House Isekai: A Realm Reborn - Part 10,
Fragments In One Direction (1 of 2)
Act 2 Masterlist
—
Aqua and Darkness lead the newcomers to save their friends trapped in the Zanado Tower, but find themselves joining forces with an unlikely ally.
—
[Red Team Warthog Theme (The Other One) - Red vs Blue OST]
Red Team's Warthog drove through the snow with ease, as Darkness and Aqua held on for dear life as it flew over a hill.
(Sarge) "YEEEEEEEEEEHAAAAAAW!"
As soon as it landed, Aqua almost fell off before Darkness grabbed her with one arm, seemingly unbothered.
Tucker's Mongoose tagged closely behind as Forte and Lest held onto the seat tightly.
(Sarge) "Ah, now THIS is the life! Driving through without a care in the world!"
(Grif) "Great, good for you. Can I turn this radio off now? It's been almost an hour!"
(Sarge) "Son, I either get to listen to my music or your whining the entire trip! I know my choice."
(Simmons) "Sir, could we get a chance to listen to my-"
(Grif, Sarge) "No!"
(Darkness) "Personally, I do not mind. The music reminds me of fond memories with father on trips."
(Aqua) "WHERE THE HECK'S THE SEATBELTS ON THIS THING?!"
(Tucker) "Now that you mention it, WHY are there no seatbelts for these things?"
(Lest) "What's a seatbelt? I-I mean, I can kind of infer but-"
(Forte) "Not that it would help us any at the moment...
(Aqua) "Well, beats horseback on speed I guess..."
(Grif) "By the way, how long's it gonna take to get to Zanado?"
(Sarge) "Uh..."
(Simmons) "According to the map and how fast we're driving...About a week."
(Tucker) "The fuck?! A week, the people we're trying to save might be dead by then!"
(Sarge) "That Rean fella told me they'd been missing for about four days, going on the fifth now."
(Darkness) "If anything could give the Persona Users trouble...heheh...!"
(Grif) "Of all the people from your group, how is it we got stuck with you guys?"
(Aqua) "Hey, you better be thankful you have a goddess accompanying you!"
(Forte) "If I may ask, what are you the Goddess of?"
(Aqua) "It's in my name!"
(Lest) "Hah, g-good point.."
(Simmons) "Speaking of your group, who exactly are we coming to save?"
(Darkness) "Elliot, Fie, and Laura of Class VII, and Mitsuru, Naoto, Ryuji, and Ann of the Persona Users, dear friends of ours. They were among our strongest fighters, so the fact we haven't heard anything is concerning..."
(Grif) "They better than you two?"
(Aqua) "Better than you lot! Actually now that I think about it, who the hell are you guys anyway?"
(Sarge) "Little lady, we're the Red Team! Super-Colonel Sarge is who I am, these two numbskulls are Grif and Simmons!"
(Aqua) "Well yeah, you told me what your names are and that crap, I meant what are you doing here? We've never met you once!"
(Lest) "Well, we have met before, just not for long. We saw you guys as you teleported through our worlds. But as to why we're here, it's because of Byleth."
Aqua and Darkness looked surprised.
Sarge looked at them then turned off the radio.
[Song End]
(Grif) "Oh thank god."
(Aqua) "You...guys met Byleth?"
Lest nodded excitedly.
(Lest) "Yeah, he and his students came to our world for a year and lived in our town! It was nice having them there for a while."
(Tucker) "As for us, well we actually came to Fodlan. Both Red and Blue Team. Stayed here for about I wanna say...two years? We missed five technically but we put an end to a civil war and went home. We thought it was the end of that until that whole crap with the towers began."
Aqua and Darkness looked at each other.
(Darkness) "How many years had passed since you met them?"
(Grif) "Iunno, two years?"
(Aqua) "We...never heard of any of you. Not once. I don't think even Lahabrea even made a mention of you guys."
(Sarge) "Laha-what'sitnow? Sitri only told us current events, not what happened before we got here."
Grif suddenly applied the brakes and the group came to a screeching halt driving, the snow shooting upwards and to their front.
(Sarge) "GRIF! What in sam hill are you-"
Grif was reaching for his head.
(Grif) "Holy fuck, what the hell's happening?!"
Simmons, Sarge, Tucker, Lest, and Forte reached for their heads as well, leaving Aqua and Darkness confused.
(Aqua) "H-Hey, are you guys okay?!"
(Darkness) "What's happening to them?"
(Aqua) "I-I don't know! Here we have to-...."
Aqua and Darkness's voices faded out as everyone's vision blurred into white.
[Tears in the Rain - Final Fantasy XIV Shadowbringers OST]
===
(Byleth) “We may be with the church, but like HELL I AM LETTING YOU THREATEN MY FAMILY LIKE THAT."
...
(Sitri) “I…I…What?! Who are you people?!”
(Kazuma) "I'm Kazuma, that's Megumin, Darkness, and Aqua."
...
(Sothis?) “I told you they wouldn’t remember us. They never do.”
(Lahabrea?) sigh "...I know, Sothis. I know."
...
(Yuki) “And for this case…we all have each other. Lahabrea may have called our meeting a mistake, Byleth an accident, and that we don’t remember everything, but I don’t care! Even if these feelings I have aren’t real, they’re real to me! I don’t care if our meeting was a mistake, you’re all still my friends.”
...
(Lahabrea) “…Remember us. Remember, that we once lived…”
...
Byleth smiled one last time before his body faded away and shattered into pieces, the light blue particles dispersing in the air.
===
The series of visions ended for the group as they all shook their heads, trying to make sense of what they just saw.
(Lest) "Were those memories?"
(Aqua) "Hey, you guys okay?"
(Sarge) "Ugh, feels like my head got smacked upside down by a sack of potatoes!"
(Simmons) "Did...did we just see your memories?"
(Grif) "Why the fuck were there 2 Byleths, and why did he just...die like that...?"
(Tucker) "For either of them that's...no way to go."
(Forte) "How did we even do that?"
(Aqua) "Wait you saw...Does that mean you saw everything?"
(Simmons) "It felt like it happened all at once but I...I think we got a better understanding of what happened."
(Grif) "More importantly, did either of you do that shit?"
(Darkness) "N-No! One second you were talking the next you all reached for your heads."
(Lest) "How long...?"
Everyone turned to Lest.
(Lest) "I'm pretty sure we saw some...memories before the rest of your group got here, when you were by yourselves, I think. If every group was like us before we all came together, how long has this been going on?"
No one knew how to respond, the more they thought on it, the worse it got.
Nobody appeared to have any memories of meeting each other until the Towers appeared in their worlds, but if their meeting of Byleth was similar to where it was only them at first, how many years had actually passed?
Aqua and Darkness's expressions darkened.
Lahabrea and Sothis said that even they didn't remember everything prior to their group showing up first, which meant those loops could have been happening even longer than anyone knew.
(Darkness) "..."
(Aqua) "..."
(Sarge) "Grif, Tucker. Let's get going."
(Tucker) "Got it."
(Grif) "Yeah."
Both of them moved to step on their gas pedal before realizing it wasn't budging.
(Grif) "Oh you've gotta be shitting me."
(Tucker) "What now?"
...
From the hill above, "C" was watching them get out of their vehicles to examine it.
After watching the group see the memories of Aqua and Darkness, he was unsure how to approach them.
Hell, even without that interruption he wasn't sure how to approach them to begin with.
("C") How do we even talk to a group like that?
(Young Boy's voice) "Who is this 'we'?"
"C" sighed upon hearing his familiar companion's voice.
("C") You know the longer I don't mention you, the worse it's going to get. I was barely able to keep Sothis from noticing you.
"C"'s companion appeared next to him, shaking his head.
(Arval) "If you had just stuck with my plan originally, I could've done better hiding. Besides, what do you care what Sothis thinks, Iros?"
(Iros) If we stuck with your plan, we would've brought the attention of the Separatists AND Those Who Slither on top of us. And I told you to use my-
(Arval) "I refuse to call you that. What kind of name is "C" anyway?! ...Wait a second, did you just steal that name from the memories we watched of that Rean guy?!"
(Iros) T-That's not relevant. And I don't care what she thinks, I care if they even bother to listen to us and don't send House Isekai to kill us on sight!
(Arval) "Alright, fine fine, fair point. I guess if I have to introduce myself I will, but if this blows up in your face don't say I didn't warn you!"
(Iros) Well hopefully Sitri and Kazuma told them about us so we don't immediately start off on the wrong foot."
(Arval) "Go get 'em champ. I'll come out to say hi AFTER we establish we're not going to get shot."
Iros rolled his eyes and prepared to jump down.
...
[End Song]
(Sarge) "What's our damage?"
(Grif) "Shit, I don't know. It just won't start all of a sudden."
(Tucker) "Aw crap, you think all the dimension jumping is wearing our crap down?"
Darkness and Forte heard something behind them and both drew their swords at the source of the noise.
(Darkness) "THOSE WHO SLITHER!"
(Sarge) "What the- BATTLE STATIONS!"
Everyone drew their weapons as Iros hopped down and landed, looking up.
(Iros) "Aqua, Darkness. And the others must be-"
(Sarge) "RED TEAM, THE DEATH OF THE AGARTHANS! BLAST 'EM BOYS!"
Simmons turned the turret of the Warthog on Iros while Grif, Simmons, and Tucker opened fire with their guns.
Iros jumped behind the rock and took cover as bullets hailed on his position.
(Simmons) "YEAH, GET SOME!"
(Grif) "GO BACK TO HELL YOU MOLE-MAN!"
(Sarge) "RED TEAM'S KICKED YOUR ASS BEFORE, AND WE'LL DO IT AGAIN!"
(Tucker) "SUUUUCK MY DIIIIIIICK!"
Aqua laughed at Iros while Darkness, Forte, and Lest watched.
(Lest) "G-GUYS, I THINK THAT WAS THE FRIENDLY AGARTHAN SITRI MENTIONED!"
The bullets continued to rain.
(Forte) "I don't think they can hear us."
(Darkness) "But a moment."
Darkness walked over to the trunk of the Warthog before slamming her fist into it, sending the Warthog rocketing upwards as it spun around.
(Simmons) "GYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA-"
The bullets and laughter stopped when they saw the Warthog crash back to the ground, somehow landing on the wheels.
Simmons landed on the Warthog and bounced off.
(Simmons) "OOOUAGH!"
(Darkness) "Mister Lest?"
(Lest) "...U-Uh, I think that's "C" Sitri told us about."
(Iros) "...Alright fine, I'll do away with the pretense if that's how it's going to go."
Iros dusted himself off and sighed.
He knew anything involving Kazuma's group would not go smoothly.
(Iros) "I am "C". My fellow Agarthans, including myself, want to help House Isekai."
Aqua stepped forth.
(Aqua) "Why should we believe you, they've been trying to kill us since we got here!"
(Iros) "Because we are not with Those Who Slither. Not any longer."
(Lest) "Then I assume you know what we plan to do right now?"
Iros nodded.
(Iros) "Save your friends trapped in the Zanado Tower. But they are not there, not any longer."
(Darkness) "What?"
(Iros) "Do you recall the earthquake that happened yesterday? That was caused by the Towers, disabling some kind of limitation on travelling, which is how I assume you got here to begin with. Your friends got trapped in that Earthquake and went to a different world from Fodlan."
(Tucker) "How the heck do you know this?"
(Arval) "For the love of- If you can stop asking questions and just LISTEN!"
Arval appeared next to Iros, startling everyone.
(Arval) "We know we're pretty suspicious, but if we wanted to attack we'd have done so by now! We know your friends teleported because we've kept track of who's going in and out of Fodlan!"
Iros shot Arval a sharp glare.
(Arval) "...And I'm Arval, by the way."
(Aqua) "Why am I getting the same feeling I get from Sothis...?"
(Arval) "Oh...Ooooh, crap. Forgot you're a goddess."
(Tucker) "Wait, she isn't making that shit up? Why's she so bitchy?"
(Aqua) "Shut up! And you, Arval! Elaborate!"
(Arval) "Well, sometimes you don't act like a-"
(Iros) "That's not what she meant."
(Arval) "I know."
(Iros) "Arval. You are not helping me."
Arval rolled his eyes and sighed.
(Arval) "It's probably easier to show than tell you everything. Let's take you to our home."
(Simmons) "Ow...T-This could be a trap!"
(Sarge) "Simmons is right, this could be some elaborate scheme! Getting us into the belly of the beast then to eat us like some sort of little bunny rabbit!"
(Iros) "...What?!"
(Grif) "Why the fuck should we go into your creepy ass underground mole-man base? We've been there once and it was all glowy and shit!"
(Forte) "As much as I hate their phrasing, I'm inclined to agree."
(Lest) "If you know this group, then you know why we don't trust you entirely.."
(Iros) "Fair enough. But your vehicles are breaking down, and the snow is about to get worse. You can either come with us and go save your friends now, or you deal with the snow of Faerghus."
Everyone looked at each other, weighing their options.
(Darkness) "...I shall go."
(Aqua) "What?!"
(Darkness) "If it means saving our friends, then I see what little options we have."
(Arval) "Finally, someone's starting to make sense-"
Darkness turned to Iros and Arval with a lustful look in her eyes, scaring them.
(Darkness) "And if they have sinister tricks up their sleeves, then I can be the one to endure them!"
(Iros) "...We do not. Especially not the kind you're thinking."
(Arval) "W-Why is she looking at us like that?"
(Aqua) "You get used to it."
(Arval) "I don't want to get used to it."
(Sarge) "So, what's this base of yours?"
Iros nodded and turned to Arval.
Arval raised one hand and opened a portal made of a dark black aura.
(Grif) "Considering the last place looked like the goddamn Death Star, my bet's on-"
Through the portal, they could see the base of these Agarthans plain as day, and everyone was taken aback.
(Arval) "Yeah, we decided to go away with the 'Living in a hole' motif we're so fond of these days. Let's just say we were nostalgic."
(Iros) "Who's this 'we'? I distinctly you remember napping the entire time as we-"
(Arval) "Shut up. And you lot, why are you waiting? Get in, this takes a lot of power!"
Everyone looked at each other before stepping through the portal.
Darkness grabbed both the hood of the Mongoose and side of the Warthog before dragging it with her effortlessly.
They all shot the two a glance before stepping through, with the exception of Sarge.
(Sarge) "Try anything buddy, and I'll introduce ya personally to my shotgun court martial!"
(Simmons) "SIR!"
Sarge mumbled something under his breath as he walked through.
(Arval) "Ugh, I can't believe we traded going directly to Sitri and Sothis for these idiots."
(Iros) "You're the one who didn't want to talk to Sothis to begin with, so this is your fault."
(Arval) "Hmph. And by the way, told you so."
(Iros) "Shut up."
Iros walked in as Arval tagged closely behind with a smug grin.
[TO BE CONTINUED]
3 notes
·
View notes