I followed the little ball of light through the endless darkness that surrounded the world. The ground beneath me squelched, fluid soaking through my shoes, but I kept going. To stop would mean going back and going back was not an option. Not for me. Not anymore.

The light was a curious thing; golden rays shining so brightly, so magnificently, that I was drawn as a moth to flame. It was the only thing that made me feel something. It was the only thing that made me want to be something more.

There was one problem: I was not going fast enough.

I felt a knife in my hand, and I began cutting at the claustrophobic armor that seemingly covered every part of me. First, around my stomach. The heavy pieces of scrap metal fell to the wet ground. Next, went the shoulders. They were a bit more difficult, but I managed. The last part was the helmet that covered nearly the entirety of my head. That one was easy. I threw it into the all-encompassing black.

I was moving faster. Without the armor weighing me down, I could finally make it.

I pushed forward, my hand reaching out slowly, carefully. I was just about to finally have it.

Everything went wrong. The golden light changed in an instant to a dark blood red. It grew in intensity until I could see the surrounding landscape.

The ground was completely red with blood. Corpses lined the path I had been walking. Some had been impaled on pikes and left to rot, while others were mutilated beyond any hope of recognition. Their faces were all gone.

I shrunk back away from the harsh red light, heart thundering in my chest so hard I felt like it would burst open. The red light split into six, outlined by darkness, before they all seemed to focus on me.

They rose, and I was suddenly made aware of the giant body within the shadows. Wings the size of countries, a head the size of cities, eyes the size of a house, a shrouded carapace for a face that harbored something that looked all too human. It swam through the darkness like a serpent, twisting and bending in impossible directions.

It let loose an earth-shattering roar. So loud it made the ground itself shake. It was the sound of death itself. It was the sound of madness.

Six eyes looked down on me, a mouth full of sharp teeth ready to swallow me whole…

I woke up gasping, drenched in my own sweat. It was the first dream I'd had since the night after I arrived just outside of Southtown. Sunlight streamed through the covering of the cart, making me wince before I sat up, holding my head. The dream was already fading, but I could still remember six red eyes staring at me. It didn't take a genius to know who that was.

I hope it was just a dream, and not the big guy himself paying me a visit in my head.

I shook those thoughts away as I got ready. I'd been laying on a cot in one of the carts, getting what sleep I could before we either arrived in Bellator or I was rotated back out. Considering the cart wasn't moving, as well as the talking and footsteps I heard outside, the former was the more likely option. Strapping a few token pieces of armor on, I pulled open the covering on the cart, and leaped off the edge.

We were just outside Bellator.

The walls were tall, the battlements filled to bursting with troops. If I didn't know any better, I would have thought we were captured by bandits. Well, that and the fact that the other Shepherds were out and about with zero sense of hostility. The guards looked exactly how a barbarian would look, with furs covering a good portion of their bodies. The walls themselves also seemed rustic and old, with small cracks here and there.

Also, it wasn't snowing, and the grass moved with the cool wind. In fact, it felt quite pleasant outside. The sky was a clear blue, with not a cloud in it.

I spotted Robin nearby, writing something or other in a book. Me being the awkward bastard I was around a lot of people, even if I knew most of them, I zeroed in on the person I'd talked with the most.

Luckily for my awkward ass, he did most of the work by seeing me approach and greeting me first, "Ah, good afternoon Alex. I take it you had a nice nap?"

"Well, I guess it was alri- Wait, afternoon? How long was I asleep?"

Robin thought for a moment. "Hmm. We went down the mountain pass at around mid-day yesterday, so… I would say you have been asleep for around fourteen hours, give or take."

"Oh God, Frederick is gonna kill me," I mumbled.

"Luckily for you, he's inside with Chrom and Raimi, busy convincing the guard that yes, we are indeed the Shepherds."

I grunted. "Sounds like you're getting a bit fed-up with all the suspicion."

"I cannot exactly fault them for being suspicious. From what I have heard, Ferox has been dealing with constant attacks from Plegians disguised as Ylisseans for a long while now. Still, I suppose it is mildly irritating. Everything would have gone so much faster and we would not have had to spend so many nights in the cold."

"You complain about the cold but you're always wearing a coat," I pointed out, gesturing to said coat. "Wouldn't that help with that?"

"You would think so, would you not? Logic dictates that it would. And yet, it does not," Robin groaned, pulling his coat closer. "I am just glad we are out of those highlands. Bellator is geologically lower than a good portion of the surrounding area, meaning we have pleasant weather again."

I chuckled, before looking up at the looming battlements of Bellator. "So, we're here."

"Indeed. An impressive place, is it not?"

"Robin, I've seen so many impressive walls in the past few weeks that I'm not even surprised looking at this one."

"I suppose that is true, heh," Robin laughed, "Still, though. All that I have read about Regna Ferox, its history, its people, makes it more fascinating to me." He looked at me. "For instance, did you know they've developed a crop completely resistant to the cold? It can grow in even the most frigid of environments, though it dies once it reaches a certain level of heat."

"No, Robin, I didn't know that. Probably because I can't read."

And until I find someone willing to teach me, I'm a little fucked in that regard.

"Ah, yes. I sometimes forget that," Robin conceded sheepishly, "Although I have to say, when I mean impressive regarding Bellator, I mean impressive considering there was nothing here only around three-hundred years ago. The first eastern khan pulled together several barbarian tribes and conquered this entire region, and just built a city on top of where his village stood! It's so different from the other two nations on this continent."

"You would know more about that than me," I said, leaning against the closest cart."What about the western khan then?"

One thing people needed to know about Robin: he was a nerd. For that, I could not be more grateful. It always made our conversations interesting. Well, in my opinion, at least.

"Well, this entire country used to be just a lawless territory," He explained, scribbling something or other in his notebook, "with barbarians and warlords constantly warring with each other for whatever resources they could find. When they inevitably turned their sights on Ylisse and Plegia, the response was immediate. Auraegis was built, and Exalt Adrian commenced the construction of the Longfort. Of course, Ferox captured it once they became united. The western khan was actually the top warlord of that region and challenged the eastern khan to a fight for dominion of the entire territory. The texts I read were difficult after that, but supposedly a tradition was started around it."

I blinked. "Jesus, how much have you read about this place?"

"A lot," Robin replied nonchalantly, "I would like to know the people Ylisse will be allying with, and how I should personally act around them," Robin paused, shrugging. "Also because I find it interesting."

"Really? I didn't think of that," I replied, sarcastically, "Next you'll be telling me you're a tactician. And that can't possibly be true, can it?"

"No. Actually, I'm the crown prince of Grannvale. But that is a secret, so don't tell anyone," Robin whispered.

"Don't worry, my liege," I said reverently, bowing. "I would never think to betray your trust like that."

Robin and I tried to keep straight faces, but eventually couldn't help but burst into laughter. It'd been too long since I'd had a conversation like that. It was sorely needed, especially in those times.

We were let into Bellator not long after that, the guard of the city sufficiently placated. The city was different from every other place I'd been to. Auraegis and Ylisstol had their share of messiness, sure, but most of the time they were clean-ish. It was not a stretch to say that Bellator was completely different; unlike Ylisstol and Auraegis, Bellator's architecture was dominated by wood, with most of the buildings made of timber. Only the most important buildings were made of sturdier stuff. There was little rhyme or reason involved with the construction of any of the buildings, but all of them hugged the ground with a second floor being a rarity.

It looked more like a large village than the cities I'd seen so far.

The people we passed by seemed a little uninhibited, was the word I would use, but that didn't do them justice. It would have probably pissed them off, actually. We saw a good few fist fights on our way through the streets to the castle. Many of them stopped to look at the strange Ylisseans they'd heard so much about. It made me feel a little uncomfortable, but then again, I was nervous in crowds just in general, so that wasn't saying much.

The 'castle' at the center of Bellator was about what I'd expected. We crested a sharp incline and got a good look at it from afar.

It was big, there was no doubt about that, but it didn't have that typical castle vibe, if that made any sense. It looked more like a fort than a castle, with a few spires, and many layers of walls, each one seemingly older than the last. It looked like the castle of a final boss in a video game, if I had to make a comparison.

We were going to have a fun time. I could tell.

We were led inside, with the watchful eye of the barbarian guard along the walls. Our carts were stored, and horses properly taken care of, as well as the one Pegasus we had with us.

I still got a bit weirded out looking at that flappy horse.

The castle had a lot of rooms. Enough to hold the entirety of the Shepherds, apparently. I was led to a small room. Spartan, but not uncomfortable. It reminded me of my room back at the barracks. Just over an hour passed before I heard the news.

It was official; Chrom and a few others would be fighting in the Arena on behalf of the eastern khan, Flavia, so that she would be the reigning khan for about three years. In exchange, Ylisse would get its alliance. It was to happen later that day, in the evening. Thankfully, the western khan was not far away. It still meant I had a great deal of free time.

I spent it wandering the city so I wouldn't be left in a room alone for several hours.

Bellator was a little different compared to my first impressions. I got to see a little bit of the city, sure, but not enough to really come to a conclusion on what it was. The first time around, I was with the convoy, going in a straight line towards the Castle. That time, I went wherever I chose, and I chose to walk the less crowded streets. The ones off the main path.

Bellator was a bit more ramshackle the farther away I got from the main roads. Buildings became a more mishmash of styles, and the roads were cluttered with junk in a few places.

It was a bit more than I'd been used to.

The people themselves were almost as varied as the buildings. Just like on the way in, I saw several people start decking each other in the face from across a dirt road, and one argument got so heated that swords were drawn. Yet, as far as I could see, once any one fight was over, the two (or more) involved would act all buddy-buddy again, as if nothing had happened between them at all.

As if it hadn't been said enough, Ferox was very different from everywhere else I'd been. I wondered what Plegia was like.

In my aimless wanderings, making careful note of where I was going so I didn't get lost in the endless maze that was Bellator, I found one thing that really did surprise me: a bookstore. I couldn't read the shingle, but it did have windows, so it was easy to tell with the bookshelves I saw.

Being the curious little bastard I was, I went in.

It felt like I'd walked into a different dimension. Not like last time, though, considering the world behind me didn't suddenly change into a forest again. Unlike most of Bellator, the bookstore was ordered, clean, and decently quiet when compared to the outside world. As expected, the place was lined with filled bookshelves, and a counter. There was a person at the counter, but he looked incredibly hung over, with several opaque brown bottles surrounding him. There was one other person there, though. She was looking intently at a book

Being oblivious myself, I thought it was a good idea to say nothing until I was just behind her.

"Sumia?"

She yelped, the book she was reading falling to the floor as she tottered, wildly flailing her arms around to avoid falling to the ground. She was unsuccessful and fell to the ground right onto her face.

"S-shit…" I said, trying my hardest not laugh "I-I'm sorry about that. Need any help there?"

"N-no! I got this!" She carefully got up, grabbing the book that had fallen with her.

"Have to say, didn't expect to see you here. I was just wandering the city myself."

"Well, this is the only place in Bellator that sells books. Just before we left Ylisstol I heard that my favorite serial had a new volume published. I thought I'd find it here, but…" She trailed off, looking at the book in her armored hand longingly.

"No luck, huh?"

She looked down at her feet, shaking her head. She seemed genuinely upset. "No. I did a couple of fortunes on the way to Auraegis, and when I found out the new volume wasn't there, I did the same on our way here and, well, nothing."

An upset Sumia is a crime against the universe. I must remedy this at once! Quickly, distract her from her sadness!

"Yeah, that is pretty, uh, sad, I guess. What're those serials about anyway?" I asked, with just a hint of awkwardness.

Her mood instantly brightened up. She hugged the book to her chest. "It's about- Oh, well, you'd probably not be interested in the kind of books I read. Robin really wasn't either."

So I guess that happened.

"Considering I can't read, no book is really one I'd read, technically," I replied, leaning on the one uncovered wall in the entire bookstore. "Seriously, try me. You never know."

Sumia blushed in embarrassment, but she nodded. "W-well, it's about this normal girl, who is taken in by a Pegasus Herder, right? And they, you know, do a lot of things together and it's just this really good love story, you know? It may not be to everyone's liking, but I can't help but read them anyway."

I had to parse what she said a bit, but I got the general gist of it. "Ah, a love story then. I might have been interested in that if I could read."

I was still a bit bitter about that. Whatever power saw fit to pluck me from my world and insert me into my new one decided to give me the ability to talk to seemingly everyone, but reading? Apparently that was a bridge too far for whatever higher power saw fit to teleport me.

That assumes that someone did it to me, of course.

Okay, I may be just bit more than a little bitter.

"You really can't read, Alex? I think I remember Chrom saying you told him about a story from your homeland," Sumia said, "You can speak Common just fine, but you can't read?"

"Finally, someone else points out how stupid it is! Yeah, I really can't. Ylissean or whatever - Common, right? – just looks like a bunch of lines and squiggles to me," I replied, looking around and taking a random book off a shelf. "See this? Can't read this. I haven't read a single thing since I left home, and it's driving me insane!"

Sumia giggled, "You know, I'm sure Maribelle could teach you if you just asked nicely."

I stopped, my face going blank. "I could have, couldn't I? Maribelle scares me, though. You're a whole helluva lot more approachable than she is. Think you could teach me instead?"

I wasn't lying: Maribelle was intimidating on a personal level. I wasn't sure if it was because of the way she carried herself, or the way she talked, but I had difficulty even coming close to her. It was strange and infuriating, because based on what I knew of her, she was actually a decent person.

Sumia fidgeted a bit. "I'm not sure how good I'd be at teaching someone to read. I mean, I know we haven't talked a lot, but you obviously saw what happened a little while ago, right? I really don't think I'll be as good as Maribelle would be."

I made a 'pop' sound with my mouth. "To be honest, I've had one conversation more with you than Maribelle," I replied, "And honestly, I'd really rather learn from you. Besides, we share common interests. Have more confidence in yourself. You'll never know unless you try!"

That's you, boy scout. Filled with pointless platitudes that you'll never follow. At least here it might do something to benefit you instead of just lifting others above you, huh?

"Well… Alright. I guess I could give it a try."

Huh, that actually worked.

I sighed in relief. "Oh, thank God. Well, thank you technically but-" She started giggling. "What's so funny?"

"Oh, nothing," She replied, "It's just, the way you sighed just then reminded me of another friend of mine."

Cordelia.

"Well, alright then," I replied awkwardly, "Guess we'll start that whole reading thing when we get back to Ylisstol. Sound good?"

She nodded. "Sounds fine to me!"

"Okay, good." I turned around before the conversation could get anymore stilted and awkward. "See ya later."

I explored the city for a little while after that. Eventually, it got dark out, and the show was gonna start.

Arena Ferox was ablaze with light and sound. I walked through several groups of people, attempting to find a good place to sit and watch the spectacle that would unfold. I'd given up hope of finding a little corner to sit down in to avoid people, and just tried looking for a free seat. An arduous task, to be sure.

It was funny. Just earlier I had wandered the city out of a desire to not be alone, and then, just a couple hours later, I was trying my best to avoid people. I was full of little contradictions like that.

The sound of the crowd almost grew deafening as the small group of Shepherds Chrom selected walked out from one side of the Arena. I moved quicker, and eventually found a seat that was decently close to the action. I sat down, trying my best to ignore the tone-deaf people screeching like banshees just to my right. I got a good look at the Arena.

Arena Ferox was towards the back of the castle, and it was huge, of course. It could hold quite a few people, demonstrated by the fact almost every seat was occupied, and that I was sure a good portion of the citizens of Bellator were there. The ground floor was just dirt, with braziers lit on fire going diagonal to each other and parallel to the walls. They cast a yellow light over the Arena proper, a sharp contrast to the moons ethereal blue glow. Across from where I was sitting was a raised platform, on which sat the two khans. I couldn't get a good look at them from where I was sitting, obviously, but I could make out a few features, like Flavia's blonde hair and Basilio's lack of any.

I could barely hear anything over the roar of the crowd., but the other team - the one chosen by the western khan Basilio – walked onto the Arena grounds. A tall man with a beard and shaggy brown hair leaped on to the Arena grounds from the walls that surrounded it.

I jumped a bit when I could hear his deep voice over the crowd, as clear as a spring day.

"People of Regna Ferox! People of Bellator and Pugnator – my fellow countrymen!" He shouted, the crowd instantly going silent, "Today, we honor one of our most ancient traditions! Once more, the east does battle with the west! East-Khan Flavia-" Flavia stood up from her seat, waving her hands in the air as the people cheered. "-has challenged West-Khan Basilio-" The bald man stood up, pounded a fist on his chest once, and then held it in the air. "-for the dominance of Regna Ferox!"

The crowd roared so loud my ears started ringing. Once it died down a tad, the man continued.

"As tradition has dictated since times of old," He began, "each khan has chosen a champion to represent them! Signifying the east, and standing to my right, we have the prince of the Halidom of Ylisse himself… Chrom Lowell!"

Not expecting the sudden spotlight, but doing a good job at saving face nonetheless, Chrom waved awkwardly as the people cheered. Chrom had taken several people with him; about five people, not including him. Frederick, Robin, Miriel, Vaike, and Stahl stood beside him stalwartly on the arena battlefield.

It would not be wrong to say I wished I was down there. I knew the reason why I wasn't: I was too inexperienced. The Shepherds chosen were all on a different level to me; I'd be crushed within an instant. It still left a sour taste in my mouth., just like it did back at the Longfort. I had said I was alright with being a side character, and I had fit into the role well enough. In the end, I always wanted more. Although, I supposed I should've done away with stuff like 'side-characters' and 'main characters' a long time before then.

I shifted those thoughts away as the announcer continued.

"And to my left, signifying the west, we have a new challenger! Straight from places unknown, we have the masked warrior known only as… Marth!"

There she stood, in all her glory. Masked Lucina did a good job looking completely unfazed by the attention that was suddenly shifted onto her. The five people who stood beside her were all apparent veterans. One wore the dented armor of a knight and wielded a spear and shield. Another wore the robes of a mage and held a tome in his hand. Two of them were on horseback, one wielding a lance and another brandishing a sword. The last one wore light armor and held a sword in an awkward backward position.

Thief.

With Chrom and Marth in there, I was completely unworried. I always had a theory that the reason Lucina challenged Chrom was to both ensure her father's success, and as an indirect way to 'spar' with him again.

Still, the mood was starting to get to me. I leaned forward, heart beating fast in my chest as the announcer kept going.

"You all know how this goes! Whoever destroys the other in combat will let their patron khan become dominant, just as the first east and west khan's armies fought to the last man, so shall you follow in their footsteps!" The announcer started backing up, getting closer to the wall. "Now, I'm sure you all are dirt-tired hearing this old man shout his lungs out, so let's just get on with it! Fight!"

Feroxi politics at its finest. Less messy than politics back home, that's for sure.

Both teams instantly went into action, charging each other with weapons at the ready.

Miriel launched a fire ball straight at the enemy team's mage, which he countered with a gust of wind, dissipating the flames. Vaike led a one man assault on the titan who seemed to think the fortress he was wearing was armor, his axe going for the weak points in the iron juggernaut's bulwark. Frederick and Stahl were on different sides of the main fights, clashing with the two enemy cavaliers. Stahl's sword struck with one, while Frederick's lance nearly sent the other cavalier flying off his horse from sheer force. Robin faced the thief, shooting a ball of lightning, which the thief dodged like an acrobat. He quickly closed the distance between himself and Robin, and just as it looked like Robin would be taken out first, he pulled a sword out of his dark coat, blocking the blow that would have taken him out of commission in a shower of sparks. Effectively dual-wielding a tome and sword, Robin looked just a little badass.

The main event was only just beginning.

With Falchion already drawn, Chrom pointed it in 'Marth's direction, challenging 'him' one on one. I couldn't hear what he was saying because, obviously, of the all-consuming voice of everybody in the arena, but I could imagine the dialogue happening.

Lucina's Parallel Falchion looked like it glowed, even in the perpetual shadow that seemed to follow her everywhere.

I did a double take as Chrom jumped perhaps a dozen feet into the air. In a move that would make all gymnast's and acrobat's jaws fall to the floor like a rusty anchor, Chrom flipped through the air three times, shooting towards Lucina like an ICBM. Both Falchion's slashed against the other, sparks flying as they struck at each other again and again. Chrom looked like a demigod, flawlessly swinging around the greatsword-sized blade like it was made out of foam. Lucina was no less impressive, repeating Chrom's moves with incredible precision. They moved so fast it looked like they blurred.

It was rather daunting looking at it, and just a little bit humbling. After all, how could I ever be like that? Flipping and spinning and doing cool like that with a sword, that was beyond me. Hell, Miriel and Robin were throwing magic around like it was confetti and champagne at a New Year's party.

What was I compared to them?

I honestly felt the determination I so proudly told Robin about back in Ylisstol begin to wane a bit. I'd still keep going, obviously. There was no going back. The fact that I would most likely never be as impressive as any of the people in the Arena was disheartening, though.

In the end, it was just me. That's all I had.

The battle was even for a time, but it was evident that Chrom and Co. would win once one of the enemy team faltered. The first to go down was, oddly enough, the knight. Vaike, with a face I could only describe as laughing mad, got through the weak points in the knight's armor, severing several joints until the juggernaut fell over, and then proceeded to twitch ineffectually on the ground like a turtle turned upside down. Surprisingly, Miriel and the enemy mage went down at the same time, both having struck the other with their magic. Both were alive, but officially down for the count. Frederick took down one of the enemy cavaliers with a well-placed blow to the side, sending the rider to the ground in a heap and allowing the now rider-less horse to wander the arena. Stahl traded blows with the other cavalier until he made a mistake, allowing Stahl to quickly end it.

Robin and the thief were evenly matched. The thief was extremely quick, but eventually, he slipped up. That's what a lot of the victories on Chrom's side came from: waiting for the enemy to make a mistake and exploit it. The thief stumbled, giving Robin just enough time to hit him with a full lightning orb. It crashed into the thief, sending him hurtling across the Arena and stopping in a cloud full of dust. He was still breathing but unconscious.

Did they turn down the amount of power they put into those spells or something?

The battle had turned into five against one. Lucina stood, Parallel Falchion in hand, as she stared down the five remaining opponents. The crowd roared as the final battle was seemingly about to take place.

I expected Lucina to fight until she couldn't anymore, and the people in the Arena thought much the same, if the cheers were anything to go by. However, that was not what happened. She relaxed, dropping her stance and sheathing Parallel Falchion.

"I surrender."

I got out of there as quickly as I could. Last I saw, the people within the Arena were starting to become a bit violent. Feroxi guards were going in and stopping any bloodshed, but I didn't stay long enough to see it really get ugly.

What in the who in the why in the-

It was safe to say no one expected that. Hell, I didn't expect it, and I knew the future. In the game you just fought until everyone on the other side was gone. In the Arena in particular – I thought it was Chapter 4? – you fought Lucina until she was beaten. There was no sign of surrender. Surrender wasn't even an option.

You say you don't see this as a game, and yet you constantly compare it to one.

That was a problem I started seeing with myself. It would do me no good to continue making comparisons, but I couldn't help it. I hit my forehead a couple times as I walked through the empty halls of the Arena and into Bellator proper. Hopefully, if I was fast, I could've made it to my room and just fall the fuck to sleep. Leave all the important dialogue and crap to those who needed to say it; I didn't feel like sitting through it and the shitstorm that became of the stone bleachers.

Unfortunately, fate saw fit for me to run into a certain masked Lord.

I was just about to head towards what I thought was the exit when I almost ran straight into her. She was walking briskly, as if she didn't know or didn't care about what she left behind her.

"Oh, hey," I greeted awkwardly, causing her to turn to me. "Have fun dueling with daddy-dearest?"

"Sir Alex," She replied, still using her 'Marth' voice, "It is nice to see you again, but unless you have something important to discuss with me, I must be on my way."

I snorted. "Considering the shitshow you caused, you're probably running away instead of going somewhere in particular. What the hell was that about, by the way?"

"I ensured my father's victory. Nothing more."

"Well, I guess you succeeded in that," I replied, pausing for a moment as the shouts from the Arena died down a little, "And maybe a bit more."

Lucina turned. "If there is nothing else, I must leave."

"Wait!" I exclaimed. She turned back, her masked face staring back at me, emotionless. "I… Well, walk with me. I have some questions. And I know a few alleyways you could take so you can get through the city without being, uh, accosted."

Wandering the streets for hours did have its advantages, even though I doubted my ability to really navigate them.

I did have a fair few questions on my mind, mostly pertaining to the bad future. What Lucina told me the first time was, well, incredibly vague. I wanted to know more. I actually wanted to know everything about it, but I knew that would be like trying to get blood from a stone, so I settled for less intrusive questions.

After a few seconds of dead silence from Lucina, she finally spoke. "So be it. Sir Alex did tell me his younger self was curious."

Jokes on him, I'll ruin his life… Wait…

I realized that Lucina was probably just humoring me, and I was fine with that. As long as she told me more about the future, about what I became, I'd be at least partially satisfied.

"You were going to ask me questions, Sir Alex."

Her 'Marth' voice was slipping a bit, but still deeper than her actual voice. It startled me a bit, but I didn't show it. I was getting a bit better at that.

We walked through the dark and deserted back alleys of Bellator. Junk littered the ground, and we had to be careful to not trip over any of it. The darkness of the night was only alleviated by the moon, which still shone so brightly.

It's just the moon, man, not your fucking wife.

"Yeah, I was," I replied, stepping over pieces of crumbling stone. "Although I have a feeling you already know what I'm gonna ask."

"You want to know more about yourself," She said succinctly.

I rubbed the back of my neck. "Well, yeah. You didn't really give me a lot to work with last time we talked. Hell, all I did was sit down while you talked at me for almost that entire conversation, so," I paused, "You already know that I know everything. About the future and all that shit. How did 'I' explain it to you?"

"Sir Alex did not speak often of his past," She said, "He was entitled to his secrets, of course. He said he came from a far away land, that had a prophecy of what would take place here. It was supposedly contentious in some circles."

I furrowed my brow. "That's a rather roundabout explanation."

"It is the explanation he gave, and Sir Alex never gave me reason for distrust. So far, his predictions have proven to be almost entirely correct."

I looked at her. "'Almost'?'"

If it was possible, she looked a bit embarrassed. "I was… unprepared for the amount of Risen that followed me."

"I really wasn't either, so you're not alone in that," I replied, "But that was just something he did, huh? I wanted to know more about what he- what I became. Like I said, you didn't really give me a lot to work with last time. I understand if you don't wanna say anymore, hell, we could cut this off here and not talk for the next two years, but if you could…?"

Silence reigned like it did often around Lucina. I would've thought she'd already bailed if it wasn't for the steady footsteps I heard beside me. Eventually, she stopped, and I did too. I looked at her, brow raised.

"As I said back at that fort, Sir Alex was a broken man," Lucina began, "After the death of my father, he threw himself into war after war, battle after battle, each time returning with fewer friends than when he left. He never questioned an order, but he would fight with reckless abandon, as if he did not care whether he lived, or he died. He lived, however. He fought with all of us to the bitter end. Once we successfully gathered all the materials required for the Awakening, he stayed behind. The last time I saw him, he was facing an entire horde of Risen all on his own. That stony expression of his never left his face."

I didn't say anything for several moments. It felt like ice had been injected into my veins. It wasn't much more than what she told me months ago, but it did have a lot more detail. It occurred to me we were technically having the same conversation, just more.

It was hard for me to understand the emotions I felt at the fate I had in the future. What exactly happened to me? After Lucina last saw me, that is. The thought of all the possibilities made me shiver.

"Well," I began, a lump in my throat. "That's a rather grim fate."

"And yet, you still remain."

Ah, and there it is again.

"Yeah, I do."

She looked me dead in the eye. I could tell that even through the mask. "Knowing that, knowing everything I've told you, you still stay. Even knowing what you could become, you are still here. I ask, once again, why?"

I tilted my head. "Didn't I already answer that?"

"I gave you what you wanted: clarification. I want that as well."

"Fine," I replied, sighing, "Let me ask you a question, Lucina. Let's say, you've lived a life of nothing but mediocrity; you just go from day to day like life is a dream. Nothing interesting happens, you will go nowhere in the world, and everything you are is meaningless. If you had the chance, a small yet inexplicable chance, to be something more, to finally be someone you've always wanted to be, would you take it?"

"I do not understand. You're still here because-?" She began.

"Because I want to be a hero," I finished, the word feeling awkward on my tongue. "If I went back now, just dropped everything and somehow found a way home, what would I go back to? A dead-end life with no future? A life of frustration, flailing around at a world I can't change? At least here, I can be something. I finally have the opportunity to do something with my life." My voice cracked. "Who wouldn't take that?"

Let's just ignore all your friends and family who loved and supported you for eighteen years, eh boy scout?

I was trying my best to do just that.

"The Sir Alex I knew hated that word," Lucina said, "Hero. It was one of the few times he ever showed emotion."

"I might never be the Sir Alex you know," I replied, "With my knowledge, I'm probably acting so differently from him even at this point in time it's not even funny. So, I guess you have your answer. Still not leaving. And I don't plan to, either," I smirked slightly, despite my roiling emotions. "Just like you said, changing fate and all that, right?"

"Indeed," Lucina said quietly, "If you will excuse me, Sir Alex, I will be on my way."

And just like that, she disappeared down one of the many dark alleys.

I didn't say a single word as she left. There was no need. Everything that needed to be said was already, and I was lost in my own little world on that alleyway in the city of Bellator. It was hours before I made it to my room in the castle, and even then, I didn't get very good sleep.

I never asked her just how much she knew about what would happen, or the specifics, at least. Did she know about Emmeryn's oncoming demise? Did she know about Robin's true nature? Just how much did my future self tell her?

In the end, I'd never really know. All I did know, was that I certainly told her nothing. Nothing about Emmeryn, and nothing about the events that would transpire. It was, to put it in poor terms, in the hands of fate.

My mind was clouded with thoughts of a future that would never happen.

Eh, there was always something weird about this chapter for me, but everyone I talked to said it was fine after a few touch-ups. Maybe it was Lucina's conversation. As Alex said in the narration, they basically just had an expanded repeat of the one they had back at the unnamed fort. Not that she could really give any more info on how Alex was back in the Future. Just how much does she know, I wonder?

I'm probably gonna take a break for a while to get all my shit settled. I said once that no outline survives contact with the writing process, and boy howdy was this the case here. My old outline is basically useless now; I have to start over completely on it. I gotta get a nice backlog of chapters so I can work with little stress. Sure, it means that this might be the last chapter you see this month, but I think it's better than having a horrible upload schedule with little pattern. I've experienced first hand how that can fuck a story up.

And with that, this chapter is done. See you all next time!

Edited on 2/9/21. I had a lot of fun cleaning this one up.