The last twenty-four hours had by no means been pleasant for Frederick. First he had been forced to endure his lord and master ignoring all good sense and common reason when it came to that untrustworthy Robin individual, then there had been that messy business in Southtown (he had no idea how long it would take him to scrub the bloodstains out of Prince Chrom's attire), and then he had gone without supper rather than endure that wretched bear meat.
And now hell-fire was erupting from the ground and the living damned were falling from the sky, no doubt intent on dragging the Knight Commander's charges with them back into the underworld.
Though it defied all earthly logic, Frederick was convinced that that scoundrel Robin was involved with this somehow. However, that issue would have to wait until these creatures had been eradicated and the royal family's safety ensured. Frederick spurred his steed harder, racing toward the sounds of battle echoing through the woods.
Chrom grunted and dislodged Falchion from a Risen's chest, then turned toward Robin incredulously. "Did... Did that person just fall out of the sky?!" the prince yelled. "And what the hell are these things?! What on earth is going on?!"
Robin whistled as he obliterated the last Risen of the group with thunder magic. "Now that is a long story to explain. Sound bite: The Risen are the work of the Fell Dragon Grima, and sh-...that person over there is also a time traveler." Robin had nearly had a slip of the tongue, but past experience informed him it would be best to keep Lucina's identity and gender hidden for now, if nothing else as a courtesy to the swordsmaid.
"Great, more time travelers!" Chrom shouted sarcastically. "What next?! Is my son from the future going to show up and start calling me Pops?!"
Robin struggled to make his face as blank as possible and bit back the urge to reply that Chrom had only had daughters. However, expression forced its way through when he realized that Lucina was cornered off in the distance.
"...Chrom, I'm going to go help that person," the tactician declared. "Hole up in one of those abandoned forts; you should be safe there. ...Relatively safe, that is. Anyway, Lissa, stick close to your brother. Sully and Virion should be showing up any minute now. You two hold tight until they get here." With that Robin took off in Lucina's direction, not bothering to wait for a reply from Chrom.
"Wait, how do you know Sully?" the prince shouted. "And who the hell is Virion?!"
"My dearest flower—oof—If you could but slow down and allow me to—urgh—properly ride..."
Sully glanced back at the blue-haired man being dragged along by her horse as she careened through the forest. They had rode for nearly a mile now, but the man had refused to release his grip on her saddle, having latched onto it when she had attempted to leave him behind so that she could go investigate whatever the hell was happening right now.
The knight whistled. "Naga, Ruffles, you're still hanging on? I'd be impressed if I wasn't so creeped out." After all, the dandy had followed her all the way from the tavern back in town, pestering her with confessions of love or some other load of pig slop.
"Virion is a man of many virtues, and tenacity is but one—ow!—but one of them. Besides, a gentleman such as myself—guh!—would never abandon a lady in the face of peril!"
"Yeah?! Well this lady is about to- ...The ever-living hell was that?" Sully muttered as she looked over her shoulder to observe a figure they had just passed. She glanced back down at Virion. "Hey Ruffles, was it just me or was that freak purple?"
"Virion does not discriminate against others—ouch—over such paltry matters. ...But yes, his skin was indeed purple. And those glowing red eyes of his—bwuh—suggest to me that he is not man, but aberration. ...And I believe that said aberration—ugh—is following us now."
"I'll kill it later then. I hear fighting up ahead. Ruffles, hightail it out of here. Things are about to get messy."
The eloquent refusal that Virion had been about to eschew was abruptly cut off when Sully's horse broke into a clearing, prompting the knight to bring her mount to a halt so that she could find her bearings. Unprepared for this, Virion went skidding in a rather inelegant fashion, rolling across the ground before coming to a halt. He shakily got to his feet, brushed himself off, then stood fully with a refined poise that belied the fact that he still had dirt in his teeth. He discreetly spat to clear his mouth, then turned back toward Sully.
Who was no longer there.
Virion smiled and shook his head before sweeping his hair back with a flourish. "My, my. There is no gardener in this world finer than Virion, for none go to such lengths as he to sow the seeds of love." He was about to search for the cavalier when he paused. "Ah but of course, first thing's first." He took out his bow, notched an arrow, and waited a few moments. As expected, the monster that had followed them came bounding into view, sword held high. Virion took careful aim, then released the string, his arrow whistling through the air before burying itself between glowing red eyes. The Risen fell backwards, twitching erratically before evaporating in a cloud of ash. Virion regarded the dissipating remains for a moment.
"It seems that Valm is not the only continent with more than its fair share of troubles," he murmured reflectively. Then he scanned about, found the horse tracks he was looking for, and took off after Sully.
Lucina deflected an axe-strike from a hulking Risen, then nimbly sidestepped the sword thrust of another. In two quick strokes she dispatched the pair, then turned and charged another undead. Robin couldn't help but smile as he watched the woman practically dance around her opponent; it was a relief to see his comrade alive and well again.
The princess had just beheaded her enemy when Robin noticed another Risen sneaking up on her. The archer drew its bowstring, in plain view, but Lucina couldn't see it on account of the darkness and her mask inhibiting her peripheral vision. Robin immediately flipped open his tome and fired a bolt of Thoron at the Risen. It was promptly evaporated before it had a chance to let its arrow fly. Robin noted that Thoron might have been a tad overkill; even an Elthunder probably would've gotten the job done, but he wasn't keen on the idea of having his reunion cut short before it even occurred because he had decided to be conservative with his spell usage.
He walked up to a visibly surprised Lucina, who immediately turned on him with Falchion held defensively.
"Whoa, whoa, easy there," Robin said, raising his hands. "I'm not your enemy."
Lucina frowned, clearly skeptical. Robin was about to say more, but, to his frustration, was cut off by another gate opening above the two. Risen plummeted down to the ground and surrounded the time travelers. Robin and Lucina immediately went back to back, Robin out of habit and Lucina out of instinct.
"Just like old times," Robin laughed, but Lucina ignored him and immediately threw herself at a nearby Risen. Robin sighed, then drew an Arcfire tome. Overkill be damned, he didn't have the patience to deal with fodder like this the economic way right now.
"Gods, is there no end to these things?" Chrom grunted as he fended off yet another Risen that had attempted to clamber over the fort's walls. He sliced off the creature's arm, causing it to wail loudly before it fell back to the ground. The Risen staggered to its feet, about to attempt the climb again when a lance tip burst through its temple, killing it instantly. A red-armored cavalier pulled her weapon back, then twirled the lance before holding it to her forehead in a crisp salute.
"Captain Chrom!" Sully shouted as she trotted her horse into clearer view. "Gods, am I glad to see you! What the hell is going on around here?!"
Chrom sighed with relief. "Good to see you too, Sully!" he called as he began to climb down a ladder, Lissa following close behind. "You're right on schedule, apparently. ...And honestly, your guess is as good as mine."
Sully frowned. "Say, where the hell is Commander Frederick? You'd think that at a time like this that tight-ass would be sticking so close to you that he'd-"
"I'm quite curious as to how you intend to finish that sentence, Miss Sully," a deep voice commented as another horse came into view, its rider resting an ichor-covered silver lance on his shoulder. A second, smaller man was sitting behind him, obfuscated by Frederick's bulky armor.
Sully began to break out in a cold sweat. "Sentence? Hahaha, what sentence? Nobody's saying sentences 'round here, Knight Commander Sir. Ain't that right, Chrom?"
The prince smiled. "I'm glad to see you're well, Frederick. I was concerned that you might have gotten into trouble when these things appeared."
"With how tough these bastards are, I'm real glad to have you backin' us up, Commander," Sully added in unconvincing fashion.
"Dearest Sully!" a loud, familiar voice exclaimed.
" ...Aaaaand you brought Ruffles with you. Fan-friggin-tastic."
Frederick's jaw twitched. "I stumbled upon him by chance. He was rather... insistent about accompanying me."
Sully grimaced. "Tell me about it."
Virion hastily dismounted, running up to Sully and dropping to one knee. "Oh my, glorious light, do not stray from my side again, for I would be lost in this cold, cruel, dark world without your radiance!
Chrom sized the newcomer up and sighed, this time without the relief. "Let me guess... You must be Virion."
Sully blinked. "You know this fool?" she asked.
The archer turned toward Chrom with a broad smile. "Ah, but to think that the fair name of Virion had spread into lands even as distant as these!" he exclaimed. "It is not surprising, of course, but I-"
"Stow it, Ruffles," Sully interrupted. "We've got company." Another swarm of Risen was rapidly approaching the group.
"Chrom! Look over there!" Lissa shouted.
Her brother squinted, then widened his eyes as he caught sight of what Lissa had been referring to. It was difficult to see in the darkness, but a young woman was at the front of the pack, clearly running for her life.
"Shepherds, we have a sheep that needs tending to," Chrom declared. "Let's move!"
The last Risen that Robin and Lucina had been fighting gave a guttural groan, then began to disintegrate. Robin put his tome away and brushed off his hands, then turned to find an empty clearing, just as he had expected. Naturally, Lucina was not fond of lingering around people presumably from this era. The tactician glanced around quickly, eyes soon settling on a retreating blue figure.
"Oh no you don't," Robin muttered under his breath. He immediately took off in pursuit.
Lucina was quick, but Robin was much more familiar with the area thanks to his prior experiences in it. Though the princess had a head start, the labyrinth of fire, trees, and shadows slowed her progress, and the tactician soon caught up to her.
Realizing she had been tailed, Lucina skidded to a halt, quickly turning and drawing Falchion. Robin stopped a short distance away from her, close enough that he could chase after her if she ran again, but far enough away that he wouldn't be caught off guard if Lucina felt pressured into attacking.
"What business do you have with me?" the princess asked guardedly. Robin had to stymie a chuckle at the forced deepness of her voice; it was almost cute that she didn't realize how pointless trying to hide her identity from him was.
"More than you could possibly know," Robin answered with a sly grin. "...Lucina."
The princess went rigid. "You... How can you know my name? Just who are you?!"
Robin blinked. "Huh? You don't recognize me? Come on, I can't have looked that different in your time. It's me, Robin! You know, future Grandmaster Tactician of Ylisse? Your father's best friend? ...Lucina, you're giving me a weird look. Why are you giving me a weird look? You're wearing the mask but I can tell you're giving me a weird look. Why are you giving me a weird look, Lucina?"
Chrom sighed with relief as he dislodged Falchion from the last Risen's chest. The young woman who had just been rescued collapsed to her knees, panting heavily as she struggled to catch her breath. She wore a Plegian coat, and her right hand, emblazoned by a bizarre purple crest, rested on top of a book as snow-white as her hair.
The prince flicked Falchion clean of ichor and ash, then re-sheathed his sword. He extended a hand to the girl. "It's alright now," he smiled reassuringly. "You're safe."
The girl looked toward him, eyes searching. Tentatively, she took the proffered hand, and Chrom helped her to her feet. "Th-Thank you," she said quietly, her gaze still fixated on the prince.
Lissa leaned in curiously, squinting in the darkness. "Hey, Chrom? Doesn't something feel... familiar about her?"
Frederick narrowed his eyes. "Indeed, something seems amiss. But what?"
"The only thing amiss has been this seraph from noble Virion's wor- GAUGH!" Virion spluttered, abruptly silenced by Sully's choke-hold.
Chrom glanced toward Frederick. "This has been a stressful night for us all. We can muddle through our questions later." He looked back towards the girl. "Still, I feel I would be remiss in not asking at least one. My name is Chrom. What's yours?"
The girl blinked, umber eyes wide and bright. "Oh! Forgive me, my name is..." She paused, puzzled. "...Huh? My name is... My name..." She stared blankly, jaw dropping. "...I can't remember!" She looked around in a panic. "I'm not even sure how I got here!"
Chrom gently placed his hands on her shoulders. "Whoa there, easy, easy. You can't remember anything? Are you sure?"
Lissa gasped. "Amnesia?!"
Frederick's neck muscles tightened. "Subterfuge," he corrected.
The girl scrunched up her face, straining to recall anything she could. "...Nothing! I mean, I know basic things, like that you're a man, your hair is blue, we're in a forest, and so on." She glanced down at her tome. "I know that this is meant for magic, and I'm pretty sure I can use it. But nothing beyond that... No specifics. Not who I am, why I'm here, or where I was headed."
Chrom frowned. "That's quite troublesome." He smiled kindly. "Well, I would never be so negligent as to leave someone in your state all alone. You can travel with us until you reclaim your memories."
The girl tilted her head, scrutinizing him. "...That's very generous of you." She looked around the forest a tad nervously. "I don't suppose I really have alternatives. I mean, you're probably better company than whatever the hell those things were."
Frederick cleared his throat.
Chrom raised his hand, cutting his attendant off before the knight could even begin to speak. "Yeah, yeah, I know, Frederick. Let's not get into this right now. She's coming with us, end of discussion. We can go over your no-doubt-reasonable objections at a later time, but I am not in the mood for this right now."
Frederick was silent a moment, then sighed. "As you wish. But do not think this matter settled."
"Please forgive Frederick," Chrom requested of the girl. "He's a good person, but being suspicious is part of his station. At any rate, I think further introductions are in order. This is my sister, Lissa, and that's Sully over there."
"Hi!" Lissa waved.
"And this pastry of a man is Virion," Sully added, as Virion's blocked windpipe prevented his harangue of a self-introduction.
The girl nodded, and was about to say something when she became suddenly still. "...Ah! I-I think I just remembered something! Yes, that's right! My name is-!"
A sudden gale of wind cut through the forest, but its noise wasn't enough to prevent those surrounded from hearing the name. A bead of sweat formed on Chrom's brow. Lissa stared, flabbergasted. Frederick looked as if he wished to strangle something. Sully tilted her head in confusion at the group's reactions, while Virion began to desperately tap on her arm.
Chrom blinked as his eyes focused on the coat he could now distinctly recognize through the gloom. His gaze traveled back to the girl's face. "Uh... I'm sorry, but would you mind repeating that? I think I misheard the first time. What did you just say your name is?"
The woman grinned.
"Robin!" she exclaimed cheerfully.
