Disclaimer: The following characters and settings of the Fire Emblem series are a belonging of Nintendo and Intelligent Systems. The characters (Mace, Wiz, Zoe, Adrion, Adam, and Nicole) are the only belongings of the author.

--HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS--

—Miracle at Ostia­—

Chapter 1: Visitors of Magvel

Long ago, at the age where man and dragons lived together in peace, Christmas was a divine moment for both races. Dragons and humans alike would give to each other great gifts. Dragons would give human families special stones that would bring them wealth, happiness and magic among them. Human would give to dragon families' gold and other sort of wealth and rare goods from mostly the Western Isles and Etruria. Every eves of Christmas, both races would spend quiet times seeking for the East Star to rise. The star to them was a celestial symbol of true peace that could last eternally.

Quote from "The Legend of Elibe: Volume III"

-Ostia-

Ostia was almost like a winter wonderland. The streets, covered in snow and all houses' roofs as well. Decorations were an addition to the holiday-spirited stalwart city of Lycia. People were going about their daily basis. It is such a great feeling to see people in their holiday mood, like our lovable friend Sain, disguised as a sidesplitting version of Santa Claus.

"Oh! Oh! Oh!" he laughed then spotted a group of girls on the street, carrying shopping bags. "How you doing there ladies?" he flirted leaning by a door, which flung open wide and before he knew it, he was on the floor, being stared inside.

The girls couldn't stop laughing as they walked away. Kent, who was walking by, spotted Sain and approached him. The disguised womanizer quickly got up, closed the house door shut, and spread a smile at his friend, pretending that this episode did not happen.

"Well, Well, Well! If it isn't my good friend Kent! Oh! Oh! Oh!" He laughed.

"Sain, please stop."

"It's Saint-A-Claus to you." he corrected. "Get it? Saint-A-Claus? Ah! Ah! Ah! Don't I look like a saint to you?"

"If that attitude of yours could change for once, then I wouldn't have a problem calling you that."

The so-called Saint-A-Claus gasped in horror, "Well somebody is being a scrooge this season."

"He's not the only one." A voice called.

Coming on the cavalier's directions was the young sage Erk. Erk is always known to be grumpy and calm, especially when his so-called escorted cleric, Serra, became a nuisance to him. Erk, with no surprise, felt grumpy today.

"Aw, what's the matter Erky? Did someone have been naughty this year?" Sain teased the mage as if addressing to an infant. Erk's sudden fatal glare backed him up.

"You know Erk. I gotta be on 'Saint' side on that one." Kent says, "You have not been a kind mage for the last ten months."

"What do you mean I have not been kin—" A disturbing pause ensued as Erk had an unpleasant expression on his face. "Are you guys still in this immature discussion again?"

"At least go see her!" Kent requested, "She thinks you abandoned her."

"I have NOT abandoned Serra." He yelled, "I just want some extended time away from her."

"Which in Erk's language is: abandoning her escort," Saint-A-Claus mused, his shoulders around Erk, "Oh and by the way, you know what I recommend: give her a Christmas gift. She won't be gloomy no—"

Erk grunted in frustration and walked away. Kent stared at the goofy paladin.

"Was it something I said?" he shrugged.

-Castle Ostia-

The halls of Castle Ostia were filled of gleaming Christmas lights and decorations. The inhabitants of the castle were at the throne room, getting the decorations and the festive all set for the holidays. Eliwood, Hector, Roy, Wiz, and Mace were decorating the Christmas tree, Lilina, Lyn, Zoe and Sophia were doing the Christmas cooking, Young Guinivere was sitting by a roasting fireplace reading a third volume on the Legend of Elibe, and Young Lilina and Young Roy were just running around having fun.

As you can see, they are some fresh faces and unusual ones in Ostia. Let me explain them one by one. The young counterparts of Lilina, Roy and Guinivere, along with Zephiel's, which is not available, were all a summoning of the young sage Wiz. Wiz was at that time a novice mage who got a brilliant mind on producing an anti-aging porridge (which he calls it potion) that caused the summoning of those young nobles as a side effect. He quickly got a promotion as Sage of Lycia shortly after this event but his title was removed later on by an impostor and was not allowed back among the Lycian League. The kind Hector, out of pity, decided to dub him Sage Wizonault of Ostia. Wiz's sister is Zoe, a young cleric in which later on was promoted Bishop of Lycia after having to turn in a serious criminal to Bern's finest soldiers. Serra's jealousy and spite got her in a tough situation resulting an inferior promotion as just Bishop Zenon of Pherae. Mace is a manakete who resides in the afterlife. The million-year old manakete, who was slain during the Scouring, resides on Judgment's Road, the road that tells the destiny of one who recently ended his life journey on Earth behind three portals. One of those portals includes another life in Earth, but the two other portals, we already are familiar of them.

Along with these people, we are already aware of our fine heroes and figures of Elibe. Eliwood, Hector and Lyn are the former marquesses of their countries: Pherae, Ostia, and Caelin. Roy is the current Marquess Pherae and Lycian League General, while Lilina is presiding Ostia as her queen, the youngest queen in Elibe after Guinivere. Sophia is still the same immortal priestess of Arcadia. She came to Lycia to pay her respects to the people who helped her and her village.

Now that we are done with the description, back to the story. The party of twelve was rushing on their small Christmas chores and preparations. Their rushing seems as if they are expecting someone important. If only they knew earlier?

"How much time do we have?" Wiz desperately asked.

"Not much I guess." Roy answered.

"Hector? Why did you not say a word earlier?" Eliwood complained, trying to fight over the stream of decorations, "If we knew the king and his sister were to come here—"

"I'm sorry Eliwood." Hector says, "It just that it slipped my mind!"

A charcoal-filled Lilina rushed to the dining table smoke pouring out of her. She laid down on a table and real hard a succulent turkey oven-plate. She was out of breath. Lyn, Sophia, and Zoe all rushed to the table as well in that same situation carrying different dishes.

"Whoa! Talk about a foursome of coal-specialized cooks." Mace grinned.

All four girls shot a glare at Mace. The running kids stopped at their tracks looking at the girls.

"Looks like big me as a problem." Young Lilina says.

"Tell me about it. What's the rush? It's not Christmas Eve yet." Young Roy asked.

"Important guests are coming to Ostia for a visit." Lyn explained.

"It is a king and queen from a different continent." Lilina continued, "Word has it, their resemblances are striking. They are to arrive here very shortly." The young queen shot a glare at Hector, "If it weren't for Father, this wouldn't have happened."

"…So little…time…" Sophia was out of breath.

"Guys, like I said earlier I'm sorry." Hector says again, "They've send a message here announcing their visit here like a week ago and—" he paused then turned around, "Do you have any ideas how busy I was in the last few weeks, that entire thing just flew off my mind!"

"Well at least you should have told us earlier!" Lilina says.

"Well, somebody is to be blame for it." Zoe says her eyes locked on her brother.

"W—Wait! How's that my fault! I didn't receive the letter!" Wiz complained.

"Have you heard of Time magic?" Zoe roared.

"Guys! Calm down. We all shouldn't be arguing." Eliwood says, "The guests should be here"

"We're already here."

An unexpected casual voice came from outside the group. They all turned around and saw two identical twins of different gender: one a young man and one a young lady, with both light-green hairs. The lady was dress a little like a lone princess, but the young man was dress more like a mercenary than a royal. Each figures had a large red furred and velvet coat on. Along with the two twins was a young girl with purple hair the shape of two roses and was wearing a red kimono dress. Goldenrod wings spread out from her back and her height was between Fa and Lilina. Who were those figures? Were they the visitors from the other continent? What was weird was that no soldier made any announcement of that arrival.

Finally, a soldier ran to the setting, gasping for air "S…Sire, Your Highness! The king and queen of the Renais Kingdom in the continent of … Magvel!" the soldier fainted after that speech.

Later, the royal group gathered by the living room, talking and laughing. It has been a few minutes after their introductions to each other.

"Wow! You are indeed King Ephraim and Queen Eirika of the Renais Kingdom." Lilina admires them, not paying attention to her chip dipping into a carafe of fresh coldwater.

Ephraim grinned, one of his eyes smaller than the other, glaring at Lilina's doing: "Well, you can't say that again."

Sophia took the carafe of water away from Lilina and put it somewhere else.

"So what brings you guys here?" Hector asked.

"Well," Eirika started, "both my brother and I were planning on spending Christmas in another continent."

"We were thinking Hawaii, but it is like too tropical and far away." Ephraim continues, "And we were also thinking Alaska, but it's too cold and far away!"

Silence ensued. Ephraim cleared his throat in embarrassment then continues on.

"So we've heard of Elibe and we've heard of its business capital Lycia. And eventually, we came here and found Ostia to be the perfect place for our holiday."

OOHs and AHHs now ensued.

"I've heard that there is a queen in Ostia now?" Myrrh shyly asked facing Lilina, "Are you the queen?"

"Why—err—yes!"

"So, what are your plans for Christmas?"

"Gee," Lilina scratched her head, "I don't know really."

Lilina was a hoot for the holidays but as soon as Myrrh asked her that question, she was just sitting there, scratching her head, and looking around many figures staring. She had no plans for the holidays, and just before she was about to finalize her answer to Myrrh's question, something, perhaps a book, was about to change her mind and Ostia's Christmas.

"How interesting!" Young Guinivere, the young and charming princess came at the table, her book still open on her hands. She slammed it down and pointed on a quote. "Listen to this people! 'Long ago, at the age where man and dragons lived together in peace, Christmas was a divine moment for both races. Dragons and humans alike would give to each other great gifts like special stones, gold and other sort of wealth and rare goods from the Western Isles and Etruria. Every Christmas Eve, both races would spend quiet times seeking for the East Star to rise. To them, the star was a meaning of true peace among them.' That's what Christmas was about back then."

"And they also had Christmas treasure hunt back then" Young Roy pointed out, "Santa before he began his gift-delivery mission would hide inside the legendary caves of each country—"

"…Great gift and toys for us to hunt for." Lilina finished. She glowed a smile afterward and got up from her chair. "That's it."

"That's it what?" Roy asked.

"People!" Lilina faced the crew and winked, "I know my plans for Christmas."

NEXT CHAPTER …