseum.

Looking around, giant was an understatement. Colossal was an understatement. This huge area was so big that it took up about the same amount of space as Shirasagi castle, including the outer wall and gardens. Overhead, an evening sun turned the sky orange, and the ground beneath their feet was not dirt like a normal colosseum, but an elegant slate.

"Where are we?" Asked Kana.

"Uh... Hello?" Shiro raised his voice. The area seemed to be empty, but...

Kana seemed unsettled. "Shiro, I feel something. It's like a dragon vein, but way, way bigger. And even more than that- I'm scared. I think there's something watching us."

"I feel it too." It was like the blood in Shiro's veins was filled with more energy than it could hold. But at the same time, it was as if there was something here that awed him, and at the same time screamed at him to run, lest he be destroyed. So Shiro grabbed his weapon and held it up. "No hiding! Who are you!?"

A voice rang out, loud and clear through the realm.

'IF YOU ARE TRULY SO BOLD... I WOULD TRUST YOU NOT TO RUN.'

Shiro whipped around, grabbing his lance, but as he turned all he saw was one woman standing in front of him. He blinked, and noticed a man next to her that he could have sworn wasn't there before, either.

"You guys called me here, right?" Shiro asked.

The woman was wearing a very black set of clothing. Black steel armour, with black hair and a black iron crown, and a beautiful black gemstone set into the front of the crown. The only things that weren't black was her ashen skin and one red eye- just one, for the other was scarred and gone. Yet for all her attire, she stood with a friendly smile.

The man was in robes, with the hood down. A few golden metal plates adorned the robe, and a trinket with a shining white stone was fixed over his right breast. He had silky white hair and skin that had tanned under years of sunlight, and a presence that radiated goodwill. He had a very Hoshidan stance and form, and gave a small bow.

"Tenebris, If I may?" Said the man.

The woman, Tenebris, stepped back with a small nod.

The Hoshidan knelt, as was customary, and something compelled Shiro to do the same. "So, what can I do for you? Must have been a lot of trouble to call me all the way here. Oh wait, what's your name? I'm Shiro, just in case you didn't know."

The man smiled. "I'm Lux. Well, that's not my real name, but you won't be able to pronounce mine. I called you all here to offer a little training in these difficult times. I very much like to provide for people."

Tenebris scoffed. "Doesn't half make them soft if you leave him alone."

Shiro grinned. "Hey, I'm always down for something new! What kind of training?"

"I called on some warriors from other worlds, to spar with you and share knowledge." Explained Lux. "I'll call them in now, and you can meet each other before you fight. Oh, but a word of warning- Little Dragon, mind that you don't fight the leader. It would be most painful for you." Lux clapped his hands twice, and the colosseum doors opened.

Shiro looked at the other group. He saw a swordsman, a paladin, a pegasus knight, a wyvern rider, and a robed mage. But things were different about each of them. The swordsman's clothing was so regal, the deep blue matching his hair... and his sword looked Nohrian, but the blade gleamed in such a way that it couldn't possibly be from any human forge. The paladin behind him had a sturdy lance, and was older than Shiro thought a soldier could be. The pegasus knight was... they couldn't be Hoshidan. The armour was just too different, and that weapon was different to both Hoshidan and Nohrian designs. The wyvern that backed up the pegasus was red, and the man riding it had the most wicked axe the group had ever seen. The mage in the back was fairly unnoticeable compared to the others, but he held a tome with a very practiced form.

The swordsman stepped forwards. "I am Marth. I never expected to be called to a battle under these such circumstances, but at least there shall be no dire consequences should either of us fail. And maybe we can share wisdom after this is done?"

Lux smiled, and stood. "Good evening, King Marth. Many thanks for answering my call."

Kana tugged on Shiro's sleeve, and whispered 'How did he know I'm a dragon?'

Shiro shrugged, put his lance over his shoulder, and waved at the Hero-King. "Hey there. I'm Shiro, from Hoshido. You don't mind if I use a mythical weapon when we spar?"

Marth kept excellent posture, and offered a hand to shake. "Not at all. It would be good to become practiced with a variety of weapons, but I only have the Falchion, and it is a very powerful sword."

Tenebris stepped in. "Since weapons are a passion of mine, I'll tell you about each other's. Without giving away the abilities, of course- adaptability is an important skill. Shiro's lance is imbued with the power of light, and the things you might associate with it, like safety and sight. But that light comes from a ferocious energy that I fear neither of you fully understand- electricity, or as you know it... lightning."

Shiro looked at the weapon in his hands. Electricity? The weird light it gave off was a form of lightning? He'd once seen a house struck by a thunderbolt, utterly blown apart and set aflame in a fraction of a second. But his lance never did that... It offered him a barrier sometimes...

"Marth's sword is the legendary Falchion. While the handle is no longer anything more than an ordinary piece of metal, the blade is a fang from Naga, the most powerful dragon to ever have lived. It is imbued with her might, and her authority as queen of dragons, and can only be wielded by one of her descendants."

"Wait a second." Caeldori put a hand up. "Naga the goddess? King Marth is a descendant of the gods themselves?"

"Hey, so am I." Said Shiro casually. "Guess I'll practice with him then! And what about your buddies?"

Marth gestured around the group. "Please meet Caeda, my wife, Merric, my best friend, Jagen, my most trusted retainer, and Michalis, formerly my fiercest enemy. We would be glad to exchange wisdom and skills with those in need."

"Alright. So, one on one matches then? Guys, who wants who?"

(Select four units to boost!)

Caeldori took stock of the group. Herself, Shiro, Kana, Asugi, Mitama, and Haitaka at the moment. Shiro was set on learning from Marth, and she really wanted to see what Caeda might teach her. "Could I learn from Queen Caeda, please?"

"Aw. I wanted to with her..." Kana looked a little sad. "But maybe I should go with the Wyvern rider! Wyverns are just small dragons, right?" She picked herself up quickly.

"Don't pass up on Jagen." Advised Haitaka. "Someone as old as him will know a LOT."

Asugi shrugged. "Mitama, you want to take the mage? I don't see anyone that looks like they know a lot about battlefield subtlety." He didn't get a reply for a moment, and groaned. "Gods, you didn't fall asleep again did you?"

He looked over to see Mitama absolutely wide-eyed, looking over her two hosts. The duo in black and white were looking at the chatter amusedly, and... specifically, he was sure they were both paying slightly too much attention to Kana. It was almost as if they saw her as something else.

Shiro prodded her. "Mitama. You wanna say something?"

Mitama shook her head, waited a few moments, and jotted something down in ink. "Light and dark, together. Two beyond our understanding. Almighty benevolence." She smiled. "Ah, much better. I was simply captured by those people, and their charity to us."

"But are you going to learn from Merric? He looks like a cool guy." Shiro said.

Mitama nodded.

"Okay, we've made up our minds!" Shiro called out to Marth. He walked forwards. "So, we'll fight, right? I better warn you, I'm good at taking down swordsmen!"

Marth nodded. "My dueling abilities are far from legendary. But I warn you that overconfidence won't serve you well."

Haitaka went up to Jagen. "I'll take you on. Forget proper fighting, just tell me any tricks I might not know."

Jagen nodded in confirmance.

As Mitama wandered over to Merric, and Caeldori cantered up to Caeda, Kana skipped over to Michalis. The wyvern lord sat straight, the Hauteclaire polished to a high shine and ready to be swung into action at the drop of a hat. A great deal of scars could be seen on what skin he was showing, and his mount's size was immense- a huge beast that could have easily bitten Kana in half, with it's own share of scars and a form that was as relaxed as a mousetrap.

"I don't have time to train little girls." he said dismissively. Kana didn't budge. Michalis raised the Hauteclaire, and as if it weighed as much as a bamboo pole he spun it round once and slammed the edge into the floor, the metal biting in effortlessly, while his wyvern gave a low hiss. "...What are you waiting for?"

Kana just looked angry. "I'm not just some little girl! Don't talk down to me that way, you're being mean!"

"Tell me why I should spend my time on someone like you. I'm not in the habit of instructing children to their deaths."

Kana scowled and reached underneath her neckerchief. "Would you train me if I looked..." She grasped a pale blue stone, skin turning to scale and hair to horns. "Like this?!"

Michalis sat unimpressed. "A dragon, eh?" He leaned forwards. "I've fought dragons before. I fought through Three Hundred of them, for the sake of someone I would quite gladly decapitate."

"Three hundred... you're bluffing!"

"Care to test it?" Michalis pulled his axe from the floor.

"Okay! Ready?"

Michalis brought the axe up with blinding speed, forcing Kana to rear up on her back legs or be split open. He slammed it forwards at breakneck pace, and she dodged to the side , the shaft of the axe hitting the top of her foreleg with enough power to knock her over backwards. Sweeping around to recover herself, she went for a quick lunge at Michalis's mount, but the wyvern proceeded to slap her to the floor, before the butt of the Hauteclaire was pressed painfully into the square of her back, a spike angled so as not to break her skin.

Michalis huffed. "Terrible, every single blow I made would have killed you outright if this were a real fight. Fine, get up. You can't go around fighting if you're like this."

Some time later, the sparring had passed into advice and the odd story. Shiro was sitting crosslegged, covered in dozens of tiny nick and scratches and absolutely exhausted while Marth seemed as fresh as a flower. "...So you see, if you desire to be a good leader, then the most important thing you can do is to reach out to others. A good friend of mine, Kris, took that lesson to heart indeed. But the second most important thing you can do is to round out your capabilities well. You can never be quite sure what you'll be expected of you."

Shiro nodded. "Be prepared, got it."

Caeda and Caeldori had gone from riding tips to grooming each other's mounts. Caeda had a lovely brush that had likely come from her position as queen, and had shown Caeldori a few extra ways to grip the reins of her mount before grooming it meticulously, restoring the sheen of the coat as if it had been bathed. "So, a good rule to remember is that pegasi are extremely empathatic. A lot of people will just try to stay calm, but you can channel other emotions too. There are times when you might need to be angry, to be ferocious to pull through a fight. There are times you need to restrain yourself and be cautious. Just don't panic."

"I see... I promise that I'll master this knowledge as best I can, your highness." Said Caeldori softly.

Lux clapped his hands once, drawing attention. "I'm afraid that I can't allow you to remain in this realm for much longer without a risk of a gap in time in your respective worlds. If you have some last messages to exchange, now is the time."

Everyone returned to their groups. Marth gave a quick look at the others, and caught sight of Kana. "Oh, goodness. You didn't go too hard on her, Michalis?"

"I did what I could in such limited time."

Kana's armour was damaged all over, alonside a fair share of scrapes. The girl herself seemed completely exhausted, barely able to stand. "I-It's fine."

Marth knelt down. "I'm sorry that I didn't keep a better eye on you and him..." He seemed to think about something. "I've learned some things about you from Shiro. How you want peace and mercy, like me. I know the path can seem bitter and fruitless at times, and that you can lose things along the way. But please know that as long as you are willing to strive for it, you can attain the peace you desire."

"Really?"

"Really. Forge the bonds you want to." Said Marth finally. He stood up and faced the group. "Before I go, I was told that you were in need of aid. I didn't have the time to find a gift that could help much, but I have this, and I'd like to pass it onto you." He took a small broach from inside his cloak, the crest of Altea embossed onto it. He passed it to Shiro. "I hope it will be of use."

"Thanks, King Marth." Said Shiro. "No, really, I feel way more skilled. You're super fast, too. You should learn not to understate yourself so much!"

Lux cleared his throat. "Ten seconds."

"Farewell. Safe travels." Said Marth.

"I trust you will fight with valor." Said Jagen.

Merric put Excalibur away. "Study hard!"

"And stay friends." Added Caeda.

Michalis just made a grumbling sound.

Kana looked up at him. "Bye Michalis! Be nice to Maria if you see her!"

"...Shouldn't have let the name slip."

There was a flash, and a moment of white. The others were gone, leaving only Tenebris and Lux in the room.

"You'll have to go soon too, but before you do, take these, young dragon." Lux said, walking over to Kana purposefully. He had a pair of small golden seals in his hand. "A gift that very much embodies Marth's words. Only Kana can use them."

Kana reached up and took the seals. "What are these?" She asked, looking at the items in amazement.

"They're seals of Overclass. At the moment, you don't have the power to unlock them. But give it a little experience..." Lux smiled knowingly. "Just don't lose them. They're valuable treasures."

Tenebris called out. "Time's up. Goodbye for now."

And there was a flash, and a moment of black.

Shiro blinked a few times, his vision initially in black and white, then returning to colour in a few seconds. He looked around. Northern Hoshido, where he'd just been. The very same spot. The woods seemed empty now, and the sun was still high in the sky, even if he could still see the nicks of the Falchion's tip on his armour and felt like his muscles had melted away. "Was... was that real?"

He noticed a broach in his hands. "Huh. Guess it was."

Author's notes: Yep, this contributes nothing to the story. But I like Xenologues. In case you're wondering, Marth's training gives +10% speed growth, Jagen gives res, Merric gives mag, Caeda gives skill, and Michalis gives strength. Yes, I chose Michalis over Minerva. Come at me.

On with the story, next time.

Reviewer answer!

Cardgames on Pokemon: Absolutely, Heirs of Fate was really immersive and all the characters were genuinely well-written despite the short amount of dialogue most were afforded (Chapter 6 parent convos were a joy). It made me care more about Siegbert and Shiro than the entirety of three routes did for Corrin, so it saddens me that there's so little fanfic of HoF.