Ok, kinda screwed up. I forgot that after her return, Emmeryn moved to Ferox, not a village in Ylisse. So...yeah...awkward.

And yeah, I could use some ideas for more chapters, or even another fic! It doesn't even have to be Fire Emblem. That being said, I probably don't know nearly as many games or anime as the average fanboy/girl. Shoot me a PM if you got something!

"...seven silk blankets, fifteen bottles of pure water, and two copies of The Complete Works of Artur von Renais."

"...you really don't need to go to all of this trouble, Frederick. You two will only be gone for a day, at the most."

"Mistress Emmeryn's safety and comfort are of utmost importance, milord. Ah, I almost forgot the bath salts."

Chrom sighed as the knight quickly darted into a separate room. At this rate, Emmeryn's wagon wouldn't be ready for hours.

Frederick walked back into the room and placed two vials of bath salts into an already bulging bag. "Next, four sets of Her Grace's smallclothes," he said to himself, walking to collect the required items.

"Ah, Frederick!" Chrom called quickly.

"Yes, milord?"

"Uh, I'll get those for you."

"Are you sure, your highness? I have gladly fetched your royal undergarments for many years-"

"I'm sure, Frederick. Thank you."

"Very well, milord." The armored man left to count the number of socks...again.

Chrom paused, realizing that he had just agreed to get his sister's underwear. Luckily, he saw just the man for the job walking by the room.

"Robin!" the Exalt called cheerfully.

"Uh, hey there, Chrom," Robin replied, surprised.

"How would you like to do a favor for me?" Chrom asked, clasping his friend by the shoulder.

"...last time you asked me that, I ended up with Minerva holding me upside down by my ankles while Basilio dowsed me in Nowi's saliva."

"Ah, good times. No, I need you for an even more special mission than that," Chrom replied. "I need you to-"

"Hi there, dear!" Lucina said, rushing into the room. "How's it going? Listen, there's uh...an...uh...emergency...uh...at the stables...uh...because Minerva's pregnant!"

"Wait, what?" Chrom said.

"That's horrible!" Robin exclaimed. "I have to, uh, help deliver the baby!" Robin and Lucina quickly rushed out of the room, leaving a very confused Chrom.

"Thank you," Robin whispered to Lucina as they walked down the hallway.

Half an hour later, Chrom had finally tracked down Lissa to ask her to collect Emmeryn's smallclothes. After a few minutes of mocking and giggling, she got the clothes for him.

Chrom shook his head in shame as he stuffed the smallclothes in the bag. Seeing Robin and Lucina, he called out, "Hey! Is the delivery finished already? I never knew wyverns gave birth that quickly...Wait, don't wyverns lay eggs?"

Robin and Lucina looked at each other. "Uh, actually, Father," Lucina replied carefully. "It turns out that wyverns...uh..."

"-spit out their young...once they've created a ball of dung," Robin finished. Lucina glared at him sharply. Robin simply shrugged.

Chrom narrowed his eyes. "Are you lying to me, you two?"

"No!" Lucina said quickly.

"She is," Robin said, just as quickly. Lucina's mouth gaped open.

"R-robin!" she shrieked.

"She's developed a habit of lying ever since she decided to cosplay as Marth. Nowadays you can't trust a word that comes out of her mouth...especially if she says something that includes 'Robin' and 'poured cold water all over my newly bought dress yesterday around three in the afternoon.'"

"Robin! What about the time you told little Eudes that he had been blessed by Naga and thus was destined to vanquish the darkness?

"Hey, if I didn't do it, someone else would have. Owain didn't get to be himself without some outside help."

"Alright, you two," Chrom said finally, rubbing his temples. "Just...do whatever you were doing before." The couple left, still bickering.

"Everything is prepared, Lord Chrom!" Frederick announced, coming into the room.

"Finally. Well..."

"I'll take good care of her, milord."

"I know you will."

"..."

Emmeryn said nothing as they slowly rode across Ylisse. Frederick, who was driving the horses, would offer her a drink or a snack every half hour or so, and she would politely accept. After some hours of quiet traveling, Frederick announced their arrival at the Outrealm Gate.

"Greetings, Anna," Frederick said, nodding to the redhead.

"Do you have any more posters to sell?" she asked, looking up from her magazine.

"Er...no, miss."

"Oh. Never mind then." She sat down on the ground and resumed reading.

Frederick and Emmeryn entered the Bubble Outrealm, and the former Exalt approached the book.

"I shall protect your body while your mind is away, Your Grace," Frederick said.

Emmeryn smiled. "Thank you, Frederick...you've always...protected me."

Frederick paused awkwardly.

"Frederick, if you mention anything about my being captured during the war, I will have you training the children for a month." Emmeryn said suddenly, as if reading his mind.

"But I-"

"What is your duty?"

"To defend Ylisse and its royal family."

"Correct. In that order."

"What is a country without its leader? By failing to protect you, I failed to ensure the safety of Ylisse."

"But I was—am— not Ylisse. A leader must be an example for her people. A knight must be prepared to die for his Exalt. But a knight must also be prepared to do whatever is necessary for the well-being of the nation. When I was Exalt, I was unable to sleep for many nights, for fear of nightmares. I feared that I would become my father, rushing into war with no one to hold him back." Emmeryn smiled sadly. "That's why I told Phila, Naga rest her soul, that if I ever did anything to endanger the lives of innocents...that I should be stopped."

Frederick stiffened. "I cannot see that ever being necessary."

"Don't act so surprised. Do you really think that Chrom was the only one with an invisible knife to his throat?"

"...the thought crossed my mind once or twice."

"...does he know?"

"He never gave me any reason to attempt to take his life."

"I figured as much. He makes a good Exalt."

There was silence between the two for a few seconds. "I will be back in...a few seconds, was it?" Emmeryn said finally.

"Yes, Your Grace. Have a pleasant journey."

"Thank you, Frederick."

Opening her eyes, the woman slowly took in her environment. It was just like how Robin had described it. A glowing room, like warm embers in a fire, and many bubbles drifting around.

Emmeryn smiled to herself as she watched the bubbles float from place to place. How pretty, she thought. She carefully walked around, looking at bubbles. Interestingly, there were quite a bit of them. I've made so many big decisions in my life, she thought. But for some reason, I only feel like focusing on two. Weird.

What if...Emmeryn didn't jump?

"Now, now, my boy—no one needs die today." said the Mad King. "Not you. Not the exalt. Not your friends. Just lay down your sword, and give me the Fire Emblem."

Chrom grit his teeth. Gangrel had him. No matter which choice he made...he would lose. Up on the cliff, Emmeryn stood tall, a step away from her doom.

"Chrom! You can't trust him!" Robin yelled from beside him.

"Of course I can't trust him!" Chrom yelled back, frustrated. "But...if I don't give him the Emblem, he'll kill her! How can I choose between my sister or my duty? Yet...I must choose!"

Robin paused. "Chrom," he began. "I know this is hard to accept, but there is only one choice. The needs of the many outweigh the needs-"

"DON'T!" Chrom snapped. "Just...don't say it. Seriously. This fanfic is nerdy enough already."

"Hahaha! You'd let your own flesh and blood, your ruler, die, just for the sake of some old heirloom?!" Gangrel mocked gleefully. "Oh, so delicious! I wonder how your people will react to this! 'The Exalt is dead! Long live her murderer!' Your halidom will collapse before it even started."

"Stop!" Emmeryn suddenly yelled. "King Gangrel, is there truly no hope of reasoning with you?"

"And listen to you babble even longer? Ha! I think not! I'd much rather hear the sound of arrows entering your stomach and the SPLAT as you hit the ground! Take a good, long look from your perch. You're so used to looking down on people, after all. So prepare to meet the ground, and your maker. Unless someone would like to give me the Emblem...NOW!"

"Fine!" Chrom shouted. "Emmeryn...I'm sorry, but this is my decision."

"Chrom, don't," Robin warned.

"Shut up! Emmeryn, MAYBE someday we'll face a crisis where MAYBE the Emblem would have helped...But I know for a fact that Ylisse needs you today! The people need their exalt...and we need our sister. If those dark days should come, we'll face them together."

Emmeryn smiled sadly. "Chrom...thank you. I know now what I must do."

Chrom felt his heart drop. "Emm...what are you-"

"Plegians! Listen to me! War begets nothing but sorrow and misery! Stop this cycle of pain and vengeance! Do what you must...as will I. See now that one selfless act has the power to-"

"Ahem," coughed Tharja. "Look, I know you want your Oscar and everything, but this is really kind of unrealistic."

Everyone turned to the Plegian. "What do you mean?" Chrom asked, narrowing his eyes.

"Well, look at the distance between the archers and the Exalt. Have you seen archers lately? They're not exactly known for their inspiring range. I'm sure they'd be a lot more useful if they were, but with how many mages you can get nowadays, they're pretty much useless. Add in the fact that they're shooting upwards...I'm actually surprised you didn't see this, Robin."

Chrom glared at Robin.

"Oh, I also know about, oh, three hexes that could stop those arrows. We could also fly Libra close to her, but around the cliff so we don't get shot, and then use a Rescue stave...You'd really think Gangrel would use Bow Knights."

"I don't really think that's very realistic," Libra said slowly. "Archers are known to be able to shoot at very long distances."

"Screw it, I'm still mad at the game developers for not making more support conversations with Spotpass characters," Robin shot back.

"But...my Oscar!" Emmeryn cried.

"Libra,Cordelia,getheroutofthere," Chrom said quickly. In a flash of feathers, the pegasus rider grabbed Libra and rushed behind the cliff on which Emmeryn was standing, a bewildered look on her face.

"Archers! Fire!" Gangrel ordered. A dozen arrows were let loose...and landed about fifteen meters away from their target. Libra raised his Rescue stave, and Emmeryn appeared safely next to Chrom in a flash of light.

"Tharja, how'd you like a job as a tactician?" Chrom asked. "The position recently became vacant."

"I hope this all turns out for the best," Emmeryn said, brushing herself off.

"Of course it will!" Chrom laughed. "You're alive! That's the best possible scenario! Now we must hurry, Gangrel will give chase, and we have to get you to safety."

"OH, GODS, WE'RE GUNNA DIE!" Chrom yelled, as Stahl died right next to him, having been struck by an arrow (which for some reason was able to hit its target, this time).

"Eh, I don't know," Robin replied. "I never really liked Stahl."

"AIIIIII!" THWACK

"...or Maribelle."

*Kaito would like to take a moment to apologize for the blunt bashing of characters in this fic. It's not that he hates any of the characters, but he finds some of them...boring. He realizes that this was totally uncalled for...

...unless he had a reason for it, which he does. Don't worry; there's more than just Stahl and Maribelle to hate. Enjoy!

Stahl—Boring, little to no personality, other than...he likes food?

Vaike—Funny for about two seconds, then you realize that Virion is much more classy.

Sumia—Tripping gimmick gets old really quickly. Ditzy personality isn't used well.

Maribelle—Stuck up little [-]

Ricken—Looks like he's twelve. And can get married.

Priam—Nearly pointless.

This has concluded our announcement*

"Chrom! The cavalry's here!" Robin called. "Frederick! Knock 'em good, ol' Fred—ooh...oh..."

Chrom looked around. They were completely surrounded. All he could see were Plegians, their eyes full of loathing.

"Well at least Emmeryn's safe, right?" Robin said sarcastically.

"Uh...about that..."

"Why couldn't you just let her get her Oscar?!"

What if...Emmeryn didn't learn about her identity after her return?

(Note that in the canon game, she probably didn't, but I kinda tweaked that part so I could get her to talk with Chrom, Lissa, Robin, and Frederick in "present time")

"Chrom! Behind you!" yelled out Sumia. Chrom quickly spun around and sliced through the neck of a Grimleal attempting to stab him from behind.

"Thanks. Is Emm-" Chrom began.

"She's fine, Chrom," Robin said reassuringly, blasting an archer with Elfire. "We're guarding her carefully. He nodded to a group of Shepherds, crowded protectively around a blonde woman.

"Alright. Let's finish this quickly," Chrom replied, nodding. Within minutes, the last Grima worshiper had fallen.

As Emmeryn watched the man walk towards her, a throbbing pain found itself into her head. It wasn't the first headache she'd had, but it seemed much harsher than before. And who was that young woman with him? So many people...and yet she couldn't remember. "Mmm...Th-thank...," she began, but it was difficult to form a full sentence. It had been difficult for a...long while.

Chrom sighed and pulled Robin aside. "...I"m torn, Robin," he admitted, looking at his sister. "If she somehow regains her memory, it may mean greater pain for her."

Robin nodded. He longed to see Emmeryn back as well, but Chrom was her brother. "It may, yes," he said simply.

Chrom bowed his head. "...so be it. I...I want her to remember us; Lissa and me. I...I just want to talk to her again. But that would be selfish of me, wouldn't it? I would be giving her back to a world that nearly killed her once already. She'd remember all of the taunts, all of the guilt, all of the pressure she lived under..."

"It's a difficult situation, Chrom. I don't know what to say."

"...She's alive, and free...and that'll have to be enough for me," Chrom said finally. "She deserves this rest...more than anyone."

"Chrom?" Lissa whispered, coming up. "Emm wants to talk to you. What...what do we do?"

Chrom brushed himself off as he walked up to the former Exalt. As he looked at her, his breath caught in his throat. She looked thinner than he remembered, but no less graceful or serene. "Madam," he said, bowing so he didn't have to look her in the face. "I am glad that you are alright, miss..."

Emmeryn looked at the man quizzically. "Chr...Ch...C...," she stammered, trying to get a word out. Chrom watched, feeling his chest tighten even more.

"Lord Chrom, If I may," Frederick intervened, seeing Chrom's decision."I think we should send this woman to...Ferox. She may need someone to assist her, as she seems to have trouble with communicating."

"That sounds like a good idea," Chrom said softly. "Do you like this idea, miss?"

Emmeryn blinked a few times. "...okay," she agreed. She felt the man's identity slip through her memory, like drops of rain in a hand.

As the group walked back to the village, Chrom waved over Lissa and Robin. "Gods...all the way to Ferox...I'm really losing her again, aren't I?" Chrom murmured.

"At least you know she's alive now," Robin replied. "She can live out the rest of her life in peace."

"We probably can't spend too much time with her, can we?" Lissa sighed.

"Unfortunately, that's probably for the best," Robin replied. "I'm not sure how much it'll take for her to regain her memories, but it's best not to push it."

Chrom nodded sadly. "...I understand. This only means I have yet another person to fight for."

"That's right," Robin agreed. "There's little point in worrying about this if we're all going to die a slow, painful death by Grima's hands."

"..."

"..."

"Heyeyey, guys! You look like you need a good laugh! How about this one: 'Hey, Emmeryn, did it hurt when you fell from heaven?'"

"Where the heck did you even come from, Henry?!"

"And then I'll follow with a 'Believe it or not, Your Highness, I'm falling for you!"

"Stop it, you line-eyed freak."

"And finally, 'Emmeryn, were you pretending to be Ezio again?"

Kaito9049 would like to apologize if the jokes above caused you great pain. Side effects of Fire Emblem: What If include sneezing, coughing, and death. If you feel like your insides are about to explode, please mail a letter to Leavenworth Federal Penitentiary. In your letter, include either a card key to cell block 12 or a portal gun. A representative will be with you 4-6 weeks after the letter is received. We now return to your carelessly put together fanfic.

"Natasha...my name...is Natasha," she said, for about the third time, as if she was checking the fact in her mind.

Chrom nodded. "That's a good name," he replied patiently, remembering to speak a bit slowly. "So you really like it here?"

Emmeryn smiled. "I love it here. It's...peaceful. How about you? How are you doing in...your 'distant nation'?"

Chrom chuckled. Robin would have never allowed him to visit Emmeryn.

Unfortunately, Robin was now dead.

"I'm doing quite well," Chrom replied. "I just decided to stop by...for one last time."

Emmeryn tilted her head. "Last time? Won't you...come back sometime?"

"I'm sorry...I really am," Chrom said, smiling sadly. "But I have much work to do, and I can't have you mixed in with it."

"Oh...is your work...dangerous?"

"...In many ways, yes, but substantially less than it was a while ago."

"...please be careful, OK?"

Chrom sat with his sister for a few more hours. They didn't talk about much, mostly the weather or a book that she had read, but Chrom was determined to savor every moment with his sister before he left. The sky was painted orange by the time he walked out of her house.

"Thank you...for visiting...," Emmeryn said, walking Chrom to his horse.

"Thank you for having me. I—oops." Chrom brushed against a low-hanging tree, its branches scraping the cloak lightly draped around his shoulders. Before Chrom could react, Emmeryn bent down to pick up his fallen jacket.

"Here...you dropped..." She froze, seeing the Brand of the Exalt on Chrom's arm. She clutched her head. "Ch...Chr..."

Oh, no. No no no... Chrom quickly leaped onto his horse and grabbed the reigns. "Live a good life," he said, looking one last time at Emmeryn. "Never remember." And with that, he rode away.

Emmeryn stared at the man who was rapidly disappearing into the sunset. "...Chrom," she said finally.

The two never met again.

Emmeryn wiped her moistening eyes. "Chrom," she murmured. She had never doubted that her choice to sacrifice her life for her family and her nation was the right one. Besides, she had survived, somehow.

Kind of like how Robin did.

One might even call it "cheap". Or "jumping the shark".

She chewed on her lip as she thought about Chrom. He had told her everything, and she was very happy to remember her past. But she could not deny that guilt sometimes did eat away at her. If Chrom knew this...no, she could not tell him. He would hate himself for it.

Frederick was there when she left the Room. "Welcome back, Your Grace," he said, nodding.

Emmeryn forced her previous thoughts to the back of her mind, a practiced reflex. "I am ready to leave," she said. Frederick nodded, and motioned for her to follow him out of the Outrealm. Soon they were on their way back to Ylisstol.

They arrived late in the afternoon. After escorting Emmeryn to the castle, Frederick left to unpack the various items he had brought. Emmeryn walked through the halls for a while. She had done this many times before, when she was Exalt, and she had a feeling Chrom did the same.

"Ah, you're back," Chrom said, walking up to her. "Did you see anything interesting?"

Emmeryn took a moment to think. "A few things," she replied.

Chrom shifted uncomfortably. "I'm not sure how to say this, exactly, but I'll try: Did you see a timeline where you never remembered? Your past, I mean."

The blonde woman looked down, then up. Anywhere but at Chrom's eyes. She couldn't, not with what she was about to say. "Yes," she replied.

"Where you...happier?"

"...No," she lied. "I was not...whole," she added quickly. That part was true. The guilt might have been gone, had Chrom not revealed to her her identity, but she knew that something would always nag at her, something besides guilt or anxiety. What was it that Robin liked to say? Something about the bonds that were forged? She'd have to ask him about it later.

Chrom nodded, signs of relief appearing on his face. "Alright. ...Get some rest. You've had a long day."

"OK...I have to go back south tomorrow, anyway."

"Won't you stay with us a few more days? We rarely get to see you."

"I fear...I've stayed here long enough. I've walked a long time through these halls...They bring back a lot...of memories. Few of them pleasant."

"...I understand. Goodnight, Emm."

"Goodnight, little brother."