Chapter 45: Lighting The Way


Chrom struggled through the currents, hoping they wouldn't twist suddenly and smash him into any of the nearby rocks.

Robin stuck to his side, and he still needed her at his arm to guide him along.

'I can't keep being like this… Being so helpless.' He thought to himself, staring at his arm and where his hand bunched into a fist. He caught a gold glimmer along the edges of his scales… Reminding him of the bolt of energy he'd held before. Once when he rescued Emm, and once against the ships.

'How on earth did I call it up before… And is there a way I can do it again?' It had helped them out more than once, and he wondered if he could use it at will. Or if he could keep using it to protect Robin, Emmeryn, or that strange Shepherd ship-

"Eyes up Chrom." Robin whispered to him, as a rocky outcropping loomed into sight. It was mingled with silver and angular stones, shaped and chiseled into a tower.

Robin stared at the tower base, and the patterns formed into it.

"This is…" She swam closer, tugging him along with one hand. The other hand reached out to the faint golden marks woven into the rocks. They were oddly faded, half scrubbed away by the tides, until Robin's fingers brushed over the gold. A light blazed to life inside the stones, forming into a great twisting pattern and mural. It reminded him of the sigils decorating the Plegian castle, having the same age and wear.

And in that pattern, at the very center, was a familiar figure; the violet of the girl's tail, and the silver glow of her hair was a clear mirror to Robin. And she knew it, with how she stilled against Chrom.

"What… What is this?" Robin whispered. "I thought this tower was supposed to have been standing for centuries. So why am I-?"

"Because all of this was meant to be." Came a voice, that seemed to resonate out of the very stones. "I catch glimpses and visions, and now I see that you have a major part to play… And that part is well beyond Validar's goals."

It took Chrom a moment to find his own voice, amidst the echoes. He let the fins crowning his head stretch out to better catch the sounds. That had to be Tiki's voice once again.

In another moment, Chrom figured out just where it was coming from. There was a chink in the stonework, above and beyond that unnerving carving of Robin. In fact, her carved self was in perfect profile, and almost seemed to be gazing at the opening in the tower.

"Up there!" He pointed to it, already trying to swim for the spot. A wane light spilled from the rent, like a faint beam of sunlight was caught in the tower and trying to escape through the gap.

"Well, now we know where the song was coming from." Robin told him; this time she followed him. Chrom kept his eyes fixed on the hole until the glow consumed them and blinded his vision. He felt his way through the last of it, hands brushing the stone and finding the beginnings of a tunnel. He slipped through it, feeling stone brush at his shoulders and tail.

His eyes stayed shut against the glare, until the bright specks dancing across his eyelids dimmed. He finally blinked them open, to see that they'd made their way into a grotto half filled with water.

The liquid above them gleamed brightly, drawing Chrom upwards. With a splash he surfaced, the ripples brushing his face. He shook his head, his bangs half plastered against his head as he looked about.

The interior was all bright rock, domed over him and forming a shelf of stone at the edge. Chrom pushed himself towards the lip of stone. It gave him something to rest his tired fins against, and the same was true for Robin. She rested her head against his shoulder, hoisting herself half out of the waters with a sigh.

"It's been awhile, since I've seen the surface." She murmured. Chrom could only hum in agreement. The air seemed raw, almost burning his lungs, though the chamber was thick with humidity. Condensation dripped off the rocks, and formed an odd indoor rain on the pool. The ripples spread across the water, distorting a pale and green reflection.

Chrom lifted his head at that reflection, and found a figure coiled on a rocky island in the pool. Her leafy tail dipped into the ocean water, and she rested sleepy eyes on the two.

Robin gave a sharp breath when she found the figure, lifting the woman's head.

"So, you found your way back here." This time the echo in Tiki's voice was subdued.

"It took some time to figure it out." Robin said. "Between all the chaos that happened, and Chrom…" She trailed off, that guilty look flashing across her face again. Tiki followed her eyes, and Chrom squirmed a little as they both looked at his tail.

"Ah. So you found your connection to the past." There was a hint of approval in Tiki's voice, behind the surprise. She couldn't seem to break her eyes from his coating of scales.

"That might sound more like praise, if I could remember anything." Chrom grumbled. "Sorry, but I can't even remember what the past IS."

"Then perhaps, now that I'm more awake, I can tell you-?"

"WAIT!" Robin's shout echoed off the dome. Her tail churned the water in agitation, as she clapped a hand over Chrom's shoulder.

"W-wait." Robin continued, a little more subdued. "Chrom… There's something wrong with the magic on him. If he tries to remember anything it… It hurts him. I'm not sure what will happen if…"

"…If I tell him the complete truth?" Tiki asked, giving Chrom a measuring look. "I may be able to help with that."

Tiki's fingers traced over Chrom's head, brushing through his hair with an almost-too-familiar gesture. He half-wanted to shrink from the sudden contact, but a prickling along his skull stopped him.

"I can weaken a little of that spell, considering how we're in the roots of the tower. Enough to help you remember things forgotten… And some of them forgotten by more than just you."

"What do you mean…?" He kept his voice hushed, wondering at the distant quality in Tiki's voice; it was like she was about to recite a tale.

"Your ancestors have always had ties to the ocean." Tiki whispered. "It started with the first Exalt, and the war between Naga and Grima."

Tiki shut her eyes, and fell completely into a storyteller's cant… Something that Chrom felt was familiar. Like he'd heard someone tell him similar stories before.

"Once, Naga and Grima were two aspects of the world. Air and water, forces that helped keep the tides swelling and ebbing, the world breathing its storms and basking in moonlight and sun, but never falling into full chaos… Until Grima grew to resent the air world, and those who dwelled in it."

"My father… He always said that the land dwellers forgot the importance of the sea." Robin murmured, like she was plucking a half forgotten thought out of her memories. "…Why? Why did Grima hate humans so?"

"Would that I could tell you. Perhaps it was once they crafted ships, and set out on the waters. He saw it as an intrusion on his domain, I think… Because that's when he sent the storms out. There were a few who pledged themselves to Grima, in awe of his power. But the dragon-god didn't want base born humans fouling his domain. He'd only accept them if they turned their back on the rest of humanity, and embraced the waves completely. Some of them agreed, and became the first of the merfolk." Tiki's expression darkened. "But others fled… And stole with them the secrets of moving between land and sea. Perhaps that's what drove Grima from resentment, to open hatred and a wish to annihilate everything."

Listening to the tale, Chrom felt his fins uneasily flick back and forth, feeling strange to him again.

"The two dragons fought and rent the world asunder. Waves tried to sweep over the land, shattering continents into islands. Grima threatened to pull everything underwater, and Naga herself couldn't match the dragon's fury and strength… Until the first Exalt appeared." Chrom found his own thoughts growing into a roil, as half remembered dreams danced through his thoughts; dreams where he was in a drowning city, watching pristine buildings getting washed away.

"H-he'd seen the waves devouring his home, displacing his people, and eating away at his kingdom one storm at a time." Chrom muttered, feeling pressure build along his head. He rubbed at his temples, hoping that would do something; lessen the sensation of fog in his mind, or push loose a memory.

"Chrom…?" Robin touched her fingers to his cheek, drawing his eyes open. She and Tiki both watched him.

"I… I remember parts this story. Someone told it to me." The memory was so close, but he couldn't quite grasp it-

"When you were a boy?" Robin of all people was the one to fill in the gap. She gave him a worried look, but as he stared, she forced herself to continue. "Someone named Sumia told me that; you used to love stories about the seas."

"A-and the legends… So I could have something to live up to." That felt true, with how his heart puffed up in pride. "And something to imagine I was part of."

He glanced down at the blue tail, half submerged in the waters. The scales glinted like sapphires, and an odd feeling prickled along them; he had the feeling that in the memories, he'd never carried scales on his skin.

"…I guess I didn't need to imagine that much, after all; there was a lot of truth to those stories. More than I ever thought."

Tiki gave an agreeing hum, before continuing.

"The first Exalt's kingdom was falling into ruin, his people drowning and beset by both Grima, and the dragon's own kingdom of Plegia. He was desperate to find a way to save them, and came to Naga begging for aid. The two struck a pact, and Naga gave him the ability to treat water as air." Tiki brushed her fingers over her own heart.

"That's how the Sea Dragons came to be as well; we learned how to take human forms, and exist between the two worlds. We all had something to learn from the other… And banded together, to strike Grima and seal the dragon beneath the waves. Where we hoped he would sleep for eternity. But it seems that the seal is weakening… And that power the Exalt took is needed once again."

She fixed Chrom with a piercing look; and he had the feeling Tiki wasn't opposed to his scales and gills.

"And that power remains strong in his bloodline."

"H-how do you know all of this?" Chrom asked; he was certain he'd never heard this version of the story before.

"Because I was part of it." Tiki said, matter of fact. "I'm a sea dragon; I drift through time the same way a fish swims through the sea; only faintly aware of what is around it. But I can at least remember bits and pieces. I remember that Naga taught her own children, how to shift forms as well. Though I was only a child, compared to the Exalt, and his allies."

Tiki brushed her hands over the pale stones.

"They built the lighthouses as well, to drive off the storms and save the islands. And at last, those same light houses became seals on Grima's prison." Her hands brushed over a pictogram in the stones, something that resembled a golden shield. Something that tickled Chrom's mind. "The artifact you brought me, the Emblem, played a roll in that as well. It once held gemstones in it, but those were taken and and used to power the seals."

'The… The Emblem. The Shield of…' The words deserted Chrom, as Robin shifted uneasily beside him.

"So that's why the towers radiate magic…" Robin whispered.

"Aye. They were built to fight the magic and power of a god, and to hold the secrets and weapons of the past, in case they were ever needed again." Tiki said.

"Where are the gemstones, then? We've been to so many towers, seen carvings and pillars of crystal… but never so much as a glimmer of gems." Robin pressed. Chrom's eyes narrowed as he stared around the cavern, finding only engraved rock.

There was still an insistent tickle in the back of his brain as he listened to Robin.

"Maybe…" He felt out his words, his memories feeling like mist; there were vague impressions drifting through his head, saying that Robin was speaking the truth. But there was also the feeling that they were missing something. "Maybe… We weren't looking in the right place?"

Tiki nodded at that and gestured to where the tide lapped at the stones. "The gems were placed at the base of the towers. Beneath the waves themselves. They are submerged in saltwater, as a memory of what almost happened before and directly strengthening the wards."

"B-but they've been failing recently, haven't they?" Robin said, eyes downcast. She wouldn't look at Chrom or Tiki. "Why else would there be storms, or an ability for merfolk to travel between the waves and air?"

"Yes. And lately I've had even less understanding of the world, or the passage of time. It's part of why I couldn't clearly remember prior meetings."

"But what weakened the seal in the first place-?" Robin stilled, as Tiki leveled her gaze at Robin. There was something thoughtful in Tiki's gaze… But on the next blink, it vanished.

"I…I'm sorry. I thought I remembered for a moment, but it seems that memory has also drained out of me."

"Well… We'll deal with that later. Right now we need to focus on what we need to do NOW." Chrom said, doing his best to sound decisive.

"He's right… And we could use some help." Robin continued. "I… Had to change Chrom. It was the only way I could think to save his life."

As Chrom listened, his hands went to his side, and the bit of scar tissue that clung to his ribs.

"But… You turned me into a human once. Can't you do the same for him?" Robin pleaded. "W-without taking his memories? I know that was the price for me… And for him. But hasn't Chrom been hurt enough?"

'It's fine.' He wanted to tell her, even going so far as to brush his fingers against Robin. But that didn't seem to calm her, with how her sides fluttered, and the desperate stare she gave Tiki.

"There has to be SOMETHING I can do for him, with your help. I-I'd give up the rest of my memories, if I have to." THAT was what pushed ice into Chrom. His face flushed, thinking of the kiss they'd just shared, along with that desperate confession. The last thing he wanted was either of them to forget that-

"Peace, Chrom." Tiki must have picked up on that, with how she raised a hand. In the process, she also silenced Robin.

"As things are now… I can at last grant you another boon. You've charged every tower, and called on all the magic and verses across the wind and waves."

"So… What is that boon-?" Chrom tried to ask, only to still when Tiki produced a blue globe, and held it out to him. It echoed the color of his scales, and drew his attention as well as his hand. There was something magnetic to the object, and the power that echoed off it.

He felt out facets on the object, and realized with a jolt he was being offered a gemstone. One that crackled with power… And felt like a match for everything Tiki and Robin had described.

When his fingers clasped it, the gem gave a flash, like all of the ocean had been poured over his eyes.

"What… What is this?" He could just make out Robin's voice.

"The gemstone Azure, one of the sacred treasures of Ylisse… And the ancient kingdoms that came before. It rested at this light house for generations, taking on magic. Now it can impart that same magic to you, and with luck, let you cross between the waves and the land. Without forgetting your memories when you travel between the two worlds."

Chrom tried to find some sort of words and gratitude. But his mouth wouldn't even move from where it had dropped open. The same had to be true for Robin, with how she stilled in the water.

For her part, Tiki managed a wane smile. "As I said… The gemstones were sealed below the towers. Which makes it fairly route to retrieve them, if you breathe water and know where to look."

"All this time, and the gemstone was right under our feet… Ah, at least when we used to have feet." Robin gave a desperate, strained laugh.

"There was a reason we hid them, and tried to ensure they wouldn't be found." Tiki offered. "The gems have secrets from the past sealed in them… Such as the spells used by the first Exalt."

Chrom brushed his fingers over the gem, and wondered if his scales felt a little more fragile than before; a little less solid and far more malleable.

"But with this, you can shift forms." Tiki sighed out, glancing out to the sea. "Granted, the seal is weakening as well, making it easier to tap such magic. And it is only eroding more as the days go by. You'll have less of a price to pay when you pass between the realms, compared to before."

"Th-thank you, Tiki." Robin stared over the blue gemstone, and Chrom had the feeling an idea was already whirling through her head. Chrom's own hands drifted down to his cape and tore a bit of fabric loose from the sail cloth.

'Might as well have something to hang on to.' Robin caught sight of the stray fabric, and reached out to use it to bind the gemstone to Chrom's wrist.

Her fingers brushed over his skin as she tied the treasure to him. Her fingers lingered over Chrom, brushing against the top of his hand; she seemed to draw strength from the contact, and what they'd gained.

"So now that we have a way to return Chrom home, what do we do first…?"

The waves sighed outside, the tides shifting into a new pattern. It drew Chrom's eyes upwards, to an arrow slit in the dome; it acted as a faint window looking outside.

"We… We should…" Chrom tried to say. He trailed off, staring at the ship dancing on the distant waves.

"The Shepherd." Chrom whispered. "I think… We need to catch up with them. Make sure they're safe." He leaned against Robin and let them both topple back into the deep waters.

Tiki might have said something, but it was lost over the splash and roar of water.

Chrom easily floated and swam about in a circle; his focus was fixed to just one thing now, and a faint memory that demanded his attention. A girl in yellow filled his mind, relief and worry both warring in his chest.

"S-sorry. But I need to-" Robin must have heard the desperation in his voice, and saw the longing in his eyes. She forced a nod, before glancing back up to the sea dragon.

"Tiki, thank you for everything," Robin rushed to say. "But… Gods, there's so much we need to untangle."

Tiki bowed her head to that. "Small talk AND more profuse thanks can be saved for later. I'm pleased that you both don't shirk from your tasks, or protecting your loved ones." She favored them with an enigmatic smile. "Given your bonds, and the love in your heart… We might yet survive this, if that fuels your resolve and your strength."

Chrom took Robin's hand, and felt a little more strength flood his heart.

"I think you're right. I hope you're right." He considered the damp air one last time, inhaling it before dipping back underwater. The rush of the ocean filled his ears, oddly loud after being absent in the cove.

His tail flashed out, recharged from their rest and ready to attack the currents.

"The Shepherd first?" Robin asked, and Chrom dipped his head. Somehow he kept his balance, even with the motion. They slipped through the tower, and back into open water. The Shepherd was like a beacon, a second lighthouse in the waters.

"I just… I need to see Li… Someone again. I want to make sure I can remember her face." Chrom whispered. "And that the hints and visions in my head… That it's all true, not something I've made up just to comfort myself."

Robin reached out to brush her hand over his. "It's okay… I understand, at least a little."

The ship overhead caught the winds, staying a lunge ahead of them. And it seemed that no matter how they swam, they couldn't quite bridge the gap. The best he could do was follow, and tug Robin along.

"It's okay," Robin reassured Chrom. "We'll reach them, sooner or later. I just wish I knew what was going through their heads; just where they're planning to go."

-o-o-o-

Lissa kept blinking, and kept wondering if her eyes were lying to her. But if they were, her ears were joining the conspiracy. The seas had gone calm and quiet, lacking the scream of spell fire, or the chanting of mages.

Only splinters remained of the Plegian and Valmese ships. The once proud fleet was reduced to shadows, and those ragged remains were limping from the Shepherd.

There were no traces of the tempest and devouring waves. The last Plegian ships had realized this, and turned tail, while the ragged remains of their sails tried to catch the wind.

On the edge of the sudden stillness following the battle, the wind whispered. Lissa wondered if she heard something more than just breeze. Something almost like a song, and in a voice that seemed so familiar.

'Chrom!?' The name rushed into her head. And with it, Lissa scurried to the edge of the ship. She caught up on the rails, casting about and desperate for some hint of who'd called out to her.

"H-hold on!" A set of hands clapped over her shoulders, holding Lissa back from tumbling into the sea. She blinked up to see Lucina had a death grip on her.

"We had an almost bloodless victory. You probably shouldn't throw yourself into the sea." The girl told her, just a hint of admonishment in her voice. Lissa couldn't help but notice that Lucina wasn't looking at the water, keeping her eyes downcast.

"S-sorry. I just thought I heard something." The caused Lucina to stare.

"…Something?" She risked saying.

"L-like a voice. Like my… Brother's voice. Gods, my nerves have to be playing tricks on me." Yet, a part of her still hoped that it was more than just a trick. That same voice still teased at her hearing, but Lissa didn't dare lean out any further, lest she pitch over the sea.

"I think there's still something lurking in the waves… And we can thank it for saving our collective rears-"

"Your Grace." Frederick interrupted Lissa before she could get any further. "We're awaiting orders, on where to go next. Phila has been discussing the matter with some of the crew, and has some… Unorthodox suggestions. I hope you can review them."

Lissa nodded at that, giving a quick dip of her head to Morgan and Lucina, before turning to follow Frederick. And put that odd note out of her ears, for the time. Something else bothered her, a faint memory of something she'd glimpsed from Morgan and Lucina before the battle… But too much had happened. Too much to grasp all at once.

-o-o-o-

Morgan watched Lissa go, still frowning. There'd been a strange voice on the wind, just like she'd said. But he didn't think it sounded anything like a brother's voice. Instead, it had teased at his memories… And sounded almost like the wane memories of someone else.

Someone that stirred a strange comfort in him. Someone almost fatherly.

"You heard it too, didn't you?" Morgan whispered to Lucina. "It was almost like Father's voice. And that could mean…"

"That Lissa's lost brother and our father are the same person. And more than that," Lucina guided Morgan to the front of the ship, keeping her voice low. "Think about it. If Chrom is Lissa's brother… AND if he's really our father-"

"…Then Lissa is our aunt." Morgan finished. "But she can't be more than a few years older than us, right?"

"I know; not all of it adds up." Lucina said. "And that glimpse we got before we escaped the prison, of mother and father… They seemed younger than I remember, too."

It all made him wish there were a few less blanks in his head. As they walked, Morgan pressed the heel of his palm into his head, trying to remember something, anything else-

And for a moment, his thoughts obliged, flooding him with a sudden, vivid burst of images. They played across his sight for only a second, as Morgan struggled to voice them.

"A blue eye… And falling through the sky." Morgan muttered. "I remember that much… But what does it mean?"

Lucina stilled at that, staring at Morgan.

"I… Have had the same memory. It's the first thing I can recall, since arriving here. And maybe…M-maybe it means… We don't belong in this time." Lucina shivered against Morgan as she spoke. "I know it seems impossible, but… If Naga's magic can make us travel between sea and air, then maybe it can also send us through time?"

He wanted to argue all the ways that wasn't possible, that there had to be another answer. But instead, he said something different.

"It sounds impossible… But that's the only truth I can think of." Morgan forced himself to start walking. And this time it was his turn to walk forward, pulling Lucina with him.

Ahead of them, Lissa relaxed on the ship benches. Frederick lingered nearby, frowning at Lissa and the other crew.

"Your grace… What are your orders?" Frederick kept his voice low, and Morgan found himself leaning in.

"We… We need to go after the Plegians. Find out just what they're planning, if we're going to have an edge on Valm and Plegia."

"Odds are being quite big, that Plegia is going back to Plegia's pirate town." Gregor spoke up, acting as an advisor as he stood near Lissa.

"Do you think… You and Gaius might be able to lead a search party, when we get close? You can blend in better than any of us can."

"Well… Might as well put our own skills to use, since we've been getting a free ride." Gaius answered. "Besides, I've been getting bored 'til now."

"Good. I've just got one condition… I want to go as well." Lissa told them, crossing her arms in a way that allowed no argument. "If there's any rumor about Chrom or Robin, if Gangrel's taken them captive… Maybe I can find out about it in Plegia."

"Well… If that's the case, we might need to see about getting you some new threads." Gaius answered. "Along with anyone else who wants to come with."

Morgan and Lucina shot their hands up in unison, instantly volunteering.