AN: I am not familiar with 50's greaser slang, which is apparently what Brady speaks in, or something like that. I understand he's supposed to sound and look (which he does) very intimidating. Also, we're never given a clear age about how old some of the kids are when they travel back, but I'm going with late teens to early twenties...early teens for Morgan but its still kind of iffy if Lucina is the oldest (not counting Laurent's time travel accident). But no matter how it goes, any parent-interaction involving Ricken has to be INSANELY WEIRD for the kids.

They take approximately two steps into the Shrine when Lucina stops dead in her tracks.

"Brady?!"

The priest in question - who still seems to have a scowl permanently affixed to his face - fumbles the Physic staff he's holding and trips over the edge of his dark priest robes.

"Whoa!"

A childish giggle erupts from behind Lucina where Ricken - and by all the gods this was so weird - hastily covers his mouth, whereas Maribelle harrumphs and dismisses her son from the future completely on appearances, before running off to ensure Lissa has not so much as a single scratch on her.

"Lucina, where've you been?" he says, smiling apparently having not noticed his parents at all.

"Brady it is good to see you, but what is going on?"

"These rotten dastards started attackin' the temple! What kinda person attacks unarmed people?!" Brady demands angrily of her, or the messed up world they seem to have found themselves transported to.

Lucina really doesn't have an answer to that. She does not quite understand it either but better for people to clash amongst one another than being massacred by the Risen?

-0-

"Move the villagers to the centre of the temple," the woman who has to be Lucina's mother starts shouting, her voice filled with confidence echoing throughout the shrine. "Staff Wielders and mages to the centre, if you don't have a Rescue or a Physic staff, get one. Armoured units to the front! Block off those entrances! Watch out for ranged attacks and for the love of Naga, Virion stop flirting with your wife and get in position!"

Brady is surprised when a kid - can't be older than three and ten, four at the most - with auburn-ish hair suddenly presses a Rescue staff into his hands. There is something eerily familiar about this kid though - Brady thinks as the boy in the oversized mage hat flinches a little under his stare.

"Ummm, I'm Ricken. You're Brady, right?"

Brady is so preoccupied with just staring at the kid in front of him. He's freakin' tiny. Ma's stories had always made him seem so much - bigger.

"You're pulling my leg, aren't you?!" Brady demands angrily as he stares at the short spellcaster in front of him.

"Hieeeee! What? What did I do?!" the kid squeaks.

"Ain't no way you're the old man!" Brady states emphatically. "My old man was the biggest, toughest there was! The hell are you doin' on a battlefield."

"Hey!" the boy calling himself Ricken says angrily. "I may not be all that tall, but my spellwork is second to none! And don't treat me like a child!" he practically snarls, his glare burning with the full strength of an Arcfire spell - one of which coincidentally erupts from the boy's hand to completely fry one of the sneakier of the bandits who had managed to slip past the erstwhile occupied archers.

"Get behind me Brady," the Sage snaps irritably, forcefully pushing the taller priest out of his way and Brady can't help but smile. Well maybe Pop's isn't as tall as he remembers yet, but he's already pretty tough. And watching as his old-err young?- man hurls spell after spell at the enemy, Brady wonders if he's gone about the whole fighting thing the wrong way. Maybe he should have given tome wielding a whirl instead of trying to lift an axe.

AN: Seriously Brady is like the best Sage ever. I usually go with Maribelle/Henry or Maribelle Ricken for a magical powerhouse Brady. Because honestly, as much as Brady hates it, he is not Axe-wielding material. I'm not particularly passionate about any of the Maribelle ships that I've played through so far...though the Vaike one would be kind of hilarious just for the image of Maribelle trying to civilize her husband and son...