A/N: And now in this chapter you'll finally learn how our OC protagonist found himself in the world of Final Fantasy IV.

Fight the Knight

Yurisa: "I would like to say the stubborn old man got what was coming to him, but... I'd feel terrible for doing that."

Kyo: "I agree. He may have been too hung up on getting revenge, but he didn't deserve such a fate."

Sasuke: "A cautionary tale of a man with nothing left to lose, willing to go out in a blaze of glory to avenge someone he loved, only to fail and die in the end. Still... gotta give him credit for realizing his folly in his last moments, and advising us not to follow the path he did."

Sora: "I feel bad for Kain. He was in love with a woman who only had eyes for another man and had a huge rivalry with his best friend, and then had those feelings taken advantage of by some malevolent force. That sounds a lot like Riku. Only while Riku was manipulated through lies and deceit, Kain was put under a spell that enhanced those feelings in a negative way."

Sasuke: "Just goes to show that there are many ways to make someone your puppet."

Kairi: "No kidding! So with one more Archfiend down and all the Light Crystals in Golbez's hands what happened next?"

Sasuke: "Well actually... We're about to enter the part where I finally discover how I found myself in the Land of Twin Moons in the first place."

"Wh-what's happening to me? Am I... falling? It's so dark. It's so cold. No warmth. No light. Is this what true darkness feels like? Is this...the end for me?"

"No! It is not your time, young knight!"

"Huh?"

"The darkness shall not have you!"

I awoke with a start. That dream again. Falling into darkness, a voice in my head, and then a tear in the darkness out of which came a blinding light. You'd think I would be used to this recurring dream by this point.

Anyway, it had been a few days since the Tower of Zot. The first thing we did was check on the kingdom. According to Biggs and Wedge, Baron had been slowly recovering from the impostor king's rule. Rosa's mother was delighted to see her alive and well, and couldn't stop thanking Cecil for bringing her back. We had expected her to be against Rosa continuing to accompany us in the fight against Golbez, but she was surprisingly supportive, claiming that she believed her daughter would be safe with Cecil. Meanwhile, Cid's daughter gave him an earful for worrying her for so long. I've never seen an old man cower in the face of his own offspring.

We then decided to take the Enterprise around the world in search of the entrance to the so-called 'Underworld', starting with familiar territory. I had actually requested that we start with Mist. I just felt the need to see Rydia's home village for myself, and Cecil agreed, wanting to face the aftermath of one of his mistakes. When we arrived, we were surprised to see that there were survivors, and that they had been rebuilding the village since the disaster. Surprisingly, Cecil came clean about what happened, gotta admire his integrity. And even more surprisingly, unlike Mysidia whose mages met him with hostility, the people of Mist showed no malice towards him. They seemed to understand that Cecil didn't know what he was actually sent there to do until it was too late, that he was tricked into slaying the Mist Dragon, thus killing the village's best summoner in turn, as well delivering a package that would set the village on fire. Sadly, none of the survivors were trained summoners, so we were out of luck on that front. Also they couldn't help us in our quest, as the only thing they could tell us about the underworld was that the entrance to the land of the eidolons, Feymarch, was said to be hidden somewhere deep underground.

After that we traveled to villages we've been to before to gather information, lucky for us the Enterprise was fast. In Troia, we told Edward what had happened to Tellah and he expressed sorrow for his beloved Anna's father. We also told the Epopts and Jessie about losing the Earth Crystal, which went just about how I predicted it would, the guard captain being upset while the sisters of faith still believed in the paladin. In Kaipo, we told the people what became of their resident sage, and mourned the loss of a respected wizard and planned to build a memorial for him and his daughter. In Damcyan, we told the survivors where their prince was currently recovering, the citizens and advisors relieved to know Prince Edward was alright. In Fabul, Yang was able to catch up with his wife, and High Master Long, Fabul's equivalent to a King, said he planned to step down and give his title to Yang after the conflict with Golbez was over. Kain had decided to stay in the airship for that particular visit, seeing how he took part in invasion so the monks probably wouldn't be happy to see him. None of these places could give us any useful information however.

We even took a quick stop at this small island south of Fabul with a village called Mythril. It was inhabited by small yet intelligent creatures, including toads and pigs, both bipedal and capable of human speech, as well as small elf-like people. Their primary trade was mining and processing...well, mythril, the same metal my Moon Cutter was made from. They use it to craft various weapons and armor. There was also a cave southeast of the village called the Adamant Isle Grotto, where the even rarer adamantite metal could occasionally be found, and a family of elven folk lived whose patriarch collected tails. Oddly, sometimes that place was its own separate island, and sometimes it's connected to Mythril's island, apparently the high and low tides in the area were weird.(1) The people of Mythril couldn't tell us anything about the underworld, but we did find something interesting. The island doesn't get many visits from us 'giants', but not that long ago a group of 'giant' sailors got shipwrecked in here after being attacked at sea, and to our surprise it was the same crew that was ferrying us from Fabul to Baron before the flying Heartless and Leviathan attacked. They were staying in a cabin they managed to build in the forest outside the village so that they didn't take up too much space in a town of little people, and amazingly every single crew member was alive and accounted for. What are the odds of that?(2) We decided to take them aboard our airship and ferry them back to the mainland so that they could better regain their footing and get back into their sailing careers.

Before I get to our next destination, I should also mention that the party didn't just lounge around on the airship, or gather intel from settlements. We also spent that time training, whether it be sparring with each other, or fighting monsters on the fields outside the towns. After all, if we were to ever hope to stand up to Golbez next time, we couldn't afford to slack off. Other than Cid who only kept up his physical strength, everyone else was working on new techniques that could help us gain an edge, all of which will come up later. I was no different. First I spent time practicing the Crescent Moon Dance to make sure the last couple times I used it successfully weren't just flukes. Then I started working on another one of my father's old techniques, one that Master Kaname had started training me in but I wasn't able to perfect before the fall of Radiant Garden. A technique that, up until now, I hadn't dared attempt in a real fight for fear of accidentally hurting my friends with it, as it required precise control to use it safely and effectively. Fortunately, the time I spent training on it bore fruit, with Yang's advice on how best to harness my inner energy outwards proving helpful, and Cecil and Kain as sparring partners helped me improve my control and precision. What technique am I talking about? You'll find out soon.

But back to the places we visited, we then flew to Mysidia, where we told Elder Abraham the fates of Tellah, Palom and Porom. When hearing about Tellah, the elder expressed sorrow at his old colleague's passing, and disappointment that the sage fought with hatred in the end. But when he heard about the twins, he actually requested that we take him to them, and so we did.

Rosa: "My Esuna spells don't seem to be working on them."

Abraham: "Of course not. They Twincast the spell, making it far more potent. It's no wonder the trap ceased when it did, they must have released so much power as they touched the walls that it neutralized the archfiend's curse. But it also makes the petrification that much stronger, so an Esuna spell alone won't be enough to reverse it."

Cecil: "So they're just stuck like this forever? Is there nothing we can do for them?"

Abraham: "I wouldn't give up hope just yet. There may yet be a way to save them. It might take some time, research, and probably ingredient hunting, but I believe we may be able to concoct a remedy capable of restoring Palom and Porom back to normal."

Sasuke: "R-really? They can still be saved?"

Abraham: "I can't make any guarantees. But I do believe there is still a chance. And as long as there's hope, I will not allow these children's lives to be cut short like this."

Not gonna lie, it felt like a weight was lifted off my shoulders. Sure there were no guarantees they could be restored, but it still felt good hearing that there was still hope for Palom and Porom. When we told the elder about the Dark Crystals and the underworld, he actually suggested we look to Agart, a village on an island south of Baron. Apparently, the natives share ancestry with the dwarfs, a humanoid race said to dwell underground. That sounded promising. But by that time it was getting late and everyone was tired, so we decided to turn in for the night.

And that brings us to now, with me waking up from that recurring dream, in a spare bedchamber in the castle. Looking outside, it was still nighttime. I was just about to go back to bed, when...

"Sa...su...ke..."

I was startled upon hearing that deep whisper in my ear. I looked around frantically, trying to find the source of the voice, but to no avail. I began to think I had imagined it.

"Sa...su...ke..."

That time, I felt a strange sensation. I felt like the voice was calling me, beckoning me to it. My heart felt the urge to look for it. In any other situation, I would've been suspicious of it and chosen to ignore it.

"Sa...su...ke..."

But this felt too important, so against my better judgement, I got out of bed, put on my gear, and walked out of the room.

From there, I followed this sensation pointing to where this voice was coming from. I found myself walking down the tower floors, going even lower than the tower's entrance. Strangely, I came across Baron Guards on nightshift duty...asleep on the job...on two different occasions. That was... oddly convenient for me, so I won't get in trouble for sneaking around at night.

Eventually, I found myself in a large chamber. At first it was so dark in the room that I couldn't make out a thing, but seconds after entering, the torches lit up, lighting the room with ghostly white flames... Spooky... The first thing I noticed was a large, empty throne on the far side. I couldn't help but wonder what that was for. The next thing I noticed was a statue that was broken to pieces. I could make out a curved sword, a round shield, and a horned head. On the floor there was a bright red carpet, that I noticed had a blot of darker red spattered on it...a blood stain perhaps? On the walls, I saw murals depicting a large knight. One displayed him using the power of darkness, one where he's riding his horse while slicing monsters in half, one with people around him as if worshipping him, and finally one where he gets his sword struck by lightning.

It was then that I remembered a Baron legend that Cecil had told me about back in the Antlion's Den. "Could this be the shrine of the Dark Knight Eidolon, Odin?" I thought aloud.

"Sasuke..."

That prompted me to look back at the throne, and was surprised to see that it was no longer empty. Now sitting on the throne was... "King Jared?" Indeed. That was what it appeared to be. The supposedly dead king and Cecil's father figure. My hand instinctively reached for the handle of my sword, remembering Cagnazzo and how he impersonated the king.

The king spoke not a word, as he stood up... before a pillar of darkness erupted from beneath and engulfed him. I raised my arms in front of me defensively as a wind of darkness blew around the room. Once the darkness ceased, I looked to see that the king was replaced by a tall imposing figure clad in dull bronze-ish armor. He had a metallic head that looked less like a helmet and more like his actual head, with a solid expressionless face, glowing soul-piercing eyes, and curved horns protruded from the sides. A black cape flapped behind him. And finally he held a curved sword in his right hand and a circular shield in his left. I could sense a dark aura shrouding him, powerful, intimidating, and yet...somehow it didn't feel...malicious. It was like how Cecil's darkness felt back when he was still a dark knight. There was no doubt in my mind who this was: It had to be Odin himself.

A sudden sound from behind drew my attention. I looked back to see that the entrance to this chamber was now blocked by a dark barrier. Looking back at Odin, the large knight chose to toss his shield onto the floor before pointing his sword at me. He didn't need to say a word for me to know what he wanted. He was challenging me to a duel. Perhaps he dropped his shield because I didn't use one and he wanted to make this as fair a fight as he could. Why he wanted to duel an apprentice swordsman like me I couldn't fathom. But with the barrier blocking the way out, I had a feeling I wasn't getting out of this. Besides, not gonna lie, the opportunity to test my swordsmanship against the dark knight eidolon...I found it too enticing to pass up.

With that in mind, I drew my Moon Cutter and pointed it back at him, letting him know that I accepted his challenge. The large knight seemed to nod as he took a fighting stance, as did I. There was a pause between us before I decided to make the first move.

"Sonic Wave!" Deciding to start with a safer move I launched an energy wave at him. However, Odin swung his sword perpendicular to the wave and sliced it in half, the two halves redirecting in opposite directions, colliding with the walls. I was surprised that the walls were undamaged, until I noticed that the dark barrier extended to the whole chapter. The eidolon responded gathering darkness in his hand and throwing three dark fireballs. I dodged the first two flames, and deflected the third. I then dashed to my opponent, and leapt to attack, only for the knight to block the strike and shove me back.

After blocking two more of my attacks, Odin raised his sword and swung down onto me, which I managed to block, but found myself struggling under the metal giant's strength. Luckily, Moon Cutter was able to absorb some of the pressure. "Counter Cutter!" I managed to shove the blade away, but was unable to disarm him or land the attack on him. I quickly realized that using Counter Cutter on him was going to be difficult. I leapt to strike at his chest, but my blade barely scratched his armor. He then retaliated by whacking me away with his fist.

As I quickly recovered, the dark knight took a familiar stance as he gathered darkness in his sword, before unleashing a Dark Wave attack. In response, I held up Moon Cutter and absorbed the attack. My blade was imbued with dark energy, but not confident in my ability to control it, I quickly got rid of it via another Sonic Wave. The attack hit, but as I figured it didn't seem to faze him.

From there, we fell into a routine. We clashed swords again and again, and every now and then Odin threw dark fireballs at me and I would launch Sonic Waves. I won't lie, this fight did feel pretty one sided in his favor. After all, I was a teenage apprentice swordsman up against a legendary dark knight who was also freaking eidolon. It was no wonder he chose to discard his shield before the fight. If he hadn't I feel this would've been even more one sided. Still, I like to think I was doing decently, managing to scratch his armor a few times.

Eventually the dark knight decided to imbue his sword with darkness, which inspired me to use one of my magic fangs to follow suit. The question was which one should I use. A quick glance at one of the murals answered my question. With all that metal he carried, how vulnerable is he to electricity? With that in mind, I took out my White Fang and jabbed it onto Moon Cutter, imbuing it with lightning. Sure, I could've just unleashed the fang's raw lightning power on him, but I didn't want to risk overdoing it. Plus seeing how much he's holding himself back just to make this as fair a duel as possible, I felt using my magic fangs in this fight for anything other than empowering my sword would've been dishonorable. After pocketing the White Fang, Odin seemed to nod at me, as if approving this move.

We then continued to clash swords. The darkness around his seemed to resist the electricity on mine. It took a while but I was able to maneuver around his sword before finally striking a Thunderblade slash on him. He staggered back as the electricity surged through his armor, and I was certain that I heard him grunt in pain. I charged at him for another strike, but he eyes flashed for a second before he kicked me away. I recovered in time to see him slam his sword on the floor and dark flames began bursting out of the ground in random spots one after another. I did all I could to avoid them, though a couple managed to graze me.

He's upping his game, I thought. Well might as well return the favor. Remember I said earlier that during our search I was working on a new technique? Well here it comes. As I continued to dodge, I gathered as much energy as I could. Once I believed I had gathered enough, I leapt as high as I could. I waved Moon Cutter around as it started glowing an orange light. Soon, the orange energy spread out in the air above us, taking the shape of dozens of swords. "Raining Eclipse!"(3) I shouted as I swung my physical sword towards my opponent and all the energy swords then pointed at him before raining down on him. This is why I needed more precise control before using it in real combat, a technique like this could easily hurt allies or innocent bystanders if even one of those blades flew in the wrong direction. Odin was able to deflect most of them, but others managed to strike him, leaving small chips in his armor.

As I landed, I stumbled a bit, needing to lean on my sword to stay up. I found myself breathing heavily, exhaustion from this battle was taking its toll. I was so tired that I lost focus for a moment...long enough for the knight to stomp in front of me with his blade held high in the air. He then swung down at me, forcing me to defend, putting us into a blade lock. Moon Cutter glowed red as it absorbed the force of the giant's blow, however, I was immensely struggling to muster the strength to use Counter Cutter. With the eidolon's strength and my exhaustion, I could feel myself reaching closer and closer to my limit as I was slowly being pushed to my knees. At first I began to doubt my ability to win this duel, wondering if I should just accept defeat.

No! I can't give up! Not until I've given it everything I've got! With that in mind, I mustered all the willpower I could, and began to push back. Slowly but surely I was able to stand back up. I let out a battle cry as I made one final push, and just then the bright red glow from Moon Cutter turned a bright yellow, and the energy expanded almost like it was doubling the size of the blade. It happened so fast that I almost missed it. But regardless, that was enough to not only knock Odin's sword out of his hand but also leave a large gaze on his chest armor. Unfortunately, this sudden power caused me to lose my balance and grip of my own sword, leading to Moon Cutter flying a few feet away from me as I myself collapsed onto the ground unable move due to pain and exhaustion. At that moment, I was completely spent.

As I laid there on my back, I couldn't help but think about what had just happened. That power I seemed to have unlocked, it didn't match any of my father's techniques that I was told about. Was I on the verge of developing a brand new technique all my own? Something to explore later.

After lying there for what felt like an hour but in reality was only like half a minute, I turned my head towards Odin. He just stood there for a moment, staring at me, before will-o'-wisps started gathering and covering parts of his armor, specifically wherever I managed to scratch, chip, and even that large gash. Once the wisps faded, the damage to his armor was completely repaired, as if they were never there. He then held out his hand as a ring of magical orbs appeared and spun around as it ascended. I recognized those orbs being the same ones that appeared whenever Rydia used her summon magic.

Then in a flash of light, three small fairies appeared above me. Their skin was pale yellow, hair long and bright green, eyes entirely black, and they each had a set of four multicolored dragonfly-like wings on their backs. They all wore purple gems, and silk dresses that differed in color, one wore blue, one red, and one orange. Soon the fairies began encircling around me while particles of light spread all over me. As these lights touched me, I felt a warm and soothing sensation before all the pain I felt vanished and some of my energy returned, as I realized that they were healing my wounds from this fight. Soon I was able to sit myself up, as the fairies gathered in front of me and politely bowed before disappearing.

It was then that the dark knight finally spoke in a deep booming voice. "Well fought, young knight. My faith in you has been well placed."

I couldn't help but gasp. "That...voice...from my...dream..." I found myself staring at the eidolon in awe, realization hitting me like a ton of bricks. "It was you, wasn't it? You're the one who saved me from the darkness...and brought me to this world."

"You are correct, Sasuke." He retrieved his sword before walking over and sitting on the throne. "I was gazing into the darkness, when I spotted you...falling into the abyss. I used my dark power to open a rift beneath you before you could sink any further."

I was stunned. After suspecting that someone saved me for a while, at last I was face to face with him. I couldn't help but kneel on the floor before him. "Th-thank you! I'm...so grateful! If it weren't for you... I don't know what would've happened to me!"

"At ease, young one. You've already earned my respect."

I stood up and scratched my head nervously. "Um... Still I have to ask... Why? Why would you save an apprentice swordsman like me? And one who's not even from your world no less?"

"Because of what I sensed within you. A spark of potential that I just couldn't let go to waste."

"What do you mean? I'm just a ronin?"

"You call yourself a ronin, a wandering warrior without a master to serve. But you have the heart of a true knight, a warrior who puts the safety of others before his own. One who is willing to put his own life on the line for the innocent and for those he cares about. That is what I sensed. I could not allow one such you to sink into the abyss. You were fortunate that you were still within my reach when I saw you. Had you fallen much further then even I would've been unable to save you and you would've been trapped in the Realm of Darkness, like a couple of other souls I've seen down there who were less fortunate than you."

"I see." Count my lucky stars on that one. I wasn't sure if I would've been able to survive down there. Although, at the time I had no idea that those other souls he was referring to were Lord Ansem the Wise and Keyblade Master Aqua. So in hindsight I can't help but wonder if I would've found either of them if I had been trapped too. Still, I wouldn't trade the friends I made in the Land of Twin Moons for anything. I also had to admit, I had never really thought of it myself as a knight before, as the Radiant Garden Royal Guard never had such titles in their ranks, at least not in centuries. And yet somehow being called a knight just felt...right for me.

"I also put a trace of my eidolon magic on you." That must've been what Whyt said he sensed on me. "With that, I've been watching over you, observing your progress. I'm quite impressed. No matter what challenges lie in front of you, you face them with strong courage. Despite the losses you had to endure, you managed to pick yourself back up and move forward. From one knight to another, I commend you for making it this far. And I must admit, it warmed my heart that you and Cecil found each other. You have helped him on his journey more than you know, and in turn the journey has helped you grow in your own right. And Kingdom Hearts knows the man who was like a son to me needed a good soul like you to help him through the pain of what Cagnazzo tricked him into doing."

The way he worded that made me remember that this eidolon first appeared before me in the form of the king. "So... Who are you exactly? You first show yourself looking like King Jared, but now you look like the dark knight from those murals. Odin, correct?"

The dark knight paused for a second before replying, "I am the former king, Jared, and also the new Odin. You see, when the Odin from the legend perished, he bound what was left of his soul to Baron castle, waiting for the day his power would be needed again. But for an eidolon to be reborn, a willing sacrifice of a mortal soul must be made, a fact that no one in Baron was even aware of. I was in this chamber, paying my respects. Commander Baigan was supposed to be guarding the chamber, but he betrayed me and allowed the archfiend to come in. I wasn't as young as I used to be, and had been out of combat for too long. I stood no chance." That explains the dried blood on the carpet, and the destroyed statue. "Cagnazzo then assimilated my skin to impersonate me, and sealed the entrance to this chamber so that none shall discover what happened, a seal that could only break upon the archfiend's death. However, my heart and soul still lingered with my remains. That was when I heard a voice, it offered me a chance to protect the kingdom for eternity. I accepted the offer, and I was transformed into the very legend I once aspired to be. The former king, Jared and the dark knight eidolon, Odin are now one. I have the body of the eidolon, the mind of the king, and the memories of both, though, the eidolon's are still hazy right now. I believe that Jared is the dominant personality of the two, but for the sake of the legacy, I wish to be referred to as Odin."

As he explained all this, I took the opportunity to retrieve Moon Cutter and sheathed it. "I understand... But wow, a human becoming an eidolon..."

"It's not without its drawbacks. The process itself is risky for the two souls. There's no telling which personality will be dominant, but there's also the chance that neither heart will survive, and if that's the case, the eidolon could go feral or possibly be replaced by a brand new one. Then there's the fact that Feymarch eidolons don't physically age, meaning that unless they are killed, they will live forever. That may not sound so bad at first, but there's a reason some may consider immortality as a curse. Living for so so long without dying can eventually make one tired of living, especially when you out live every one of your loved ones. And then there's my particular problem. As a consequence to the previous Odin binding his soul to the castle, I am now bound to this chamber forever, unable to leave on my own. The only way I could ever leave, even if only temporarily, is if I were called by a summoner. Now here I am, spending an eternity trapped in this chamber, unable to do anything, except wait for visitors, wait to be summoned, or just gaze into the dark realm."

Hearing all that, I couldn't help but feel bad for him. Jared obtained great power and a second chance at life, but essentially at the cost of his own freedom. "I'm so sorry, Sir Odin. I wish I could at least bring you a summoner. But, unfortunately, all of the summoners are gone." My thoughts turned to Rydia, saddening me even more.

"Not quite... You see, though I'm confined here, I do have limited contact with the rulers of Feymarch. And I do happen to know that there is one summoner training there with the eidolons as we speak."

I was surprised to hear that. "R-really?"

"Yes. And they will be ready to set out soon. I understand that you and the others will be heading to the underworld, where the entrance to Feymarch also happens to be located. Your path is sure to cross with the summoner. Therefore, I have a request. When you find them, I want you to bring them here the next chance you get, along with all of your companions, especially Cecil. There's a rule in Feymarch that in order for a summoner to earn the right to call upon an eidolon they must first prove their worth in combat. And there are no rules against the summoner having companions fighting alongside them. And I wish to use the opportunity to test all of you. You, Cecil, and the others have come far, but you still have a ways to go in your fight against Golbez. And you must be prepared." As he said this, a large dark-brown-borderline-black horse with glowing red eyes and silver-ish armor on its head(4) appeared in a burst of darkness next to Odin. The steed whinnied as the knight petted its head. "Next time, I won't limit myself to just a sword, so you'll all have to come at me with all your might."

I admit, I felt intimidated by this second challenge. After all, I struggled enough when he was basically holding back. It was a relief knowing that I won't be facing him alone next time. Still, I could just feel how serious he was about this. I knew this test was important, not only for him, or the summoner, but for the rest of us as well. Realizing that, I put my hand on my heart in salute. "If that's what you wish, then I will gladly oblige, Sir Odin! Once we're ready, I'll bring everyone here! Together, we'll show you how strong we've all gotten!"

"Well said, Sir Sasuke. I foresee you will make a great knight one day. Now, I must ask that you keep our meeting just between us for now. I believe it is better if Cecil hears my story from me."

"As you wish. I won't say anything until we bring the summoner here." I then found myself yawning as I remembered how it was still late at night. "Well, I guess I should probably get some sleep. That battle wore me out."

The eidolon chuckled. "Go on. You're gonna need all the rest you can get for the challenges that lie ahead."

I bowed to him. "Very well. And... thanks again for saving me. It means a lot."

"It was my pleasure."

"Well... I'll see you again after we meet up with the summoner."

"Farewell for now." I turned around and began to leave. But it seemed Odin had one more thing to say. "Oh, I almost forgot. The summoner wanted me to relay a message to you. She wanted me to tell you... I'll see you again soon...Sasuke."

I practically froze the moment he finished that. She? See me again? Knows my name? "Wait what?" I turned back to the dark knight... only to find that he and his horse were no longer there. A brief swirl of darkness was the only hint they were ever there. "W-wait! What do you mean?!" Unfortunately, I received no reply. In fact, I couldn't quite sense his presence anymore.

My mind was just racing at that moment. He couldn't have possibly been implying what I thought he was...right? I made my way back to my room, and I found myself taking out a familiar hairpin.

A/N: Foreshadowing...

So I hope you all like how Sasuke arrived in this world. And I also hope you like my explanation of how the King of Baron reincarnated as the eidolon, Odin, since the games never really explained that. I also felt that this explained why Feymarch seemed to already have knowledge of Odin.

Footnotes:

(1) Firstly, I felt I needed to mention Mythril Village somewhere as it's one of the few locations in original game where nothing of note happens, it's only purpose being providing the player with some of the best equipment you can purchase at this point in the game. Second, the Adamant Isle Grotto, or Adamant Grotto for short, is another source of inconsistency between Final Fantasy IV and its sequel The After Years. In the original game, the Grotto is its own separate island that the airship can't land on, and the only way to get there is to use the hovercraft to cross the shallows, which you need wait until you get a hook installed on the Enterprise in order to carry it over to Mythril. In TAY, however, the Grotto is literally on the same island as the village. In my version, the Grotto is considerably closer to the island than it is on the OG game's map, and sometimes connects to the island by land as a result of changing tides.

(2) While we see what happens to the party members after Leviathan's attack in the game, we never find out what happened to the ship's crew. This is my take on what happened to them, and there's a reason why every single one of the crew survived.

(3) This move is actually based on the Bushido used by Cyan Garamonde in Final Fantasy VI. You wait for the gauge to charge to level 6 and he uses "Eclipse" to shape energy into a shower of blades that rains on all enemies. I kept the "Eclipse" name because it's moon-themed, and added "Raining" because I felt I needed to describe its effect in the name.

(4) Going with the DS/iOS version as it fits better with my head-canon of FF4 Odin being a Dark Knight.