Hello, and thanks for reading. This story is loosely based off the events in Fire Emblem: Awakening, but as you can probably guess from the summary, there will be some major changes. As you can also tell from the summary, Robin does not have any memory loss and is instead a Grimleal priest. Most of the events in this story will be different from those in Awakening, in fact, and one of the main changes will be that there is no purely evil side that needs to be defeated like there is in the game. That is one of the aspects I disliked most about Awakening, so hopefully this story will be an improvement in that aspect. Anyway, that's all I have to say for now, so thanks again for reading.

A gentle breeze sailed through the air, making the fresh, green grass dance atop a tall cliff which overlooked the Ylissean countryside. Scattered on the top of the cliff was a small retinue of soldiers, most of them mages. They were dressed in black and red and were milling about, drinking from waterskins or chatting with each other as they stopped for a brief rest.

Seated towards the edge of the cliff was a man with messy, dark hair and deep brown eyes. He wore a tan tunic and a pair of pale, worn traveling pants, and his brown boots were dusty with use. In contrast to the rest of his plain outfit was an ornate, expensive-looking coat which was draped around his shoulders, covering his back as if it were some sort of cloak. A sword was strapped to his side, and a lazy, peaceful expression was present on his face as he dangled his legs over the sharp drop and studied a small village in the distance.

"Father Robin, shouldn't we get moving? We've been sitting here for about twenty minutes now," a black-haired woman said as she approached the man.

"Just a moment, Tharja," Robin replied, "there's no rush, right?"

Tharja frowned. "There is, actually. It would make the Church of Grima look bad if you showed up late for your meeting with the Exalt."

Robin sighed. "I thought that the date we specified was more of a suggested meeting time rather than a hard deadline."

"No… You need to be there by then."

Robin groaned. "But I don't feel like getting up. It's so nice here… Can't you just go in my stead, Tharja?"

"As the son of the High Archbishop of the Grimleal, it is important that you go. Sending a regular mage like myself wouldn't be befitting of the Exalt's rank, now would it?"

"Fine… Glad I have you here to keep me on track," Robin said, somewhat sarcastically.

"Of course, Father," Tharja replied, an eerie smile on her face. "You know I would follow you to the ends of the earth."

Robin glanced at her uneasily as he reluctantly got to his feet and faced the rest of his party. "All right, everyone, it's time to -"

Robin was interrupted by a loud crash originating from below the cliff. The Grimleal priest whirled around to see one of the buildings in the village go up in flames, and the faint sound of shouting soon followed.

"What in Grima's name…?"

"It looks like a bandit attack," Tharja supplied as she clutched her purple tome to her chest. "Best we avoid that area."

Robin yawned as he stretched. "But shouldn't we help them? I thought we were supposed to be on some goodwill visit between Plegia and Ylisse, no?"

"So? We can just act like we never saw anything," Tharja countered. "No need to involve ourselves in unnecessary conflicts. Though I wouldn't mind collecting some material from the corpses once they're finished…"

"Oh, come on, Tharja," Robin said as he saddled up his horse. "It's been a while since we fought a real opponent. If we don't use our skills, they'll get rusty. Besides, maybe we can bring the head of the bandit leader to the Exalt as a gift. Wouldn't that make for a good impression!"

"Weren't you just complaining about how you didn't want to move from that spot? And now you want to rush into a fight?" Tharja questioned.

"Yes, but now that I am up, I might as well do something, right? So come on!"

Tharja frowned again as Robin headed down towards the village, the rest of the retinue in tow. As the group of Grimleal approached the small hamlet, the sound of metal clashing upon metal and shouting pierced through the air. Robin eyed the village for a second, scratching his head.

"Ah… Looks like the fighting is taking place towards the center of the village, probably in the main square where there's more space. By the sound of things, it seems this town has some sort of militia to defend itself, otherwise we wouldn't be hearing swords clashing… Hm… Let's go with our Bullseye Formation.'"

As soon as Robin finished speaking, his mounted mages rode into the town, some of them going west and the others going east. They stuck towards the outskirts, avoiding the center of the village where the fighting was taking place. Soon, only Robin and Tharja were left.

"Ladies first." Robin shot her a lazy smile as he gestured towards the village.

Tharja sighed, but rode into town nonetheless. Robin followed closely behind, the two of them leading their horses straight through the main street and towards the middle of the fighting. Robin admired the architecture of the town as he leisurely rode through. Most of the buildings were well-constructed and made of wood, and aside from the fact that a few of the structures were burning down and the faint sound of screaming in the distance, Robin thought that the town seemed like a nice place to live.

"Really different from Plegia, huh?" Robin observed as the pair approached the town square. A small bridge constructed over a thin river separated their street from the town square, and, as Robin expected, there was currently a clash going on between the the bandits and a small group of militia.

"Plegian towns don't have brigands brawling in the streets," Tharja responded, obviously still upset at being forced into the conflict.

Robin laughed, a rolling, unhurried sound. "I suppose that's true. Come, let's go."

The Plegian pair crossed the bridge and entered the town square. The bandits appeared to number about twenty, and to Robin's surprise, the opposing militia only had three members, one of which was a young girl who hung back and didn't even fight. Though the girl wasn't participating in the battle, her comrades more than made up for her. A mounted knight in blue armor wielded a silver lance, tearing through his foes with practiced ease. Beside him was a muscular man with dark blue hair, and he used an ornate-looking sword in order to hack apart his enemies. The two were obviously more skilled than any one of the brigands, but Robin could see that they were beginning to tire just from the sheer numbers they were up against.

"Hello!" Robin called out. "Mind if we join you?"

Most of the combatants ignored his inappropriate salutation, but a few of the bandits turned their heads in confusion. The blue-haired man was also distracted for a moment, barely avoiding a bandit's axe as he stared at Robin with disbelief.

"Did you really have to do that?" Tharja complained as Robin's call drew a handful of brigands to them.

Robin shrugged. "Probably not. Heh."

Tharja didn't reply, instead choosing to flip open her tome and cast her arm out towards the encroaching enemies. With a muttered incantation, Tharja turned one of them into black dust, causing the other two to pause in shock. Robin himself raised a hand into the air, pointing towards the sky with one finger. Without uttering a word, he launched a fireball into the air, and the projectile exploded after it reached a certain height.

"Well, the signal has been sent," he said afterwards. "Now we wait."

Tharja cast another spell towards the distracted brigands, killing another and barely missing the third one. The remaining bandit tried to counter attack, but before he could rush Tharja with his axe, he found himself unable to move.

A blackish-purple hole had opened up beneath the bandit, and the man slowly began to sink into it. He cried out in anger and frustration as he tried to free himself, but after a few seconds, he was completely swallowed up. The dark hole closed and dissipated after the man had disappeared.

"Ha ha! I love that spell," Robin exclaimed. He then heard the sound of hooves approaching, and he smiled. "Ah, they're here."

To the surprise of both the bandits and the three militia fighters, a group of mounted mages appeared, surrounding the town square from all sides. Before the brigands could react, a flurry of various magical spells flew towards them, pelting them from every angle. Trapped in the town square, the bandits had nowhere to run, and within a few seconds, all of them had been eliminated by Robin's mages.

Robin nodded at their handiwork. "Good, the plan worked."

"Indeed," Tharja noted before she dismounted. "Now, time to collect some materials. It's rare that I get my hands on samples so fresh…"

As Tharja headed off to do whatever it was she was doing and the rest of the mages began to form up behind Robin, the Grimleal priest noticed that the trio of militia fighters was also approaching.

"You there," the blue-haired man called out to Robin. "Thank you for your help today. Without your assistance, I'm afraid this village may have fallen."

Robin grinned lazily. "Glad to be of service, friend."

"What is your name? Your soldiers don't look like they are from the Ylissean Army."

"My name is Robin. I'm a Grimleal priest from Plegia, and I was just passing through on my way to a meeting with the Exalt."

The blue-haired man's eyes widened. "The Exalt…? Exalt Emmeryn?"

"I suppose so, unless there is another exalt I am unaware of," Robin joked.

Chrom smiled. "Sorry, I was just surprised. You see, Exalt Emmeryn is my sister. My name is Chrom, Prince of Ylisse. A pleasure to meet you, Robin."

Now it was Robin's turned to be surprised. "You're a prince? What are you doing in this village, then? I thought you all were just some militia fighters!"

Chrom laughed. "Well, I suppose we are, in a way. You see, I lead a group called the Shepherds, and our job is to go around the country and deal with incidents like this… We were caught a bit off-guard this time, unfortunately, but usually we're pretty effective."

"A noble pursuit," Robin said with an amused smile. "The townsfolk must be in awe at seeing their handsome prince himself ride in to save them."

"Are you poking fun at His Grace?" the knight in blue armor questioned with a frown.

Robin laughed. "Of course not. Truly, I do admire your initiative… Well, Prince Chrom, are you heading back to the capital? I wouldn't mind a guide, if you have the time. I believe I am already late for my meeting with the Exalt, but if the prince himself vouches for me, she might forgive me."

"I suppose it's the least I could do after your help here," Chrom replied as he nodded. "By the way, my two companions here are Sir Frederick of the Ylissean Mounted Royal Knights and Lissa, my little sister."

"Nice to meet you!" Lissa greeted. Frederick simply nodded slightly, his stern frown never leaving his face.

"Likewise," Robin said cheerily.

"Since that's out of the way, how about we get moving?" Chrom suggested. "Er, as soon as your friend over there is done whatever she is doing, at least."

Robin glanced over at Tharja, then sighed. "Tharja, please don't undress the corpses in front of everybody."

Three figures sat around a table in a dimly-lit room. Each of them was clad in black, and a somber, unsettling aura pervaded the air. After a few moments of silence, a fourth person entered the room. Unlike the others, he wore no ornate armor or robes, and instead just wore a simple black cloak. He was young, and his face was gentle and forgiving, if not a bit sickly-looking. He had long, dark brown hair, and though he wore a pleasant smile, his violet eyes were dim.

"Did I keep you waiting? I am sorry," the man spoke as he took a seat at the table. "Nevertheless, shall we begin?"

"Where is Death?" one of the figures asked in a deep, smooth voice. He wore black armor lined with black fur, and his face was masked by a helm in the shape of a snarling wolf. His cape was fashioned out of black fur as well, and a heavy sword hung at his side, concealed by a black scabbard.

"Ah, right. He has other duties to attend to, so he will not be present. I will fill him in later," the man answered.

"Even so, are you certain we should be holding this meeting without him, Valis?" a deep, booming voice questioned. This one belonged to a huge man who was clad in heavy black armor, and his helm was shaped like a bull's head. The long, sharp horns which erupted from his helmet combined with the enormous axe strapped on his back made for quite the imposing figure.

Valis gave him a reassuring smile. "It won't be a problem, War. As I said, I will fill him in, and our meeting today isn't of much importance anyway."

"If this isn't important, then why are we here?" a voice belonging to a woman and the fourth figure in the room asked. Unlike her two male comrades, she wore a black cloak and a tight black mask to hide her face.

"Just to summarize," Valis replied calmly. "Things are finally beginning to move, so I thought it best to go over a few key details beforehand. Is that all right with you, Pestilence?"

The woman did not reply, and so Valis continued. "So, then… You all will be leaving on your various assignments, so I suspect that this will be the last time we will meet for a while. As you all know, we must collect the Five Gemstones of the Fire Emblem as soon as possible. It is only then that we will be able to awaken Grima. We are already in possession of Sable, and you all are aware of the plan to obtain the others. War, you will go to Chon'sin to recover Vert, and Famine, you will head to the Mila Tree for Azure. Pestilence and I will be working towards Argent and Gules, which are possessed by Ylisse and Regna Ferox respectively."

"... And Death?" Famine, the wolf-armored figure, asked.

"Yes… He has a different task entirely. Let's say that he will be helping us with Argent and Gules for now. Those two will likely be the most difficult to obtain."

"Fine," Famine replied, apparently satisfied. "If that is all, then I am leaving."

War nodded, his black horns reflecting the dim light. "I must be going as well. I have preparations to make."

"Of course," Valis replied as he stood up. "Please, make haste. The sooner we strike, the higher the chance of our success… Lately, I've been sensing a disturbance, and I do not like it. I fear that some otherworldly force may have been sent to hinder our progress."

"Otherworldly?" Pestilence repeated. "This is the first I am hearing of this."

Valis frowned. "Yes, well… I cannot be certain, but I sense that Naga may have put in place some… Failsafes, if you will."

"So you can't tell us anything concrete, is what you're saying," Famine surmised.

War stood up, a sense of urgency in his motions. "Even so, Valis has always been more attuned to spiritual matters than any of us. If he says that there is a new threat, I will take that to heart. We must finish our tasks, and do it quickly."

Valis nodded. "Thank you… The fate of the world rests in the hands of the Inner Circle now. You must do whatever you can to prevent the world from falling into chaos."

"We will," War agreed. "I admit, I have no use for religion, but if this is the path I must take in order to prevent total anarchy, then I will walk it with no regrets."

Famine sighed. "Saving the world, huh? I'm sure if you asked anybody else, we would be the what the world needed saving from… However, I've fought in enough battles to know that true peace can only be achieved through heavy sacrifice. I swear on my sword that I will not fail."

"Hah, you two were always ones for grand statements," Pestilence said as she too stood up. "But nevertheless, I suppose it wouldn't be good for me if the world were to go into ruin. I will fight til the end as well."

"Good," Valis said with a smile. His violet eyes flashed. "Now, my friends, let us go. Victory awaits."

Lucina woke up with a start. She immediately reached for her sword, and sighed in relief when she felt it by her side. She looked around and found that she was in a dark forest, alone.

Where am I…? And where is everybody else? It cannot be… Was I the only one who made it?

The blue-haired princess slowly got to her feet, and she glanced around once more for good measure. When she found that she truly was alone, she sighed. I suppose this is nothing new. I will finish this fight even if I have to do it alone. She had arrived in this world with a group of comrades, and though her mind automatically assumed the worst when she saw that they were nowhere to be found, she knew that this did not mean that they were all dead. Naga had told them that it was completely possible that they would be separated upon returning to the past.

Even so, I still do not have any idea where I am… And where did my mask go? She reached up to her face and found that the mask she had brought with her in order to conceal her identity was missing. I suppose that is not too much of an issue. As long as nobody looks at my eyes too closely, I should be fine.

She gathered her bearings and made her way through the forest, heading in no direction in particular. As she tried to find some sort of path that would lead her towards civilization, her mind began to wander. She thought of the world she had left behind, and about how she and her friends had fought with every last bit of their strength to reach Naga in order to return to the past. They had no hope of winning against the Grimleal in the future, but if they returned to the past, they could prevent that future or any other futures like it from happening. Lucina didn't fully understand the concept, and Naga did not have the time to explain it, but somehow, returning to this point in the past would eliminate the possibility of the world being destroyed in any alternate timeline.

If I am able to succeed, that is, she realized as she walked. I do not know how far the Grimleal's plan has advanced thus far, but hopefully it is not too late…

Her mind drifted to the sinister cult of Grima, and she repressed a shudder as she thought of the four known as the Inner Circle in particular. They were the leaders of the Grimleal, and they possessed power unlike no other. Even her father, a man she used to think was invincible, had no chance against them. She vividly remembered the scene of her father being cut down by a figure in dark, dragon-shaped armor, and a mixture of fear and anger grew inside her.

The one known as Death… He killed my father. But what will I do if I find him in this world? Will I be able to defeat him?

She hoped that the Inner Circle in this time were not as powerful as they were in her own world. Though she was sure that they would still be tough opponents, in the future, they will have absorbed so much of Grima's power that Naga herself could not hope to defeat even one of them.

Lucina walked on until she found a beaten path that led out of the forest and onto a main road. It was dark out, and so the road itself was empty, but she could see the lights of a city in the distance. She figured that she would go there and ask for directions, then collect information on the Grimleal. If she could take them by surprise, she was sure that she could defeat the Inner Circle. Or at least I hope I can…

Robin let out a low whistle as he looked around the capital city of Ylisstol, his deep brown eyes glinting with wonder.

"Nice, isn't it?" Chrom said. "Bet your desert cities in Plegia aren't like this."

"That's for sure," Robin replied as his eyes took in the bustling streets and the tall buildings. "Everything is so much more colorful here… And there's not sand everywhere."

Chrom chuckled. "Yeah, I would bet that gets annoying."

Robin got along surprisingly well with Chrom, and the two had quickly become friends on the three-day journey back to Ylisstol. Robin's breezy personality and lacking drive was off-putting to most nobles and clergy back in Plegia, so he did not have many close acquaintances at home. Chrom, however, was far less serious than any other noble he had met, and he found that the Ylissean prince was quite affable himself. Robin didn't know if it was because he helped Chrom out at the village, but Chrom seemed to treat Robin just as well as he would treat any other one of his countrymen. He couldn't say the same for Frederick, however; the knight never stopped glaring at Robin whenever he got the chance.

"That's the palace," Chrom pointed out as the group got closer to the majestic castle that rested on top of a hill, overlooking the city.

"Wow," Robin said as he grinned in excitement. "It's so… White."

"Hah! That's one way to describe it, I suppose."

The group continued onwards until the reached the castle. Robin's soldiers were escorted to some spare quarters by the castle's servants, and Robin and Tharja went with Chrom, Frederick, and Lissa to see the Exalt. They walked through the grand halls of the palace until they reached the throne room. A woman with blue and gold armor and periwinkle-colored hair stood outside the doors, and she bowed as Chrom arrived.

"Prince Chrom, Princess Lissa. I am glad you arrived safely. I heard you encountered some brigands."

"Hello, Phila," Chrom greeted. "We did run into some trouble, but thanks to Robin here, we were able to save the village and escape with our lives as well."

Robin shot her a lazy smile and raised his hand in greeting. "No thanks needed, my lady."

"Robin…?" Phila said, obviously having heard the name before. Her eyes then lit up in realization, and she regarded him warily. "Ah, I remember now. You must be that Plegian priest. If I recall correctly, you were supposed to be here a few days ago."

"Uh, yeah, sorry about that," Robin apologized halfheartedly as he grinned sheepishly. He had heard from Chrom that Exalt Emmeryn was actually quite forgiving, so his worries about being chastised had dropped significantly. The Exalt's guards were another story, though.

"I suppose it cannot be helped," Phila sighed. "Come in. The Exalt will see all of you now."

The group entered the throne room, and Robin was captivated by how bright and gold it was. At the center of the room stood an equally-beautiful figure, and Robin knew she must be the Exalt. Frederick and Phila kneeled to Exalt Emmeryn, but Robin simply stared, enraptured by her golden locks and warm, smiling face. Tharja hung back, hiding behind Robin.

"Welcome back, Chrom, Lissa. I see you brought company."

Chrom smiled. "Yes. This is Robin and Tharja, two Plegian priests. They helped us save a village a few days ago, and since they were coming to meet you anyway, we decided to return together."

Emmeryn turned to Robin. "Thank you for your help, Father Robin. We are indebted to you."

"N-no, it was nothing," Robin replied hastily, feeling undeserving of the Exalt's praise.

Emmeryn smiled. "Well, since this was supposed to be a goodwill visit between the Church of Grima and Ylisse, I would say you have accomplished your mission. If you are busy, you may leave, but if you would like to stay for a bit, I will have rooms prepared for you and your companions here at the castle. I could also arrange for a guide to take you around the city and to the various churches here in Ylisstol, if you wish. Ylisse mostly worships Naga, but I am sure that both our religions can learn a lot from each other."

"Actually," Chrom cut in, "I was hoping to take Robin to the Shepherds' barracks."

"Father Robin is here on a goodwill visit, Chrom, not to inspect your militia," Emmeryn replied. "Speaking of, we will need to have a talk about the Shepherds. What you did a few days ago was reckless, and if you did not have help, you could have been in serious danger."

"Exactly! But we had Robin with us, right?" He then turned to Robin. "You told me a lot about how you studied battle tactics on our way back to Ylisstol, and I saw how you fought with and commanded your soldiers at the village. The Shepherds could really use someone like you, if you're willing…"

Robin was a bit taken aback. "Are you asking me to join your militia?"

"I'm sorry," Emmeryn apologized to Robin. "Chrom, please mind your manners. How many times must I tell you that Father Robin is here on a goodwill visit?"

"I know that!" Chrom said. He looked at Robin, his blue eyes shining with excitement. "But what better a way to spread goodwill than to fight together as comrades, right? Just think of what you and I could accomplish together, Robin! Today we fight bandits, but tomorrow we could be the greatest band of warriors to ever have walked the continent!"

Emmeryn sighed. "Chrom, contain yourself. You must remember that Father Robin is a Plegian priest, and that he has duties to his own country as well. He cannot afford to run around with a Ylissean militia."

"I have to agree with the Exalt, Your Grace," Frederick cut in. "This whole idea is ridiculous. You would invite a foreigner into our ranks?"

Chrom glared at him. "That 'foreigner' may have saved your life, Frederick… But you are right, this is not my decision to make. Robin…?"

Robin was still a bit surprised at Chrom's proposal, but he couldn't help but smile at the prince's enthusiasm. He had also been taken with the country of Ylisse, and as someone who had spent his entire life in service of the Grimleal, Robin decided that he could use an exciting change.

"I was sent here to foster relations with Ylisse and the Church of Grima, so why not? I'm sure someone can fill in for me back home."

Chrom grinned. "All right! I knew you would agree! Well, Em…?"

The Exalt looked slightly frustrated, but she sighed in consent. "... All right, if that is what you two wish."

"Thank you, Em," Chrom said. "Well, it's settled, then. Welcome to the Shepherds, Robin… And Tharja too, I guess."

Robin gave him a lazy salute. "Glad to be of service."

The group then headed out of the throne room after saying goodbye to Emmeryn. Chrom was apparently very eager to introduce Robin to the rest of the Shepherds, so they would be heading out immediately, despite the Exalt's protests.

As Robin followed Chrom out of the castle, he stared at the prince's back and found himself thinking about what exactly he was doing here.

The Shepherds, huh? Me, a Plegian priest, joining up with a Ylissean prince's militia… I guess that's just how it goes. Valis did tell me to have fun, so this counts, I suppose. Hopefully Chrom has got some good liquor back at his barracks.

Robin's thoughts then turned more serious. Valis also told me that I should look for something, though, and that something is my reason for protecting this world. As things stand now, I've got no strong attachments to anything. I do my priestly duties during the day, and drink and whore as much as I can to pass the nights… But I wonder, can I find a reason to hold me in this world? Will being with the Shepherds fill this void I feel?

The newly-appointed tactician sighed inwardly as the group began their march away from the castle and towards the barracks, which were about a half a day's walk to the north.

I suppose only time will tell…

A/N: Just to be clear, behind the masks of the Inner Circle are actual characters in the game; they are not OCs. You can probably guess the identity of some of them already, though not all of them are obvious. Valis, however, is an OC, but he won't be too important in the plot. He's mainly just there for exposition purposes, and since Awakening does not go into detail about the Grimleal, I really had no choice but to use an OC here. Validar will be in this story as well, but he has a different role to play.