Author's Note: Hi guys! I hope you all had a great Christmas and got to spend time with your family and loved ones while giving thanks! I'm hoping I can update before New Year, haha, so stay tuned for the next chapter! Also, thank you so much for the reviews, they're kind of like virtual Christmas presents to me, haha. That being said, I'd really appreciate it if you'd be willing to leave a review and/or follow and favorite if you're enjoying this story. Feel free to give me suggestions or ideas in a PM, as well!

"Wow, Lucy! Your house is really, really big!" Cynthia exclaimed, nearly knocking over a vase with her cane.

"Whoa, careful!" Lucina scolded. "My father will have my head if anything's broken!"

Severa snorted at the clumsy pegasus knight before examining the house.

"Hmm... Even in real life she's basically a princess..." She mumbled quietly.

Chrom made his way to the front door, where Gaius, Sumia, and Cordelia were.

"What's up, Blue?" Gaius asked with a smirk.

"Gaius. How'd you find Sumia?"

Sumia laughed.

"Haha, funny story. I went to the gas station to get some more gas and I saw him walking out the quick stop mart with a whole bag of candy," she giggled, causing Gaius to blush.

"Sumia and I are planning on living together," he explained, the lollipop in his mouth shifting. "She's letting me move in with her."

Chrom smiled, somewhat envious.

"Congratulations," he told them before turning to Cordelia. "Any news on Lon'qu?"

A wide grin spread across her face before she replied.

"I managed to find him on social media and get his number. We're planning on meeting up tomorrow."

"That's great news," he said.

"Oh, and Olivia contacted me through social media as well," he informed everyone. "Inigo's been de-virtualized and she'll probably stop by today in a few hours."

Lucina listened on in excitement, her face reddening slightly.

Severa took notice of this and bumped her friend's shoulder with her elbow teasingly.

"Look who's excited~" she said with a playful smirk, causing Lucina to laugh lightly.

"Well, of course. Wouldn't you be excited to see Gerome as well?"

Severa's face turned the color of a pink cupcake.

"Why does everyone keep mentioning him?!" She exclaimed before letting out a sigh. "I do miss the jerk, though."

The long-haired mercenary giggled.

"But at least I'll get to see him without that dumb mask of his 24/7."

Owain, followed by Lissa and Frederick, all heard that their guests had arrived and headed towards the main hall.

Chrom proposed that they all sit down and talk over coffee, and the children could explore the house and play games.

He sighed, wishing Robin were there. He was never good at arranging, let alone hosting social gatherings that weren't for the sake of Ylisse. Robin, on the other hand, made a better hostess, kind and hospitable. Somehow, though, he felt more at ease being a host to his friends and not foreign noblemen.

After a few hours or so of chatting, the doorbell rang and Lucina went to answer it. She opened the door to see Inigo in a blue winter jacket and Olivia wearing a white and yellow sweater over brown pants. The princess was at a loss for words before Inigo smiled at her.

"Hey, no smile for old Inigo? That's a shocker," he said with a wide grin on his face.

"Inigo!" Lucina exclaimed, throwing her arms around him. "I was so afraid... I thought you might have not made it."

Inigo returned the hug reassuringly.

"What, and leave you all alone? Nothing will keep me from my love."

Lucina smiled, causing Olivia in turn to do the same.

"Hello, Lucina," she greeted with a smile.

The princess untangled herself from Inigo's arms gently and greeted her politely.

Chrom walked toward the door, eyeing Inigo before smiling at him, then Olivia.

"Olivia. How are you?" He asked. "Come in. It must be cold out here."

"I'm doing well, thanks," she said, stepping into the house, Inigo and Lucina after.

Chrom turned to Lucina.

"Take Inigo to where you and your friends are, alright?" He instructed her. "And it's nice to see you, Inigo."

Inigo flashed a smile.

"Likewise, thank you."

The prince of Ylisse nodded and the two headed towards the game room, where their friends were holding a Smash Bros. tournament.

"Urgh! Little Mac is a cheap character, I swear!" Severa exclaimed, throwing down her GameCube controller in frustration. "Play someone who actually takes skill to play, Owain!"

Owain smirked.

"Jealous because I won?" He said smugly.

"No!" She screamed angrily, and began swearing at him. "If you think you're good at this game, you're not! Only wannabes play Little Mac! All you have to do as him is spam! And you chose after me! You have to play fair and square, stupid cheater!"

Inigo and Lucina walked in the room to hear her cussing at Owain.

"Severa!" Lucina frowned.

"Lucina, tell Owain to stop cheating!" She said, frustrated.

The princess sighed.

"How about we just ban Little Mac and call it even?" She suggested, satisfying the mercenary.

"Hmm. Mind if I play?" Inigo piped up, causing Severa, Cynthia, Owain, and Morgan to turn around and look at him.

"Inigo!" Morgan called out. "You made it!"

Inigo grinned, sitting down in front of the TV with the rest of them.

"Of course, friend," he replied.

They all greeted the would-be dancer and vice-versa, before he picked up a controller and vowed to win.

Meanwhile, Olivia joined Chrom, Lissa, Frederick, Gaius, Sumia, and Cordelia at the table for coffee.

"Wow, your house is basically a mansion," Olivia said in awe after greeting the others. "It's decorated almost like those fancy theaters, haha!"

"I suppose so," Chrom modestly replied, taking a sip of his hot espresso. He was lacking sleep because of his stupid nightmares, so it was good to have a little wake-up call in the form of coffee.

"Ah, yes, I have some information on some of the other Shepherds," Olivia blew steam from the top of her cup. "But I have good and bad news. Which do you want to hear first?"

"... Bad," Lissa said after a pause.

The pink-haired dancer sighed.

"Alright. This is so heartbreaking to say, but... Nah, Yarne, Kjelle, Laurent, and Gerome didn't make it out. The de-virtualizing machine wasn't working when they tried to scan them," she explained sullenly. "But on the other hand, they're planning to move them to the servers for Yume Online before they delete the FE:A ones."

A moment of sadness passed between them. It could have happened to any of the children.

"... Yume Online?" Gaius asked. "That new game that Dream. Co released?"

They had been out of FE:A for two months now, insurance helping them to get back on their feet so that they could get jobs and help to support themselves. Because of the tragedy caused by FE:A, many people were scared to play VR games any longer, the industry crashing down. However, the invention of the AmuSphere, a successor to the NerveGear, saved the VR business from ruin. It was designed to be able to receive brain waves, but not possessing the capability to damage them as the NerveGear did. The first game they released alongside the AmuSphere was Yume Online, a fantasy game produced by Dream Co. The game turned out to be a success, played by thousands all over the country.

Olivia nodded.

"They said they can try to de-virtualize them again, but they can only try so many times before it starts to damage their virtual bodies and minds," she bit back a sob. "Poor things..."

A solemn tone filled the air, which suddenly felt heavy.

"... At least they're alright," Cordelia spoke up. "Things could be worse."

They looked down in pity and sadness.

".. What's the good news?" Frederick asked.

"I managed to get ahold of Virion and Tharja," she told them. "I heard you contacted Maribelle and Libra already?"

"Yeah," Lissa replied. "We've been friends ever since kindergarten."

"...And I have some news on Robin," she added, startling them.

"You do?" Sumia asked in excitement.

Chrom listened more attentively.

"Well, don't get your hopes up, but... A player named Robin recently joined Yume Online not too long ago. I was checking the player lists of all the popular VRMMO's and I found her name on the Yume Online one. All I found were her name and gender, so I know it's not much to go on... But it's all we have on her so far."

A spark ignited in Chrom, a newfound hope.

"... I'm going," he announced decisively. "If there's even a small hope of finding Robin, I'll take it."

Lissa frowned at him.

"Chrom, you think you can just dive into a game and find one person? Yume Online's the most popular VRMMO in the whole country!" She sighed. "But if you're going, then I'll go too."

"So will I," Frederick added.

"... Are you sure?" Chrom asked.

"Yes," Frederick responded. "I don't start working for another month."

"Sorry, I don't think I can come," Gaius said to Chrom. "I'm starting my job soon."

Sumia shook her head.

"I can't join, either," Sumia told them. "Sorry, guys."

"Neither can I," Cordelia said.

Chrom nodded.

"It's alright. You have to put yourselves first," he said. "Olivia? What about you?"

"Well, auditions aren't going to he held soon, so I can come in the meantime," she informed him. "I'm sure Inigo would love to come, too."

"So would Lucina, Morgan, and Owain," he said. "When should we all meet up?"

"Hmm... How about on Saturday at 3:00 pm?" Lissa proposed.

"That works for me," Olivia responded.

"Oh, I can't wait to fly around with fairy wings!" Lissa exclaimed excitedly.

Chrom sat on his bed in his room, an AmuSphere in his hand. He held the device in his hand, gazing at his reflection in the glass.

"... Robin, I'm coming for you. I promise I'll find you," he said silently.

He placed the AmuSphere over his head and parallel to his temples, then laid down, staring up at the ceiling.

"Link start."