Chapter 31: For her story

The world seemed to be consumed by darkness all around. There was no source of light other than the one spilling from under the closed door that disconnected the dark room from the rest of the world. It was desolate, though not empty. Pieces of old furniture were kept in there, many being covered with blankets—these would often keep children away from the room, as some could resemble ghosts and other nightmarish construct children often thought about. All of these went unnoticed by the sole inhabitant of the room as small whines and sobs escaped her lips, even if she was trying as hard as she could to suppress such emotions. The girl had never been good at that, and for that she'd chosen to hide herself away from the looks of pity that were often thrown her way, as she often did.

Noire wasn't as smart as Lucina, who always seemed to brush off anything that would bother most anyone else. She wasn't as witty as Severa, who could think of a comeback on the spot or, if she couldn't, would push whoever was bothering her to the ground. Nor was she as strong as Kjelle, who not even the older boys dared get into a spat with. No, Noire was only a small little girl that had a hard time dealing with people, especially when they intentionally tried to hurt her, as it was often the case outside of her small group of friends.

She'd never imagined words could hurt so much until they were thrown her way with malice. And while there were a hundred-and-one ways to deal with bullying, for Noire it wasn't so simple as it would be for others, for at the end of the day all her friends could go back to their parents and talk about it with them to get some comfort and maybe a way to appease any animosity between their child and the other party. Noire didn't have that luxury, and often found herself feeling more hurt because of it. Sure, her mother would always listen to her, which made the white-haired girl happy. But most often than not, her mother's solution were not things that a child should comprehend or hear about, especially in times of peace such as the one they were living in. This usually left Noire feeling depressed and with tears streaming down her cheeks.

Most of the bullying and teasing came from not having a father; something she had absolutely no control over and her mother refused to talk about, no matter how much Noire begged to know the truth. It didn't help that children knew how to get to someone and would continue to do so out of fun…

Whenever this happened, Noire would steal away unnoticed by all until she found someplace to hide that she knew no one would bother her. She avoided using the same place twice, in case some bully saw her hiding away and came by to gloat. But try as she may, no matter where she hid, he always found her.

Even hidden underneath a collection of old armor pieces that a child could make a fortress out of could he find her. She heard the door open slowly, creaking as the light from the hallway illuminated most of the room. She tried to quiet her sobs as she hugged her knees tighter as if being touched by any light would burn her skin. She begged any and all gods for the person to leave her alone. Unfortunately, the gods did not respond to such mundane wishes. Before she knew it, he sat down next to her with an "umf".

Despite wanting nothing more than to be left alone, Noire couldn't deny feeling a sense of relief and a warmth spread through her chest whenever she found herself in a situation such as this. She peeked at her company, making sure not to be noticed. She could see the old cloak she was so familiar with that had to be at least as old as the man that donned them. Though the war in Valm had taken its toll on the Grand Master, there were only a few times that she could recall when Robin hadn't smiled at her.

Despite being an adult, Robin had always been good to Noire, talking to her like she was more than a kid; listening to her worries and her stories, as silly as most of them could be. That's just the kind of person he'd always been. She felt special because of it, even if she knew that in truth it wasn't any sort of special treatment he reserved solely for her. Many of her friends seemed to share similar experiences with the tactician. Perhaps because of it he'd quickly become known as the "Good Uncle" amongst their group. But even if he treated them all equally, it did not make the interactions between the two of them any less dear to the young girl. The only downside she could think of was that he always caught her crying.

The girl with hair as white as snow felt a heavy hand hard as leather land on top of her head before it began to brush through her hair soothingly. She leaned into the touch, something that she'd become familiar with for as long as she could remember. In time her sobbing came down to sniffling.

"What happened, Noire?" said Robin in a husky, yet warm voice, sounding calm and collected, but worried all at the same time. The total opposite of how she felt. Noire knew that he probably already knew what was bothering her and that asking was more a courtesy, seeing as how every time they met like this it came down to the same reason. Still, he'd asked, like he always did. "It's okay," he assured her. "You can tell me. I promise that whatever you say will stay between us, okay?"

And she would explain everything to him, the tears she'd been able to rein in streaming down her cheeks once more. He wrapped an arm around her and brought her in for a hug, rubbing her back as she buried her face into his cloak until she calmed down. That was their special thing, and Noire was always happy to have Robin there with her during such hard times.

She often wondered if that was what having a father was like. She'd seen all her friends interacting with their fathers in a bunch of different ways. Not all of those interactions were good ones, as scolding could never be said to be a good thing, even if it came from a place of love, but she thought that the good times would always make up for those rare bad moments.

She also always wondered how Robin knew how to find her every time. She'd asked him about it in the past, but he only chuckled in response and brushed off the question as if it was something silly to ask.

After calming down, she remained in the Grand Master's arms, basking in the warm, fuzzy feeling she got from the physical contact. Shedding all those tears and opening up to Robin had tired her, leaving her wanting to take a nap. The storage room, however, was no place suitable for a nap—not that it was meant to be a place for anyone to hide away in either. There was too much dust and clutter, and her mother would probably get mad at her if she didn't get back home. Almost as if he'd read her mind, Robin picked her up as he stood and carried her away. She simply wrapped her arms around his neck, not really wanting to stop the man from carrying her.

As they walked, she caught some of the staff looking their way, whispering to one another with hands that covered their mouths, as if not wanting anyone else to hear something naughty they'd said. Noire often wondered what their eyes were trying to convey as they looked between her and Robin. Was it warmth? Sadness? Maybe it was something she would come to understand as she grew older. She tightened her grip on Robin just a bit more.

By the time they reached her and her mother's accommodations, she was fighting for her eyelids to stay open, her head using Robin's shoulder as a pillow. The fine cloth of the sash he wore over his cloak made it very comfortable. That improvised pillow was quickly replaced by the familiar feeling of her own pillow. She could feel her blanket being pulled over her once someone removed her boots, and she just snuggled closer to her pillow, fighting hard not to fall asleep just yet. From where she laid, she could spy through her slightly open door that her mother was talking with Robin, the dark mage doing a rare smile that most people would never see. She ran a hand over the tactician's arm, slowly making her way down until she reached his hand. The last thing Noire saw that day before sleep beat her was Robin clasping her mother's hand and intertwining their fingers.

When her eyes opened again, she was greeted by a small amount of light that the curtains on the window could not stop from reaching her. But the room she was in was not the same she'd known throughout her childhood. It didn't have the familiar books, furniture, and trinkets she kept all around, but she still recognized this room.

A small sigh escaped the archer. It had been quite some time since she last had a dream like that. Maybe she'd reverted somewhat after traveling back in time to a time where things were so much better. Or maybe she had that dream because she'd seen Mother and Robin only a few days ago. Except, they weren't holding hands like they had in her dream. No, Robin was with someone Noire couldn't even recognize. Then there was also the young greenette that shared Robin's eyes. Madelyn, daughter to Robin of Plegia and Lyndis of Sacae, Noire recalled, clenching her fists a little before covering her eyes with her arm.

"Things are so different…" she whispered to herself.

After a while of simply laying there, the time traveler looked over to the bed adjacent to hers, expecting to see Severa's red hair but instead found the space to be empty. She shot up in a panic, her heartbeat so fast that it was almost deafening to only herself. It took her a second to remember exactly why it was that she was all alone. The group, her included, had been on high alert ever since the attack they'd suffered in the woods. And with Lucina, who'd suffered the biggest injury of them all still recovering slowly due to lack of rest and funds to get her the proper medical care she needed, the group had decided to take her somewhere that would treat her free of charge. Noire and Laurent were tasked with watching over the few things they had while Severa and Owain all but dragged the princess out of the room, despite Laurent's protests.

"If she is found out, it'll be all of us who are sent to the dungeon," he'd said. "And this time any attempt to escape of rescue will be futile."

Noire looked over towards the spot her bag laid half open. The corner of a book peaking caught her eyes. She hesitated for a moment, wondering if she should really take it out again before finally deciding to get it. Leafing through it would shake her out of the dream she had. More importantly, it would let her forget about Laurent's words if only for a short while.

With her treasure book in hand, Noire dashed back to her bed, almost as if she had done something she shouldn't had. For once she was glad to be on her own. The book was something she knew she shouldn't have with her. She wondered what the others would think if they saw her reading it…

Leafing through some pages, not really caring where she started, the lone girl began to read.

Of all the places to meet someone from my past, I wasn't all that surprised for it to happen during the fight outside of Castle Plegia. Why would I be? I'd already seen many of them fall in battle while we marched there. Countless old friends and acquaintances… And yet, the last person I expected to ever see again stood as frozen before me as I did before her while the battle raged on all around us.

She was still and deadly as the first time I saw her. Her golden headdress, her luscious, long, silky, black hair cascading down her back, those piercing lilac eyes that seemed to see into my soul with just a glance. Her outfit still left little to the imagination, as it always did, the mesh covering most of her body from the harsh sun and a cloak covering her back. I saw her tome loosen in her grip for an instant, and I admit that so did mine. A shameful thing, for a mage of any kind.

There was no exchange of words. I simply walked past her, ignoring the fact that I was meant to kill her as she was my enemy now that I was with Ylisse. I half expected her to stab me in the back as I walked past her—gods know she had every right to do so after I left the way I did, leaving her behind. But she didn't do it. I walked further away, hoping that I wouldn't have to see her again, but that didn't happen either. She's walking with me, her tome clutched so tightly in her hands that her knuckles turned white. I casted a spell to unhorse a cavalier that was charging towards a Shepherd (I can't recall who), and, to my surprise, it's her who finished off the man that had been crushed by his own horse.

We continued walking side by side, taking down our countrymen without a second thought. We didn't exchange a single word for the rest of the fight.

I rejoined Chrom only after the battle ended with him hoisting the crown of the Mad King up in the air—a show that the war had been won. Can't say Chrom seemed all that pleased. Can't blame him for it. He lost his Exalt—his beloved sister. He hadn't even fully recovered from the attack at the courtyard. I wonder what things would've been like if I'd listened to him instead of trying to stop the bleeding. Perhaps I would've been standing there with Lady Emmeryn instead. Or maybe Ser Frederick, seeing as he'd always been Chrom's second-in-command. War would've been inevitable. I think we all knew that, one way or another.

I know Chrom. I never expected him to be happy at the outcome, even if it meant getting revenge for his sister. I could see how tired he was, but more than that, how scared he was now that he was truly going to become the driving force behind the Halidom of Ylisse for the rest of his life—something he'd told me many times that he never thought would fall upon his shoulders nor something he wanted, but had to do nonetheless. We all had our duty.

A tired smile formed on his lips, but didn't reach his eyes when he turned to see me approaching. I saw some surprise mixed in with all the other emotions he'd been going through. "I see you found a friend," his voice was tired and hollow, but still had some of the warmth it's always had when we talk. He told me (us?) that he saw us fighting together and that he was glad that at least someone from my past decided to join our cause. I know he meant well; he was happy for me, but his words still sting.

It certainly was nice, especially for her to be the one to join me after everything we went through.

I exchanged some encouraging words with Chrom for a while, even after Ser Frederick, Lissa, and the Khans joined us, but we didn't stay for long. It was only after I got back to camp and we were alone, away from any prying eyes, that I could turn to take another long look at the woman that'd been following beside me all that time.

I told her I never expected to see her again. She remained silent, ever vigilant. I stepped closer to her and wrapped my arms around her body, careful not to make her feel uncomfortable. I took her lack of a reaction as an affirmation that she didn't dislike the contact. Before I knew it, I found myself stealing her lips with my own, her arms wrapping around my neck like they used to before I left everything behind. When I left her behind.

Validar had brought her to me, saying she was to be my wife and bear my children. I didn't think much of it back then—just another command for me to follow. She was a stunningly beautiful woman, albeit cold. A part of me felt lucky to have her. But then I learned why things had been set up that way. My blood hasn't stopped boiling since that day. And I left, hoping never to see her again despite having grown fond of her during our short time together.

To this day I curse myself for not taking her with me...

Before my heart could get the better of me again, my brain pushed past my heart and reminded me the whole reason I left in the first place, making me break away from the kiss and her embrace. I apologized… for everything. So great was my shame that I was unable to meet her gaze. And although I would've liked things to be different, especially after everything that happened, I headed to my tent, alone, with a long, sleepless night ahead of me and many more to come.

She was careful as she turned each and every page over. The book was old and worn, more worn ever since she first found it. She'd read through its entirety a handful of times, each time feeling like it was the first time she'd seen those words on the worn, decaying parchment. Every word weighed heavily on the young girl. Those words were meant to be private. They were not meant for anyone else to ever see. She'd been thought that by the author of the book himself since he first gave her a journal years and years ago to fill out for herself.

Guilt flooded her. It felt wrong to read through it, more so when tears would fall on those pages, staining them with big, circular splashes. But she couldn't help herself. This was the only connection she had left to the man she'd always looked up to, just like her talisman was all she had left of her mother.

She swallowed hard and held onto said talisman as the dream she just had flood back to the front of her mind. How many times had she hid away like that? She was bullied for being Plegian, for her white-as-snow hair, and being easily scared. Still, no matter where she hid, Robin always found her with ease. He would sit with her, listen to her, calm her down, and give her some advice before carrying her back home in his arms, where her mother was waiting for them. Noire knew that she was waiting for both of them, because every single time there would be three plates on the table instead of two. The three would have a nice dinner together, and Noire would often wonder if that was how things would be if she had a father...

She quickly flipped through some of the pages of the book, careful not to tear them off the binding as she'd accidentally done to a number of them before. She wasn't exactly looking for a specific passage to continue reading, but she was surprised to see the page she landed on.

...nothing but stare at her. I felt betrayed, but also relieved. She had every right to move on. If I refused to give her a happy life together, why wouldn't she seek that out somewhere else? I'd been preparing for it ever since we met again, in a sense. But I was expecting her to find love elsewhere and marry before being heavy with child.

She couldn't meet my eye since we left Lissa's examination room. The blonde had thought it fitting to tease us about having an extramarital affair, but she said she was "happy for both of us". That stopped when I told her I wasn't the father.

I escorted Tharja to her door, which she quickly opened and was ready to close behind her before I spoke up. I knew that she wasn't well liked amongst the Shepherds. I could only think of a handful of people that she actually got along with, myself included. Nowi and Olivia were out for obvious reasons. I knew I was out of the equation too, which only left one choice. But as soon as I asked if it was Donnel's, she clicked her tongue and glared daggers at me, saying that she wouldn't mingle with her servant, whatever that means. I was more surprised she didn't slap right there and then.

"Tell me it was with consent," I said, almost pleadingly, for if it wasn't, then I would have to hunt the person that did that to her and flay them alive for their crime, knowing full well that would make a criminal of myself in the process.

"It was out of love," was all she said before finally closing the door, leaving me behind, feeling my whole body going numb. I can only wonder then why it is that she came back to her room with me instead of looking for the man she loves…

I came back to my room, ready to mend my broken heart and, at the same time, celebrate Tharja moving forward with some of the many bottles of alcohol that have accumulated in my room ever since Chrom made me his Grand Master. Maybe I can drown the pain away or at the very least the bittersweet taste that's in my mouth.

She flipped the page, but already knew from memory that the next few pages will have nothing written on them other than the date. It was strange to think of Robin as anything other than a happy and jolly man that would read or play with her and the rest of the Shepherd's children. Not once could she recall a time she'd ever seen him drinking either, and from what little she could pick up when she was younger, no one had actually ever seen the Grand Master drinking a single drop of alcohol since he first joined the Shepherds. So, reading that he would actually try it felt strange, especially because the reason behind it...was her. Whenever she read that passage, she wondered if things would've been better if she'd never been born. Maybe then Robin would've been happy. Maybe Mother would've been happier too… But it's also a memory of Robin that snapped her out of it again.

She'd thought a similar way once before, after she gotten in a fight with Mother about something petty. The archer had told the tactician back then that she wished that she'd never been born. He'd been adamant that she should never think that way, reassuring her that she was loved by many, himself included. It was a long and arduous conversation that ended with her promising to do her best and her crying her eyes out into Mother's lap, apologizing over and over again.

Noire shook her head, reminding herself that despite everything, she should still keep to that promise.

There is a knock at her door. Not thinking twice about it, she tells the person to come in, knowing full well that the only people it could be at the door were people from her past. But then the realization that she still had a book she shouldn't have in front of her hit her. The door is fully open before she gets a chance to hide it. The cover was at full view of Laurent, who walked in as soon as she said "come in."

He stares at her for a second, ready to say something, but then his eyes wandered towards the tome. He pressed his lips into a thin line. Noire tried to swallow the knot that had formed in her throat. "You shouldn't let the others see that," he said, his expression going back to the calculating one of a man older than herself that Noire was still getting used to. "If it's that important, keep it hidden."

A small, shaky sigh of relief escaped her then. Whatever the others thought of Laurent and how he was now, Noire still admired how he could keep his cool so easily. Still, that kindness of the boy she knew was still there, even if he tried to act the part of the oldest in the group now that he was the oldest. "I-I-I-I will do that," she said, her voice barely above a whisper.

"Good," Laurent simply said before an awkward silence crept up on them.

After a moment, Noire asked, "ummm, di-did you need anything?"

Laurent's eyebrows shot up a fraction, almost as if he'd forgotten the reason he'd gone in there in the first place. "Yes. I came to tell you that I will be going out for the day. I expect to return before night fall, though it may be that I return until tomorrow morning. Please, inform the others should they get back before I do."

"Ri-right…" Noire wanted to ask why it was that Laurent was leaving all of a sudden. It was rare for any of the to move on their own ever since they found each other, more so now that there people out there that they had to be careful of. But before she had a chance to voice any of this concerns or ask anything, Laurent was already out the door, closing it behind him. "...Have a safe trip…"

Thinking it would be a waste to just laze around for the rest of the day, Noire got up, book in hand, and put it away in her backpack, making sure that it wouldn't be seen. There were things to do. The rest of the book could wait for another day.

Well, that's that. Getting to Noire's story up is something I really wanted to do, especially because of all the complications of different timelines. I know some of you may be disappointed to see me jumping to this instead of continuing with the main plot point already established, but it is something that had been on my mind for so long. I mean, I literally had this chapters started in 3 or 4 different ways for so long on my drive that I ended up mixing them all so that I could actually publish it (could explain why at times you might see jumps between present tense and past tense, though in the case of the diary, it was intentional.)

With that being said, I know it's been a long time since I posted anything at all, let alone an update to this story. I won't get into it here, but I'll just say that work isn't going all that well.

This chapter is on the short side, with a bit over 4k words (and 2k+ just answering reviews!) Worry not, though. This isn't all I've been working on. Actually, this isn't the chapter I've even spent most of my time working on. That would be next chapter, which already stands at 10k+ words. I'm pretty happy with it right now, which says a lot. I've literally spend more than a year writing and rewriting that one over and over again to the point that it's about 500 words away from done. If things keep going as they are right now, I'll likely publish that one by the end of the week, though can't promise that the one after that will come so soon.

I'm rambling now, so better get on to those reviews! It's crazy how many there are! Then again, they did kinda built up with how long it's been...

Greyjedi449t —Thank you very much! No matter how many times I read through a chapter myself before publishing it, it seems that those mistakes always sneak their way past me. I sometimes think about going back and just checking the whole story for them and slowly fixing them. But then I think "do I really want to do that right now instead of actually writing something?" And with it being so long since I updated this story, I tend to agree with that thought.

Allen Vth —Could you imagine? The implications and complications of there being two different Morgans and Marcs. I won't lie, though. I've toyed with the possibility that a Lucina from the Elibe time line exists and might show up.

Gotta love those messy family reunions. Especially because not everyone is gonna get to meet their children just yet.

Whatstoknow —Ah, the roasting car. Yes, gotta love 'em. More so if you have leather seats… All the burns I've had because of those, ouch. I actually ended up getting a switch not that long ago. Don't have many games on it, but it is way better than I imagined. Now all it needs is for the next Fire Emblem to come out to make it worth my while.

XenoEmblem4TW —A reflection of the real world, really. No one ever wants to admit they were wrong and that they did horrible things. Though change is bound to happen, everything is still so fresh in everyone's minds that it would take a lot of work before that happens. Doesn't help when stubborn old men are generally the ones running things.

I can just imagine Chrom running away from responsibilities and hiding away with Robin and Lyn for a while. Same thing with Lissa, really. If nothing else, it's a funny image haha!

The Imperial Chronicler —Oh, you flatter me… please, continue! All jokes aside, you should try to play those old FE games if you can. They were sooo good IMO. That said, I'm kinda happy that you still gave the story a chance despite not knowing all those other characters all that well. I'll be the first to admit that I do love me some good, thoughtful, and long reviews, so never worry much about the length. Long or short, I always read all the reviews that are left on here and try my best to respond to everyone. Hope you enjoy this chapter, even if it did take a long time to publish anything at all.

Shen —I'm happy to hear you like it!

Guest —A lot of it has to do with trust. Who was to say that things would unravel in such a way? That being said, knowing she is out there is something she won't be forgetting… You'll know what I mean a bit more once I actually publish the chapter I've been working on for the better part of this break. As for more of Lyn's thoughts, a lot of that would come up more in a chapter that happens from her perspective. It will happen, just don't know when that'll be. Stay around and find out!

YellowClover —You gotta have some nasty nobles in stories like this. They are a cliche! And cliches are such for a reason. An unfortunate thing for Lucina's and Roy's group, really. Here I tried to hint at that a bit, at least from Lucina's group side. Keep in mind that, for all of the, there is no real precedent to what they are doing. I'm just happy I don't have to introduce so many characters at once! And relaxing? Please, of course not! Though I do have ideas for some time skips in the near future.

JP I'm Italian —Ah, Tharja has her way, my friend. And her ways are super weird and creepy. That whisper between her and Lyn might become relevant, so for now I cannot say. For Nils, that is correct, mainly due to the effort of dealing with the Dragon's Gate. You wouldn't be wrong when you say that people want Robin alive for his skills. Though mainly those people are more people that have heard of what he can do more than people he actually knows personally.

Anon Guest —Glad you liked that. Gotta have a bit of comedy from time to time, otherwise it'll be hard for the people binge reading the story. There certainly is some tension between Ylisse and Ostia, that's for sure, though chances of that escalating aren't that high so long as Emmeryn and Hector lead their nations. With so many names and changing between "present" and "past" I can see why it would be a hard read. I kinda wish FF had some more editing options like AO3. Would make it so much easier without it looking supper nasty. As for the FE Heroes ID, it's been so long since I stopped playing it that I don't even have it installed anymore… Sorry :(

Guest (ch4) —Of course. Not only is Nino a favorite amongst some of my readers, but she is also one of my favorite characters from that game. She'll show up, just can't say exactly when and where.

DefconDeceiver —It would make sense for patrols to check on old keeps and make sure there are no bandits hiding away in them and such, but logistically, Ylisse just doesn't have the manpower for that just yet. Keep in mind that Ylisse doesn't actually have an army quite yet, though it is something they are working on now in case of another war. I'm glad to hear you did pick up on the whole dynamic between the future children thing. Though some of that will likely change once Marc and Morgan show up, I did want to evoke that same feeling fo the original group for nostalgia's sake.

GuestWithIdeas —You hit the nail right on the head. Not only is Frederick more cautious—he has to take things seriously when it comes to the security of the royal family, but that doesn't mean he'll just take word from a would-be murderer to be unquestionable truth—but also knows the politics involved with such an accusation would have great repercussions that could easily outlast them all. As for the group splitting up, it could happen, but only the future will tell…

Anonymous —Hahahaha that would be like the abridge confrontation about the hex.

Guest (ch21) —And here I was just telling someone else that I should go back and fix those mistakes… thanks for letting me know! As for the Sword Saint, it is implied and said that Guy became the Sword Saint and then fought against Karel, who somehow killed Guy during the fight. It is after that that Karel took the mantle of Sword Saint. At least that's what I gather based on Support Conversations and the ending for each characters.

Guest —From going through Roy's supports, I see him as a great leader that just doesn't seem to feel acknowledge it himself. He had great teachers that molded him into an amazing leader, but, in this story at leat, all those doubts that plagued him when he was winning kinda broke him when he lost. Not to mention that he no longer has any of his mentors and council in the likes of Marcus and Merlin, for instance.

Guest (ch7) —No worries there. There are a ton of characters to be sure, but that's why I try to focus on a few at a time unless I want to give the feeling of something grander by mentioning them all.

LordAzrael1 —I appreciate it! I hope you could wait for more, seeing as how long it took to get an update.

Tumerboy12 —...Maybe.

Ggwpwf —Glad to hear you like it. My hope is that I've built a story that stands on its own apart from the Awakening story, though that is still use as the main foundation. Nothing I hate more than reading 4 or 5 different fanfics that go through the exact same scenes, except that some names are different.

AstaRhei —You better have saved her by now… You had well over a year! And I can confirm that our little Nino is alive out there somewhere!

northernlion196 —Glad to hear it! Though I never played the game, I did think it was pretty funny how strong they made Lissa in the trailers!

Guest —Well over a year now.

Riku Uzumaki (ch15) —Doesn't she always? Gotta make that green (or gold in this case) somehow!

Riku Uzumaki (ch17) —I'll say they are completely different people, but no more!

Riku Uzumaki (ch19) —When it comes to his friends, Hector is not one to pull his punches.

Riku Uzumaki (ch29) —You better put on your big boy pants then, cus we're just getting started with time travel! Kinda… Maybe…

Riku Uzumaki (ch30) —Hahaha that about sums it up. Well done! Now it's just a matter of keep that up. Remember, this is just the surface of things. And with so many characters from so many timelines to keep track of, well, lets just say things are about to be turned up a notch.

KentaiKurodani (ch26) —I'll be honest, I took a lot of inspiration from an episode of Scrubs where they transition from story to story in a similar way. Glad you liked it!

KentaiKurodani (ch30) —I might take you up on that, thought at least for the time being, not yet. Mainly because I need to see for how long I can keep posting with life being what it is right now. Still, I know that I got one more chapter practically ready to be published. Just got some 500 words more to go before I'm satisfied and then some proofreading.

Half-beastdragonsoul2013 —Right now Nino should be doing well back in Elibe. She likely is with Jaffar and Canas' wife and child, having as normal a life as they could have… That is if THE FANG HASN'T GOTTEN TO THEM YET!

Transfigurator —Makes me wonder if I should also tag Tactician/Mark on this story. I did it for the Wedding Night side-story, but with only being able to tag 4 characters here, it's kinda hard to give up one spot for that… Makes me very happy to hear that you're liking the story, but more importantly, my take on the characters. With so many of them, at this point I'm taking it for granted that people are going to be mad about how I play with x or y character(s). Pretty funny to see this review just as I was finishing this chapter. Hope you like it!