I must apologize for the delay in this chapter. There has been a lot going on. My health has not been at its best. My medication has run out a couple of times, and I've been trying to cycle back into going to work, which has left me drained and unable to get back on my computer during most of my off time. I'm also dealing with some potential spine damage, which is scary in addition to making me schedule more doctor visits. I intended to get this out much earlier.

That said, I'd like to say how much I appreciate the people who have been following this story, or marking it as a favorite. It's been a tremendous boon to my spirits as I'm going through some tough times. Especially since I was guessing all the Awakening fans would be playing Pokémon by now.

I wonder, were those walls made to stop armies, or merely needed to keep the building standing against the storms and snow that this land sends against it?

There were no guards posted outside, and the palace had a grim, foreboding look to it. As we approached, however, the massive gate swung slowly open, and Raimi led us in without any hesitation. Even on the inside, the palace was Spartan, at least when compared to the lavish residences of Yllistol. The only concessions to luxury that I saw were some tapestries which lined the walls.

I'll bet even those are functional though. Insulation for the stone walls, and…

With a suspicion in my mind, I walked to the nearest tapestry and lifted it, gazing at the wall beneath. And the quiet, unassuming hole in the wall that it concealed.

A murder hole. That sounds like the Feroxi. Their palace is a fortress first. This castle would not be easily sacked. I'm pretty sure we're safe from any treachery of that sort, though. If there was a problem, I'm sure Flavia and Basilio would much rather slaughter us in the field of battle than stab us in the back.

As our party is led on into the palace, I catch Robin and Frederick discussing the situation.

"...allies. I wouldn't want to try to take them on the battlefield. They know the landscape and terrain better than we do, and likely have a greater familiarity with the weather."

"True, milady. The Feroxi are extremely capable warriors. And with a culture that enjoys combat and places such a strong personal emphasis on military strength, they have more soldiers than Ylisse does. While their army may be similar in size to Ylisse's, they can expand it quickly if they call up all the Feroxi who could fight in preparation for a large campaign. Their assistance in fighting the Risen and securing our borders against Plegia will be most welcome."

"And I'm sure they'll be willing to help. The Feroxi do love a good fight." I chime in, startling Robin slightly as she turns to see who spoke. "Combat is extremely important in their culture. Brawls and duels are relatively commonplace, and many of their structures, especially public ones, are built to be heavily defended."

Robin scowls slightly. "I could tell. This castly isn't exactly a pleasure palace. I don't like walking into disadvantageous situations, especially not without foreknowledge of what's going on."

I smile at her. "But we do know what's going on. We're meeting with Khan Flavia, the Khan of East-Ferox, to negotiate a full alliance and secure their aid against both Plegia and the Risen."

She glares back at me. "That's not the same thing. We know why we're here, and what we're trying to do, but not how the Feroxi will respond. We could be walking right into a trap."

I shake my head gently. "The Feroxi have already been attacked by Plegia themselves. The border guards spoke of raids on the border towns by Plegian bandits posing as Ylisseans. Plegia may be trying to incite mistrust between Ylisse and Ferox, but such a plan only works if the Plegians don't get caught at it. Besides, I'm sure you've already worked out two or three escape routes."

Robin lets out an exasperated sigh and throws up her arms. "Oh, sure, turn to me to fix everything. You yourself noted that this is castle is built for defense. There are not a lot of options left to us if things go badly. We would-"

Robin is cut off, however, as Raimi halts in the middle of the throne room, and turns towards us.

"Prince Chrom, please wait here. I will summon the khan."

"Of course."

Robin turns towards Chrom. "The khan is away?"

I can't help but grin at this. Robin may have no memory of her past, but she has a clear comfort zone as a tactician, and seeing her outside of it was amusing. Between walking straight into an unfamiliar stronghold, and now the unexpected changes to the plans, she was slightly on edge.

I turned my attention then to the throne room itself. It was more lavish than the rest of the palace, but only barely. There was, of course, the throne itself, though only a single throne. Apparently the Khans didn't make any gesture of placation to the loser of the competition when it came to the main palace of Ferox. The center of the room was dominated by a large table, which had a number of maps and tools scattered across it. I took a moment to study the maps, making sure that it matched the knowledge I had acquired from the game, when I heard a new voice entering the conversation.

"Am I now? …Please, do go on!"

I turned to see Flavia entering the room. She looked every bit as regal and powerful as she did in the game.

At least she isn't constantly carrying her broadsword over her shoulder.

Flavia quickly caught us up on the situation in Ferox, and the upcoming tournament, before asking Chrom to serve as her "champions". Chrom, of course, agreed, and we found our stay in the palace cut short, much to Lissa's consternation.

"But Chrom, we're here on a diplomatic mission, why do we have to fight so much?"

"This is how the Feroxi handle diplomacy, Lissa."

I smiled softly as her complaints continued and grew longer, while Chrom's responses grew more concise. It was such a natural and comfortable sibling interaction that I couldn't help but think of family and home, when I used to trade jibs and complaints with my own sister or my parents.

Robin apparently noticed my smile, and the cause of it. "They really are great family, aren't they?"

I nod slowly. "Yeah, they are. If I were to see them walking down the street like this, I wouldn't see a prince and princess. I'd just see two close siblings. It makes me miss that kind of interaction."

Robin perks up a bit at this, and shows a bit more interest as she poses her next question. "Do you have family that you were close to like that?"

I lower my head and think for a minute, then sigh softly. "I keep forgetting that you don't remember any of this. I was close to my family, yes. But that was long, long ago now. I miss those days. Relaxing with family, without the cares and worries of the world on my mind. Before all of this." I make a sweeping gesture at the world around us.

Back when my life was simple, straightforward. Before the world turned upside down.

Robin was gazing softly at me. Her eyes looked kind, but slightly distant, as she spoke again. "Do you have any regrets with the path we've chosen? Any doubts about siding with Chrom?"

I shook my head. "No. He's a good man, following the path that his heart holds true to. I have faith in the strength of his heart, and I believe he will lead us, and Ylisse, to a better future. That wasn't what I meant. I simply miss the times when such strength wasn't needed. When we played together as children, before the Grimleal came. Or when we fled into the Outrealms, and found friends across countless worlds: places where we were welcome and happy. But always, behind us, the shadows followed. It was just never as simple, or as peaceful, as we wanted it to be. But it was friends like Chrom and the Shepherds that made it all worthwhile. Our life may have never been easy, but at least it was happy." I glance back at her, noticing how her face has softened and her eyes grown a little darker, and sadder. "But you don't even have that, do you? You can't recall the happier times, the days without this strife and the constant battles. I can't imagine how hard this must be on you."

She looked back up at me. "I don't know that it's as bad as you might think. Maybe it's because I don't have the happier memories. I don't have a longing for that which I can't remember. I want to bring peace back to this realm, and to enjoy a life without these troubles. But I can only imagine what that must be like, and strive to make it so. This war is normal for me: it's all I've known." She shrugs simply, a sad, lopsided smile playing across her face.

Before I could respond, we found ourselves before the arena of Regna Ferox. The edifice looked simple, from the outside. A massive circular wall concealed the interior from the view and the weather, preventing me from making out any true details. Our guide led us into a preparation area, then excused himself and went to facilitate some other matter. The preparation area was essentially a small training area, lined with weapon racks, training dummies, and sparring rings. The Shepherds loosened up and stretched, though several were clearly nervous at the unknown battle we were about to be thrust into. Sully was sparring with Stahl in one corner, while Frederick was demolishing a training dummy with well-placed, powerful blows.

We didn't have long to wait, however, before the escort came back to us and let us know that the arena was now ready. We were directed to the staircase at the end of the room, and emerged into a sports arena. It was every bit as large and impressive as any football stadium I had seen back home. From the opposing staircase emerged a squad of Feroxi. At their head strode "Marth". The rich cobalt of her outfit striking a stunning contrast to the red of the Feroxi she led.

"Chrom, look!" Came Lissa's alarmed cry.

"I see him. Marth! One question before we begin?" Chrom called out to the cerulean haired lord, only to be answered by silence. "Fine, then. Our swords can speak for us!"

As the gong struck, signaling the commencement of combat, Marth and Chrom both detached themselves from their company, and flew at each other, the familiar scene playing out live before my eyes, before suddenly tearing my eyes away and signaling to Robin, who was the only other warrior not currently entranced by the duel of the masters, instead she was in her by now familiar strategy stance: poised almost as though to strike, eyes seemingly looking into the depth of eternity as situations and tactics flickering across her mind as she calculated the steps to victory.

As she caught my signal, she nodded to me, and then gestured down the right side, losing a lightning bolt as she did so. The first Feroxi was struck without ever fully realizing that combat had begun, and I was bearing down on him as he tried to recover from the minor spasms that accompanied receiving the brunt of an electrical discharge. I swept in past his guard, easily dancing around his axe, before striking with the pommel of my sword directly into his gut. As he collapsed around the blow, I reached up and struck him again, this time atop the head, sending him straight to the ground, unconscious.

The rest of the Shepherds joined in the melee, and I found myself fighting alongside Vaike against a mage. Chrom, Robin, and Frederick had taken the left side, while Vaike and I were clearing the right, with Lissa backing up both sides with her healing stave. Before I could bring much pressure to bear on my next foe, however, I caught a movement out of the corner of my eye and barely turned in time to avoid the oncoming blow.

I stumble backward, pivoting on my left foot and bringing up my blade, catching a second strike on it. Despite the block, my right knee collapses under me from the force of the thrust, sending me halfway to the ground as I realize who is attacking me.

"Marth?! What are you doing?!" I hiss at the young lord.

By this point, I'm terrified. Lucina is one of the most powerful units in the game, especially given that (in theory) she is actually at her full strength, and only holding back to match the relatively untrained prowess of the Shepherds.

I'm a newcomer to this world. I'm a Shepherd and a friend of Chrom that she doesn't know. I am probably the single biggest possible "turncoat" in her eyes. And that's even BEFORE she learns that my backstory makes me Plegian.

Her demeanor does not change, nor does her assault slacken, but I can hear a slight wavering in her voice as she replies. "What I must. You asked me if I was doing enough to change the future. I don't know. I don't know if I could do enough, if I could take the steps necessary. I have to steel myself. I have to be ready to cut down threats, wherever they may be. To strike at friends, at my family, at whatever might bring about that dark calamity."

So that's why she took Lon'qu's place. She needed to test her own resolve. To be sure she was ready to strike down Chrom's killer. To be ready to kill her father's friends. And this tournament. This is her chance. I'm a dead man.

I collapse against the wall, and throw my arm up clumsily as I try to block the finishing blow. But the blow fails to come. I look up to see Lucina standing above me, her masked gaze radiating a cold that matched the winter of Ferox. "I have to be strong enough to change the future, to change fate itself. Whatever the cost."

I look up into her, my eyes meeting her through the mask, and I speak softly, but with as much determination as I can muster. "You are strong. Strong enough to help avert the oncoming storm. But your role is one of many. Your strength alone will not be enough. Fight with us. We're all fighting for this land, this world. If you hope to save the future, then we are on the same side."

I have to be careful. If I show too much knowledge of Grima's coming, she'll just have more evidence that I'm one of the ones responsible for his coming. Stay vague, and maybe you'll live through this.

She pauses for a moment, but when she speaks again, all hesitation has left her voice, and she speaks with the determination and strict discipline that marked her dialogue in much of the game. "I cannot. Too much remains undone. The Shepherds have their own tasks. The fate of the future must fall on me."

Lucina slowly lifts her blade, but before a strike comes, Chrom barrels into her from the side, knocking her away and engaging her in a grapple. Lissa runs over and helps me up, while Robin follows in Chrom's wake, throwing lightning towards Marth, who was now on the defensive. "Are you okay, Sky? We saw you fighting Marth, but we were all busy with our own enemies, we couldn't get free to help out until now."

I take a moment, trying to catch my breath, and calm my pulse. "I'm fine, Lissa. Just because we are opposing each other here does not make us enemies. Marth is honorable, and on our side. I don't think I had anything to fear."

Except for the fact that the honorable lady was far more powerful than me and had a lot of reasons to want me dead.

With that sobering thought in my head, I turn back to the battle, only to see Lucina yield under the combined power of Chrom and Robin.

Granted, the two of them are strong, but Lucina should be stronger still. She threw the battle. To ensure Ylisse receives Feroxi support, I'm sure. But what else could she be planning? Is there something else she must do before the assassination attempt? Or is she still scared of just breaking up her parents? Who IS her mother anyway? And will she try to kill me again?

With the battle finally complete, the Shepherds begin to head back to the palace, to secure Feroxi aid in the fight against Plegia and the Risen. But as we march, I can't help but wonder what other surprises and threats this world might have in store.

You have no idea how hard it was to write this chapter, and I'm not sure that I'm really happy with the finished product. I had to overhaul Lucina's character quite a bit from my original plan (in addition to the constant rewrites that come about because I wasn't getting enough time to sit down and just write it). I actually considered dropping her attack on Sky altogether, but it was pretty much the main action focus of this Chapter, and I couldn't think of a good way to keep things rolling well without it. I did eventually work it out, but I'm not sure how well it translated. There's actually a lot going on here. She had reasons for singling out Sky, attacking him, talking with him, and yielding to Chrom and Robin, which will all be touched on later when she joins. But if it seems too awkward or out of character, please let me know. I'd appreciate it.

Hopefully the next Chapter will be out much sooner. It should be easier to write, at least, since I won't have the revamped story destroying my plans for that one. I can only hope my health and pain keeps to levels that I can keep up with the writing.

EDIT: Yay! I am much happier with this version. It's also much closer to my original version. I actually owe this version directly to a Guest Review, by Stray Lionheart. He pointed out that Sky was playing things very close to the chest with Lucina, which made me realize that I hadn't shared Sky's thoughts about her. Lucina's own motivations and actions are supposed to be a mystery at this point, but not Sky's thoughts. He's the POV character, we're supposed to see his insights and reasoning. And, while I was explaining them, I realized that my original structure still made sense, and I could make Lucina's attack on him seem just as cold and ruthless as it was originally. So thank you, sir. That one little line of your review was extremely helpful to me. And if anyone likes the old one better... Well, let me know. I probably won't change it back, but I would like to know why, and what weak points this new version might have.