Mist found Ike sitting on a bench in the fort armory, polishing Ragnell. "Good morning, Ike," she sang.
"Hello, Mist," he muttered without bothering to look up at her. Mist blinked.
"Soren sent me here to take inventory today," she prompted. He merely nodded.
"What is it?" she asked. "I can tell you're thinking about something important."
Ike paused. "No, it's not important. Something silly. A dream I had last night."
"A dream?" She took a seat next to Ike. "About what?"
He took a breath. "I can't remember everything. I was in the courtyard of Crimea Castle, the one where we fought Ashnard in. It was empty and the sun was setting. No one was there except for me. I stepped into one of the fountains—there was no water running in it—and then my dream changed.
"All of a sudden I was battling Altina in a barren, abandoned battlefield. I don't know why. She fought with Ragnell and Alondite hung by her side. I was wielding Ragnell too and beside me—" Ike looked away, "—was the Black Knight."
"The Black Knight?"
"Yeah. We fought together as allies. He used Alondite." Now Ike sighed. "We were losing to her. In my dream I moved so slowly. I could hardly run or raise my sword to strike. But her blows caught me every time, though there was no pain.
"My dream shifted. The Black Knight turned into Mia," Ike said. Mist burst out laughing.
"Stop laughing," he said to his sister, though he himself was fighting to keep a smile off his face. "Do you want to hear the dream or not?
"Sorry," Mist replied, the last chuckles leaving her lips. "Keep going."
"All right... Mia. She held Alondite with both hands. Maybe that's it, but she looked different." Ike closed his eyes, trying to catch the memory of dream-version Mia. It was like trying to trying to catch a dust mote. The vision escaped him. All he could remember was that Mia's face looked the same—no, wait, her eyes were different. In the light of the dusky sky her green eyes shone brighter than emeralds. Her hair was also the same—no, it was longer and it swirled around her lithe frame. Somehow, Mia looked even more beautiful.
"Ike?"
He snapped out of it. "What? Oh," he said to the sword as he scrubbed it vigorously. He kept his head down, not daring to face his sister, knowing she would read his face and his thoughts instantly. "Yes, Mia was fighting alongside me. When she swung the sword it responded to her every move as if it was a part of her arm. I stared. She looked right back. And I think she said in this determined voice, 'C'mon Ike, let's win this.'"
"And then what?" Mist was bouncing with anticipation.
Ike shrugged his shoulders. "I don't remember."
"You don't remember?"
"No. Everything is a little murky after that. I think we fought some more and won." Ike set the polishing rag on the bench and rose, swinging his sword. Ragnell cut the air with a satisfying icy whssh!.
Mist blinked. "Are you...hiding something from me?"
"No," he answered evenly but a bit too quickly for Mist's tastes.
She sat back, pretending to believe him. "What do you think it means? That you dreamt of Mia?"
"My dream? I don't know. I don't think it has to mean anything."
"Nothing?" she asked slowly and carefully, lacing her tone with speculation.
Ike only shrugged in response. He put away the rag. "It could mean I need to train harder, I suppose. If you need help with the inventory I can help you after I'm done. I'll see you later." He exited the armory, heading for the training grounds.
A smile played on her lips, lingering there long after she took inventory. As she returned to the fort to give Soren her report she passed by Mia.
"Good morning," Mist greeted, stopping to glance over the trueblade's disheveled self.
"M-m-mooorning," Mia yawned. She laughed. "Sorry. I was awake half the night and I couldn't go back to sleep. When I did, then I overslept!"
Mist's grin grew impossibly wider. "You know what they say," she intoned, "if you wake up in the middle of the night it means someone is dreaming about you."
"Really?" Then Mia gasped. "Maybe it's my destined archrival! I'd better start preparing for my duel against him. Starting with breakfast!" But Mia's eyes strayed to the window and rested on Ike, who was training. Mist noticed.
"You'd better hurry before Boyd eats all of Oscar's fruit bread," Mist said simply.
"Good idea. See you, Mist!" As Mia walked towards the mess hall Mist heard her yawn again. Perhaps she, too, had dreamt of Ike.