A/N: I decided to split this chapter in two to meet the personal deadline. Kraden, Susa, and Kushinada make appearances in this chapter. Omai. Garcia and Picard will be in the next chapter for sure. Haha...they want to stay hidden for a bit longer.

Disclaimer: Golden Sun is owned by Camelot and Nintendo.

Warning: Robin and Ivan being touchy-feely.

Please read and review.

Chapter 8:

Nox. Even in the dying light it's something of wonder. People crowd the colorful streets in masses I've never even assumed possible in one city. They walk into shops, pubs and restaurants, laughing and chatting away blissfully. The buildings stretch up towards the heavens, glittering with lights. More strange vehicles putter along the stone streets leading through the city like veins; some of the vehicles are like Robin's bike with simple differences here and there.

For everything terrible that I've been told of the Emperor and the government—Nox is beautiful.

Robin steers through the backstreets of the city where less people seem to migrate, until there are no people at all. There's a calming scent, like logs burning on a fire and glancing up, I spot a pillar of dark smoke curling up to meet the clouds. Down the thin alley, a door opens and a young man peers out, smiling and waving us over.

"Susa, take Ivan inside. I'm going to hide the bike." The man nods, holding his arm out as I slip off the back of the bike, watching Robin. He chuckles, "I'm not leaving you behind, you don't have to give me that look." I blush, looking away quickly as he takes the bike around the corner. Once he's out of sight, I look up at the new man.

"It's been a long time since Robin's been here, but it seems he still knows all the secrets of this town." He's handsome with warm brown eyes and the same accent in Robin's voice can be found in his. They must have grown up in the same town. He seems like a gentle person. I wasn't expecting to find that here.

He smiles, leading me inside to a comfortable room. A fire blazes in the hearth, filling the room with a warm light. Pictures decorate the shelves and walls, one of Susa when he was much younger, accompanied by a familiar looking blue-eyes youth. Where have I see him before? An arm slips around me suddenly, grasping the corner of the frame and lowering it onto the table to hide the picture from view.

I jump, spinning around to see Robin shaking his head slowly, "I'm sorry but don't look at that. The person in that photograph died a long time ago. I don't know why Susa keeps it around."

"I-I'm sorry…" He sighs, shaking his head again and clasping my shoulder, leading me to the kitchen. A young woman stands with Susa, setting out plates and food on the table. She looks up, smiling softly. There's a weary look in her eyes when she sees Robin but he looks away. "My name's Kushinada. You must be Ivan. Toviel and Robin spoke so highly of you, I'm glad we finally have the chance to meet."

"We'll eat while we wait for nightfall and then sneak into the Palace. They're probably more worried about someone getting into town than into the Palace, they should be expecting company." Robin says as he pulls out a chair for me, sitting into the one next to it as I sit.

Susa smiles, pulling out a chair for Kushinada and I blush, noticing the bulge in her stomach. I look away and Susa sighs, sitting down, "I wish you would let us do more for you, Robin. You've been gone for a while; you could have forgotten something about the town or the Palace. What would happen to Underground if you were captured?"

"Alex would take over, or Mary. They're both capable enough." He shakes his head, "This place won't change, it hasn't changed. They won't capture me either; they don't even know I'm here yet. I don't plan on letting them know until we get Sheba back. I'm sure the Emperor is so pleased with himself that he won't have the girl well guarded."

After dinner, we say our goodbyes to Kushinada and Susa and set out into the city on foot. It seems even busier than when we entered. People dressed in their finest—I suppose. I don't know much about fashion, and the clothes in this city seem so different from the clothes back in Aolani. The clothes are big and colorful, women in strange wide dresses with outlandishly skinny waists. They wear wide brimmed, lacy hats decorated with feathers and flowers and—birds? The men's fashions are more toned down, though. They seem rather boring in comparison.

Robin slips his arm around my shoulder, keeping me close as we walk through the crowd. Whistles and bells go off down every alley as the doors open and close. "It's easy to get lost here—and for as much security as there is round the Palace and gates, there isn't much protection down the alleys and in the town slums. A lot of petty crimes happen there."

A woman suddenly runs past, almost knocking me over but Robin pulls me back in time. The woman laughs, not noticing us and a second later, a man comes running by, chasing after her. Robin sighs, "People here have no idea what's going on in their own city. They think the Emperor is doing an amazing job."

"How can they not know what he's doing to people?"

"They don't open their eyes—they don't want to know. Their lives are great—business and trade in Nox has never been better. The upper areas of town are clean and free of crime. They're happier not knowing." He adjusts the scarf around his face, his eyes practically glowing, "If you tried to tell them the truth, they would think you're crazy and ignore you, or call the guards."

It is a beautiful town. I can see how it would be easy to become drunk on the sounds and merriment. But at the same time, I can't rest easy knowing what's been going on.

"Ivan!" I stiffen, glancing around and spot Estes through an open window. His face lights up and he disappears, coming out the door a moment later.

As he runs through the throng of people, Robin leans over slightly, whispering close to my ear, "Do you know him?"

"It's one of Sheba's brothers. He came here with his twin to apprentice with the blacksmith." Estes catches up, grinning as he sweeps his bangs from his face.

"I thought it was you. What are you doing here? Are you here with your Dad? I didn't know he had another caravan so soon." He blinks, finally noticing Robin, "Who's this?"

I blink at the bombardment of questions, tilting my head, "Oh, this is Bard…" Robin extends a gloved hand and Estes shakes it, smiling more. "I came with him."

"Apprenticing with a bard?" I blink again, glancing up at Robin, not sure what to say. I hadn't expected to see Estes. I don't know what to tell him.

Robin smiles softly, "Toviel arranged it the last time I met with him. Ivan's very promising." Someone calls over to Estes before he can respond and he turns around calling back to them. He looks to us again, rubbing the back of his head.

"I gotta get back to work. Are you going to be in the Capital for long? You should stop by when I have more time. Yves would like to see you too. Nice to meet you, Bard. Take good care of Ivan, or you'll have to answer to us." He grins, shaking Robin's hand again before he dashes off.

Robin chuckles, "He certainly moves around quickly."

I puff my cheeks slightly, glancing up at him, "Sorry about Estes, he's always been like that. Yves is even worse."

He shakes his head, smiling, "It's perfectly all right." His face brightens as he looks away from the building Estes disappeared into, "Ah, you can see the Castle's observation tower from here." He points up towards the velvety sky, a lone tower stretching up from the glowing Palace. The roof of the tower was like a glittering jewel, round on the bottom and thinning out around the middle, ending in a point. It looks like a spinning top.

"During the reign of the previous king, that tower was open to use by the public. The top opens like an umbrella and there's a telescope inside—you can see everything with it. When I was young, I would sneak into the tower and stay there for hours. The king would always know when I was there. Before he fell ill, he would sit with me, sneak me treats from the kitchen and tell me all sorts of stories.

When he died, the Emperor ordered the door to the tower to be locked. It hasn't been opened since. I'm sure the telescope is in need of repairs by now…" He blinks his eyes quickly, clearing his throat.

So Robin lived in Nox when he was growing up. Where are his parents now? Were they killed by the Emperor? Is that why he's so passionate about saving people hurt by the government? He must have been close to the King.

I reach out, taking his hand, not meeting his gaze as he turns to me. I don't know what to say to him. This is all I can do.

As we near the Palace, there are less people. "Even if they don't know what the Emperor does, they still feel uneasy around the Castle so they avoid it unless they have business with the Emperor."

He leads me around to the back. A deep moat surround the Palace, aqueducts bringing water in and out. He leaps across the gap and turns, holding his arm out to me. I take his hand and jump across, stumbling a little. He holds my hand firmly, tugging a little and helping me get my balance. He lowers his voice, "This leads to the kitchens. There shouldn't be anyone in there to give us trouble but we should be prepared, just in case."

"Prepared?" Robin opens his coat and vest. Under the vest is a pale blue button-up shirt with a brown leather strap wrapping around his chest. Leather bags rest on either side with silver handles peeking out. Guns. I'd seen one in Dad's study, hanging over the mantle—he'd said it was a gift from an old friend.

"I'll only use them if I absolutely have to." I nod slowly and he buttons up his vest and coat again, walking over to the door and opening it, taking my hand and pulling me inside. The room is bathed in the reddish light of dying embers, the cooking fires doused for the night, the remaining heat not quite reaching the farther corners of the room. The room seems old-fashion for all the surrounding technology.

A pot clatters loudly onto the floor and I jump, clapping my hands over my mouth. Robin whips around, pushing me against the wall and searching the room. A small cream colored cat jumps down from the counter and meows loudly, walking over and rubbing against Robin's leg.

He lets out a sigh of relief, kneeling down slowly, his face half-obscured by shadows. It's hard to read his expression, a mixture of surprise and relief on the surface but there's something warm in his eyes. He scratches the cat behind its ears and sighs, standing up reluctantly, "Probably one of the servants pets. Let's go before they come."

He leads the way out into a long corridor, turning this way and that. I try to remember the way but as he heads up stairs and across walkways and secret passages, I quickly forget the way, giving up and clutching at his hand to keep up. How can he remember all this?

As we come to a dead end, he kneels down, pressing on a piece of sea glass embedded into the wall. The piece sinks in and a moment later, another secret passage opens. It's a small crawlspace carved out of the wall. He smiles briefly before crawling through the passage and I follow. The passage leads to a narrow walkway, opening up to a large room.

Ornate banners hang from the high ceiling, embroidered with the Emperor's Crest. Golden chandeliers glitter as they light the room even though there's no one in the room below. Tall, extravagant stain glass windows surround the room, telling the story of how the three Muses created the continent and bestowed the gift of music upon the humans. This must be a remnant of the previous king. Why would the Emperor keep that around?

Robin kneels down next to me, peering around at the area below. I peek between the gaps in the railing. A throne room! At the far end a narrow crimson carpet stretches from the tall doors, spreading across the room to stop at a regal throne at the opposite end. This is where the Emperor sits.

He touches my shoulder and speaks softly, "No one should come this late. I'm going to look for Sheba—it'll be faster if you stay here. I'll come back for you once I find her."

"You're going on your own?"

"If you come with me, I'll have to worry about you getting lost and if someone sees us, it'll be harder to get away." It's logical but I can't calm down, pressing my hands to my knees to keep them from shaking. He reaches out, brushing my bangs from my face and tucking them behind my ear. "I'll come back for you."

"I wasn't worried about that…" He smiles, slipping back into the passage and closes it silently behind him.

It's quiet. Not even the noise of the town is able to permeate the thick walls of the Palace. Minutes trickle away slowly, achingly slow. There's nothing to do but wait and worry. What if he's been caught? What if he can't find her? This is a big place; it could take him hours to look through all the rooms.

The doors below open slowly and a tall blonde haired man steps into the room. He's wearing an elegant golden crown lined with gems that shine brilliantly. His robes shimmer in the chandelier light, a deep royal violet that shifts colors as he moves. He doesn't seem old, maybe in his mid-forties but there's a self-important air to his movements. He must be the Emperor. Behind him, two men follow, standing on either side of—Sheba.

Gasping, I stand up, too surprised to stop myself. A hand reaches out and claps over my mouth a moment too late. Robin slips his arm around my stomach, his body tensed, poised for flight. It's too late. The men below spot us. Sheba doesn't even look up, staring blanking ahead. They must have done something to her. Something horrible.

"Capture them!" The Emperor narrows his emerald eyes at us. Those eyes…

Robin half-lifts me over to a nearby window, throwing it open and whistling loudly over the wind before jumping out. I scream beneath his hand and we land hard on—the bike. Where did it come from? He grabs the handles as a loud siren rings from one of the castle towers and he turns the bike, speeding through the streets, people jumping out of the way.

Angry shouts calls after us but he ignores them, pushing the bike harder. I glance back over his shoulder to see guards riding on bikes, chasing after us and quickly gaining ground.

We're soon out of the city, flying down the dirt path, heading towards a dark forest looming in the distance like a spot of black on the field. The guards still follow us, bright lights flashing, illuminating the dark field. Robin seems angry, his body still tense.

He keeps going even as the forest swallows us up. He stops the engine once we're deep in the forest, climbing off and pulling me with him, throwing loose branches over the bike and hiding behind a tree, waiting silently. Engines roar and men shout to each other. "Where did they go?"

"They can't have disappeared. We need to keep looking. The Emperor won't be happy if we lose them." They continue going and the sound of their engines soon fade away. Robin doesn't move though, his mouth clenched tight as his eyes follow the men. I start to speak but he covers my mouth and moments later, the sound of engines come again and the men drive past, heading back to the forest entrance.

He releases me slowly, leaning back against the tree and tilting his head back, "I'm sorry we had to leave without Sheba. I don't know if they thought we were after her but it would be a good idea to avoid Nox until things blow over."

"I-I know. I shouldn't have been so surprised. I didn't expect to see her like that. She looked…broken…" Robin sighs, clasping my shoulders and shaking me lightly.

"They may have drugged her so she'd become more obedient—for whatever reason they want her. But it doesn't look like they plan on hurting her. When we get another chance, we'll rescue her." He straddles the bike again, adjusting the scarf—it slipped somewhere during our escape. He turns, holding out his hand. "There's a village not too far from here, we'll rest there tonight and head to Linaeve in the morning."

I climb on behind him, wrapping my arms around him and he starts up the bike, heading out again. As we leave the cover of the forest, the moon peeks out from behind the clouds. It's a thin crescent, like a glowing golden smile in the sky. "That moon, they call it Sarah's smile." He says softly. He's driving more slowly now, the engine a gentle putter so he doesn't have to shout.

"Sarah?"

"The mortal name given to the Golden Muse. Legends say she loved her mortal creations more than the other Muses and lived among them for a time."

"Do you think that's true?"

He pauses for a moment before laughing softly, "I think a lot of things are possible. This is a big continent. Who's the say she never walked among us."

The village we stop at is small and peaceful. A pack of dogs leap out of an open door, barking cheerfully and running alongside the bike as he drives slowly through the village. "You don't mind dogs, do you?"

I smile, smiling off the bike, one of the fluffier dogs jumping up and licking my face, "Y-yeah, I like dogs." He parks the bike near the house the dogs poured out of. They circle his legs, nosing his palms and pockets, searching for something. He chuckles, retrieving a handful of treats from his jacket pocket, tossing one to each dog.

"You spoil them too much, Robin, now they only listen to you." An old man stands in the doorway, aged eyes sparkling with mirth behind round spectacles. "You're as gifted with animals as your mother."

Robin frowns, shaking his head, "We need to spend the night, Kraden. We ran into some trouble in Nox, so they may come through looking for us." The man blinks, noticing me for the first time.

"Is this…Toviel and Brier's son?" He knows my mother?

Robin lays his hand on my shoulder, "Ivan. I'll explain inside, if you don't mind." He knows, standing back to let us in. The dogs glue themselves to Robin as he heads inside, sitting on the plush couch in the common room.

Pictures decorate the wall, some of Alex and Mary when they were younger and even one of Robin. He had a wary expression, sitting next to a younger looking Kraden. His scarf is draped on his shoulders, wearing a tattered tunic and holding his violin case close to his chest.

I tear my eyes away from the picture as Robin grunts, a large dog scrambling onto his lap. Kraden chuckles, "So, what have you done to upset the Emperor this time? I thought you'd never set foot in the Capital again."

"I had a good reason. The Emperor is planning something—something that could put everyone in danger. I doubt he realizes what he's doing. We have to act quickly." Kraden strokes his heard, humming.

"I'm not sure I fully comprehend, my boy, but that's probably for the best. Anyway, do you have a message you want delivered to Alex?"

"Yes, I'll need some time writing it out. I plan to leave for Linaeve in the morning. Garcia is waiting for us there."

Kraden blinks, easing into a large armchair, "Garcia? He's been away for quite some time. It must be something very important if he's cut his travels short. I wonder how the seas have changed him. I'd like to see him before he heads out again. If he leaves before visiting, who knows when he'll come around again?" He rubs his beard again, "Are you hungry? Thirsty?"

Robin glances at me and I blush, waving my hand. He smiles softly, shaking his head, "I think Ivan could use some sleep. He's had a long day. The usual room is free?" Kraden nods. Robin stands, helping me up and leading me away, the dogs following, their nails scrapping lightly on the wood floor. "He's a bit of an eccentric but he's a good man, he gives up his free rooms when we are traveling this way and he keeps an ear out for news from the Capital."

He opens a door, flicking on the switch and smiling. It's a cozy room with pale pink floral print and pastel curtains. A fluffy comforter is draped on the large four-post bed, tons of pillows propped up against the headboard.

"It's safe here so you don't have to worry. The dogs will bark if anyone comes into town." A large black and white herding dog noses my palm and I scratch behind its ears, smiling.

"They're friendly."

"Because they sense the good in you." He places his hand on my head, "I need to speak with Kraden and write a note for Alex. I'm afraid we have a long journey ahead of us. The Emperor…he's about to do something very foolish. We must stop him."

"We?" He closes his eyes, taking a deep breath.

"It's not my place to ask this…and Toviel would hate me if he were here…I need your help. I need you with us to keep you safe and to put an end to this."

"But what can I do…?"

He shakes his head slowly, "I'm not sure. I just get this feeling when I'm around you, that I need you. If you don't feel safe…I can get Alex to come take you back to Faolan. It wouldn't be safe for you to return to Aolani. You're the one the Emperor wants."

"Dad said that…but why? Why would the Emperor want me? I've never done anything special…" He takes my hand.

"I've heard you. When we met in Lunette, you were humming. It did something to me. At first, I thought it was just my imagination but…I realized who you were then. Toviel spoke of his son of his son so many times, the child who could stir emotions with his voice."

"Why is that special? Isn't everyone able to do that?"

"With instruments, only ever with instruments. Our voices aren't pure enough to do what you can. You're special—that's why the Emperor wants you." He takes a deep breath, sighing, "It's difficult to explain."

"I…still don't understand. Why would he need me for my voice?"

"Wait until we get to Linaeve. I'll explain it to you there. Please, try to get some sleep." I nod slowly, starting to walk over to the bed but he doesn't release my hand, pulling me back to and he kisses my forehead. "Robin…?"

"I'm sorry. I wanted to protect you but I feel like I just keep hurting you. I'm not trying to…I'm used to dealing with the others, but you're so different." He sighs, pressing his forehead to mine, "You're special and it's not just because of your voice. Good night." He slips away slowly, shutting the door behind him.

The black and white dog stays behind, sitting down and watching me with big grey eyes. I sigh, resting my hand on its head, "How am I supposed to sleep after that?" The dog tilts its head, tail wagging cheerfully.

In the morning, I find the pup draped across my stomach, opening its eyes slowly and lifting its head, tail wagging. "Mmm…morning…" I sit up, rubbing at my eyes. The dog sits up as well, licking my chin. "You're really friendly…" I smile as it leaps off the bed, slipping through the cutaway in the door.

A knock comes soon after and Robin peeks in, "How did you sleep?"

"Really well. I don't even remember getting into bed. That dog stayed with me the whole night, I guess." He smiles, walking over and opening the curtains to let the morning sunlight in. It's warm and relaxing, as calm as the town.

"She's taken a liking to you; she'll be depressed when you go."

"Don't say that, you'll make me feel guilty for leaving."

He smiles softly, "I'll show you to the shower if you want to get cleaned up before breakfast."

After breakfast, we get our things together and head outside to where Robin parked the bike last night. Kraden takes Robin's hand and shakes it, "Take good care of yourself, Robin. Your parents would be so proud of you, doing this for the people." Robin releases his hand, pulling his helmet on and adjusting his gloves

"It's not over yet. I can't take credit for something that hasn't happened. I don't know what my parents would say if they were around. I'm just doing what I feel is right."

Kraden sighs softly, shaking his head, "Just like your mother." He turns, laying his hand on my shoulder and squeezing gently, "You're in good hands. Toviel trusted Robin a great deal; he'll be able to rest easy in Heaven knowing you're with him."

"Heaven?" The man blinks, stroking his beard thoughtfully.

Robin shakes his head, "We don't need your religious studies, Kraden. We have more than enough to deal with." Kraden frowns.

"Robin…" He starts on the bike and it lifts off the grass slowly, hovering, "So you finally got one working. That's amazing. If I were just a few years younger…" He trails off, smiling blissfully.

Robin shifts, glancing back at me and smiling beneath the helmet, "Let's go." I climb on behind him and he steers through the village, the dogs following until the last house, howling after us.

-Continued in the Ninth Chapter of the Book of Mui-

The Book of Mui has reached its 60th page! Omigosh, I'm so excited.

Alex: Let's get some drinks.

Huhu. Drunk Alex, Garcia's worst fear. Chapter 9 is already long -hearts- I'm so happy. I keep wanting to use the British spelling for words. Tsk tsk. That anglophilia will really mess you up. And! I finished Birth by Sleep (finally), mildly depressed. Hopefully it doesn't leak into Mui somehow. Anyway, I hope everyone enjoyed this chapter. 60 pages and counting!