Summer Snow and a New Threat

Hello, one and all, and welcome to my Fire Emblem x Silent Hill work, Fire Emblem: The Other World. I have intended to work on this story for some time after revisiting the older Silent Hill games and getting more into the Fire Emblem franchise as of late. This work is, believe it or not, the first one of its kind on this site, and I hope to execute an exciting story with this work so that fans of both franchises and general readers can feel truly satisfied. It may take a while to upload chapters of this story, especially since I am also working on SSB: Mysteries of the Pure-Hearted Soul and The Moveset Trouble, but I don't expect to write something any longer than five hundred thousand words.

As far as continuity is concerned, this story is set after New Mystery of the Emblem on the Fire Emblem side and in an alternate reality following the first installment of the Silent Hill side.

WARNING: This story contains extreme violence, blood, gore, mild language, and disturbing imagery. Proceed with caution.

Fire Emblem belongs to Nintendo and Intelligent Systems, Silent Hill to Konami.

The god of darkness…

It grows on the fears of mortal souls, playing upon their deepest fears…

It seeks to bring its twisted paradise across many lands, no matter the cost…

A splitting headache plagued the royal mage Merric as he slowly stood up and exited the damaged chariot that was originally carrying him to his destination. He noticed that the driver was already dead, having apparently suffered a fatal blow to the head after his forced launch from the driver's seat. Such an injury was indicated by a deep bruise on the brown-haired man's forehead. Sitting alone for several seconds, he gradually recalled the moment before the sudden event that completely ruined the chariot, whose horses were now dead from the fall's harsh impact.

He and the Altean princess Elice, taking some time off from teaching students at an academy, were originally traveling towards a beach on the Altean island to spend a bit of intimate time together and perhaps solidify their future marriage. It was supposed to be a moment of peace and soul-bonding, especially after the terrible War of Heroes. The royal lovers had been on a forest trail towards that beach, just a mere kilometer away from the destination.

And then, a sudden force had launched a chariot into the air and had turned it upside down. The last thing that Merric had heard during that event was the sound of Elice's scream…

While staring at the area around him, he noticed a bizarre and extreme change in the scenery; whereas it had once been a sunny day with moderately hot temperatures, it was now a foggy landscape with a drastically colder atmosphere and snowfall. This view left Merric profoundly confused, and not just because it was snowing out of season. In his mind, this could be an indicator of something unusual in Archanea, but despite his status as one of the more skilled mages to fight by the now-King Marth's side, it was currently impossible for him to decipher the exact cause behind it all.

How can there be snowfall during the summer?

This thought remained on Merric's mind for almost a minute as he attempted to figure out what was occurring in Altea, but a sudden worry infiltrated his mind upon realizing that he had forgotten to determine the status of the third occupant of the chariot.

"Elice!" the mage exclaimed. He rushed back to the chariot to check on the blue-haired princess and soon discovered that she was no longer present. Given his love and friendship for her, his heart understandably began to race as he feared that she could be in deep peril. To make matters worse, the fog was a visual impediment that had the potential to complicate the search by obscuring the princess's location from him, and that was if she had not already been captured or killed.

"Lady Elice! Where are you?" His voice resonated throughout the forest, yet even its strength attracted not the attention of the princess.

"ELICE!" Merric yelled even louder, anticipating a response from her that never blossomed from the cold fog. He repeatedly called her name, but his failed efforts to reunite with her on the spot only strained his voice to the point of hoarseness. Nevertheless, the mage remained determined to locate her by any means necessary, and since it was now clear that she was no longer in the area due to a lack of responses, he decided to return to the capital town. He would need all the help that he could obtain.

"I need to get the army to search for her," he sighed under his breath. A quick research within the chariot revealed Elice's warping staff, having been abandoned by its owner. He wanted to make a quick test on an object to ensure that the staff functioned well, but the actual test was marked by several sparks from the staff and a complete lack of functionality. A slight frustration arose in the mage's mind as he resented the prospect of having to travel on foot.

"Guess I have no choice, then." He proceeded to stroll hurriedly on the trail, heading towards the direction of the capital town. The fog inflicted a cold, unnerving sensation onto the few parts of his skin that were exposed to the air, which would have been more than enough to induce an internal tension in his body. He had not prepared himself for this kind of weather due to being only dressed in a lighter version of his usual robes. The tension already within his mortal form would only be exacerbated when sudden and unexplained sounds emerged from the forest's dense infrastructure.

"…?" He was led to believe that there was a beast somewhere in the area, quietly stalking him at every opportunity. While initially quiet and sparse, the sounds—heavier footsteps, the rustling of trees, and the snapping of branches—increased in frequency and intensity. Even stranger was the fact that these inexplicable noises were emerging at different angles relative to the mage's position, bestowing the impression of multiple unseen figures within the forest. Merric's heart raced slightly faster than it already was, anticipating a confrontation with some foul abominations or other hostile entities. Excalibur, his specialized wind tome utilized exclusively by him, was in his hands; he was ready to tackle any foe that dared to approach him. Despite his apparent readiness, he continued along the trail in the hopes that a fight could be avoided outright. His feet increased their traveling speed in small increments, especially when the unexplained noises were at their loudest and emerging from all sorts of angles. Merric felt that a battle was now inevitable, but just when he was ready to cast an offensive spell…

Tap…

…the noises suddenly stopped when he reached an open clearing. Merric sighed with relief, no longer worried about any unseen threat in the area. He could now continue with little hindrance on his part.

"It's just my imagination." With a clearer path ahead of him, he proceeded to travel as quickly as possible towards the central town.

Later…

"I finally… made it," the mage gasped. Without a horse or a magical staff to assist him, he had pushed himself to the higher levels of his endurance and was now catching his breath. Even after childhood, he was a frailer man that was more susceptible to fatigue and even injury than most other persons, and physical endurance was never one of his stronger aspects. As his breathing slowly relaxed, he stared past the open gates that would keep the town guarded at night or in times of danger. It was here that he came to realize something even more unusual than the presence of cold fog during the summer months.

"That's strange," he muttered quietly. "Where did everyone else go?" Indeed, the once-populous capital town of Altea was now an empty shell of its former self. There were no townspeople who were managing their daily routines after the long war, none of the shops were open, and even the homes that dotted the walled town were devoid of any activity. Aside from the slight wind current and Merric's own footsteps, the area proved to be deathly silent. The moat around the town was partly frozen from the chilling atmosphere. Merric was still bothered by his headache while stepping into the town, yet even that was not enough to shatter the focus on his mission of locating the missing Elice.

I must check the barracks first, he assumed. The barracks in the town held much of the kingdom's armed forces, and if those forces were alerted to the princess's disappearance, they could execute a search party and reunite her with Merric and the Altean royalty. He managed to silently utilize the quickest way to the specialized building, passing by several homes and a local pub during his travel, and was soon at its doorstep. While it was already clear to him that the town was almost entirely abandoned, he chose to knock on the door just in case.

Tap… Tap…

Is there anyone in here?

Merric remained outwardly mute as he knocked on the door, but he inwardly hoped that someone would respond to his attempt at gaining a search party for the Altean princess. His expectation of any greeting from a soldier failed to experience fruition after repeated knocks on the door, so his only option was to enter the building despite the potential intrusion that his unexpected arrival could cause.

The area within was much darker than normal. Many windows were sealed shut for some bizarre reason, and the few that were still open brought the bare minimum of light necessary to illuminate small parts of the main room. A lone lantern was the only one of its kind that still burned bright, with all the others having exhausted their supply of light. The mage yanked it from its resting spot and proceeded towards the back of the main hall, which did not appear to be unusual aside from the lack of other people and the dimmer lighting. The rugs were untouched, showing no signs of damage or misplacement, and the chandelier above was inactive—completely without light. The mess hall towards the back of the building was in a messier state, with dishes, silverware, tablecloths, and chairs that had become scattered in a random manner. Darkness prevailed in this area; not only was the fireplace at the far end virtually extinguished, but there were no windows to provide the dim light from the fog.

"…" Merric suppressed his nervousness as his lantern guided him into the bedrooms, located to the left of the dining room after a short corridor. Rows of bedrooms were packed into two different rooms: one for the men, and one for the women. The red blankets were what distinguished the stone-walled area of the women's room from the blue cloths in the men's place, but both sections were otherwise identical. A chandelier was present in each area, the layout of the beds was the same, and there were tables for containing personal items.

How can they not be here?

Merric tried to avoid being disgruntled in his search for help while searching the latrines by the bedrooms, the result of which only provided a foul smell to his nose, and then the gathering hall upstairs, where the fighters would gather for battle plans and other crucial meetings. Aside from a round table and a red carpet, there was nothing in the room that stood out to his eyes.

I don't understand, he pondered. What could they all have gone? Something was far more amiss than he had initially anticipated, and whatever was provoking this strange series of event up to this point could be a new force that was likely stronger than even the deities of his world. Furthermore, if this unknown force was on the side of evil…

A chill entered Merric's spine as he shuttered at the thought of possibly needing to confront the force head-on. There was only one more area to search, which was the armory. Even there, however, there was nobody to assist the young magician—just weapons and armor that were collecting dust over time. Since there were no soldiers to support him on his quest to locate Elice, his next bet was to inform his close friend and the leading Altean monarch, the heroic Marth, about the incident directly.

"I hope Marth is here," he sighed weakly. Leaving the barracks behind, he proceeded to the deserted palace. The atmosphere there proved to be just empty and cold as the rest of the town, and the darkness once again reigned supreme. Merric had to rely on his lantern to discern anything at all, whether it was the array of portraits that depicted past Altean rulers, the rug with the kingdom's coat of arms, or the doors that led to different segments of the castle. He already knew which path to take, and that path was the central doorway that guided him to the highest room of the palace, the personal residence of the monarchs. Disappointment, though, was the only thing that awaited him.

"…?" Merric's heart rate rose even further when he realized that Marth was absent from the room, as was the new king's wife, the Pegasus Knight Caeda.

"What is going on here?" he muttered worriedly. "First, it's Elice, and now Marth and Caeda are gone as well…" It was now obvious that, unless a miracle sprang into existence, he would need to search for Elice on his own. He exited the room with a subdued hint of frustration on his mind. Perhaps Marth was away to handle other matters at hand, but…

The cold air chilled his face as Merric descended to the ground floor and exited the palace outright. He did not expect anyone to show up in the central town square, but things would suddenly change when his eyes suddenly captured the sight of a certain person in the fog. No distinctive characteristics were originally present on this person due to the poor visibility, and Merric had to strain his eyesight to determine who this mysterious newcomer was at all. He quietly approached with minimal noise so that the person ahead would not be startled by sudden noises. As the view ahead became clearer and less subdued, the features were revealed in better detail.

Blue hair, ocean-colored eyes, a golden tiara, light skin, and a distinct white dress with red and yellow details were a combination that Merric soon recognized as belonging to one person that he knew, the person with whom he fell in love and wanted to consecrate his marriage.

"Elice…? Is that Elice?" he whispered under his breath. Wiping his eyes clean, he continued to approach the person and finally realized that she was indeed the Altean princess and one of the four maidens involved in a certain dark ritual. Elice, finally aware of Merric's presence, stretched a gentle smile on her face.

"Merric…" she called with a sing-song type of voice. "Follow me… Let me guide you…" With her last remark, she began to delve deeper into the fog against the mage's desires.

"Lady Elice, what are you doing?" His voice was not enough to prevent the princess from continuing whatever she was doing.

"Wait! Stop!" He sprinted after her, not content with losing her again, but she proved to be faster than expected. His breaths shortened by the second as he pursued her into the forest that surrounded a small lake nearby. During this time, he overheard some unusual giggling from the innocent princess herself. Merric's confusion spiraled into deeper and more profound states, given what had just occurred earlier in the day. Why was her behavior so… unusual, he silently believed? Had the unusual weather, the chariot crash, the lack of any people in the town, and her separation from him not instilled a sense of concern within her innocent soul? Perhaps he would discover the answer soon, but now was the time to chase her down and determine if she was truly okay.

"Join me in our beloved paradise…" the princess sweetly chirped again.

"Beloved paradise?" the mage remarked confusedly. He tried to ignore the last statement but failed to do so. This situation was morphing into something stranger by the minute.

"Yes… We will be together, forever…" The princess sprinted into the thicker part of the forest, with Merric following in pursuit. Cold winds persisted in their mission to chill the green-haired man, which affected him little. He gently chomped on his upper lip to calm himself, an effort that was suddenly halted when the sky above him—not to mention the entire natural world—transformed into something more ominous.

"Is it getting… darker?" he muttered nervously. What was once a whitened version of the Altean forests slowly faded into total darkness, and despite Merric's initial belief on the contrary, this change was no hallucination. The weather also transitioned into a somewhat warmer state, just warm enough to change the snow into rain, and the fog phased out of existence. Thankfully for Merric, he still had the lantern from the barracks, which was now his only source of light in a world of blackness.

Better than nothing, I guess.

He kept the lantern ahead of him to discern possible annoyances or obstacles, whether on the ground or suspended in the air. Besides his own footsteps, he heard Elice's intermittent giggling, although her own footsteps had gone purely silent; he also no longer had a clear lock on her location, having lost her in the dark atmosphere. He always ensured that the terrain ahead was stable enough, hoping that his feet did not slip on leaf piles or misshapen rocks. Nothing in the forest was out of the ordinary aside from the extreme darkness…

Cling…

…or so he believed. Off to his right was an assortment of three staves and a tiara. All four of these items were terribly rusted beyond use, but their appearances were still a bit familiar to the wind-controlling mage. Who were the owners…?

"…" As Merric continued towards the sound of Elice's voice, he noticed another out-of-place object in the forest: a rusted chair that, for some reason, had wheels attached to its underside. Suspicions were already starting to flare up within the mage's mind, but a layer of shock would be introduced to the multilayered dip of uncomfortable emotions when, meters away, he encountered a stone table decorated with a bloodstained cloth. This cloth was concealing what seemingly resembled bodies under the surface. Merric pulled the cloth up and soon regretted his decision within seconds.

"…!" His stomach was very ready to expel everything in its confines as the sight of four heavily decayed corpses entered his line of sight. He could not determine the identities of the bodies, but that mattered little for now. Sliding the cloth back onto its resting place, he progressed towards Elice's voice while noticing the change in the environment. Trees were visibly decaying and had become infested with fungi and bugs. Blood stained the damp dirt and what little foliage remained inside the changing forest, and dismembered body parts lay scattered across the forest—whether they were in the trees or on the ground.

But the worst part of the transition revealed itself at the lake.

"What is this?" Merric realized that the lake was an assortment of hellish scenery. Corpses, human and dragon alike, were hoisted into the air by rusted steel spears of grand sizes, and the blood that poured from every open wound contaminated the once-clear waters with its crimson presence. Barbed wire stretched from body to body and even spiraled into the lake, supposedly connected to something beneath the surface. A foul smell pierced the air and Merric's nose as decaying flesh from the corpses and the severed limbs in the water reigned in what was now a nightmarish scenario. At this point, the mage was at the breaking point regarding nausea, just one iota of willpower away from vomiting. He was also cold from the combination of poor weather and fear, almost to the point of shaking. Between the fear and the scenery, there was only one sensible option left for him.

"What's going on here?!" He was about to flee from the horrific environment when weak moans and a hissing growl echoed from behind. Still filled with fear, he slowly twisted his body around with the lantern and was immediately greeted by unwanted visitors. Many of these creatures appeared to be no taller than children, but their skin was horribly pale. Their faces were also grotesquely deformed, decorated with gaping mouths and slits in place of their eyes. The most disturbing aspect about them, however, was that they carried sharp knives with them. Supporting these creatures was a horrifying abomination that appeared to resemble a dragon hatchling, complete with red, decaying skin, a lack of eyes, and talons that looked sharp enough to eviscerate someone. The rows of teeth within its mouth exhibited unusual sharpness, especially for a draconic being of its age. The central part of its body was marked by an exceptionally long gash which traveled vertically down the middle. The horns were damaged and deformed, not perfectly smooth like they would have been in ordinary dragons.

Merric, now preparing himself for a battle, yanked Excalibur from his robes and proceeded to cast a wind attack. Alas, there was a major problem…

Tik…

"…?!" His special tome was refusing to work as planned, for his magical wind did not lash out at his enemies. Subsequent attempts at attacking were also fruitless, producing nothing more than an ineffective spark. This led him to assume that his spell was trying to work but could not do so. As the monsters began to approach him, he swiftly fled the lake like a defenseless creature escaping predators. His heart rate skyrocketed to new heights as he sprinted without hesitation on the trails that were even enough to allow faster running. The monsters on the ground pursued him, but they would not be the only ones to seek him for his blood. Within the treetops were strange, pterodactyl-like creatures that had been perched on the trees but were now soaring towards the mage with the intent to kill; they lacked any sort of skin, only showing the pink interior of their bloodied forms. Screeching echoed throughout the air from their mouths.

Whoosh…

Merric leaped over a fallen tree as the rest of the forest was now under the influence of whatever had provoked the macabre transformation. He did not falter on his speed despite his diminutive level of physical strength, but his greatest obstacle presented itself in the form of a steel mesh fence—rusted, stained with blood, covered with barbed wire, standing many meters tall, and blocking his way out of the forest.

"No, no, no…" As the creatures from before were joined by more of their kind from different parts of the forest, Merric leaped onto the fence despite the risks involved and began his ascent, holding onto the lantern's ring with his teeth. The barbed wire sliced into his hands and shoes to inflict significant pain and bleeding, but this did not prevent him from continuing his climb. While the cuts on his body failed to stop him, three of the pterodactyls managed to drag him off the infinite wall—a wall that seemingly had no limit to either its height or its width. Falling down head-first, Merric suffered a serious concussion upon striking the wet ground.

WHAM!

"Damn!" Standing back up, he picked up a small tree branch and swatted at the monsters that surrounded him, and while he was successful at knocking several of them down, the others managed to overwhelm him with their otherworldly strength and larger numbers. Knives penetrated his body from every angle…

SLICE! SHINK! SLICE!

…pterodactyls chomped into his flesh…

CRUNCH!

…and the deformed hatchling unleashed a noxious breath that irritated his skin and damaged his blue robes. In the end, Merric could not withstand the combined assault of the monsters and collapsed to the floor in a heartbeat, dropping the lantern, the tree branch, and Excalibur in the process. As he slowly bled to death, his ears received the giggling of Elice's voice, which now assumed a more sinister aura. Even more disturbing was the fact that the princess's speech sounded distorted, almost as if multiple people were speaking in unison with her.

"Yes… We will finally be together in Paradise… Do not resist, Merric…"

"Ugh…! Lady Elice… Lord Marth…" Merric's pain was too severe to allow for proper speech anymore. His vision, supported only by the now-broken lantern, swirled into a dark canvas that morphed into an absolute shade of black due to the diminishing fire and extreme blood loss.

He did not want his life to end this way, but it was too late now.

He had just lost his life to those unholy things.

Well, things have soured very quickly on Merric, but is this the end for him? Maybe…

Up next, we will see how things play out as the terrifying journey continues. What happened to Elice and Marth? What has become of the townspeople, and why is their country stuck in a mysterious fog? Stay tuned.

R&R, and I will see you all later. Oh, and wash your damn hands.