Review Responses:
NotSoGreatGamerGirl- Heehee, "busy" is one way of putting it! And thank you!
Silverbird22- Thank you! And you'll see~!
Ninja Spy- Wow, thank you so much for your thoughtful reviews! Okay, let's get started:
Yume means "dream" in Japanese, a nod to Dream Co., the company. And yay! OTP buddies! Honestly, I have a lot of children OTP's because I like their personalities, but I tried to stick with most of my favorites. For example, I like MorganXKjelle (especially if it's Chrom!Morgan because of the ChromXFeMU supps, although those could've been done better) but I also like MorganXNah at the same time. Decisions, decisions. Also, just to answer your question to clarify, I was kind of thinking that in the game they'd die and respawn in the last city they visited, kind of like Pokémon. And I've got some interesting things planned for this story! It's one of the most fun ones I've ever done, haha. I wanted to make the Shepherds lose because of a few reasons, one of them (not to spoil the story) of course, would be to not follow "the good guys win every single time" cliché and change things up a bit.
Also, thank you for your suggestion! I like how you said it in a kind yet concise way and didn't sound rude or imposing at all. Yes, it's one of my goals as an author to make my writing thoughtful yet lengthy so that my readers enjoy. But hey, there's always room for improvement, right?
And yes, that was a typo, I meant to say "to glow", lol. But I just noticed "who're" as looking like-er, another word. It is indeed a contraption, though! That one made me crack up in the middle of the airport!
Once again, thank you for your reviews and I hope you enjoy the rest of my story!
Robin woke up standing in the middle of her cage, her eyesight hazy. She looked around to see she was suspended in midair, nothing around her but darkness. The cage was much bigger, big enough that she could fit furniture in it if she pleased.
"Where am I?" She recalled her encounter before, how the fog had knocked her out.
Suddenly dozens of screens opened up around her within the cage, some of colorful cities and some of forests and caves, some of seas and skies. She hesitantly spun around to see that they were all around her, these images.
"... Am I in a game?" She thought. "And why do I have admin viewing privileges?"
Another screen appeared in front of her cage, one of a battle between two guilds. At first she couldn't see who was fighting, but upon closer inspection she thought she saw one of the players holding Falchion. There was no mistake, it was definitely the blade of legend her husband and daughter wielded. She reached her hand out between the bars of the cage to zoom in, recognizing Olivia, Frederick, and Chrom fighting a man in a black cloak and mask.
Chrom!
His clothes were a bit different than the ones he wore in FE:A, but still identical. She watched as he and Frederick fought the man, and gasped as Frederick fell, witnessing the masked man's weapon switch ability. At first she couldn't hear what they were saying before she turned up the volume.
"Where is she? What did you do to her?" She heard Chrom yell. "Tell me!"
"Who is he talking about?" Robin thought.
The masked man held his levin sword.
"What? That's my..." Robin stared at the blade. "Those thieves!"
They had probably stolen everything from her old inventory when he somehow captured her. That levin sword was hers, no doubt about it. It had the same handle and everything.
"Nothing she didn't deserve. It seems you're less daft than I thought," the man continued.
Chrom then charged towards his foe angrily. She knew that expression. She had seen it on his face when threatening Gangrel after Emmeryn had died. It was one of desperation and rage.
"Careful, prince, your emotions seem to be getting the best of you," his opponent mocked.
"What do you know about Robin?" The prince shouted. "Where is she?"
A shock was sent up Robin's body.
"Chrom! I'm here! I..." She called out, before she realized he couldn't hear her.
"He's looking for me..." She thought in relief. She looked over to the next screen to see Lucina and Morgan fighting another masked enemy before Morgan was slashed at and stabbed, disappearing.
"Morgan!" Robin yelled, mourning her little boy.
It was a matter of minutes before Lucina fell as well, her enemy teleporting and impaling her from behind.
"No! Lucina!"
One by one, the rest of them were all eliminated before Chrom was the only one left after Olivia died.
Suddenly the masked man with her sword raised it and activated one of his skills, three bolts of electric magic wrapping around Chrom, painfully electrocuting him.
"Chrom! No!" She screamed, seeing his agony. "Stop! Leave him alone!"
Robin found she couldn't move, her body suspended in the air, on the verge of tears. She watched in horror as his HP dropped to zero, and he shattered into pieces on the ground.
The panel closed itself, leaving Robin there in her grief.
"Nobody can save you, Robin," a voice said, echoing all around her. "Not even your precious husband."
She fought the tears that wanted to escape, before letting them go as she curled into a ball, hugging her knees.
"Chrom..." She sobbed.
Chrom tiredly took the AmuSphere off his head before placing it on his bedside and getting up. It was dinnertime now, and he was really hungry. He opened the door and walked to the nursery, where little Lucina was sleeping. The moment he peered over her crib, she opened her large eyes and held her arms out, beginning to cry. His little baby was almost a year old and was learning to crawl and walk.
"No, don't cry," he swept his child up in his arms. "Daddy's here now."
She immediately ceased and snuggled into his arms comfortably, making gargling noises until she began to fall asleep again. Chrom then started to lower her back in the crib slowly, but Lucina began to whine and kick.
"Alright, alright," he adjusted her in his arms so she was snug.
She once more contentedly rested as Chrom walked down to the kitchen to see Lucina and Lissa there, cooking dinner. They greeted him before he sat down and got Lucina to drink some milk from her bottle. It still hadn't quite sunken in yet that he had two more children. It was hardly believable that he was a dad when baby Lucina was born. Everything happened so quickly. And then, the older Lucina came. That was even more of a shock. At first it took some getting used to, but he did eventually grow accustomed to being called "Father". A month or so later, he had met Morgan. When he realized that he had yet another future child, he decided that two was nice; a brother and a sister to keep each other company. It did hurt him a bit that Morgan didn't remember him, but his son still loved him all the same. Now, he was presented with two more children. He felt way too young for this. But still, he couldn't help but feel bad for Yui and Hiro. Since one could only be online an hour per day, the game flow was much faster so that players could enjoy their game time. The twins, however, went through the course of a whole year in only a few months in the real world
In the middle of his thinking, Lucina began to start muttering random syllables, catching his attention. She began to start crying out for food, which Lissa had prepared for her.
After they were joined by Morgan, Owain, and Frederick, and talked over dinner. After, Chrom offered Morgan to help teach baby Lucina to walk.
"Aww, you were so pudgy and cute as a baby, Lucy!" Morgan gushed.
Lucina sighed and laughed at the same time.
"Thanks," she said as she scrubbed the dishes.
Morgan helped little Lucina to walk a few steps before letting her go to walk to Chrom, who stretched his arms toward her.
"Come to Daddy, Lucina!" He said, making the older Lucina smile.
Baby Lucina stumbled forward a few inches before crashing to the carpet, laughing as she fell. Her brother scooped her up, praising her before sending her off again. She fell halfway to Chrom the first few times before she finally collapsed into her father's arms.
"Good job, Lucina!" He exclaimed admiringly, the little girl giggling as he lifted her up.
"Da.. Da!" She laughed.
"Whoa, did you hear that?" Owain asked from his spot on the couch.
Morgan looked on in awe, Lucina, Lissa, and Frederick watching in anticipation.
"Dada!" Lucina said once more, causing Chrom to grin happily.
"Heh," he kissed her chubby cheek. "About time."
"I wish Robin were here to see this," he thought wishfully.
She crawled into his lap affectionately, exhausted from her attempts at walking.
"Okay, bedtime for you," he gave her a cup of milk again before tucking her to bed (crib) with a kiss. He told all the others that they would attend mass at the church Libra owned the next morning and meet him and Maribelle there before he went to bed.
Pulling the covers over him, he looked up at the ceiling.
"Robin..." He murmured softly.
Yui's resemblance to her was almost painfully so to him, not in a bad way, but because it reminded him of his missing wife. Dream Co. had promised they would do their best to find her, but so far they had no results.
He sighed deeply, remembering how his wife always brushed her long white hair that she usually kept in high ponytails on either side of her head before going to bed. It was one of the small things he missed in her absence.
Chrom was about to fall asleep before he heard a beep come from his AmuSphere. He placed it on his head and checked a message in his inbox that read on the blue screen.
"Good night, Daddy! - Yui & Hiro"
What impeccable timing those two had.
"Thanks, love you both," he responded before he began to fall asleep.
The next morning he woke up and ate breakfast and took a shower before he, Lucina, and Morgan loaded into one car before Frederick, Lissa, and Owain went into theirs. They arrived at the church and were greeted warmly by Libra at the front.
"Chrom, everyone, it's so nice to see you," he said with a smile. "I'm sorry to hear about Robin."
Chrom nodded.
"Thank you," he said. "Is Maribelle here?"
"Yes, and so is Brady," He looked back towards the church. "They're inside at the moment. Shall we join them?"
They all sat down next to Maribelle, who wore a long pink skirt and a nice cotton candy colored top, while Brady was next to her and wore black pants and a purple sweater.
"Hey! How are ya?" Brady greeted them. "It feels like forever since I've seen ya'll."
"Oh, Lissa, darling!" Maribelle said in excitement. "It's so great to see you!"
They acquainted themselves before the mass started, at which they all quieted down. The service was about patience and faith, something Chrom needed. Libra's preachings sounded much the same as they did before, calm and soothing. After the mass was over, they all stood up and Libra joined them soon after.
"Great mass," Chrom told him with a smile.
"It's my pleasure," Libra replied.
Maribelle dusted her skirt off after standing up and adjusted her necklace.
"Libra, dear, why don't we invite Chrom and everyone else over for lunch?" She proposed.
"Of course," her husband replied. "But let me see our brothers and sisters off first."
Libra greeted all who passed by him with a cheerful smile and thanks.
"That was a wonderful service, miss!" A lady passing by said, causing the Shepherds to laugh before Libra corrected her patiently and kindly.
Maribelle gave them the address to her house, and they all drove there.
It was as grand as Chrom and Lissa's house, adorned with paintings and expensive furniture and lamps. However, she still had servants working there, unlike Chrom's family.
"Make yourselves at home," she instructed them. "We'll all have lunch 'soon as it's ready. Meanwhile, we can chat."
Libra and Maribelle lead rather impactive lives through their jobs, Libra in the church, Maribelle in politics. At home, though, their lives were simple and happy.
The children all watched TV in one of the rooms while the adults sat at the table and talked. Libra had moved in with Maribelle after he woke up, and Brady had been de-virtualized second to last before the machine stopped working. Chrom was about to begin telling them about everything happening in Yume Online when the doorbell rang.
"Oh, that must be Henry and Tharja," Maribelle said before she went to answer the door. A minute later she came back with Tharja, Henry, and Noire trailing behind her. Tharja wore a long black jacket over dark pants, while Henry wore a gray sleeveless jacket over his purple coat. Noire had a knitted green jacket and jeans, her eyes flitting around the house.
Tharja narrowed her eyes.
"Ugh, it's a shame I can't cook up any hexes in this world," she bit her lip. "If I could, I'd conjure one to wake Robin up."
At Maribelle's instruction, Noire went to go watch television with the other children while the two dark mages sat down.
"Nya ha! What a fancy house!" Henry commented. "Ooh, what's that?"
"No, no, no! Absolutely no touching of that lamp! It was just imported from- never mind, just don't touch!" Maribelle slapped his hand sharply, causing him to say "Owie".
The noblewoman ushered them into their seats, while Tharja glared at Chrom, her pitch black eyes threatening. Ever since he and Robin had become engaged, she'd been itching to curse him for capturing Robin'd affections. The only thing that stopped her was that Robin would hate her if she found out, which she probably would. The only other people who could cast curses and hexes besides her were Noire and Henry, who'd have no reason whatsoever to harm Chrom. She had found company in the "hale and hearty" Henry, one of the only people who she could truly trust, whose heart was even darker than hers. She didn't believe it was possible before she looked at it for herself. It turned out that they got along quite well in real life, too.
Noire walked into the large living room shyly.
"Umm.." Her voice trailed off as she looked around the vast space.
"Noire!" She was suddenly almost tackled by Brady, who held her close. "Oh, Noire, ya made it!"
"Brady!" The white-haired girl said. "It's so good to finally see you again!"
The violinist almost began to cry, sniffling.
"Huh? H-Hey! Don't cry!" Noire exclaimed, seeing him.
"I-I was just so scared for ya... Some of our friends couldn't make it out... If that happened to you, I'd..."
"No, it's okay!" The dark mage insisted. "... I just wish everyone else made it, too."
She sat down with all the rest of them, next to Brady.
Noire stood up to fix her seat before she stubbed her toe on the foot of the couch.
"BLOOD AND THUNDER!" She roared. "INSOLENT COUCH! HOW DARE YOU IMPEDE MY PATH? OBSERVE, AND FEEL THE WRATH OF AN IMMORTAL!"
"Noire, please calm down," Lucina placed a hand on her shoulder.
Noire took a deep breath in before letting it out.
"... Sorry," she sat down. "I still need to work on that."
They all watched TV until Maribelle sent a servant to get them for lunch.
Everybody sat down at the long table, being served steaming hot food. They all talked as they ate, filling each other in on their real lives. Tharja, Noire, and Brady were available on weekends to help search for Robin, the first especially willing.
"Once again, consider me your ally," Tharja laughed slowly. "For now."
Chrom sighed.
"Well, thank you for lunch, Libra, and Maribelle," he told them. "And it was so good to see you all again."
"Of course," Libra gave a sincere smile.
"Come back whenever you'd like," Maribelle said. "Well, not 'whenever', but you know what I mean!"
Chrom and his family left, returning home. Morgan was going to apply to a high school, while Lucina was tying to get into a college. The government agreed to make special amends for them as they were virtual children, but they were well-educated. Lissa was going to finish medical school, and Frederick was returning to his job as a police officer. Chrom, however, was the heir to his family's company, which owned and created the FullDive system. He was the head of the whole business, and had a lot of work to do once he got started. The temporary CEO of the company allowed him to have a month or two before he began working. Since all the rest of his family were all busy, he decided to play alone.
He laid down on his bed with his AmuSphere on, taking a deep breath.
"Link start."
He spawned in Cirria, at the spawn building. He walked outside and called Yui.
"Daddy?" She picked up.
"Hi, Yui, it's me."
"Oh, I missed you!" Her voice brightened.
"So did I," he smiled. "Where are you and your brother?"
"We're in Aldraun," she informed him. "Are you coming?"
"Yes," he began to open his wings. "I'll be there soon."
"Okay! I can't wait! I'll go tell Hiro! Bye!" the call abruptly ended.
Chrom laughed at his daughter's bubbly attitude as he flew towards Aldraun, which was two cities away, making sure to avoid the Grimleal's territory. He landed on the streets of the regal golden city, touching down carefully. The prince was about to message Yui again before he saw her running towards him, Hiro beside her. Yui's blue hair was now cut shorter, at her chest, and she wore her hair down. Hiro's hair had grown slightly longer, making him resemble his father even more.
Chrom held his arms open wide, the two twins jumping into them longingly.
"Daddy! You're back!" Hiro clung to him tightly.
"We missed you so much!" Yui said, hugging him like he was about to leave. "But we got stronger while you were gone! Much stronger! I think we could even take you on!"
"Oh yeah?" He asked. "Is that a challenge?"
"Yui!" Hiro protested.
"You bet it is!" Yui beamed. "And Hiro, this is the perfect chance to show Daddy how dedicated we really are!"
"... Oh fine," her brother gave in.
"Alright, let's duel outside the city, you two against me, if that's what you want," Chrom proposed.
"Let's do it! No holding back on either side!"
They made their way to the field outside the city and took their sides before Hiro sent the duel request. Chrom accepted it and set the duel mode to "Total Loss Sparring", a new mode they had added in Yume Online that allows the players to spar until one of their HP hits zero, however after the duel their HP is replenished to its original amount, good for sparring. They took their stances before the timer stopped. As soon as it hit zero, the twins lunged forward and attacked Chrom on either side. Although initially surprised by their perfect sync, he dodged their strikes and struck Yui, who blocked with her arm shield and pushed him back. The fact that she had such strength in her arm to even block his sword was impressive. Hiro then took the chance to jump above Chrom with his axe, which his father blocked skillfully before Yui managed to slash his leg. He stumbled back for a moment before dashing towards her, a critical activation occurring as he struck.
"Your end has come!"
Just as Falchion cut through her armor, he heard another skill activation to see an Astra mark over Hiro's head as he ran towards him.
"Take this!"
Chrom managed to dodge the first two and reflect the third one, however the last two hit him, one on his waist and the other on the rope holding his shoulder pauldron, causing his cape and armor to fall off. He skidded back on the ground, getting pushed back while Hiro returned to Yui's side, who was bleeding heavily.
"Heehee," she laughed. "You're really good, Daddy!"
"Thank you," he smiled. "The same goes for you both."
"You weren't going easy on us, were you?" Hiro asked.
"I wouldn't dream of it," Chrom replied honestly, drinking a concoction hastily. "Now let's get back to the fight!"
Yui's HP was a little under half gone, Hiro's nearly full, and Chrom's three quarters full. Yui had the most energy, while Hiro's was nearly depleted, and Chrom's half full. The battle could go either way.
Chrom ran towards the two, Yui chugging down a vulnerary before she and Hiro attacked at the same time, a skill activating simultaneously over both of them.
"Now we'll show you!"
Hiro's axe switched into a sword before they both stabbed him, Yui's sword in his torso while Hiro's was in his side. Chrom's HP dropped to 20/67 before he managed to impale Yui, her HP reaching zero. She disappeared before Hiro removed his sword from Chrom's side and fell back before his father landed the finishing blow, ending the duel. Their HP went back to normal and Yui respawned next to her brother, sighing.
"Aww... I really thought we could win that one!" She exclaimed, falling on the grass.
"No, it was evenly matched," he told her. "But I think you're just not completely used to fighting others yet."
"What do you mean?" Hiro asked. "We spar with each other all the time."
"Exactly," Chrom nodded. "You've fought with each other so many times that you know each other's moves and can counter them. However, in my case, you had to analyze my moves along the way and change your techniques according to them."
"Oh, I see..." Yui said.
"You two are definitely stronger and have better stats and skills than I do, but I have more experience," he summarized. "I fought different people on the battlefield every day, and I learned how to adjust."
He sighed, putting Falchion away and sitting down.
"That being said, you two are still really good!" He panted. "Better than some of the soldiers I fought in FE:A."
"You mean it?" Hiro asked.
"I do," Chrom ruffled his hair. "If you keep training hard, no doubt we'll find your mother soon."
Hiro smiled shyly, unused to such praise.
"Hm, but can I ask you something, Daddy?" Yui asked.
"Yes, what is it?"
"I noticed you don't have any activation skills," she fixed the strap of armor on her shoulder. "Are you planning on reclassing?"
"Well, I don't have any second seals or master seals," he said.
"Oh, we can give you some," Hiro piped up. "We're already in our final class."
"Hmm, come to think of it, you both were in different clothing the last time I was here," Chrom said.
"Yeah," Yui responded. "Last time I was a mercenary, and Hiro was a fighter. But we both promoted to heroes, and I'm pretty sure we won't be switching classes again."
The two both wore matching blue armor, however Hiro's shield was on his right arm instead of left because he was apparently left-handed.
Chrom pondered this, wondering if he should reclass himself.
"Wait, that skill you used before... Both of you used it at the same time. How did you do that?"
The two looked at each other.
"Well, I can explain how it works, but not how we got it," Hiro offered.
"What do you mean?"
"When NAGA sent us here, we both already had the skill. See?" He opened his menu, showing Chrom the skill. It was a picture of two swords parallel to each other, and the name of it was "Twin Blades". Under the info, it read, "Allows two units to strike as one."
"I see."
Hiro nodded.
"Basically, it does exactly what it says. It lets Yui and I combine our power to attack, but we both need to have enough energy and activate it at the same time," he explained. "It's a rare skill, but we still need to work on it."
"Yeah!" Yui stood up. "One day we'll perfect it and become the strongest!"
Chrom and Hiro both stood up as well, the former looking Yui in the eye.
"And what will you use that strength for?" He asked. "What is strength without purpose?"
Yui smiled warmly.
"I'll use it to bring back Mommy and protect everyone I love!" She beamed, her words echoing the ones Chrom once swore. The night after Emmeryn died, he had sworn that he'd use his strength to protect his kingdom and those who he cared about.
Suddenly there was a beeping noise, coming from Hiro's menu.
"Is it time?" Yui asked.
"Yeah."
"Time for what?" Chrom observed the alarm that his son turned off.
"The other players from FE:A are being transferred," Hiro said, closing his menu. "You should come with us, Daddy."
"Of course."
The three flew towards Junne, the city where the children were to be transferred. Upon arriving, they saw a large horde of fairies and fliers around the main building. Womem were simply called fairies, and men fliers, for some reason. Chrom peered over the heads of the people to see Gerome shooing them away.
"Back! Go away or I'll have Minerva eat you!" He said roughly, causing them to do so. The masked wyvern rider caught sight of Chrom and instructed his friends to follow him as they made their way through the crowd, with help from Minerva. Nah, Yarne, Kjelle, and Laurent all followed behind Gerome before they reached Chrom, Kjelle threatening to impale anyone who got too close while Yarne hid behind Nah. The crowd began to disperse after a while, much to their relief.
"Chrom," Gerome nodded.
"Gerome," Chrom replied before greeting everyone else.
"Hm? Who are they?" Yarne quivered from behind Nah, eyeing the twins.
"It's alright, they won't hurt you," Chrom sighed, feeling like he was talking to a toddler. "These are my twin children, Yui and Hiro."
Kjelle raised an eyebrow.
"I thought your wife was missing," she said.
"She is," Chrom responded. "They're from the future."
"Sir, I don't recall your having two more children in the future," Laurent adjusted his glasses.
"I know. It's... Complicated."
Hiro hid behind Chrom's cape while Yui bounced up to Nah.
"Hi! I'm Yui! What's your name?" She asked cheerfully.
"My name's Nah," she informed her before pausing. "N-A-H."
"Heehee! That's a pretty name!" Yui laughed. "Who's that behind you?"
"Oh, I think he's old enough to introduce himself," Nah stepped to the side, causing Yarne to flinch.
"Waahh!" He exclaimed, holding his arms in front of him defensively. "Don't hurt me!"
Yui shook her head.
"I don't wanna hurt you! I just want to know your name! And be your friend, maybe?"
After a second, Yarne put his arms down.
"M-My name's Yarne," he said. "It's nice to meet you... And sorry for getting all jumpy there. I am a rabbit, after all."
Yui's eyes lit up.
"A rabbit? Wow! You must be a taguel!" She looked him up and down like he was a toy at the store.
"Well, half, but yeah," he stammered.
"That's so cool! Can you turn into a rabbit for me?"
"W-What? Well, not here! People will think I'm a freak!"
Meanwhile, Chrom gently pushed Hiro forward.
"Hey, you should make friends with them like your sister," he encouraged him.
"Umm... I'm not good at making friends," Hiro said quietly. "I've never done it before."
It made sense. He had never had anyone but his sister for company before.
"Hey, there's a first time for everything, right?" Chrom insisted. "Just introduce yourself."
"... Okay," Hiro finally said, walking away slowly, towards Kjelle.
"Um.. Hi," the small boy said slowly, catching the brown-haired girl's attention. Hiro was a bit intimidated by her tall stature and bulky armor.
"Hey. You're Lucina's little brother, right?" She asked.
He nodded.
"Well, I guess you should know I'm dating your brother," she informed him. "Do you know where he is?"
"He's offline right now," he told her. "But he told me about you when he was buying me ice cream. He says he misses you."
That caused Kjelle to soften a bit.
"Does he now? Well, I'd like to see him soon," she said. "Would you mind asking him to visit me?"
"Okay," Hiro said. "But I think he'll come as soon as he finds out you're here."
"You do? Thanks, kid," she tilted her head. "Your name's Hiro, right?"
"Yes."
"Well, it's nice to meet you, Hiro," she held out her large armored hand, which Hiro shook shyly.
After they had all made acquaintances, Chrom added them to his friend list and the guild before he filled them in on the situation that had happened beforehand, and had the twins explain how they came to the present time.
"Hmm, that information seems to suffice as proof," Laurent examined the two. "For now, at least. But I'll have to verify it with some research."
"W-What? It's the truth!" Yui insisted.
"Don't mind him," Nah sighed.
The Shepherds all ate at a café and talked amongst themselves.
"Hey Kjelle, how did you and my brother first meet?" Hiro asked curiously, causing the girl to blush slightly.
"Gah, you make us sound like we're married..." She sighed. "But fine. Although he doesn't remember, we first met when we were kids. My mother took me to the palace and we became kind of like playmates, although I hung out with Lucina more at the time."
Hiro listened with undivided attention while Yui talked to Gerome.
"Your wyvern's pretty," she observed Minerva, who sat outside. "What's her name?"
"It's Minerva," he told her. "Now leave me be."
Yui frowned.
"Why do you have to be so mean?" She pouted. "Maybe some ice cream will make you feel better."
She spent the next ten minutes trying to get Gerome to eat some of her ice cream before they began to discuss guild matters.
"What are you all going to do while you wait to be de-virtualized?" Chrom asked.
"I think we should try to scrape some money together for the guild and look for Robin while we're at it," Kjelle suggested.
"Yes, that seems the most logical course of action," Laurent agreed.
"I'm in," Yarne said.
"So am I," Nah added.
"It's not like I've got anything better to do," Gerome sighed.
"Hey, would you all mind taking care of the twins while I'm gone?" He requested, but after seeing the two children's confused expressions, added, "Not that they can't take care of themselves, but I'd feel better knowing they're with you guys."
"Of course," Nah said. "We'll take good care of them!"
"Hey, you don't look much older than I do," Yui commented. It was true, as the two were about the same size and height.
Nah sighed.
"Oh, I might not look it, but I'm the same age as Yarne," she replied.
"Which is how old?" The blue-haired girl asked curiously.
"Sixteen," Yarne said.
"Whoa," Yui said in awe. "Well, I suppose in this world, I'm technically seventeen... But in the real world I'm supposed to be twelve."
A moment of stunned silence passed.
"... What?" Yui asked innocently.
"Yui, just how long have you been here?" Chrom looked at her.
She pondered that.
"About... Almost five years, within the game."
"... So you've been in this game for almost five weeks?" Her father asked.
She nodded.
"That's when NAGA sent us back. But since a whole real life year happens in one week, in the gameplay each year only represents a quarter year of the whole in-game year," Yui explained. "So one in-game year takes four weeks. But age is essentially calculated according to quarter years, which are closer to real life years, in which case Hiro and I would be seventeen if we aged."
The hero girl yawned, stretching her arms out.
"But I'm glad we're not," she said cheerfully. "I like being a kid!"
This made Chrom look at them in a whole different perspective. Each week that passed in the real world was a year to them. It must be tediously slow, considering they had to wait over a week in-game just to greet him "good night."
"... Oh," he finally said.
"Don't worry, Daddy," Hiro tugged on his father's arm with a reassuring smile. "We'll be fine."
Author's Note: Thank you, everyone, for your reviews, follows, and favorites! I'm also sorry for not posting sooner, I'm preparing to head back home from my vacation. The next chapter will be up in a day or two, depending on where you live. Also, I hope the cover image doesn't look too bad! I have another one I can use if you guys want. i spent like thirty minutes of the plane ride making them for fun, lol. Please leave feedback if you enjoyed, and stay tuned for the next chapter!