Moments before meeting.

The twins felt their senses do a lot of things that cannot be easily described before their eyes snapped open and realized they were underwater again. It's like they were knocked out for a few moments. The spell was still active but not for long as a rush of water bubbles beneath them and forced them out and into the air. Thankfully, their long-time training came in handy as Isaac stabbed his sword into the wall. Irene dangled beneath him for a moment before throwing her up and landed on a ledge.

At first glance, everything was different. This is…

Irene answered, Serenity kicking in, This isn't our Water Capital. This is the old version. Did we travel back in time?

Isaac breathed out an answer, probably but I sense a group of people. Seconds later, "Hey uhm, sis? Am I going nuts or is that…"

"Nope, for once, I can see what you see and I'm so confused…I thought they were at Twilight and Hearthfire...especially her..."

Isaac, with assistance from Irene, got back up on the same ledge.

The boy in the front was one that neither twin has ever seen before. He bore a striking resemblance to the girl who they both knew, Ais Wallenstein. The group looked perplexed at their appearance until the boy shouted out, "Holy shit! It's Isaac and Irene Vlahos!"

The twins couldn't hide their shock.

"Okay, we need to talk, like now! You know a place that's private or are you urgently needed elsewhere?"

Bell, this version of him to the twins looked the same, acted the same, and talked the same. It just wasn't their Bell, just like how none of them were their versions. "Yes, there's a place close by."

"I'm not going to ask how you know our names and the fact that this feels like it's your first time meeting us but this is sending me on a set of emotions I'm not ready for…" Isaac said, his eyes drawn to Mikoto…

Irene glanced at everyone around the boy, seeing five familiar people and three unfamiliar. "I'm asking now, who are you? Five of you we both know…but you in the front, and you wearing the magic set…I don't." Irene left out the Dark Elf for a reason.

Isaac, that's…

I know.

The boy sheathed his sword, "My name is Axton Wallenstein."

Isaac's eyes bulged. "I had made a joke about that to Bell once, years ago…"

"I'm sorry but this is the first time we met," the white-haired boy said.

Tione spoke up, "Just where the hell did you come from?" Still the same impatient Amazon that they know. Tiona, her darling sister, was freaking out knowing that she's read stories about these two. Her mouth was moving too fast for any of them to catch a single word she said.

Jericho interjected, "Were you inspecting an anomaly?" The raccoon felt the energy from it lowered but it did not disappear entirely.

The twins' eyes lit up, "Yeah, Grandma was with us but then some outside interference pushed us through. That was before we fell down the entire Grand Waterfall. This version allows access from the top of the twenty-fifth down to here, actually." Isaac pointed lazily up. "By the way, what year is it? I'm trying to see something here." Mikoto answered, stating the same year that the twins knew it as. "Hmm okay, so it's the same year so we didn't time travel into the past…"

"But the anomaly…"

Lefiya perked up, "Interdimensional travel?"

""Lefiya, you're a genius!"" The twins shouted. ""That explains it all!""

Tione and Tiona looked at each other, ""Is that what we sound like?""

A chorus of yeses rose up, even from the Vlahos twins. They looked around and still remembered the old way but there was a lot that still needed to be said. Ais looked at them, "Are there any other differences?"

"Besides the existence of your brother, nothing overly major. It's mostly minor stuff," Isaac said with a wince. Axton may have glared at him.

Irene looked apologetically to Axton, "I do apologize but you don't exist in our…what can I call it…our dimension must run parallel to yours. Similar history but not everything is exact."

Mikoto spoke up, pausing the conversation, "We should head back, we've been gone too long."

The group winced knowing the samurai was right. "What about them?" Jericho asked. "We can't exactly leave them here. If Orario knows they're here, everyone's going to wonder how they managed to de-age themselves! Like you can't tell me that having two famous adventurers just popped out of nowhere! No one will believe that."

The twins looked at each other before hopping down from their ledge, hands off their weapons, cloaks now pinned open, "How old were we here? You make it sound like we're ancient history."

Axton deadpanned, "You kinda are."

"Well deserved," Isaac noted with a half-smile.

Irene looked pensive, "Not surprising."

Tiona couldn't contain it, "Is the story true about Dia?"

Bloodlust unlike any of the group ever experienced piled on them in a mere second. Even Ottar could not flip like this. It felt like the room just got smaller. Mikoto, Dino, and Jericho were frozen in fear. Tione and Tiona pulled back into a fighting stance but made no moves. Bell had his hands on his own weapons but did not draw them. Ais and Axton had their hands on their weapons, and the latter pulled Lefiya behind him. "Never mention her…ever."

"Please explain how long ago this happened." A demand, not a request.

Axton released a breath, staring at the two Titans. "Over eighty years ago if Loki's story was reliable."

"It's only been four years for us…"

Tiona began to belt out apologies for her insensitive questioning. It was an innocent question but sometimes the more innocent are the most deadly.

"Sorry, the wounds are fresh. The next one who mentions it gets a cut," and it was no idle threat.

"Expedition?" Isaac asked, letting out the tension in his shoulders. A nod. "Which floor are you going to?"

"Sixty-three is the plan."

Irene allowed herself to be smug, the tension bleeding out of her shoulders now, "We'll show you a shortcut once we get there. If you think you're getting rid of us that easily. You got another thing coming."

Axton smirked, "That a challenge?"

Isaac's eyes gained a glint that Irene recognized and sighed. "From one adventurer to another. Am I right?"

The two boys both held out a hand and shook. Aside from the fact that the muscles in their arms were flexing, it looked normal.

Ais stepped close to Irene, "Does he do this often?"

"No. Not many can match him. In fact, he matches our Ais a lot of the time," Irene said.

"What about you?"

Irene smiled, "I lead my own team of battlemages, all of whom can concurrently chant. It's similar to Riveria's Fairy Force." Lefiya perked up with that information.

Axton and Isaac separated, "Oh, I think we're going to get along just fine."

"We definitely will."

The sister siblings shared a look, ""Men…""

""Hey!"" Axton and Isaac said, sharing a laugh afterward.

The rest of the group watched. Dino, of course, made a comment, "This is getting out of hand, now there are two pairs of them!"

That broke the tension. "That means you're fucked," Isaac said, chuckling all the while. His guard still wasn't let down fully but it was…easy to get into the swing of conversation.

Mikoto stood next to Isaac, gaining his attention. "Yes?" He inquired as they continued to walk back up the Water Capital.

The samurai braced herself before just letting it out, "Why were you looking at me like that?"

Everyone went silent at that question, all wanting to know the answer as well.

Isaac set his face into a forced grin, "Because…" the grin faltered, "…it's hard looking at the face of my wife knowing that it may be her but it's not actually her."

"Your wife?!" Everyone turned to them, except Irene.

"Yes, my Mikoto is my wife of three years, and who is currently carrying twins," his face gained a fatherly expression.

"Bro how old are you?" Dino asked.

"Twenty-two."

"You're already having kids?!" Lefiya exclaimed.

Isaac made an 'ahh' face, "Right…I'm a quarter elf so I don't stick to many elven traditions. Kids at my age in human terms are the perfect time. And sorry but…Mikoto and I were not trying to stop it, we just let it happen." Mikoto just flushed brilliantly. Isaac looked embarrassed. "And I'm not going to cheat, so stop that damn glare, Irene! You're not in the position to talk."

"Shut up."

You're standing right next to him, you know? Her glare intensified as she slammed the connection shut.

"Someone's a little shy about her love life. The guy who managed to snag my sister had some big balls doing it with me unaware." For some reason, Dino felt attacked. "So, have you come up with a plan to meet the superiors?"

That got them all to pause.

Irene was already on it, a violet magic circle appeared under her feet and Isaac casually stepped inside it, moving away from the group. Irene's voice was like a hymn. "The monsters of the night, heed my call. I request passing into the Great Beyond. Let my enemies know true fear. Phobos, I call upon thee, cast us into the shadows!"

*Shadow Concealment!*

When the flash of light happened, everyone covered their eyes. When they opened them, the twins were gone. "What?" Bell asked. "Where did they go?"

"We never left," a disembodied voice said.

Lefiya immediately started to ask questions, "Is that a dark magic spell?" Yes. "When did you learn it?" For a War Game years ago. "Is it elven in nature?" Unknown. Lefiya seemed to be excited with all of it.

Royalty shared a look. "Welp, we should get moving."

Everyone shuffled along the Dungeon, feeling creeped out knowing footsteps were being heard but not seeing the person.

Up on the surface, two Goddess felt something with their Familia. Their internal counter just went up but they didn't bless a new person. They both would bring this up later.

Something just happened and right now, their curiosity was getting to them.

Talking with a ghost was funny.

"So you're the Sword Prince to her Princess and your second name when spotted is Sword Royalty?"

"Yep," the blond swordsman quipped.

Isaac then grinned, not that he could see it, "Better than what we got but that's semantics."

They were almost to the eighteenth floor, being on the twentieth. That was until the entire expedition group was coming.

"Well, this will be fun," Isaac said idly. "Tiona, please stop poking me."

The younger Hiryute pouted, "Must be cool going invisible to wipe out your enemies."

"If we didn't talk, would you have known we were here?" Irene asked.

Bell was the only one to answer, "Yes."

"Ahh that's right, you're mister sixth sense," Irene responded. "Jericho, was it?"

"Hmm? Yeah, I would have felt some sort of magical trace," the raccoon answered.

"Captain," Axton said.

He approached the group with a neutral expression, "Scouting done. We did hit a snag but nothing major. No injuries and no major underlying issues."

Little did Axton know, the twins were right on his heels, getting a closer look at everyone. They're the same, at first glance.

Are we sure this is the right move?

Isaac reassured his sister, Better to have someone than no one at all. I'm more worried about Grandma at this point.

"What have you found?"

Irene started chanting under her breath, barely audible to Isaac. Axton heard a tad bit better than him. He couldn't help but open his eyes a tad wider. "For the job is done, let us escape the Great Beyond!"

Isaac and Irene appeared before the whole expedition group, their hoods up. Finn, Gareth, Riveria, and Bete widened their eyes.

"Before we start, I wanna say that we're not the same as you think. After all, this cloak is recognizable by sight alone."

"An explanation will come later." The twins flicked off their hoods. Irene fixed her braid while Isaac fixed his hair. By that, the former actually did while the latter just ran his hand through it.

"Sup?"

Besides the group behind them, no one moved. The High Elf got shocked out of her stupor first, "Is that…?"

Royalty stepped forward, "Yeah…" Axton started.

"These are indeed who you are thinking of," Ais said. "It was definitely…unexpected."

Can we do the bit? We haven't done that bit in forever…Isaac said mentally, hiding his growing smirk.

A mental giggle, Let's. It takes me back…

"He's Isaac," Irene started.

He continued, "She's Irene."

""We're twins.""

"He's six minutes older."

"She's six minutes younger." They were pointing at each other. "Wow, haven't done that since we first met them."

"I think we just broke the strongest expedition force in this Orario's history," Irene chimed deliberately.

"Royalty, can you explain…how?" Riveria said.

"Jericho," Axton said, gesturing the raccoon forward.

The raccoon stepped forward, shifting his tail, "We found the anomaly, so did they. They came from the other side of said anomaly."

Finn had to pause, "Are you saying what I think you're saying?"

The elder Vlahos twin groaned, "Do I need to spell it out, Finn?"

Irene took over, "We are indeed carriers of the surname Vlahos. However," she raised a delicate finger, "we are not your Isaac and Irene Vlahos."

"To put it short, we're from a parallel universe. Now, how about you go on your expedition and we can talk on the way, sound good?"

Bete immediately, "No fucking way. Nuh-uh, dimensional travel isn't possible."

"Okay, how can I prove it, pup?" Irene said, knowing it would get on his nerves. Her staff now resided in her hand. Isaac put a hand on his sword. Their cloaks, the one they always carried and wore with absolute pride, were of the Dia Familia. "Ask me something about their time and we'll compare. Too bad we don't have a deity to prove that we're not lying…"

"How many spells did the Great Mage know?" That immediately came from Riveria.

"More than I know. I have over seventy spells inscribed within my status and I know Gran had easily over two hundred. I don't have a full history laid out before me. However, here's something that'll throw you for a loop, the Sword Prince here doesn't exist in our dimension. There are no traces of an Axton Wallenstein, only Ais Wallenstein."

Gareth hummed, "I believe ya lass."

"Just like that?" Isaac asked in shock. "I expected more pushback," he rubbed his neck awkwardly.

"You're too young to be ours. They were at least eighty or so, maybe ninety—much older than we are, cept knife ears over here."

"Watch it, brute."

"Hey, look, Mum and Uncle are fighting," Isaac said knowing full well that it'll get a reaction. It certainly did as Finn had to restrain a chortle at their expense.

The elves in the background sucked in a breath. Others just wondered how crazy they were. Riveria's brow twitched. "Yep, the tell matches."

Axton genuinely wondered if they were crazy, "Are you sure you want to continue down this path?" The twins turned to him with an identical look. He backed down.

Gareth was sputtering about being called 'Uncle' by someone whom he knew was older than him.

"Even if you hit me with your highest spell, I'll still be standing."

"Arrogant are we?" Finn asked, his tense stance letting up a smidge, unnoticeable as it was. The rest of the group was fidgeting. This was a loop no one ever expected.

"No, I tested it with Mum, and she was absolutely floored that my Endurance was so high," Isaac said.

Yeah, taking a full shot from Riveria's ice spell made him cold but he lived. He looked over to Axton, "Are you able to take everyone except your main executives away so we can chat?"

Ais tilted her head and nodded. Bell followed. Lefiya also went away, sharing a kiss with Axton. Bete stayed only because he wanted a chance to punch Irene for the 'pup' comment. One look from Isaac made him reconsider. The message was loud and clear, 'lay a finger on my sister, and I will put you in the ground.'

"You really came from an anomaly?"

Are we telling them about Gaia? Irene asked.

Isaac nodded, "Yeah, we did. We possibly have a way home but for now, we're marooned here." Your call. Honestly, it doesn't matter to me. Chances are, they don't know and it will probably shock them.

"We got pushed in by outside interference. Our mission was to investigate, nothing more." Irene said, putting her staff on her back, locking it into place. The weapon was pleased, its origins are still somewhat a mystery though. Isaac's weapons were yearning for use. "We'll help with your expedition, per your permission from all associated parties. We don't require anything in return...just...a chance to see if we can go home eventually."

"Plus, I have a baby momma to go home to, and this one," Isaac said, pointing to Irene, "Has a finacé to marry."

Of course, the predictable question came up, "Who's the mom?"

"Mikoto. Not your Mikoto. My Miko," Isaac said. He was worried on the inside. How would she take the news? Knowing that he wasn't there. He has to be there. There was a promise made.

"Who's the fiancé?"

Irene flushed again, "He's a part of your familia here but he's in the Anubis Familia back home…"

Riveria easily noticed the subtle glance in the direction of the other executives. Her eyes landed on two potential ones. She sent a raised eyebrow smile at the girl who blushed and looked away.

"So what was that spell?" Gareth inquired. "I've certainly never seen it." He chuckled once he realized the literal irony of his wording.

"A dark magic spell that I found in the library, and it was and is very helpful," Irene responded

"Your weapons are certainly unique," Finn noted. "They special?"

Isaac pulled his sword from its sheath, the runes lighting up faintly, "Family Heirloom. It feels just right in my hands."

With a few more questions, the conversation came to a close. Royalty came back, "Ready to go?"

"Of course," Finn said. Gareth was already going. The twins stood there, shifting in place. Riveria followed but her steps lacked the drive she would normally hold—still curious and a tad excited. Something that she hasn't been in years it feels like. Axton paused before turning around and grabbing them by the wrist.

"Come on, you offered, now show us the damn shortcut. Plus, I want to see how I stack up to you!"

The small smiles came to their face naturally. Inside, their hearts were hurting. "We'll find out…oh, and everybody better curb their damn expectations. We are not your version of us!"

It was a tall order since people have heard the feats of these two. They'll try but here's hoping.

Even though the twins were surrounded by familiar faces, they still felt lonely inside. The demons that still haunt them are invisible.

Days later, the expedition was successful. The shortcut was shown to the Familias and the twins were pleased to see it had not changed. When they fought in the vanguard, the twins often entered a battle trance. Their skills often worked best when fighting directly together. They completely demolished monsters that the Expedition team had never seen before.

All without communicating…verbally. It was mostly just shouts in their minds as they scorched their way through the tundras with ease. The sixty-fourth floor was almost a maze of sorts.

The walls reached the ceiling of the floor and there were many ways to get lost or even die. With the twins as their guide, it became…not trivial…but manageable to make it through. Royalty, more often than not, were right there next to them, fighting, learning, and adapting. All around, it was an enjoyable time.

That was then.

In the here and now, however…

Their muscles were brimming with anticipation, as shown by the fact the twins were slightly more aware. Lefiya was nearby, wanting to know a few non-essential things. Irene noticed Isaac keeping his distance from Mikoto and for good reason.

The fiftieth floor was a rest area and it was perfect. Axton waited for a bit before going to ask. "Hey, you wanna fight?"

Isaac snapped out of his thinking state, "Sorry, say that again?"

Axton opened his mouth to speak but once he saw that look, he closed it, "Raincheck then, you don't seem in the right state right now...it's about being here isn't it?"

Irene gave a stiff smile, "Yes. It's nice to be with people I know but we don't know them as you do. Not to mention how everyone is talking about us like we can't hear them is another thing entirely."

The Sword Prince groaned, leaning into Lefiya, who allowed it and carried on tending to her staff. "They never learn. Why can't I just beat them all up?"

"One, the Captain would never allow it. Two, you'd just give them a new reason to gossip, and three, did you forget that the women outnumber the men?"

"Every woman here is a badass but none so much as you," Axton said.

Isaac slipped away and found a tree to climb up in and relax. He wasn't surprised when Irene followed. "Figured you'd do this. You're sulking again."

"Yupppp."

"You know I miss them too, right?"

He nodded, still not establishing eye contact. "I just hope we could have eased Grandma's worries. She looked ready to follow us over that cliff."

The younger Vlahos flinched, having remembered that particular part. "Yeah…"

Isaac said, "Just seeing her makes me feel like we've met for the first time all over again…this time it wasn't a Pass Parade."

His younger sister scoffed, Please, you looked ready to catch her there and then if it wasn't for said monsters…"

"Fuck…it hurts…" he groaned.

Irene climbed up the tree and sat beside him, leaning her head on his shoulder, "Trust me, seeing my fiancé is another kind of pain…"

The two sat in contentment for a good while it seems. However, all peaceful moments have their endings.

"Am I interrupting?" a motherly voice asked.

The twins turned towards the source and saw Riveria. She looked oddly...uncomfortable. "Can we help you?"

Riveria normally knew what to ask. To her, the Vlahos family—these two especially—were some of her role models. To see them in the flesh is another thing. Technicalities aside, she was curious. "Well, I wanted to know about the other me…"

A small light entered their eyes, "Okay."

So, they spent the next twenty minutes explaining what they could. The twins argued over some details but she understood it. Riveria was the Godmother to these too, they called her Mom and she accepted it! Only from them. She was a student under the Great Mage. All the information had her thinking. The twins chose to enjoy the silence.

At least until everything seemed to have frozen around them. "Are you two alright?" an airy voice entered their minds. They turned to see if Riveria noticed their reaction but found she wasn't moving. In fact, even the wind stopped.

Isaac could even see a leaf frozen in mid-air. Irene reached for her brother and he met her halfway. "Y-Yes?"

"Ah good, I feared that I wouldn't make it through."

"Please don't tell me that the anomaly closed," Irene projected her fear.

The voice did not respond for a moment, "No, but it will eventually close, not for a while. The entry point should be the same but how to open it is another story. Rest assured, I will keep looking. Do you have questions? I have a moment to answer a few."

"Is time flowing at the same rate between our dimension and this one?" Isaac asked. There was something he had to know.

His inner thoughts were intercepted, "Fear not, Isaac Vlahos, for your wife is progressing nicely. However, she is beginning to stress. Her lovely friend is there comforting her. They are healthy and they will be beautiful children."

"Lady Gaia...why did you send us here?" What was the point? Irene thought it was because of entertainment purposes.

"You mortals and your titles...Originally, yes it was. But I wanted to see something and I'm working on something in the background. Fret not, Irene Vlahos," Gaia replied in their minds. "You will return home once I can find a reliable method. My champions need to stick around."

Isaac had two more questions, "Is Grandma alright? Are we able to see you?"

Gaia admittedly felt happy that they wanted to see her, even if they couldn't see her face. "Sofia Vlahos is fine but she returns to the base of the Grand Waterfall every day at the same time. When you return, spend time with her. As for seeing me, I'm unable to cross as you have. If you see me, it might be that dimension's iteration. The only way I'm speaking to you is your marks. Look into one another's eyes."

Confused, the twins did so, and it was then that they noticed one of their irises was in the shape of a globe; Isaac's left eye, and Irene's right eye. "No one else can see this, right?"

"Only when speaking to me, most likely. Now, I must go before something is noticed. Be safe, my champions…" then Lady Gaia cut the connection and time began again.

The twins sat back, watching time flow again. That was an out-of-body experience. Isaac felt a little better than before but he was still bittersweet. Irene took the knowledge in stride.

"Thank you for telling me," Riveria said, making the twin's attention shift to her. "We'll be leaving in an hour."

"Appreciate it," Isaac answered.

As Riveria left, Royalty showed up. "How ya feelin'?

"Been worse, reminds me of my first time being thrown to the thirty-seventh, except for the sense of dread," Isaac said.

Ais casually walked over and sat down at the base of the tree, "What am I like?"

Irene smirked, having expected this. She hopped out of the tree and sat across from her, "At first, you were closed off. Only wanting strength, until a certain rabbit broke the house."

"Sounds like her," Axton commented.

Let's see how they react, "It does, doesn't it, Ais and Axton Waldstein?" Isaac said from his perch. He took no satisfaction watching their eyes bulge. Irene rolled her eyes at her brother's antics.

"The reason we know is that the names are far too similar and the appearance of a certain spirit matches you, Ais. That and our Ais herself told us. No, we don't plan on telling anyone," Irene assured them. "…not to mention that your father was the Sword Champion, or Hero, so there is that."

"Plus, Royalty sounds pretty badass. How often have you been mistaken as a couple?" Judging by the grimaces they now sported, it meant it was a lot.

"You too, huh?" Axton asked as Isaac descended and leaned against the tree trunk.

""At least once a month…"" "People are weird." "They have nothing better to do."

Axton and Ais both relaxed at that, ""It's not just us!""

The quartet laughed at that. "So, because I just want to know, who confessed to who?"

Ais flushed a little, "It was after the battle at Knossos. I noticed Bell doing what he does best, and when he finally was lucid enough…I told him that I felt…something more."

"Don't think I noticed you washing your sheets more often," Axton pointed out, "those excuses were flimsy at best and thankfully I saw it and not Loki. She would have demanded to know." This prompted a squeak from Ais, and for her to hit him multiple times. He took the hits in stride, playfully batting her away. The twins smiled, shaking their heads. They act so naturally together.

It's heartwarming.

"Anyway," Ais huffed, cheeks still red, "I told him that I liked seeing him, liked being in his presence, and more. Then he smiled, you know the one…" the twins actually did, seeing often enough on their Bell. "It was the first time he's held me with such care and I never noticed…"

"Good thing you did, because I was about this close to telling you to open up your eyes," Axton deadpanned, his thumb and forefinger barely apart.

"Which one of you is older?" Irene inquired.

"She is, by exactly nine months, like to the exact second."

"Rare occurrence!" Isaac said, gaining looks from the trio. "Never mind, you wouldn't get it."

Axton went next, "This was also after the battle. But I have something that heightens my ability to fight if I wish to protect someone I care for. As a detriment, any injuries I take are increased. So I came out of the fight with…"

"Revis, right?" Isaac asked.

"Ah, that bitch," Irene grumbled.

"You know her?" Ais asked, her visage hardened.

Isaac scoffed, "That bitch tried to assassinate our Ais on an expedition and we swooped in and stopped it. We drove her off and left before anyone noticed."

Axton wanted to know more, "Stealth mission?"

Irene snickered, "Yeah and we took it too seriously…"

"Back to your story, Prince," Isaac ushered the boy along.

He clicked his tongue, then snapped his fingers, "Ah…where was I? Oh right! I was bloodied to all hell, I was even leaving a blood trail. When I saw Lefiya though, the first thing I wanted to do was comfort her, as she has for me before. When she noticed me, she freaked the hell out. She tried to tell me not to talk but I had to get it out before I couldn't. I told her that I had fallen for her and I asked to court her in elvish too…"

"…after she confessed first," Ais added.

Irene put a hand over her heart. It was romantic…for an adventurer at least. Non-adventurers wouldn't understand. The chances of death often drive the hidden feelings forward and they usually work out in the end.

"Okay, I would have paid to see that." Isaac said as he took over, "Okay, so when I met Mikoto for the first time, it was during a Pass parade when we were level three and two respectively. She caught my interest immediately, just by appearance but also because I felt like I knew her somehow. Our first time meeting was when we were facing certain death-"

"-exaggerating it, by the way," Irene cut in.

"Yeah yeah whatever, the point is, after my stint on the thirty-seventh...I got closer to her. Something sparked that night. Went on a whole adventure with her. Finally was able to kiss her without interruption after the War Game. Then…after…losing her…" Irene patted his shoulder in comfort, knowing that glossing over it hurt. "…it was a strenuous time. However," his smile was clearly forced but the trio didn't interrupt, "After the Xenos incident, we finally gave ourselves to each other…" he flushed. "It was a long time before I even proposed. Even though she was my wife by elven culture...I wanted to make it special."

Axton and Ais smiled at him, even as the former patted him on the back. Ais turned to Irene, "So, this finacé...it's the Dino in your world, right?"

The resulting squawk that Irene let out was nothing short of hilarious. Her complaints and sputterings were drowned out by three laughing adventurers. "What? We met in a café after he helped me pick up my books. I was in the middle of research and required more material!" She couldn't deny that she was skeptical at first upon meeting him. It's a situation she's not unfamiliar with. "He was endearing…and I found myself smiling."

"You did have a look in your eyes when you came home. Even your thoughts were all over the place. Not a single damn one was coherent."

"To be fair, I was looking forward to meeting him again," Irene said with a longing expression. "You scared him because you thought he was trying something!"

"No no no, listen to me, I kindly told him that if he tried anything you didn't like or agreed with, that I would be the first thing he had to worry about."

"Ahh, overprotectiveness never fails to get the job done," Axton laughed, his expression much freer than before.

Ais pouted, "You tried to scare away my Bell…"

The boy refuted immediately, "No, no, I was actively encouraging him to ask you out. You didn't even know you were in love with the guy until I almost literally spelled it out in front of you," he said, stating it with confidence.

"Mou…you said that you wouldn't bring that up," she flushed really red. Isaac idly noted that her ears turned red.

Irene put it together, "You…he…he literally spelled it in front of you?! What?! Okay, Ais, I love you very much, but we need to instill in you some things that I've learned over the past four years in about three months." The quarter elf grabbed Ais's hands and brought them up. "Okay? That boy loves you and if given the chance, he'd do anything to make sure you're happy, loved, and cared for." Isaac nodded in agreement.

Their conversation continued into the night. The four enjoyed talking. Royalty felt as if they had met the Vlahos twins of their time, they could've had more conversations just like this.

*Shadow Concealment!*

Irene cast her spell to hide her and her brother but held off the effect. Since her Mage development ability was at rank A, she could hold the spell comfortably for about eight hours, ten would be pushing it. Even with Spirit Healing and Enhanced Spirit Healing, the drain would eventually win out.

The expedition was bristling with the knowledge that two legendary adventurers—of this time—were here. Officially, there was a gag order. If anyone leaked that they were here and from another dimension, the twins had permission to silence them…

It's cruel but if this knowledge came out, people would talk and that would lead to some disastrous consequences. The twins were sure that Gaia of their world and this one would not like that. To them, it felt as if Gaia was like the Goddess of the Multiverse or something. So…she'd probably know either way.

On the way up, both pairs of siblings stuck by one another, coupled with Royalty's significant others, they looked like a badass team. Two solid mages, three masterful swordsmen, and Bell. Bell was more of an all-around front liner.

The whole group saw as the six worked well together and from the reactions of the people, they loved it. Isaac saw the synchronicity of the Wallenstein siblings and found his own pockets to enter in. Coupled with his own sister's battlemage fighting style, they also had their own set of tricks. The monsters stood no chance.

Mikoto observed the way they fought and she saw some of her own moves in them or at least the base of the move sets. Once the fighting stopped, she approached. Isaac heard her approach, having recognized her footfalls from all the years he spent around her…

…it's not creepy…people have tried to sneak up on Isaac, only for it to fail…so he trained his ears…

Unfortunately, that meant the instinct of smiling wide was natural and Mikoto found herself blinded by it. Almost immediately, he realized his mistake and looked away swiftly. "Sorry…I…"

"I understand…I…she must mean a great deal to you, Sir Isaac," Mikoto said professionally.

He sighed, "She does. She taught me some of those moves, for our second anniversary. It just gave me an excuse…" he trailed off. "Apologies, it's a bit awkward to talk about the very woman I'm talking to…who she has never met…" it's really confusing.

The samurai nodded along, understanding his point. "Would you be able to teach me these?"

It would be fitting, "I'd love to, if for the fact that I still haven't perfected the moves. That was about 85% of the move."

"But it looked so elegant!" She protested. The flawless movement of the sword, the positioning, the angle, and the way he settled into the stance just before the move. It already looked perfect in her eyes.

"Exactly what I said when I did it. I've been practicing on and off. My priorities shifted."

The conservation stopped as the concealment took effect on them. Isaac quickly chanted under his breath, "For the plane on which we tread, find me the silence."

*Shadow Steps.*

"What?" The samurai said. Haruhime, a lovely Renard, echoed that sentiment. Jericho completely lost them.

To everyone's shock, their presence disappeared and their footfalls were silent. The only reason they knew that they were still there was the occasional touches on the shoulder from seeming nothing. That and their voices.

This spell was a part of the Silver Key, allowing Isaac to get alternative spells from pre-existing spells. The best part was the fact that for every spell that Irene learns, Isaac finds new alternatives. However, the way it works is that he can cast a spell and it stays for a certain time, then gradually fades from his status, and then he can use a new spell.

Shadow Steps was an alternative—derivative—of Shadow Concealment. Combine the two and we get this result. Royalty wondered what the height of their power was because it seemed limitless. With so many combinations as they have, the two were confident enough to put up a fight but they would ultimately lose.

Axton pondered a few things as they reached the stairwell in Babel. Lefiya stood at his side, her hand in his. The Sword Prince wondered if this was what Loki meant two years ago. He'd have to find a way to ask. He had permission to ask as they revealed that Isaac was a part of the Hestia Familia and Irene a part of his own Familia, the Loki Familia.

He put it together that they had made the split because circumstances lined up. The twins were close, closer than anyone can ever be for platonic love.

Dino and Jericho often asked what the four talked about earlier in the Dungeon but per their request, it was a secret. The Vlahos twins like the Wallenstein siblings and vice versa.

Dino was informed by Irene herself that he was her fiancé in her world though. Dino could see why, the quirk of her lips when she smiled, how her outfit showed off a little of her mature figure but left a majority to the imagination. Yes, Dino could see why he courted her. She had said, "Unfortunately, I'm not going to cheat on my fiancé with his doppelganger." A simple shutdown and Dino took it well, expressing his cooperation.

That still didn't make it easy to accept it. Saying and doing are two very different things.

Now…Orario.

The Dungeon City never changed but it was ever-changing. The twins took note of how everything felt the same. They slipped away and headed for the one place where they couldn't be disturbed…

Dia's Complex. Only Royalty knew where they were headed. The level of trust built between them in such a short time was legendary. Some could say it was foolish but people seem to misunderstand what an adventurer is. Adventuring isn't a job or a hobby.

Adventuring is a lifestyle.

A lifestyle that one must commit to without any regrets. Sure, retirement is an option but more often than not, they become non-combatant members. They don't leave the Familia.

Having a Falna is a rare opportunity. Only about thirty percent or so of Orario's population are adventurers. Others are citizens, average everyday people.

Getting back on track, the twins stood in front of the Complex gate. The key to said gate is in their hands. They agreed to open it at the same time.

They honestly didn't expect the key to work. So when it did, a new feeling filled them. Nervousness. Anxiety. Trepidation. They both walked to the door and they pushed it open at the same time.

No one was around. No one saw the door open by itself and no one saw anything. The room looked the exact same to them. The same couch, the same paintings, the same walls, the same everything.

"I wonder how it went down for us…them…back then. It honestly creeps me out that we're standing in our parallel house…"

"Yeah…I feel that."

They explored the whole place, leaving a door at the end of the hall closed. Neither one wanted to enter. It was Dia's office.

They heard someone at the door and the twins tensed. At least until Axton's voice came through, "Please be patient, Loki. Lady Hestia. I will explain everything once we get inside."

The twins appeared once more, both deactivating their respective spells. They approached the door, making their footsteps audible for the Goddesses outside the door. Let's do this.

I'm with you.

It's like their catchphrase.

Isaac and Irene opened the door and saw Royalty escorting two very familiar Goddesses. "Sup?"

Loki's eyes widened to their largest point. Hestia's twin tails reached into the air, stunned.

"I can see how this is a shock but there's a lot to unpack here…" Irene said.

"Think we broke them?" Isaac waves a hand in front of their faces.

"But you…but I…and she…this…what?!"

"Yeah…turns out someone wanted to have some fun and send us to a parallel world… that sounds fun, right?" Isaac said, watching the Goddesses finding no lies.

Loki deflated a little, "So you're not them."

Irene supplied a meek answer, "We are but not yours…"

Hestia shook herself out of her shock, "Then why did my internal counter go up?"

"I am part of your Familia you know? The blessing that was once Dia's is yours," Isaac started.

"Just like how Loki's blessing resides on my back…"

""Can we look?""

The twins grimaced, glancing at Royalty, hoping they got the message. They may be their children…but not this version's children. Axton cleared his throat, "I think I need to say that their status is off-limits, even if you are the respective deity." The looks on their faces were one of disappointment.

"Understand that while we are marooned here, we won't need a status update. However, we have something to discuss with the Goddesses."

Axton waved off the subtle dismissal, "I get it. Our job was to get them here unnoticed. Come on, Ais. Let's spend time with our respective in-laws, hope they aren't fighting again."

Once they were out of sight, the twins' expressions turned serious. All they said was one word.

""Gaia."" The Goddesses paled, matching Hestia's attire. This was probably the one thing that they never wanted to hear in their immortal lives.

The twins explained most things to the two, leaving out anything about their world. "From what Finn said, you two work extremely well together," she looked to Irene, "Mystic Brigade? I like it, it suits you somehow."

"You agreed to the name," she replied instantly.

"Don't you want to go home?" Hestia asked. Her caring nature was shining through. What she saw was a family separated in the worst way possible. It was one thing to be separated from them in their own dimension, but to look at the family in a different dimension must hurt worse.

"Course we do, Gran is probably driving herself crazy looking for us. I have a pregnant wife back home and she had a wedding to prepare for," Isaac said, summing up their love lives in a simple manner.

Irene rolled her eyes at her brother but he was right. Loki was still reeling from looking at two people who she knew weren't in Orario. When Ais had pulled her aside, saying she had something to show her, the Trickster was intrigued.

Imagine her shock when Axton was with Hestia, spinning the same tale. Neither had detected lies from them. Once they were brought to the Complex, Loki felt sick to her stomach, but she also felt someone of her Familia in there. Hestia was the same.

The four talked for a bit longer before they silently escorted them home under their spells, silently keeping vigil.

The last person they needed to worry about was the one atop Babel.

Sofia couldn't be in any more disarray. It's been almost a month since the twins, her grandchildren have disappeared through some wormhole and they haven't come back. The messenger that showed up assured her that they were safe but she was still worried.

The Mage admits that her relationship with them is rocky at some points and smooth at others. Mikoto and Dino were wondering where they were. She told them that their mission may take them a bit longer.

A small white lie that even Sofia doesn't know if they believed her but Mikoto doesn't need the stress, with what her body is going through. Stress while pregnant is a bad thing, for the mother, and the babies. Something that Sofia suffered with once upon a time.

Only when she got there today, she felt it again. Sofia took calculated steps towards her destination.

"Sofia Vlahos, on time as always. You always visit when the sun sets and return home when the sun rises," a voice said, atop the beast, stroking a part of what looked to be a mane.

The Great Mage stared straight at this person and she could barely make out her face. The onset headache occurred but only a small grimace gave away to the pain. "Lady Gaia…"

"No need for hostility. I want them to return as well but it seems this anomaly is indeed two-way. I have been in contact with your grandchildren, and they asked how you were doing," Gaia said. "My champions will return home. I've marked them so that if something abnormal occurs, then I can safely return them here."

Champions? Does that mean…

"Yes, it does. These two are the souls I have been searching for." Sofia's forest eyes widened to their largest size in years.

"W-What does that mean? You can't just say that and give no context! Lady Gaia, what are you planning with my Grandchildren?" Sofia was barely controlling her temper, something the beast noticed and stirred.

Gaia gracefully dismounted from the beast, this deformity, and approached the Mage. Feeling a God's presence in the Dungeon like this was something that she was always told by her mentors was a bad thing. 'If you sense a God in the Dungeon, prepare for the worst. The Dungeon will do what it was designed for. To kill divine trespassers.'

"Sofia Vlahos, so-called Hecate's mortal reincarnation, listen to me. The two names Isaac Vlahos and Irene Vlahos are going to be names that time will remember. They will rise, just like Argonaut is. That boy has always been such a pleasant one," Gaia whispered. "I've known the souls they have within them. During the Age of Heroes, their very souls rose up on three separate occasions, once at the beginning with Argonaut, Fina, Crozzo, and the rest. The second being somewhere in the middle, saving anyone anywhere. Spirits attached themselves to the pair, some male and female spirits even offering to attempt to bear their children. The third was when Albert Waldstein was alive. At the time, they had helped him fight the Black Dragon, dying in the process."

"Zeus knew then?" The perverted God was always hiding something, whether that be a secret or he got away with peeking at an unsuspecting woman.

Gaia nodded, taking a step back. "He knew they would return, and along with Argonaut's return, the New Age of Heroes will begin soon. Your grandchildren are the ones who house souls I once remembered fondly. They were always with me at any moment they could, my champions, I nicknamed them…"

Sofia noticed the tone and probably the look in her eyes, "Does that make you my mother?"

To her surprise, Gaia airly laughed, "If that is what you wish but do not call me Great-Grandmother."

The Great Mage sighed, "Will you inform me of their return? I…"

A nod, "I will. Your relationship with them is important. Now I must depart before someone else sees me. I'd have to kill them if that was the case." Gaia and her deformity then vanished from sight just as another group of adventurers rounded the corner. Sofia paid them no mind, instead, she listened to the sounds of the Great Waterfall and meditated. Monsters wouldn't be stupid to attack her.

...

This only has four chapters. So, tomorrow and Thursday will another chapter be uploaded and then a Delicate Balance Chapter will be uploaded.

As for Tales of Royalty, that is on my list of things to do but I have not started it.

Hope you enjoyed.