And once again, I'm doing something crazy... yet with this one, I think we can all agree that things will become so much more interesting, especially since FE:Fates is confirmed to have Marth, Ike, Robin, and Lucina as DLC characters through amiibo support. Also, I've always wondered what our favorite tactician would do in this. Also, the pairing in this story is RobinXCorrin (Yes, I've decided to go with the English names this time around), and no, it is not yaoi. I'm using the Fates Female Avatar.

With that in mind, allow me to introduce to you all my latest piece! Please enjoy! Tell me your thoughts, flames included if you must! This is more or less a project that I want to see how well received it is. If it's good, I shall continue. If not, then expect this to be only a one-shot.

Well, enough talk. Donnel, do the honors, if you will.

Donnel: Sure thing! Ahem! Demons Anarchy of Pride does not own Fire Emblem or any of it's characters, like me or Sir Chrom and the rest of the Shepherds. We all belong to Nintendo and Intelligent Systems. This story here is a work of fiction-er, fan fiction I guess I should say. Any and all relations to real-life people or places is just a coincidence! We don't wanna get caught for somethin' like copyright!

True dat XD Lucina, if you would be so kind.

Lucina: *draws Falchion* We are proud to present... Fire Emblem: Eternity Unto Reformation!


Fire Emblem: Eternity Unto Reformation

"Fade leads the willing, and drags along the reluctant" -Lucius Annaeus Seneca

Darkness.

That was all he could see presently. Just darkness... an endless void that encompassed his field of vision. His body was hung in place, unable to move at all. His arms and legs felt heavy, and his eyes were closed. Strangely, he was still able to manage a smile on his face. Then again, given as to how he arrived at such a location in the first place, it was no surprise, especially to his prior actions.

Robin had done it... he had actually done the most stupidest, yet most bravest action in all of his life. He had killed the Fell Dragon, Grima... the Dragon of Despair... and yet he lost his own life as a result. He was scared of dying, of course. He didn't want to lose his friends, yet not being able to see them all again... it was such a scary thought that he almost let Chrom deal the final blow to Grima.

Almost.

He couldn't let Chrom do this. It would not be a permanent solution. Falchion would only lull the dragon into slumber. It would awaken again. How long would their peace last? A day, a week, a month? A year, ten years, a hundred? No, he couldn't risk it... he couldn't let the future generation deal with such an unspeakable horror. There was no way. Grima had to die here... yet it would have to be by his own hand.

Robin would have to forfeit his own life to kill Grima. Was he scared of not being able to see his friends after this action? Of course he was.

Did he regret killing Grima? No, he wasn't.

Then again... Naga had said that, if their bonds were strong enough, they would be able to meet again. How long would that be, he couldn't help but wonder. Even if he was one of the most brilliant, if not the ultimate, tactician in all the world, even he didn't know when he would wake up. Hell, he could open his eyes any second, and awake to see himself in the company of his friends once again, perhaps with only a day having passed.

Either way, it would be such a long wait, yet he could endure it. He couldn't wait to see his friends again when the time would come... though, when they did, what sort of time would they be living in then? Would it be a time of peace and prosperity? He hoped so.

As he waited in the darkness, he felt a slight warmth wash over him. "No, not yet..." a voice called out to him. He frowned. Who was that? It didn't sound like Naga... but nor did it sound like Grima. It was a voice garbled and mixed, with several other voices speaking out. "Your time has not yet come, Fell Dragon..."

Then, the warmth vanished.


When feeling returned to his body, the first thing Robin felt was pain. Boy, his boy was aching all over the place... even in parts he didn't know that could get aches. And, dear lord, the headache... Gah, it felt like his head was about to split! He felt like he was having one of those damned hangovers whenever he, Chrom, and Vaike got a bit too excited and drank a bit too much. He also felt the familiar warmth of sunlight collate around him, providing a sense of tranquility, accompanied by the gentle breeze. Perhaps he was outside, hanging under a tree. He could feel the cooling shade blanketing his body, and the grass prickling at the back of his neck.

"Brother, we have to do SOMETHING."

Hm? This voice...

"Well, what do you propose we do?"

Those words... they sounded so familiar...

"I-I don't know... Wait, he's waking up!"

Robin's eyes fluttered open, becoming greeted with the blinding sun. It caused him to squint hard as he raised his arm over his face, seeing two figures. Once he became adjusted to the brightness of the sun, he lowered his arm. He was greeted by the appearance of two people, one a young male, perhaps at Chrom's age, and the other a girl. The male had blonde hair, wavy and kept in place with a bracer on the forehead, adorned in unfamiliar ebony armor bearing golden tailings. On his arm was a shield with a dragon-like design, and at his hip was a sheathe, bearing the hilt of a blade. The girl had long white hair and red eyes, wearing silver armor with a blue cape fluttering behind her. It was equally as unfamiliar, yet at the same time, it fitted her slim form.

"Hey there..." the girl smiled kindly. Robin felt a strange wave of deja vu pass over him. Gods, why did this feel so familiar to him?

"There are better places to take a nap than on the ground, you know." the young man said, a smile also present as he offered his hand. "Here."

Robin took a hold on the unknown man's hand. He noticed that the mark that was supposed to be on the back of his hand was gone, proof that he was free of Grima's curse once and for all. It was proof that he had won... that the Shepherds had won. The man pulled him up to his feet, the two now standing before each other. Robin's height was close to that of Chrom's, but he was half a head shorter than the man in front of him.

The area around him was familiar as well... nothing but a plain field of grass and wheat, with only a single tree to provide comfort.

...? Wait, this place... Ah, now he remembered.

This was how I met Chrom and Lissa for the first time... Robin recalled with a smile. It almost feels like a dream... Ah, the sweet memories.

"Are you alright?" the young man asked.

Robin nodded. "Yes, thank you..." Though, what am I doing back here? he wondered briefly. Moreover, who are these people? I don't recognize their armor... Perhaps a foreign continent?

"I never imagined that my first time in the outside world would involve me meeting a stranger, sleeping out in plain sight." the girl said with a slight giggle. "You're lucky it was me and brother who found you, and not bandits."

Again, Robin smiled at this. "Perhaps I should be... Oh, pardon. I'm Robin, it's a pleasure."

"Corrin." the girl greeted, smiling back. "And this is my older brother, Xander."

He blinked. Once, twice, three times.

"You're siblings?"

Xander chuckled. "Yes, that is the first thing people say when they see me with Corrin, or with any of our siblings. But, yes, I can assure you, we're siblings." His smile vanished almost as quickly as it had appeared, however, as it soon changed into a look of the utmost stern. Quite frankly, it reminded him of Frederick. "Still, what on Earth were you doing out here by yourself? Either you're carefree, especially in times such as this, or your confident in your abilities... or perhaps a fool."

Yep, definitely like Frederick.

"I'd like to think I'm fairly decent with a sword and tome." Robin replied with a mysterious smile. "Though, I usually fight my battles up here." he tapped his noggin. "Now, could either of you be so kind as to tell me where I am? I'm afraid I've gotten myself a bit lost."

Corrin tilted her head, but nodded. "You're just outside a small village near the Nohrian-Hoshidan border."

...Nohrian-Hoshidan border? What?

"This might sound like a weird question, but..." Robin hesitated, uncertain. "What country are we in?"

Xander's frown grew. "You are in Nohr, sir... Are you feeling alright?"

Nohr... Wait, where has he heard that name before...?

...Oh, now he remembered!


"Hoshido?" Robin inquered, bookmarking his page as he set his book down. "I don't believe I've heard of that continent before."

"Aye, most people wouldn't." Say'ri nodded, taking a small sip of her tea. "Tis a nation in times of peace, even with all of this death and despair lurking about... It is actually the birthplace of the customs that Chon'sin values."

"Truly?" the tactician asked, eyes wide. "Then, the cherry blossom trees you spoke of, along with the armor... They came from Hoshido?"

"Correct, Robin. I have visited it only once." Say'ri smiled in reminiscence. "It was back during the days before all of this madness... back when my brother, Yen'fay, was alive and still at my side. It was so beautiful... I wish to see it again, when this is all over."

"I would like to see it as well." Robin said in agreement. "A beautiful nation in times of peace? That's my sort of paradise."

Say'ri couldn't help but laugh. "I had a feeling you would say that, Sir Robin! Perhaps we should go together!"

"Indeed."

That was when a familiar, booming voice interrupted their conversation. "Unfortunately, tactician, the days of peace are slowly reaching it's end." The two turned to see the ever-imposing, crimson-clad figure of Walhart approaching them. "Especially when war with Nohr is creeping up on the horizon."

"Walhart." Say'ri greeted, her tone neutral. She was with the group when they encountered Walhart, a corpse that continued to fight even in death. Truly, she had never seen such a terrifying man. How could one such as that still be able to fight, even when their heart has ceased it's drumming?

Robin, however, frowned. "Nohr?"

"A country in poor times." the Conquerer answered the question, stopping at their table. "It is a nation that seeks glory, in stark contrast to those blithering fools of Hoshido, preferring arms rather than idealistic peace. However, because of poor weather and crop failures, they've taken to invading other countries to expand their territory."

"Hm... understandable." the tactician nodded. "Still, it would be better if they settled things up at the table with words rather than at the battlefield with swords."

"Hah!" Walhart snorted. "Nohr is not so naive. They know strength is absolute... I've learned that first hand when I tried to take the domain for myself."

"And?" Say'ri grew curious, leaning forward. "Did you?"

Walhart, to their immense shock and disbelief, shook his head. "No... I was defeated, and left for dead, all at the hands of their king."

"WHAT?!" Robin cried. "You LOST?! H-how?! Me and Chrom barely managed to defeat you!"

It was true. Even with skilled warriors such as Lucina and the other children, and even with skilled mages such as Tharja and Ricken, and even with Robin's strategic mind, the path to victory against Walhart was not an easy one. He was truly a one-man army, capable of utterly destroying his enemies with only a single strike of his axe. His physical strength was otherworldly, almost god-like. It still boggled Robin's mind how they were still able to achieve victory after that.

"Garon of Nohr is not a man to be trifled with, tactician." Walhart informed them. "With only himself at the battlefield, he destroyed my army, yet I alone survived. I had expected death to come to me, in fact I demanded that he end my life then and there..." His face grew furious. "And the fool thought me to be 'little more than an amusing mongrel'."

"O-one man alone defeated the might of Valm, with you at the head?" Say'ri whispered in disbelief. "What sort of monster is this man?"

"A king with unrivaled power." the crimson-clad warrior replied. "Mark my words, tactician... The nation of Nohr is far more powerful than anything you could hope to imagine... and Garon is the only person alive who can truly instill true, absolute terror into your heart."


How in the world did I arrive here in Nohr? Robin wondered as he, Corrin, and Xander were traveling together, if only for a while, towards the village. And why was I brought here of all places?

"So, you have no memory of how you arrived here, Robin?" Corrin's question brought him out from his thoughts. "What do you recall last?"

"Engaged in battle." he replied. It wasn't a complete lie... but he couldn't quite tell them he and his friends were locked in a life-or-death battle with the Fell Dragon himself, now could he? "And a downright brutal one."

"I would imagine so." Xander replied, looking at Robin's attire. It was a simple dark, rouge colored coat with a hood, bearing the familiar markings of Grima along the sleeves and hem. Beneath that was simple clothing you could find anyone to wear, complete with leather brown boots, slacks, and a cotton shirt. Beneath that cloak was a tome, and at the hip, a blade. Of course, it wasn't just any blade. "Especially if requires a Brave Sword."

"Worth every cent, I assure you of that." he replied. "Still, for a nation in the middle of poor weather and crop failures, it appears peaceful enough."

"I wish every place was as peaceful as this." Xander sighed in regret. "Unfortunately, this is but the countryside. Once you become closer to the capital, you start to see the effects of the harvest, and of mother nature."

"I see..." Robin said, nodding. "Might I ask a question? Why do you trust me? I could be a spy, a thief, or even an assassin after your life."

"Hm, true..." the blonde-haired man nodded in agreement, yet smiled in spite of that. "But, you have not done anything that would make me suspect you. Besides, do we look like important people to you?"

Corrin frowned at this. "Brother...?"

"Other than the armor and weapons?" Robin shook his head. "I would think you to be mercenaries, but I hardly doubt that. Far too casual, if withdrawn. That, and, pardon me for saying this, but Corrin seems to be the sheltered type to me."

"E-eh?!" The girl blinked, gasping in surprise with a faint blush on her cheeks. Xander couldn't help but laugh. "You're quite observant, Sir Robin. Yes, my sister has lived quite a sheltered life. In fact, this is perhaps her first real time out in the real world. We have business in the capital, you see."

"Ah, I get it now." Robin nodded. "Well, I suppose when we reach the village, we'll be parting ways."

"Indeed." Xander nodded, but grew cautious and confused when he saw his younger sister looking out into the distance. "Is something the matter, Corrin?"

She pointed out to where the village resided. Piling into the sky was thick, black smoke, stacking atop itself and reaching to the heavens. "Is that... a fire?" Xander's eyes widened. "The village... it's being set ablaze!"

In spite of those words, Robin couldn't help but smile.

It truly reminded him of being with the Shepherds.

-Prelude-