Subaki walked alongside his Pegasus, alongside him was Robin, Chrom, Saizo and Mozu.

"All right, we're just a stone's throw from the Deeprealm. You must be looking forward to seeing your son again, Saizo."

The ninja said nothing.

"Hmm. I'd swear you look even surlier than usual, Saizo. What's wrong?"

"Ah, just concerned about whether my son is getting the training he needs. He's sixth in a line of Saizos. The firstborn men in our family always take the name. And with the name Saizo comes great expectations. If his training has failed him, my son will be a subpar Saizo. I can't have that. He's much older since last, I saw him. I have a fairly severe test in mind."

"Where do you stand on this?" Robin whispered.

Mozu just followed the trail. "I tried to talk him out of this but Saizo insisted our son followed his family tradition. I just hope he doesn't go and push him to hard…"

Saizo stopped in front of the group. "Hmm? People. Ahead."

Robin squinted to see a group of people. One of them with orange hair and a headband caught his eye. "Wait…is that Gaius?!"

The leader of the group, Funke, a man with white hair looked down at the young man.

"What? You refuse your mission? That reeks of treachery. Reconsider, child."

"Not happening. You could double my cut, and I'd still refuse. I'm out."

Saizo ran up to them. "What in all the bitter hells are you doing here, Son?!"

"And now you too?! If this ain't the brown sprinkles on my sundae..."

Funke just noticed the ninja and his friends approach. "What?! You know this boorish blackguard, Asugi?"

"Yup. Sorta." The man shrugged.

"Did he just call you Asugi?" Saizo asked. "What's the meaning of this, Saizo? You have the proud honor of taking MY name, as I took that of my father! You were born a Saizo. You will die a Saizo. That is our family's custom. Besides, who is this fool?"

"Huh? As always, you don't know your head from a hole in the ground. Get lost."

"No, no, no, Asugi, Don't be so rude." Funke said. "He and his friends are our guests! Uninvited, yes. But they can't leave our little party now. They can, in fact, help you fulfill your obligations at this fine affair!"

Saizo glimpsed back at the thief "Hmm? Obligations? What does he mean by that, Saizo?"

"This spoiled guttersnipe wants to abandon our happy family. And right before we're about to break into a manor that will make us fabulously rich. Tsk! Youth, these days."

"Break into a manor? Are you a thief now? You work for this powdered cretin?"

"Ha! That's my business." Asugi spat.

"I expect more out of you. You shirk your duties as a firstborn Saizo? Sixth in the line?! And you think I won't make that my business?"

"What a crock. Saizo this?! Sixth that?! You can take your name and- Well, you know."

"WHAT?!"

"I don't take orders." Asugi growled. "Not from you. Not from anyone. You care about your dumb name more than you've ever cared about me. It's my life. I'll live as I please. See ya."

With that he fled into a nearby temple.

"See ya?! No one gets away from me. Not over my dead-

Funke stepped in front of Saizo. "No, no, no! Now that my Asugi has fled, let's have no more departing bodies. At least, not until I make you pay for driving off my talented associate."

"What's my damned son gotten us into?!"

"Elwind!" Robin sent a gust of wind that knocked Funke and his cronies over.

"Go after him, Saizo." Chrom said. "We will handle this."

"Ah, more guests!" Funke laughed as he dropped the white rose in his hand, to reach for his bow. "Well then, let me extend my invitation to you... An invitation—to die!"

Saizo meanwhile ran into the temple. He looked up to see Asugi on top of a pillar.

"That's it. Last chance, Son! Get back here."

"Whoops, sorry! Can't hear you! See ya never, old man!"

Asgugi then leapt to the next nearby pillar in a flash.

Mozu hurried inside and caught up to Saizo.

"Did you find him?"

"Damn that kid. We have to catch up with him before he gets away!"

Saizo jumped up to the pillar and hurried after the boy.

"Wait! I can't jump…that high…" Mozu sighed to herself. "Is this going to happen every time the three of us spend time together?"

Funke fired arrow after arrow at Subaki as he flew across the air.

"Hold still! Proper gusts shouldn't be moving around when their host is treating them!"

Chrom cut through a Diviner before kicking over a samurai.

"Why is it that the only good help leaves me?" Funke sighed shooting arrows at the prince.

"I'm willing to bet it's you." Chrom said, slicing each arrow in mid air.

Funke slowly backed away as he approached. "S-stay away frome me! You're not going to kill me!"

"Your right. I'm not."

"Huh?"

Subaki flew down and put his lance through the man. "That's a job for the perfectionist!"

Funke dropped his bow as he fell. "No... I can't! Not like this! I wanted so such more..."

Asugi dashed down towards the entrance to the temple again. Saizo started to catch up. He jumped to tackle him, but the Asugi jumped out of the way.

"Damn it!" The ninja growled from the floor.

"Ha! Tought me all your tricks when I was a kid old man!" Asugi said as he ran outside. "I know each and every one by heart!"

Asugi then spotted a piece of candy on a patch of grass. "Well lookie here! My luck's beginning to turn!" He ran up to grab it. But as soon as he stepped on the patch it sank in.

"AAAAAAAH!"

As Asugi hit the bottom of the pitfall, he groaned looking up to see Robin and Mozu.

"You may know his tricks, but not any of mine." Robin smirked.

"S-sorry, Asugi!" Mozu said. "But I'm not nary as fast as your father or you. This was the only way…"

"Oh, and here I though Morgan was being original with that pitfall she tried to use." Chrom said as he approached.

"How do you think I spotted it right away?" Robin asked.

"Why were you carrying candy with you anyway?"

"Call it planning ahead. Never know when our sugar loving thief will run wild."

Saizo soon caught up.

"Leave me alone, will ya?!" Asugi growled.

"Never. Now tell me, why did you take up with such low creatures?"

Asugi sat down as he spoke. "Gotta do something to satisfy my sweet tooth. Besides, you got it all wrong. Or half wrong. Just before you showed up, I told Funke that I didn't want any part of this. When he hired me, he failed to say my job was to sneak in and off the owner."

The others turned to each other.

"I'll steal anything that's not nailed down. But murder—like that? Nah. Crosses a line. And there's NO price he could pay me to do that. Got my pride, I guess."

"Do you?" Saizo asked.

Asugi looked up at his father. "What now, genius? You gonna lock me up in my Deeprealm?"

Saizo stayed as still as a statue for the next few seconds. Mozu watched him nerviously.

"...No. You're free to go."

Asugi gave his father a confused expression as he dropped a rope down to him.

"What's that again?"

"You heard me. You're no longer the sixth in a proud succession of Saizos... You deserve to be Asugi."

"Wasn't expecting that..." Asugi said grabbing the rope. "But, wait, is this some sort of trick?"

"No trick. The whole point of being called Saizo is to live up to the honor. You...have a sense of honor. In your own way. So, go."

"Dad..."

"Oh, "Dad" now, is it? Good-bye. Enjoy your life."

'...Whatever. I wasn't asking for permission. But if it IS my life? I'm coming with you." Asugi said as he climbed out.

"What? Kid, you make my head hurt."

"Yeah, I do that. But if I'm off the hook for all this Saizo junk... I think I'd like to tag along with you. Could learn a thing or two. And maybe I can fix that sourpuss face of yours while I'm at it. Ever heard of candy?"

"Candy? Don't tell me that's been a sucker in your mouth this whole time. I thought you were chewing on a blade of grass like some kind of tough guy."

"We'll go tell the others." Chrom said as he Robin and Subaki walked on ahead.

"Mmm, candy. Yeah, no—I'm all about the sweet stuff. 'Specially if it's on a stick. Suckers. Peppermint sticks. Candy apples. But only if they're really tiny apples. You could say I'm a connoisseur. That's why I steal." Asugi said reaching into his pocket. "Good stuff's expensive. You're gonna love it."

"No. I don't eat sweets." Saizo replied.

"Ha! Yeah, obviously. And that's why your face is stuck that way."

"I'll take one." Mozu said gleefully.

"Maybe I'll try just one. I mean, since you worked so hard to pay for it all." Saizo admitted. "Hmm. Asugi, if you manage to not wind up a victim of your own foolishness...You might make me half-proud of you."

"Huh? Well, if we're getting all touchy-feely here... I'm hoping you're half the Saizo you think you are, Dad. Otherwise I may live to regret this."

"Unbelievable." Chrom groaned.

"This is starting to get ridicules." Robin sighed.

"What is?" Subaki asked.

"First, we meet your daughter who looks, sounds, and acts just like our friend Cordelia." Chrom said. "Now there's this guy who is an exact copy of Gaius."

"Well, fancy that. I guess the gods have a strange sense of humor."

"Either that..." Robin sighed. "Or someone is being really damn lazy."

"Oh, well. It could be worse." Chrom smirked to his friend. "At least there isn't a Tharja copy around here."

"Don't even JOKE about that!"

Xander walked down the halls of the castle. He had just received orders from his father and had a mission to tend to.

"I hear you're leaving?"

He looked to his left to see his brother. "Oh, Leo. Forgive me, I didn't see you there."

"Don't worry. I approached you."

"Well, as you asked, yes we have received reports of rebel activity. I'm off to teach them their place."

"I hear Corrin was spotted in Nohr. There may be a chance you'll run into him."

"Possibly."

"Listen there's…something I need to tell you. It's about the time I encountered him in Izumo…As you know, I was forced to retreat."

"Leo, there was nothing else you could do. You were severely outnumbered and-

The prince rose a hand. "Brother, please…let me finish. You see…I encountered a man there. He had black hair and a white coat. Corrin must have meet him sometime after he betrayed us."

"Yes?"

"I…don't think he was Hoshidan…but her resents father for some reason…and he…well…when I said I was a prince of Nohr he…The wrath in his eyes…the power of his magic…Loth as I am to say it…I've never been so…afraid."

Xander watched as Leo held his head down in shame. "Is…is he really that powerful?"

"Yes. Brother…you might think I'm mad to say this but…I don't think this is an enemy even you can defeat…if you see him…promise me you won't fight him."

Xander looked back down the hall. "I know you mean well Leo. But if he is as strong as you say, I cannot allow him to roam free to threaten Nohr. Besides, I shall not fall to some madman."

He was about to leave when Leo grabbed his shoulder. "Brother please! The Nohrian army will collapse without you! And Elise and I…we need you as well!"

Xander was taken aback. He had never seen Leo so afraid. He sighed and gently took Leo's hand of his shoulder. "If I see this man…I'll be careful. I may not see Corrin or his friends in general. But I will return Leo. That I can promise you."

He then walked away.

Leo stood there alone. "Promise me brother."