Two days after the ball, Robin was the first one to arrive in the briefing room to officially be drafted into the Rebellion's army. To be fair, he did live the closest out of all of them, so he had a head start. He'd surprised himself by getting out of bed on time this morning, as he'd accidentally lost track of time while reading some of the books Robin had checked out from the library. 

He actually had one of those books with him right now, since he was anticipating a little bit of a wait. Casually, he opened it and started reading. It was about military strategy (he'd picked it up yesterday morning, since Robin had thought that studying up on that kind of thing would be useful in the days to come.)

Robin hadn't even finished the page before someone came crashing into the room. Annoyed, he looked up to see Ike and Link grinning and high-fiving each other. 

"What did you do?" Chrom asked without looking up. Shocked, Robin looked over to him. He could've sworn Chrom wasn't here when he arrived. Only Shulk and Caeda had been standing around the table where Chrom had been when they first arrived here. 

"We beat Samus and Zelda here. They were talking about how they bet that we'd be too slow to make it here before us, so we decided to prove them wrong." Link explained. 

Robin sighed and returned to his book. Those two literally couldn't back away from a challenge, could they? Shortly after Link and Ike got settled, Samus and Zelda arrived. They both looked rather put out by the fact that the two boys had beaten them, but they didn't say anything about it. All of this chaos was making it pretty hard for Robin to read his book, which annoyed him. 

Corrin, Lucina, and Sheik all wandered in at the same time. What were the odds of that? Seriously. The three of them appeared to be having a conversation about the pros and cons of paperback books versus hardcover books. An odd thing for them to be talking about, considering that books were usually Robin's thing. Not that he minded seeing other people talking about books, of course. 

And everybody knows that paperback books are superior to hardcover books, anyway. 

Speaking of odd things, where was Marth? It was unlike him to be late. 

Almost as if Robin's thought had summoned him, Marth appeared in the doorway. 

"Sorry about that." Marth was breathing hard, like he'd just been running. Didn't he live about three miles away from here? If so, that was a long way to run. 

"Where were you?" Lucina asked, looking over at him with concern written all over her face.

"Woke up late. Had to run over here." Marth said in between gasps. He kind of looked like he was going to pass out. 

"Three miles? After just waking up?" Lucina looked a bit incredulous. Robin didn't blame her, it seemed like a bizarre feat to him as well. 

Marth could only nod. "Used my Gift a bit, too. It's not helping now, that's for sure." he said, once he was able to speak. 

"Right, well, now that everybody's here, we can get started." Chrom said, cutting their conversation short. "Caeda, I'll let you explain a little bit before we get into weapons and everything else."

Caeda nodded in acknowledgement and turned to face the others. "So, as you all know, you've been drafted. Unfortunately, this is how we've managed to get most of our soldiers. I know you're probably wondering how we draft people when we're rebelling against the government, which usually does the drafting. The truth is, the government is widely despised. We have plenty of supporters here in Ebonfell and the other cities. Whenever someone new says they want to support our cause, we put their names down in a virtual registry. At the end of each month, if we see the need to add more soldiers, we pull names from this registry. Usually it's around twenty to thirty people added in this way, but we're kind of gambling on the fact that you all have incredibly strong Gifts." Caeda explained. When she finished speaking, she stepped back and nodded to Chrom. 

"Thank you, Caeda. Now, I apologize if this is a lot to take in. I would have preferred to give you all more time to settle in to life here, but my fellow Leaders disagreed. The two months you've had so far are a result of a compromise between myself and them." Chrom sighed a little helplessly, then shook his head to clear it. "You will all have three to four months of training. This seems very fast, but I regret to say that this is what each soldier gets. No more, and no less. We simply do not have the time for it. You will receive advanced training in how to use your Gifts, and you will also receive weapons training." 

"Forgive the intrusion, but we've already had basic training in each of those areas." Marth said, since he'd recovered from his three mile jog by now. 

"Yes, you have. Hopefully, these next few months will be enough to turn you into real fighters. Not saying that you aren't skilled already, but some proper training could do you all good." Chrom replied. 

"Thanks for that." Samus muttered. 

"The training you received at the hands of the Headmaster was cruel and unnecessarily violent. While it may have been an effective teacher, you'll need to be retaught several things in order to preserve your decency as human beings when you're out there on the battlefield." Chrom explained. 

That shut Samus up. 

"Cruel and unnecessarily violent, huh? I'll show YOU cruel and unnecessarily violent." One of the voices in Robin's head grumbled, thought it was really loud and certainly unexpected. When he heard the voice, he literally flinched and nearly dropped his book. A quick glance around told him that it was indeed one of the two voices in his head, as nobody else seemed to have heard it. Great. He was just slowly going insane, then. 

"Shut up." Robin hissed under his breath at the voice. "Now is not the time for this." 

Luckily, nobody seemed to notice his comment. 

"So will we be receiving weapons?" Ike asked, sounding genuinely curious. 

Chrom smiled. "Indeed you will. In fact, besides giving you the formal introduction to the army, we're also going to be doing some weapon compatibility tests. Due to the nature of your Gifts, we have reason to suspect that several of you are able to wield the legendary weapons we've managed to free from the government's archives." He gestured to Shulk and Caeda, who had gone and retrieved a sleek black case. It was quite impressive looking, as it was quite large and seemingly heavy. 

Wordlessly, Shulk opened the latches holding the case closed. Robin only caught a glimpse of a golden blade before Shulk moved in front of the case, presumably to pick the sword up. 

"You may be familiar with the fact that we mainly use guns. However, recent events have led the other Leaders and I to decide that each soldier needs to be skilled in more... archaic styles of fighting, for lack of a better word. So, we made it a mission of ours to retrieve the legendary weapons." Chrom explained as Shulk and Caeda prepared the weapons by setting them out on the table. "First is the heavenly sword Ragnell, said to be blessed by the goddess Ashera during a mythical war from our distant past. Ragnell is the sister sword to Alondite, which we have not been able to recover yet. This sword is said to be less finicky about who bears it, yet still challenging to wield nonetheless."

"What could possibly so difficult about a sword?" Samus scoffed. 

"You're welcome to try and wield it, Samus. See for yourself." Caeda cut in, shrugging while she spoke. 

Robin's eyes narrowed. From what he'd read about Ragnell, it could be wielded by anybody. It wasn't like the Master Sword... Unless it required someone with the Gift of super strength to wield it? All its past wielders had been Gifted with super strength, once Gifts started manifesting... 

The way Shulk didn't even try to pick the sword up to hand it to Samus confirmed Robin's suspicions. When the blonde girl tried to lift it, she found that she could only get it to budge a few centimeters. 

"What the..? It's so heavy. A lot heavier than it looks, actually." Samus frowned and released her grip on the hilt. 

"Come on, Samus. It can't be that heavy." Zelda said. "It doesn't look like it weighs that much."

"I told you, it's heavier than it looks!" Samus replied. 

Zelda sighed and tried to lift Ragnell herself. "Alright, I believe you." she said, frowning as well. "Maybe Ike should try to lift it. He's the one with super strength."

"Hold on, let me try." Link said, stepping forward and gripping the hilt. He only succeeded in looking like a fool as he tried to lift the sword, to no avail. 

Finally, Ike stepped forward and put a hand on Link's shoulder. "Link, let me do this." he said, looking almost apologetic. 

Link stepped aside with a frustrated huff. 

Just like Robin had suspected, Ike was able to lift the sword with no trouble. 

"You guys were right, it has a little bit of weight to it." Ike remarked, looking down at the golden blade in his hand. 

"You make it look easy, though." Link said, a tad resentfully. 

Ike just shrugged in response, careful not to accidentally behead someone when he did. 

"Link, you shouldn't sound so disappointed. Especially considering this next sword is basically yours. This aptitude test is really only a formality." Shulk said. 

Chrom did his best to hide a smile at his words. "Shulk is correct. The next sword we have is the Master Sword. Also called the sword that seals the darkness, or the blade of evil's bane. It's a very famous sword. Equally as famous is the fact that this sword can only be wielded by someone with the blood of a courageous hero in their veins." 

Robin nodded. He'd read several books about the Master Sword in particular, as it was one of the most famous swords in existence. "Go on, Link. You're the one with the particular hero's blood needed for this sword." 

As soon as Link picked it up, he nearly dropped it with a hiss of pain. "It feels like it's trying to kill me!" he exclaimed through gritted teeth. 

"Of course. It's how the sword determines if you're worthy to wield it or not." Robin said, shrugging. 

"Shut... up." Link hissed back at him. 

After a few tense seconds of Link stubbornly keeping his grip on the hilt of the sword, he exhaled and very nearly dropped the legendary blade on his foot. He looked more tired than Robin had ever seen him, but vaguely proud of himself. 

"So you didn't die after all. What a shame." Sheik commented dryly. 

Link just rolled his eyes at them and ignored their comment. 

Caeda handed Link an impressive looking sheath, complete with the Triforce etched on it in gold. Almost automatically, Link sheathed the sword and used the strap that was attached to swing it over his shoulder. 

"Next we have the Parallel Falchion, which is different from my own Exalted Falchion. It is also different from the sword right after it, which is also named Falchion. It's also completely separate from the Dracofalchion wielded by Alm, one of my fellow Leaders. Him and his wife Celica make quite the pair, both on the battlefield and off it." Chrom noticed he was getting distracted and cleared his throat. "Er, sorry about that. In any case, this one is a bit of an odd sword. It requires a wielder with a very specific variant of the hero-king's blood. For anybody else, it's just a dull sword that will not sharpen, no matter what." 

Lucina stepped forward. "That would be me. Once wielded by the Foreseer, who saved the world using the Parallel Falchion and their knowledge of what would come to pass in the future. This particular variant of Falchion can only be wielded by a descendant of the Forseer who manifests the Future Witness Gift. Although the Forseer died long before the first Gifted child was born, their bloodline still manifests in that particular Gift. I've done my research, Father." 

Chrom looked stunned. "I... Yes, good job, Lucina." He cleared his throat and gestured to Shulk, who picked up the sword, as well as its scabbard, and handed it to Lucina. 

Needless to say, Robin was very impressed. It wasn't every day that Lucina showed off her clever side, and when she did... it was equal parts adorable and surprising. 

She had the grace to look a little sheepish as she sheathed the sword, which was quite the impressive weapon by itself. The blade was silver with a golden line down the middle, and the hilt had a teardrop-shaped gap before the royal red grip began. The sheath matched the color of the grip and had gold embellishments, not unlike the sheath Chrom himself carried. 

"Speaking of Falchion and its various variants, now we come to the sword that started it all. Figuratively speaking, of course. Nobody is really certain how the various variants of Falchion have all come to exist together, but it's likely that they are all different swords with similar names and a muddled history. This version of Falchion can only unlock its true power when wielded by someone with the blood of the Hero-King from the legends. It can be wielded by others, but it won't be anything other than a regular sword." Chrom said, trying to keep this process moving. 

Wordlessly, Marth stepped forward. "Like Lucina, I've done a fair amount of research into this topic as well. I believe I would be the one to unlock Falchion's power, thanks to my Gift." he explained, looking his father in the eyes. He appeared to be more confident that he'd been in a while. It was refreshing to see, honestly. But it was also a little terrifying. 

Chrom hadn't mentioned what all variants of Falchion could do. 

No matter what version of the legendary sword it was, the blade was blessed to be the ultimate dragon-slayer. 

Robin could feel his blood boiling from being in such close proximity to three of the blades that could kill him with literally a scratch. 

Casually, he glanced over at Corrin. The silver-haired boy was looking a little sick as well, so at least the two of them were suffering together. 

"We've got two more legendary swords to get through, and then we'll move on to the... less conventional legendary weapons." Chrom said. "The next sword is the golden Yato, a blade that also happens to be very particular about who wields it. I'm not exactly sure how this sword chooses its wielder, so whoever hasn't claimed a weapon can go ahead and try their luck with this one." 

Zelda, to Robin's surprise, was the first one to step forward. "I'll try." she said, shrugging her shoulders. "What's the worst that could happen?"

"You could die!" Link protested. 

"The Yato isn't quite as dramatic as the Master Sword with its method of choosing a bearer, Link." Corrin said quietly. 

"Still." Link protested. 

"Enough, Link. I can handle this." Zelda said while she grabbed the hilt of the golden sword. 

Almost immediately, she dropped it and swore. "It burned me?" Zelda exclaimed incredulously. 

Sheik frowned, but they didn't move. 

"If it burnt you, let me try." Corrin said. He seemed to be trying to fight the nausea that the three Falchions were undoubtedly causing. "I've got water dragon blood. Maybe it won't burn me." 

Now Sheik looked downright nervous. Still, they didn't move or say anything to stop Corrin. 

Corrin grabbed the hilt and didn't pull it away like Zelda had. "It feels warm, but not burning hot." he mused, probably just thinking out loud. 

Robin could have sworn he saw Sheik's shoulders slump a little in relief. 

"Good. Well, we have one more legendary blade to get through before the last few weapons. This one doesn't really have a too illustrious history, if I'm being honest. This Windcleaver is a relic from the... rather bloody history of the Sheikah. It doesn't have any odd restrictions on who can use it, but it is a little intimidating to wield." Chrom said. 

"This is a Yiga weapon, not a Sheikah weapon." Sheik said quietly. Their gaze, which was intimidating under normal circumstances, was positively terrifying now. "In fact, I recognize the pattern on the hilt. That's the blade that was used by the founder of the Yiga Clan to slay the beloved leader of the Sheikah at that time. That blade and its wielder started a civil war that decimated both clans! Calling this blade a "legendary weapon" of the same kind as the Master Sword is an affront to the very history of my clan." 

Robin had never heard Sheik this angry. They were furious. Plenty of people had been doing their research, but wait- had they mentioned their clan?

Did that mean that Sheik and Zelda were both at least half-Sheikah?

Hadn't the Sheikah died out a long time ago, though?

"Sheik, I apologize for any offense this weapon may present to you. I'm afraid we have yet to recover the Eightfold Blade used in that same war, or even any of the Ancient Weapons." Chrom sounded genuinely apologetic, but Sheik didn't let him off that easy. 

"I know you knew that Zelda and I are half Sheikah. This blade represents a lot of things, and none of them are good. I know that Sheikah aren't the most welcome race in most cities. Hell, even Gorons are most tolerable to most people. Laguz, manaketes... doesn't matter. They're all more accepted than Sheikah nowadays. If I carry this blade around, that will only reinforce the image of the Sheikah as killers who care not for the lives of others." Sheik replied. "I will kill a man with my bare hands if necessary. I will not raise this blade in battle, and that is final."

The room was silent. 

Sheik had never gotten that angry before. At least, not that Robin had seen. They looked furious. 

"I see." was all Chrom could manage in response.  

Finally, Sheik backed down. "I will use a regular sword. I don't need a fancy blade to prove my worth." With that, they returned to their spot beside Corrin, who looked genuinely shocked by their outrage. 

After a moment of silence, Chrom cleared his throat. Shulk wrapped up a long, sinister looking blade and placed it back in the case. "Next is the first of our different legendary weapons. The Bow of Light, said to be wielded by various princesses throughout its long history. Only someone with the power to bend light to their will can fire this bow, as its arrows are made of pure light." Chrom said, apparently trying to get past that little debacle. 

"That's me." Zelda said, raising her hand. "I can manipulate light thanks to my Gift, Light of Hyrule." 

Caeda handed the bow to Zelda, who took it. Almost immediately, a glowing bowstring and an arrow, already nocked and ready to fire, appeared. 

"Perfect." Chrom said. "Next, we have the tome Grima's Truth. This tome was gifted by the fell dragon himself to the first bishop who devoted themselves completely to Grima. It contains all sorts of spells to wreak havoc on your opponents, and is considered to be so dangerous that only someone with the fell dragon's blood can wield it now." 

Robin could feel the tome whispering to him. It was an odd experience, to say the least. Wait, this is a dangerous book. He should stay FAR AWAY from it. No, there was knowledge inside. Power, too. The ability to kill people painfully. He could make the Headmaster suffer with this book...

"I have the fell dragon's blood." Robin muttered, almost as if he was in a daze. Could the others hear how dazed he was? Hopefully not. That would not help his chances with Lucina. 

Wordlessly, Caeda handed him the tome. 

It had a purple cover, and it felt leathery to the touch. Could it possibly be made of dragon skin? He ran a hand down the cover, being careful to keep a neutral expression on his face. The tome felt like it was alive, or maybe he was just hallucinating. 

He'd have to keep this somewhere safe when he wasn't using it. 

"That brings us to our last weapon. Samus, this one would be yours. It's the legendary Power Suit, which has served many bounty hunters well over the years. I don't have much to say about this one, as it doesn't really choose its wielder. It's a regular weapon in that sense, but it is legendary because of who first wore it." Chrom said. He looked vaguely exhausted, which made sense considering how much talking he'd been doing. 

"Sweet." Samus said, looking at the small rectangular box she'd been handed. "This looks a little small to be a suit, though."

"You'll see." Shulk said, winking at her mischievously. "It's pretty interesting, trust me." 

Ike looked at the blond boy suspiciously, and Shulk was suddenly very aware of the sword in the blue-haired boy's grasp. 

An uncomfortable silence fell over the room. 

Caeda was the one to break it. "So. Now I think we're done here. Your training won't start until next week, so you have a bit of time to digest all of this information. Try not to get yourselves in any danger before then, alright?" 

"You are dismissed." Chrom added, an authoritative note coming into his voice that snapped Robin's attention back to reality. 

Slowly, the group dispersed. Robin was one of the first ones to exit, but as he was walking out of the Rebellion's headquarters, Ike caught up with him. 

"Hey, Robin. I have a question for you." Ike said, slowing his pace to match Robin's.

"Go for it." Robin said, trying his best to focus on Ike and not all of the information he'd just learned, plus the tome in his hands and what it was whispering to him.

"What do you think of me? Be honest." Ike asked. 

Robin had to think about that for a moment. "Hmm. Well, I don't really know you all that well. You seem like a cool guy, but you never really do anything that sticks out in my mind." he replied, nodding after a moment as if agreeing with himself.

"...I see." Ike said. "Thank you." With that, Ike started walking in the other direction, presumably to get to his apartment. 

After a moment, Robin shrugged and kept walking. It wasn't really that important, so he dismissed Ike's question and returned processing all of that information running through his head.