Chapter 23 - A Far Flung Reunion
With a thud the last bandit tumbled to the earth, wisps of smoke curling from the man's still smoldering armor.
Robin exhaled his pent up breath, closing his eyes as he let the tension flow from his body. The ritual was one he'd repeated time and time again, one aimed to quickly recover from the fight-or-flight instincts that often took hold during battle.
Opening his eyes once more, he picked his way through the remains of the hunting party his group had ambushed, finding Lucina standing among the bodies of the three brigands she'd engaged as they'd tried to flee.
"Are you okay?" Robin asked, going to meet her. "I was a bit worried when I saw them attack you all at once. I'm sorry I couldn't help, but their archers kept me pinned a few seconds longer than I'd have liked."
"Nothing more than a scratch, I assure you," Lucina answered. She showed him her forearm, where sure enough a small line of red was visible through her armor. She completed the gesture with a reassuring smile. "The armor took the worst of it. I fear the bruise that will show there tomorrow will be more painful than this little scrape. And you?"
"Nothing here, thankfully. Oh the joys of being able to keep my distance and just fling lighting at people." He chuckled, holding up a hand and expelling a shower of tiny sparks from his fingertips.
Before Lucina could reply, the beat of wings filled the air. Robin turned, spying Corrin's son, Shigure, descending on the back of his pegasus towards their group. He'd been one of the several fliers who'd been sent to scout the enemies movements and report back with their observations.
"Yes?" Robin asked as the pegasus rider quickly dismounted. "See anything of our enemy?"
Shigure shook his head. "Most of the hunting parties have either been dealt with or for those perhaps wiser than their fellows, scattered in fear as soon as they realized what had befallen the other groups. No, I came as quickly as I could to inform you of my father's movements. It seems he has begun an accent towards the fort. I wished to follow, but that would bring me within reach of the archers posted within."
What? Why would he go so soon? Did he… no, I don't think Corrin would act so recklessly now, not like in the past... Robin shook his head sharply, scattering the thoughts. "Did you see anything else? Something to explain his change in plans?"
Shigure nodded. "While I could not fly close enough to see for certain, it seemed to be that someone else had joined my father's group. I believe it must be the swordsman these brigands were hunting. Perhaps it was from him that father decided to move at once to engage the enemy's leader?"
Robin's eyes widened, shock managing to take a split second hold of his features before he could regain his composure. He forced his expression to tighten, nodding his head sharply. "Understood. I want you to fly to Lord Xander's group at once and inform him of what you just told me. Tell him that my group is turning for the keep as well."
Without delay Shigure remounted his steed, taking off once more as he went to do as Robin instructed. Once he had gone, Robin turned to Lucina, letting the worry he felt flood back into his features.
"Do you think…?"
Lucina shook her head. "I do not know… but if our suspicions are true…"
Robin grimaced, his hands tightening. "We're too far away to reach them in time. We have to trust that they know what they're doing. Let's go."
With that, the two hurried to gather the rest of their own party, setting out with all possible haste towards the path that would lead them to the mountain's summit.
. . . . .
"Lord Corrin," Kaze announced, his voice cutting through the silence from behind them.
Despite the low murmur the ninja spoke in, it still managed to make Corrin jump in surprise. Corrin turned quickly, finding his retainer standing there calmly behind him. He hadn't made a sound as he'd approached.
"What did you find?" he asked, trying his best to calm his still racing heart. Now was not the time to appear flustered.
"As we suspected, our foes have left few of their number behind to protect their keep. A score, perhaps two dozen at most. Their captain appears to be spellcaster, his garb marking him as one of Iago's pet sorcerers."
Corrin nodded. It's just as Leo had said, these men served under Iago before deserting. It only made sense that one of the spellcasters he'd trained would have ended up here.
"So you're in charge here. What's the plan?" Marc asked, blinking up at him. Corrin turned his head at the question. Marc sat with his back to the outcropping of rock they'd taken cover behind. He had his shoulders slumped back, his arms held folded loosely over his lap, eyes half lidded. Yet even so there was an impatient air to his voice, both eager and tense all at once. The voice of someone who sought a swift end to the matter at hand.
Corrin bit back a retort, a voice urging him to remain calm. Not too long ago he would have been fighting the same urges, after all. Best remain focus. Worry about it later. Instead, he turned back, quickly giving his orders. "Kaze, take Felicia and Jakob to the rear of the keep. On my singal, begin picking off any enemies you can find separated from the rest. The three of you are better suited sowing discord in their ranks than a head on fight at this point."
The three nodded, but remained in place, waiting for the rest of his instructions.
He turned to Odin. "I want you to get up onto that ridge overlooking the fort. When the rest of us are in position, I want you to rain down spells on them. I care less about efficiency here and more of how eye catching it can be. The flashier, the better."
"Yes!" Owain breathed out, smart enough to not give away their position. Even then, the excitement in him seemed to just exude out of him. "I mean... worry not. For I shall display a darkness so bright, it shall cast a shadow over darkness itself."
Wait, how would darkness be bright to even cast a shadow on...
Corrin wanted to slap himself for actually questioning the logic behind Owain's colorful words.
Finally he looked to Silas and Marc. "After Odin attacks, the three of us move in. Silas, you take the right flank. Marc you got the left. I'll go down the center. We use the confusion to our advantage and seize the fort before they have a chance to retaliate. Understood."
"Of course. Ready when you are," Silas affirmed. He rose slightly, moving to ready his weapon and get into position to leap out from their hiding place as soon as the signal was given.
Everyone else set out at once, getting into position as instructed. Everyone except Marc, who for the moment remained seated.
"Marc?" Corrin asked.
Marc jolted slightly, as if shaken from a trance. He lifted his head, looking back with sunken eyes.
"Are you alright?" Corrin asked, concerned for the younger boy.
"Oh, yeah. I'm fine." Marc shook himself, gripping Falchion's hilt as he dragged himself up into a crouch. "Never better."
Corrin started for another long moment, unconvinced. Then he shook his head. Now was no time for second guessing. He would have to trust the boy's answer, regardless of what the truth of the matter may be.
Within a few moments, everyone had taken up their positions without arousing suspicion from the brigands stationed inside the run-down keep. Corrin could see only a glimpse of Owain up on the rock, while Kaze, Jakob, and Felicia were nowhere to be seen.
"I wonder what kind of spell Odin will use for the distraction," Corrin muttered. He frowned just a bit, adding, "I might not have made the wisest call leaving it up to him, come to think of it."
"Heh, knowing Owain, that's certainly a possibility," Marc agreed, lips pulling back in a weary smile. "If I were to guess, I'd think it would be something like-"
A roar filled the air, echoing through the mountain-side. There was a blinding flash of light, followed by a cloud of red smoke billowing overhead. For an instant the world fell silent, then, with a chorus of roars, dragons made of prismatic flames spewed forth from bloody clouds, raining down on the panicked brigands. Explosions flashed from within the keep, the fiery dragon apparitions behaving like miniature fire spells wherever they struck.
"-like that. Something like that," Marc finished.
"Go!" Corrin bellowed.
The next few moments were a blur of motion as Corrin threw himself into the chaos that had been unleashed. Smoke and embers swirled through the entryway, black silhouettes of bandit soldiers rushing to meet the attackers.
Blood sprayed as Corrin cut down the first man, those next to him falling to Silas and Marc's blades. In they continued to push forward, spreading out as they beat back the frantic defense set against them.
As Silas and Marc spread out, engaging the enemies to either side, Corrin continued straight ahead, aiming for the very heart out the outer courtyard in search of his target. And soon enough, he found the one he sought: the bandits' leader.
"You." The sorcerer's eyes fell on Corrin. "So the traitor prince shows himself. I expected they'd send someone along eventually, but you? I never considered myself so fortunate."
"Traitor? The only ones here who betrayed Nohr are all of you! Stooping so low to resort to raids and thievery." Corrin stared hard back at the man. A snarl twisted the pale face of the bandit, beady black eyes framed by lanky black hair. For an instant Corrin saw another face superimposed over the first, the smirking visage of Iago smirking back at him.
Corrin shook himself, the image fading. Yes, it was plain this man and Iago were cut from the same cloth. After all, this sorcerer had once served as a captain directly under the former Royal Tactician.
"And what choice did we have? Victory and glory was at Nohr's grasp, only for you to turn around and strike down Lord Garon and his most faithful servants," the man spat, jabbing a finger towards him. "It's cowardice traitors like you who took that all away. You returned the land we claimed to the Hoshido scum! Our sacrifices, all for nothing! Nohr was strong! Strength you betrayed when you turned on the land that took you in!"
With that final shout the sorcerer thrust out a hand. The air around him thrummed with power, reverberating outwards as the air between them crackled and sparked.
Crack!
A line of electricity traced in a line towards Corrin.
For an instant the world hung still.
Thud, thunk.
A single heartbeat reverberated through his ears.
Then the world blurred. In an instant Corrin was suddently rolling to the side, the movement so fast that his conscious mind hadn't even registered it. The space behind him detonating in a flash of light, heat licking at his heels.
An enraged cry ripped free from Corrin's throat as he came out of his roll onto his feet. He pushed off, throwing himself at the sorcerer.
How dare he! How dare he tell me what I turned my back on! What I gave up! What I sacrificed!
"Die!" Corrin's charge was cut short as more lightning danced from the sorcerer's fingertips, catching him in the chest. He was thrown back, pain coursing through his entire body, crackling sparks discharging all around him as he landed hard. A second spell lanced towards him a second later, fire engulfing the spot he'd lain an instant before. His instincts had saved him then, body moving without thought despite the agony the first spell had wrought on it.
Stabbing Yato into the ground, Corrin used the weapon as a lever to pull himself upright. He staggered a step, ripping the weapon free to swat aside a sphere of lightning that the sorcerer flung at him. The spell detonated as Corrin's blade connected with it, the explosion ripping his arm and shoulder back, again throwing him off balance! He stumbled, managing to recover his footing just as the next spell came.
Corrin gritted his teeth, willing his body to move despite the pain.
In rapid succession, the sorcerer unleashed his full might upon the young lord. Corrin ducked under one spell, then threw himself into a roll to avoid the next. Another blast of lightning smashed into the ground in front of him as he came out of his roll, an invisible hand of force slamming into him and flinging him from his feet. He twisted in the air as he fell, bracing a hand against the ground as he skidded back. He coughed, blood staining the back of the hand he brought to his lips. Dust billowed before him, a wall of brown his senses could not pierce.
A sphere of darkness split the smoke, flying towards him with alarming speed. Corrin tried to leap aside, only for one of his legs to slip out from under him, unable to support his weight as he crashed down to one knee. He threw a hand up to shield himself, raising Yato up with the other the instant before the spell found it's target.
"Get down!"
There was a flash of silver light, the orb of dark magic slamming into the ground with enough force to send another fountain of dust skyward. Silhouetted again the rolling smoke stood Marc, Falchion rippling with ghostly light. It took but an second for Corrin to register what happened: Marc had leapt between him and the spell just in time, catching the attack and redirecting it in one swift move.
The weapon is infused with divine magic, Corrin thought, realizing the significance of this fact for the first time. It's purpose isn't just to slay dragons, but to also to disperse dark magic it comes in contact with?
"I see. You're the one who's been killing my men, aren't you?" The sorcerer snarled. His grimace then twisted into a smirk, a crazed laugh falling from his lips. "So be it then! I kill both you and the traitorous prince all in the same day!"
Stepping forward, Marc met the next spell head on, again deflecting the attack with the flat of his divine blade. He darted out of the way of the blast that came next, lightning crackling through the air around him even as he pressed forward.
But even from here Corrin could tell something was wrong. Marc seemed slower. Slower than he had been during the fighting but moments before. He's tired, Corrin realized. He's been fighting outnumbered tens to one before we even arrived. It's a miracle he's still standing at this point, let alone doing any of this.
Yet still Marc charged forward. He leapt into the air, tumbling over the sorcerer and the spell he'd unleashed to land behind. He twisted around, a clumsy slash passing through the space the sorcerer had occupied, the brigand leader twisting out of reach. Marc staggered forward, pressing his attack, forcing the sorcerer back yet another step. Each movement was more sluggish than the last, the blade in the boy's hands no longer danced but swung with all the grace of a leaden weight.
What is he doing? He can't keep this up! Why throw himself at any enemy he has no hope of- Corrin stopped, his eyes going wide.
Of course.
Dammit, he should have seen it sooner. Marc's intentions hadn't been to fight the sorcerer head on, but merely grab his attention and move him into position.
A snarl filled the air as the sorcerer thrust both hands out before him, lighting the color of violet crackling from his fingertips. Marc managed to raise Falchion before him, catching the brunt of the spell on the blade. Electricity burst all around him, tendrils wrapping around the sword to wrap around the wielder. A weak, pained cry fell from Marc's lips as the spell began to overwhelm him. Electricity danced over his body as he slipped to one knee, then the other. A cruel laugh emanated from the sorcerer's snarling grin, the former Nohrian captain striding forward as poured his full might into the helpless swordsman.
Then the man jerked suddenly, his mouth falling open in a silent gasp as all the air was forced from his lungs. Shock played out across his face as he slowly looked down, his gaze falling upon the bloody tip of a sword protruding from his chest.
So focused on Marc, the brigand had completely forgotten about Corrin. Marc's attack had been carefully executed for this very aim. He'd first maneuvered himself behind their foe, only to then push the man back towards where Corrin had watched on. Even battered and weakened as Corrin had been, it had taken but seconds for the prince to drag himself across the remaining distance and deliver a fatal blow.
With a effort, Corrin ripped Yato free, the sorcerer falling lifelessly to the dirt. He breathed heavily, his shoulders rising and falling in strained rhythm with each gasp. "Are you alright?" He wheezed, gaze falling on Marc.
"Mostly. I think," Marc flashed a pained smile. Sweat drenched the boy's face, his eyelids drooping even as Corrin watched on. "I'm just….going to...rest...for a moment... Just one… moment..."
Marc toppled onto his back, spreading his arms wide as he lay there in the dirt. His chest rose and fell as he stared at the sky. At the very least he seem to be mostly conscious still. Honestly, that was impressive in of itself, given how exhausted the boy seemed to be.
Not that I am in much better shape, Corrin reminded himself. He let himself drop down onto the dirt as well, catching himself with both hands to prop himself up as he caught his breath. He looked around the see the last of the fighting beginning to die, his friends routing the remaining bandits still holed up in the ruined keep. All that would be left is to wait for the others to arrive.
They'd won the day, though perhaps by a closer margin than he would have liked. Now to find out if it had all been worth the risk.
. . . . .
Robin let out a deep sigh of relief the instant he saw Corrin coming to meet them at the keep's entranceway. The young prince appeared ragged, his armor cracked and scorched in numerous places, with an entire forearm of the garb having been torn away to reveal puffy red skin of partially healed burns. Yet through it all, Corrin was smiling, something that had been almost unseen in the brief time Robin had known him. While he'd heard from the others of how quickly smiles had come for Corrin in the past, he'd only seen the somber man the prince had become after the hardships he'd weathered. This was certainly a change of pace.
"Is everyone alright? We hurried here was as soon as we heard you were heading for the keep, but we were a ways off. I'm sorry, I'd hoped we would arrive in time to be of help."
Corrin shook his head. "A bit worse for wear, but nothing a round of healing magic can't fix. Jakob and Felicia are patching the others up now. Just got finished with me," he motioned to his bare arm. Then he sighed, his smile fading. "If you're going to scold me for being reckless, I will gladly accept it. We took a gamble that nearly didn't pay off. My plan worked perfectly, and yet I nearly died in the process." A small bitter laugh fell from his lips as he shook his head a second time. "Even when I try to stay alive, I almost get myself killed regardless. Makes me wonder if I've managed to anger the gods at this point, or something."
Robin frowned. Despite his effort to play it off as a joke, the guilty expression on Corrin's face told a different story. He's still judging himself so harshly, even if less than before, Robin realized.
Before Robin could respond, it was Lucina who stepped forward, her voice both calm and firm all at once. "It's alright. There is no sense shouldering blame for what almost was. So long as everyone is alright, we can be glad that all is well in the end."
"Thank you… I... Still, I was reckless when I ought not have. I was afraid that if given the chance, our enemy may try to destroy their ill gotten gains and so ruin our chances of getting what we- and I'm going at it again, aren't I?" Corrin asked, abruptly stopping his own tirade self deprecation as soon as he became aware of it.
"Yeah, a bit," Robin told him, flashing a small smile.
"Figured as much," Corrin managed a small smile of his own. He turned motioning for them to follow.
Heading into the keep, the rest of Robin's group wordlessly moved to help secure fortress, taking up positions around the perimeter in case of further attack by any hunting parties they'd missed attempting to return to their stronghold. Robin had instructed his team to join the defense on his way here in the event they arrived to find Corrin's group successful at claiming the fort. He was happy to see them following his instructions without needing to be reminded a second time. Soon only he and Lucina were left alone with Corrin.
"So far, I've only had a chance to take a brief look around. From what I can tell, they converted a storage cellar into a makeshift vault for all their spoils," Corrin explained, turning back to face them. "We should search there as soon as we are able. But before we do, there is something else I think you'd like to attend to fir-"
"Mother? Father?"
As one, the couple turned at the sound of the voice, looking past Corrin to where now stood a boy garbed in very familiar vestments. Clothes that of a mix of odd bits and pieces of the tactician's garments he'd worn in the past, layered over clothes fashioned in the style of his mother's gear.
"Marc?" Lucina gasped, uttering the same word Robin had mouthed silently, too surprised to speak.
Even though they'd suspected… to see him truly here...
For a moment, no one moved. Then, slowly, the boy lifted a hand to his hood, throwing it back over his shoulders even as he removed the butterfly mask from from his face. Tears glinted in his deep blue eyes, the right seemingly to shimmer with a brighter shade thanks to the brand that lay within the center of the iris.
"I was so scared…" Marc whispered. He shook his head, blinking rapidly to hold back the tears beginning to stream down his cheeks. "After you two vanished, I thought…"
Before either Lucina or himself could respond, Robin found himself suddenly staggering back a step as their son crashed into them. He felt fingers dig into his shirt, gripping tightly as Marc buried himself between them, his arms tightening to pull both parents into his embrace.
"Why? Why did you leave me again?"
"Marc…" The whisper fell from Lucina's lips so quietly that even standing so close to her, Robin had barely heard it. It was filled with guilt and shame in equal measure, bound in heartbreak for the pain their son must have gone through. "We never intended this to happen. If it were up to us, we'd have never abandoned you again. I'm sorry. I'm so very sorry. We promised you before we'd never leave, and we failed you."
"I wish we could made the same promise again. But given how we couldn't keep it before… instead let us promise we will do everything in out power to prevent it from happening again. That if we must part, it will never be by choice," Robin told his son, gripping his shoulders tightly.
Marc nodded against them, burying his face against them. For a long while they held this position, none of them daring to break the embrace.
Then without warning, Marc stirred suddenly, his body jolting as if shaken from a deep sleep. "Wait, is Morgan here? Have you heard anything from her yet?" Marc asked, lifting his head and pulling back slightly to look up at them..
Robin exchanged a glance with Lucina, fresh urgency gripping them. "Morgan? Did she come here too?" Robin asked.
"Yes. We both came looking for you here. But we didn't end up in the same place, so I'd hoped…" he trailed off, shaking his head.
Robin bit his lower lip, considering the matter for a moment. Clearly there was a long story to be told, one he hoped to hear at length as soon as he could. But… right now they had more pressing matters to attend to. The very reason they were here, to recover the stolen belongings of the Rainbow Sage and perhaps learn more about the nature of this world's Fire Emblem… that all took precedence. As much as he wished otherwise, he'd have to-
"It's okay."
Robin glanced to Corrin, jolted back to reality as the prince stepped forward. Staring blankly for a moment, he at last managed to arch an eyebrow in response to Corrin's words, confusion taking hold
The young lord simply shrugged, a small wistful smile at his lips. "Take the time you need. I can manage digging through these bandits' plunder. See if I can find anything before you catch up." Evidently he'd realized exactly what Robin had been thinking. Had he really been that easy to read?
Perhaps it was simply that as a father himself, Corrin had simply known what he would have wanted too were he in Robin's place.
"Are you certain? It would be no trouble for us to wait and-" Robin started to ask, only to be silenced by another shake of Corrin's head.
"It's alright. I should probably go explain the situation to the others, assuming Odin- I mean Owain, hasn't already done so in the form of some overblown story… though perhaps that's even more a reason to set the matter straight. I'd hate for my siblings to worry about the new arrival suddenly in our midst." He turned away. "Meet me inside the keep when you have a chance. Hopefully I'll have found something by then." With that Corrin departed, leaving the three of them alone in the ruined courtyard.
Once the prince was completely out of their sight, Robin turned back to Marc. "We should probably find somewhere to sit down. Looks like we have a lot of talk about."
. . . . .
"I don't understand. Where did you find this?" Lucina asked, glancing up from the butterfly mask held in open hands to gaze intently at Marc. "This is the same mask I once wore, is it not? I thought it lost after it was broken during the attempt on Aunt Emmeryn's life."
Robin glanced up, snapped back to the present. His thoughts had been wandering a bit, Lucina having taken over for him in retelling the final events that had taken place every since they'd come to this world. They've explained everything to Marc, or at least everything not concerning Valla or the curse. Thankfully if their son had perceived the fact they were withholding information, he did not press the matter any. Indeed, Marc seemed more intent on hearing everything that had happened to his parents, even down to the little things, such as the new friends and companions he and Lucina met during their time here.
They'd now come to a lull in the conversation, giving Marc a chance to process everything he'd been told before they in turn pressed him to recount everything that had transpired leading up to him traveling to this world as well.
Marc blinked at his mother's question. "Yes, it is. After you two vanished, the rest of us returned to Ylisstol to figure out our next move. I… did some digging around through your's and father's things. I found it tucked away in the back of a storeroom, mixed in with old battle plans and other odds-and-ends.
Now it was Robin's turn to blink dumbly. A moment passed before it all clicked into place. "Oh," he slapped his palm against his forehead. "I remember now! I recovered it from the courtyard some time after the attempt on Emmeryn's life. I think I'd intended to return it at some point. But considering the next time I had a chance to was over two years later, it slipped my mind." He noted the large cracks visible on the surface.
"But you had it fixed," Lucina stated, looking back up at their son as she offered the mask to him.
Marc accepted the mask rather sheepishly, bowing his head as he did so. "It felt only right. As long as I wore it, I was reminded of both of you." Marc answered, his face brightening red as he lowered his gaze to the floor. "Silly, I know. But it's true. With the mask on, it was like I could almost feel you there with me." He shrugged, the motion doing nothing the hide how his face flushed red as he finished
Smiling, Robin shook his head. He wouldn't push the issue further, if only to spare his son any more embarrassment.
"Speaking of after the battle, what happened? Was everyone else alright?" Robin asked.
"Oh, right. No need to worry about that. When the portal collapsed, Laurent was able to teleport everyone nearby to safety. The rest of us were already at a safe distance. The enemy were less fortunate. Most of the phantoms were either torn apart by the explosion that followed the rift's collapse, or were sucked back into it. Those that survived were outnumbered then, and were routed with minimal casualties to our forces," Marc explained.
Marc paused then, a sad sigh falling from his lips as he continued. "After that, Morgan and I were distraught. All of us were. We could find no trace of either of you on the battlefield. Divination spells revealed nothing. We didn't know if you were pulled into another world, or…" He trailed off, as if unable to utter that possibility aloud, even then.
Lucina reached out, placing her hand on Marc's. "It's alright, we're here now. You can keep going," she assured him.
Marc nodded and continued. "We traveled to Mount Prism then. Myself, Morgan, Grandfather, and a few others. Lady Tiki even came there herself too, to act as Naga's medium. There Naga informed us that as far as she could tell, the two of you were alive, but trapped within the world those creatures had come from. Hearing this, we of course wanted to go find you, but we were then informed that she lacked the strength to send us all to that world."
"So you and Morgan insisted on being the ones to go, am I correct?" Robin asked.
Marc dipped his head in affirmative. "Yes. We both wanted to be the one to go. As luck would have it, Naga had just enough strength for two. So it was decided. We prepared ourselves best we could, and the ritual was performed.
"I take it then that Morgan did not end up in the same place as you did. Same as what happened to myself and my friends when we traveled to the past?" Lucina asked. She paused, something else seemingly occurring to her then. She tensed, worry filling her face "As well, what of the little ones. Are they... "
Marc nodded. "Grandfather and grandmother are taking care of my and Morgan's younger selves. So you don't need to worry about that."
Both Robin and Lucina signed in relief, the tension once again dissipating. "I figured it was something like that. But it's good to know for certain," Robin remarked. "Sorry, go on. Something about you and Morgan being seperated just like Lucina and her friends were."
"Yeah. Naga warned us it would happen. She said she was going to prioritize getting us both there around the same time, with more than a week or so apart. Only to ensure the when also meant she would be unable to control where."
"How long have you been here, then?" Robin asked.
"About a month. Maybe a bit longer."
Robin did some quick mental math. "That would put you arriving only about a week after we did. How did you end up coming to Notre Sagesse? Did you end up here on this island in the first place, or did you travel here yourself?"
"Naga's portal brought me to one of the islands further south. I managed to book passage north by offering my services as a mercenary to protect a merchant ship heading that way. That's how ended up here. I had planned to find another ship heading to the mainland, but after learning of the plight the people here were in… I knew I had to do something to help. If I didn't no one else would. Least not anytime soon, it seemed." Marc sighed, lowering his gaze. "I'd hoped Morgan had had better luck than I, and she had found you first, but…" He trailed off, frown deepening. "I hope she's alright."
"We'll search for her together," Lucina assured him, putting a hand on Marc's arm, squeezing it gently. "Now that we're aware the two of you came to this world, nothing can stop us from being reunited. I promise."
"It does seem to be a talent of ours, considering the coincidences that brought us together from across multiple timelines," Robin added, grinning at the thought. "Today too was proof of that, as circumstances just so happened to cross our paths with yours."
"I suppose that's true, huh? Never really thought of it that way," Marc replied. He looked up, his eyes brightening as his lips pulled back into a brief smile.
Robin glanced up at the sky, seeing the faint orange hue the that now tinted the heavens. The sun had already began to set. Soon night would fall. "But, sadly I think we have to continue this later. It's high time we go find Lord Corrin. The matters that brought us here are ones we can't keep waiting forever," Robin apologized.
"I understand. If there's any way I can help, I'll give it gladly," Marc told him, pushing himself to his feet.
Robin stood as well, offering a hand to help pull Lucina upright with him. "Thank you. I appreciate it, Marc. Come on then, let's get going then. Wouldn't want to keep him waiting any longer."
. . . . .
"Find anything?" Robin asked, stepping into the fort cellar turned vault for the brigands' ill gotten gains.
Corrin looked up from the scroll he was reading, giving his head a shake. He sat cross-legged in the center of the room, piles of books and scrolls laid out before him. "Not much. I have narrowed it down a bit though." He motioned to a stack of boxes and chests to his side. "All the texts are here. Everything else here seems to be other odds and ends looted from the temple or from their raids."
"Is there anything we can do to assist you?" Lucina asked, stepping inside after Robin. Marc trailed in a step behind.
"Grab a box and start reading I suppose. No telling which of these, if any, have what we need." Corrin shrugged, then resumed scanning the scroll resting in his lap.
"Is there anything I should do? I'd be glad to help, but…I'm not really sure what I'm looking for," Marc asked, speaking up just as the two of them moved to begin helping Corrin.
Robin opened his mouth to answer, then abruptly shut it again. How was he going to explain this to Marc? Without the context he had, it would be difficult to convey the existence of the curse. It would be too risky for him to help otherwise: he may stumble across the information they sought without being aware of the danger, and so accidentally fall victim to the enchantment that hung over any mention of that world.
"We can't tell you," Robin said at last. At the confusion at his son's face, he continued. "It's not because we don't want to tell you, or that we think you can't be trusted. It's not even because we think not knowing will protect you. We can't tell you. Nor can we tell you why, for the same reason. We can't." He spoke slowly, giving each word emphasis and purpose. He needed Marc to understand there was a reason for his phrasing, if he did, perhaps.
Marc frowned, visibly at a loss. "You can't explain why? But I don't see…" He stopped, expression tightening as a small gasp fell from his lips.. "You mean something is stopping you? Something that you can't even mention and-" He snapped a hand over his mouth, eyes widening. "I think… I think I understand. If I'm right, I'll show you what a I find rather than tell you? That would be safe, right?"
"Yes. It would," Robin laughed, a grin spreading over his face. "I'm impressed, you figured it out quicker than I imagined."
"Oh, um… I'm sure it's nothing, really. I…" Marc's face turned red as he looked away, quickly digging into one of the boxes. Anything it seemed, rather than face the praise he'd been given.
And so the three pouring through the stolen texts became four. Yet even with their number increased, the minutes crawled by, soon becoming hours. The candles lighting the chamber began to burn low, and Robin was sure night would soon fall outside. The age of the scrolls had made their progress slow, hampered by fragile parchment that necessitated careful handling and archaic dialects that often obscured the meaning of what was written.
However, on the turning of the third hour, a discovery was made at last, Marc speaking up suddenly.
"Father, can you take a look at this? I'm not sure if this is what you're looking for, but… It seems like it could be important.." He trailed off, gingerly offering an old, cracked scroll to him.
As soon as he accepted it, Robin realized why Marc had seemed so cautious. The parchment creaked as he touched it, it's edges flaking away as he opened it. It was clear the last months locked away in a damp cellar had not done wonders for it.
Robin slowly unfurled the scroll, peering at the faded words. He recognized the script, an ancient language used by dragons in the ancient past. So it was used in both our worlds it seems. I wonder... Thankfully he had some knowledge of the language, as did most scholars of his world. Though his command of it left much to be desired.
As best he could tell, it read as so.
I, who forged the sacred blade
I, who committed the great sin.
I, who wove the divine colors.
I call on you now, Seal of Flames.
The power it wrought be sealed away.
The emblem locked in silent stone.
It's might split and bound in four.
Two cast in light, two lost in night.
When he'd finished reading it once, Robin turned to the others, reading it a second time aloud. For a moment no one spoke, taking a moment to process it. Then Corrin shifted where he sat, lifting his gaze as he ventured to speak.
"I think... I think the rainbow sage spoke that first part when he unlocked some of Yato's power, or at least something very close to it," Corrin said, his expression thoughtful. "The second part is new, though. However, I am certain it refers to the Yato."
"What do you mean?" Lucina asked.
"Well, the second line, the 'locked in silent stone' seemed to be how Yato had been sealed inside a statue before I found it. Which means…"
"That Yato is indeed this world's Fire Emblem, or rather a weakened version of it," Robin finished for him. He nodded. "I suspected as much. It makes sense too, our Emblem also has its power split among several object. For us it is five gemstones."
Corrin nodded. He opened his mouth, about to respond, only to be cut short as a sudden gasp filled the room.
Everyone turned to look at Marc, he was gripping the bundle of cloth he had strapped to his back. His mouth tightened into a grimace, matching the pale sheen his skin had taken on. "So, um… I'm not sure if this is the best time, but there's something else I haven't told you yet. But considering the topic, well…"
Pulling the object from his back, he tugged at the knot that kept the wrappings closed. Slowly the linens fell away, revealing golden bronze that caught in the flickering candlelight. Gasps filled the chamber.
"Marc, how did you get this?" Lucina asked, her eyes now wide as Robin's own had become.
In Marc's hands shone the Shield of Seals, the five gemstones set in it's surface seeming to glow with their own light.
"Grandfather gave it to me before we left. Naga instructed him to, but she wouldn't explain why. She just told we'd need it," Marc explained, lowering his gaze.
"You had this the entire time?" Robin asked, arching an eyebrow. "Why didn't you say anything?"
"I… I was worried about it being lost here, in another world. I feared that if anyone here found out about it, about it's power, they may try to take it from me," Marc explained, hanging his head low. "I'm sorry if I should have said something I just... " He trailed off, averting his gaze.
Robin considered this a moment, then nodded. "Understandable. I probably would have done something like that, were I in your place."
"Wait, hold on a second," Corrin interrupted. He got to his feet, stepping forward. "If this is your world's Fire Emblem, couldn't we just use it to defeat Ana- I mean, our enemy?" He finished, managing to catch himself at the last moment.
Robin exhailed the breath he'd sucked in at Corrin's lapse, thankful he'd realized his mistake before uttering the full name. That… could have been downright disastrous. Taking a moment to breathe freely again, he answered the question with a shake of his head. "No. The power of the Fire Emblem is tied to the world from which it hails. Even being brought to another timeline prevents it from being able to harness it's full might. We saw that first hand when we fought the Grima of Marc's timeline."
"Yeah. Naga explained as much to me as well. Said it alone would not be able to defeat all the threats that awaited us," Marc added. "But she insisted to take it nonetheless. I tried to ask why, but all she would say is that 'he'll know when the time is right'. Do you have any idea what she could have meant?" His gaze turned to his parents as he finished.
I wonder… Could it… Robin shook his head, a dozen competing thoughts and theories springing to mind. This was too much to process all at once. He'd have to consider this at length when it had his full attention. "No, I'm sorry. It's possible Naga somehow knew we would yet have need of it. Even without it's full power, our world's Fire Emblem is still mighty indeed. I have no doubt that it could prove useful in the battles to come."
"Yet in the end we must still seek the emblem of this world, or rather, the means to unlock it's true form," Corrin said. He glanced down, where Yato lay in its sheath at his waste. The hilt of the blade seemed to glow slightly, his golden surface drawing in the surrounding light.
"You said before that Yato gained strength from Lord Xander and Lord Leo's weapons, did you not?" Lucina asked. She frowned slightly, considering her words for a moment before adding, "It seems to me that these are the 'two lost in night' the scroll mentioned. Which means two more weapons are needed. 'Two cast in light'. Do you know what this might be?"
For a long while Corrin said nothing, his gaze locked firmly on Yato's hilt. So still he stood that for a moment Robin almost thought he'd been turned to stone. He seemed to barely even breath.
"Lord Corrin?" Robin asked.
Corrin jolted slightly, as if suddenly awoken from a deep trance. He looked up, blinking at them.
"Do you know of what the other two weapons might be?" Lucina asked, repeating her question more firmly this time.
"Yes. I believe I do," he answered. He grimaced, his skin taking on a ghostly light as he looked away yet again.
"Where? And what are they," Robin asked, doing his best not to sound impatient. He was not blind to Corrin's reaction. To have caused him such visible distress.
"The Raijinto and the Fujin Yumi. They belonged to my brothers. My true brothers, who now lay dead because of me," he answered, his voice hollow and cracked. When he met their gaze, it was with eyes filled with pain. "Their weapons would have passed to my sisters, the princesses of Hoshido, Hinoka and Sakura."
"So to unlock the Fire Emblem we'd need their help," Robin said. He saw Corrin's hands tighten into fists the moment he'd finished, the knuckles on his hands going bone-white.
"I know," Corrin answered, nodding his head grimly. "And that's what scares me."
Author's Note: Finally got this chapter out! I'd almost gotten it out sooner too, then I got sick… again. Ugggghhhh. Someone really doesn't want me to finish this story on time. Curse you various gods who have it out to get me !
*shakes fists at heavens*
So, the whole family is now back together. And we finally discovered what happened to everyone else after the conclusion of A Future Broken. So that's good to know.
In more recent news, just this Thursday hot on the heels of best daughter being announced for coming to Fire Emblem Heroes, I was greeted with a notification on tumblr that someone had commissioned artwork of Marc as he appears in this story. And oh my, it somehow looks even better than I could have possibly imagined. You can find a link to the art here ( ticcyart,tumblr,com/post/171652062260/morgan-commission-for-crispytp-from ) (Just replace the commas in the url with periods). So. huge shoutout to ticcyart on tumblr who made the piece and to crispytp who commissioned it. I cannot thank either of them enough. I have been so irrationally happy the past three days because of it.
Speaking of Morgan and her being in heroes, given Marc has gotten a new outfit, maybe Morgan should too. Perhaps something based on her artwork from Heroes? I wonder…
Anyhow, with that out of the way, onto guest review responses.
Darkness21 - I am keeping the other major character who is going to appear rather close to the chest. So you will all have to wait and see. Hopefully this chapter shed more light on things, as last one was mostly just fighting.
Dracofighter - Yeah, I need to work on fixing all of the mistakes I made. Two betareaders plus myself going over things and I still let mistakes slip through the cracks.
Anyhow, that's all for now. As always, please let me know what you thought of this one. Until next time, peace!
Character Spotlight: Silas
Class: Paladin
Secondary Class: Mercenary, Troubadour (S-Support Felicia), Ninja (A* Support Kaze)
Skills: Luna, Aegis, Inspiration, Tomebreaker, Shurikenbreaker
Personal Skill: Vow of Friendship - If Corrin is under half HP, Silas deals +3 damage and receives -3 damage in combat.
Equipment: Silver Sword, Killer Lance, Spear
Status: Alive