The town's inn was lively with celebration as the town's inhabitants congratulated their savior's. While Inigo and co. were chatting amongst themselves, Tucker was having the time of his life within the party.
"Oh man! You guys really know how to party!" Tucker said as he broke away from the crowd and sat amongst his new acquaintances.
Corrin chuckle. "Just wait until they get a bunch of mead in their bellies, and this place turns into an all out brawl."
"I r-really hope they don't do th-that again. Last time it l-left almost everyone with some f-form of injury." Sakura.
"Back where we're from, a drunken brawl would lead to someone pulling out a weapon, and possibly someone dead." Carolina added.
Sakura gasped in horror while Corrin chuckle a bit.
"Must be one hell of an alcoholic drink to make people kill each other for it." Corrin jokingly added.
"Speaking of which." Inigo budded in. "You said you weren't from Nohr, yet you clearly wear the Nohrian mercenary garb. How's that?"
Carolina tried to think a a way to explain it to them while sounding believable, which wasn't easy. Of course, she didn't need to continue trying, as Tucker immediately started talking.
"How to explain this...? Oh... yeah! A friend of ours made a huge machine that could take us through worlds, but it took in too much power and sucked us in." Tucker began. "As for the armor? We don't know either."
Carolina was about to punch Tucker in his jaw when she heard Inigo begin to talk.
"Really? That's strange, I thought you needed a dragons gate or something along those lines in or to do some world jumping." Inigo said.
Carolina hid her shock, did they really just believe them on that claim?
"Wait, you guys have a way to travel between worlds here?" Tucker asked in amazement.
Carolina was about to berate him for saying something so stupid until Laslow nodded.
"Of course, but from what I'm picking up, you didn't go through a dragons gate to get here." Inigo said, putting his hand on his chin.
"That still doesn't explain the attire." Corrin brought up.
"We don't know either, our armor is much more advanced than this." Carolina stated. "But for some reason our weapons came in with us."
"Most of our weapons." Tucker corrected, placing the handle of his energy sword on the table. "Our guns didn't make it through with us."
"Well, as far as weapons go. We can provide that. But in terms of getting you back to your world..." Inigo trailed on.
Carolina knew it was coming. "Let me guess, it's not gonna be easy?"
Inigo's expression became dark. "Try nearly impossible."
"The fuck you mean 'impossible'?" Tucker asked, causing Sakura to wince.
"You didn't get here through a dragons gates, and in order to get back, you need to go through the same way you came." Inigo said, expecting the two in front of him to catch on to what he was suggesting.
They did, and responded accordingly.
"Oh fuck."
"You can't be serious."
"Unfortunately, I am."
They all sat in silence while the inn began to grow quiet. Carolina was doing summersaults in her mind while Tucker began to drink ungodly amounts of water, leaving to drain his bladder, and coming back to continue drinking more water.
"Umm... it's not that bad, right?" Sakura asked, breaking the silence. "I-I mean, maybe we can make the same contraption here, r-right?"
Carolina sighed. "It's not that simple. The technology in our world is far more advanced then it is here, Tucker's weapon is proof of that."
"Then we don't have the necessary means to build it." Corrin added.
"There's also another problem." Tucker said.
Carolina looked at him for a bit. "And what is that problem?"
"Haven't you watched any movies at all?" Tucker asked. "A common movie concept is that time in one dimension could be faster or slower in the other dimension."
"That's true." Inigo said in realization.
Carolina raised her brow. "How would you know?"
"When I was in Corrin's world, I was there for three years." Inigo said. "But during that time, twenty years have passed in this world."
"What?!" Tucker yelled, with Sakura shrinking back into her seat at the outburst. "Twenty whole fucking years?! Geeze, that must've been one hell of a mind fuck to figure that out."
Inigo sighed. "Yeah... more then you even realize."
"Damn." Tucker muttered under his breath. "What if, when we get back, all of our friends could be... gone?" He Began. "Or the world goes to shit, and we are needed there to get it out of the shit?"
Carolina looked at Tucker. "I'm... surprised you even care."
Tucker looked at her in actual surprise. "The fuck you mean by that?!"
Sakura began to cover her face with her festal. "Umm... p-please don't yell..." She said, meekly.
"What I mean is, I'm surprised you even cared about our world at all." Carolina corrected.
"Well... who else is gonna do it?" Tucker asked. "Don't you remember the Freelancer Program, and how we brought that thing down? Hell, we saved an entire planet from destroying itself in a civil war! We brought the guys responsible for it to justice!" Tucker explained.
He then sighed before continuing. "What I'm trying to say is, I'm really fucking nervous about what might happen next, how our story isn't over yet. Hell, I wouldn't even be surprised if there were guys out there pretending to be us and causing mayhem for some petty shit." Tucker said.
"That's... oddly insightful of you." Carolina finally said. "But I won't complain about it. I'm sure Wash would be proud of you."
Inigo cleared his throat to get their attention. "Well, now that that's settled, how about I propose a plan?"
"What do you have in mind?" Carolina asked.
"Well," Inigo started. "There's still a slim chance to get you back to your world, and we know someone who might know what the chance is."
"We have a friend at the capital, Ylisstol Castle." Corrin added. "He also happens to be the Archmage, he may know a way to get you back."
"Archmage, huh?" Tucker said, a smirk appearing on his face. "sounds like you've got friends in high places."
Inigo smiled. " Well, when running a militia of sorts, it pays to have such friends about." He said with a wink.
Carolina still felt like the people in front of her were hiding something from her and Tucker, but she couldn't find it in herself to say that.
I'll wait until something happens first, I gotta learn to trust at some point, she thought.
"So when do we head out?" She asked.
"Tomorrow." Inigo answered. "We were fighting all day today, wouldn't do us good to push ourselves further then we should. And besides," a smile appeared on his face as he looked to Sakura. "The delicate one here has done a lot today, she should get some rest."
"I-I'm not delicate!" Sakura got up from her seat and nearly yelled at Inigo for that, but she immediately sat back down with a blush of embarrassment on her face. "But, th-thank you for your concern."
"Don't mention it." Inigo said.
"Well, I'm hitting the hey, you guys should do the same." Corrin said as she stood and walked over to the inn keeper.
"I agree with her." Tucker said, yawning afterwards. "I've been through a lot today as well."
"I'll... head outside for a bit." Carolina said as she got up from her seat. "I need some fresh air."
Looking up at the night sky, Carolina found herself lost in thought. The entire day was a whole slew of events that she just couldn't believe happened. From Simmons somehow making a portal to another world, to being in said world and already taking a few lives.
What bothered her the most, however, were the people she is currently with.
It just doesn't make any sense, she thought. How are they familiar with world traveling even though the tech here is medieval at best?
Carolina sighed, she also didn't know if she could trust these guys. They seem to be hiding something, but she couldn't tell what it was.
"U-umm... there's a room f-for you now." a timid voice came from behind her.
"Okay, I'll head in later." Carolina said, turning to look at the source of the voice. "What's your name, again?"
"S-Sakura."
"I don't know how to say this, but..." Carolina trailed on. "How are you and Corrin related? From what I've seen, you two hardly look like each other."
"Oh, w-well, we aren't actually r-related." Sakura said, causing Carolina to raise a brow. "Y-you see, the both of us w-were already born by the time our p-parents married. Her m-mother actually came in with h-her in her arms."
"Hmm, that explains that." Carolina said, now putting a hand on her chin. "And how are you guys familiar with traveling between world? That seems like quite the technological feat."
"I'm sure y-you've seen it, right?" Sakura asked. "Magic is s-still prevalent in this world. I-it's actually how me a-and Corrin came to th-this world, along with Inigo and a few of his c-close friends."
"So, you're not from here then?" Carolina asked. "Don't you have family back at your world?"
Sakura nodded. "I do, but I'm much happier here."
"Well... I won't pry." Carolina thought it would be better not to get into that discussion.
"Thank you." Sakura nodded. "I hope you sleep well." She then walked back to the inn.
"Yeah, you too." Carolina muttered, following Sakura back to the inn.
(Late Morning)
"It's been far too long since I had fresh air."
"I don't know Tucker, I'm starting to miss the air conditioning."
"Air conditioning? What's that?"
Sakura's question drew their attention.
"It's a way to keep cool during the summer." Carolina answered.
Inigo raised his brow. "Really now?"
"Yup!" Tucker said. "There's that, and a whole bunch of quality of life technology in our world!"
Inigo hummed. "Well, it's a long trip to the capital. Would you mind telling us more about your technology?"
"We don't have anything better to do, so..." Carolina trailed off.
"Let's talk about the wonders of refrigeration!" Tucker exclaimed.
AN
Yes, I know, the update for this fic was long overdue.