Chapter 6: Perspective

Anna was filled with anxiety and worry.

Anxiety over her trip into the lower districts. She had assumed that Ylisstol would look beautiful, whether someone were high or low in status, but she had instead seen a world much different than imagined.

The lower districts weren't gross and filthy, but they weren't as lively and full of positivity as the middle district had seemed to be. In fact, she saw very little people flittering through the area, and wondered just how many people were left in the lower district.

The worry came from her partner's sudden illness. She had awoken the day after she and Garren had planned out the layout of the shop, ready to deal out some harsh yet comedic criticism to his slumber through it all. However, when she came downstairs, Cathlyn, who had been sweeping the corridors, looked at her with a stare that could only be described as sorrowful.

Cathlyn took Anna over to her own room, a small section of the first floor of the building, to which she saw Robin laying on the young woman's bed, a look of anguish on his face.

"He's been like this since last night. He just...broke down. I'm not sure what happened."

"Why didn't you tell me about this?!" Anna shouted, changing Cathlyn's demeanor from sympathetic to annoyed.

"Because you have a job to do. You needed the rest. Once my dad wakes up, he'll help me take care of him." Finally shaking her eyes away from Robin, Cathlyn's gaze took to Anna. "You're going to the lower district today, right? There's a potion shop down there. The owner's methods are strange, but she can both be an asset to us, and help us figure out what's wrong with Robin."

Anna was surprised by the amount of consideration Cathlyn showed for Robin. She felt her hostility towards the hostess drop just a bit. Now, she was standing in the middle of the lower district, seeking out anyone who could tell her where to find this potion shop...

The lower district's homes were small and shabby. There also did not seem to be many of them. The sense of community and feeling of fervor that seemed to absorb you was nowhere to be found.

Anna patrolled the streets with feverish steps. The silence that paraded them intimidated her, and she wished to be out of them as quickly as possible.

"H-hey..Are you an Anna?"

Anna shrieked at the shaking voice that appeared from nowhere. She turned towards the sound, which lead to the sight of a man in an alleyway. He was clothed in a torn shirt and equally damaged pants. He was clearly starving, she could tell. The shirt was much larger than he was, and his arms were thin and boney. The young merchant was both piteous and fearful, her body stunned into stillness.

"Anna's are rich, right? You've got some cash? Please, I'm starving, everything was taken from me..I..I-!" Tears formed in his eyes, and Anna, despite her better judgement, ran to his side.

"Hey, don't cry! What happened? I thought the exalt provided for you."

"The Exalt..?" His face, strained with tears, went red with anger. "She's just another selfish noble! She sends food down to us through the city's soldiers, but they only give us a fraction of what they bring! And they don't care about the lower district. Every day, people fight each other for their portions, but no one comes to stop it..."

The stranger grabbed hold of Anna's arm, causing her to jolt back, but his grip was surprisingly strong.

"You understand, right? Please, I know Annas have a lot of influence! Help me get out of this hell!"

"I...I..."

"I can't take this anymore! I need...I need..." The man's movements suddenly slowed, and he slumped, releasing his grip on Anna. Anna, still unable to cope with what she had just witnessed, did not notice the faint aroma that scented the air as she also fell into slumber.

A robed figure walked before the sleeping forms of the two, and picked Anna slowly from the ground.

Robin felt like he'd just stepped into hell.

He didn't know where he was, but it was dark, ominous, and surrounded by a purple haze.

"Robin. Are you okay?"

He turned to the sound of the voice calling, his eyes locking onto a young blue-haired man carrying a regal-looking blade. Robin's body shivered at the sight of it. As he clenched his own hand, he noticed the silver sword that lay in it. In the other was a tome that showed the symbol of a lightning bolt.

"Yeah, I'm fine Chrom."

Chrom? He didn't know a Chrom. But the name was this man's alone, he knew.

"Where are we?" Robin asked, hoping Chrom could give him a clear answer. Chrom instead shot him an incredulous look.

"Robin, I appreciate the attempt, but now's not the time for humor."

"Right..."

They moved forward, Chrom leading the charge. Robin had no idea what they were rushing toward, but that was the least of his wonders. He was more curious of his sudden skill with the sword. He knew how to fight, he could tell. His hands were poised in a perfect position to use both magic and sword, but he knew not when he learned this. It was just like the first time he'd read the magic tomes. The contents were nothing he'd ever seen before, but he'd already knew what each one was going to tell. He knew the effect of every spell, but had not the strength or practice to use them.

But now, he felt differently. His body was stronger, his mind as well. He flicked his tome open as they moved toward the center of the purple cloud, electricity coursing through his hand.

"Thoron!"

The bolt of lightning was more fierce and direct than anything he'd seen before. It zoomed past Chrom, the young lord more than a little surprised at the sudden blast, and collided with the cloud. It dispersed, revealing a cloaked man who screamed villain. He appeared unscathed by Robin's attack.

Chrom, now having a clear view of his enemy, sped in his approach. His blade skidded against the ground before he threw a clean horizontal slash at his opponent. The cloacked mage vanished as the blade scrapped against his clothing. He appeared above Chrom, immediately countering with a dark blast of his own.

The radius of the attack was too large for Chrom to escape, but Robin rushed in and tackled the lord out of the blast range. The full wrath of the dark mage's attack descended upon Robin, and the amnesiac saw his life flash before his eyes.

"Robin!" Chrom roared in fear, seeing the dark aura envelop his best friend. Within that aura, a flash of light shined. Chrom shielded his eyes as the world around him went white.

Cathlyn had been by Robin's side the entire day.

Even after Garren had arrived, her father had not been of much aid. A wet towel and a comfortable place to rest was all that could be supplied in this case, as they could not determine what exactly was wrong with him.

His breathing was rough, he was sweating, and he seemed to be half-conscious, as every now and again he'd groan or clench his hands tightly. And yet, he was not sick. He didn't have an abnormal temperature or any real symptoms of sickness. It seemed more like he was in one long nightmare...

She didn't really understand why she cared so much. She barely knew the guy. They'd talked once, and it was about how suspicious he was.

But in that one talk, he'd seemed so purehearted and peaceful. Someone she could trust. And he was the only Plegian she knew she was going to find for miles within the Ylissean border. Even if he didn't know anything about the culture, it was better than talking to a lying Ylissean. They tried to hide their glares with smiles, but she knew the truth.

Her pale complexion and sharp, dark eyes were dead ringers for her ancestry, as the Ylisseans have pure, white skin and bright, shining orbs. They detested her kind, and as such, wished to take it out on her. It was her father, a pure Ylissean like them, that protected her in public.

She couldn't make friends. The kids mimicked their parents, and the parents saw potential revenge. With Ylisse once again on the brink of war, it was hard for her to even go outside without getting disgusted gazes.

Robin was her freedom from all that. A kin, another Plegian to share that grief with. He was the only one that could understand her.

And that was why she needed him to wake.

Notes: ...So, I'm at one month again. Sorry about that, but life kind of likes to take away your will to write at times. As such, this chapter is a little on the shorter side. However, I still really like how this one came out.

Thanks for reading, and hopefully I can beat my update time next round!