A/N: I apologize for the late posting of this story and my Honkai crossover, but part of it was that I had broken part of my left-hand during work which impeded much of my writing. But thankfully I had this chapter done and sent off to Greatkingrat88 for beta work before my accident, and thanks to him for his efforts on this chapter.
My writing is continuing, I just needed to adjust to having the limited use of one hand, but thankfully I am right-handed.
I will admit I was uneasy about posting this chapter, mostly because of the beginning battle and the fact it involves my OC villain. I had sought advice from other writers to address my concerns, which was because anyone who played Fire Emblem Heroes would know the side, they are facing has a lack of information on certain characters and such, prompting me to fill in the blanks.
Since there are no reviews, I cannot PM too, let's move on.
Chapter 14
Time has no meaning in a dream
Located in the realm of light, the land of Vanaheimr was a lush, tropical land, home to its divine inhabitants, the Vanir. Usually their pristine realm of light and beauty was closed off to mortals, existing in a separate realm of its own. Today, that rule had been broken by force. Not only had mortals entered their domain, but they brought war and death to the realm.
Standing upon a plateau overlooking the capital of Vanaheimr, marked by the Vanaheimr Castle in the center was Ieyasu, with his Keyblade planted in the ground and his hands atop it.
"Is everything ready?" Ieyasu asked, as a group of figures approached from behind.
One of them was a young woman with short blonde hair, dressed in a revealing outfit that showed off her voluptuous figure. It was mostly white, including the mask with a white lens covering the single eye hole on the left side. She wore a veil around her head, attached to the silver crown she wore, and had black boots and white knee caps.
"The Netherbeasts are awaiting your signal to attack the city," The blonde woman answered.
"The Black Mages are likewise ready. The Black Waltzes are overseeing them," said a second figure.
He was a man in his mid-twenties, with an extravagant appearance. He had long silver hair, a white feather sticking out from his hair, and he had light blue eyes and a pale complexion. His attire was even more revealing than his companion's; his midriff and thighs were left bare, and he had long white sleeves, a violet cape around his shoulders and long dark purple boots with golden buckles.
"Ruby and Emerald Weapon are ready as well as the Magitek infantry we brought into the realm are awaiting the signal," said the third figure.
Last to arrive, the final arrival showed even more skin than either of her companions, wearing a risqué take on a witch's attire. She had long, scarlet hair, thickly braided and adorned with bows, a black witch's hat on top of her head, long black boots, and carried a wooden staff in one hand.
"Excellent. Let us begin," Ieyasu said, gathering magical power into his Keyblade.
"So what is this signal supposed to be?" The silver-haired man asked.
"You'll see. It will be quite the spectacle," Ieyasu said with a cold smile as he began chanting, a white fog manifesting to blanket the area around them before flowing into the city itself. "She will turn all of fate's misfortune to nothing. She will flood the earth with magic, and take all of humanity into her play."
Suddenly a procession of giant stuffed animals appeared out of the fog. Elephants appeared, marching on the ground, pulling something behind them lurking in the sky high above. Carriages, stuffed animals and other oddities that wouldn't be out of place of a circus parading through a town surrounded them. As they marched towards the city below, the sky darkened as storm clouds gathered, a strong wind picking up.
"A moving stage construction," Ieyasu chanted, a magical circle forming around him as the spell neared completion. "If everything is a play, no unhappy things will exist. It may be a tragedy, but it will all be part of the script. The play stops on Walpurgisnacht, and the earth does not turn even once more. The story will not change. Tomorrow, and the day after, is the night of Walpurgis!"
In the sky above the clouds parted, revealing the giant creature the elephants below were towing. With the summoning complete it broke its bindings. Its twin gear body separated briefly as mountains and palm trees were torn from the ground and pulled into the sky around it. Attached to the gear from below was a girl in a blue dress with a smiling face and long white sleeves, looking more like a doll than a living being. Ieyasu stared at the creature he had summoned, his allies watching in stunned silence as it advanced upon the city.
How ironic. Walpurgisnacht was once my most hated enemy, killing my friends. No matter how many times Homura reset the timeline, we never won. But now, I have tamed it and made it a weapon, mine to command, Ieyasu mused. The irony of visiting upon others the terror he had once suffered was not lost on him. The conversion of the monster into a being he could summon through a spell was quite demanding and dangerous, but worth it in the end.
The palm trees decorating much of the landscape were uprooted and carried off into the sky as Walpurgisnacht approached, along with some of the smaller buildings surrounding Vanaheimr that were torn from their foundations and ripped into the air. Hurricane-strength winds began surging through the city, adding to the chaos spreading as panic gripped the city's inhabitants. The soldiers protecting the city rapidly mobilized, using lances infused with magic to fire bolts of light energy at the giant monster flying over their city. Their attacks did little to stop Walpurgisnacht, the monstrous creature continuing to laugh madly. It countered with summoning small magical girl-like creatures by the dozen, the night starry sky making up their bodies, to attack the soldiers shooting it.
"Alright, begin the attack. Have the Black Mages summon our soldiers in. Tell them to spare no one save for perhaps Lady Nerþuz, should she appear," Ieyasu commanded.
"Why spare her?" The blonde woman asked
"She is the only goddess in this realm with no ill intentions towards humanity, so I have no grievances with her. Everyone else, especially this realm's ruler along Seiðr and Heiðr shall not be spared. Those two must be found- first Seiðr and then Heiðr, and killed in that order," Ieyasu commanded. "Kuja, have Black Waltzes one and two take a pack of Netherbeasts to begin hunting them down."
"Understood. And what of Black Waltz Three and the Prototype?"
"Unleash them upon the city. Remember, other than Lady Nerþuz, give no quarter."
"As you command," Kuja said, exiting to fulfil his orders.
"What of the rest of us?" The blonde woman inquired.
"You and Irene will accompany me. After all, even with the spell Zeref, Irene and I have designed to give us an advantage, a god should never be taken lightly as an opponent," Ieyasu replied, gesturing for Irene and the woman to accompany him.
Meanwhile, as the defenders of Vanaheimr were occupied with Walpurgisnacht, the Black Mages summoned the rest of Ieyasu's amassed forces: Netherbeasts and Magitek troopers. The stuffed animal-like creatures transformed, becoming nightmarish monsters that towered over the soldiers defending the city. Their attack was swift and brutal, the Netherbeasts using their claws to rend flesh and armor, their fang-filled mouths biting off the heads or limbs of their victims.
The Magitek troopers, many of them armed with serrated blades, rushed the distracted defenders with cold reckless abandon, claiming the lives of those unable to notice the new threat in time. Ieyasu's tactic of attacking while the defenders were occupied with Walpurgisnacht claiming many lives among the defenders in a short time thanks to the attack being well-timed.
The defenders turned their attention to the attacking enemy force even as they saw many of their own fall to the initial surprise attack, they shouted a battle cry determined to defend their fallen comrades. As the two enemies clashed Walpurgisnacht continued its attack, ripping buildings off their foundations and lifting them high into the sky while its familiars continued their hit and run attacks on the city's defenders.
"Now, Black Waltz III, be sure to keep a tight hold on the Prototype," Kuja said, approaching the creature.
Black Waltz III was tall and imposing, wearing a tattered blue robe. It had a blue feathered collar with a tall, conic straw hat. Its white pants and simple shoes and gloves hid just how malevolent the creature was, and where its face should have been was a black void with two glowing yellow eyes.
"Understood," The Black Waltz replied stoically.
"Have the Black Mages advance. Provide support for Ieyasu's metal soldiers and our Netherbeast allies."
The Black Waltz nodded, turning to the army before him. "Advance all of them. Aid our allies!"
"Kill!" The Black Mages replied.
The Black Mages were similar to the Black Waltz, wearing simple purple and white robes with straw hats on their heads hiding a black void with yellow eyes. Unlike the Black Waltzes however, the Black Mages were in many ways no different from Magitek troopers, designed to robotically carry out their orders, possessing only limited intelligence, just sufficient for casting spells and following orders, and their vocabulary was limited.
Using their magic, the Black Mages kept to the back of the ranks of the Netherbeasts and the Magitek troopers, using support magic to augment their combat capabilities while healing any harm they suffered. Some used more offensive spells like lightning and fireballs to assault the enemy, to create openings for their allies to strike.
The Prototype was very different, unleashed upon the battlefield with a tight leash around its nec, the Black Waltz guiding it. It looked much like its master, wearing a long white robe but lacking the feathers, and its hands and feet were red. Its hat wasn't made of straw, white just like the rest of it with a black void for a head with red malevolent eyes. Everall, the Prototype looked like a demonic spirit had possessed a set of clothes.
"Now kill our enemies!" The Black Waltz commanded.
With a bone-chilling roar the Prototype rushed the enemy soldiers with reckless abandon, unleashing ice magic from its hands, freezing much of the street and enemy combatants unfortunate enough to be in front of it. It kept charging forward, smashing its frozen victims into pieces. The soldiers trying to fend it off broke and ran, but red threads erupted from its body, seizing them as they fled. The tendrils wrapped around the fleeing men and drained them of their life force, leaving only withered husks in its wake.
The few soldiers brave enough to attack the towering ten-foot-tall monster found, to their horror, that all of their attacks were rendered useless as the Prototype regenerated. It promptly retaliated, killing its attackers by picking them up and smashing them through a nearby wall.
In the Northern area of the city, the battle wasn't faring much better for the Vanir.
"What in Njörðr's name is that?!" A panicked soldier called out.
A towering red and black eight-meter-tall monster soared down from the sky, looking like the stuff of nightmares. But the defenders wouldn't know it was a biotechnological war machine piloted by a woman within a sphere-shaped cockpit. The pilot, with red hair, orange eyes and eggplant-colored skin, called out.
"Enemy sighted, commencing attack!" The female pilot said, reclining in the chair as she steered the weapon toward the ground to begin its assault. Landing with a thundering crash, the biotechnological weapon knocked over a building, crushing some of the city's defenders using one of its arms before using its other arm to flatten another building to crush the defenders hiding behind it.
"Behold the Ruby Weapon, the last thing you will ever see!"
The city's defenders converged upon the attacking war machine, but a surge of lightning erupted from the machine in a sphere-like explosion of energy, knocking the defenders back. Those too close to it were killed outright. Those far enough away to avoid being caught were the first to recover and boldly charge forward, intent on avenging their fallen comrades. However, a sphere of blue light engulfed the machine, vanishing from sight before reappearing behind them.
"Commencing high-velocity assault!" The female pilot cried, red energy surging around the machine as it hovered off the ground, before the thrusters on its back propelled it forward, running down the defenders caught in its path while bulldozing its way through any buildings or structures in its path. The Ruby Weapon didn't even continue in a straight line, making quick, sharp turns, catching the fleeing defenders by surprise.
"Ugh, such speed… but I am still in control," the pilot remarked, awed by both the machine's speed and its handling. Its next attack saw the Ruby Weapon conjure red orbs around itself, from which beams of red energy cut down more of the defenders trying to rally in vain to fight against it.
"Careful, Milisandia. Don't get overconfident with Ruby Weapon's capabilities."
The voice came from a small screen on the cockpit, displaying a man in his twenties with spiky blue hair, brown skin, orange eyes and white scales on his forehead and cheeks, and white horns on the side of his head.
"Overconfident? Brother, we are massacring them with ease. But these divine beings, they are similar to the targets these Weapons were built to cut down. But I still feel we're killing them too easily," Milisandia said, sounding troubled.
"We have Lady Irene's enchantment upon this Sleeping World to thank for that, I suppose," Milisandia's brother conceded. "Regardless, I'll be covering you from the rear, the enemy is looking to rally southeast of your location."
"Understood. Be careful, Rex."
Milisandia's brother, Rex, pilot of the Ruby Weapon's sibling, dubbed Emerald Weapon, was quite different, closer to a floating suit of emerald armor. With no visible legs or arms, the machine floated a few meters off the ground having only an armored skirt housing its thrusters while its large pauldron with a blade built into them. But what it lacked in limbs, it made up for it with sheer firepower.
From behind and in front, its pauldrons housed a pair of energy beam cannons, whose direction could be determined by the pilot. All eight cannons, two on each side of the Emerald Weapon's pauldrons, fired simultaneously in a continued burst, tearing through structures and more of the city's defenders before it began slowly spinning in a full circle, demolishing everything around it.
With the battle raging through the streets of the city, from the palace Njörðr, ruler of the realm, was speaking to two of his guards, being brought up to speed on the sudden attack on the city. He was the God of the Seas and the ruling deity of the realm, and his face was one in between shock and rage. His yellow eyes narrowed, trying to determine a course of action to defeat the invaders, while his red gloved hands tightened over the cane he held. He wore blue and black robes complete with a light blue cape, and had white hair and pale gray skin.
"Sir, maybe we should… -ack," An invisible force gripped him, and the second guard quickly suffered the same before their necks were snapped right before Njörðr. Suddenly the doors to his spacious throne room were thrown open, as Ieyasu, Irene and the blonde woman entered the room.
"Njörðr, God of the Sea and the pettiest god in all of existence," Ieyasu said, mockingly, disgust in his voice. "I am Ieyasu Partas, leader of the Harbingers of New Genesis, and with me are my comrades Irene Belserion and Brigadier. We've come to kill you and end your designs on the Golden Seer."
Rage was written in Njörðr's face, and offence by the arrogance of the humans before him, but it vanished when Ieyasu mentioned the Golden Seer, clearly stunned. The god looked stunned.
"Don't be so surprised. My Keyblade allows me to see potential futures, and I saw what your plan with the Golden Seer entailed. Naturally I cannot allow this, as she could interfere with my plans, but also threaten the descendants of my beloved first child." Ieyasu's expression darkened. "All the more reason you must die."
"You mortals cannot challenge a god!" Njörðr snarled.
"No, I think we can. But as I told my friends a short time ago, never underestimate a god in battle. Even though we went through a lot to prepare for this confrontation, I am taking no chances," Ieyasu said, and a small portal opened near him. Reaching inside he pulled out an unusually designed sword, with a red eye-like gem below the hilt.
"You ladies might want to stand back," Ieyasu warned, holding the sword out before him. "Incursio!"
Power erupted from the sword, as an armored figure manifested behind Ieyasu. Its face mask broke away to reveal a dragon-like creature underneath. The released power swirled around Ieyasu, encasing his body in gray and white armor. The armor seemed somehow alive, as parts of it looked organic, in some sense creating a hybrid between armor and dragon. From his back erupted a pair of wings, one dragon-like wing, the other wing was angelic in nature.
"Now, shall we begin?!" Ieyasu declared, holding his Keyblade in one hand and a double-ended red-bladed spear in the other.
While the attack on Vanaheimr was happening, Lelouch and company were heading towards Múspell, seeking to learn the secret behind Surtr's invulnerability. The group was making a beeline for the border town nearest to their destination, hoping to reach it before nightfall. Along the way they had encountered another group of Nightmares, a small group of about a dozen nightmares consisting mostly of Sir Kyroo nightmare spirits. Triandra and Plumeria attacked from the rear, using their magic to take out some of the Nightmares, and the explosive impact of their magical attack stunned and confused the rest.
Lelouch's Dream Eater, his Zolephant, hit another Sir Kyroo. Although it tried to block the stream of water with its shield, the attack was to create an opening for Lelouch's Halbird to dive down from the sky and attack, launching bladed feathers against the creature, quickly dispatching it. Lelouch himself conjured a storm of lightning to rain down upon the Nightmares, while he and Fjorm moved in and mopped up the rest of them. The Princess stuck using her spear in a sweeping attack, knocking the remaining frog-like warriors to the ground before impaling one through the chest.
Azem on the other hand hung back, observing the group, impressed with how well-coordinated their attack was.
"Well done," Azem said, as Lelouch cut the head off the last of the Nightmares. "You handled them expertly."
"You didn't join in," Fjorm noted, her tone neutral.
"There was no need. You already had them well under control," Azem complimented.
"I suppose. The Nightmares we've been running into have been pretty small," Fjorm conceded.
"Maybe we wiped out more of the Nightmares in Nifl than we thought previously. Or perhaps there weren't that many in this region of Zenith," Plumeria offered. "Not that I am complaining."
"Yes, but…" Fjorm said, looking worryingly at Lelouch.
No one said anything further. They all knew Lelouch had a lot to process to put it lightly. That last evening had been… quite something.
"What did you say?" Lelouch said, eyes wide.
"Emet-Selch is your great-grandfather," Azem repeated.
"What?!" Lelouch exclaimed.
"How, exactly?" Fjorm asked.
"Well, I mentioned how Emet-Selch was behind Britannia, using its pre-destined rise to power to further the goals of the Harbingers. They seeded some of the genes of my people into the Britannian populace, those able to use magic. Part of it included inserting those possessing genes of my people able to use magic, but they are better referred to as breeding stock, especially the Royal Family. Unfortunately, there was one problem. The 96th Emperor of Britannia at the time, Octavian eu Britannia," Azem began.
"They called him the reincarnation of Octavian Augustus, the first Roman Emperor. I remember him being known for his devious cunning and manipulation of politics, and how all opposition to his rule and policies suffered some tragic fate or simply vanished with no evidence, suggesting the Emperor was involved," Lelouch said, recalling his history classes. Octavian was hailed as the most cunning and devious of Emperors, but also one of the most successful, having pursued an aggressive modernization program, bringing forth an age of technological innovation, leading to Britannia seizing more territory in the Pacific. He laid the groundwork for future Emperors, especially Charles zi Britannia, giving them the means to begin their aggressive campaigns of conquest, which would later include Japan and others.
"Yes, that is true, but with the original Octavian he only shared the fact he was born sicky, having a weak body that kept him bedridden. However, when he suddenly died young, it threatened the Harbingers' plans. Emet-Selch possessed his dead body, resurrecting it, now having taken the child's body for his own," Azem revealed.
"He can do that? And no one noticed that a living corpse was Emperor?" Plumeria said, stunned.
"Because he spent much of his childhood in bed, very few people interacted with the boy, making it easier for Emet-Selch to take over his identity as his own. Furthermore, since his power restores the body to life, Octavian grew up into a healthy and strong adult, with one of the longest reigns of any Emperor to date, living to a hundred years old. All of his actions as Emperor laid the groundwork for the Harbingers' plans, and while I am sure he didn't care for it, he took on many consorts to sire children, each of them possessing a mix of my blood and his."
"Leading to the Emblem of Blood incident," Lelouch said grimly.
"Emblem of Blood?" Fjorm inquired.
"It was one of the bloodiest periods of Britannian History. There were too many potential and capable heirs for the throne. No one knows how it happened, but after one popular and beloved prince who was next in line for the throne was violently assassinated, it triggered a period of bloodshed among the royal family. When the dust settled, dozens of heirs lay dead." Lelouch said, thankful that he and Nunnally weren't alive during such a period.
"This was likely unintentional on Emet-Selch's part. Things spiraled out of control, with other candidates for the throne ending up dead. Even family members not in direct competition for the throne or the parents of those in the line of succession weren't safe. By the end of it, Charles zi Britannia was among the survivors and would be the one to overthrow his father and claim the throne," Azem explained.
"Aren't you leaving something out?" Lelouch asked. There had to be something more to it. "You implied that even after Octavian had died, Emet-Selch remained involved in Britannia as some kind of power behind the throne?"
"Yes, he did. Even when he allowed Octavian's body to finally die of old age, he simply took a new and younger body allowing him to be, as you said, a power behind the throne. This kept on until Charles cast him out after overthrowing his father. I suspect Emet-Selch allowed it, having built Britannia up to where it needed to be for the plans for the Harbingers without needing him. Still, I can't imagine he would've taken well to that," Azem said, with a hand on her chin in contemplation.
"I see. So his goal would be using Britannia without Charles realizing, to attack other worlds, fulfilling Britannia's intended purpose," Lelouch said, understanding the scope of their plans.
"Yes, and I think part of the reason the Harbingers exiled you to Fódlan was to use you as a means to unify the other worlds against Britannia, thus fulfilling another objective of the Harbingers," Azem said.
"Both as revenge against Emperor Charles for casting him out, and to use the threat of Britannia to draw out any factions that could oppose the Harbingers," Lelouch said with a look of troubled realization.
"That's it, yes. They would use the resulting chaos across the worlds to draw out more Keyblade Wielders to further their plans as a bonus."
"To go that far for the sake of his end goals…" Triandra said, knowing that such a plan, if successful, would lead to the deaths of millions, if not billions across the worlds.
"To the Harbingers, casualties from collateral damage of their plans wouldn't matter much since using Kingdom Hearts would return the world to a blank slate, a state from which they could remake the universe however they like," Azem said frankly. "Their followers and the worlds who have sworn allegiance to them would survive it through."
"So what would my actions be for, then?" Lelouch said bitterly. His efforts to topple Britannia would only serve the plans of another group seeking to reset the universe and kill almost everyone in it.
"You know what the Harbingers are planning now, and how you fit into this. If you are clever enough, you can turn their own plan against them, save your sister, destroy Britannia on your own terms, and put a stop to the Harbingers opening Kingdom Hearts. The only question you need to ask is: do you have the will to do this and see it through, even after saving Nunnally?"
As of that night, Lelouch's mind had been focused only on this revelation, Fjorm, Plumeria and Triandra silently agreeing to leave him be to process everything he had been told. It was clear he had no desire to be anyone's puppet for the sake of their own plans.
Fjorm looked at Lelouch with regret in her eyes, unsure of how to help. She wanted to, but didn't know how. Lelouch remained quiet, as the group pressed on to their next destination.
Elsewhere in the world of dreams; Peony and Claude arrived in the dream of another member of Lelouch's class, hoping to recruit them.
"So, whose dream is this? Seems really cozy, but they went really heavy on the pink and red through," Claude commented, looking around.
They were inside a castle or mansion, judging by the architecture and the stone work. The place had pink painted walls with red pillars, flowers decorating the windows and the pillars themselves. The room was even filled with a relaxing and pleasant floral smell that was easy on the senses.
"I think your answer is right there," Peony said, pointing to the owner of the dream.
Claude directed his eyes to the figure in question before shaking his head in amusement, "Oh I should've seen this coming a mile away. Even in her dreams, she is lazy."
Hilda was resting soundly, in what could be called a throne of soft plush pink pillows, looking like a lazy kitten enjoying a cat nap.
"Are you sure we need her? Because I don't think we're dragging her out of this dream," Claude said, shrugging his shoulders.
"Well, let me try," Peony said, deciding to try first, flying over to begin lightly shaking Hilda by the shoulder to wake her up. "Excuse me, you have visitors Miss Hilda!"
Claude watched Peony slowly wake Hilda from her slumber. She looked at Peony.
"Oh, this is new, I have visitors. I guess it's a nice change of pace," Hilda commented sleepily.
She got Hilda up- but big surprise, she thinks we're part of her dream, Claude thought, sighing.
"Sorry to bother you, but we need a bit of help. We were wondering if you could come with Claude and I," Peony asked sweetly.
"Okay, sure," Hilda said with a yawn.
"Huh," Claude said, having expected Hilda to try and make an excuse to get out of it.
"To be honest, maybe a good walk around might be good for me. I can remember how long I've been resting, but I am sure we could grab a bite to eat first," Hilda replied as she got up, stretching her arms and then her back. "Oh, Claude is here too."
"Finally noticed me, huh?" Claude replied, amused.
"Yeah, this is definitely a dream, so maybe we can have a little fun," Hilda said. Claude chuckled, but he was quick to hide it. "So, who are we helping?"
"Lelouch, but we need to at least get two more people," Peony replied.
"Who else did you have in mind?" Hilda asked.
"There are only a few people left. I have yet to convince them to leave their dream," Peony said, using her magic to weave another portal.
"Ok, in that case, lead the way," Hilda said, following Peony with Claude close behind, wondering whose dream they would visit next.
Later that day as the sun was beginning to set, Lelouch and company arrived at a border town located near the border of Múspell. They had encountered a few more scattered groups of Nightmare spirits along the way, but like the others they were easily dealt with. Throughout it all Lelouch had remained quiet. As they arrived, Azem and Fjorm quickly searched the town. It was empty, desolate, and the town was frozen in time with the homes in pristine condition. The group chose the largest of the buildings to rest for the night, intending to enter Múspell the next morning.
"This place looks like it was an inn," Plumeria commented as she entered the building alongside Azem, noticing a desk and a dining room reminiscent of a traditional roadside stop.
"It should be ideal for what we need, then," Azem said.
Once the group was inside they closed the door, with Azem casting spells to reinforce the entrance and create a protective shield around the grounds of the inn. Plumeria and Triandra watched Lelouch head upstairs to rest. The two exchanged glances, but neither knew what they could say to him. Fjorm, on the other hand, glanced at Azem who was busy, and then to the two dökkálfr who seemed uncertain. Fjorm wasn't sure what to do either, but Lelouch's Tama Sheep nudged her leg. Looking down at the Dream Eater, it looked… sad. Fjorm knew she had to do something. Heading upstairs, she followed Lelouch into the room he had chosen to occupy at the end of the hall. Before Lelouch could lock the door she followed him inside, catching him by surprise. Lelouch was caught off guard by the determined look in Fjorm's eyes.
"I need to talk to you," she said.
"What do you want?"
"That is a question I should be asking you," Fjorm said, folding her arms. "Do you think you can just keep quiet and say nothing to anyone? Even your Dream Eaters are worried for you. So maybe I should ask what is wrong?"
"I…" Lelouch began, but the words wouldn't leave his lips. Looking into his eyes, Fjorm began to understand.
"I think," she began, her voice soft and empathetic, "that what you've been going through in this dream world is taking its toll on you. There is a lot on your shoulders, and… you can't really sleep in a dream world, can you?"
"Maybe. This is just… a lot to take in," Lelouch admitted, sitting down on the bed.
"Too much is more like it. I doubt you took well to all you've endured. The kidnapping of your sister, being banished to this world… have you even had a proper rest?"
"Physically, yes, but even in my dreams I've been made to train," Lelouch answered. Fjorm looked shocked.
"Then your mind needs a break too."
"Perhaps," Lelouch said as Fjorm sat down next to him. "But what am I supposed to do about the Harbingers' plans for me? I refuse to be their puppet."
"Maybe instead of trying to solve every problem at once, just focus on what you can deal with right now. For one, give your mind a chance to rest. It will give you some much needed clarity of mind to think. And second, I vowed to help you as a repayment, so you'll have me as an ally," Fjorm said softly.
"But don't you have your people and your revenge against Surtr to take care of?"
"Yes, but until my world is restored, I can't do anything about it, can I? Who knows how long that could take," Fjorm offered reassuringly. "Regardless, I will help you in any way I can."
Lelouch wanted to protest, but he was deterred by the determined look in Fjorm's eyes and the realization that she was right. Considering all that had been happening to him since Ashford Academy, the constant training, education and even training when his body was asleep, his mind had been exhausted without any true rest. His inability to come up with a sound counter-argument seemed to only reinforce this.
"Maybe I can help. It may not be the same, but since you found me unconscious in this world, perhaps it could work as a temporary solution to help your mind rest," Fjorm suggested, putting a hand on Lelouch's shoulder, before crawling onto the bed and pulling Lelouch into her embrace, resting his head against her chest, the rest of him leaned against her.
"Fjorm, I…" Lelouch tried to protest, but he could feel a drowsiness he hadn't felt since he had first entered this world begin to wash over him. Overwhelmed with weariness, Lelouch drifted to sleep in Fjorm's embrace, losing consciousness. Thanks to a subtle spell Lelouch quickly passed out, falling into slumber within a dream.
"Given how fast that worked, you must really need a break," Fjorm said, looking down at the sleeping Lelouch.
"If only Peony was here, she could've given Lelouch a good dream," Azem said, having quietly opened the door without Fjorm noticing.
"I am sorry, I-" Fjorm began, feeling embarrassed. With Lelouch asleep on top of her she feared what Azem might think, but the mentor raised a hand to calm her worries.
"No, he needed it. After all that happened, he deserves a rest. I suppose this means I can leave Lelouch with you until morning?"
"Yes, I'll look after him," Fjorm replied, relieved that her intentions were not misunderstood.
"Good," Azem said, leaving and closing the door.
Fjorm could only sigh, but she didn't move, allowing Lelouch to sleep peacefully for the first time in months.
Meanwhile, Peony had led Claude and Hilda to their next destination, the dream of one of their fellow students. However, unlike Hilda's dream, the location was familiar to them.
"Isn't this the mess hall at the monastery?" Hilda said, having expected their destination to be somewhat grander.
"Yeah, and I think it's clear who this dream belongs to," Claude said, trying to suppress a laugh while pointing to one of the long tables. On the table in question was a banquet assortment of sweets dotted the table, most prominently cakes of different kinds. At the head of the table was Lysithea, who was happily indulging in the banquet of sweets before her.
"Excuse me, Miss Lysithea," Peony said cheerfully, approaching the white-haired girl. "Your fellow classmates are going to help Lelouch. Would you be interested?"
"Really?" Lysithea said, wiping her mouth with a napkin. "What kind of issue?"
"We're trying to help him unlock his powers with the Keyblade more, but we are showing him some new magic spells. I was told you might be interested in learning them too if you like," Peony replied.
That sounds prepared somehow, Claude wondered.
"I see," Lysithea said, taking a sip from her drink. "Very well, I could use a good walk around after eating this many sweets."
"Yay, let's go then. We just need to get one more person," Peony said, cheering at the successful recruitment.
"Who is next?" Claude asked, as Peony opened another portal.
"You'll see," Peony said, heading through the gate.
I guess like Hilda, Lysithea thinks this is all a dream. Maybe we could explore some of the dreams of my fellow classmates. You never know what useful information you could gleam from their dreams, Claude thought with a grin.
A/N: It looks like Peony is gathering people to help Lelouch, but for what reason I wonder?
Next chapter Lelouch and company reach their intended destination, if divine beings are awake could they encounter a hostile reception?
And what will become of Ieyasu's remaining targets once he takes down Njörðr, hopefully they will escape him or maybe find someone who could help him.
Also Lelouch is dealing with revelation the Harbingers and Emet-Selch, took advantage of the predestined rise of Britannia to further their own goals and manipulate it, such as seeding much of their population with those bearing Azem's genes, especially among the Royal Family to ensure the possibility of people in Britannia developing the means to use magic, which might explain why Lelouch's own magical abilities have grown rather quickly.
Anyway that is it for this chapter, next I'll likely post a chapter for my Honkai story with a chapter for my Fate/Grand Order crossover to follow soon afterwards, so stay tuned and thanks for reading.