Quick A/N:
Hi welcome to this dumb little story :D I hope you end up liking this story but if not that's okay too!
So I just wanted to say real quick that the hero and Great Sage don't have identities, kinda like the game, where you can just imagine whoever you want to play those roles! They don't have actual names!
The only thing is that I did give the characters the same pronouns that they had in my playthrough! Sorry if that's confusing/annoying!
Also this story does contain some slight AU regarding the Sage's past and such, cuz I mean the game like barely touches on it haha-
Alright imma shut up now. Enjoy!
A Little Quality Time
Our hero gazed out the window of his room absentmindedly. He watched specks of ash float through the air outside. Karkaton was far from a pleasant place. The sweltering heat and smoke-filled air made the traveling experience far worse than the barren desert of Neksdor.
Our hero sighed to himself. He was alone yet again. The Dark Lord had taken his friends for the third time now. It was getting harder and harder to keep moving forward after having the people he was growing attached to be ripped away from him in an instant. He tried hard to use the bonds and memories he had with his friends as motivation to travel onwards, but it wasn't easy. Sometimes he just wanted to curl up in a ball and cry for days. A life of wandering was already lonely, but this was a special and unworldly kind of lonely.
Quiet footsteps thumped on the floor beneath our hero, dragging him out of his thoughts for a moment. Perhaps he technically wasn't truly alone. Of all the people to bump into in a place like Karkaton, our hero never expected to find the Great Sage, tucked away in a little place they called "Haven Hollow", guarding three of his dear friends. It was painful to see his friends without faces, trembling in fear with no sense of what was happening around them. They had no idea that their leader, the one who'd brought them all together, had finally found them again.
Amidst the sorrow, it was reassuring to see the familiar face of the Great Sage. Our hero wasn't afraid to admit that he admired them greatly. There was something about their calm and collective attitude, combined with their graceful moves as they casted wondrous spells beyond our hero's wildest dreams that made them so incredible. It amazed him to hear them offer to travel with him while he rescued his friends' faces. How could he have said no? Considering how little he saw the Sage during his travels, he saw it as a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
However, the more he traveled with the Great Sage, the more he realized how quiet and withdrawn they were. They didn't talk much, and seemed to be uninterested in most general conversation. Our hero had tried to come up with stuff to discuss, but every time the Great Sage eventually trailed off and stopped responding, almost as if their mind was wandering elsewhere. He didn't know much about them, and certainly knew nothing about the life they had been living before that fateful encounter when our hero had been confronted by the Dark Lord. His admiration, combined with deep loneliness, made him desperate to get to know them better. Just to have someone to talk to made a world's difference.
Our hero had been reluctantly leaving the Great Sage alone during their times at the inn together. The Sage spent almost all of their time in their room, only coming out for dinner or occasionally for a training session with our hero. Our hero wondered if they had a lot on their mind, but he knew asking would be pointless, since questions like that would always get a vague answer along the lines of, "I'm fine," or "Don't worry about me,". The Sage liked to insist that they were doing fine, even when our hero could tell they were tired from a long day of traveling and fighting monsters.
I wish they'd open up to me more. I'm trustworthy, right? I just want to be closer with them… What's the point of us staying in the inn together if we're hardly ever even gonna interact with each other?
Our hero glanced down at the floor. The temptation to go downstairs was nearly impossible to resist.
The only thing we have in common is our magic powers. There's got to be something we can do together besides train, right? If they don't wanna talk much, maybe we can take a walk or something.
Our hero screwed up his face at the thought of stepping outside. The air outside was less than pleasant to breathe in, if it was even safe. Taking a walk didn't seem like a good idea the more our hero thought about it. Monsters would likely attack them, and although that was no big deal, it would prove to be a serious roadblock. How could he bond with his mentor if monsters were springing up to attack every five minutes?
Wait! I have those Outing Tickets!
Our hero sprung to his feet, reveling at his genius idea. He dashed out of his room and skipped down the stairs into the main hallway. It was dead silent, as usual. The Sage never really made any noise besides their occasional footsteps. Growing excited, our hero ran to the back area of the inn and began rummaging through one of the treasure chests scattered around the room. Each one was used to store its own important item—HP Bananas, MP Candies, Game Tickets, and finally, Outing Tickets. Our hero picked up a pile of them and began to sift through them eagerly.
Where would be the best place to go? I doubt they'd be interested in seeing a movie, or going to the park… Hmm, maybe we can go shopping? Or visit the ranch? Oh! Or the beach! That would be a great place to relax together! …Gah, is that too sappy?
He crossed his arms as he thought long and hard about which location would be best. He chuckled a little at the absurdity of doing karaoke with the Great Sage.
Karaoke is only truly fun with Pop Stars. Plus, there's no way on earth they'd wanna do it. Sometimes it's like they hardly even want to be in the vicinity of me…
His heart ached with loneliness. The thought of the Great Sage turning their back to him in disinterest was crushing.
If I'm gonna convince them to go somewhere with me, I need to make sure it's worth their time…
He looked through the tickets again, and paused when he came across one for a café. He stared at it thoughtfully.
The café could be perfect… It's not too much activity, but also not super boring… We could chill and maybe drink some coffee together or something, maybe get some nice food too! But... would they actually be in the mood for it..? I don't really know what they like…
His hesitation was quickly dampened by his yearning to purge his loneliness. It excited him to think about spending time with the Great Sage. Even if it wasn't long, or if not many words were exchanged, just having someone be there with him was enough to make him feel better.
He put away the tickets, holding onto the one for the café. Then he made his way to the guest bedroom, located all the way on the right side of the inn. It wasn't often that he had to knock on the door, usually just to announce that it was dinner time, but he always felt guilty for doing so. He didn't want to bother the Sage. Hesitantly, he approached the door and knocked softly.
"Yes?" the Great Sage called from inside.
"S-sorry to bother you, Sage… I was just wondering if, umm… you wanted to, err…," our hero stammered, stumbling over his words as he grew more and more afraid of offending the Sage for bothering them over something so trivial.
His heart lurched when he heard footsteps on the other side. The door opened a little, revealing the Great Sage's face. They had a calm and gentle expression, as they often did. There was no anger, frustration, or irritation that our hero had feared would be there.
"Is something wrong?" they asked with a hint of curiosity in their soft voice.
"I just… I guess… I'm… kind of bored," our hero mumbled awkwardly, fumbling with the ticket.
The Great Sage looked down at it, hearing it crinkling quietly.
"What's that you've got?" they asked.
"O-oh, this? It's… umm… It's… called an… Outing Ticket," our hero answered.
"An 'Outing Ticket'? What does that mean?"
"You use it to, well… go places, I guess… My friends and I would use them to… grow closer…"
The Great Sage tilted their head to the side a little, a look of curiosity coming to their face.
"And why are you holding it, when none of your friends are around?" they asked.
"I was… wondering if maybe… you and I could go somewhere," our hero finally confessed.
"Oh? You and me?"
The Great Sage sounded more confused than anything else, which only heightened our hero's anxiety.
"Why do you want to go somewhere with me?" they asked.
"I guess I'm kinda lonely," our hero admitted, dropping his gaze. "We never spend any time together."
The Great Sage was silent for a moment, their eyes widening in interest.
"I thought you'd rather spend your time with your companions," they said.
"I miss them, but… I also want to get to know you better. I don't know hardly anything about you," our hero murmured.
"…I see. Tell me more about this 'Outing Ticket'."
The Great Sage opened the door more, revealing a little more of their body. They were wrapped up in their iconic robe, as they always were. Our hero had never seen them without it.
Growing excited again, our hero explained to his mentor about the Tickets, how they allowed two people to visit a certain location for a day to spend time together. Throughout the explanation, the Great Sage grew more and more interested in the idea. Our hero tried to contain himself as he watched his mentor's expression change from mildly curious to greatly interested and invested in the information being told to them.
"I see you are only holding one Ticket," the Great Sage remarked once the explanation was over. "I presume you have already decided on a location?"
"I… thought it would be nice to go to a café," our hero said, averting his gaze for a moment.
The Great Sage looked down thoughtfully. Our hero anxiously waited for them to answer, hoping it would be a yes, or at least a polite decline and suggestion for him to pick a different location.
"A visit to a café sounds quite pleasant," the Sage finally replied, looking back up at our hero.
"R-really? You'd wanna go?" our hero asked, a smile forcing its way onto his face.
"I suppose you have a point. We have not interacted much. I would like to change that."
Our hero thought he was going to explode with happiness. He fought to remain calm as he grinned with joy at his mentor.
"That's… great to hear! I'm very glad!" he exclaimed. "Would you like to go out now, or later?"
"I have nothing going on at the moment. We can leave now," the Great Sage answered.
A warm and friendly smile came to their face, only making our hero even more ecstatic. He made his mentor smile! That was a rarity.
"Great! Let's go then!" he said, hardly able to resist sprinting to the nearest exit.
Instead, he waited as the Sage went back inside their room to retrieve their staff. They came out just a few moments later, already dressed and ready to go.
"Are you ready to head out?" they asked.
"Yeah!" our hero exclaimed enthusiastically.
I can't believe it! They said yes! This is gonna be the best outing ever!
….
Our hero took a sip of his latte. He couldn't stop smiling. Just seeing the Great Sage sitting beside him was enough to make him feel giddy and bubbly.
"How's your mocha?" he asked.
"It's… delicious," the Great Sage murmured, almost as if they were afraid to tell the truth.
"I'm glad to hear!"
Our hero watched with delight as his mentor took a gulp of their drink and set it down on the counter.
"So, my friend, may I ask you… What was it that you want us to do together?" they inquired.
"I don't know, I guess I just want to spend time with you," our hero murmured, averting his gaze.
"Are you wanting to have a conversation about something?"
"I just wanna get to know you better."
"What is it about me that you're yearning to know more about?"
"Anything…"
The Great Sage crossed their arms and rested them on the counter. They had a thoughtful look on their face, making our hero believe they were thinking of something to say, but he grew impatient after several seconds ticked by with no response.
"What do you think about the Dark Lord?" he asked.
The Great Sage's eyes widened in interest.
"She is a terribly evil force that must be stopped as soon as possible," they answered.
"Do you really think my friends and I are strong enough to stop her?" our hero asked.
"Yes. As long as you continue onwards, and never give up hope, I know you will have no problem defeating the Dark Lord."
Our hero was silent for a moment. His curiosity was killing him.
"Sage… When you saved me that day… Why didn't you stop her?" he asked quietly.
"You are destined to save Miitopia. Not me," the Great Sage replied casually.
"You're so much stronger than me, though."
"That may be true currently, but you have one thing that I do not—teamwork."
"Why don't you join us, then? Why do you always leave?"
"I wish not to interfere with fate. My job is to help train and prepare you for your inevitable battle against the Dark Lord."
"I guess you're right. I would be a lot weaker without you."
The two paused their conversation as the barista came over and handed each of them a menu filled with both drinks and food.
"I prefer to assist people in solving their problems, not solve their problems for them," the Great Sage said as they flipped through the menu.
"What about the Genie of the Lamp?" our hero dared to ask, remembering hearing about the vague story of the Sage sealing up the Genie before the Prince wound up releasing him again.
The Great Sage paused.
"I had no choice then," they said. "That was before you and the Dark Lord were around."
"Was it scary?" our hero asked.
"What, sealing up the Genie? No. He was no match for me, even back then."
Our hero skimmed the menu briefly before setting it down, already knowing what he wanted.
"What were you doing that day? When you saved me from the Dark Lord?" he inquired.
The Great Sage finally closed their own menu. They took a moment to drink their mocha.
"Chasing her," they answered quietly.
"Why?"
"I heard that she'd stolen faces from the citizens of Greenhorne, and… I was angry. I didn't want her to get away with it, so I began pursuing her. That was when I caught up to her, threatening you. So, I stepped in."
"And you let her get away."
"You should know by now that those who practice magic can sense a person's aura. I could sense something deep within you, and I realized that it was divine power. That is why I chose not to harm the Dark Lord."
"I guess I'm kind of the 'chosen one', huh?"
The Great Sage nodded.
"You are. You have a lot of spirit and determination. I hope you realize just how kind your soul is. You have saved many people, and as you continue your journey, you will only save more," they said.
"I can't stand to see the Dark Lord hurting people," our hero replied with a flattered smile.
"You must not allow her evil deeds against your friends to dampen your morale. Keep your chin up, and you will save them in no time. She can't possibly win against all of you working together."
The Great Sage gave our hero a warm smile, although it only lasted for a moment as the barista returned to take their orders. After ordering their food, the two sat aimlessly for a few moments, unsure of what else to talk about. Our hero was shocked at how open the Sage was being. It thrilled him, and he wanted more of it.
"How'd you get your title?" he asked.
"My title?" the Great Sage echoed in confusion.
"Yeah. When did people start calling you the 'Great Sage'?"
"The people of Neksdor did, after I sealed the Genie."
"Does anyone even call you by your real name anymore?"
"No. I like it that way."
"Really? Why?"
"Nobody needs to know who I am. Besides, 'The Great Sage' is easier for people to remember."
Our hero crossed his arms, intrigued as he realized that the Sage had never told him their name. They'd introduced themselves as just "The Great Sage".
"Do you have any cool memories?" our hero asked, deciding to change the subject to something more lighthearted.
"No," the Great Sage muttered bluntly. "I wish not to dwell on the past any further."
"Oh, okay…"
"Surely you have memories, don't you?"
"Uhh, yeah, I've got a lot of great memories."
"Tell me some."
Our hero grew eager and excited as he began telling the story of saving the King of Greenhorne's face, and helping the Princess as well. The Great Sage listened intently, although never once did they make eye contact with our hero. They kept their gaze locked on the counter beneath their folded hands.
"That darn Prince… He was such a jerk! We got attacked by a big griffin, and he didn't help at all!" our hero was saying.
"He is only interested in romantic affairs, I'm afraid," the Great Sage murmured.
"Heh, and he didn't even get the Princess at the end. That noble boy did, or whoever he was."
The Great Sage nodded thoughtfully.
"What about Neksdor?" they inquired.
"Neksdor? Well, that was where I got to seal up the Genie, after I found your lamp that you'd lost," our hero replied.
"You were very brave to face him."
"You should have seen the look on his face when I pulled out the lamp! He was so scared!"
"That's because he knew how strong and determined you were. You weren't going to let him get away."
"'Course not! I called out his name and sealed 'im up!"
Our hero mimed pulling out the lamp and pointing it at the Genie. The Great Sage could barely resist smiling at him.
"Ohhh yeah! I remember something else that happened in Neksdor!" our hero remarked, clasping his hands. "I had to change my class, or job."
"Because the Dark Lord sealed your powers, correct?" the Great Sage asked.
"Yeah. I used to be a Warrior, but I had to change. It was fun being an Imp! I could fly, and I had all these cool abilities!"
"I remember coming across you wearing that strange bat costume."
"Yeah, that was one of my Imp outfits! I wish I could have shown you some of my moves."
"The Dark Lord can't keep your power sealed forever. Perhaps defeating her will release it. Then you can show me all of your abilities."
Our hero's face lit up at the thought of showing off his moves to his mentor. He took a few sips of his drink, almost embarrassed to get so excited over something that small.
` "How do you like being a Mage now?" the Great Sage asked.
"Casting spells is fun. I like it a lot," our hero answered cheerfully.
"I've noticed that you are very enthusiastic when we train together, and I'm glad. A good attitude can make an enormous difference. Keep it up."
Our hero's smile grew. He rubbed the side of his head and giggled.
"I just enjoy your company," he remarked.
"You do?" the Great Sage asked quietly, almost as if they were surprised.
Our hero glanced at them, his smile fading. The Sage was staring at him, holding their drink as if they'd halted mid-motion. Their eyes were widened in interest, surprise even, and their head was tilted to the side a little.
"Of course I do. I… erm… I kinda look up to you, honestly. That's what motivated me to become a Mage. Training together is so much fun when you and I kinda have the same powers. I love watching you showing me how to do all those cool spells," our hero said.
The Great Sage looked down at the counter. Their expression hardened.
"I see…," they mumbled, downing the last of their drink.
"I'm sorry, was that too much information..? Did I make you uncomfortable?" our hero asked with guilt.
"No, you're fine. I'm not offended."
Our hero was silent.
Why did I tell them that? I'm so stupid…, he thought regretfully.
An awkward silence fell between the two as the barista returned and handed them their food. Our hero, famished and a bit embarrassed, immediately began to dig into his sub, almost using it as an excuse not to say anything. The Great Sage made no attempt to start a conversation, sipping spoonfuls of their soup despite the steam radiating from its surface.
I hope I didn't just ruin everything…, our hero thought. What's something else we can talk about that isn't personal?
"So, umm… Do you like staying in the inn?" he asked awkwardly.
"It is quite comfortable," the Great Sage replied.
"Do you have any complaints? Is there anything I can do to make it better for you?"
"I have no complaints."
Our hero slouched his shoulders as he let out a defeated sigh. He couldn't resist speaking his mind.
"Great Sage, I'm sorry for what I said earlier. I'm sorry if I upset you," he said.
"I am not upset," the Great Sage replied as they dipped their spoon into their soup. "You worry too much, my friend."
"You looked unhappy, though. I could see the look on your face change."
The Great Sage began to lift their spoon up to their mouth, but stopped. They sat there in silence, their emotionless gaze staring blankly down at the bowl sitting in front of them.
"I… erm… I hope you don't think I'm trying to copy you," our hero mumbled, playing with his food a little. "I thought it would be easier to connect with you if we had something in common. I'm… very happy to have you as my mentor."
The Great Sage remained silent as they slowly lowered their arm until it was resting on the counter, the spoon precariously being held over the bowl.
"I have met a lot of people in my life, but most of them have spoken to me in that mindless gratitude of one who is happy to just have life go back to normal." They paused, swallowing hard. "It has been a very long time since someone has shown such sincere care for my presence as you have."
"Of course I care about you, Sage. You've done so much for me. I wouldn't be as strong as I am now if it weren't for your wisdom," our hero replied quietly.
He was tempted to reach out and give his mentor a comforting rub on their shoulder or back, but quickly decided this was far too serious to be touching them.
"It… surprised me, when you said you wanted to spend time with me. I never really thought anyone would want that. I suppose I am too used to being alone," the Great Sage murmured.
"Traveling can be so lonely and sad. Having my friends around has helped a lot, and… I don't want you to be sad and lonely, Great Sage. I know you won't be traveling with me forever, but, that's why I want to use this opportunity to become closer with you. For now, it's just you and me, and it's just dumb if both of us are sitting around feeling lonely when we have each other to make us feel better," our hero said.
"I suppose you have a point. A life of wandering can be very lonesome."
"Have you ever felt lonely, Sage?"
The Great Sage was silent for a moment as they sipped more of their soup.
"Yes, I have," they murmured.
"Don't you ever want to change that?" our hero asked.
"The people of Miitopia have little interest in a wandering Mage. They are grateful for what I have done, but nobody looks at me and says, 'I want to be your friend', besides small children who want to be friends with anyone who shows kindness towards them."
"You know, I bet my friends would want to get to know you."
"Is that so?"
"Of course! Especially once I tell them how great you are. You really earned your title as the 'Great Sage'."
The Great Sage turned their head away. Our hero could see them trying to hide the smile creeping up on their face.
"Focus your kindness on your friends, not me," they murmured.
"Sage, you deserve just as much love and appreciation as any of us," our hero insisted.
He reached out and grabbed their shoulder, making them flinch in surprise. They looked back at him, eyes wide.
"What are you… doing..?" they asked.
"I just want you to know how much I appreciate everything you've done for me. I'm so grateful to have you here with me. You've taught me a lot, and helped shape me into the fighter I am now," our hero explained, staring into his mentor's eyes.
The Great Sage stared back, their smile returning. They looked down at the counter as they gently pushed our hero's hand off of their shoulder.
"Alright, that's enough of the mushy nonsense," they murmured.
"Just being honest," our hero remarked with his own smile.
He glanced at his mentor as they resumed eating their soup, all with a big smile on their face.
"Err, thank you, by the way, for your kind words. It… means a lot," they mumbled.
"Mmm-hmm," our hero responded, chomping away at his sub.
A sense of bliss hung in the air as the two enjoyed their food. Our hero was overjoyed to see that his attempts to bond with the Great Sage were working. His yearning to be closer with his mentor was coming to fruition right before his eyes.
I can't believe I'm finally spending some time with the Great Sage… I got them to open up to me! And they smiled at me! I'm not dreaming… I really made them happy! Maybe now they'll realize just how happy they make me…