Author's note: Fire Emblem 16 has finally been shown and given a name, Three Houses! Not the coolest name, but I'm for it. It seems interesting enough. I really wasn't liking the game at first, but the more I go over it, the more appealing it seems. I'll just have to wait and see how it turns out, but now I'm really looking forward to it! I actually finished this chapter last night but spent today going over and revising, so I hope this chapter's better quality than the last few. I realized while writing this that I'd been referencing something for a while that I plain forgot to include, so I hit writer's block for a while and was stuck. I've gone back and rewrote the first chapter by the way, if you want to check it out. I'll also be revising chapters two and three to fix things I plain forgot to include. That's for later though. It's been a while, so without further ado, enjoy.
While on the ferry heading for Notre Sagesse, Robin got to know his new companions a little more.
Charlotte had a dual personality, being quite nasty when with people she didn't care about, and kissing up as hard as possible when with people who had money. Particularly male people who had money. She wasn't always rude to people who were lacking cash, but coins made her talk, and coins made her happier. The main exception to the rule seemed to be her partner, Benny, but her circle of money-less friends could and would hopefully expand over the course of her time with Corrin's army.
Benny was the epitome of the gentle giant. Unlike Kellam, he wasn't hard to miss with his armor and stature, and his looks put Sakura and a few of the others off. He was pretty scary, if Robin was being honest. Well, if he just considered looks alone. Once he got the chance to talk to Benny, Robin found that the man was quite nice, and really, really loved animals.
More than once, a few birds landed on the ferry, resting on the vessel even as it sailed away from the direction they had been flying. When Benny noticed, he'd run below deck and come back up with little bits of fruit and a few handfuls of seeds, giving them to the birds which interestingly enough didn't fly away when he moved toward them. They could probably sense his kind aura or something. Benny certainly didn't look like he wanted to harm them, and since Robin was pretty sure he hadn't gotten the food from some below-deck kitchen, that meant that Benny was carrying it around with him, and that he probably fed birds fairly often. It was pretty sweet if you asked Robin.
When Robin had asked the man about it he'd gone silent and looked away, so Robin got the impression that the man didn't want to talk. At least, that he didn't want to talk to some stranger. The man spent plenty of time talking to Charlotte. Though, their conversations were mostly Charlotte talking and Benny giving short replies from the looks of it. Robin wasn't entirely sure, because Charlotte would stop talking whenever she realized someone other than Benny was nearby, but that was the impression he got.
It also mostly confirmed his suspicion that Charlotte's bright personality was just an act (not that he needed much confirmation. He'd seen her switch from annoyed to overly sweet in a split second when they first met). When Charlotte spoke with Benny (and didn't realize anyone was nearby), she dropped her shoulders and relaxed into a more laid back pose, letting her face fall and not worrying about the impression she was giving. She spoke freely, and Benny listened. With an old friend, there was no need to pretend. And constantly having to pretend to be someone she wasn't had to have been exhausting, so no wonder she'd drop the act once she was with someone who knew it was just that, and who she didn't need to impress.
Charlotte was probably going to be some piece of work while she was with them, but it looked like Robin could count on Benny to keep her grounded. He seemed like a nice guy, and Charlotte wasn't Tharja levels of excessive (and even then, Tharja had gotten along well enough with the Shepherds), so things would work out fine.
A day and a half of sailing later, the group made it to Notre Sagesse. It was a rather beautiful place, the trees and woodland flora surrounding the town vibrant. What Robin's eyes were most drawn to, however, was not the impressive show of nature's powers. It was the large fortress covering the side of the mountain which dominated the island.
Something about the island also felt… odd. He wasn't struck as soon as he set foot on the island, but the strange feeling had started a few minutes after, and was slowly growing in intensity from barely noticable to something that kept nagging at him. It didn't feel threatening though. Maybe it was just some remnant of a sigil or temple somewhere on the island that gave off enough of a magical symbol for him to catch on to it.
"I wonder how long this place has been around," he mumbled, looking at the old stone of the fortress, much of which was covered with ivy and moss.
"The fortress, or the town here?" Azura asked, her eyes also on the mountainside.
"The fortress has been around for at least a few hundred years. Some say it's nearing a thousand!" a new voice said, drawing Robin's attention.
The man who had spoken was old, heavy wrinkles set in his forehead and cheeks, and a long beard falling across his chest. He clutched a large staff as well, though the man didn't seem to be putting much weight on it if any at all. He was likely one of the island's older residents.
"And who might you be?" Camilla asked, stepping in front of Corrin.
The old man smiled, wrinkles at the corner of his mouth tugging upwards. "Oh, just an old man interesting in the gaggle of foreigners that have come to visit my island! It's not every day you see new people around here. And it certainly isn't every day you see both Hoshidans and Nohrians showing up together, getting along like they grew up side by side!"
Robin looked back at the group that had come with him. Oboro was arguing with Selena about something, Beruka was standing next to Hayato who looked like he was about to cry, and Hana seemed extremely offended by something Jakob must have just said based on his haughty look and her defensive position in front of Sakura. Camilla even started to get into a discussion with Corrin about talking to strangers of all things, distracting the two. In other words, the group wasn't getting along in the slightest.
Robin couldn't tell if the old man was an optimist, or just really unobservant.
The old man held a pleasant expression as he looked over the group, before turning to Robin. "But tell me young man, where are you from?" The man's face grew more serious. "You aren't from around here, are you?"
Suddenly Robin began to feel uncomfortable. "Well sir, technically none of us are. You said it yourself: we're foreigners."
"That I did. But they're at least from places that are relatively nearby. But you aren't, are you?"
"...I'm afraid I don't know what you mean."
"Oh come one, young man! I may be old, but you can't put a veil over my eyes so easily! Miss long purple hair is from Nohr. Miss short pink hair is from Hoshido. The one with face paint is a member of the flame tribe, the young boy is from the wind tribe, the kitsune and wolfskin are from their respective regions of west and east sides of the canyon, and the woman in the maid outfit is a member of the ice tribe. The rest of your friends fit somewhere into those categories. But you don't. If I was younger and a little less wise, then I'd peg you as coming from Nohr. You didn't though, right?"
"..."
"You don't have to be so secretive young man. I'm not going to tell on you to your friends. If you want to keep a secret, I'm not going to force you to tell it. Just remember - when people find out you haven't been so truthful, they get upset. If you have a secret that could affect others, you should tell them sooner rather than later. People get hurt when they don't know things."
What's with this guy? Suddenly trying to get so involved with my life...
"I suppose so, but..." Robin wasn't sure how to continue.
The old man winked. "You're waiting for the right time, right? Well you know what they say, there's no time like the present! So think about it young man. Maybe right before you go to battle isn't the time to start giving out your life story and secrets, but after can be."
Right before you go to battle? What does he mean by that? We didn't come here looking for a fight, and even then how would he know about that? Though on second thought, we're all armed and dressed for battle, so it's not totally improbable he could come up with a thought like that without other information. If he's been sent to stall us so his companions can get ready for battle, though, that would be a problem.
"Ah, I shouldn't jump to conclusions like that," the old man added with a laugh.
Robin's eyes narrowed. "What, assuming we're going to fight because we're wearing armor?"
Hopefully that was the case.
The old man shook his head. "No, I mean the young man part. You're not as young as you look. Or at least, part of you isn't. Interesting situation you're in, really"
Alarm bells began to go off in Robin's head.
"What-"
Unfortunately, he couldn't fully voice his alarm as Corrin interrupted Robin, having just finished her talk with Camilla. "Wait, who's this? Sorry to interrupt, but you don't know already someone here, do you Robin?"
Robin looked back and forth at the old man and Corrin, before saying slowly "No, I don't. We just met…"
"Mm, And I'd gotten excited for a second, thinking I was going to find out about your mysterious past," Corrin said with a chuckle. Then, she turned to the old man. "Hello, sir. It's nice to meet you. My name's Corrin, what's yours?"
The man quirked an eyebrow. "What's mine? Now now, young lady, didn't your friend over there just warn you about talking to strangers? The first rule is to never give your name out to someone you don't know or trust."
Had the old man really been paying that much attention to what they were talking about? That was suspicious. But even ignoring that, why had he said that before? That part of Robin wasn't so young. Could he sense Grima? If so, who was the old man?
"Oh come on, I'm not a child, it's fine," Corrin said, dismissing what the man had said.
"Maybe not compared to some of your friends. But you are to me! One of the things about being old is you realize that everyone's a child until they're at least thirty," the man responded.
Corrin frowned. "Thirty? I think that's a little extra."
The old man shook his head. "I wouldn't say so. Though, your group doesn't seem too immature. Maybe I should lower the age to twenty-five."
Corrin waved the man off, who sighed in response, shaking his head.
Meanwhile, Robin grew more and more suspicious. The man still wasn't giving out his name, instead choosing to move the conversation to names.
Why wasn't anyone concerned with how he wasn't answering Corrin's question? With how he was directing the conversation where he wanted it to go, rather than where they did?
Robin directed his gaze over to Azura. She looked slightly concerned. Maybe she had picked up on the suspicious way the stranger was acting too.
Corrin took a deep breath. "Well, enough of that. You wouldn't happen to know where to find the Rainbow Sage, would you? We came here to meet with him, but all we know is that he lives somewhere on this island."
The old man chuckled. "Do I know where to find him? I know where the rumors point. Every time some new armored foreigner shows up looking for the Sage, they head to the top of Mount Sagesse. The Rainbow Sage is said to live in the upper part of the fortress, so you should head in that direction if you wish to speak with him. Be warned though - it's not an easy journey. Many people give up before they even get to the fortress' front steps, finding the climb more difficult than they had anticipated."
"That's fine," Corrin replied. "We're looking for the Sage because we need to get stronger. A little workout on the way is only fitting. Thank you for your help, sir."
"It's my pleasure, young lady. I hope to see you again soon!"
"You too."
The old man wandered away, leaving Robin and Corrin to gather the group and order them up the mountain. In case the hike up the mountain was unproductive, and just with the reason of getting information, Robin sent half the group to go explore the town. Fourteen people would go to the fortress, while fifteen would stay at the bottom of the mountain, talking to passerbys to learn more about the Sage and the island.
Camilla had said that Xander had only taken eight men with him when he met with the Rainbow Sage, so fourteen would likely be overkill. Still, it was good to be careful. That, and Xander and his troops were likely stronger than Corrin and hers. Not that Robin had ever had to fight against them, but it only made sense. Either way, they'd just have to see when they reached the top.
The walk was long and filled with chatter. Corrin was at the front of the group, Camilla and Jakob at her side, while Robin took up station at the back.
A few minutes into the hike, Azura dropped to the back as well, walking alongside Robin.
"He's right, you know," she said softly.
Robin frowned. "What do you mean about that?"
"I know we haven't known each other long, and I know you've shared bits of your life with us already. But I also know that there's more you're hiding from us, and that it would really hurt Corrin if she realized you weren't telling her the whole story because of a lack of trust. Whatever is going on with you may not be pleasant, but I promise you we aren't going to abandon you over it. Friends tell each other the truth, and stick by each other no matter how unpleasant that truth is, don't they?" Azura asked.
Robin shrugged. "Depends on who or what the unpleasant part revolves around. If I told you I'd spent the first fifteen years of my life on the street as a thief, stealing from anyone who passed by in an attempt to survive, you'd probably be able to brush it off. After all, though my actions would certainly not have been noble in that situation, they also wouldn't have been particularly malicious. Bad actions with justifiable intentions, in the end."
Azura considered his words for a moment. "I suppose so."
Robin continued, deciding to turn the conversation a bit darker. After all, he hadn't been a thief. He'd done much worse things than that.
"But what if I told you I'd performed bad deeds with bad intentions; that my actions had been performed full of malice? That I'd killed innocent people just for the hell of it? That I'd stabbed my best friend in the back even though all they'd ever done was try to help me? Would you still stay by my side then?"
Perhaps it was an exaggeration, or missing a few key pieces. But his words were based in fact, even if Grima was more the one who had done such things. And even then, Grima and he were together in the body called 'Robin' for the moment, so he couldn't particularly separate himself from the actions, even if not everything he'd done had been his own choice.
(Naga knows he wouldn't have ever hurt Chrom if he'd had the choice. He would've rather stabbed himself a hundred times than have watched the agony on Chrom's face as the man realized what had happened and felt the lightning piercing his chest)
Azura frowned, furrowing her brow. "I know it not to be true, so I see no reason to answer that question. Why you've turned so dark all of the sudden is beyond me. You're certainly a mysterious person, Robin. But I can tell you're no mass murderer. When we were in Izumo and the town was frozen, you ordered us to act fast to save the civilians. Yes, you said collateral damage was likely, but the people you ordered dead were the soldiers trying to hurt the civilians, not the civilians themselves. You're not the man to hurt innocents.
"And then take the amount of times you've risked yourself to save others. You're not a traitor or someone inclined to betray us either. The worst thing you've ever done to any of us was to stay silent. I feel like the only 'betrayal' you would do is leaving without saying a word. It would hurt, yes, but you wouldn't stab anyone in the back. Stop trying to demonize yourself, Robin."
Azura's voice was firm and full of confidence. Robin had to hold back a dark laugh.
He would never hurt innocents? Sure he tried not to. But she should've known better, especially bringing up Izumo. What kind of person was okay with that much collateral damage? Chrom wasn't. Not normally. Sure, near the end of the war his focus changed a little. Maybe he wouldn't have yelled at Robin for his actions, but he sure wouldn't have been the one to propose such actions.
Azura was right when she said Robin didn't want to hurt innocents. That Robin didn't want to hurt innocent people when he could help it, and always tried not to. But she was talking about his secret. And his secret was that "Robin" wasn't just Robin. "Robin" at the moment was Robin and Grima. And Grima didn't give a damn about who got hurt. At least he didn't in the timeline he'd come from. Maybe the fell dragon had been a bit unpredictable since Robin had woken up in Canta, but he couldn't have changed completely.
Which brought him to the 'no mass murderer' point. Azura couldn't have been further from the truth. Robin doubted there was anyone that even got close to Grima's record in the land they were in. He hoped there wasn't, at least.
And as for stabbing someone in the back…
He supposed Azura was right about that. He hadn't, and he wouldn't if he could help it. But he had stabbed someone in the front. With magic. To the point that said man almost died, and would have died had he not known it was coming. Hell, Robin had killed Chrom in one timeline. And even when he knew it was coming, he couldn't stop himself from attacking Chrom. Maybe Validar wasn't around anymore, and maybe Robin didn't want to do it. But that didn't mean he didn't have the potential. Grima was cooperating for the moment (well, at the precise moment he was silent, still asleep or in whatever strange condition his healing had inflicted on the dragon), but Robin didn't know what the future held.
There was also the fact that by stabbing someone in the back Azura probably just meant betrayal, not physical stabbing, based on her words, but doing the second meant the first happened to so he'd bring up what he could.
In any case, the statement that "Robin is a man who would never hurt innocents and never intentionally severely harm his friends" was very, very incorrect. So incorrect that Robin could feel the dark smile he was trying to hold back had crept up onto his face anyway. At least he kept the laughter from bubbling up.
...what was with the laughter, anyway? Was it due to Grima's influence? Probably. Now wasn't that comforting.
When Robin looked back to Azura, he could see her unease. It was enough to make his smile slip away.
"I appreciate the confidence you have in me," Robin began, "but trust me when I say my past is darker than you imagine."
"But you do know it," Azura replied.
Robin stopped walking for a moment.
"Yeah, I do."
"So I take it your dream wasn't just a dream?"
"That it wasn't. At least, not as far as I know. I'm still not sure how I ended up in this land, but my 'dream' past is reality as far as I'm concerned."
"Are you going to tell Corrin?"
"Soon enough."
"Once we finish our battle, as the old man suggested?"
Robin began to walk again, and looked away. "So you were listening to our entire conversation?"
"I was," Azura said lightly.
"He was an interesting guy, wasn't he?" Robin asked.
Azura agreed. "Yes. Old but wise. Just like the Rainbow Sage, according to all we know about him."
Robin chuckled. "According to all we know about him? Old and wise is all we know about him! You make it sound like there's anything more to the man."
Azura shrugged. "We do know he can grant great power,"
"That doesn't count," Robin jabbed.
"I think it does," Azura responded.
The two looked up the mountain, where the fortress was. They still had a ways to go. Almost everyone ahead was talking to someone though, so at least they didn't seem bored.
"Hopefully the Sage will be a little healthier than the old man, though," Azura commented about thirty seconds later.
Robin was confused. "What do you mean?"
"You can't tell me the old man we met looked particularly healthy, can you?"
Robin furrowed his brow. "Sure the man had a few wrinkles, but he wasn't that bad. That comes with age, not neglect of one's health."
Azura's eyebrows shot up in the opposite direction. "A few? Robin, his forehead alone held more wrinkles than you'd find folds in my dress, your coat, and Corrin's cape combined! And the man was hunched so far over I thought he might fall!"
"What are you talking about?" If Robin was confused before, he was absolutely dumbfounded at that comment. "Sure he leaned on his staff a little, but he was nowhere near relying on it enough to fall."
Azura stared at Robin for a good fifteen seconds before she found her words. "His staff? What staff? The man held his hands behind his back. He had no staff. Are we even talking about the same man?"
"Average height, long beard, green robes, right?" Robin provided.
"No, he was short, had no facial hair, and was wearing gray," Azura corrected.
"That's not the man I saw."
"But that's the man I saw you speaking to. Perhaps I only noticed the second man you spoke to?"
"I only talked with one person. And he held a staff."
"About holding secrets, and being older than you look?"
Robin nodded.
"...Robin, that man did not have a staff. Or a beard. And he was wearing gray."
"..."
"..."
"One of us is confused and I don't think it's me."
"Oh come on Robin!"
"What! I'm being honest. I know what I saw. Do you think it was an illusion?"
Azura sighed. "Why would some random old man use an illusion to greet us?"
"Maybe he wasn't just a random old man," Robin offered up.
Azura quirked a brow. "Oh? Then who do you think the man could be? The Rainbow Sage?"
Robin brought up his hands, elbows bent and palms facing the sky. "What other magical person would we find on the island?"
Azura gave it some consideration. "Good point."
Then the two stopped.
"Wait," Robin began.
"If that was the Sage..." Azura said after him.
"...then why would he tell us to go up the mountain and meet him in the fortress?" Robin finished.
The two looked down the mountain, to the village they had come from.
"I suddenly have this gut feeling that we will be ambushed once we reach the top" Azura said, her words deadpanned.
"Seems likely," Robin responded.
They both cursed under their breaths, and looked up to where the rest of the group was so they could go warn Corrin. Robin was pretty sure there was an ambush waiting for them at some point, but he didn't know when it was coming. Based on the feeling he'd gotten from the old man (Rainbow Sage?), he didn't think they would get attacked while still walking and stuck on a rocky incline. But he'd been deceived already, so he had no way to be sure.
The only problem was that Corrin was nowhere in sight.
"Damn it, how did we let them get so far ahead!?" Robin grumbled, starting to run up the mountain.
"We did pause several times to speak. And we weren't going very fast either," Azura supplied.
"I know but… I shouldn't have been so careless!" Robin shouted in frustration. He should have known better than to let himself get so distracted. The old man was important, but the Rainbow Sage was more important. Even if they were the same man. The Rainbow Sage part was more important, and they hadn't confirmed if the two were one and the same anyway.
There was also the issue of why Robin had seen through the illusion but Azura hadn't. Or vice versa. Either way, they saw two different men when they looked at only one, and that meant something odd was going on.
"Sh-should we tell… Corrin about… the Rainbow Sage… old man thing?" Azura panted, trying to catch her breath.
Why did they manage to fall behind at the steepest part of the path? And who made such a winding path anyway?
"Not yet," Robin responded. "We have to… make sure… before we tell anyone."
It wouldn't do to tell everyone something that was plain wrong. Better to keep their suspicions to themselves until they confirmed them. That and the Sage had to have been keeping a secret for a reason.
The two kept running, and after another three turns, saw Corrin and the others again.
"Corrin!" Robin shouted, making everyone stop. Corrin turned, and when she noticed how hard Robin and Azura were breathing, ran down to them.
"Are you guys okay!? What happened? Is someone coming at us from below?" she asked, worried.
Several people put their hands on their weapons, the sounds of swords being unsheathed and tomes being pulled out filling the air.
"Calm down, calm down," Robin dismissed, pausing to take a breath. "It's fine. For now, at least. Based on what we've seen, Azura and I think there is likely an ambush waiting for us at the top. We wanted to warn you before you charged in."
Corrin breathed a sigh of relief. "Oh, that's good. At least, compared to being chased from behind. Do you have a plan for what we should do before we get there?"
"Not particularly," Robin said. "Everyone should be prepared once we get to the top. Don't just waltz in. Anticipate enemies, and take a short break just before we reach the entrance. That way we can catch our breaths and be ready for whatever comes our way."
Corrin nodded. "Everyone hear what Robin said?"
Affirmations from various people were heard, so the group decided to proceed.
Sure enough, the group was met by a strange man at the top who informed them they would have to fight their way to the top if they wished to meet with the Rainbow Sage. It wasn't the ambush Robin was worried about, but it was a fight, which was close enough.
"I should've known better than to think we'd be able to just walk in," Corrin said, sounding disappointed.
"Don't beat yourself up about it, Corrin," Robin replied.
"I won't. I just feel silly. The Rainbow Sage only meets with the strongest people. If it was so easy to meet him, then there would be way more stories about him and the people he granted power. Sure the climb wasn't easy, but it definitely isn't enough to stop that many people from coming. I should've expected this." Corrin ran a hand through her hair and let out a small sigh. "Enough of that though! Is everyone ready? It looks like we're going to be fighting inside for a while, so be prepared to have walls around you that might mess with your ability to swing your weapons around or use your mounts."
"Don't forget the staircases either," Robin added. "On the way up I could see several different sections of this fortress going in opposite directions. I'm not sure how many staircases we'll have to go up, whether they're inside or outside, or if they will lead us on separate paths. But I am sure that we're going to be in more danger when we get on them since they impede our fields of vision and will split us up while we're going up. Don't count out being attacked before you finish making your way onto the next floor. I don't know what kind of honor code the Rainbow Sage or his men have. Just be careful."
"Got it."
Everyone readied themselves, and headed for the staircases.
They split up into four groups. While hiking up the mountain Robin had seen a few places where multiple staircases seemed to come out of the same room, so he assumed there would be a few places where they'd be forced to choose a path. Rather than missing out on one way, Robin figured it would be better to establish groups from the start. If they had to split up, then they would be ready. If they didn't, then there was no problem at all.
Robin took the first group, choosing Benny and Charlotte to go with him. Camilla, Selena, Kaze, and Elise made up the second. Takumi, Oboro, Mozu, and Sakura were the third, and Corrin, Jakob, and Azura were the fourth.
They started up the fortress and were split fairly quickly. It only took two floors for Robin's group to part from Camilla's and the rest, leaving only his team of three. Thankfully each room only held a few enemies, nowhere near overwhelming them, and Robin's group was able to proceed with relative ease.
Robin went up another floor. After defeating the enemies in the room, he spotted a girl in the back corner, edging her way toward the staircase. Charlotte and Benny continued on, not noticing Robin's pause.
The girl's presence was curious. How had she escaped all the soldiers so far? And why had she gone up the tower in the first place? Was she trying to meet with the Rainbow Sage too?
She made eye contact with Robin, and was the first to speak. "You don't seem to be allied with the odd soldiers who suddenly appeared here a little while ago. Unless you've betrayed them. But even then, it wouldn't be an alliance. So who are you?"
Robin was surprised. She didn't sound like he'd imagined she would. Not in terms of the pitch of her voice or something like that, but in how she spoke like someone who'd been through a lot, and had had enough. It was her tone that put him off, in other words.
"Depends on who's asking. I'm assuming you aren't allied with them either. You seem much more aware of yourself than they do, and are the only one not actively attacking. So you're part of a third party, then? We keep having people join us, so I guess it's possible you're some new recruit, but I'm pretty sure this is the first time I've seen you," Robin responded.
The girl nodded curtly. "It would be more accurate to say that I am the third party, seeing as I comprise the whole rather than just a part. But yes, I'm neither allied with the soldiers you're fighting, nor with your group. What kind of group are you to have people joining without your knowledge?"
Robin chuckled. "An interesting one. Pieced together from whoever we could get to come with us." He motioned to the staircase. "Anyway, it's best you get out of here. I have to get going. My friends have gone ahead already, and I need to provide backup. It's not safe here for you."
"Not safe?" The girl looked irritated. "And why would you say that? I'm not some defenseless child. I'm an experienced mage, and I won't have some kid like you tell me I'm not good enough to protect myself against enemies like these."
Some kid? Who is she to call me a kid? She can't be much older than-
"Wait," Robin began, "are you a manakete?"
The girl looked confused. "I don't know what a 'manakete' is, so I assume not. Unless that's some special term for someone who's been cursed not to age. But I doubt it."
"Cursed not to age? That's… astounding. Magic can really do that? Suspend someone in time, so they stay forever young. What kind of power does it take to perform a spell of that level?"
Nothing small, for certain. And it was probably magic of a dark type. The stronger a spell was, the more it took from the caster. As far as he knew, no one had ever managed to permanently pause their aging, primarily because it took more energy than they had. To do it would likely require the energy of multiple people. Possibly in the form of human sacrifice. Robin doubted the girl would tell him so soon after meeting, though.
"I'm not inclined to give out all the details of my life to total strangers. What's your name, anyway?" she asked.
"Robin."
"I'm Nyx. We should get going, then, shouldn't we? You seem interesting. I've spent a long time looking for a cure to my state, or at least for a way to see through it, and have looked through more books on sigils and symbols and crests than I could count, but I haven't ever seen the strange eye markings you have on your coat. After this we'll have to have a talk about it. Nothing I've seen so far has helped me, and I haven't seen that before, so perhaps the secret to undoing this curse lies with you and whatever group you've pledged your allegiance to," the girl said.
Robin paled slightly. "Oh. Uh, okay. That works. Let's get going then."
Nyx nodded. "Let's."
The two headed up the next flight of stairs, finding Charlotte and Benny already fighting the next group of enemies. Benny didn't look much different than normal, his armor having taken whatever blows were dealt to him without any major denting. Charlotte, however, was quite red. Not only was there a heavy flush on her face from exertion, but she was quite bloody. Wearing white didn't really help keep the bloodstains off. And when you swing that hard that close, it only made sense. That made Robin wonder how many copies of her outfit she had. Or was she just that good at getting out bloodstains?
"About time you showed up!" Charlotte yelled, bringing up her axe to block the sword of the woman she was fighting. Charlotte kneed the other woman in the crotch, making her enemy grunt, but not let go. Another kick to the woman didn't do much, as the sword slid off the edge of Charlotte's axe. The enemy woman drew her sword back and swept it toward Charlotte. But instead of the blow landing on Charlotte's exposed skin, it connected with hard armor. Benny had finished up with the men he was fighting moments before, and had gotten in the way of the enemy's blow, protecting his partner before she could come to serious harm.
Robin called up a lightning spell, sending it at Charlotte's opponent. The woman dropped her sword and fell, Nyx sending a spell of her own at the woman before she hit the ground.
Robin sent a glance toward the not-so-young girl, and she raised her chin.
Benny let out what Robin thought was a sigh of relief. "Be careful," he told Charlotte.
"Of course!" She exclaimed. Then, softer, "Thank you, Benny."
Benny didn't say anything back, simply nodding. The two made a good team.
"Interesting," Nyx commented. "So you're Nohrian, then?"
Charlotte looked the girl up and down, before putting up a smile. "And who would you be? You wouldn't happen to be a noble, would you?"
Nyx frowned. "Not at all. Once upon a time I belonged to a family of high mages, but no longer. I have no status, and no power except that I put toward my spells. Why do you ask?"
"Then you don't have money or standing?" Charlotte continued, ignoring Nyx's question.
Nyx's frown deepened. "I don't. And answer my question."
Charlotte's smile dropped into a scowl. "Sheesh, no need to be so pushy! I was just wondering. Can't a girl ask a question?"
Before Nyx could throw back a retort, Robin butted into the conversation. "Actually, I'm not Nohrian. Or Hoshidan, before you ask. I'm not going to elaborate on it now since we're still in the middle of a battlefield, even if we can't currently see our enemies. When the two of us delayed our ascent to talk, Charlotte was almost overwhelmed by an enemy we easily took down once we were all here. We don't want anyone else to be injured because of our delay. So let's get going, and help our other allies."
Nyx sighed, but nodded. Charlotte turned with a huff, heading toward the next staircase. Benny put a hand in front of her.
"Let me go first," he said. "Won't hurt as much."
"Are you sure?" Charlotte asked, concern evident.
Benny nodded, and took to the front.
They took down the next floor with relative ease, joining with Kaze to continue to the next level. He'd come into the room as Robin and the others had finished clearing it, looking to unlock the chest inside. Apparently the last room he'd been in had had two staircases, and the rest of his group had gone up the other one once they'd spotted their allies in the chest-room, figuring Kaze would be safe with them. It was nice having Kaze as an addition, as not only was there a spear in the chest, which they'd yet to find anywhere else, but they had another fighter to add to the crew. He and Nyx had somewhat of and odd interaction, but other than that they proceeded smoothly.
A few floors later, they met back up with the rest of the team in a room holding three staircases - one from which Robin's team entered, one from which Corrin and her team entered from, and the last leading to the next floor up. The members of Kaze's group were already in the room, having taken down the enemies inside with the help of a few other who had gotten to the room before either Corrin or Robin.
"Hey, Robin!" Corrin called, walking toward him. "How did things go on your side?"
"Pretty well," he responded. "We met up with someone new. Corrin, this is Nyx, a mage. Nyx, this is Corrin. She's at the head of our forces. We'll explain more later."
Corrin blinked, looking puzzled for a second before switching to a sweet voice. "Well, nice to meet you, Nyx. I would be really happy to talk to you later, after we're done!"
Nyx sighed, and Robin could swear he saw her eye left twitch. "It's nice to meet you as well, girl."
"Girl? Uh, I don't think-" Corrin was cut off.
"Let's not concern ourselves with that right now! Long story short Nyx is older than me and you, so make sure we all treat each other with respect and get on to the next room before more troops arrive!" Robin cheered, waving his hands slightly and pointing toward the staircase.
Corrin looked confused, while Nyx's expression didn't change at all. Although, maybe she did look slightly annoyed. It wasn't Robin's problem for the moment. He took the lead, going up the next staircase.
As soon as he stepped onto the floor of the next level, the figure who had greeted them at the bottom of the fortress stepped forward.
"Greetings to you. This is the highest floor, and your trial is nearly finished. I am the guardian of this place. Defeat me and prove yourself worthy. Only then may you proceed to the Sage," they said.
An onmyouji, several women on pegasi, and a few samurai readied their weapons.
"Robin, move! You're blocking the way," someone shouted behind the tactician. He stepped forward, and a few people filed in behind him. There wasn't enough room for everyone though, so only Takumi, Corrin, Azura, Jakob, and Elise made it in before Robin yelled down the staircase for the rest of the group to wait.
"Let the battles begin," he said under his breath.
Robin and Corrin moved forward, drawing their swords and going for the samurai. Takumi took aim at the pegasus knights, Jakob throwing daggers at Takumi's side and working alongside Azura to make sure no one hit the prince while he while he was firing. Elise kept to the back of the room, at the top of the staircase, using a physic spell on anyone that got hit.
The pegasus riders were downed in a short amount of time, Takumi's arrows ending the flight of their mounts. Corrin and Robin made short work of the samurai, the two's wounds healed by Elise before they could be significantly slowed. Jakob landed the first few blows on the onmyouji, Azura's song keeping him throwing until he was out of daggers.
When the onmyouji retaliated with an attack from his scroll, Azura stepped in front of Jakob, the magic knocking her back.
Corrin hit the onmyouji before they could cast another spell. Though the onmyouji didn't stumble, they couldn't recover fast enough to dodge an arrow from Takumi, which pierced through their chest before dissipating.
The onmyouji dropped their scroll.
"Well done... You have proven yourself worthy of moving forward. May you find that which you are searching for," they said, before fading away.
Once the onmyouji was completely gone, Elise and Jakob exited the room to get the others. Those who stayed in the room looked toward the door behind where the onmyouji had stood.
For whatever reason, Robin was getting a strange feeling from the door. Something wasn't quite right about it. Was it enchanted?
He looked over to Corrin to see if she seemed bothered too. She was looking the room over, but with an expression of curiosity rather than suspicion. She must not have noticed anything was off, then.
"You notice it too, huh?" Takumi said quietly, drawing Robin's attention. The archer seemed uncomfortable. "Something isn't right about that door. I'm not sure if we should just barge through it without checking for a trap first."
"That's probably for the best," Robin agreed.
It was interesting that Takumi of all people was the one to notice. But he wasn't going to question it. It was good to see someone else was paying attention to their surroundings. Though, maybe that wasn't the best way to say it. Kaze, for example, often surveyed the area around him as well. Takumi was just the only one who seemed to get the same strange feeling Robin was. Picking up on those sorts of things could be annoying or disconcerning, but it helped in the long run.
It was like a sixth sense. Sometimes your senses were good, other times they weren't. Hearing the couple in the tent next door 'profess' their love to each other well past midnight when the army was marching at dawn the next day sucked. But that didn't mean Robin wanted to give up his hearing entirely. It was good most of the time, and that made it invaluable. So while the sixth sense could make life a little more intense and/or annoying at times, it was good overall.
"Time to go then," Corrin announced, heading for the door.
"Wait!" Robin and Takumi said at the same time, grabbing onto her to prevent her from moving forward.
"What?" she asked, her hand inches away from the door handle.
"Something isn't right about that door," Takumi told her, his voice much weaker than when he'd said the same thing to Robin.
Takumi sounded unsure. Robin would have to talk to him about that later. Takumi seemed to only have two modes: overconfident and underconfident. Or cocky and timid. Something like that.
Corrin gave a nervous laugh. "Really? I couldn't tell. I guess you two are more sensitive to that sort of stuff than I am. Sorry about that, it's my mistake"
"It's fine," Robin assured her.
Azura walked over to the three then, placing her hand on Corrin's shoulder.
"I only overheard the end of what you three were saying, so I might be missing some information, but don't put yourself down like that Corrin. If I was the one ahead, I would likely have done the same," Azura said calmly.
Corrin laughed again, this time from amusement. "Oh come on, Azura. You and I both know that's not true." She lowered the hand that was near the door handle, bringing it to her side. "But I appreciate-"
The room flashed white, and all of a sudden Robin, Corrin, Takumi, and Azura were standing in someone's house, their companions nowhere in sight.
The four of them drew their weapons immediately, dropping the contact they had with one another.
"Now now, no need to get so aggressive," a new voice told them, as an old man walked into the room.
"You!" Azura exclaimed, looking at the man. He was the same one they'd seen at the harbor.
"Yes, me! It's nice to see you all again. Or, the four of you again. Not all of you. It looks like your companions didn't make the trip back for some reason. Perhaps since you were all holding onto one another the spell assumed the group of connected people were the only ones worthy of travelling back down here and left your friends behind because of it," the old man explained.
"Where are we?" Robin asked, suspicious of the strange man.
Not only did he look different to different people, but he'd set up a multi-person warp spell. That was extremely complex magic. Nothing so simple a regular mage could conjure it up.
"My house, down at the bottom of Mount Sagesse. The top door of the Sevenfold Sanctuary, which was the fortress you folks traveled to if you didn't know the name of it, leads here. If you complete the Sanctuary's trial, that is. If you don't beat it or prove yourself worthy, the door leads to a rocky ledge several feet wide. I assume your friends are smart enough not to run through and throw themselves off the edge. The ledge is large enough that they should be able to stop themselves before they do anyway."
"What's going to happen to them?" Corrin questioned the old man, voice firm.
"They'll be fine. Their legs might be a bit tired since they'll have to trek all the way back down here on their own, but no harm will come to them on the way. The Sanctuary's guard only activates when I give it the command to do so.
"It'll take some time before your friends make it here though, so are there any questions you have for me before they arrive?" the old man offered.
Corrin nodded. "You… are the Rainbow Sage, aren't you?"
The old man laughed. "I find that to be more of a statement than a question, but yes. I knew you were a smart one!"
Corrin blushed slightly, before the room flashed a blinding white once again. When the light faded, Robin could see no difference in anything. What had happened?
"You…" Azura trailed off.
"You seem very fond of that word," the Rainbow Sage said with a smile.
Azura's face reddened. "I was making an observation that I deemed unnecessary to announce to the others in full."
The Rainbow Sage waved in Azura's direction. "Oh don't worry yourself so much, young one! I like your energy. It was simply an observation, not an insult. A joke, though I didn't seem to tell it so well. I must be losing my touch in my old age."
Robin frowned. "Pardon the interruption, but what was with the flash? Did something happen? I don't see any differences between before the flash and now."
Takumi furrowed his brow. "What are you talking about? No differences? What about the guy in front of us? The Rainbow Sage? Notice anything different about him?"
Robin's frown deepened. He squinted, looking the Rainbow Sage over, trying his hardest to spot any changes. "Nope. Nothing. Am I missing something here?"
Takumi's jaw dropped, as did Corrin's.
"Are you kidding!? How do you not notice someone changing literally their entire appearance!?" Takumi yelled, pointing to the Sage for emphasis.
"Uh…" Robin didn't know what to say. The man looked exactly as he had before.
Azura raised her voice. "He doesn't notice anything different because to him, nothing has changed."
Corrin looked confused. "What do you mean by that? I'm pretty sure Robin has good enough eyesight to tell when someone changes their entire outfit, color and all, and goes from having short hair to having long hair and an impressive beard."
"Oh thank you," the Rainbow Sage said.
"Before we made it to the Sanctuary," Azura explained, "Robin and I talked about the man we'd seen at the bottom of the mountain. This man.
"While I described him as we saw him before: hunched over, in gray, no staff and beardless, Robin described him as he is now: standing much straighter, in green, tall staff, and with a long beard. The Sage's past appearance must have been an illusion, and my guess is that Robin saw through it from the beginning."
All eyes turned to Robin, who didn't know what to say. That sounded right to him. He couldn't exactly confirm the 'what they saw before, what they saw after' part, but he could confirm the conversation and what he saw.
The main question was, why didn't he notice the illusion in the first place? Usually when it came to magic, if someone could break or ignore a spell, they did so by realizing it was there and putting in a conscious effort. But he hadn't even realized there was a spell being cast. So how did he see through it?
Eyes stayed on Robin, and he could tell they were waiting for an explanation.
"I don't know," he stated simply. "If you want to know why I saw through the illusion, or why I didn't notice, the answer is 'I don't know.'"
Robin didn't say anything after that, waiting for someone else to speak. Sure he didn't know everything, and he never claimed to, but being so unsure in this situation made him uncomfortable.
Magic was something he was good at. Something he had practiced and studied for hours upon hours. During those two years between the wars with Plegia and Valm, Robin had spent a considerable amount of time with Miriel and Tharja, learning about different hexes and spells, trying to understand whatever he could about the magic that came so naturally to him. Well, it had started out as an attempt to figure out if there was some way to regain his memories and/or to find out what had wiped out his memory in the first place. He hadn't been successful on the memory part, but he'd done well otherwise. So knowing what he did, and being so clueless as to what was going on at the moment, just felt wrong.
"The reason your friend saw through the spell without realizing it is that the spell wasn't designed to work on him. I wouldn't want to be tricking old allies," the Rainbow Sage explained.
"Old allies?" questioned Takumi. He turned to Robin. "What does he mean, old allies? You know him...? Why didn't you say anything!?"
Robin's eyes widened, confused. "Because I don't know him! I've never seen him before today! I can promise you that."
"Oh yeah? So you're saying the Sage is lying to us, then."
"No, I'm just saying that as far as I know, this is the first time we've met. And since I don't remember ever meeting him, that means I don't know him. You can't know someone you don't remember. But even so I'm pretty sure the two of us haven't met. Right?"
Robin looked to the Rainbow Sage with a sort of desperation, trying to find answers to whatever was going on.
The man tapped his staff on the ground, silencing Takumi before he could continue his accusations. "Now look here, we're all friends here, are we not? Or at least you four should be. Don't let me split you apart.
"I told you folks that my spell was not designed to trick old allies. I didn't say that it was designed to specifically avoid tricking Robin. I have never set eyes on the young man before me, nor has he seen me. Not Robin, at least. But there's something a little stronger back there, isn't there? Something that gives you a sort of immunity to my spell by proxy. He's the one that would better be categorized as the old ally, though we've never really fought together. He's just similar enough to the ones that the spell is set not to work on that he's immune to its effects."
The Rainbow Sage cleared his throat. "Anyway, I suppose I should say I'm happy to meet you, too, even if we're unable to speak."
"Uh," Robin wasn't sure how to respond. So, he gave an answer he thought would be fitting enough. "Thank you, sir. The one you're talking about… He's not totally... aware... right now. But I'll be sure to pass along the message when he is."
"Ho?" The Rainbow Sage raised an eyebrow. "I knew something was up. His presence felt oddly weak. What could've happened to do that? It's quite hard to inflict such damage and recovery time on someone like him."
Takumi, Corrin, and Azura all looked puzzled, but Robin ignored them. He'd just have to talk in non-specifics, to avoid saying anything incriminating while still answering the Sage's questions. Though he didn't think he'd be very successful in that first part.
"It was an injury on my part," Robin responded. "A severe one. I was distracted, and didn't notice it was there until I'd practically bled to death. He saved me, but it wasn't cheap."
Robin paused for a moment, trying to figure out how to phrase what he was going to say next. "Not that he was at full strength anyway. He was nearly killed a relatively short time beforehand, before being put in a less than ideal situation where he didn't really have the proper resources to recover. Which is also my fault, now that I think about it. It's kind of a miracle for me that we're getting along as well as we are. But then again, with the situation we're in it's beneficial to the both of us to work together. Though I'm pretty sure that given the option, he'd split us up without a second thought. Neither of us got a choice in the matter, and he got the short end of the stick if you ask me.
"He's stuck cleaning up my messes while I do whatever it is I want at the time. It's probably insanely frustrating watching me make mistakes he could probably have avoided had it been him in my place."
Robin ran his hand through his hair, exhaling. Grima really did get the short end of the stick. Maybe knowing Grima was in there made Robin uncomfortable at times given what he'd done in the past, but the Fell Dragon hadn't actually done anything to harm Robin since they'd been transferred to Canta. He'd been a good roommate. Bodymate. Whatever.
"Oh, you shouldn't be so hard on yourself," the Rainbow Sage told Robin. "I've heard tales of your exploits. If I were the one in his situation, I would be impressed with how little I'd have to do. If you've been making all these decisions on your own, then you're a fantastic tactician, and a spectacular man. Civilian and military loses alike have been low since you've been at the forefront of all of this. Not to mention the reports from nearby towns… There are rumors flying about about you, you know. I wouldn't be surprised if you became somewhat of a local legend in some of those towns!"
Robin laughed. "Legend? I think you're overestimating me."
The Rainbow Sage shook his head gently. "Oh no. How about you send someone around town, and ask them about the tales of the two white haired, red eyed heroes taking down Nohrian and Hoshidan invaders alike. I'm sure you'll hear back variants of the battles you've experienced. To think I'd find two people such as you today. Though, you're living very different versions of a similar situation. Or similar relation. However you'd express it."
"We haven't been going down trying to cut people down. Most of our battles have been in self defense. Or for the purpose of getting somewhere. But not with the goal of defeating people in mind," Robin replied.
"What of your battle in Izumo?"
"There were no Hoshidans there."
"Yes, but you have fought Hoshidans, and you have defeated invaders. Perhaps not at the same time, but stories get muddled each time they are told. It's only a matter of time before two stories become one."
"I don't necessarily like when false stories about myself are being spread all around."
"That's part of life, unfortunately. There have been more than a few stories told about me that I would've liked to have struck down as soon as they were born. But alas, the world does not work that way, and not everything works in my or your favor. Just try to be content with that which you have been given."
Robin nodded. He glanced over to Corrin and the others.
Oh, the explanations he'd have to give when this was all over. He couldn't keep deflecting forever. Especially not after the reveals brought on by the Rainbow Sage.
"Wait," Robin said, turning back to the Sage. "If your illusion didn't work on me, why did it work on Corrin? You said we were similar. Shouldn't she have seen through it as well?"
"I also said you were different," the Rainbow Sage responded. "Specifically in the… amount, and the way the relation is manifested."
"Amount of what?" Corrin asked, finally breaking her silence.
The Rainbow Sage smiled. "That is for your friend to tell you, not I.
"Now then, you came here to ask me something, did you not? Well, let's hear it."
Corrin nodded, though she glanced at Robin with a promise of later questions. "We came here because we're looking for information on a dragon. We received a prophecy from the Archduke of Izumo telling us it was necessary, but we aren't sure where to find the one it spoke of. We've heard many stories about your knowledge and wisdom, so we came to you to see if you had any information. We figured that if there was anyone who could help us, it would be you."
"And what is your goal, once you obtain this information? Why do you need it?" the Rainbow Sage asked.
"The dragon is the one who is supposed to help us stop this endless conflict between Nohr and Hoshido. If the fighting doesn't stop soon, then everyone will be hurt far more than either country could've imagined. I can't let that happen. So I'll do whatever it takes to stop the fighting. For Hoshido, and Nohr, and all the other nations that are affected by their war," Corrin asserted. She raised her fist for her last two sentences, a habit that Robin had almost thought she'd dropped after not seeing it for a little while.
"You're fighting to bring peace, then. Fascinating. And admirable. All right, I'll tell you where to find the dragon you're searching for."
He's right here, isn't he?
"But first, hand me that blade of yours. The Yato."
That's what the Sage was talking about, when he said his spell wouldn't work on me, or Grima, because the spell wouldn't work on old allies. Dragons know dragons, right? And there aren't many around anymore, so of course he'd be surprised to find one. Especially one bound to a human. A human that also carries his blood.
"The Yato?" Corrin drew her sword, holding it horizontally. "Okay, here you go." She held the sword out for the Rainbow Sage.
He took the sword and examined it carefully, making note of small details and flipping it over a few times. He then closed his eyes, gripping the sword tightly.
Suddenly, the air began to spark. Not with visible light or energy, but with a feeling of power. The Sage was casting a spell.
" ... I, who forged the sacred blade... I, who committed the great sin... I, who wove the divine colors... I call on you now, Seal of Flames!"
The energy manifested as a flurry of colors, enveloping the Yato and flashing down the length of the blade. One by one, each color faded away, making the Yato more and more visible. After about fifteen seconds, only a faint blue glow remained. The Yato's hilt had changed under the cover of the lights. Not in a way that altered the grip much, but in an ornate way. A change of shape at the end.
"Woah…" Takumi murmured, staring at the sword in awe. Corrin and Azura too were gazing at the sword, eyes wide.
"The Seal of Flames? That's what Fuga mentioned wasn't it?" Corrin asked, turning to Robin. He nodded in response.
Robin turned back to the Rainbow Sage, who suddenly looked pale. The spell must have taken a lot out of him. The steady, but gentle, flow of power Robin had felt coming from the man since they'd been in the same room had started to flicker.
"Thank you so much, sir. What you've done will definitely help me on the road ahead. I knew you could help me like you helped Xander and the others," Corrin told the Rainbow Sage, who handed the Yato back to her.
"What I've done to your special sword here is not something I did for others, actually. It's something I did just for you," he responded. "What I did for your brother and the other three who passed my trial was present them with the challenge of the Sevenfold Sanctuary. I gave them the opportunity to grow just as I gave you, and they took advantage of it. The power I've given you here is power you already had the potential to achieve. I just gave you some motivation to get it - it was nothing particularly special on my part."
"Oh." Corrin blinked. "Then thank you for providing the opportunity. Not only did we get some practice, but we recruited a couple new people too, so that was a bonus."
The Rainbow Sage chuckled. "Well, I'm glad to have supported your endeavors in friendship!"
Then, the Rainbow Sage began to cough, bringing one of his long sleeves to his face to hide the pain in his expression.
Corrin grew concerned. "Are you all right?" she asked.
"Yes, yes, fine," the Rainbow Sage said, taking a moment to catch his breath. "I'm an old man, and things get a little harder over time. Don't you worry yourself over me. You have bigger things to go on to, with that sword of yours."
Corrin didn't look completely convinced, and Robin wasn't convinced the man was okay at all, but neither pressed the subject any further.
"I hope you don't mind me butting in," Azura began, stepping forward, "but what is so special about the Seal of Flames, if you don't mind me asking?"
"Ah yes, that." The Rainbow Sage took another deep breath. "The Seal of Flames is a term used to refer to the incomplete version of the Fire Emblem, once it has gained the power of some of the other divine weapons. Only when the Yato has gathered the power of the Fujin Yumi, Brynhildr, Raijinto, and Siegfried alike will the Seal of Flames become the Fire Emblem, which should help you achieve your end goal."
Robin's eyes widened.
The Fire Emblem? But that's the shield back in Ylisse, isn't it? Is that just a popular term for a powerful artifact or something? But this one is meant to help us with our end goal. Which is defeating a dragon. So maybe Fire Emblem is something associated with triumph over dragons, whether it be by sealing them away, or killing them entirely.
The Rainbow Sage coughed again, this time more gently, but still noticeable.
"So the Yato is now the Seal of Flames?" Corrin asked.
"Not quite. It still needs to gain the power of one of the divine weapons before it can be called that." The Sage turned to Takumi. "Thankfully for you, we have one of them right here. Takumi, if you would step forward?"
Takumi did, taking the Fujin Yumi off his back and holding it out. Both it and the Yato began to glow, sparks skipping between the two as power surged once again. The blue-green energy that arose to form the Fujin Yumi's arrows flowed across the bow and toward the Yato, enveloping the sword for yet another time that day.
This time the light faded more quickly, and the Yato was changed once more.
"Impressive light show," Robin commented. Corrin elbowed him.
"I'm glad to see you young ones are having fun," the Rainbow Sage said with a smile.
Azura wasn't quite as happy. "And what is the Fire Emblem?"
"You'll see," the Rainbow Sage responded.
"How soon?"
"That is up to you. Continue on your path, and the one you are looking for will show more and more of his cards to you, until you are able to reach him and achieve your victory."
"And what of the dragon of prophecy? We originally came here to find information on them. Do you have any, Rainbow Sage?"
"I would say so." The Rainbow Sage turned to Robin, looking the tactician in the eye. "After all, I'm more than likely the dragon your prophecy speaks of, as there aren't many other dragons around anymore."
Robin tensed slightly, glad to have his suspicion confirmed, but worried by how the Sage seemed to point him out with his comment. Would the others realize that there was a reason the Rainbow Sage said there weren't 'many' left rather than any, and a reason why he looked straight at Robin as he revealed the information?
"Wait, seriously!?" Corrin shouted, surprised. "You're a dragon? But you're so…"
"Human looking?" The Sage supplied, stifling a cough.
Corrin blushed. "Well, yeah. I can transform into a dragon, even though I only have a little bit of dragon blood, but even I have pointed ears. You look so normal in comparison."
The Rainbow Sage looked amused, but he refrained from commenting on Corrin's reddened cheeks. "Well… You know how I used an illusion to hide my true appearance earlier?"
Corrin nodded.
"I may or may not be using a slight illusion spell now as well. One that no one, even those similar to my old allies, should be able to see through. All it does is round my ears a bit. But my eyes are still red, as yours are. And as for other differences… Well, they aren't ones you'd notice at a glance, so they're unimportant for now." The Rainbow Sage supplied.
"Why make your ears look human in this form, if this is the one where you drop most of the illusion? This isn't what you present yourself as to the village people, so there's no need to hide your ears, is there?" Takumi asked.
The Sage frowned. "I don't just live to please other people you know."
Takumi froze, suddenly appearing uncomfortable. Getting told off by an esteemed figure really wasn't what a kid with bad self-esteem needed.
"Tell me, why do you keep your hair in that style? It's because you like how it looks, yes?" the Sage continued. "Well, I keep my ears like this because I like how they look. Round ears are cute. Such a funny little quirk humans have that differentiates them from us dragons." The Rainbow Sage took a long breath, inhaling deeply. Something was definitely wrong with him. "I like them, and a tiny spell like the one that keeps my ears looking round is nothing to me. So I figured 'why not?'"
Takumi blushed and turned his gaze down to the floor, while the Sage appeared to stifle another cough. The only sign was that the Sage's chest spasmed slightly, but it was enough for Robin to catch. Robin was going to press the man before he left for information on what was wrong.
On another note, what the Rainbow Sage said made sense, Robin supposed, but Takumi's question made just as much sense if not more. Robin was thinking of asking it, actually, but the prince had just beat him to it. The Sage was a little harsh for shooting the prince down like that.
Azura decided to change the subject. "Why is it that you're able to power up the Yato like this? Is it because of its origin, or because of your power?"
"Hm? Well, a little bit of both. I created it all those years ago. It, and the other four divine weapons."
"You created it?" Azura asked with wide eyes.
The Rainbow Sage nodded. "Long, long ago, twelve dragons were filled with desire... They fought over who would control the world. I was not exempt from the fighting, and decided to create the Yato and the other divine weapons in an attempt to sway the battle my way. But instead of quickly ending the fighting with their introduction… my weapons instead prolonged the war, pulling humanity into a battle that was far beyond the power all but the strongest few could even dream to hold…"
The Rainbow Sage went silent for a few moments, before perking up.
"Now then, if you have no more questions, I think it's fine time you four get going!" The Rainbow Sage told them in a light tone. "Your other friends await!"
"Are you sure?" Corrin asked, the Rainbow Sage nodding in response. "Then thank you for the help, Sage," she said with a slight bow, her companions mimicking the motion. "I'll use the power you've granted me - or unlocked, since that's probably a better term - the best I can, to stop all this fighting and save Hoshido and Nohr before they harm each other more than they already have. When I'm done with that, I'll make sure to come back and visit you!"
Something akin to guilt flashed on the Rainbow Sage's face, but he plastered a smile up to hide it a split second later. "You want to come back some day eh? Well, I won't stop you. And good to see you young folk have your minds in the right place. Now no more dallying! Get outta here, kiddos!" The Sage began motioning for them to get out of his house, sweeping them toward the door. Takumi was the first out, followed by Corrin and Azura. Robin paused in the doorway, watching the other three walk away.
He turned around and took a step back into the Sage's house, shutting the door most of the way.
"Youth doesn't last forever. You should spend what time you have with your friends. Sooner or later you won't have any more," The Rainbow Sage said.
Robin furrowed his brow. "Like you don't?"
The Rainbow Sage's expression turned grim. "Yes, though I try not to think about it too much."
"How much longer do you have?"
"I can probably finish our conversation, provided we don't get too wordy."
"Had you not unlocked the Yato's power, would you have had longer?"
"Oh, of course. As I said, I was the one who created the Yato and the other divine weapons. Doing so brought humans into our war of dragons. The result was death. Widespread death, from Valla to the astral plane to this realm."
"V- That place? Are you not affected by the curse?"
"I probably am, but I've little time left so it doesn't matter much. Regardless, after all the pain I caused, I was filled with an intense guilt. I knew that I could not die until I remedied the mistakes I had made. Or at least, until I had atoned for my sins… I believe that in unlocking the Yato's power for Corrin, I've finally achieved my goal.
"What of you, Robin? Or of your 'companion'? I'm curious as to how your souls ended up so intertwined."
"It's, uh, complicated. Something about a deal he made with my ancestors and a good thousand years of trying to make a vessel to revive him. I could go on a little, but I'm not sure we have the time for it. I don't have the full story myself, either. But if you want…?"
The Rainbow Sage shook his head. "No, it's fine. Interesting situation, but I'm not so curious I'm willing to spend too much time on it."
The Sage broke out in a fit of coughing, the man putting most of his weight on the staff he was carrying.
Robin moved forward to help the man, but he was shushed away.
"Look, young man…" The Rainbow Sage said with considerable effort. "I don't know your full story, and I know it's a complicated one. I also know that you must have your reasons for keeping things secret. But I ask that you tell your friends what's going on soon.
"Perhaps it isn't the time to reveal the full story; perhaps it is. That is for you to decide. But the longer you go without telling them, the less they're likely to trust you once the story does come out, and the more danger you run of damaging your friendship if the information is revealed to them from another source.
"Just as lies tend to break friendships, the withholding of information tends to weaken them until even the slightest slip up can cause a chasm to be born between friends that one side alone cannot fix. And in some cases, one that neither side can fix even when working together.
"The sooner you tell your friends what's going on, the less likely you are to hurt them. You have more time than I do, but your time is not infinite. So think about when you want to talk, about what, and to whom - the conversation is inevitable, and it's so much more pleasant when it happens on your own terms rather than someone else's."
More coughing from the Rainbow Sage followed his words, and Robin jerked forward, catching the man before he could slip.
"Sage…" he began.
"Hush, child. You have places to be, do you not? Your friends are sure to notice your absence. And while I have never particularly dreamed of dying alone, I've also no wish to impart the image of my dead body on a man I've just met, no matter the potential I see in him. Go now, and join your comrades. I abandoned mine long ago, and all I wish now is that I'd spent more time with them before we all turned on one other. So go, and continue on your way. I wish you luck, young Robin, both in your ventures with this group, and with your relations with the dragon sleeping in your soul."
Robin released the Rainbow Sage from his grip and took a step back, bowing to the man.
Just then Corrin opened the door the rest of the way, poking her head inside.
"There you are!" she exclaimed, drawing the eyes of the house's two residents.
Robin scratched his head. "Ah, sorry about that Corrin! I had a few things I wanted to talk about with the Sage, but we're all done now. It's time to get going, right?"
Corrin nodded. "Yep!" She then addressed the Rainbow Sage. "Thank you again, sir. Your help is invaluable. I hope you have a happy rest of your life!"
The Rainbow Sage offered up a sad smile. "Given everything I've seen today, and what it's made me feel, I think I will."
Robin frowned, but didn't say anything. The Rainbow Sage motioned for Robin and Corrin to exit, and they moved for the door, Corrin's hand on Robin's arm.
The tactician stopped in the door once more, facing the outside.
"Thank you for everything, Sage. Your words… I'll make sure to follow them. They mean a lot."
Robin couldn't see the face the Rainbow Sage made in response, but he did hear the slight chuckle. "I'm only doing my duty. May you and Corrin have happy lives as well."
Robin gave a small nod, walking forward. Corrin shot him a confused look, but Robin kept on going ahead. He heard the Rainbow Sage close the door behind them, and that was the end of their encounter.
To think the man would be dead in a matter of hours… maybe even a matter of minutes.
The rest of the group had gathered in the town square, and was headed toward an inn they had found. Robin and Corrin joined them.
Once they reached the inn and were all placed in rooms (and boy did that put the inn staff in a tizzy, thirty people showing up at once looking for a place to stay for the night), Robin set down his things, going to Corrin and Azura's room. Felicia and Mozu were also staying with the princesses, but Robin had convinced the two to leave for a while so he could talk to Corrin and Azura in private. What he had to say would probably trickle down to them in some form eventually, but for the moment he wanted to talk to Corrin and Azura alone. They had the biggest right to know of anyone.
The two princesses were seated on one of the two beds in the room, facing Robin who sat on the bed parallel to it. Robin hadn't told them why it was he'd wanted to speak to them yet, so they had to have been curious.
"Now then," he began, "you're probably wondering why I came to you like this."
Two nods.
"As you probably know, I've been hiding some things from you.
"Well, I've decided it's high time I tell the truth."
Author's Note:
There was some way I've been thinking about writing the end of the chapter since about the 2,000-word mark but I can't remember the phrasing for the life of me, which is frustrating. I got the general idea down at least. There was also something I wanted to mention in this note, but I don't remember what it was. I hope FE16 turns out well. Kind of funny that this chapter coincides with the direct date. That wasn't intentional. Anyway, next chapter is explanation time! Probably! I don't have a single word of it down and I'm not sure how much stuff I want Robin to say as I don't want it to be redundant/boring for the readers. We'll see. Thanks for sticking around. This is one of the longest, if not the longest chapter I've written yet.
Originally posted June 12, 2018. Word count: 13,180 not including author's notes (btw ffnet adds a couple hundred words to their word counts?).
Eruran (Mariyekos... eventually...maybe) out.