Part One
Light

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'In the white light, a hand reaches through
A double-edged blade cuts your heart in two
Waking dreams fade away
Embrace the brand new day
Sing with me a song of birthrights and love'
"Lost in Thoughts, All Alone" by Rena Strober

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Chapter 1

Reaching Out

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These ruins still stood, blanketed in darkness.

Soldiers were trying valiantly to evacuate innocents as the very earth seemed to quake. Figures were darting in and out of shadows to corral them. Despite their efforts, malicious energy slowly twisted through the ranks.

An escape route was opened. The group rushed for it, their protectors viciously fighting for this chance.

Dark winds howled.

One defender turned and was engulfed in flames, another swatted aside like a fly. Their enemy didn't allow any retaliation. In an instant, they had slipped through a gap in their defenses, chasing the evacuees down like vermin.

But soldiers dived in afterwards. Weary and battered as they were, they refused to give up. They couldn't allow harm to come to their charges. The stones quivered with an inhuman roar. A flux of energy decimated the forces converging on the spot.

The light faded. Rubble littered the ruins. The opening was no more. Anyone who hadn't made it in was swallowed by the army. And the damned wailed.

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I tumbled out of a portal and into the cold with a swear.

But I was alive!

Snow crunched beneath hooves behind me. Shit! I rolled, scrambling to my feet. Where were they? How had they followed me after that fall? And what, they even had the horse turn invisible?

Even though I knew they were there, it was still difficult to pinpoint my attacker. But there—a glint of obscured armor—and the sword singing from its scabbard was unmistakable. Another shot of adrenaline had me moving before I could register much more. I stumbled in a hidden dip. Fucking snow! But at least I hadn't lost my head.

The wintry landscape was unexpected. Wait, what time of year was it? Maybe it was actually winter.

Wood creaked. Panicking, I darted away. An arrow embedded itself where I'd been standing. What the fuck can I—oh, magic, right. Duh, Megan. I had to get a better handle on that if I wanted to stay alive. More might've come after me!

What felt like a truck connected with my torso, and I slammed into muddied snow. The impact sent a shock through my back. My nerves burned. I spat blood and what might've been part of a tooth. I tried to focus, but the pain and brightness of the area blinded my senses. Something was lumbering towards me, jangling. Its steps shook the ground.

That trunk returned, pounding into the snow to my right. FUCK! I was too disoriented and weak to get back up. So I rolled and grasped for something, anything. Steel froze to my palm. I grabbed it—and was yanked with it into the air.

I screamed, letting go to drop back to the ground. The pop of my shoulder hurt. But I had to focus.

There it was. A massive hulk of a creature was standing there, turning as if searching for me. Thick gray skin riddled with scars, it looked like Frankenstein's monster on steroids. Its face was covered by a strange mask, but that didn't seem to hinder it. And it had massive fists, for crushing. So that was where the 'truck' had come from.

Getting up, I leapt over another small mound of snow. But I didn't know where to hit this thing. It was already coming at me much faster than I expected—

"Shit!"

A shadow slid across us both. Steel and feathers swooped down to intercept the creature's fist.

Stumbling on the ground again, I watched in awe as a literal flying horse—a horse with wings on its back, in the air—nimbly dodged another swipe. Its rider jabbed with a long weapon (a spear or something) giving an abrupt battle cry that would've frightened lesser men. A splash of fiery hair and vibrant clothing was all I could see before they took to the air again, circling.

"Get out of there," she shouted. "I've got you covered!"

Oh my god you have to be kidding me.

I finally realized what the monster reminded me of.

Still no time to dwell on anything. I put some more distance between me and the monster—the Faceless—while it was distracted. How hadn't it totally obliterated me with one punch? But that wasn't the only danger here. My neck burned with how fast I whipped around, searching for the invisible enemies. There was only snow and dirt and a giant thing wanting to destroy anything it could touch.

Wait! Snow! I've never tracked anything in my life. But surely I could tell if something was standing in the snow! I tried to keep an eye on the Faceless as I searched. A horse would leave hoofprints, an armored man some footprints. The golem-like creature left impressions I could sit in, sweeping through snow without care for temperature or depth. If it hadn't ruined the other tracks, then maybe—

The pegasus clashed with the Faceless again. As the monster stumbled, I heard wood creak somewhere to my right. Panicked whinnying followed the steed bucking. There was an arrow lodged in its wing.

There was movement several meters away. That fucker!

I threw my arm and called upon the new power I had. "Fire!" Out went a small fireball. It only hit snow, hissing as it melted. But something unseen kicked a snowdrift. Now I knew who those assholes were, and how much of a danger they were. I knew they were still around.

The other indicator was the arrow that lodged itself into my leg soon after.

I went down, spitting swears soon reduced to whimpering. Rolling had been a bad idea, the arrow shaft pressing against the ground.

What was I supposed to do now? I couldn't move with this—not unless I wanted excruciating pain and to ruin my leg even more. Hadn't this destroyed soldiers in medieval settings? Had I already fucked up?

My blood dotted the snow. I heaved.

The rumble of thunder broke through my panic. I glanced up just as lightning seemed to strike the Faceless. Wait, no, it was a sword that cut through its body like butter. Actual lightning crackled up the blade and branched out, illuminating the sky with each rapid-fire strike. The man wielding it wore armor in the same vibrant colors as the pegasus rider, like blood across snow.

"You've gotta be..."

This was insane.

My palm slid on a patch of hidden ice, and I screamed. Having the arrow dig into my flesh was a pain I'd never experienced before. The crunch of footsteps pushed me to action despite the agony. But through the tears I noticed that the figures approaching me... well, I could see them, for one. Not the invisible guys, at least. And the jangling didn't match the Faceless' chains.

"Ah, a healer's work is never done!"

The tears were freezing on my cheeks as I squinted. If those other two were who I thought they were... This man's strange smile, hair outrageously puffy... I recognized him and his staff! And the woman behind him—yes, that was a bow and an almost dazed look on her face. Azama, and Setsuna. I couldn't believe it, but I was also so very relieved to see them. I definitely wasn't alone anymore. My worries for the invisible warriors seemed to be for naught, as nothing else attacked while the man healed me. Small favors.

I was startled by a ninja's sudden appearance, but the orange scarf and half-curtain of hair was also easily recognizable. Wow, all the familiar faces. She knelt before the samurai who had to be Ryoma.

A bolt of pain brought out a yelp. The priest was attempting to pry the arrow out. There was a wash of something tingly soothing the wound. He worked efficiently, fingers and staff in tandem, but he couldn't prevent all of the pain. I gritted my teeth, then spat out more blood. Yep, I was missing a tooth.

"How fortunate you are to have stumbled blindly onto the battlefield with a healer nearby!"

Sure, I could focus on conversation instead. I winced. "Wasn't exactly my plan—nnngh." Relief fading, I started hating his smile. He was probably mocking me.

"You would have to be particularly stupid to plan for that."

He was definitely mocking me. I was marginally less happy he was here. But then the arrowhead was out and he patched up my leg. All that was left was lingering tenderness. I supposed all could be forgiven. I stretched experimentally, hissing when angry skin brushed against the snow.

"Azama!" The pegasus rider was on the ground with her steed, tending to its wing. "How is she?"

"Capable of being a mobile hindrance once more!"

Okay, he's very annoying in-person. I hefted myself up before anyone could offer, brushing off the snow as best I could. My pants were well on their way to being soaked, and I was freezing. I winced and shifted my weight to my other foot. When she came closer, I had to keep myself from reacting strangely. Just... I'm literally standing in front of a princess in pants and a t-shirt! Princess Hinoka.

"You're safe now," the swordsman promised, reminding me I was also in front of the high prince. Prince Ryoma. Phew, this is crazy. I had been hoping to come across friendly faces eventually. I wasn't expecting this.

"Hinoka! Ryoma!"

Turning, I couldn't help how my eyebrows shot upwards at the other approaching figure: Medium-length white hair, lightly tousled, and also garbed in Japanese-esque armor. There was no doubt about it. Corrin? I didn't quite remember a scene playing out like this in the game. Though honestly, I would've him to be in Nohr. Three royal members just hanging out in the snow? I guess I shouldn't have expected to be thrown in at a point in the timeline conveniently lining up with the game's start. Honestly, I was lucky to see any familiar faces, even if they were fictional ones.

I could've been left in the middle of Valla centuries—millennia before Corrin was even born. Or in the middle of Anankos' throne room. No matter what time this was, it was already a hundred times better than that possibility.

Ryoma smiled at him. "We're all right. As is this young lady."

A sigh of relief brought the tension out of him, and Corrin turned his wide, friendly grin to me. "I'm very glad to hear that!" I couldn't help smiling back in reflex. It was freezing here, but his entire demeanor radiated warmth. But of course, this is Corrin.

"Lord Kamui!"

Or... not?

Another ninja came to his side. It had to be Kaze, with his shock of green hair and deep purple scarf. His lips curved downwards. "You mustn't run off like that," he told the prince. "If I'm not at your side to protect you—"

"Right... Forgive me, Kaze."

This was really weird. Things weren't adding up. But people were already turning their attention back to me, with worry and curiosity. My smile belied how nervous I was. So many eyes on me. I noticed my ball cap sitting in the snow and crouched to reach it, focusing on that instead of their staring.

"That was the last of the Faceless," Hinoka told the others. Her aerial view probably offered a better vantage for such an observation.

'Kamui' sighed again. "That's good! They're rather ruthless."

"As puppets of the Nohrians, they have no humanity to speak of." Boots crunched in the snow, and Ryoma put a hand on his brother's shoulder. "You fought well! I'm proud of the progress you've made."

"Thanks to your training!"

Things really weren't adding up. Unless this was a Birthright route? Maybe the game wasn't accurate in the slightest. Not sure how to feel about that.

Hinoka stepped closer, unintentionally blocking the two from my sight. "What's your name? And what were you doing all the way out here?"

"I..." Here goes. I swallowed, glancing between the royal siblings. "I was attacked, and chased here."

"Chased? By who?"

I grimaced. "...I couldn't really tell," I lied. If I had fallen through a portal to get here, then it could only have been one place. Goddamn curse bullshit!

"Nohrians?"

Kagero, crouched nearby, told her lord, "There are armored tracks, and hoofprints."

It would probably be easiest to let them think that. But it would be a lie, and while I couldn't tell them the whole truth, I also couldn't leave it be. "No, not... Nohrian." Man, it felt weird to say that out loud. Ryoma's gaze landed on me again. I ducked, feeling the pressure of all of this attention in a delicate situation. "I... I don't believe so, anyway."

"Hm? Why is that?"

"Well..."

"Wait." Kamui bent down to pick up the discarded arrow, frowning at the blood. "If a Nohrian had done this—because Faceless can't use bows as far as I know—wouldn't they have lost the will to fight, because of Mother's barrier?"

Oh shit, that's right! Thank god for that!

"You're right. This is quite troubling..."

My leg itched. I tried to scratch it with the toe of my other shoe. The movement caused me to buckle. Lost in another world, without food or proper shelter, for several days, then being chased by murderous assholes and beaten up by a monster. I was exhausted, starving... I didn't even have the energy to cry anymore. Everything was finally catching up to me. I would've met the ground again if Kamui hadn't moved to support me. My immediate apology was waved away with another smile.

"Where are you from? Your clothes are... kind of strange."

That's an understatement. "I've traveled quite a lot," I dodged, still sort of breathless. "I'm kind of—lost? A nomad?" Which, wasn't entirely a lie. That was what I was here, without a place to call home.

"You wandered into an exciting place," Azama chirped.

"Will you be all right? Your leg will take a bit to recover, even with Azama's healing..."

"I... um. Maybe?" I had no clue what to say. Should I ask for help? Brush them off? What's the best course of action? I decided that being near Kamui would eventually lead me back home. That conclusion was more out of desperation than any sound logic. As if he just summoned interdimensional portals. But wouldn't this be asking too much at the first meeting?

"We could bring you to a village to rest up."

Kamui turned to his siblings. "Why don't we take her back," he asked, surprising me. "To the capital. I feel terrible that she got caught up in our fight..." I wanted to argue that it wasn't their fault, but this was very convenient for me.

Hinoka agreed, adding, "It would probably be safer, too. In case those people—whoever they are—come back. We'll have to investigate this."

"Then she'll come along with us, and we'll send scouts throughout the area," Ryoma declared. He smiled, adding, "If that is all right with you, of course, Miss... I don't believe you've introduced yourself, actually."

"Oh shit, I'm sorry—pardon me—I forgot to—"

I am already a complete and utter mess and I've been speaking for five minutes. I shakily introduced myself. Why bother using a code name when I'm no one special? "And, um... It's totally fine—I mean, I don't want to be a bother, but I... um, I don't exactly have much, like you said..."

Just the trash in my pockets. It wasn't like I'd gotten to meet Good Anankos and gotten an allowance.

My throat clenched at the thought of him. No matter where in the game's timeline I sat, I knew now that the last bit of good in him was long gone. His sneaky, brainwashed minions had nearly killed me. And here I was, standing in front of his son. It was difficult to accept help without protest, but in the end it was probably for the greater good. Or so I hoped. I couldn't fuck anything up, could I?

"By the way," Kamui began, shaking me out of my thoughts, "I saw you shouting and—trying to attack something?"

"Oh. Yeah." He probably wanted to know what was up with me attacking thin air.

"You can do magic?"

...oh. That wasn't where I was expecting it to go. "Y-yes? Not much, but... a little." I muttered to myself, "For all the good it did me."

"It was a good try," he reassured. Too sweet for his own good. "I was just curious because I've never seen magic like that before."

I still didn't know why I could do any of it, but I was infinitely grateful to have something to protect myself.

He helped me walk, following his brother and the retainers while Hinoka took to the skies once more. Kaze tried to offer his help, but Kamui declined.

"I have seen Nohrians wielding similar magic," Ryoma began. My heart leapt into my throat, because I did not need them thinking I was their enemy. But thankfully he continued, "There are other nations that show such aptitudes, as well."

Nohrians couldn't fight on Hoshidan soil, but I had clearly fought. Logically, that meant I wasn't Nohrian, right? That barrier is really saving my bacon.

"I'm not a person that would send those things on anyone." I winced as I stepped wrong. The major injuries had been mended, but the overall ache of my body spoke to the brutality of combat with the Faceless. And it only hit me once! I was lucky I hadn't gotten splattered across the snow.

"They're awful," Kamui agreed, trying to adjust his hold. He then stopped to ask if I'd rather be carried.

"Oh, uh..." That just seemed weird. Sure, I'm light and tiny, but...

"Allow me," Kaze intervened again, bowing his head. Though Kamui sighed, he was smiling, and so they both turned to me for my decision. Crap.

"Uh... I guess." I might feel awkward about it, but it wouldn't be right to ask them to slow down for me. And I was more than beat. At least I was sure Kaze wouldn't hurt himself—though Kamui hadn't seemed bothered. At this point, I need to take a coma.

I tried not to squirm as I watched the scenery pass by from the back of a ninja. "Thank you... very much."

"It is no trouble at all."

Kamui chuckled. "He is a very dedicated ninja."

"I can tell." Even if things were strange right now, I knew that wouldn't change.

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To be perfectly honest, I had no clue how I got to this world.

I had gone for a little walk a few days ago, end of October. Nothing too unusual. It was a new route, but one still within city limits. Not crazy deep in spooky woods or anything. There was a decent patch of trees that was probably going to be cut down within the next decade. I'd decided on a day off that it'd be a great idea to walk through them. Alone. Sure, I'd told friends about it, but I wanted some time to myself, surrounded by nature.

Smart, I know. But I had my knife and pepper spray just in case, and while I wasn't in any hurry I didn't plan to stick around past sunset. I'd gone on plenty of strolls before, and it was sunny and nice out! I was taking my own spontaneity in stride.

There was a gap in my memory, after that.

The next thing I knew, I was flailing in a pool of water. I'm not the greatest swimmer. I thankfully made it out and lied half-propped on the bank for a while. My heartrate took ages to return to normal.

But I gradually realized that the sky wasn't orange, and the trees were much farther away than before. I sat up to really take in my surroundings. It was somewhere else entirely. Somewhere that had chunks of rock floating in the distance, and land twisting like an MC Escher painting. Because, you know, that's normal.

Lucky that my first instinct was to hide at the sound of people. (A small woman, alone in a strange place? Yeah, no.) The paranoia saved my ass. Because those noises were made by soldiers of Anankos. Because I was in the kingdom of Valla. Not that I figured that out until after I'd left.

I had watched them from behind a boulder, debating on what was going on. They were hard to pick out from this distance. Clinking armor and weapons, even horses pulling a wagon. Intense larping, maybe? A Renaissance fair? Or maybe I was crazy, and this was all a hallucination. But it had felt real. I could tear the grass out with my hands, dig fingers into the dirt. The soldiers' attire had looked and sounded real, the squeaks and shrieks of metal instead of foam. Nothing I did managed to wake me up from the nightmare.

They didn't approach, and eventually vanished past the trees. What felt like an hour later, the lone bird started chirping again.

So I was stuck in a hellscape of floating islands. Physics didn't work like this, but it certainly was doing that very thing!

It took a long time to stop freaking out. I had to convince myself I hadn't died and gone to some weird purgatory. Eventually, I had to accept it. There were chunks of rock, even entire islands floating in the distance. Groups of people patrolling in unfamiliar getups. No signal, or results on GPS. I hadn't hit my head, done any crazy drugs, or fallen asleep. I was somewhere completely alien from home.

I wasn't waking up. Purgatory or no, this was my new reality.

The pond didn't hold any answers, but I lingered to think. It sat in a clearing, which was adjacent to the dirt road the soldiers had passed by on. Large stones jutted out of the ground across the way, eventually becoming impassable crags. I designated the pond north, for ease. There wasn't exactly a sun, despite how well lit everything was.

With the crags to my south, my options were to either follow the west-east path or dive into the trees on the other side. Maybe there would be someone who could help. Maybe not.

I hadn't chanced it. I definitely wasn't home—I hadn't trusted strangers there either. And in this freakish place, I couldn't trust the intentions of people who marched around with swords at their hips. The trees, at least, appeared normal. They provided coverage from the ambiguous light as I trekked parallel to the road, out of sight. That hadn't been the hike I had been expecting.

Even suddenly commanding literal magic in my hands was sobered by my helplessness. A chill had swept over me when I stopped to rest, so I'd attempted to kindle a fire. My frustrations had involved a lot of pointing and hissed words, and suddenly I found embers leaping from my fingertips. Repeating it until I knew it wasn't me going crazy, I stared at the smoldering leaves from the tennis ball-sized fireball I'd managed.

You would think that would've been goddamn awe-inspiring, and it was. Briefly. How could this happen? Was it because of this hellscape? But after everything else, it just felt like another layer of crazy. People waved swords, and I could whisper a flame into being. And in the end, it wasn't incredibly helpful for my situation. I realized I didn't want to light a campfire and risk getting caught by those soldiers, or something worse. I snuffed it out, suddenly exhausted.

My phone was safe from any mishaps thanks to its case, but it had limited battery. I kept it off mostly. Wasn't doing me much good anyway, if I couldn't even reach 911. My other items, besides my knife and maybe the mace, were useless. The only food I had were a few pieces of hard caramels. Well, I had terrible eating habits anyway. Still, they were gone far too soon. And the entire time, I had wished I could just wake up and be back home.

What fresh nightmare is this?

There was no sun, but light seemed to change and shift as if there was one. With no other yardstick to compare it, I counted the changes as day and night. My pace was slow. I got little more than a doze. Every noise had my heart in my throat. There were people with swords and anti-gravity rocks, who knew what else was out there.

Every pause, all I could think about was home. What everyone was thinking about my disappearance. What kind of hell I'd fallen into... and how the hell I was supposed to crawl back out.

The third 'day,' another Vallite patrol had come by. I had been much closer this time, hidden amongst the trees. Their aura was ominous. They also seemed to be a bit... transparent? Like ghosts, or something. But louder. If they had been stealthier, I probably wouldn't have known they were there until it was too late. Now, where had I seen that before? The cogs started turning at this point. You have to cut me some slack for not catching on immediately. It's not like you fall into a video game world every day.

Floating islands, ominous ghostly warriors, magic, and seemingly teleporting into water...

The jingle of my keys had blown my cover. Which is the stupidest way to get caught. But my life was a joke, and that was just the punchline. A few stopped at the noise. Someone ordered them to investigate.

So I ran. When the shouting began, I hoofed it like I'd never hoofed it before. I went directly away from the road, hoping it would slow them down. They couldn't get their horses in these trees, right?

The terror of being chased was overwhelmed by horror when the forest suddenly ended, and I fell over a ledge into what looked like a gaping abyss. First drowning, now falling to my demise!

"God—fuck! Help—HELP!"

Something shimmered below me, widening rapidly. Then the world was filled with blinding light, and I found myself in the middle of Hoshido. Cold, but alive. For now.

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Kamui eventually convinced his ninja to 'hand me over' (like a sack of potatoes). He used the excuse that we would be easier to defend if Kaze's hands were free. The other retainers were spread around too, keeping an eye out. I wasn't complaining about more protection. I was still a bit jumpy.

When the group arrived at a nearby village, Kamui and Kaze sat with me to eat as the rest did their business. Rice had never tasted so heavenly. The lord was very open and friendly, as expected. After it was pointed out how dirty and torn my attire was, he promised to get me some clean clothes.

I tried to answer more inquiries as best I could, but I didn't have many answers and I was still exhausted. Then we were on the road again with proper transportation. The ox cart is more for my benefit, isn't it. Even with the bumpy ride, I started to nod off. Soon enough, I passed out, briefly escaping the fish-out-of-water feeling I'd had since I'd climbed out of that lake.

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Traveling with them all was an experience, especially as lost and unprepared as I was.

When we weren't spending the night in a village, we were camping out with simple mats and partial tents. Hinoka would drop in to check on things when she wasn't acting as an airborne scout. Ryoma, Kamui and their retainers spoke amongst themselves. Occasionally they turned to me with questions and I had to figure out how to respond. It was easier when I could focus my gaze on something else. I fiddled with my keys or, after they provided me with the tools, sewing shut holes in my clothing. Talking about myself was simple, except for the otherworldly bits. I hoped they didn't notice the sizable gaps in my knowledge. Please just assume I was sheltered as a child or something. Any questions about the Vallites, of course, I couldn't answer. Not that they would know to ask.

Overall, I was shaken and uncomfortable from having my entire world turned inside-out. Understandable. I'd left my friends and family behind. I was truly alone.

By now, people back home were probably freaking out. I was supposed to run a D&D session. Hang out downtown. Play Vampire: the Masquerade over Discord. Call my mom. When my roommate got back from her business trip, we were going to get all fancy and go out for drinks. I was missing so much by being here. What would they do? What could I do?

The others gave me some space the first few days, mentioning I seemed overwhelmed. They still invited me to sit with them or their retainers, but I couldn't. It was too strange. Plus, Azama was an asshole. I mostly ate off to the side.

"Are you all right," Kamui interrupted my thoughts one night. I'd been staring off into space, thinking of how full the sky seemed. I would've loved to stargaze with some friends. There was no light pollution here.

I examined the group within earshot, and swallowed. Do you want the honest answer? Restless nights of paranoia led to dark dreams and strained mornings. Not even fucking close. "Yeah," I whispered instead. It was hard to muster more than that.

So he sat down, electing to keep me company. He didn't force me to answer anymore questions, thankfully. Instead, he offered little anecdotes in between bites: Playing with his younger sister and her dolls; when he accidentally threw his sword at Ryoma during training; and the many times Kaze had needed to get him out of trouble. It got him a few huffs, even a snort. He came across as somewhere between neutral good and chaotic dumbass. It reminded me of some people back home.

I tried to make an effort to interact with everyone from then on. Nothing big, just some small talk or helping carry things. There was still the awkwardness to work through, but, these people had saved my life. Just because I was horribly lost didn't mean I could be rude.

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We finally arrived at the capital, after several days of travel. It took a few winding, climbing roads and passing through the Great Wall of Suzanoh to reach it. Most of it was spent in shock. I'm in the world of Fire Emblem Fates. By now, I had fresh clothes and a simple pack for what little I had. A tourist who had gotten on the wrong plane and lost her luggage.

The city was massive, bustling, and bright. Shops hung colorful banners, children skipped in the street. Something delicious was being cooked up in a restaurant we passed. Citizens waved at the royals on our way, some cheering or calling out. It was a very warm reception, and they responded in kind to their people. I tried not to call attention to myself. I hardly need a spotlight on me, in case Anankos' merry band of assholes is sniffing around.

Kamui began pointing out some of his favorite places to visit, and I couldn't help getting into it. He was an enthusiastic tour guide. Restaurants, shrines, statues, plazas... He chuckled after a bit of talking. "I'm guessing you've never been here before."

Okay, maybe I looked silly, leaning out to see everything. "No, I haven't." I earned some laughter from him and Kaze when I nearly fell out of the cart. Would've knocked out on the cobblestone if not for the ninja's quick reflexes. I saw Ryoma's smile and decided to keep up appearances of a stranger to these lands. "You guys are pretty popular, huh?"

"I would say it is our incredible charisma," he replied. I laughed from the unexpectedness of the response. His smile was warm, and proud. "The royal family of Hoshido has a good relationship with our people. It's only natural that we ensure their happiness."

While Kamui had introduced himself and his siblings, he hadn't quite pointed out that they were literally royalty. I hadn't been privy to the official reports their retainers likely gave. And regular nobles had servants too, right? So I had to play the clueless traveler. "...royal family? Not just a noble family, but the noblest family?"

Ryoma nodded. Kamui blinked. "...er. I guess I just assumed you knew?"

Of course I knew. But I'd also never been around royalty before. The shock hadn't quite worn away either. And I don't think anyone had called them anything other than lords and lady. That helped the plausibility, at least, of me not knowing.

"I'm not from around here," I pointed out. Ooh, maybe that was too harsh. "Uh. Sir. Sorry, sir. Prince? Lord? What am I supposed to use?"

"Kamui is just fine!"

"Is it, though?"

"Referring to us as 'lords' and 'ladies' is expected," Ryoma explained, "but Kamui often drops the honorifics."

"The recruits still call him 'sir,'" the redhead leaned in to add with a smile. "He keeps telling them 'just Kamui,' but it's the one thing they won't listen to."

"Oh." This was very strange. I wasn't sure how to take this welcoming behavior. I found myself chewing at my lip as I glanced between them. I can't even let my regular customers buy me a cup of coffee... but I have to rely on these guys for everything. Plus interacting when I couldn't be one-hundred-percent myself was always nerve-wracking. If I was back home, I'd make a 'Just Kamui' joke. Instead I mumbled, "I... I guess?"

I mulled this over as the cart as we left the shops and houses behind to climb the final path to the castle. It sat on top of a small mountain overlooking the city, the bright gem of Hoshido. The oxen were finally allowed to rest once they tugged the cart through the massive gates into the front plaza. The soldiers and servants all went about their business, a few being stopped by Ryoma to discuss matters in low tones. I had sort of expected to be dropped off somewhere. Maybe Kamui wanted to show me around the palace. I didn't know. I didn't understand.

There was a lot I didn't understand. Kamui referred to this as his home, had lived here for years with his family. It certainly didn't match the game. This wasn't what I had expected when I had imagined meeting Anankos' child. His child found me first!

A young woman came running out to greet them as I hopped down from the cart. With that pink hair, and the samurai following close behind, it had to be Sakura. Such a short, cute little sister Kamui had! I was a bit jealous. She only noticed me once Kamui moved to introduce us.

"Hello," I greeted, trying to be as friendly and non-threatening as I could. Wait, was that too informal? "Good day? Princess? Ma'am?"

He laughed, telling his sister in a stage-whisper, "She doesn't know how to act around royalty."

I couldn't help sticking my tongue out at him, momentarily forgetting my nervousness. The princess giggled, which made me feel a lot better about this whole thing. Hana (presumably) was gave me the stink eye.

Kamui then asked, "Where's Mother?"

Sakura gave me one last shy look. "She's training with Takumi."

"Ah, then I won't bother her just yet. Have you seen Yukimura anywhere?"

I hope he doesn't want ME to talk to him about the Vallite soldiers.

I didn't know how I'd give details on enemies that no one else could see, from a literally unspeakable place. And there was no way I could tell them I came from another world, where this one was a story. But at least I'd had some time to think of details to my story. It was true enough that I was a nomad, so that wouldn't really be a lie—and I'm awful with keeping track of geography when traveling, so getting lost was plausible. 'I let life take me where it will.' This alibi helped with my vagueness in coming from 'a woodsy town somewhere off the continent.' And of course, I'd never set foot in Nohr, so I wouldn't be lying if they asked that either.

I just have to not crack under pressure. Goodie.

But Kamui had an idea, after conferring with Sakura on something. "Let me show you the library! You said you wanted to see it, right?"

"Yes!"

I could embrace the excitement of being surrounded by books right about now. Plus, from how Kamui had explained it, the place was massive and stuffed with centuries of knowledge and fiction. The thought was mouth-watering. And hey, knowing more never hurt, especially when needing an alibi. Even if I couldn't check anything out, maybe they'd let me sit down and read for a bit! If the prince was all right with that.

He chuckled. "All right, all right. Ryoma, Hinoka, I'll be back. Sakura, would you like to come with us? There was a scroll I forgot to show you before we left." She nodded.

Scrolls? Crap. Would they be in another language? How delicate were they? Did I have to wear gloves to open them?

It felt weird to walk with the royals through this palace, but I didn't earn odd looks from anyone we passed. The Hoshidan garb probably helped. Most just smiled or waved at Kamui. Kaze disappeared at some point, like the ninja he was. The library door was red, ornately carved, and hardly made a sound as it swung open. I couldn't help staring at the many, many aisles awaiting me. It had about as much square footage as the bookstore I worked at, but the shelves easily towered over those piddly things! I could stand on my own shoulders and not reach the top shelf!

"I'm guessing you like it," Kamui teased.

"I love it!" I realized how loud I'd been and hunched my shoulders. "Sorry. Can I just, walk in...?"

"Of course! Here, let me show you around."

There were scrolls, yes, but there were also a few shelves of books for me to peruse. Where should I start? I trailed my fingers down the aisle as Kamui pulled something down for his sister.

Okay, so these scrolls are in nifty little cases. Oh! It opens rather easily! And it's not all in Japanese! Er, Hoshidan? Whatever the language is called here. Since no one stopped me, I went ahead and carefully unfurled it, trying to figure out how you handled it. I squinted. Turned it upside-down. And put it back. Maybe I'd stick with books for now.

"This tale here," Kamui was explaining, unfurling a scroll for Sakura.

"An old folk tale?"

"Okay, there was one passage in particular, about cherry blossoms. I thought it was interesting!"

I moved along to another shelf with leather-bound books, drawing my finger along their spines. I wasn't going to recognize any of them of course, but I couldn't help glancing at authors and titles. Eventually, I drew to a halt. This was... not how I had expected it to be.

You could take the woman out of the bookstore, but you couldn't take the bookstore out of the woman. Despite the fact I was literally in another dimension, I physically could not stop myself from trying to set that shelf to rights. What the hell kind of organization is this? I thought it was alphabetical, but these books here are clearly in the wrong place! Even if they were put right-to-left, they wouldn't be right—correct—whatever! I was probably grumbling to myself.

"I think I've read this one before... Oh, but this one is so much nicer!"

"Yes, I figured you'd appreciate this version a lot more. I think it's a newer edition by the author's apprentice. Hey, maybe Megan would—oh. Uh, Megan?"

Realizing I was called, I stopped straining on my tiptoes for a shelf. "Uh—yes?" I clutched a few tomes, searching for their proper places.

"Already found some reading material?"

"No—well actually yeah—okay, question." I wiggled my free elbow towards the shelf. "How are these supposed to be organized? By author? Going right-to-left?"

He came over to examine it. "Let's see... Well, they're supposed to be." When I couldn't hold back a groan, understanding dawned. "That's right, you used to work in a bookstore. This must bother you."

"You have no idea. I have to fix these." Looking between two of my tomes, I continued, "Are there different sections for different fields? Like, are the sciences separated, or is it more an all-encompassing section?"

Kamui seemed amused as he watched me set the shelf to rights, correcting me and answering my other questions on occasion. Many of the scroll cases had what looked like some sort of kanji alongside 'English' characters. I wonder if I could learn the Hoshidan alphabet, using these.

Sakura seemed a bit awkward just standing there. I finally told them to go do whatever without me. He would definitely find me in here when he got back. "If I'm allowed in here without you," I added hastily.

"Of course!"

He promised he'd return, and after I turned down his offer to bring me something I watched him leave. How could he trust me so easily? Sure, it was proven I wasn't Nohrian, but even their own citizens had to have some less than savory characters. He's never been trapped in a tower, and yet he seems to still have that trusting trait. It was a relief for me, but kind of worrying overall. I hoped no one would take advantage of him.

I turned back to my self-appointed task. Man, these shelves were dusty. I held back coughing fits as I swiped a hand across them.

By the time Kamui found me again, I had worked through quite a few shelves. I was planning on talking to the librarian to figure out if I could get a temp-job in there. Simple labor, and I'm familiar enough with it already. It was probably the perfect opportunity for me. Kept me close, but believably so.

"There you are!" Kamui's grin had me smiling back within moments. Already, I felt like he considered me a friend. This must be the quality that has him recruiting everyone he meets. "Have you found something to read yet, or are you still determined to fix everything?"

"Multitasking!" I wiggled my fingers at him until he laughed. "Honestly, I could spend hours in a library. It's like a second home."

"Then maybe we can find you a job here!"

PLEASE. The grin was entirely sincere as I asked, "You mean it?"

"As long as you're alright with sticking around here. I know you said you were a nomad..."

I shook my head. "This is perfectly fine. I think I can quit traveling for a while. A long while."

Whatever kind of luck had me plopping into the Hoshidan royal family's lap needed to keep coming. Maybe I could find something about interdimensional travel in these records. Doubtful, but hey, hope springs eternal or whatever. It was almost funny how simple it ended up being. Kamui asked about jobs for me, and that was that.

Or so I thought. Although the lord's word seem to be respected around here after he left, the man behind the counter jabbed at my shoulder, his brow furrowed.

"You will do what I tell you to do. No more, no less."

I bowed my head. "Yes, sir."

"If you cause any trouble—any trouble—you're out. Understand?"

"Yes, sir."

"Good. What was your name again? Megumi?"

"Megan," I corrected. He gave me a look like Hana had. That brow somehow furrowed even further.

"Another foreigner. Typical." Before I could question that, he shoved a stack of books into my arms. "Put these in their correct places, or you can consider yourself fired."

Jokes on you, chucklefuck, I put away books for a living! I hadn't ever been given such an ultimatum, but right then I felt more in my element than I had the past week. I can deal with stacks of books and rude assholes. It was as if retail had prepared me for this very moment... if I wanted to be dramatic.

My smile was more vicious than it should've been as I chirped, "Yes, sir!"

Time to get back to work.

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I was lucky to have a place to stay, period. Still, I missed privacy. And my computer.

For servants who weren't retainers or part of prestigious families, there was a shared space (men and women in separate rooms) to sleep, dress and take a breather between duties. There wasn't a lot of elbow room, but I appreciated that they made space for me. The cots were simple—rather thin—but better than the cold ground outside. If only I had my blankets... or a plush.

I couldn't kneel like the other women did in their kimono, as it hurt my already sore legs. I had to compromise by half-sitting on my right. Man, the cold is fucking with my foot. Years ago it'd gotten run over, and hadn't been the same since. Old injuries always reacted poorly to the weather.

I tried my best to ignore it as I laid out what little I had. My key-and-keychain lanyard, metal and plastic clinking together loudly, I stored away. The locks weren't in this world, after all. There was my beaded bracelet. Ruby ziosite, I think? It was a comforting weight on my wrist I could fiddle with. One singular hair tie, also put it away. My pocket knife, a bit dull. Empty wrappers I didn't want to litter with. Absolutely useless money.

I still had my phone, which at this point was going to remain off until further notice. Seventy-eight percent battery. It was at least in a damn good case, so I didn't have to worry about it too much. But it was going in storage too. Ah, shit, I must've dropped my bluetooth earbuds, I realized in dismay. Damn.

What was left were miscellaneous things I'd found in my pockets. Two twenty-sided dice, a tiny acorn, a 'Chinese medicine ball,' a tiny bell, a circular magnet. I was weird, and sometimes a hoarder. I was so used to shoving these trinkets into a pocket that I'd just done it on automatic for that fateful walk.

If only I'd had my wallet, I mused. The zippered pouch had enough room to put other little things inside. But of course I wouldn't need it for a stroll. Hindsight, and all that.

There was also the matter of my own clothes, stuffed haphazardly into the satchel Kamui had given me. They were dirty, and my sewing job was mediocre at best. But I definitely wasn't throwing those away. They were reminders of home, and I now had very little in the way of belongings. The jacket and ball cap were especially important to me.

It had been a little awkward to ask for a farmer's hat, but Kamui hadn't asked why. Talking about my sensitivity to sunlight probably wouldn't sound very non-Nohr-y, barrier or no. But I felt it was unwieldy to wear indoors. I might resort to the ball cap in the future, strange looks or not.

A few gazes had already turned my way. Someone called for the servants to prepare for bed. I gathered my things back up before settling in for the night.

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[I've been working on this thing for the better part of a year. Finally putting it out there has me all jazzed up! (And a little nervous.) The last time I kept track of total page count, this baby was over 244 pages. Currently I'm at fifteen-ish chapters? Just for the first arc, too! Readers are in for the long haul, but I promise it's not just a leisurely stroll through the plot. There's some setting up, and some twists, and I genuinely hope people enjoy it. Maybe there's some dispensing of disbelief required? But I guess that's all self-insert fics, huh.]

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