Chapter 26: The Last Light
A wounded ship drifted in the harbor. Chrom tried to banish that problem to the back of his head, and focus on what was in front of him; the ship would hold together for the moment, sheltered by the shores.
'You have other things to focus on, right now.'
Chrom took a deep breath and stepped into the interior of the lighthouse. The silence and cold air of the place washed over him. The wounds he'd taken in the ship battle ceased their aching, as the misty air acted like a balm on them. Even the burns ceased its throbbing, not daring to intrude on the air of this place.
Their steps echoed from the base of the tower, up through the layers of stairs. Chrom followed the now familiar, winding pattern.
'Just like before… Only now it's a tower on our own soil.'
"We made it." He said out loud. His voice echoed around him, making the tower feel like it had hundreds of others. "And once we've done this-"
"You'll have the answers. Or at least a good idea of how to get those answers." Robin answered in a lower voice, taking her first step on the spiral stair. "Where to find the Emblem, and how to stop the storms for good."
"Now we need to-"
"Wait for me!" Came a voice he had NOT been expecting. Lissa dashed in through the entrance way, pausing only to take in the interior, and the swirling waters beneath them. For some reason, she didn't take any of that as a sign to turn back. Her eyes darted back to Chrom with a determined set to her mouth.
"…Lissa." Chrom growled, not liking that look. "I don't know what you think you're doing here-"
"Well that's okay, because I do. Know what I'm doing here." Lissa cut him off. "Don't give me that look; Maribelle can take care of the wounded. But I've got a job of my own to do!"
She stood her ground, even when Chrom leveled a glare at her.
"Emm is my sister too. So I want to help you figure this place out, as fast as possible!" Chrom frowned at that, shaking his head.
"You know that we've managed fine, so far?" Chrom insisted, trying to stand between her and the stairs.
"Yeah, well… That's the other thing!" But Lissa wasn't about to be put off that easily. "YOU all did the whole 'royal blood and Important Tasks' thing, with activating these towers… You and Emm both. I'm starting to feel a little left out, to be honest."
Chrom grumbled under his breath at that… And yet after that confession, he couldn't find it in himself to argue. Finally he bowed his head to Lissa, earning an excited little hop from her.
"Thanks!"
"But at the first sign of things going wrong, and I'm sending you back to the Shepherd." He grumbled. "ESPECIALLY if you break anything."
"Relax Chrom, I think that's more of your specialty anyway." Lissa said, already moving past him and climbing the steps.
-o-o-o-
Candles glowed in the pirate cabin; the scarlet silks he kept drank in the light, and each flicker of the flames made the room pulse like it had a heartbeat.
Gangrel tested the grip of the sword, admiring the golden glint to the hilt and pommel. He ran his tongue along his teeth, greedily watching the gleam dancing across metal. Falchion made for a pretty little bauble, even if it wasn't the Fire Emblem…
…But the sword also felt oddly dead and heavy in his grip. How that Ylissean prince wielded the blade was a mystery to him.
"Still a decent prize." He murmured, half to himself and half to the blade. "I wonder what Ylisse will think when they see you in my hands-"
He cut off, slashing the blade out at a candle stalk to test the edge… Only to see the entire candelabra topple over, bruised and dented. It was more like he'd smashed it with a mace instead of anything with an edge.
"Useless!" He spat at the blade, throwing it to the cabin floor in disgust. He glanced out the ship's windows. The movement of the ship was disgracefully slow. The only reason he didn't go up to lash the helmsman was because he needed the ship to keep moving. Even if it was at a snail's pace.
'Useless. All of it useless.' But he'd reach Wreckage eventually. Gangrel told himself to try and keep his seething under control. Restlessness drove him outside to the decks… Where a patchwork figure was watching the ocean.
"I'm surprised the salt hasn't scoured your flesh off." He greeted Aversa, and she turned a half burned face to him. But as disgusting as the blisters looked… There seemed to be less of them, and in smaller spaces.
"I'm surprised YOU still underestimate the power of the waves." Aversa countered. "You already made that mistake by putting the prince in a drowning cell."
"Those cells had broken everyone else." Until the wretch had managed an impossible escape. Though not unscathed, Gangrel tried to assure himself.
"Though at least you proved one thing; the Ylisse line does have a connection to the sea, and the magic in the old legends." She was still a touch demented, Gangrel decided. He spat on the deck of his ship.
"That won't be enough for Walhart… So we'd best haul back some prisoners, and a conquered capital." And if he couldn't conquer Ylisse with Falchion, it would at least make an impressive trophy on his mantlepiece.
-o-o-o-
His hands drifted to his sword, the cold grip chilling his fingers even through the gloves. The steel grip felt alien in his grip, after so much time spent holding Falchion.
'Not that you can solve any of these problems with a sword.' He tried to remind himself. The thought did nothing to settle him.
Chrom's eyes kept darting about, and his shoulders tensed, half waiting for the tower to fall down around them. Or for a pack of Mer to emerge from the waves. Or for pirates or Risen to swarm the building. Or for something else to go wrong.
Something about this place left him on edge… Even while it felt familiar.
'Like something that can decide if it's an old enemy or friend.'
Lissa didn't share his hesitation, rushing ahead. She was glancing in every direction to take in the surroundings, and it was a wonder she didn't trip over her own feet.
"This place is AMAZING!" She worked in a spin as she said that, dancing up the next step.
"It… Does seem to hold up better than some of the other towers." He had to admit. Even the carvings were in better condition, and only grew more vivid as they climbed. The sea life seemed almost alive, with how it glimmered against the light globes.
"You've got to wonder who had the job of making a hundred golden fish on these walls." Lissa grinned as the globes shimmered, painting the bricks with blue and green. She dashed ahead, eager to see more… Only to come to a sudden stop. Chrom nearly smacked into her, and Robin bumped into his back.
"Lissa, we have to keep moving." He grumbled, but she didn't budge. Instead her gaze was fixed to the walls.
"Um… Ch-Chrom? What is this supposed to mean?" As she spoke, Lissa traced her fingers over the carvings. An image of someone with blue hair, still vividly painted, and haloed by the symbol of the Exalt was engraved in the wall. The carving's hand plunged below the surface of engraved water. But while the man belonged to the land, his hand morphed in the water to show scales and webbing between the fingers. There was a second image, almost a reflection, that showed a Mer sharing his same features.
'Tide Touched.' With a rush, the legends and stories came back to him. Men and women with blue in their hair who sailed to the edge of the world, called by the oceans… And some of them never came back.
Perhaps there was a reason for that. He stared at the wall, at the transformation and link that gripped the carving. Chrom saw echoes of himself in the image. For an instant, it was almost like he was looking at a mirror; the next moment he blinked, and the carvings became more abstract.
'A link between sea and sky.'
"Chrom?" Lissa tried again. "Why does it look like that's an Exalt? And why is he… He's not REALLY turning into a sea creature, right? There's some second meaning to that, isn't there?"
'…What am I?' He wanted to say. He closed his teeth tight around the questions.
"…Whatever this means, if it doesn't involve helping Emm, then I don't care right now." He finally said. And tried to convince his feet of the same thing as he shoved his way past Lissa. For just an instant they'd gone as clumsy as Robin had once been, and just from looking at that carving.
-o-o-o-
'Always expect the unexpected.' Robin told herself, and watched Lissa climb. She was rushing up the steps, and looked ready to take the lead again. But Chrom shouldered his way past her, trudging upwards. Lissa frowned at Chrom's back as he moved, and her new placement put Lissa close to Robin.
"You're still sure about coming along?" Robin asked.
"After making my case to Chrom, I sure hope so." Lissa answered. "Besides, I… I'm a little worried for Chrom. I'm sure those weird pictures meant nothing, but I want to make sure."
"It IS nothing." Chrom grumbled.
"Just like your restlessness on the Shepherd is nothing, I'm sure. Or that hum that keeps creeping into your voice." Lissa pressed. "Don't think I haven't noticed. It's been helping us along the way… But you should be a lot more ragged. And definitely not have enough strength to hum, especially since you've always been weird about singing. You never liked it before!"
"Th-that's…" Chrom sputtered, trying and failing to counter her.
At least their arguments kept her eyes from the carvings. Robin wasn't in the mood to dwell on the half human shapes now locked beneath the waves. From how they raised hands to the carved humans in their boats, there was clear rage that they'd been locked beneath the waves.
'And then there's the Exalt carving. It almost looked like a pact was being made… Gods, what happened in antiquity?' She didn't voice that question, afraid of the answer.
"We should hurry." Robin said instead. "I don't want to take any chances with those storms; you never know if that waterspout might come back."
"R-right. Right. Better hurry." Chrom picked up his steps, eager to put the carvings behind him. He threw himself upwards, almost running for the chamber at the top.
The blue that cloaked the chamber could have been a cousin to Chrom's hair color. Chrom himself hesitated at the door, almost hypnotized by the echo of azure. Lissa peeked over his shoulder, and gave his head a quick prod to nudge him aside.
"There's something weird going on here… Something that has to do with being Tide Touched, huh?" Lissa said, moving forward and tugging at her brother's wrist. "Between the color and how you've been acting, there's something going on. But that should mean that you understand this! And you can solve this quick… Right?"
Chrom winced at that, eyes darting back to the stairs… And the carvings lurking down there. His movements were tense, but as Lissa spoke he forced his eyes forward, considering the sea colored column.
"I-I hope so. Let me take a look… Even if I can't read the runes." He'd spent so much time arguing with Lissa that he hadn't had the chance to fall into a trance; not any more than Robin had been able to slip away. "And I… I can't quite find the right melody…"
"Then let me!" Lissa scanned the runes as she spoke. "I've spent time studying under Libra and Emm. I've got a rough idea of how these go at least!" Her voice squeaked in a way that said 'I'm helping out!'
Lissa silently moved her lips, testing out each symbol. With each word her eyes brightened, and a hum grew in her throat.
"Okay, let's see how this goes!" She switched to a language that Robin couldn't piece together. But despite not knowing the words, her heart reacted readily enough. A strange mixture of pain and longing swept through her chest. Like her heart was pulled in two directions. Between Ylisse and-
A thrum of bubbles reached her ears. For a split second she floated, and a voice murmured low.
"Your mother fled, once she realized what it was she uncovered. More the shame, that she didn't understand her destiny. But you'll learn. We will harness this artifact, and far more effectively than Ylisse ever did." Her body felt smaller, more fragile… And her mind more simple, ready to listen and trust in every word the voice gave. "You'll learn over time, child…"
'I trusted him. He was the ruler of the oceans after all. But… It was only when I grew, and saw HOW he ruled them, that I began to doubt. And then he forced that artifact on me, and-'
And everything turned to pain and storms. Robin flinched from the visions, gave a small whimper…
That one noise was enough to dispel the vision. It left her staring back into the blue chamber. Her eyes stung, and Robin dipped her head when she realized she was crying. Her thoughts were foggy, caught between the vision and the real world.
"It… It worked?" Lissa asked, still standing. She hadn't been gripped by any visions, and took a few hesitant steps towards the crystal. She seemed entranced by the pulse of blue light.
Chrom however, was completely enscrolled. His eyes were glassy, staring at nothing.
"Chrom…?" Robin stretched a hand out to him, her fingers brushing his shoulder-
She plunged into a second vision. One filled with gold, echoing the compass around her neck. It was decorated with five gemstones, all colored with the same glows of the lighthouse. The metal shape resolved into a shield.
"The Emblem?" Chrom's voice was faint, almost lost in the rush of waves as the shield sank into the waves. Ripples spread from the shield, and stilled the violent waters. The Emblem itself floated through the currents, before coming to a rest in a pale cavern. One that looked familiar, set into a glimmering cliff face-
"Y-Ylisstol? That's Ylisstol!" Robin managed. A flash of lightning stole the last of the vision, making them blink.
"Are you both awake?" Asked Lissa.
"Y-yes." Chrom nodded. "And… I think I know what happened to the Emblem. At least now I can tell Emmeryn."
"You said something about Ylisstol; are you telling me it was there, this entire time? And we never found it?" Lissa frowned between the two.
"Not… Exactly." Chrom said. "It's more like we needed to activate the towers. They all match the five gemstones from the stories, and… I think we needed the power from these things. And I don't know if the Emblem is there exactly. It's a bit difficult to explain."
"Well, I can tell you that there's definitely a lot more magic super charging the air. Maybe Emm can do something with that… Speaking of which, I think that means we can get back to her." Lissa added. "In that case, let's not keep her waiting."
They rushed downstairs, almost falling down the steps with how they rushed.
"I have the entire map in my head now… Hard to believe that we had some sort of answer right beneath Ylisse this entire time." Chrom sighed out. "And yet I'd also believe that we needed to activate all those points. Gods, but magic has turned out to be a powerful force in our lives…" He forced his head up, still looking determined. Robin could almost believe, watching him, that they were going to be okay. "Well… With if the storms quiet and shift from the lighthouse, we'll be at Ylisse soon enough."
-o-o-o-
She dreamed of family, whispers of gentle faces and kind words… But when Lucina blinked her eyes open, the memories turned to shadows. And her surroundings were anything but welcoming. She found herself surrounded by rock, with only a tail's width of space to swim through.
Their new accommodations were little more than a hole in the ground, with the prison bars forming a lid overhead. Morgan lay nearby on the sandy floor, his wounds still painfully fresh on his skin. Lucina could barely raise her head. Every inch of her skin and scales felt like they'd been scoured and nearly torn free. She had little room in her thoughts for anything but pain; it left her senses hazy, and unable to do anything but rest half broken in the sand.
Time slipped by, with Lucina laying there and feeling the ache of her wounds. Validar's spell seemed determined to cling to her scales, shooting bolts of pain along her tail. But as for Validar himself, the sorcerer had yet to haunt the entrance of their jail cell. Maybe his magic was still trapped in her scales, and he was still a long way off from recharging and working anymore rituals on them.
'You still have time. You can't give up!' She finally managed. 'If Validar isn't here, then that means-'
It meant they had to get out. If she could only get herself to swim back to the bars, and try to find a weak point in them. Pushing herself off the ground was like trying to lift a boulder, and her arms trembled from the effort.
"Come on…" She whispered to herself. "You have to-"
"…I don't know why you're still struggling, considering how badly things went for you last time." A voice came from above. Lucina yanked her head up, to see that the dark-haired mage from before was staring down at her.
"Wh-?" Morgan stirred at the voice. When he realized where he was, he yanked himself in front of Lucina, trying to shield her. Blood billowed from his shredded fins, and he crashed into her. He slumped against her, reeling for a moment from the pain. In just a breath however, he'd gritted his teeth and glared up at the prison door.
"S-stay back! Or I'll-" What he planned to do unarmed and bleeding, Lucina didn't know. Neither did she get the chance to find out, when a new voice came in.
"Hey, are they actually talking this time, Tharja? Or are they just glaring-?" The white haired mage appeared next. "Ok, a little bit of both huh? Well, time for hex treatment!"
He produced a shard of coral, planting it next to the cell portal.
"Step one, transferring your wounds to this thing!" He flashed them a quick grin, before a purple energy drifted from his hands. Lucina's skin gave a sting from head to fin, the wounds lifted from her flesh.
In answer the coral gained nicks and tears along it, taking on her hurts. Lucina gasped from shock, as the fatigue and pain fell away from her. Morgan did the same, staring at his tail as the wounds became less bloody. Scars took the place of scabs.
"You're showing off, Henry." Tharja grumbled, prompting a laugh from the mage.
"Maybe! But you can't argue with the results." Morgan stared down at his fins; they still carried a ragged edge, and didn't catch the water the same way they used to. He could just barely manage to float, and lift his head.
"Th-thank you?" Morgan stammered out. "But… Why did you do that for us?"
"Well, it does Validar no good if you die before he extracts whatever you're holding. Also he'd probably kill us for letting it happen." Henry answered blithely enough.
"So, why are you struggling so much against him anyway? Do you really know nothing about how things work down here?" There was no malice in the mage's voice; only a casual curiosity as he regarded the two.
"Would he treat us any better if we DID go along with his plans?" Lucina snapped out of irritation. Her wounds may have been healed, but the prison looked more solid and inescapable than ever.
"Probably not; we're tools in his grand design, but he at least lets the good tools have some freedom. And fewer open wounds… At least sometimes. Depending on his whims." Tharja sighed. "So it's actually pretty miserable all around, unless you're into pain like Henry is."
"I am NOT!" Henry shot back. "It's just a learning experience each time! Why not get something out of it?"
"…Nothing personal, but is this another part of Validar's torture tactics? Making you our prison keepers?" Morgan spoke up.
"It's as much a punishment on our part. Apparently if you do nothing to stop someone from escaping, or fail to carry out a raid, it lands you on his special interest list." Tharja answered. "Believe me, I'd rather be left to study magic on my own."
'They're under suspicion too?' Lucina broke off from her glare.
"Point being, why are you fighting against his will so much? Do you WANT to be a thorn in his side?" Tharja ignored her confusion, pressing with her own questions. "He treats annoyances even worse than failures."
"We don't want anything to do with him!" Morgan said. "We just want to get out of here and find our mother! And remember her."
"And father. If we can remember him." Lucina added on. Morgan's frankness spurred her own words.
"…Are you honestly telling me that you're searching for family you can barely remember?" Tharja gave them a flat look, her voice thick with disbelief. Henry simply tilted his head, trying to make their odd sounding plans come together.
"Yeah, well…" Morgan frowned, finally becoming aware of how odd he sounded. "Maybe we'll remember more if we CAN find them. Besides, it's not like we don't know anything! We know our mother's name."
"Robin. It's-" Lucina finished for him… But paused when Tharja and Henry froze above them. "…Robin."
It was unsettling, how they stared at her. The name shocked them both into temporary silence.
"Wait… Did you say…?" Tharja's voice in particular had a hard time working.
"YOU know Robin? AND you're her kids!? How did she get that to work!?" Henry blurted out, and it was Lucina's turn to freeze up from shock.
"I-I could say the same thing!" Morgan blurted out. "How do you know Robin-?"
"Hold up." Tharja finally found her voice. "This could all be a weird, weird coincidence."
But even with those words, she didn't stop searching Morgan and Lucina. Doubt lingered in her gaze. "But even so, I need to ask… Can you remember anything other than her name?"
Lucina grimaced, trying to focus on any details that she could pluck out of the fog.
"I-I remember a few things…" Snatches of dreams, and visions from lighthouses. And feelings of warmth that blossomed in her chest, at those images.
"Her hair being white, the violet mark she had on her hand…" She trailed off at the stormy look crossing Tharja's face.
"Okay. That sounds too much like the Robin WE know to be a coincidence." Tharja frowned. "Enough that we need to look into this. Right, Henry?"
"Right. Besides, how many Mer do you know with air world names? It's worth seeing what we can SEA. Right? Right? …C'mon Tharj, don't look like that."
"Wait, you're-? Are you gonna help us-?" Morgan started, only for Tharja to raise a hand and pause him.
"We're still supposed to be guarding you. At least ONE of us is. But the other," Tharja gave Henry a look and a nudge with her elbow, and he gave a nod. "The other can start looking into this, and see how much of this is true. Look at it this way; all you have to do is rest up. And it's not like you're going anywhere."
Lucina grudgingly had to admit that much was true. If nothing else, they were waiting for something other than Validar.