A/N: Okay, before anyone calls me lazy, allow me to explain why this chapter and Conquest are nearly the same.

Since I'm doing all three paths, I've decided to make the beginning chapters the same, just with minor changes to Roger's personality, equipment and the sibling that joins him in his journey. The only real changes between each path are what he does in Chapters 2, 4, and 6. And you'll see them when they come out.

Fire Emblem Fates: Shattered Birthright

Prologue & Chapter 1: A New Challenger Approaches

~Normal Dimension; Marren Family Mansion, Morning~ (1 Year After the Events of Intervention)

I sighed, the all too familiar sense of boredom plaguing me once again. To explain the reasons behind my boredom, it's quite simple. The first thing was the fact my 3DS was busted and we had to order a new one, and it wouldn't be here until next week. The second thing is that Rodger (Me from an alternate universe), was using our basement for one of his E-Sports training sessions, which meant I was cut off from playing anything on our xBox1, PS4, WiiU or any of our computers. And the last thing was the fact that I had mostly run out of colored pencils so I couldn't finish the art I had started for my friends. So yeah, put them all together and what do you get? Me, living through the endless torture of not being able to do anything during my first day of Summer.

"God… freaking… dammit." I groaned, switching from my sitting position to a lying position. "This is just a glorious way to start my Summer, with nothing to do…"

I heard a knock on my bedroom door, I knocked twice on my bed frame to signal them to come in. The door opened slowly and I saw my younger sister walk in, "Hey Mari, what's up?"

"I'm… bored." She admitted. I sighed as I looked at my younger sister. Marilyn was about two years younger than me, and about three inches shorter. She had vibrant brown hair with orange highlights that never seemed to fade, two bright amber eyes, and a well defined face. She didn't wear much makeup, just a little mascara and smoky grey eye shadow. Her outfit, if anything, was a near copy of mine. She was wearing a black sweatshirt, with the Assassin's Creed logo stitched in with red thread on the back and on the left breast, a white & green ombre t-shirt, blue jeans with a patch on the right knee and black hiking boots.

"You and me both sister," She then proceeded to sit on my bed and lie her head on my stomach. "Is Rod nearly done yet? Or are we still gonna be bored for the next few hours?"

"He's nearly done, we've got another hour or so left." She replied, staring at the portrait above my bed. "Is that the thing you've been working on for the past week?"

"What're you- oh, yeah. That's it."

The project in question was a replica of the painting Say'ri did of all the Shepherds, which I wanted to honor my friends by remaking it into a large scale drawing, with everyone paired with their respective significant other and children. I was finished with their outlines and nearly done with all of their colors, but I had to stop due to running out of red and blue when I got to Priam and Walhart. So far I had finished 33 of the 37 characters in the picture, all I had left was Flavia, Walhart, Priam and myself.

"Is it me, or is there an extra character in that portrait?" Marilyn asked innocently. "Or is that last one…?"

"Me? Yep, you remember that coma, and you remember the character list from that save file." I smiled, staring at the images of myself, Say'ri, and my daughters. "Is it sad, weird or just downright crazy to say that I miss them?"

"I'd say it's crazy, yet sweet."

"Heh, yeah," I looked at my old 2DS resting on the bedside table nearby. "Hmm… I wonder."

"Something up Rog?" She followed my eyes to where I was looking. "Oh, you think it still works?"

"Just because I never used it ever since I got my XL, doesn't mean it's broken." I grabbed the silver device and tapped the power button. After a moment the screen flashed to life. "Yes! I now have something to do until my new XL gets here!"

"Why you lucky- now I wish I didn't trade my 2DS in for a Switch!" She then drove her elbow into my gut and left in a jealous huff.

'Wonder when I should tell her that Rod stole her Switch to train for the Splatoon 2 tourney coming in a few weeks.' I grinned at the thought as I brought up Fates, since I still had my SD card and I had all of my save data just waiting to be used. "Okay, now where did I leave off?"

When the game finally loaded up, I found my latest save file and played it, which threw me into Conquest: Chapter 13, "Ugh… this chapter. Just perfect~…" I groaned. Being honest, I had no dislike for the levels themselves. I just hated what happened after said chapter, being that axe wielding bastard brutalized Scarlet… I always had a hate for the Nohrian "Elite", excluding the Royal Siblings and retainers of course.

Once I had finished the chapter (and skipped the dialogue), I looked out my window to see three cars leaving the driveway, which only meant one thing…

"Finally! He's done!" I exclaimed, dropping my 2DS on my bed and rushing back downstairs to our basement. By the time I opened the door, I found my… elder self standing there with a very pissed off look. "Uh… something up, Rod?"

"Yes, let's just say no-one likes a show-off…" He growled.

"Show-off?" I thought about it for a second. "Oh, did Glitz try and be a hero again?"

"Yes! I don't understand it, we've told him nearly a hundred times to not try and be a hero since he's using a Roller, but does he listen? No!" He brushed past me and nearly fell onto the couch from exhaustion. "God it's hard to coordinate a Splatoon team…"

"Can't argue with that," I noticed a 3DS in his sweatshirt pocket. "Hey… isn't that my busted XL? Why the hell do you have it?"

"I've been trying to figure out why it broke in the first place," He pulled it out and tossed between his hands for a few times. "But here's the part I don't get, I've torn this thing apart four times and I can't find anything wrong with the power source, wiring, circuitry or screen tech." He flipped the screen up to reveal the still dark window. "I can honestly say that there is nothing wrong with this thing."

"I still won't accept that," I ripped it from his hands and pulled the cartridge out. "Hang on, this wasn't the game I had in there."

"It isn't? I thought you were playing Dark Moon?"

"I was, and now it's a Fates cartridge, which makes even less sense since we all bought the Revelations pack off the store." I flipped it over and saw two words drawn on in with a thin silver marker "Play me". "Uh… should we…?"

"Sure, what the hell." He pulled his own 3DS from his pocket and placed the cartridge in, only for it to insta-load the game and bring us to the main menu. "Umm… is it supposed to do that?"

"No, it isn't…" I carefully removed the device from his hands and had a stupid idea. "H-Hello?" I murmured into the microphone.

The menu suddenly switched to a black screen with a text box labeled "Anankos", "Oh thank the makers, you finally responded."

"What the- Anankos?! How the hell did you just-"

"Remember your deal with Naga? Remember when you said you would join Inigo, Owain and Severa on their journey? Well, I'm calling in that favor now."

"Wait, what?!" Rodger yelled, shoving me aside and looking at the black screen. "Look here… whoever you are, you are not pulling my brother into another crazy ass adventure! If I remember right, your "friend" Naga had him in a coma for three weeks!"

"Ah, so you must be the "Alternate" Naga spoke of. My my, you're much more violent than she said you were."

"Violent?! I'll show you-" I ripped the 3DS from Rod's hands. "What the hell are you doing?!"

I then proceeded to punch him in the face, "Chill. Out. Now get Mari down here too, he'll need to speak to the both of you."

"Why the hell should I list-"

"I can still use my eraser on you."

"I'll go get Marilyn…"

"An eraser?"

"A little insurance policy if he get's too out-of-hand. One little click of a button and he goes bye-bye for a good 48 hours. Works on all three of my siblings." I sat down in a nearby chair and placed Rod's 3DS on the coffee table in front of me. "Okay, tell me this, why do you want my siblings to join me? They barely know anything about Fire Emblem, and what little they have is in opposing sides of Fates."

"That is exactly what I'm counting on." I gave him a serious glare. "Your alternate prefers to side with Nohr and marry… her. While your sister prefers to side with Hoshido and marry Ryoma. While you prefer either and stay neutral, marrying whoever you please."

"Your point?"

"I'm giving all three of you a chance to meet your loves and work with them, with the exception of Revelations of course." I finally saw Anankos' combat model walk onto the screen. "I'm going to do this, I will allow your alternate and sister to join you in this journey, but they must face one another eventually, and you must fight alongside both of them."

"Meaning I need to play through all three paths, fair enough." I raised my eyebrow in suspicion. "What's the catch?"

"Ultimately, this does mean you will have to kill one of them to progress. But, I will allow you to spare the girl on Conquest, so long as Hans doesn't get to her first."

"If he so much as breathes on her, I will cut his head off with whatever weapon I currently equip." I paused as I realized something. "Speaking of weapons, what about our classes? We doing vanilla or do we get customs?"

"I do have the power to provide you and your companions with unique jobs to fit your talents. Any ideas?"

"I want Rod to be my "Wildcard", make him a Butler and give him the "Weathered Playing Card". I want my sister to be my "Shieldmaiden", make her a Spear Fighter and give her the "Runed Horn"."

"And for yourself?"

"Make me a Mercenary to start, but give me a Vanguard Brand and the "Bloodstained Knife"."

"You wish to be the Champion and the Vanguard?" I nodded. "Very well, I shall do what I can. And for a word of warning, the fighters in this realm will not be affected by the material or slayer weapon effects, but the Brave weapons will still slow the user." I saw three pixelated icons appear in his hand. "I will start all of you off with a Steel weapon allocated to your starting class, a Concoction apiece and your promotion items. And for you, I will allow you to choose one weapon of old as your starting blade."

"One of the those weapons eh?" The hooded dragon nodded. "Interesting, let's try... Mystletainn."

"The blade of the Lord Eldigan? Hmm... one of risks, are you?" He chuckled as the blade appeared in my character's inventory in place of the Steel sword. "I sense your stats are going to be the same as your Ylissean counterpart?"

"Yes."

"Then that makes things just a tad easier for you and I." I heard feet slamming against carpet. "And it seems your companions are arriving. I shall explain everything to them once you have entered the realm."

"Why after? Why not now?"

"Because you have a role to play in meeting your prince. Oh, I might as well add this so you know, for both Birthright and Conquest, you will be serving under Princes Kamui and Corrin respectively, and you'll serve under Princess Caitlyn for Revelations."

"Fine…" I paused for a moment. "Do the others know I'm going to be joining them soon?"

"I've already alerted Selena, Odin and Laslow of your arrival. They have a new set of clothes, your equipment and a new alias." His character portrait changed into his pleased look. "I still cannot thank you enough for doing this."

"Less with the sap and more with the world-swap, please." I pestered.

The dragon chuckled as a faint blue aura began to surround me, "Your wish, is my command. See you in a moment."

~Fates Dimension; Northern Fortress: Storage Chambers, Morning?~

"He isn't going to come." Selena grumbled. "Why do you guys have so much faith in him? He isn't even from either of these worlds!"

"Peace Selena," Laslow cooed, using his trademark smooth voice. "I know he may be a tad… unorthodox, but he has yet to fail us, or anyone in relation."

"I know that…" She admitted. "But why can't Alyx or Suramishi help us, they've known us for years!"

"While that may be true, Roger knows more about us than we know of him," He checked his pocket watch. "That, and you should remember that he has seen all the potential outcomes for this world. Meaning his presence is valuable."

"Fine… I guess he isn't all that bad." Selena sighed, her classic tsundere personality finally taking over. "Hey, where's Odin? Shouldn't he be here by now?"

"He said he was, and by his words not mine, "Thinking of the perfect cover for our newest ally."," Laslow sighed. "I swear, give that theatric fool the chance to name anything, and he'll jump on it faster than a-"

"No! Stop! Not another one of your sick analogies!"

"I wasn't going to- fine, I'll stop with the terrible analogies, just please tone down your volume a tad? We are in an enclosed room."

"Sorry…" She was about to continue as a small rune appeared on the floor in front of them, slowly opening enough to expel a person, quite roughly I might add, onto the floor. "Oh, there he is."

"Oww…" I groaned, now nursing my sore… everything. "Bastard could've given me an ounce of a warning at least…"

"Welcome to Nohr, old friend." I looked up to see the steel-haired Laslow and the scarlet-haired Selena. "Been a long time, has it not?"

"You can say that again you suave bastard," I stood up and hugged my old friend, wincing from the bruising, but happy nonetheless. "And it seems like the fair Selena has also grown, you're nearly as tall as your mother now."

"Shut up…" Selena grumbled, not noticing the small grin gracing her lips.

"Now that's odd, I know of three Ylisseans, but I only see two. Where in the hell is-"

"You dare show up before the Mighty Odin Dark!" We all looked towards the entrance to this little side room to see the blonde-haired Dark Mage, Odin.

"And a warm hello to you as well, Odin." I greeted, ignoring his response. "Huh, and you aren't as bare-chested as your original model too, weird."

"What do you mean? I have always worn this attire." He began to inspect his robes, trying to find the reason behind me saying "Bare-chested."

"That oughta give enough time," I turned back to my other friends. "Now, I believe our draconic employer told me you have my clothes and gear?"

"Yes, right here." Laslow replied, pulling a wrapped parcel from the backpack he wore. "And, if you would dear Selena?"

"Yeah, yeah. Here," She handed my the sheathe for Mystletainn. "Oh, and I'd like to mention that Odin cried when he figured out that it wasn't going to him."

"Do not listen to her words!" Odin bellowed. "She speaks with a tongue to rival the greatest of-"

"Shut up Owain. I can tell when you're trying to drop the subject." I grabbed their gifts and then gave them a… look. "Now, can you guys please give me a moment?"

"Of course," Laslow began to usher Selena and Odin out so I could change.

'Glad to see that Inigo still has Lon'qu's sense of honor and dignity.' I unfolded the clothing and viewed what they had procured for me. The outfit was quite similar to Ini-er… Laslow and Selena's, the only difference was that I had a white pauldron and armguards. The cloth was much softer than what I had expected, I guessed that Anankos had made me some nicer, more modern-like clothing, that or because they were retainers for the army they could get some nicer clothes for a cheaper price. Once I had swapped my Earthen clothes for the Nohrian, I looked just like a normal Mercenary, except I was as old as Selena, Odin and Laslow.

Once that was all said and done with, I grabbed the bag and checked my "Inventory", and just like Anankos promised, one fresh Concoction, a small knife in a blood-caked sheathe and two seals: one gold with a garnet cut into the shape of a sword and the other cobalt with a small sapphire. I smiled and threw the bag over my back, slowly feeling it disappear so it wouldn't hinder me in combat. Guess there was a little bit of a Gamer aspect with that.

Then, I grabbed Mystletainn. I drew the gilded, black blade and viewed it in all it's splendor. I swung it around a few times, just to see how heavy it was. Surprisingly, it was quite light, and fairly easy to swing. I gave it a once over with my normal eyes, then with my "Gamer Sight".

Mystletainn, "The Demon Sword"

Might: 14, Hit: 90, Crit: 15, 1 Range

Roger Only; Strength & Luck +5, Defense -3, Natural Vantage, Skills activate 20% more Often

'Woah, talk about a glass-cannon weapon. The natural Vantage alone is good but tacking on a huge skill-activation boost?' Before I even made it here, I gave my stats a quick look-see to see what I lacked, I had terrible Magic and Resistance, mediocre Luck, fair HP and Defense, and great Strength, Speed and Skill. And now with the effects of Mystletainn, I re-did the math and checked my stats again.

Name: Roger, Mysterious Mercenary

Level: 1

HP: 21

STR: 10(+5)

MAG: 2

SPD: 14

SKL: 13

DEF: 7(-3)

RES: 4

LUK: 4(+5)

MOV: 5

Skills:

~Veteran: Gain 10% More Experience from Battles & Events

~Tactical Retreat: At 75%, 50% and 25% HP, gain +10 Avo & Dod. (Max of 30)

'Huh, so Veteran isn't my perma-skill? Now that's a risky move, dumping a potential boost to XP for an offensive skill.' I grinned evilly. 'Then again, who says I need to drop skills anyways, I've got the knowledge and power to learn every skill in the game.'

"Are you done yet?!" As Selena's yell brought me back to reality.

"Yeah, I'm good." I called back, turning to see my current companions. "Well?"

"I hate to admit it, but the white does look good on him." Selena sighed, shooting a glare to the now smug Odin. "So, you know your role here, right?"

"Yes, I'm a retainer to Lord Cor-er... Kamui, and his personal bodyguard alongside Felicia, Joker, and soon-to-be, Suzukaze."

"Hmm? I've never heard of those names before, why did you say them?" Laslow asked.

"Oh, from what Anankos said I believe we're in the path where I go to Hoshido, meaning I'll be using the "Original" names for most of the people I meet, with the exception of you three."

"What would our names be if you didn't exclude us?"

"Well, Odin's wouldn't change. But I'd call you Lazward," I looked to Selena. "And I'd be calling you Luna."

"Okay, now I see why you're using the other version of our names," Selena shuddered. "Those sound horrible."

"Eh, not bad in my mind, but opinions differ," I turned to Odin. "Now, before I go..."

"Yes, of course!" Odin quickly drew a pendant, similar to Azura's, just silver with a ruby rather than polished platinum with an aquamarine . "This should keep your Laguz blood in check, while still allowing you to use Dragon Veins. And if they're any more effects, then I am not to blame for them."

"Guess I'll find out for myself." I put the necklace on and I could feel the heat of the jewel through my tunic and shirt. "Thank you guys, for everything. And we've got no grudges if I do side with Hoshido in this timeline, right?"

"None that I can think of, no."

"Odin Dark has never and will never hold a grudge as he stands!"

"You still owe me for the sword…" Selena grumbled. "But, no, you have nothing to worry about."

"Now we must return to our royals," The three of them bowed. "Oh, and if you wish to know where Lord Kamui is, he'll be training on the roof of the fortress at this time."

"Thanks Laslow, I'll see you again. Maybe as an ally, maybe as an enemy."

~Northern Fortress, Midday?~

I was still a little upset at the entrance to this world ended with me falling flat on my face, but I was still a happy camper. I decided to keep Laslow's words in the back of my head, since we've "just arrived" and I need to get acquainted with the rest of Kamui's staff and hopefully the Royals. I was thinking about going to the library to see if I could find Leo, until the sound of shattering porcelain and crystal told me otherwise.

"Hmm? The sound of shattering tableware? Me thinks a wild Felicia is in the area…" I paused and slowly began to take in what I said. "Okay, never doing that again." I followed the sound of grumbling servants and the higher pitched sound of constant apologies as I found my dear little maid, picking up shards of a tea set with slightly bloody fingers. "Excuse me, but are you okay?"

"Huh? Oh, h-hello." She stammered, still a little shaken from her ordeal.

"Do you need a hand, or perhaps a glove to help here?"

"Sure, I don't mind." I smiled as we slowly began picking up the remainder of the shards and threw them into a waste-bucket. After a good hour or so, we finished.

"Whew, now that was a little tedious." I sighed, a pleased smile now creeping onto my face. "Mind if I take care of… that?" I asked, pointing to her bleeding fingers.

"I-If you can, then please." She carefully removed her gloves, held her right hand out to me, and stayed completely as I began to pull the tiny shards of crystal from her fingertips. She only watched as I ever so gently cleaned the blood away and wrapped her hands in a loose bandage.

"Now, I'd go see a healer before you get back to work," I tossed the dirty rag I used to clean her hands into the fire. "May I have your name by the way? I never thought to ask."

"Oh, I'm Felicia, one of the maids that serve the current royalty in this fortress." She replied, bowing while putting her gloves back on. "The other is my sister Flora, now who are you?"

...Dammit. Odin never told me my alias, fuck! Okay, calm down, play it cool, " I'm Roger, one of the bodyguards for Lord Kamui."

"Oh! You're the new soldier from Castle Krakenburg! It's a pleasure to meet another one of Lord Kamui's retainers!"

"Speaking of his retainers, who are they? I'd like to know so I may… personally introduce myself."

"Hmm… other than me there's my sister Flora, our friend Jakob and Gunter, one of Kamui's trainers." She thought for a second. "Last time I saw my sister was this morning, during breakfast, Jakob should be cleaning and repairing Lord Corrin's armor, and Gunter is currently training Lord Corrin on the roof."

"Thank you," I bowed and left. "Oh, and don't sell yourself short on being bad at domestic skills, it takes time and you just need a little balance training."

"No… I'm hopeless…" She sighed, a few tears forming in her eyes. "I've never been able to do anything right, I'm only good for one thing, my magic."

"Magic?"

"My sister and I come from the Ice Tribe, as such, we are highly skilled in Ice magic." For effect, she snapped her fingers as a small flurry appeared over her hand, forming a little ball of snow. "Between me, my father and sister, I'm very adept in the combat uses. While my sister is more adept in the domestic talents related to our power."

'Hang on, is this our support?' I took the ball from her hands, rolling it around the palm of my hand and just watching as it wasn't melting, even when we were so close to a fireplace. "This is amazing, I've never seen magic like this in ages."

"It's not that special…"

I looked back at her, a sense of disbelief in my eyes, "You're being WAY to humble. This is a neat little talent, and perhaps if you continue to refine it, you'll be able to weaponize it."

"Really?" I nodded. "Hmm… okay, I've got an idea."

"Do tell."

"If you help me train to be a better Maid, I'll practice on a way to turn my little snow flurry into a weapon, deal?"

"Deal," I shook her bandaged hand and felt a small chill. At first I ignored it since I was just shaking the hand of a member of the Ice Tribe, but after I left I used my "power" and checked my Supports.

'Well hot damn, that was a Support Conversation. Sweet, that's a "C" rank with one of my favorite girls in Fates.' I "closed" the menu and returned to reality. "Okay, she said Jakob is in Kamui's room, repairing his armor. Hmm… it's either Jakob, Flora or Gunt-"

"Hey! You look new!" I turned around to see a young girl, I guessed she was in her late teens, with a head of blonde hair, twisted into two curls, each with a purple strand… oh my god.

"L-Lady Elise?!" I gasped. "What in the name of the makers are you doing here?!"

"Isn't it obvious? I'm going to see my big brother!" She chirped, her ever present smile growing even larger. "And how do you know my name? Because I've never seen you before."

"Oh, well… a few of the other retainers mentioned the names of their Lords and Ladies…" I was about to plant my hands in my pockets and run, but I felt something strange, like a piece of parchment. I carefully pulled the object out and saw that it was in fact, a rolled up piece of parchment.

"Hmm?" Elise quickly snatched it from my hands and began to read it to herself. "Oh! You're father's Tactician, no wonder you're here."

'Garon's Tactician? Why in the hell would I want to- wait, the hell am I saying? Gotta stay in character.' I sighed. "Iago must've slipped that into my tunic when I was in the bathhouse…you sly, conniving little-"

"Huh? That's weird." I looked back to the blonde. "It says that you've been transferred here by order of Xander, not Father." She read a little further down. "And the reason behind said transfer is so you can help observe and train my big brother?"

"Hmm… seems logical. I mean, one of King Garon's high-ranking officers would be the perfect mentor to our young prince." I thought about the second part. Me, being his bodyguard alongside Felicia and Kaze. "That, and my combat abilities would be advantageous in protecting him."

"Then it seems like my big brother made the right choice in picking you!" She smiled. "Wellll~ I'm gonna go find my big sister and then go see my other-big brother. Bye!"

"Bye." I watched her run off. "Huh, I have to admit. Elise is much cuter up close, but she still ain't no Sakura." I shifted my armor and sheath around, grabbed the bag I dropped and continued to search for Kamui's room.

2 Hours Later…

Eventually, after a few missteps, accidents, and moments avoiding the other retainers, I finally found Kamui's room. Why is it his room, you ask? Well, the sound of pounding metal and the grumbles of a Brit kinda give it away. When I opened the door, I walked into a room nearly the size of the common area back in the Mansion. And, sitting in the corner, was a silver-haired butler, pounding the dents out of a very elegant set or armor.

'And now we meet the man who saved my ass waaay~ too many times in Lunatic.' I carefully slipped into the room and cleared my throat for his attention. "Excuse me, sir, do you happen to be Joker?"

"Hmm? Oh, yes." The butler glanced up and immediately smiled. "Could you please come over here and give me a hand with this?" When he turned back I heard him mutter a few words. "I still despise that foolish nickname..."

"Sure, what do ya need?" He handed me a needle and thread, along with a pair of elegant cloaks.

"Can you please stitch the slash marks in those? I don't think I'll be able too with the amount of times I've pinched my fingers doing this…" He then proceeded to hit his finger again. "Oww… rrrgh, I will need to share a few words with that washed-up commander."

'Must be talking about Gunther. Anyways, let's get this over with.' I sat down on the bench next to him and began to weave my magic. I wasn't nearly as good as my little sister when it came to sewing, but stitching holes? That was my thing. Within the hour I had finished both cloaks, leaving an invisible mark where the thread closed the holes. When I re-folded them, I noticed Joker icing his hand, looking pleased with himself as Kamui's armor was now dent free and sparkling.

"Thank goodness we're done. Flora would've had my head if I didn't finish." He turned to me. "Oh, aren't you milord's new bodyguard… Roderick?"

"Roger," I held out my hand for him to shake with his still good hand. "A pleasure."

"I'd say the same." He grabbed one of the cloaks and looked over my stitching. "My, my. Who would've thought the Royal Tactician would have such beautiful needle-work."

"Heh, kinda easy to get bored studying from the same books in the library. So, every night I did something new. I've learned to cook, sew, write, and even learned a few new techniques for my sword." I grabbed the other cloak and noticed that it was way smaller than Kamui's cloak on the Nohian Prince outfit. "Say, who's is this?"

"I have no idea, it was brought to me alongside milord's armor. I believe it was meant for him, but the size is nearly a foot short." He looked me over. "Perhaps you could wear it, you are around milord's size and height."

"Sure, worth a shot." I grabbed the cloak and let it unfurl, revealing the details. The hem of the cloak was stitched with a grey thread, the cloak itself was made from a deep raven-black velvet. I attached it to my shoulders with the two silver clips on the neckline. It felt… natural, like it was meant for me.

"It looks good on you, and it compliments your armor very well." Jakob pulled a brass watch from his pocket. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I must be going. It is nearly time for lunch and I am needed in the kitchen, ta ta!"

When he left I felt that same chill meaning I had also gotten a "C" support with Jakob. 'Well… it may be daytime in Nohr, but it was night when I left. I'm gonna go get some sleep.' At the mental note of sleep, my legs began to drag me in some unknown direction to the lower level of the tower where Kamui would sleep. After dropping down a flight of stairs, metaphorically of course, I opened a door to reveal a room quite similar to Kamui's room. Minus the amount of black and golden decor, and replaced with a fair silver and green.

I whistled at the place, honestly pleased with my abode, "Not bad. Now, time to rest up for tomorrow, since I'll be needing to assist Corrin with his battle against Xander tomorrow." I removed my armor and cloak and hung them up on the rack nearby. And as soon as my boots were removed, I heard my door open again. "Hello?"

"Are you Lord Roger?" I nodded, slowly turning to the new being in my room. "It's a pleasure to meet you, I am Flora." She bowed. "I received word from Jakob that you were going to retire for the rest of the day?"

"Yes, it was a very… exhausting trip and I want to have the rest of this time to myself."

"Very well, we shall deliver your meals to your room from now until tomorrow morning," She bowed again. "Have a pleasant day."

When Flora left, I felt another chill. Unlike any other chill I felt before, this one felt eerie, "No support with her? Or did I just get a warning of what might happen to her when if I pick either side?" I stared at the door for another few moments before forgoing the thought and passing out on my bed. "Guess I'll have to wait and see…"

The Next Day…

Chapter 1: Nohr

"C'mon Roger! Up and at'm!" A muffled voice called, followed by my bed shaking. "C'mon! Get up!"

I groaned, removing the pillow from my face and lobbing it at the sound of the annoyance, which was followed by a yelp and a thud. I quickly sat up and saw that I had just headshot Felicia with the pillow, "Oops… my bad." I stood up, straightened my clothing and helped the poor girl up. "You okay?"

"I'm fine, it just surprised me is all." She brushed herself off and gave me a little smile. "Oh, and Jakob has a very strict rule on us retainers, up by five to wake our master at seven."

'Sounds like Joker alright, well… time to get readjusted.' I thought while stretching. Listening as each and every stiff joint and vertebrae popped back into a more comfortable position. "Gods… that felt good."

"But it sounded horrible…" Felicia grimaced. "Now, if you need to, this room has a built in bath and you can make your own drink to help wake yourself up." She pointed to the pine cabinet beside the fireplace. "There is a teapot, cups, coffee and tea leaves in that cabinet, along with sugar and honey."

"Thanks, I'll meet you in Corrin's room in a little while." Felicia bowed her way out and left me to my own devices. I quickly stripped down to my small clothes and set out a fresh set of clothing and the tunic I wore yesterday. I then walked into the side room to set up the bath: I lit and stoked the fire, filled the tub, and cleaned my face up while doing so. By the time the tub was ready, I had clipped my character's long-ass hair down to my normal length and was ready for a proper relaxing bath.

I mentally kept track on how much time I had spent and got out when I hit the 45 minute mark. Once I drained the tub and re-equipped myself, I set a pot on the fire and made myself a pot of tea.

(Being honest, you all really don't care what I'm doing here, so we'll timeskip to when I'm ready to go meet Kamui, ahem… TimeSkip!)

After I was awake, I made a small pot of coffee, grabbed the small jar of sugar, made up a small platter, and left for Kamui's room.

By the time I arrived, I already heard a few voices, meaning we had just reached the cutscene portion of Nohr.

"Time to wake up, Lord Kamui!" Flora called, I was surprised to hear that through the thick door, guess I had a little hearing boost from my Laguz parent.

I opened the door slowly to see my fellow retainers and soldier, Felicia and Flora were trying to wake the figure beneath the mass of cloth, while Jakob and Gunter were simply standing to the side. I set the platter down and walked over to my fellow male retainers, "He still isn't waking up?"

"Lord Kamui is a… sound sleeper." Gunther replied. "He is a very challenging one to awaken."

"Hey, wake up, Lord Kamui! Up and at'em!"

When Corrin finally decided to accept defeat and rose from his resting state, I realized which version I was playing. He had dark-brown hair, set into the normal Male Avatar hairstyle, but his build was the younger male, which I normally did for Birthright. He stared at all of us with his tired red eyes, before closing them and stretching, revealing his slightly pointed canines while doing so.

"Hmmm… what are you talking about?" He murmured, his voice similar to mine just a bit accented, and strangely calm. "It's still dark outside."

"You live in Nohr, milord. There is rarely a moment where it doesn't look like night." I replied while pouring him a cup of coffee. "One cube or two?"

"Since I'm up, make it two." He rubbed his eyes. "But I don't think it will help me wake up that much…"

"We can help you with that!" Flora removed her left glove. "Felicia, would you please assist me?"

"Sure thing!" She removed her right glove, which showed her now undamaged hand, and placed it on Corrin's right cheek. It took a second until it happened, but after they both touched his cheeks a small shard of ice appeared on either side and quickly shocked him into an alert state.

"Waau uugh! Cold cold cold!" He rubbed his cheeks, knocking a few pieces of stray snow off. "I'm awake! I'm awake! No need for ice magic anymore!"

"Now that's how we deal with slugabeds from where we come from!" Flora laughed.

"*sigh* Trust me, I know." He grabbed the mug I prepared for him and downed it in seconds. "Ahh, now that helped, a lot."

"If you're ready to leave, Lord Kamui, Princes Xander and Leo are currently awaiting you on the rooftop." Gunther added.

"Yes, and I've prepared your armor and blade," Joker stepped aside and revealed the suit of silver armor. "...After pounding all of the dents out of course." He sighed. "Why must your teachers strike with such force?"

"Lethal strength forces the student to fight as if it was truly a life or death scenario." Gunther countered.

"Gentlemen, save your anger for the battlefield, for now, we need to focus on getting milord to the roof." I interrupted. I turned back to Kamui, who had switched into his armor while I wasn't looking. "Do you want me to escort you to the roof, Lord Kamui?"

"No, I'll be fine," He replied, grabbing a Bronze Sword from the nearby rack. "But you can watch if you want to."

"That would be delightful, thank you."

Kamui smiled as we left the room, our armor clinking lightly. I followed Kamui up the staircase to a large door, and with a little effort, we opened it and circled around to the opposite side. Eventually, we did find Xander and Leo, and damn… were they a sight to behold. Even in the darkened light of the morning, their armor still had this strange shimmer to it, the black metal seemed to glow in the smoky light. Their weapons dark, vile glow pierced through the dim and fog, making the surrounding area a sickening purple. And then there was Xander's horse… its eyes were glowing an evil red, and the armor surrounding the beast seemed to make it look like a monster in the fog. To my character, it looked normal, but to me? It was like staring at a living nightmare itself.

"Ah, little brother, glad to see you're early for once," Xander joked, chuckling slightly. "And it seems like you've attracted the attention of Lord Marren as well, a pleasure to see you as always."

"Likewise, Prince Xander," I bowed before my superior.

"You have no need to bow before me, I've told you that before." I stood up straight and looked him in the eyes. "We may have different titles, but there is no gap between our friendship. We have known each other for quite a while."

"How long has it been?"

"You honestly don't remember?" He paused. "Wait, of course you don't remember. You've always got new thoughts brewing in that head of yours," He thought for a moment. We've been together for about 16 years, give or take a month or two."

'Which means Xander would've been 11 when we met, wait, does that mean I'm older than Camilla and Hinoka? Wait… no. I'm still younger, but only by a year if we're doing my headcanon.' I laughed, smiling as I slowly pieced together my character's past. "Yeah, it's been so long. Hell, if I remember right, I never left your side until we were both teens, correct?"

"Indeed, you were like a baby duck to its mother." We shared a laugh before returning to the previous task. "But, enough interruptions. We have a trial to begin, are you ready?"

"I am." Kamui drew his sword. "I shall earn my freedom today, I swear it."

"Then come at me," Xander drew Siegfried, the black blade emanating it's sinister energy. "And do not hold back!"

"Perhaps we should retreat to the edges of the roof?" Leo suggested. "I'd rather not be slashed by my brother's sword again."

"Good idea."

Once Leo and I had retreated to the edge of the roof, I felt a small shift in reality as the two of them began their fight. 'Hang on… do I have Robin's power now, instead of Kamui?' I closed my eyes for a second as I envisioned an eagle-eye view of the battlefield, and it came to be. I saw Xander and Kamui, standing on opposite sides of the area, both ready for combat. I saw the Dragon Vein beneath Xander, just waiting to be activated. And I even had the ability to analyze their stats, which revealed the terrifying reality that we were in Lunatic mode. So, once again, I'd be getting my ass kicked.

I watched as Kamui rushed Xander, slashing his sword across Xander's plate, only for it to simply plink off and do 0 damage. Xander retaliated with a heavy slash which struck Kamui's exposed back, dealing 9 damage and leaving a nasty cut.

"You still swing timidly, without resolve." He flicked the little blood from Siegfried and reentered his previous stance. "You must genuinely try to kill me." He noticed a small pool of blood forming around Kamui's feet, and he saw that his skin was getting paler. "Hmm, perhaps I swung a touch too hard."

"*pant*...*pant*... I c-can still win like t-this…" Kamui groaned, his stance getting weaker the longer he spent without healing.

That's when I decided to intervene, "Prince Xander, perhaps our dear prince here needs a little medical assistance?"

"That seems to be likely, in that case…" I noticed a green light flare beneath his horse as a single healing tile appeared on the peak of the roof.

"Ah!" Kamui grunted, wincing at the sudden movement. "There was a Dragon Vein here?"

"Yes. You should have sensed it as well. The blood of dragons flows in your veins, as it does in all royals." He urged his horse to take a few steps back. "You must learn to harness this draconic power wherever you may find it. Heal your wounds, Kamui, then find the courage to come at me again."

"I d-don't need to heal to beat you!" Kamui rushed Xander again, this time aiming for his horse, only to have his blade scratch the side of its armor. Xander sighed and slashed at Kamui moment Xander!" I called, dashing onto the arena and dragging Corrin away. "Are you mad?! You cannot win in this state, if you try and attack him again, you will die."

"I… I c-can st-still…"

"Shut up and grab my arm," He did as such as I moved him to the healing tile. I kept supporting him until I saw his HP reach back up to 20. "There, now you can fight him."

"But how? My strikes aren't hitting anywhere important, and I can't find any weak spots…"

"You're overcomplicating it, don't aim for a tiny weakness, aim for something unexpected." I tried to remember what I had said to Severa when we were doing our Anti-Cavalier training. "Here's a hint, when fighting a mounted enemy, whether they ride a wyvern, pegasus or horse, try and get behind them."

"Behind it? Why?"

"The armor on mounts are built to take frontal assaults, and against flanking maneuvers. But they it slows them down quite considerably." I pointed to Xander. "A Paladin like Xander has his horse with lighter, but still quite bulky armor. Meaning he can turn his steed quickler, but not quick enough to stop you from hitting him in the back."

"So get behind his horse and slash at the exposed parts?" I nodded. "Thank you for the help."

"Go get him." I clapped him on the shoulder as we returned to our previous locations. Xander looked pleased, while Leo looked at me suspiciously. "Something wrong, Prince Leo?"

"Just wondering what tips you've spilt into his brain this time." He hissed. "You're not supposed to babysit him, you need to let him grow at his own pace."

"I know that, but if he can't get through his stubborn attitude and bullheaded strategy of "keep striking until they die", then his growth won't go anywhere past amatuer." I snapped back. "Besides, you're one to talk, mister "I still can't beat my little sister at chess because I babysat her too much"."

"Why you-" He grabbed Brynhildr from his waist, only to meet the tip of Mystletainn mere centimeters from his face. "Damn you…"

"What was it you said to me back at Krakenburg, "You can't always win a fight with metal, pointy sticks", right?" I noticed his face grow even more grim. "Guess I proved you wrong in this instance."

Before Leo could counter, I heard the whinny of a horse and the thud of armor against ceramic. We turned to see Corrin holding the point of his sword at Xander's neck, signaling his victory.

"Well done, Kamui." Xander congratulated. "You've been getting stronger each day, and now you've shown me that you're ready."

"Thanks, Xander. I couldn't have done it without yours and Gunter's, uh, tough love."

"I disagree. I believe you have natural talent." He gave him an honest smile. "Some day, you could be the greatest warrior in all of Nohr."

"Now you're just teasing me…"

"I doubt it," I began, now walking up to the two of them. "Your brother rarely jokes about serious matters. He means what he says." I gave him a little grin as well. "You could be the one to bring light to our kingdom so long shrouded in darkness."

"Do you two… really think I could do that?" We nodded. "Wow, that's… something."

"Typical." Leo scoffed, shooting me and Kamui a murderous look. "You know that true strength is more than simple swordplay, right?"

"Leo he didn't mean-"

"Calm yourself, little brother." Xander laughed. "You really are competitive to a fault. As I've always said, you're a talented mage with formidable magical abilities."

"Hmm. Well, just remember that pointy metal sticks are not the only path to power."

"Didn't I just prove that wrong naught but a few moments ago?" I reminded. Leo ignored me and continued to converse with Xander.

"Oh, that reminds me of something I've been meaning to tell you, Leo." Kamui began.

"Something important enough to derail his current conversation?"

"Well…, kind of," Kamui sighed. "Hey, Leo? Your collar is inside out."

"What?!" Leo yelped, immediately grabbing at the collar of his under armour.

Xander chuckled, "It would appear someone got dressed while still half-asleep."

We all shared a laugh as he ran off to go straighten his gear, "Ugh! Wh-why didn't you say something earlier?!"

"I would've, but you were the one to insult me for preventing the death of your older brother." I taunted. "That, and this is the sort of thing that makes you so loveable, right Xander?"

"Indeed, always the greatest of spectacles." Once Leo returned, his equipment now in their proper places, we all turned at the sound of heels hitting the stone. "Hmm? Oh, it seems we have company."

"Are you all right, Kamui?" Camilla cooed. "Did you get hurt at all during practice? If you did, let me know right away so I can take extra-special care of you…"

"He is fine, Lady Camilla." I assured. "I made sure of it."

"Thank you again, Roger. You have always been such a blessing to our little family." She gave me a hug, and no, Camilla and I are nearly the same height, so this was a sisterly hug, not a… you know what? I'm just gonna stop before I start ranting with nobody.

"You can definitely say that!" Elise chirped. "Camilla told me all about what you used to do back at the castle, and now I know how cool you are!" Elise rushed me and wrapped her arms around my waist. "Is it fine if I call you a brother as well?"

"Elise!" Leo barked. "I know he's been a friend of our elders for a while, but that doesn't mean you can-"

"Sure," I interrupted. "I'd be overjoyed if you call me your big brother." I looked up at Camilla and Xander. "All who oppose? Besides Leo."

"Dearie, why would I argue against my precious little sister." Camilla giggled, watching me shift uncomfortably while I tried to pry Elise from my waist.

"I'd be honored to have someone of your talents join our family, Roger." Xander agreed. "Sure, you may be an unofficial member, but still family to us nonetheless."

"Now before we go on, we need to tell them the good news." Elise let go of me and turned to face Xander. "Corrin will be joining us on our trip back to Krakenburg."

"Yay!" Elise now rushed to Kamui and gave him a hug.

"And, father has called for Roger to return as well." Camilla added. "Apparently he has a gift for you."

"A… gift?" I blinked a few times. 'A gift from King "Giantham Notavillain"? Now if that isn't fishy in every sense of the word, I don't know what is.' I put on a small grin. "I must have done something quite noticeable if the King is giving me a gift."

"I know, Father never was one for handing things out," Xander admitted. "But enough celebrating here. We shall finish back at the capital."

~Northern Fortress; Stables, Noontime~

Once we had packed everything we needed (most of it was either mine or Kamui's), everyone of the retainers, and their respective Lords or Ladies, we all walked down to the stables and mounted nearly every horse present. While Kamui and I were readying the carriage Kamui would be taking, the stable girl, Lilith, walked over to us with a smile on her face.

"I hear you can finally leave the fortress. You must be very happy, Lord Kamui," Lilith beamed, a pleasant little smile on her face. "Gunter has asked me to go with you to the capital so I can look after your horses."

"Glad to hear it! I'd miss you if you weren't coming along too." Kamui replied, grinning happily. When he turned back around to finish the reins on one of the horses, I swear I saw Lilith blush.

"Kamui, Roger, Lilith! Are your horses and carriage ready?" Xander called.

"Yes, milord. Everything is ready, and the horses seem excited for the trip." Lilith assured. "They are all very fond of Lord Kamui. Probably from all his time in the stables…"

"Our Kamui does love animals." Camilla sighed, smiling. "Such a kindhearted soul... Why, he even nursed an injured baby bird back to health one time!"

"Ah…" I noticed Lilith's face pale slightly. She glanced to me and I gave her a sympathetic look. Here's the thing, Lilith already knew who I was and why I was here from Selena and Laslow, and she knew I already know her secret about that "baby bird".

"Lilith, are you all right?" Kamui ask worriedly. "Is something wrong?"

"Oh… no it's nothing." Lilith lied.

"Isn't it obvious, Kamui? Lilith is sad because she's going to miss you!"

"Miss me? But she's coming with us."

"Oh, right! Well then, I bet she's sad 'cause she won't have you all to herself anymore. You've always been especially fond of our brother, haven't you, Lilith?"

"I, er-"

"As gripping as all this is, we should be on our way. We mustn't keep Father waiting." Xander noticed me walking over to a darkened stable. "Roger, what are you… oh my."

I opened the door and removed the black curtain to reveal a horse with jet-black hair, gleaming emerald eyes, and gilded silver armor, "Hello Jalousie, it's been a while."

"Is that your steed?" I nodded, mounting the massive horse. "She is… impressive."

"Personally gifted to me by Iago, and I will forever thank him for it." I urged her to the front. "I'm gonna go a little ahead and scout things out, farewell for now!"

"Right, Kamui, time to hurry!"

"Yes, let's go!"

"Flora, you and Joker will remain here to watch over the fortress. Felicia, and I will accompany Lord Corrin. We may be gone for some time. Take good care of this place."

"Of course!" Flora replied cheerfully. "You may rely on us."

"I wish you safe travels, Lord Avatar." Joker added, bowing.

"Thank you. I hope to see both of you again soon...just not here!" Kamui finished, hopping into the carriage with Felicia and following the rest of us.

'Okay Garon, let's see what nightmare you've got for me.' I thought, looking towards the faint image of Castle Krakenburg in the distance. "Time to return to my "home"."

End of Chapter 1