Chapter 4: Secret of the Roster
"So, explain more Anna. Exactly how do you know about these things?" Tiki asked as the two flew to Chon'sin throughout the nighttime sky.
"While you were out today, a soldier from Chon'sin came to your home." Anna told her. "After selling him a few things I asked him why you were needed. He said that today, the castle was attacked, almost being set on fire. Yet Say'ri, being the loveable princess she is, managed to put out the fire and take in the culprit. The solider said he heard her say Validar while fighting the man. Which is why I'm not jumping to conclusions yet. She asked not to be disturbed for the rest of the day and has been with the man, asking him many questions. Apparently, she even fed him food. That part makes me think it may be our little tactician. Why else would she give food to the enemy?"
"Say'ri has shown a lot more compassion over the years." Tiki said. "I wouldn't be surprised if she took the enemy in. Although I would question her decision. But do you really think this could be Validar? I saw him killed with my own eyes."
"And we also saw Mikel disappear with our own eyes." Anna reminded her. "Plus, according to Chrom, he killed Validar once before he ruled Plegia. This shopkeeper has an odd feeling about this."
"Right, Say'ri could either be in grave danger or she could be the first to tell us she found Mikel." Tiki sighed. "I really hope it's the second choice."
"Even if it isn't, what would Validar be able to do now?" Anna winked. "Grima's gone forever now, so Validar can't conquer the world. He's no Walhart, that's for sure. If anything, he'd have to start a new life."
"I guess you're right. But we know so many who have defied death more than once. I just hope he isn't one of them..."
"Technically, he already IS one of them."
"Which makes me all the more worried."
"Well we can go find out now, there's Say'ri's castle." Anna pointed down to a small castle with a blue roof. Lights were coming out of every window. Tiki landed in the front of the castle, startling the guards posted out in front of it. The stone reappeared in her hands and she transformed back into her normal form. Anna hopped off of her back and walked up to the soldiers who blocked her way upon her first footstep. "Hi there, darlings. We received a message earlier from Princess Say'ri to come immediately. So may we please pass on through? And maybe you could tell us where we can find our dear princess." Anna gave an innocent smile.
"We were told to be on the lookout for Lady Tiki." One solider said.
"We weren't told to look out for anyone else." The other said, pointing his spear at Anna.
"Careful, love. I do more than just cut prices and sell items." Anna smirked.
Tiki took a step forward and stood beside Anna. "This is my friend Anna. She took the message while I was not home, so I only found it fair to bring her along. All we know that it is of utter importance that we come here."
The two guards looked at each other. Then they both walked aside, allowing the two entry in the castle. "You can find Princess Say'ri in her chambers. Ask one of the guards up ahead to show you the way."
"Thank you." Tiki smiled as she and Anna walked ahead. "Boy, this place is heavily guarded."
"Please, I could easily sneak in here. They have so many spots unguarded. All I need to do is sneak into a window." Anna giggled.
"Anna, now may not be the best time to say things like that out loud." Tiki elbowed her in the rib quickly as they approached more guards at the front door. "Good evening, may we be escorted to Princess Say'ri's room? It is an emergency."
The guard simply nodded and turned around. He unlocked the door to the castle and opened it as he walked inside. Anna and Tiki followed him. The hallway they went through was huge, but narrow. It had purple painted walls, after their leader's colors. There were small, yellow lamps on each side of the walls, lined up in a row. The man then turned right, going up a flight of stairs. The two girls followed him to another hallway, only this one was wider than the last. The walls of this hallway were white, after there previous leader. These halls were lined with black lamps that made a ring of light appear on the floor, giving the floor a spot pattern. The solider turned to the left this time, then stepped aside. The hallway they were in were shorter than the others, as it only had two doors on the right side. "Princess Say'ri's room is at the end of this hallway. Please be quite, as there is a guest on this floor who was instructed by the princess to rest."
"Thanks you so much sir." Tiki thanked the guard as he walked away.
"They certainly seem stiff around here." Anna frowned. "Even more stiff than Frederick."
"And here I thought that wasn't possible." Tiki frowned as well. "Well, let us go find Say'ri and speak with her."
The two started down the short hallway. They walked past a white door and stopped at the next one, which was black. Anna quietly knocked on the door. At first, there was no answer. Anna knocked again. "Hello, anyone home?" Again, there was no answer. "Maybe she's asleep."
"Try knocking harder." Tiki said.
Anna knocked harder on the door.
"Just a moment, I shall be right out." Came Say'ri's voice from the other side.
"Okay, she's not asleep." Anna chuckled. She looked at Tiki, who had her eyes closed. "Aw, come on Tiki, you can't be asleep already."
"No, I'm awake. It's just that...something feels off about this hallway. I can't quite put it, but it feels...strong. Power like mine..."
"Maybe you're feeling the intruder's power from deep within the castle."
The door beside Say'ri's room then opened. The two girls looked to see a young man with black hair walk sleepily out of the room. He had black eyes and pale white skin. He had a small, pointed nose and the eyes of a regular villager. He also wore a tactician's outfit. He rubbed his eyes and looked at the two girls, who were grinning. He yawned and stared at them.
"You..." Tiki had a look of amazement on her face.
"I don't believe it." Anna looked stunned.
At that moment Say'ri walked out of her room. She then noticed the two girls staring at the boy. "And thus, the surprise is ruined." She sighed.
Tiki ran to the boy and knocked him to the ground in a hug. Anna walked over and smiled as the boy coughed under the girl's weight and hug. Say'ri walked over and pulled Tiki off of the boy. As she pouted, Anna then embraced the boy, only with a more tender hug. He lay there, dumbfounded by the sudden affection. Anna then got up and smiled, giving the boy a chance to stand.
"Well, I'm sure that wasn't the welcome back you expected." Anna laughed.
"My apologies for invading your personal space, Mikel." Tiki blushed.
" (Here it comes...)" Say'ri could not help but grin, although she was worried.
"Um...thanks." Mikel smiled as he dusted himself off.
"..." Tiki suddenly realized that something was wrong. "Mar-Mar, is something wrong?" Tiki asked, without thinking.
"Mar-Mar?" The other three suddenly asked. A blush appeared on the tactician's face, although it was not nearly as noticeable as the one on Tiki's cheeks.
"Oh, I did it again! Forgive me, Mikel!" Tiki's whole face became a furious red as she looked down at the ground. "Gods, the resemblance between you two is STILL uncanny."
"Lady Tiki, how do you mean?" Say'ri placed a hand on her shoulder.
"Isn't the legendary Hero-King the one you called Mar-Mar?" Anna asked with a hint of worry in her voice.
"Mar-Mar..." Mikel's blush slowly faded. He clutched his head suddenly again. "Gods, not again...Nrgh!"
Tiki and Anna both directed their attention to Mikel. They both started to walk to him but Say'ri stopped them both. "It is for the best, just let it play out." She said. As soon as she finished, Mikel stopped clutching his head and stared at the three girls.
"..."
"Mikel, are you ok?" Tiki asked.
"...I...I remember!"
-Flashback-
"Remember when you told me about your friendship with King Marth?" Mikel asked.
"Yes? What of it?" Tiki asked, a bit confused.
"Um...You were referring to THE King Marth, right? The man from two millennia ago? Well, he's a distant relation to Chrom, is he not?"
"Well, that is correct."
"Hmm...So, I was wondering, wouldn't Chrom resemble him more than me?"
"No, perhaps because Chrom is not like Marth. He is much more direct, and committed to what he believes is right. Chrom might more resemble a different ancestor, from the age I was born in. Another great man in their line, from 1000 years before Marth...But the Marth of my time was wise and fair, and won hearts with his kindness." Tiki sighed.
"Woah, I see." The tactician was in awe. "So when you say I resemble Marth, you weren't talking about my appearance." He beamed a smile.
"No, I was referring to your soul." Tiki faintly smiled. "An aura of kindness and goodness surrounds you, Mikel. Just as it did wise King Marth."
"I see. Well, that is...most flattering. I don't know what to say." His face suddenly became serious, as now he did not know what to say. "..."
"What is it, Mar-Mar?" Tiki asked, smiling more.
"Uh...Mar-Mar?" Mikel suddenly blushed as he stared at the manakete.
"Ah! Forgive me!" Tiki suddenly became embarrassed. "I was in the habit of calling Marth by that name...It must have slipped out by mistake. Gracious, the resemblance is so uncanny, it's making me forget what millennium it is!"
"Heh, I suppose there are worse people to be mistaken for..." He laughed, but he also sighed.
"I'm sorry, please forgive me." Tiki then hurried off away from the boy, leaving him to himself.
"Hmm...Actually, I must admit, I rather enjoyed the attention..."
-End of flashback-
"Although I still enjoy the attention, it's even better to know you haven't forgotten me." He smiled, causing Tiki to blush even more.
"Wait, he said he remembered...you mean you forgot?" Anna asked.
"Sadly, Mikel has lost his memories upon returning to us." Say'ri sighed. "He remembered me by a tree I had once painted. I believe the key to recovering his past memories lay within his past events with us."
"Say'ri may have a point." Tiki added, her blush slightly dying. "I accidently called Mikel...by that name in one of our conversations...and gods, to hear him tell it is even more embarrassing." Her blushing became worst.
"Hmm...I take it you don't remember me then, do you?" Anna seemed saddened by this news.
"Hmm..." The tactician stared at her.
"Maybe this will help." Anna slowly unbuttoned her collar.
"Anna!" Tiki yelled.
"Relax, you dirty-minded thing." Anna pouted. "I'm just showing him something." Anna revealed a small, yellow necklace hanging around her neck. She leaned in closer to Mikel so that the necklace was inches away from his face.
"...That necklace."
"You gave it to me, remember?"
"Nrgh..." This time he didn't clutch his head, but he closed his eyes.
-Flashback-
"Hello, Anna." The tactician greeted the trickster. "Um...I brought you something."
"Mmm?" He handed her a small box wrapped up in a red bow. "Ooh! A present? For me?!"
"Yeah, It's not much, but..." He scratched the back of his head.
She quickly opened the box and pulled out a small yellow necklace. "Aw, it's a necklace! Thanks, That is SO SWEET!" She smiled. "But, um...Why?"
"Well, it's your birthday, isn't it?"
"What? It is? ...Wait, it is! I completely forgot! I'm surprised you even knew." Anna couldn't help but laugh.
Mikel laughed with her as he patted the book he had in his hand. "I wouldn't let a good friend's birthday slip past unnoticed."
"Oh!" His words made her suddenly blush. "I'm a...good friend?"
"Yeah, of course you are."
"Um...gosh, you really ARE sweet." Anna laughed again.
"Thanks."
"hmm..." Still blushing, Anna seemed lost in thought.
"Huh? Something wrong?"
"Nom I'm just...realizing something. People say "it's the thought that counts"...and it's actually true."
"Oh, you realized that because of my gift?" Mikel smiled even more.
"Yes, I did. And you know what, Mikel?" She gave him a soft hug. "You're right. Some things money can't buy." She was silent as he pulled away. "..."
"Come on, let's go out and celebrate." Mikel laughed. "I've prepared some nice places to visit that'll save us a coin." He looked at her. "You ok, you look like you want to say something important."
"No...I feel like staying at home and just spending time with you for now." Anna shook her head.
"Great, then let's go to the mess hall and see with we can find a few cakes."
-end of flashback-
"You...you kept my necklace?" Mikel asked stunned.
"Of course silly! This is the one thing I can't put a price on." Anna buttoned her shirt back up. "I've worn it every day since you gave it to me..."
"Anna, I'm glad you kept it. I was afraid you sold it."
"I would never do that, not even for all the money in the world!" Anna looked sincere.
"That...sounds odd, coming from you."
"A lot can happen over five years." Anna smirked.
"I'm sure-wait. Five years?"
"Fie...'tis a detail I neglected to tell..." Say'ri sighed.
"You've been gone for five years, Mikel." Tiki told him. "We've been keeping the peace you've secured for us since that day..."
"Everyone from lands far and wide have heard of you. You've become quite popular amongst the world, nowadays." Anna smiled. "You could ask someone about you and odds are they've heard a tale of your deeds."
"I don't think I wanna be famous. I just want to help people." Mikel scratched the back of his head.
"Given that you have no memory of the past, it may not be best to draw attention to yourself now.' Tiki said. "If your memories are triggered by past events...then we'll have to round up everyone together."
"Oh my...that's a LOT of people when you stop and think about it.' Anna frowned.
"Right, which is why I've only told a few. They all live on Valm, so it should not be such a huge crowd." Say'ri smiled. "It may be best to start off small. Such memories coming back to him at once may harm him."
"Do not worry Mikel, we'll take care of your memories." Anna smiled. "You have a shopkeeper's honor on that!"
"Heh heh, I'm glad to have such wonderful friends." Mikel smiled. "Oh. Maybe you two can help me figure this out." He went back into the room. A moment later he came out holding a book. "When I awoke, I had this strange book. It's a real enigma. It's pages are blank, and in the back is a huge map with places marked. I can't figure it out at all."
Tiki took the book from Mikel and opened the back. She looked at the map carefully before passing it on to Anna. "This is a map of Ylisse and Valm...but those places we marked are places we battled at. Why would you awake with a book filled with battle spots."
Anna flipped through the pages. "You always were a mystery, but now you've only gotten worse." She then stopped and flipped back to a page. "...what's this?" Anna showed the two a picture of Say'ri, following a description next to the picture. Stuck around were little sticky notes with scribbles on them. "I thought you said it was blank."
"But it was when I awoke!" Mikel argued.
"It is no lie, Anna. I, too, looked at it before. There were no markings in it at all." Say'ri attested to the tactician's claim. "But...how did my roster entry get inside this book?"
"Roster entry?" Anna asked. "Wait, you've SEEN what's in that thing and never told us."
"Mayhap because I was the first one to question Mikel about it before the roster rescue. I have seen it a few times while working with him. He allowed me a few peeks, and I saw nothing worth gossiping about in my opinion."
"All this time we thought the worst things were in there..." Tiki sighed. "I, for one feel relieved."
"Um...what's-"
"But hold on, doesn't Chrom keep the roster on him at all times?" Anna asked. "I saw Gangrel GIVE him the roster, and that was no easy task for the man."
"True, Gangrel had all of Mikel's notes, all of the alleged dirt on the army, and he just gave it up without a second thought." Tiki thought.
"Excuse me? But what's a-"
"Perhaps this is a new roster?" Say'ri suggested. "After all, if one were to think about it, this is a new Mikel. As he regains his memories, he becomes the old one. Mayhap this is the same with the book-the new roster becoming the old one."
"Wow, so the roster is like a tome or something?" Anna asked.
"It would explain how it magically retrieves data on all our comrades." Tiki added.
"GIRLS!"
the three looked at an upset Mikel. "What in Gods name is a roster?"
"Oh...that's right. You have no memory on it." Anna sighed. "Well, to put it bluntly, it's just a book you keep your strategies in and info about your friends, such as birthdates and interesting facts." She took a look at Say'ri's entry. "For example: In here it says Say'ri's the best skin diver in the army. Your notes say she is best for the blitz tactic."
"Fie, I would not consider myself the best..." Say'ri giggled.
Anna flipped through the pages again. "I wish there were more in...oh. Hey, here's mine!" Anna suddenly smirked. "hmm...hey, how did you know about my nest egg? Ah, well at least I'm a good guard unit."
Tiki took the book from her. "I think we should retire for the night. It's best not to look over it while we should be sleep."
"Leave it to Tiki to get us all to nap." Anna laughed.
Back in Ylisse...
On the pathway through the Northroad path, Frederick rode with Lissa on his back. In front of him was Sully, with Chrom hanging on to her sides. Behind him was Moran, who protested that she could keep up. Much to their surprise, she did a good job keeping up with the group. The snowy weather seemed to be of no trouble to the young group.
"Brrr...I should've dressed better." Lissa shivered. "Each time we come here it always nags at me."
"Perhaps Milady would like a nice blanket?" Frederick offered.
"Hey, thanks Frederick. Wait, where did you get that blanket? More importantly, where did you keep it..."
"You two shouldn't worry too much." Sully called back. "I can see it in the distance. I think we've deserved a little break."
Sully and Frederick pulled their horses to a stop. As Lissa and Chrom got off the horses, Morgan ran up to them breathing heavily.
"Morgan, are you ok?" Lissa asked. "Are you hurt? Let me get my stuff."
"Thank you, Mother, but it's all right. Nothing will get me down that easily." Morgan smiled. "Besides, I've inherited Father's magic and your resistance!"
"Are you sure it's resistance? I'd think it'd be more around hp..." Lissa smiled. "Besides, you're even more energetic than both your brother and me! I'd say hp is your special mark."
"Nope, I've got magic and resistance!" Morgan smiled. "Here Mother, take a blanket." Morgan reached into her cloak and pulled out a folded purple blanket the size of her cloak. She handed it to her mother with a smile.
"Aww, thanks kiddo. Where did you get it?" Lissa asked as she wrapper herself in it.
"From Uncle Frederick."
"..." Lissa suddenly had a blank stare.
"What? You did say he's considered family."
"It's not that, it's just...I never know WHERE Frederick keeps these. He always has them on him...it's kinda creepy."
"Beg pardon, Milady, did you call?" Frederick walked over.
"No...just discussing..."
"Why you always work yourself so hard!" Morgan said.
"Ah, I just do what I can for Ylisse, nothing special." Frederick grinned.
"Guys, you might want to look at this." Chrom called.
As the four walked over, they saw the pathway that lead to the Longfort, the barrier between Ferox and Ylisse. However on the pathway were two men and a young lady. One man wore a blue swordmaster outfit tied with a red wrap. The man wore white pants and black boots, which made him stand out in the snow. He had black hair and was wielding a long sword with a red handle. The other man was dresses in yellow and black armor, with white feathers around the collar. This man wore an eye patch and was bald. He held a silver axe with a red handle. The woman, on the other hand, wore a green robe with yellow on the edges of her sleeves and straight down the middle. She held a staff with a moon shaped top. She had blond, braided hair and watched the two men talk.
"Those two are fighting down there..." Frederick commented.
"But there's a healer to the side, which is rare to see in Ferox." Sully said. "Hell, I'm surprised healers even exist in this whole place."
"They seem to be sparring, should we find another way around?" Lissa asked.
"I think we can get through." Morgan smiled.
"What makes you think that?" Chrom asked.
"Well, isn't auntie Emmeryn the only healer in Regna Ferox?" Morgan asked.
Upon realizing this, Morgan went down the trail towards the three people, despite Chrom's warnings. The two men looked in the direction of the path to see a happy Morgan running up to them. However as they put down their weapons, Morgan tripped and fell into the snow. The man with the eye patch helped her up as Chrom and his friends hurried after her. Morgan shook her head as they neared her.
"Note to self: Snow makes a good wake-up call, but causes severe headaches." She grinned, clutching her head.
"Well, if it ain't Chrom of Ylisse!" The eye patch wearing man laughed.
"Basilio, what are you doing out here?" Chrom asked.
"Just doing some minor training with Lon'qu and Emmeryn here." Basilio told him. "Lon'qu's trying to best me in a one-item match, and Emmeryn is here to heal us so we can keep fighting."
Chrom walked up to Emmeryn and hugged her. As she hugged back Lissa joined in on the hug. "It's nice to see you Emm. How are you holding up."
"I'm quite better. Thank you for asking Chrom." She smiled at him.
"Her speech has fully recovered, but she still has that shaky voice." Basilio told him. "As for her memories, she still doesn't remember her time as the Exalt."
"I'm sure my memories will come back soon." She smiled. "What brings you here?"
"We're heading to Chon'sin to visit Say'ri. She says it's of utter importance." Lissa told her.
"You left your throne unattended?" Basilio laughed. "I guess I'm rubbing off on you boy!"
"We've the shepherds to guard the capital while we're away." Chrom laughed with him.
"I see, and you need to use port Ferox to get over there, correct?"
"Yes."
"You can use my personal ship to get across then, just as long as you two don't put a dent on her."
"You have a ship, Basilio?" Lissa asked.
"Heh, after we took Grima down, I was more than ready to go out and travel more across seas! Reminded me of my youth..." Basilio sighed. "But what's the problem? Is she in trouble?"
"As far as we know, no. She's just requested to see me." Chrom told him.
"And of course we weren't letting him go alone!" Sully jumped in. "Even his arse needs saving from time to time!"
Basilio laughed a loud laugh. "You never change, do you Sully? I look forward to sparring with you again one day!"
"...I too, do as well." Lon'qu said, speaking for the first time.
"Heh, many women put Lon'qu on edge, but he still manages to talk with you all." Basilio smiled.
"We'll head to the ports straight away." Chrom smiled. "And when we get back, can we count on your help for searching for Mikel?"
"Of course, I still have a few words of wisdom for that kid, bwa ha ha!"
"I shall also aid your search." Lon'qu said. "He should be alive somewhere."
"I too, shall aid you." Emmeryn said. "I have so much to thank him for." She then smiled. "In fact, why don't I come with you to Chon'sin?"
"Sister, are you sure that's wise?" Chrom asked.
"Of course, it's not like I can't take care of myself." Emm giggled.
"Still, I worry about you and Lissa. We lost you once."
"And we never want to do it again." Lissa chimed in.
"Sorry to interrupt, Milord, but speaking of lost..." Frederick said. "Morgan appears to have wandered off."
"Again?" Chrom sighed.
"That's the fourth time this whole trip. Sometimes I wonder if she's too energetic."
"Mother, I'm up here!" Came Morgan's voice. Morgan stood in a nearby tree and waved at the group. "Guess what? I was reading some of Father's notes to myself, and one allowed me to teleport like grandpa Validar!" She then closed her eyes as a small circle surrounded her. Morgan suddenly vanished and then reappeared besides Lon'qu, making everyone jump.
"Morgan, how did you do that?" Lissa asked.
"One of father's notes said that during one of his past visions, he taught dad how to teleport. However dad swore not to use it unless it was a dire situation, as he was ashamed to know he could be similar to grandpa."
"Morgan, I think that's enough reading for one day..." Chrom told her. "It's nearly dark, and you just keep pulling out more surprises. We don't want to die of a heart attack."
"Oh...guess you have a point there. No worries, I'll continue tomorrow!" Morgan smiled.
"Just imagine if you were MY kid, Morgan." Basilio laughed once more. "We'd put that energy to use so much that we'd run you dry! But you all should get going. Flavia should have the key to the chain on my ship. She locked it up so I couldn't wander around, but I'm positive she'll let you take it for a spin to Chon'sin!"
"Thank you Basilio, we couldn't have done this without you." Chrom shook the man's hand.
"You all come back with some great news, you hear me? These bones can handle another war, but they may run out of steam beforehand the way Lon'qu is coming along."
"..." Lon'qu hid a smile.
"Heh, even compliments from men still put him on edge." Sully laughed.
"When you return, we shall see how much you have improved." Lon'qu grunted.
"I'll be ready to stick my foot up your exit pipe when we do." Sully laughed.
"Frederick, retrieve our horses and bring them along while we go on ahead." Chrom ordered.
"Yes Milord." Frederick turned around and walked down the trail.
I got to thinking yesterday (which is why I didn't upload.):
Validar can teleport, yet the tactician can only when he is Grima. Is there some secret to it?
What would people think if I altered some S ranked supports?
Would people be upset if I gave emm her speech back but not her memory?
Well...you tell me what you think :3
Also, Lon'qu is silent, because he was mostly silent during our encounters.. heh, I like him.
Also, I gave Morgan and Olivia my boots 3
Basilio: The West-Khan of Regna Ferox. He acts like a father to the Royal Bloodline of Ylisse. Since the end of the war, Basilio has trained many of his troops to prepare to dethrone Flavia in future tournaments. With his quick wits, he's seen himself out of tough times. Since Mikel left, Basilio has trained himself, waiting the day the two would cross weapons.
Still the guy with the biggest reactions.
Emmeryn: Chrom and Lissa's older sister and former exalt of Ylisse. Since the end of the war, she has stayed in Regna Ferox, slowly regaining her speech and memory, but not fully. She lives a simple life, being the only healer through Ferox. Since Mikel's departure, she occasionally helps Tharja try to bring him back.
The easiest to make smile.
Lon'qu: Basilio's right man, Lon'qu is a master swordsman with skills to praise. However, he can only talk to certian women, such as those he's fought alongside. Since the end of the war, Lon'qu has done nothing but better himself in he way of the sword and other weapons. He pationtly awaits Mikel's arrival.