Chapter 4: Bathtime Conversation
After a long morning of training, Dizzy arrives in Castle Ylisse, looking drenched in sweat, her clothes soaked, despite the crisp Autumn air.
"Wow, that Frederick sure is tough." says Dizzy breathing heavily. "I never thought a Gear like myself could be pushed to such lengths in training. He certainly proved me wrong."
Frederick, who still looks just as normal as he always does, approaches Dizzy and says, "The bath area is located to the east. If you need me, I'll escort you there."
"I'd appreciate that, Sir Frederick." says Dizzy.
After a while, Dizzy and Frederick approach a doorway with a sign reading "Women's Bath Area."
"Well, here we are." says Frederick. "Now, you get a good bath, and I'll see you around."
"Right." says Dizzy looking relieved. "Nothing sounds better than a good, long soak."
After that, Dizzy walks in while Frederick leaves.
In a steamy room with a tub full of hot water, Dizzy has her clothes off and yellow ribbons undone as she holds a towel around her.
Dizzy sighs and says, "You know, having a bath in a primitive world like this reminds me of the kinds of baths I took living in that village so long ago." She then looks at Necro and says, "Necro, I don't want you saying anything suggestive if any other women are here, you understand?"
Transforming, Necro responds, "I'm hurt, Dizzy. I mean, I see you naked a lot, and I don't say anything."
"That's because you're a part of me." says Dizzy. "Since you're a guy in some ways, I want you to law low and let me and others bathe privately."
"Don't worry, Dizzy." says Undine after she transforms. "If Necro tries anything, I'll knock some sense into him."
"Funny coming from someone who's not anatomically correct." Necro says under his breath.
Getting real pissed, Undine appears over Necro and says in a scary tone, "What did you say about me, Necro?"
"Uh!" says Necro with absolute terror. "Nothing! I said nothing! Absolutely nothing! Honest!"
"I think you did." says Undine. "But... I'll let it slide."
Dizzy sighs and says, "Look, you two, just lay low. If you two behave, I'll take extra special care in grooming you."
"Ooh!" says a happy Necro. "In that case, I BETTER behave! Don't worry, Dizzy! Not a peep from me!"
After Necro goes back into wing form, Undine then says before going back into wing form, "You have a good bath, Dizzy."
Afterwards, Dizzy drops her towel and gets into the tub, the water obscuring her chest.
"Wow, the water feels so nice." says Dizzy. "I hope they have good stuff for cleaning in this world."
Wandering over, Dizzy sees a table and she sees a note next to what appear to be various soaps and bath oils that reads, "To Dizzy, from Lissa."
"Well, I suppose it couldn't hurt to try them. Let's see..." Dizzy says before picking up a thing of bath oil that reads "Lavender Honey". Dizzy smiles and says, "This sounds good."
As Dizzy starts to wash herself with the the bath oil, the aroma of it wafts up into her nostrils, giving her the biggest smile ever, despite the new world she's in.
"I have to say, for a primitive world, they sure know how to make such wonderful bathing items." says Dizzy.
"So, our world is primitive, huh?" says Robin's voice.
Startled, Dizzy turns to see Robin behind her, her white hair undone out of its usual style and merely wearing a towel. Despite Dizzy's remark, she seems to have on a pleasant smile.
"Uh, I didn't mean any offense by that remark." says Dizzy. "It's just that..."
"I know what you mean, Lady Dizzy." says Robin. "I imagine that your world must be more advanced than ours. And frankly, I'd love to see it."
Dizzy looks solemn and says, "Well, as advanced as our world is, it's still recovering."
Dropping her towel, Robin gets in the bath with Dizzy and asks, "Mind telling me more about it? I'd love to know more abut your world."
Dizzy sighs and says, "Well, I guess I could tell you since it seems like I'm going to have all the time in this world. Basically, the first Gear created was actually a human named Frederick in the year 2016. He says that was the worst thing for him to happen that year. He says the worst thing to happen to the world that year was a man named Donald Trump getting elected as President of the United States."
"I don't understand any of that." says Robin. "But when you say 'Frederick', I assume you talk about the man from your world that would earn the name of 'Sol Badguy', right?"
"Yes, the very one." says Dizzy. "Eventually, after he was converted into a Gear, Sol broke out of the lab and escaped, disappearing. Because of that, the Gear project was halted. However, it restarted in the year 2073 when Gears were being mass produced. The thing about Gears is that, while they were super-powerful beings with their cells and DNA being enhanced via magic, they also lacked any free will, and were only made to follow commands."
"So, that's why you've been saying about them being seen as nothing more than weapons." asks Robin. "They had no free will. But, if you're a Gear, why do you have free will?"
"Two possible reasons." says Dizzy. "Either it's because I'm half-human. Or it's becasue of who my mother was."
"Who is your mother?" asks Robin.
Dizzy just goes quiet.
"Look, if you don't feel like telling me, I understand." Robin continues with.
"No, I need to tell you." says Dizzy. "Otherwise, if I don't, how will you be able to trust me? Then again, if I tell you the truth, your trust may waver still."
"Well, do what you think is the best course of action." says Robin. "Story or no story, you're still a member of the Shepherds and that makes you our close ally as well as our friend. We don't need to know your WHOLE past as long as you continue to do good for us. Besides, I started with amnesia before joining the Shepherds, and yet, Chrom put all of his trust in me. And even when all learned the truth about myself, his trust in me never grew thin. That's why I'm so honored and blessed to have him as both commander of the Shepherds and my husband."
Dizzy looks at Robin surprised and asks, "He's really that trusting?"
"Chrom knows when to watch his back, so don't think him weak or unfocused." says Robin. "He's as stalwart of a warrior as they come. But he's also a good judge of character. And for him, your past and origin do not matter as long as your actions in the present represent how good of a person you are today. In the end, that's what matters."
"Wow." says Dizzy. "In a way, he and my husband are a lot alike. I suppose I could reveal more about my past."
"Then by all means, tell me." says Robin.
"Basically, all Gears originally created had no free will... save one." says Dizzy. "Her name was Justice. At the time, she was the most powerful Gear ever created as well as the first to have free will. She was... also my mother."
"I see." says Robin. "So you too have a parent you don't think highly of, just like I do."
"Well, to be fair, it wasn't entirely her fault." says Dizzy. "You see, the magic in our world originated from a hidden world known only as 'The Backyard'. When Justice was created, her cells were heavily linked to the Backyard. However, during her first activation test in the nation of Japan, the Universal Will from the Backyard known as St. Maximus Populi Ariels took control of Justice, and at the time, she was known as the Merciless Apocalypse. Through her control, she hacked into my mother's mind and even harvested her cells, which were then used to infect the Japanese people, turning them into anti-matter Gears via Information Flares. Basically, they all became ticking time bombs."
"That's so awful." says Robin. "I don't understand any of this, but it sounds like the person who created her got caught with his or her hand in the cookie jar, so to speak."
"Quite." says Dizzy. "And to erase the mistake he made, That Man overrode Justice's systems and forced her to fire a weaker version of the Saint Oratorio spell called the Gamma Ray at Japan, completely destroying it to the point it was nothing but a crater in the Pacific Ocean. Any survivors were placed into colonies as the Japanese people were now considered cultural treasures."
"That's insane." says Robin. "You mean to tell me her attack was so strong, a whole nation was destroyed?"
"Yes." says Dizzy. "And because I'm her daughter, I too can use such an attack, either through myself or through Necro. Sometimes, both Necro and Undine combine their powers to fire a slightly less powerful version of the attack, but Necro by himself can make a stronger version."
"Wow, that's deep." says Robin.
"After that event and the ignorance of people around the world who wanted to manufacture more Gears because of that demonstration, plus with her damaged psyche because of Ariels..." Dizzy continues. "...my mother came to realize that the humans saw Gears like her as nothing more than disposable weapons, and thus, she used her abilities to control all Gears to launch an attack on the human race."
"You're kidding!" says Robin. "How did she manage to control all Gears?"
"Aside from being the first Gear with free will from birth, my mother was also the first of her Gear class, known simply as the Command Class." says Dizzy. "Because of that, she had a special ability called Gear Resonance that she could use to control Gears en masse, as well as Youkai since their structrue is similar to that of Gears. In fact, Gear Resonace is so powerful, it can even revive dormant or dead Gears."
"Amazing!" says Robin. "And let me guess, because you're her daughter, you too are of the Command Class, right?"
After a brief silence, Dizzy says, "Yes."
"That's quite scary." says Robin. "To think you can control all Gears like they were your playthings."
"Don't worry." says Dizzy. "I've never made use of that ability of mine, and I don't plan to. It's funny though, he's my son and yet, Sin doesn't have the power of Gear Resonance. I guess I should count my blessings."
"Indeed." says Robin.
"Anyway, after that, the humans and Gears fought a 100 year war known simply as the Crusades." says Dizzy. "Only in the last throes, humanity formed a group dedicated to killing Gears known as the Sacred Order of Holy Knights. They eventually fought back, defeated any Gears that crossed their path, and... eventually defeated my mother and had her imprisoned in another dimension. My husband, Ky Kiske was their leader at the mere age of 16. I also found out that even Sol was a member of them."
"So, if your mother was imprisoned at the time, how were you born?" asks Robin.
"Believe it or not, and I don't know how long it took..." says Dizzy. "...I was hatched from an egg my mother laid. I was litterally born on December 25."
"You hatched from an egg?" asks Robin.
"Yes." says Dizzy. "And after that, an old couple with no children of their own from a small village took me in as their foster daugther. However, the other villagers became afraid at how fast I was maturing, looking like an older teen in just three short years. And when I developed my wings and tail, I was confirmed to be a Gear."
"So, exactly how old are you?" asks Robin.
"Eight, going on nine." says Dizzy.
"You're kidding!" says Robin. "Aren't you worried you'll die early?"
"Not at all." says Dizzy. "In fact, I'm probably going to live forever if I'm not killed by an outside source. You see, those that are born Gears like myself age rapidly from early development to adulthood in three short years so they'll be ready for battle. However, when a Gear has reached prime mental and physical state, they cease aging forever. As I said to your friend, Gregor, the Frederick from my world, the one that became Sol Badguy, is over more than 170 years old due to him being a Gear. Even as a half-human, my Gear genes are dominant. Therefore, it only makes sense that my physiolygy and genomes would abide by the same rules as full-blooded Gears."
"Those are some pretty big words." says Robin.
"Even as young as I am, I'm pretty well educated and good at gathering data." says Dizzy.
"I think Miriel and Laurent would really like you." says Robin. "At any rate, what happened after the village officially learned you were a Gear?"
"Well, for my protection, my foster parents moved me to a grove in the forest." says Dizzy. "I was kept safe their for a while and survived with my powers, as well as making friends with the forest animals. That was until I was captured and subjected to abuse. However, with my powers, I escaped easily. Eventually, Ky, who was captain of the International Police Force after retiring from the Order, heard rumors about a mysterious Commander Gear who was an ally to the humans. He and I eventually met, but he tried to do battle with me as as it was his original duty to destroy Gears. However, my enormous power easily overwhelmed him. Because of that, the United Nations put out a 500,000 world dollar bounty out for my death."
"How awful, forced to be on the run because of a misunderstanding." says Robin.
"Eventually, a humanoid Gear named Testament found me and vowed to protect me the best he could." says Dizzy. "Of course, any person that defeated Testament to get to me was easily repelled by my incredible power. In fact, the only person who defeated me was Sol Badguy-my world's Frederick. He was originally going to kill me for the bounty. However, he saw I wasn't dangerous and he let me go. Afterwards, I was found by the Captain of the Jellyfish Pirates, Johnny Sfondi and his first mate, May, and I joined their crew."
"You were a pirate?" asks a fearful Robin.
"Don't be so worried." says Dizzy. "The Jellyfish Pirates are good people; they rob from the rich and corrupt, and give to the poor and innocent. Either that, or they use the money to help others in need. When I joined, I did a little cooking and baking at times, but it was to mainly do the laundry and shopping. Eventually, after several more events, I trained under Ky and Sol to better control my powers. And then... Ky and I fell in love."
"Sounds so romantic." says Robin. "Reminds me of when Chrom and I fell in love. Well, sort of. In fact, me taking a bath here right now reminds me more of when Chrom and I REALLY got to know each other."
"Do you mean...?" Dizzy starts to ask.
"Yup, Chrom and I saw each other naked." says Robin. "He peeked in on me when I was taking a bath. And coincidentally later on, I saw him when he was taking a bath. And after that, Chrom confessed his love to me after we realized how funny the whole thing was."
"Wow." says Dizzy. "I know you won't know what I'm talking about, but it sounds like something out of a sitcom. So, when did you and Chrom actually marry?"
"After the war with Plegia ended." says Robin. "King Gangrel wanted revenge over what Chrom's father did when he was Exalt. I would tell, but it hurts even Chrom. Besides, it might do him better to tell you about it since he knows more than I do. When his older sister, Emmeryn became Exalt, she only wanted peace for the whole continent and beyond, but Gangrel wanted to use her idealism to his advantage and would stop at nothing to destroy Ylisse just to prove a point. You might have met Emmeryn, but the way she is now is far from how she used to be. I mean, she's still kind-hearted as all get out, but she can't remember her time as Exalt and she has trouble speaking. That was result of her sacrificing herself to bring peace to both Ylisse and Plegia."
"She sounds like she has brain damage." says Dizzy. "I wonder if Faust could help."
"Who's Faust?" asks Robin.
"A brilliant and miraculous doctor from my world that's rumored to be a former serial killer that became that way after losing a patient due to unknown reasons." says Dizzy. "He acts crazy, but he's extremely good-hearted. He helped me with a painful moment from my life, and I'll always owe him for that. His healing powers are virtually godlike."
"Sounds amazing." says Robin. "But yeah, that's what happened to Emmeryn. However, when you think about it, my story is pretty similar to yours in some degrees. You have a parent you don't think highly of... and so do I."
"Who would that be?" asks Dizzy.
"My late father, Validar." says Robin. "He was a ruthless sorcerer from Plegia and leader of the Grimleal, a cult dedicated to worshipping the fell dragon, Grima. Apparently, I had a horrible a birthright because of him."
"Did he want you to succeed him in taking over as leader of his cult?" asks Dizzy.
"Worse." says Robin. "My birthright was to BECOME Grima."
Dizzy just gasps.
"Yes." says Robin. "All leaders of the Grimleal are born with the blood of Grima. But only I was able to become his vessel as I had his heart within me."
"But, those people said you slayed Grima." says Dizzy. "Does that mean you killed yourself?"
"Precisely." says Robin. "Or rather I killed the version of me that became Grima. In destroying Grima with his own power, I ended up losing my life."
"So THAT'S how you died!" says Dizzy. "But if you died, how are you here talking to me and being reunited with your family?"
"That's tough to explain to someone who wasn't there for such an event." says Robin. "Basically, when Naga told me the price for completely destroying Grima, she also said that there was a slim chance that, if the love and friendship of my allies were strong enough, I would come back to life."
"If the chance was slim, why did you take it?" asks Dizzy.
Robin answers, "Becasue if Chrom landed the final blow with his sword, Falchion even with its awakened power, he would only put Grima to sleep. Naga said her power wasn't enough to destroy Grima as it actually couldn't. Only Grima's own power could end his life for good. And I wasn't going to have the world go through a continous cycle of having to deal with Grima over and over. The words of wisdom go as follows, 'Those who ignore history are condemned to repeat it.' No way in the seven hells was I going to let that monster be put to sleep for a few hundred years just to let him be the problem for our descendants. If this world is going to have a future, it's going to be one that the people can create without an everliving threat looming over them. And since I'm Chrom's wife, no way am I going to have my family be burdened with having a member of the Ylissean royal family turn into Grima. The last thing we need is Ylisse's good name being dragged through the mud as well as her people."
"Now I understand why you're so popular with the people." says Dizzy. "You may be a master tactician, but you also are self-sacrificing and for the right reasons. You did it because you care for this world so much. You're like Ky and me. No, you're better than us. Even I haven't been brave enough to put my whole life on the line when it mattered the most, despite how much I love the people of my world. But you... you went to such lengths. Like me, you have a power you despised. And yet, you used it for a purpose that meant a brighter future for everyone, even if it meant your death. Maybe that's why Naga brought me into this world to help her, because she sees the same potential you had in me. And yet, from what you've told me, I doubt I'll ever live up to that standard. You may have taken a life, but you did so by throwing yourself into death's maw. That is something I could never do."
"Well... it is a tough decision to make." says Robin. "And I'm only lucky my reward for my sacrifice was getting my life back. But even then, if you have to do such a decision... do it for the people you love. Think about how much your friends and family mean to you. And remember that there are many good people who care so much for theirs. Remember, we're all different, but at the same time, many of us have one goal in life. And that's life in general. Remember that life is a journey with no end, even when your own life ends. Life may end for one person, but for the world and beyond, it is without end. And if Grima had lived, those people who's goal in life is just life altogether would lose the very life they cherish. And a world without that is no world at all. If you have to make such a decision, do it for two reasons: the people that want the most out of life by just living. And because it's the right thing to do."
Giving Robin a big smile, Dizzy goes up to her, takes her hands in her own, and asks, "Can you teach me, Lady Robin? Can you teach me everything that you know?"
"If you have anything specific you want to learn, then yes." says Robin. "What do you want to learn?"
"To be more like you." says Dizzy. "That's all I ask."
"A request that is simple, yet challenging." says Robin. "But, as a master tactician, I am up to the task."
"Thank you." says Dizzy. "I hope to be a great student."
"And I hope to be a great teacher." says Robin.
To Be Continued in Chapter 5