A Time to Shine/Sirius: Mysterious Knight


Sirius	Let's end our training for the day there, Prince Alfonse.
As you wish. Thank you for taking the time to train with me today.		Alfonse
Sirius	Of course.
...		Alfonse
Sirius	Is something...the matter? Can I be of more service in some way? Beyond the training, that is...
Could— Please understand I mean no offense, of course, but... You seem very familiar to me... As if we've met before, somehow... And just now, training...your footwork and well-honed lance techniques... I believe I've seen them somewhere before...performed by another Hero. Would that...surprise you?		Alfonse
Sirius	... I suspect any similarities are merely commonalities, Prince Alfonse. And just your imagination beyond. Surely you've fought countless lancers who are, like me, mediocre...
No... There is nothing mediocre about the way you fight. The way you carry yourself betrays a long history of fierce battle... That much I can tell. Even among the Heroes here, I'd be confounded trying to find more than a few who can fight like you...		Alfonse
Sirius	Prince Alfonse, I assure you... I am a simple traveler. I fight only to protect others from grief... That is all I am. Nothing more. Now, if you will excuse me...
He sure left in a hurry... ...It's not just the way he fights either! Even his voice... It's all so familiar... What's Sirius hiding under that mask anyway...		Alfonse


Alfonse	Excuse me, Sirius... I'm sorry to pry, but... Why do you wear that mask? Apologies for being so direct...
...		Sirius
Alfonse	I ask as a comrade in arms...
... Fate...can be cruel. The man under this mask was... stubborn, only realizing what he valued when it was too late...		Sirius
Alfonse	...
So, to challenge fate's cruelty... he wears a mask.		Sirius
Alfonse	I see... So, you wear the mask to create a new fate...
I suspect the story is not unique among the Heroes summoned here. Others may choose heavy armor or legendary blades over a mask, but...we all seek to change fate.		Sirius
Alfonse	Thank you, Sirius. I think I understand the reason you wear a mask a little better now. You want not to run from fate but to face it and remake it—and for that, the mask is necessary.
I know it is...improper, but this mask frees me to do as I must, to pursue that which is important to me. ...So I may create some peace for myself in a world shaped by fate's cruel turnings.		Sirius


Alfonse	Sirius... I want to tell you something about my past... A friend I hold dear once donned a mask... And then they met me on the field as my enemy...
I see... I had assumed you asked about my mask out of curiosity. It seems I misjudged your intent.		Sirius
Alfonse	I want to understand...why my friend needs their mask...
Well, without knowing the details, it is difficult to say... But in order to raise his sword against you, he may have needed the mask. To point your blade at a friend is... painful. Perhaps they wore the mask to hide that pain...		Sirius
Alfonse	Someday, I hope...he will no longer need that mask...
Only he can know when, or if, that day will come...		Sirius
Alfonse	Will you...ever remove your mask?
I cannot say—not until I have done what I must. Until then, we can both only wait...		Sirius
Alfonse	...


Sirius	Ah, Prince Alfonse. Last we spoke, you asked me something... You asked whether I would remove this mask were I to achieve my goals...
I did, yes...		Alfonse
Sirius	You see...I have someone awaiting my return. When my goal is achieved, and the time to return comes... I may have no more need for this mask. That is why I must fight: to shed my past and start anew.
To shed the past... Could that be why my friend chose to wear his mask as well? To seek out a new life? No, that can't be it... Perhaps it was simply the turnings of his fate that forced him to wear the mask... That is what I must believe. When the time comes for him to remove his mask, we can work together again...		Alfonse
Sirius	Prince Alfonse, if you wish to walk alongside your friend once more, I will do what I can to assist you.
Thank you, Sirius...		Alfonse
Sirius	This is but a temporary form, but my wish to protect those I hold dear lives ever on in my heart of hearts.
I am glad, and happy you are willing to lend us your strength so that Askr can one day see peace.		Alfonse
Sirius	I will do my utmost to live up to your expectations of me. For now, this mask is me... But I shall hold fast to my dream of peace... And I will keep fighting for a future where I can feel the sun's light shine upon my face once more!