February: Invasion

Alfonse grinned after hearing what took place in Embla. "I'm so relieved that everything turned out okay. Oh, and congratulations, Severa. You've joined the dragon blood team."

Caeldori added, "And you didn't get the curse of Veronica's blood!"

Sharena clapped. "Oh, yay! After you left, I thought of that and started to worry a bit. Glad to see that you worked through it."

Eir offered a small smile. "It's good to see that things are looking up."

Sophie chimed in, "We did it! High-five, Eir!" When Eir seemed confused, Sophie grabbed her hand and then lightly hit it with her own hand. "High-five! You never heard of that before?"

Eir shook her head and looked at the floor. "No, I haven't. I'm sorry."

Sophie put her hands on her hips. "Don't apologize! Now you know!"

Cynthia grinned even wider than Alfonse. "I beat both Palla and Catria Whitewing! I'm stronger than two of the most powerful pegasus knights who ever lived!"

Gerome congratulated, "Stellar work as always Cynthia. If you two don't mind, can we create a portal from Askr to Fódlan? Where would be an optimal position?"

Alfonse nodded. "Of course. Maybe the gate would be best in that escape tunnel we showed you. In a wider section, naturally. If we put it in a narrow one, we couldn't get outside!"

Sharena led them all to the tunnel again. At a wide section, Dorothea used he power to open a portal to the audience chamber in Garreg Mach. They waved to their friends and went back.

Rhea brightened at their return. "How was the trip?"

Severa examined her fingernails to hide her excitement. "It was okay. We got the power to open and close portals and figured out the name those Belerager people call themselves: the Twilighters."

Cethleann praised, "Good work! Now we have a name to our foes, and they lost an edge over us because we can go between worlds as we please!"

Bernadetta reported, "We can now travel from Fódlan to Askr, and vice versa. Should we go on now to make a portal from here to Gristonne?"

Rhea motioned to her right. "By all means. There's still enough room for another."

Dorothea created a new one. "Well, shall we go?"

The group made there way to the other side of the portal into Gristonne's castle. One of the maids gasped. "I remember you! You helped King Darios reclaim the throne from Grimmaten!"

Byleth nodded. "Yep! Can we see him now? We have news for him."

The maid folded the placemat she was holding. "No; he's out. Apparently, some mysterious army attacked an Aytolisian temple. He's helping King Rowan and Queen Lianna suppress them."

Caspar interjected, "Perfect! Time to crack some skulls! Do you know where the temple is?"

The maid instructed, "If you can find your way to Aytolis from here, you're sure to bump into them."

Dimitri stretched out his body in preparation. "Wonderful. Thank you for tip. I remember our path. Everyone, follow me."

Everyone left the castle and was greeted by the fresh air and sunshine-a curious atmosphere before a conflict. Dimitri led the way toward Aytolis. Mary caught up to him. "That's a good memory you've got. Color me impressed."

Dimitri focused on the road ahead. "It was nothing. I hyperfocus whenever our lives are on the line. I'm sure many others do the same."

Mary snickered. "If that isn't the understatement of the year. Quit being so modest. Admit your strengths."

"Alright. I have a good memory and an excellent warrior."

"I heard that you can slaughter whole armies."

"I wouldn't use the word 'armies'. More like enemy units. But my strength has certainly built me quite the reputation."

As they got to know each other better, Mary couldn't believe that Dimitri was often referred to by Felix as a savage boar bend on revenge and making his enemies suffer. At long last, they got to the Ayolisian temple. Lianna fought her way over to them. "Everyone? You're here? I'm so relieved!"

Inigo took out his sword, and just to double check the enemy's identity, asked, "Who are these guys?"

Lianna panted as she spoke. "I'm not sure. All of a sudden, these people swarmed into the temple. We're currently counterattacking to retake it."

Shigure questioned, "Did any of them mention a being named Belerager? Our enemies worship him and call themselves the Twilighters."

Severa winced. "Very similar to the Grimleal from my childhood . . ."

As Lianna responded that they never said an objective, Sophie thrust her sword into the chest of a warrior who tried to stab Lianna in the back. "We really need to save the discussion for later."

Ophelia cast a devastating Excalibur that crushed a whole battalion while Camilla applauded her daughter. Khalid hid in corners of the battlefield and shot down flying units, helping to turn the tide. Siegbert slashed at multiple enemies with his sword, and Sylvain joined him with his lance.

The group trudged through the bloodshed until they bumped into Darios. Felix recapped everything that took place since they left Gristonne, and about how there was now a portal between his country and Fódlan. Darios kicked a sniper in the chest and killed him as he staggered back. "Fascinating. Well, I'd welcome that gate if it means less isolation. I can visit my friends from Fódlan now with ease."

Soleil stuck her tongue out at him while she dodged a Nosferatu spell. "How rude! You already favor them even though it was people of Rosanne in Valm that helped you?"

Darios thought, "I'm now in a greater pickle than this battle . . . How do I get myself out of this? Think of something-quick!" He took out a dark mage, dragging out the fighting so it appeared like he wasn't bumbling in his mind trying to find the right words. Once he did, he quickly dispatched the enemy. "I'd be happy with any portal to any of my friends' worlds. You are all invaluable to me."

Soleil relented. "Fine. I guess I'll let you off the hook." She whirled around and cut through a sage. "Smile, you're dead."

A berserker slammed his axe onto Caeldori's pegasus, causing her to fly off and smash into the ground. He charged at her before she could get up and caused heavy damage to her face. She gasped as the blood rushed down her face. Caeldori prayed that her jaw wasn't broken and fled as he chased after her.

Dorothea noticed the dilemma, sprang over to her wounded young woman without thinking, and healed her wounds completely before summoning a mini meteor to bonk him in the head. Caeldori's breaths were heavy and fast. "Thank you so much. I almost died, and probably would have if you didn't catch me there."

Dorothea winked. "Before I became a dancer, I was a mage. I know how to sling some offensive spells and how to patch up wounds. Trouble is, the healing spells can't heal yourself, only other people. Now get back on your pegasus and make them pay!" Dorothea sought out Severa and Subaki amidst the fighting to let them know what happened.

Severa growled as she took out a soldier. "Oh, so these slimeballs think that they can kill my parents before I went back in time and now my daughter?! Well I'll show them!" With Severa's newfound fury, the army won the battle fairly quickly from there.

Lianna pointed her sword at the head rogue, a swordmaster. "What are you doing here?"

Rowan, who was on the opposite side of the battle until the rest of the enemy fled into a corner, piped up, "And what were you trying to do?"

The swordmaster looked up at the army. "They already know. Why not ask them? We are conquering religious sites to turn them into our sites. Our deaths matter not-Belerager will rule this world no matter how hard you try."