Chapter Text
I know, I know I said that the sequel wouldn't be a crossover. But I got stuck and realized it was easier with the crossover. However, simply having Shu and the others enter another Dimensional Break didn't seem too appealing. Then I thought about all the other characters that could be in it. And then I went back to the Dimensional Break again and an idea popped into my head...
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"Flynn, another one appeared."
"Another?!" Flynn stood up from his desk, staring at Mist through disbelieving eyes.
"Once again, the town appeared once a black portal vanished and Terca Lumires expanded a little more," Mist continued.
"Where is it located?"
"Just on the coastline east of New Aspio."
Flynn sat down again, rubbing his forehead. During the past week, two towns mysteriously appeared on Terca Lumires. Not only that but the planet itself seemed to get larger each time. And now a third had appeared. The citizens in the towns were too confused about what happened to answer the questions given to them by the Imperial Knights. And as if that wasn't the only thing going on, tensions were rising once again between the Empire and the Union.
"What should we do, Flynn?" Mist pressed.
"Oh right," Flynn said, snapping out of his daze. "We should head for it. More than likely it's from the same world."
"So should I ask Judith if we could borrow Ba'ul again?"
"Sure. Go on," Flynn mumbled, waving his hand dismissively. Mist saluted and left the room, closing the door behind her. Flynn sat up straighter, talking again without turning his head. "Yuri, you need to seriously work on your hiding while eavesdropping."
Yuri slid through the window, putting a hand on his hip. "You knew I was there the whole time?"
"It was hard not to notice with you rustling the leaves on the tree," Flynn replied flatly, switching his gaze to his friend. "We're gonna need to borrow Ba'ul again."
"Judy's already ready with him," Yuri replied. "We saw the town appear while we were flying on him and figured you'd wanna check it out." He then got a devilish grin. "Haven't you and your wife had a honeymoon yet with all your work?"
Flynn blushed and glared at Yuri. "That's none of your business!"
"You do also remember her 20th birthday is in a few days too, right? Woudn't make a great husband if you forgot it."
"I'm perfectly aware of when Mist's birthday it!" Flynn snapped, quickly losing his patience. A month ago, a wedding for Mist and Flynn was held. Ever since then, Yuri has not stopped holding it over their heads. Flynn stood up, ready to give Yuri a piece of his mind when Mist came through the door again.
"Judith's already prepared for depar- - Yuri! What are you doing here?!"
"Well, well! If it isn't the newlywed girl!" Yuri exclaimed with a grin. Mist narrowed her eyes at him.
"You're pushing it...!" she growled.
"Enough!" Flynn shouted, his eyes closed tighly in annoyance. When he opened them again he looked over at Mist. "Let's get on board, then."
"Right," Mist replied. They were about to go through the door when Mist turned and glared at Yuri. "And we are not going to be making out in the hallways, if that's what you're thinking!"
"Hey, I never said you were!" Yuri replied innocently, putting his hands out in front of his chest. Mist huffed and went through the door, Flynn waiting for her.
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The flight to the town didn't take very long. Mist glanced over at New Aspio. The mages had inhabited Tarquaron after it fell back down into the mountains, using it to perform more methods of replacing the lost blastia. So far, they have succeeded in replacing bohdi blastia. People could make pacts with the lesser spirits and the spirits would inhabit the blastia bodies. Unfortunately, replacing barrier blastia was going to prove more difficult. The only spirits with that kind of power were the elemental spirits, and they needed to keep the aer in balance. The Hunting Blades's profits have skyrocketed from cities hiring protection from monsters. They were now one of the five master guilds, replacing the Blood Alliance.
At last, unfamiliar land stretched out before them. Mist leaned over the side, getting a closer look. Mountains had come with it, circling the town. A giant church was in the back of the town. Simply houses were lined up in rows, with a few markets.
"Looks more like a village than a town," Mist commented, standing up straight.
"You're right," Flynn replied, walking over to stand next to her. "However, it looks well protected by the mountains and cliffs, so monsters won't be able to attack it easily."
"Ba'ul will find us a spot to land," Judith called over to them.
"Out of curiosity, where's everyone else?" Mist asked.
"Karol and Raven are taking care of guild work and the new recruits right now," Judith replied. "Estele's in Halure, reading fairy tales to the kids. And you know what Rita's doing."
"Research," Flynn laughed. "That seems to be all that she's doing nowadays."
"Out of curiosity, is Raven a member of Brave Vesperia? Or still part of Altosk?" Mist asked. "He seems to be helping Brave Vesperia out an awful lot for someone belonging to another guild."
"He's still a member of Altosk," Yuri replied. "Still just me, Judy, Karol, and Repede. Plus a few new recruits."
"Rita hasn't joined?"
"Nope. Still being stubborn," Judith replied. She made her voice more high-pitched to match Rita's. "I wan't no part of your stupid little comedy act!" Ba'ul howled and Judith looked up. She spoke again, her voice back to normal. "Ba'ul's found a place to land."
"Good," Flynn said. He glanced over at Yuri. "Remember. No picking fights with people again. Got it?"
"I got it, Mom," Yuri sighed. "Your nagging is starting to annoy me." Flynn muttered something under his breath, shaking his head.
Ba'ul landed the Fiertia at the entrance to the village. Running toward the group once they got off were the last people they expected to see.
"The hell... Shu?!" Mist exclaimed, jaw dropping. Shu, Jiro, Kluke, Marumaro, Bouquet, and a silver-haired boy they didn't recognize stood in front of them.
"Judith!" Marumaro shouted, leaping at the Krityan. Judith smiled before her face hardened, pulling her arm back and thrusting it forward, sinking her fist deep into the Devee's face.
"Hello, Marumaro," Judith said coldly, brushing her hands against each other.
"Never expected to see you guys again," Yuri commented. "What happened?"
"Well, you see..." Kluke started.
- - - A few hours ago - - -
"So this is Talta Village, huh?" Andropov asked, glancing at Kluke.
"That's right. The place Shu and I grew up in," Kluke replied. An old man with a long gray beard and moustache and long spiky gray hair pulled back into a ponytail. He wore a red bandana on his head and had a light blue shirt with an orange sash around his waist and blue shorts.
"Hey, gramps!" Shu greeted, waving a hand. The man, Fushira[1], stopped in front of Shu, putting his hands on his hips.
"About time you came to visit, Shu," Fushira said. "I was beginning to worry you weren't gonna come back."
"Come on, gramps!" Shu exclaimed. "You know that I wouldn't forget to visit you. I've just been a little busy lately is all."
"And I see you brought your friends, too," Fushira commented. He looked over at Jiro. "Isn't that the kid who always had the sour attitude?"
"Yeah, that's Jiro alright," Shu replied with a nervous smile, noticing Jiro's eyebrow twitch when Fushira said that. Bouquet stepped forward.
"You remember me, right?" Bouquet asked. Fushira nodded, remembering when Shu had brought her to Talta Village after they defeated the Darkness.
"How could I forget Shu's cute little girlfriend."
"She's not my girlfriend..." Shu grumbled.
"Oh yeah, that's right. She's your fianceé!" Fushira laughed.
"Grandpa!" Shu shouted indignantly.
"Sorry, couldn't help myself," Fushira replied, still chuckling.
"Hey, grandpa. Have you heard that two towns had vanished?" Shu asked. Fushira grew serious.
"Yes I have. From what I've heard, they were swallowed in a black void."
"Well, the portals are still there," Shu said. "They look like Dimensional Breaks,"
"They're starting to go out of control," Kluke added. "More areas have been affected and they seem to be sucking in pieces of the planet itself."
"We want to know if any- -" Shu was cut off abruptly when screams sounded. A Dimensional Break had formed in the center of the village and was rapidly expanding. The next thing they knew, the entire village was enveloped in darkness.
- - - Present time - - -
"...And that's how we got here," Kluke finished.
"What places have already been sent here?" Flynn asked.
"Korin and Nirvana," Shu replied. "Two major cities in our world. Korin is home to the informants, and Nirvana is where the White Guardians and former members of the Jibral Royal Army are stationed."
"And now Talta Village is here," Kluke said. Then her eyes widened. "Hey! I wonder if Conrad, Danel, and Griz are here as well!"
"Come to think of it, the last time we saw them they said they were going to be staying in Nirvana," Bouquet said.
"What I'm concerned about is how much of your world is going to be transported here," Mist murmured, putting her hand to her chin. "Say the planet itself is dumped here."
"Then we're going to have a big problem," Flynn replied. "Terca Lumires is ruled by the Union and the Empire. If another ruling faction comes here, disputes may break out about who rules what."
"Too late," Jiro said. "Jibral used to be a ruling party, but it was destroyed by Nene three years ago. They've joined up with the White Guardians, increasing their influence on the world. And Rosekstan's another problem, though it seems they haven't been sent here yet. However it's only a matter of time before they become your problem as well."
"What do you mean 'our problem'? How is this Rosekstan trouble?" Yuri asked.
"They're bent on world domination," Shu replied. "They think they can create order in the world. Even if the methods aren't the same, they have the same goal that Nene did."
"So in other words, the leader is like another Alexei we have to deal with," Yuri grumbled. "Dammit, this is not funny."
"No kidding. We already have the guild to deal with," Mist agreed.
"I thought you and the guilds made up, maro," Marumaro said, cocking his head to the side.
"Ever since the mages of New Aspio discovered how to replace bohdi blastia, the arguments started up again," Flynn explained. "The guild say that because New Aspio is run by the Empire, we'll have a larger stock of blastia and find have the newest replacements before them. Before the Adephagos, blastia distribution was controlled by both factions, thanks to Ruins Gate digging up blastia from ruins. But since all the cores had been turned to spirits, Ruins Gate isn't needed anymore. And that's stirred up tentions once again."
"And that's not all the news," Yuri said, a grin spreading across his face as he glanced over at Flynn and Mist. They blinked at him in confusion and Yuri looked back at the Shadow Wielders. "Guess who recently got married."
"You and Estelle, maro?" Marumaro asked. Yuri narrowed his eyes.
"No, you idiot," he growled.
"No way!" Bouquet exclaimed. "I'm so happy for you, Flynn and Mist!"
"So when are you planning to have kids?" Shu asked. Mist landed a roundhouse to the side of his head.
"None of your damned business, you creep!" Mist screamed.
"Okay, I can't hold it in anymore. How do you know these guys?!" Andropov exclaimed.
"Remember what I told you, Andropov?" Kluke asked. "We were sent here a year ago by a Dimensional Break." Andropov jumped when Ba'ul howled. Judith looked up at the giant Entelexeia, her eyes narrowing.
"I got it," she said. She turned to the others. "Ba'ul felt another disturbance in the aer. Another piece of your world was sent here. It's located north of Dahngrest."
"So Karol and the old man would have noticed," Yuri said.
"Maybe we should go see Sui," Kluke suggested. "She may have an idea about why the Dimensional Breaks are going out of control in our world."
"You're right," Shu agreed.
"But do you even know where Korin is located now on Terca Lumires?" Mist asked, narrowing her eyes and crossing her arms. Shu sweatdropped and Jiro sighed.
"We know the locations of the two cities sent here," Flynn said. "We can go there, starting with the closest, which is located on the western shore of Zaphias. The second is just north of Mount Temza in Desier."
"So we're off to Zaphias then," Yuri said. "Let's get onboard, then."
Everyone boarded the Fiertia, with Andropov being hesitant at first. Ba'ul lifted off with a howl and started flying southwest, headed for Zaphias. Once the capital came into view, the Shadow Wielders came over to the side of the ship to look at it.
"Where's the barrier?" Shu asked. "Didn't you replace the blastia?"
"The mages haven't discovered how to replace barrier blastia yet. We would need power equaling an elemental spirit," Mist replied.
"My head's hurting. I have no idea what you guys are talking about!" Andropov exclaimed, clutching his head. "Blastia? Aer? Spirits? Someone explain to me what's going on!"
"Follow me into the ship's cabin, then," Kluke sighed. "I'll explain everything there." The two vanished inside the cabin and Flynn looked past the ship.
"We're here," he announced.
"That's Nirvana!" Shu exclaimed.
"Great. A ruling faction right next to the capital of the Empire," Mist grumbled.
"We could visit the White Guardians," Bouquet suggested. "And we may see Conrad there, too."
"Good idea," Shu agreed.
"Ba'ul!" Judith called up at the whale-like dragon. Ba'ul howled a reply and descended toward the castle in the city. As the Fiertia landed, soldiers flocked outside, readying their swords and guns.
"Looks like they're ready to attack us," Mist commented, glancing lazily at the crowd.
"Some of the Jibral soldiers are there, too!" Bouquet exclaimed. Soldiers mixed in still wore the uniform for the Jibral Royal Army.
"Look! It's Conrad!" Shu exclaimed.
"He must be the new commander for the White Guardians," Jiro said.
"Hey! Conrad! Don't worry! It's us!" Shu shouted. The soldiers looked up in suprise and lowered their weapons as the group got off the ship. Mist glanced around nervously.
"I dunno about this, Flynn," she whispered. "The air is full of tension. It feels like fighting will break out at the drop of a hat."
"I think you may be a little overcautious. It seems the army knows Shu and the others really well," Flynn replied.
"They don't know us very well, though," Yuri pointed out. His grip on Second Star tightened. The army parted to let a blonde haired man wearing a red uniform and a large sword on his back approach the group. Flynn narrowed his eyes and Mist's hand moved for the handle of Last Fencer. A couple soldiers saw this and held up their weapons.
"It's been awhile, Conrad," Shu said, ignoring everyone else.
"I didn't expect to see you here as well, Shu," Conrad replied. His blue eyes shifted to the people from Terca Lumires. "Who are all of you?"
"Same thing I wanted to ask you," Mist muttered.
"Hey! Watch your mouth in front of the Knight Master!" a soldier shouted.
"Oh put a sock in it!" Mist retorted. "I'll say whatever I please!"
"Why you!" the soldier growled, swinging his sword. Mist quickly pulled hers out and parried.
"Dragon Claw!" she shouted, breaking the parry and taking the soldier down with the burst of red energy. All the soldiers around her prepared to strike, but Conrad stopped them.
"Enough! All of you fall back this instant!" he ordered. The soldiers hesitated then obeyed. Conrad turned to the group. "Let's discuss this inside."
"Yes. It'll take the stress off if we're not surrounded," Flynn agreed. Mist huffed and sheathed her sword, following everyone else into the castle.
"So would you introduce yourselves to me?" Conrad asked after they entered a rom and sat at the large table there.
"My name is Flynn Scifo, Commandant of the Imperial Knights of Zaphias," Flynn replied. He gestured to Mist. "This is my second-in-command, Mist."
"You forgot to mention she's your wife as well," Yuri, who sat next to Mist, chuckled. Mist stomped down hard on his foot, getting a pained expression from Yuri.
"Will you shut the hell up?!" she exclaimed.
"I'm joking! I'm joking!" Yuri shouted. Mist removed her foot and Yuri rubbed it. "Your foot feels like a damn boulder! You're starting to remind me more and more of Rita, you know?" He turned back to Conrad. "Name's Yuri Lowell, by the way.
"And I'm Judith," Judith finished.
"I'm also curious about the dragon outside," Conrad said.
"He's my friend, Ba'ul," Judith replied. "He's an Entelexeia."
"En-tell-uh-what?" Conrad asked.
"Not En-tell-uh-what," Judith giggled. "En-tell-uh-kay-uh." She said each syllable seperately, as if talking to a little kid. Yuri chuckled at that and Mist kicked him on the back of his leg, making the violet haired man jump.
"Show a little respect," she hissed.
"I don't think you could emphasize that any more," Yuri grumbled. Mist let out a "tsk!" and turned back to Conrad.
"So you're a Knight as well, then," Flynn said.
"Not just any Knight. He's a Knight Master," Shu corrected.
"You can see he has a lot of respect for Corad," Mist whispered to Flynn.
"Are you a Knight Master as well?" Conrad asked.
"I honestly don't know how to answer that question," Flynn replied. "Although I am the highest ranking Knight in the Imperial Knights. Mist, being my second-in-command, is the second highest ranking Knight."
"So where's Griz and Danel?" Shu asked.
"They're investigating the world we have been sent to," Conrad replied.
"Who are they?" Mist asked.
"Griz is a Knight Master like me and Danel is an informant," Conrad said.
"So there can be more than one Knight Master?" Flynn asked.
"Correct," Conrad replied. "There is a Knight Master for each nation in our world. I was the Knight Master for Jibral. Perhaps we could work with you Imperial Knights."
"That's a good idea," Flynn agreed.
"We can talk more later. For now, I need to see Sui in Korin," Conrad said, standing up.
"Hey, we were going to be going to Korin too!" Shu exclaimed. "You should come with us!"
"Thank you," Conrad replied.
"Let's go then. Ba'ul is waiting for us," Judith said.
"Sure you can leave just like this?" Flynn asked.
"Don't worry about it," Conrad replied. "We should head out now."
"So it's off to Desier, then," Yuri said. "Let's move."
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[1] Fushira is from the three Blue Dragon games. Even though he's never seen in the anime version, it's hinted that he exists in it. At the end of episode 2 of season 1 where Shu, Jiro, and Zola are about to leave and are stopped by Kluke and the three boys, Shu tells Kluke to "take care of gramps" before Kluke declares she's coming along.