One thing a lot of people didn't realize about war was how much time was spent doing anything other than fighting.

It had been two weeks since the Knights of Seiros had left Garreg Mach alongside the Blue Lions, the Ashen Wolves, Hubert, Dorothea, Link, Linkle, and Zelda.

Rhea had tried to insist the Hylians stay at Garreg Mach, but they had refused. After all, they were in the process of establishing important trade agreements with the Kingdom of Faerghus, and a change of monarch would disrupt them. It was a matter of importance to Hyrule that Dimitri should remain King of Faerghus.

Today, they had met up with Lord Rodrigue, who had gathered most of the loyalists. Some had been too close to the territory of the turncoats and had been forced to issue statements of neutrality to avoid being attacked, but most were ready to fight for Dimitri. The plan was first for the Kingdom forces to help the Knights of Seiros reach the headquarters of the Western Church, where the Knights would conduct the purge of its leadership that should have happened years ago, back when the Western Church was egging on the Punishment of Duscur. After that, the combined force would march to Fhirdiad to put an end to Rufus's rebellion.

"So…exactly what happened when you went missing?" Lord Rodrigue asked.

"That story is long and complicated, and there were things that happened that we have promised not to talk about with anyone who wasn't involved," Dimitri said. "Felix can tell you the basics later. For now, let's just say that due to circumstances beyond anyone's control, we were magically transported to the Kingdom of Hyrule. After we helped resolve a crisis there, Princess Zelda of Hyrule helped us all return to Fódlan." He indicated Zelda. "We're currently in talks to establish long-term trade between Hyrule and the nations of Fódlan."

Rodrigue turned to Zelda. "You have my gratitude, Your Highness. Though I must say, I am surprised by your lack of a retinue."

"For many reasons, it didn't seem practical to bring a large retinue," Zelda said. "I judged my two knights, my own skills as a warrior, and my Fódlani friends to be protection enough."

Rodrigue gave Link and Linkle an appraising look. "I'm sure the two of them are quite skilled," he decided. "Brother and sister?"

"Uncle and niece, actually," Link said. He and Linkle had decided to present themselves that way before coming to Fódlan. A granduncle and grandniece who were the same age would raise some eyebrows. An uncle and niece who were the same age? That was unusual, but not unheard of.

"I shall defer to your judgment on this matter, Your Highness, as you would know their capabilities far better than I," Rodrige said. He then turned back to Dimitri. "I must also take note that you and the Lions do look...a bit older than you did when you came to the academy. It's not something the public would likely notice, so you likely won't have to explain it to the public if you don't want to, but I did notice."

Dimitri nodded. "We likely won't reveal this to Fódlan at large, but we weren't just warped across the world, but also through time. We were warped three years into the past."

"That sort of magic exists?" Rodrigue asked.

"It does," Zelda confirmed. "It is extremely rare. In the entire recorded history of Hyrule, we only have records of it being used in eight instances, over fifty thousand years. I only know of two people capable of performing it, past or present. But it does exist."

"I see," Rodrigue said. "That's very interesting."

"If you're thinking about finding someone capable of it and changing the past, you probably shouldn't," Link said. "Time travel is extremely complex and can have unforeseen consequences if you aren't careful. There was a reason the individuals who brought the students of Garreg Mach to Hyrule didn't choose people who were actually from Hyrule, or from the distant past or future."

"Yeah, Hyrule isn't in good shape as it is," Linkle agreed. "The last thing we want is a second War Across the Ages."

Rodrigue's eyes widened. "I'll leave the past as it is, then."

After that, the conversation drifted to other matters.

Late that night, all of the Company, along with Rhea and Seteth, were able to join a meeting over their Sheikah Slates and Purah Pads. "I believe you wanted to discuss another...quest you embarked on, for lack of a better description?"

"We did, but...honestly, we're not sure how you two are going to take this one," Sylvain admitted.

"Let's start with the basics. Our being taken back in time when we were transported to Hyrule was not the only time we travelled through time," Linhardt added. "But it was quite different from the second time. The first time...I honestly don't know how to explain this, but I'll try anyway. Sometimes, when time travel takes place, it doesn't affect time as a whole. When we were brought to Hyrule of two years ago-and it was two, not three; from our perspective, we have been gone for three years, but one of those years was spent time-travelling-it didn't change time because it already happened, and we had already been in Hyrule for two years when the spell was cast. It had an effect on time, but it was an effect like a large chunk of ice falling into a river. It causes ripples, but the ripples fade, the ice melts, and a few miles down the river, it's like nothing happened at all. But the second time we time-travelled, it was as if an outcropping of land had split the river into two. Two divergent worlds, where something being changed caused an entirely new reality to form."

"According to Sidon, Yunobo, Teba, and Riju, they travelled to an alternate timeline as well," Zelda added. "We suspect it may have been the same one, just at a different place and time within the timeline."

"So...what happened?" Seteth asked.

"Well, for the four of them, they ended up in a version of Hyrule where Link and Zelda managed to avert the Great Calamity," Leonie said. "But as for us, we didn't end up in that particular century."

"Nor in Hyrule, for that matter," Dedue added.

"What is it that you're so uncomfortable telling us?" Rhea asked, frowning.

Flayn took a deep breath, then sighed. "This is how it started..."