CONTAINS SPOILERS FROM THE GAME "FIRE EMBLEM:AWAKENING"

2 years after the Black Dragon War

Day of Victory celebration

The giant ballroom of Ylisse Palace

"You did not just say that, Virion!" The low, almost sensual voice belonged to a red haired woman, who was rubbing her forehead quite vigorously.

"But my love, he is dead. Dead, or a phantom, but in no case a man anymore", said the suave-sounding man in a strange accent.

"I'll make it so that you will not be a man anymore!"

"Ieeee! Mercy, my love, mercy!"

As the loving couple took care of their personal business in the corner of ballroom, a silent figure passed them by, walking alongside a blond haired woman. The man was masked elegantly, eyes gleaming through a plate of silver – it was was shaped like a person's face - that had holes only for his eyes. It was creepy-looking, even for a multicultural ball like this. The masked man got many disgusted scowls, but he didn't seem to mind. This day would prove to be quite entertaining for him, after all.

The woman he was walking with was a curious case. She was very lively for a woman so entwined in politics, and married to the new Khan of Regna Ferox. She didn't have great martial prowess like her husband, but her skill in magic was profound. It had to be, since she was one of the many warriors in the Dark Dragon War.

The masked man passed all kinds of people; some of them were familiar to him, but most were strangers or unimportant personae. A rowdy bunch had grouped itself to the northern part of the ballroom, and they shouted so loud that the man in mask started to wonder whether they would be thrown out of the ball. However, Chrom didn't seem to mind them. He was busy chatting with other quests, until the blond haired woman started flapping her hands to catch his attention. Some quick words – probably apologies – were said, and the new Exalt started walking towards the wife of khan, and the masked man that followed her.

"Lissa", the man in mask said to the woman, his voice almost inaudible. "Lissa."

It didn't seem like she had heard him. Apparently, it was very difficult to communicate when you couldn't afford to be heard. The man in mask sighed mentally and tapped Lissa's shoulder gently. She turned around her heels, eyes showing slight surprise. "Quick, where is she", he whispered to her. Lissa checked their surroundings, but was unable to find the lady in question. The man's shoulders slumped.

"Don't worry, she will be here today."

"I sure hope so."

Chrom reached them, looking unusually nervous. The man in mask shook his head. Sure, the next trick they were going to pull would be funny – unbelievably so in fact – but why was Chrom nervous? He was a man that hadn't feared to go face to face against Grima, and was counted among the world's strongest people, if Regna Ferox's yearly arena fights were any indication.

It had to mean that there was something else troubling him.

"Chrom, why are you nervous?" the man in mask asked, remembering to keep his voice low.

"I keep worrying that we botch this", Chrom answered, exerting some effort to keep his voice calm. The masked man shook his head again. And it was such a plain reason, too, he thought.

"If you only didn't worry so much about blowing our cover, Chrom", Lissa said to him, rolling her eyes.

"It's easy for you two", the man in mask whispered, "But I had to hide for one month, all for a practical joke. Do not understand me wrong, I'll be as happy as the next man if we succeed, but… Well, I don't want the time that I spent hiding to be wasted."

"I understand, my friend", Chrom said. "I made sure that you-know-who would be here today. Had to recall her from patrolling our borders, but it will be worth it." The masked man noted that his friend was smirking rather viciously. Oh, for the love of gods, Chrom! I know how much you are enjoying this, but please stop acting suspiciously, the masked man thought. He took a few deep breaths to calm himself down, taking care to not act too conspicuously.

On his left side, closer to the walls of the ballroom, Owain was chatting with Cynthia. Something was up for certain, as the young man was less rowdy than the masked man's memories registered him as. Maybe he had grown up.

Suddenly Owan grabbed his left hand, shouting; "My hand, it hungers! Run fair maiden, while I hold it back! Run! Run I say!"

No, he had certainly not grown up. Lissa, on the other hand, was going so red that it was almost plausible to think she had been confessed to. "Oh Owain", she said while shaking her head. She was still smiling, and it wasn't the mocking kind that nobles so often wore. No, it was more akin to 'when do you learn' smile that mothers sometimes showed to their children.

"So when's the time, Chrom?" the masked man whispered to the Exalt.

"Now. You are here, after all. Otherwise we risk getting found out by Frederick the Wary."

"Agreed. Let's get to it, then", said the man in mask, smirking and figuring out seconds later that the very same mask hid his facial expressions. It was no wonder then that Chrom hadn't returned the smile.

They started to deliberately move towards the dais in northern part of the ballroom. People would occasionally block their movement, but a slight, unconscious movement of Chrom's hand usually cleared the way for them.

The masked man wondered how this day would end…

…and crashed into someone, despite his deliberate pace. No, the masked man thought while collecting himself off the floor, I was crashed into. He made sure that the mask had stayed on and rose to face his supposed assailant. Well, maybe it was a rude to say assailant, but the collision had been rough.

He froze on his tracks.

In this case it was especially rude to call his attacker an assailant.

That was because the woman he had crashed into was Lucina, former crown princess of Ylisse. She was wearing the most beautiful ballgown that the masked man had ever seen, blue-colored and frilly to the boot. Well, if she had any boots, the masked man couldn't really see beneath all the embroidery. She was still very beautiful after two years, and so mesmerizing that one had no other words for her appearance than otherworldly. Maybe the masked man thought that way because he loved her, but he couldn't understand how others didn't see that dazzling smile, or those enticing deep blue eyes.

Although at the moment the smile just wasn't there, and her deep blue eyes were flashing with rage. Sometimes you just had to see your loved one's bad side.

This one's bad side was that she had a temper.

"Why would you go crashing into other people like that?" She asked of the masked man, and he swallowed quickly. This was not a situation he wanted to be in. It was doubly bad for him, as his lips were now effectively sealed. She would recognize him for sure, if he as much as muttered something.

"Answer me!" she demanded. The man started praying to the gods.

"Lucina!"

Chrom came running towards them, looking worried. The masked man didn't know whether it was because he feared that the plan was ruined, or that Lucina had been hurt, or that he was afraid Lucina would hack the masked man to pieces, because he didn't act with honor. In this situation, saying I'm sorry would have been acting with honor, and saying anything would have helped immensely.

Oh my friends, the things that I do for you, the masked man thought silently while avoiding Lucina's piercing gaze.

"Lucina, what's the matter?" Chrom asked from his daughter.

"This man crashed into me, and he will not apologize."

"He is mute", Chrom said quickly, and the masked man almost hid his head inside his palm.

Lucina stayed quiet for a while. When she talked again, her demeanor had changed.

"I am sorry, I didn't know. Are you alright?"

The masked man nodded to her silently.

"But really, Lucina, you're too high-strung", Chrom said. Thousand bells started sounding inside the masked man's head as a warning for what was to come. He knew at once that Chrom had said something stupid.

At her father's words Lucina turned into a statue, unmoving and lifeless. Then she started gritting her teeth. After that her eyelids began batting furiously. Then, finally, the proverbial lightning bolt crashed down in form of her words;

"What do you know?! You didn't lose mother on the same day that we celebrate victory in the war!" The words crashed into the masked man like a flood, threatening to take him away. He wanted desperately to rip off his mask, to say Lucina that it was alright, that he was here now.

Did the game really have to continue?

Lucina's sobbing gathered more attention. She looked around herself, eyes blurred by her tears, and bolted out from the hall, all while Chrom was shouting for her to not go.

The plan was now effectively ruined.

There was too much attention on them, and the scheme's most important target had just disappeared into the continuously darkening night.

How do you fix this, tactician, the masked man thought to himself.

He did not know. He did not know, but an idea started to shape inside his head. Soon this ingenious thought had budded into a flower that could be used to create a garden.

He gestured Chrom to walk closer, and whispered to him; "I need to write something down, quick. Also, call Frederick." He didn't receive any strange looks from the Exalt, as Chrom knew how his thought processes went. Well, most of them. This plan, however, would reveal the masked man's persona to Frederick. He could only hope that the man was as unexcitable as he had been in the past.

The Exalt gave quick orders to the closest available servants.

It took the masked man exactly 37 seconds to receive the paper, as well as the quill. He wrote six words; "Pegasus dung. Please bring Lucina back." It was a simple message, as time was of the essence.

He could hear a familiar voice asking "My lord, what is it?" The masked man turned around in time to see Chrom leading Frederick to him. He gave the note to armored Frederick, rapped his massive chest plate twice, and nodded to Chrom. As they walked towards the dais the masked man heard a rough chuckle, and clanging of armor as Frederic the infamously Wary departed for his mission.

As they arrived to the dais the masked man made some quick observations. The dais wasn't a tall one, maybe one and half feet. It was still enough to rise above each and every head. The man needed all leverage there was to have, as it wouldn't do for the show to fail now.

Chrom stepped forward, silently signaling everyone to cut of their chatter. Some people continued to talk, but the man in mask noticed how all of the soldiers turned quiet, waiting for Chrom to speak. One by one other voices died, killed by nothing else than Chrom's presence on the dais, and finally the Exalt cleared his throat.

It was time for the show to begin.

"I thank everyone here for coming to this commemoration of the Dark Dragon War", he said with a loud and clear voice. "Each and every one of us remembers how we struggled- no, fought destiny to free our world from the shadow of Grima. And one of us, you remember, sacrificed himself to destroy the Dark Dragon, and made sure that there could be a peace between the nations. We remember his valiant sacrifice, and drink in memory of his disappearance."

At this point the masked man was having trouble holding his laughter inside, but he managed to preserve his seemingly unfazed facade.

"We will drink in memory of Robin tonight, and also feast, like he would have wanted us to do."

The masked man rolled his eyes. All Chrom's talk of eating and drinking made him feel hungry, and he couldn't eat as long as he had his stupid mask on. Hurry up, Chrom.

"But today", Chrom shouted from the dias, "on the second anniversary of Robin's disappearance there's a person, that would like to say something to us all. I'll let him take it from here." A round of applause rang out, whether for the masked man, or the exalt, the man couldn't tell. But if Lucina would have been in this room right now, she would have gone into a rage. Her father had said that the masked man was mute, yet here he was, about to give a speech in front of every person here, in this massive ballroom.

For second time today someone cleared his throat on the dais. Soldiers would catch onto his voice pretty quickly, but the masked man hoped to stall some time before Lucina arrived.

"Um, so…" the masked man said. Where was Lucina? She sure wasn't anywhere near to be seen, and the masked man could see over each and every person's head. He was seriously hoping that Frederick had learned his lessons in the art of royal babysitting.

"I was there, I fought among you during those days, and during that terrible war." Somehow the name Dark Dragon War didn't fit the masked man's tongue.

"This may sound terrible, but I was rather happy in those times. I had friends and comrades that I could trust to guard my back, and the moments when laughter in the camp was loudest were always on the eve of next battle." The masked man wasn't sure if he made any sense, but he had to continue.

However, worry started coursing through his veins. Where is she? The man couldn't tell. There were too many people in the ballroom.

At least no one had caught onto him just yet.

"I was there, as the Mad King of Plegia attacked us willing the destruction of Ylisse. We defeated him, together. I was there as the Valmese attacked our shores. We defeated them, and made sure that they would not ever do that again." Then he felt a need to add: "I wish to make understood however that they aren't a threat anymore, and more than that, I consider many of them my friends."

People were starting to grumble. The man in mask desperately hoped that no one had recognized his voice yet. It would have only taken one shout to reveal him to them all.

I have to be faster now. Lucina, please come in time!

"We fought together against Validar. Yes, I was there, even then." Noisy murmur started to permeate the whole hall, but the masked man was not stopping just yet.

"I was…" he said, and suddenly everything stopped.

Lucina was far there, her gaze upon him.

Straight on him.

And it was too late to hide, for she was…

"I was on the Dark Dragon, when we fought against Grima!"

Voices exploded in the hall, some people mindlessly shouting, while others mocking and demanding the masked man to get down.

But Lucina just looked at him, crying.

And then - all of a sudden - she started dashing towards the dais.

"Now if you would kindly excuse me, I have an appointment, and I'm two years late", the masked man said, jumping down from the dais and catching Lucina in his embrace as she crashed into him again. This time there was no animosity. Lucina's long hair brushed past the masked man, it's sweet fragrance overpowering his senses as nostalgia hit him.

Tears started welling up in the masked man's eyes.

This was it, this was his moment of truth.

He pushed Lucina back for a moment.

And then he cast his mask away.

A thunderous roar of shouts and greetings filled the ballroom as the people nearest to the dais got a good view on the man's face.

Only one man was unaccounted for after the battle against Grima.

That man was Robin, who was a husband and a...

"Faaatheeeer!"

Something swished past Lucina and tackled Robin's chest with unbelievable strength. It was a flash of purple hair and warm mumbles, but hurt more than a club, smashing into his ribs.

"Aaaaargh! Take it easy, Morgan! I am two years older now and not so young anymore!"

Morgan was a very strong woman in her own right, a fast-moving ball of destruction on the battlefield. She also happened to be a tactical genius.

Former wasn't inherited from her father's side. Latter, well, Robin could always hope that it was the case.

People were starting to get the gist of it. Shouts like 'It's the tactician' and 'Robin's alive' boomed in the massive ball room, and Robin was starting to wonder whether their day would end with the ceiling crashing on them.

Right, I forgot, Lucina still deserves something else, he thought. Robin made his daughter let go of him – it took some real effort - and turned towards her mother.

She was such a sight. Lucina's long blue hair flowed down freely and her deep blue eyes were fulfilled now that her beloved was back. Her fingers battled against tears that threatened to drown her, but they could not mar her beauty.

Must be some experience, Robin thought, to meet a man that was supposed to be dead.

Robin grabbed her even more firmly than he had ever before, and gave her a kiss that showed no concern for onlookers. Apparently Lucina didn't care either, as she embraced Robin with abandon, her eyes closed and lips answering tactician's all questions. Whistling and laughter abounded. Even when the kiss of fairytales ended, the couple stayed in their embrace, warming each other with the knowledge that the other person wouldn't disappear ever again.

And on the sidelines Chrom and Lissa bumped their fists, surprised then by sneakily approaching Frederick who gave them a stern scolding for holding something like this a secret.

It was a good day to be alive, for each and every one that was in that ballroom on the Day of Victory celebration.