Good gods, how does she have so much energy!?

Takumi almost cried out in joy when he finally managed to lose Nowi as she introduced herself to the Shepherds. Like the child she appeared to be, the manakete seemed to possess an endless supply of energy. She also had an odd fixation with his hair.

"It's so long and pretty! Can I play with it!?" she had cried out in glee.

Needless to say, that conversation did not end well. She had pouted and whined and continued to follow him until he finally relented. The end result was his hair becoming her plaything. He never understood what was so appealing about playing with someone else's hair when said woman had more than enough of her own to deal with.

Despite her annoying tendencies to act like a child, Nowi brought back some much needed cheer among the soldiers. Her innocence was like a beacon that glowed brilliantly even in their darkest hour. It helped keep their minds off the worst case scenario the next morning. It allowed them the hope they desperately wanted and made them believe that nothing would go wrong.

But Takumi knew better. Nothing ever went as smoothly as it was supposed to, no matter how much you planned in advance. He also didn't want to admit that he was slightly worried about Robin. It was an incredible amount of self-induced pressure she had placed on herself and he couldn't comprehend why she would do such a thing. He knew that tomorrow's plan could not fail. That was why he was currently pacing outside the tactician's tent in the middle of the night, debating on whether to walk in or not. On one hand, he wanted to make sure she was alright while the other side didn't want to disturb her under any circumstance.

"Just walk in. I know you want to."

Takumi froze in place at the words. He turned his head, spotting an unusually taciturn Lissa looking him dead in the eye. Brynhildr was clutched to her chest, nails digging into the spine and cover of the tome. Despite her careless and nervous hold, the book appeared to lack any sort of marring.

"What makes you think that?" he lamely retorted, crossing his arms and looking away from her.

"You're digging a hole in front of her tent with all your pacing," Lissa said with a giggle. "Robin does the same thing when she wants to talk to my brother."

That comment irked him more than he thought it would. "Well, you're wrong!"

"If you say so," she said with a knowing smirk. It then disappeared as she tapped Brynhildr with a finger. "Takumi, can I ask you something?"

"What could you possibly need from me that your brother or your nanny can't do for you?"

"Because they don't know what it feels like to be…"

Takumi swallowed thickly as Lissa's quiet answer trailed off. He dared to turn around and face her completely, nearly wincing at the tears building in Lissa's eyes. Her knuckles turned white from the pressure she was exerting on the tome in her arms. He didn't know what possessed him to place his hands on her shoulders, trying to convey some form of comfort in the gesture. Seeing her so uncertain and in tears…reminded him of someone else. Someone so small and fragile; a person that did not belong in a war.

"What is it, Lissa?" he asked, a quieter and less hostile tone to his voice.

"I know Emm said Brynhildr chose me," Lissa hiccupped, fat tears trailing down her face. "But it made a mistake! I can't be some chosen dragon-blooded hero! Everyone works so hard while I just sit in the back and do nothing! I'm…not worthy."

The words were familiar. Too familiar.

"When I look at my brother, he's so strong and confident. I can understand why Falchion chose him. It's the same when I look at you. Fujin Yumi looks like it was made to be wielded by you, Takumi. But Brynhildr and me? I can't see it. Why me over Emm? She's always been the one I looked up to. She should've been the one, not me. If she had this stupid tome instead of me, she would be…"

"Lissa." She paused at his voice, looking up at him through tear-stained eyes. "You want to know a secret?"

"Secret?"

"It's alright if you think that way. I oftentimes find myself asking the same things: why me over someone else and whether or not if I'm worthy to have such a weapon. I wouldn't be surprised if Chrom had similar thoughts at some point too."

"Really? No way! But—"

"It's so easy to pick out your own faults. Try not to do that, Lissa. It doesn't suit you. I can't answer why things happened the way they did, but…I suppose the best advice I can give is trust in Brynhildr. It chose you for a reason."

"Trust in Brynhildr?"

"I know it doesn't sound like much, but give it a chance. I think you'd be surprised at what it can do only in your hands; the hands of its true wielder."

"…You think so?"

A coy smirk. "If you don't believe me, you can always bother Miriel or Ricken again about proper tome usage."

"You big jerk!" Lissa said with a laugh. "I'm not THAT bad at magic; at least not anymore!"

There was that laugh the Ylissean princess was known for. It needed to stay there. He needed her to be optimistic. After all, she would be reunited with her elder sister in the morning. Takumi desperately hoped that would happen.

Only tomorrow would tell.

"You know what? Robin was right," Lissa winked. "You really are a human pineapple."

"What!?" Takumi's cheeks flushed, irritation and embarrassment welling up from inside his core. "What's that supposed to mean!?"

"You're rough on the outside, protecting yourself from being hurt with sharp words and a harsh attitude. But on the inside, you're actually really sweet! That and your hairstyle doesn't help you much either."

"That no good, dirty, little—" Takumi growled. "Where does she come up with these farfetched fantasies!? It's a lie!"

"Are you suuuuuuuure? Your face is awwwwwwwwwfully red!"

"It's just warm out here! That's it! Nothing more than that!"

"If you say so. But seriously, you should check on her. Robin's been in there all day and hasn't come out to eat." Lissa's cheer turned to worry. "I know she said she could handle it, but still…"

"If it'll get you off my back, then fine," Takumi grumped. "Honestly, why must she torture me like this?"

"That's just Robin's way of showing she cares. Heck, the other day I saw her throwing figs at Lon'qu in an effort to get close to him and help him overcome his women problem."

Robin pelted him with fruit? Takumi almost cracked a smile at the image. He had wondered where those bruises came from, especially the large one on his chin. The myrmidon had neglected to say anything, only growling angrily at him in response to his inquiries. Lon'qu felt humiliated. No wonder he had been in such a sour mood.

Takumi returned to look at the tent flap, unease churning in his stomach. He took a deep breath before marching through the flaps, readying himself for the worst. He blinked at the mountains of book stacks that seemed to engulf the entirety of the area. One almost couldn't see the table that was keeping the books aloft, much less the hooded figure lying her head upon a strategy guide in frustration. Robin had buried her head in her arms, groaning something unintelligible into the violet cloth of her cloak. Takumi slowly made his way over to her, looking over the sorry state both Robin and her books were in. Hesitantly, he placed a hand on her back. She snapped upright, jerking her head towards him in shock. She immediately calmed down once she recognized who it was. She gave him a halfhearted smile.

"Takumi!" she greeted. "What brings you here?"

"No reason," he brusquely answered. "You've been holed up in here all day that I wondered if you were still among the living."

"Ha ha. Funny. If that's all you need, then please leave. I'm working."

"You've been working for the past few days! Even people like Frederick need to rest every now and then. You should do the same."

"I can't. Not until this plan is foolproof."

"You're going to run yourself ragged."

"I don't care. It'll be worth it."

"And you still expect to lead us in the condition you're in?"

"Takumi, you fail to understand the severity of this crisis. The Exalt's life is on the line."

Takumi growled. "Is it the Exalt you want to save or is it Chrom's 'gratitude' you're trying so hard for?"

Robin stiffened, a glare on her normally delicate features. "What are you implying?"

"Exactly what it means, you idiot!" Takumi snapped. "The only reason you're doing this to yourself is because Emmeryn is Chrom's sister!"

Robin bit her lip, lowering her eyes in defeat. Takumi stared at the way her calm composure seemed to wash away. Her shoulders began to tremble as she hung her head low. She looked ready to break down and fall over. For a moment, Takumi felt guilt for causing this change. Yet he also felt anger that Robin was doing so much just for Chrom. Why should she have to suffer so much for him? Yes, the Exalt was important to the people and Takumi knew that. Robin knew that too. But Emmeryn was Chrom's elder sister: a family member that held a special place in the hearts of the royal siblings. The resulting failure of tomorrow's rescue would be that much worse simply because of that little fact and Robin's mental state was fretting over that scenario. She was an idiot with a heart that was too soft towards her friends. She'd rather bear the guilt alone. That's why she stowed herself away in her tent and pushed herself to her limits, refusing any sort of help from anyone.

The next thing he knew was that arms launched towards him and wrapped around him as if he were the only stable object left in the universe. Robin buried her head into his chest, whimpering as tears began to drip down her rosy cheeks. Takumi was stiff as a board, not expecting such a reaction from the white-haired tactician. Her anxiety was worse than he thought. He carefully raised his arms, slowly embracing the woman who was now crying into his shirt. They stayed like that for a few minutes as Robin's tears slowly disappeared.

"I'm such an idiot…" she muttered. "I thought I could handle it, but…"

"Robin?"

"I can't afford to fail. If I do, I wouldn't be able to face any of the Shepherds or the citizens of Ylisse ever again…"

Takumi couldn't tell if the knot in his throat was from embarrassment or from the confirmation that Robin was suffering silently like this without anyone realizing it. How could Chrom, who was practically Robin's sun and best friend, not notice how tormented she was? How could he simply stand by as Robin did this to herself? It made no sense to Takumi.

Before he knew it, he bopped her on the head. Robin let out a small squeak as she gingerly held the bump, looking into his annoyed amber eyes with her tear-filled ones. He crossed his arms, glaring at her with an unreadable emotion on his face.

"I TOLD you that it would be too much for you to handle!" he huffed. "If you were having so much trouble, why didn't you just ask me for help?"

Robin blinked stupidly. "Huh?"

"Do you not trust me? Is that it? You can count on me to lead our men, but you won't let me help with this?"

"No! Oh gods no!" Robin replied. "Of course I trust you! I just—I don't want to drag you down with me if something goes wrong…"

"Robin, Basilio stuck me into this army against my wishes. At least let me do what he wanted me to do."

"But—"

"No one can possibly say anything I haven't already told myself. If you go down, I'm going down with you." He picked up the plans Robin had still been working on. "It's not like I have a place among the Ylisseans anyway."

Robin tears slowly dripped away, allowing a gentle smile to spread across her face. "Thank you, Takumi…"

"I can't believe I'm doing this!" Chrom muttered under his breath as he took out some coins. "Buying candy in the middle of the night from Plegia! To think that there are even stores open this late!"

If Chrom wasn't desperate for information, he wouldn't be stooping this low for a thief. Gaius had cheesed him out the last time they spoke and Chrom was not going to let it happen again. He was going to get the info on Hoshido this for sure, damn it! So, reeling in his pride, Chrom set out to find some candy. Needless to say, there wasn't much of a selection. Being located in the middle of the desert did not help with business for the tiny town that had been so gracious to take the army in. They were of the few rebels who were displeased with Gangrel's authority and the upcoming execution of the Exalt. It gave Chrom hope that there was something redeemable about the barren kingdom ruled by a tyrant king.

Confections in hand, not that there was much, he set out back to camp to find one candy-loving thief/ninja. How Gaius was a Saizo was beyond him. From what he remembered reading, the Saizo clan was supposed to uphold a form of dignity and honor due to their affiliation with Hoshido. Gaius didn't seem to have the same idea. Chrom had yet to see anything ninja-like from the orange-haired male.

As he strolled through camp, he noticed only a few lights on in the tents. Ever since the embarrassing bath incidents, Chrom had been doing his best to remember which tent was what. Robin's tent was lit, which meant she was still working on her plan. Her diligence never ceased to amaze him. Surely she was adding the finishing touches by now. He got closer, raising the flap a bit to peer inside. He blinked when he saw Takumi with her, discussing some battle formation he had never heard of while Robin nodded her head vigorously. Chrom smiled. He was glad Takumi was slowly opening up to them. He could provide the much needed support Robin deserved. Chrom had wanted to help her, but strategy was never his forte. Now she had someone of equal tactical merit she could count on.

He continued on his way, looking for the familiar head of orange hair. Once he spotted it, he raised an eyebrow at what Gaius was doing. He appeared to be sharpening some strange-shaped blades, each one small enough to fit into his hand. The thief smirked at the Ylissean prince, twirling one of the blades in his hand.

"You're up late," Gaius noted. "What's eatin' ya, Blue?"

Chrom tossed the small bag of sweets into Gaius's lap. "The cliffhanger you left me with the last time we spoke."

"Heh, ya got me there." Gaius hungrily eyed the candies inside the sack. "You're that desperate to know about Hoshido?"

"Don't stray off topic this time. Tell me everything you know."

"Hey, a thief's gotta make a living. With this much, the most I'm gonna give you is info about the royal family."

Chrom sighed in defeat. "I figured as much, but every little bit counts."

Gaius shrugged. "You're easy to please. You want all the royals or just the children?"

"All of them."

"Alrighty. Guess I'll go in order. If you remember, King Sumeragi ruled Hoshido up until he was assassinated. His first wife, Ikona, died from complications after birthing her fourth child."

"First wife?"

"Yeah. Not long after that, he married his mistress or something like that. Her name was Mikoto and she helped keep Hoshido stable after the king's untimely death. Even though they weren't related by blood, she treated the royal siblings as if they were her own. She only had one blood-related child and that child would be kidnapped by Nohr."

Chrom felt a smile form. "She sounds like a wonderful person."

"She was the Emmeryn of her time. It doesn't surprise me that you would think that," Gaius continued. "Unfortunately, Mikoto was killed in a surprise attack while trying to protect her daughter."

"Who was this daughter?"

"Her name was Corrin. Supposedly was the only one of the royal siblings that could turn into a dragon. She might've been descended from a manakete, but I don't know for sure. As you know, she chose her Nohrian family over her Hoshidan one. I think her choice was what sparked the whole war in the first place."

"And what of her siblings?"

"Well, there were four of them in total. The eldest was Prince Ryoma and he was the spitting image of his father. He held up the principles Hoshido was known for like a model king. He was the strongest of his siblings and the sacred blade Raijinto, which was passed down from his father, only enhanced his expert swordsmanship. He was a just king after the war, helping to repair the damage and to improve relations with Nohr. He was truly a man of worth, so it surprises me that his name has practically been erased by time."

"Indeed," Chrom agreed. "I'm surprised we haven't done a better job at recording the lives of people like this."

"People don't care about the past unless it pertains to them. Heck, you're doing the same thing."

A grimace. "I suppose so."

"Hey, chin up. At least you're giving these royally old coots some love after all these years. Now where was I?" Gaius popped a candy into his mouth. "The second child was Princess Hinoka. Whatever idea you have about ladies, you can forget it when it comes to her. Hinoka was much like Sully is today: more warrior than a proper princess. She was a strong-willed woman, always striving to do her best. She was also capable of being a very kind soul, showing compassion to those who deserved it. However, the moment she picked up her naginata, her enemies were doomed."

"She sounds exactly like Sully…"

"You know, she used to accept her station until Corrin was kidnapped. After that, she dedicated most of her days to training and pegasus riding in an effort to become strong enough to save Corrin. Needless to say, she never got the chance to do so and her beloved sister became her enemy." Gaius suddenly paused, an unusually serious expression on his face. "Now, for this next one, promise me you won't lose it."

Chrom blinked. "Why? Is there a problem?"

"I just don't want you thinking there's any sort of connection. These people lived in a time before the First Exalt. There's not much that survived from those times. So don't get any weird ideas in that princely head of yours, even if it does sound freakily similar. Got it, Blue?"

"What are you saying, Gaius?"

"The third royal was the Second High Prince of Hoshido…and his name was Takumi."

Chrom froze at the familiar name. "Prince…Takumi?"

"Yeah. The kid was helluva trooper; always striving to prove himself to the people of Hoshido, trying to be worthy of his title. He was very skilled, though he never felt like he was good enough. Even being the wielder of Fujin Yumi didn't make him feel like he was anything special.

"This sounds awfully familiar…"

"I know. Tell me about it," Gaius agreed. "The first time I met our Takumi, I thought that some piece of history came to life before my eyes."

"But…how can that be!?" Chrom exclaimed. "It's not possible…is it?"

"It isn't possible," Gaius stated. "I know Marth is an example that time travel exists, but there's a problem with your theory, Blue. Prince Takumi died in the war and Fujin Yumi was lost along with him."

The lump in Chrom's throat grew bigger. "Gods…"

"I know what you're thinking, but I don't have all the answers, Blue. I have no idea how our Takumi found the long-lost Fujin Yumi or why he has the same name, but there is one thing I know for certain about that kid: he's got Hoshidan blood flowing through his veins. But that doesn't make him a dead prince from ages past, ya get me?"

Chrom placed a hand to his chin in thought. It would explain a lot. If the sacred weapons only chose those of royal blood, then it made sense if Takumi was a descendant. The strange star-shaped symbol he saw on the archer's shoulder that night in the bathing tent must've been the mark of the Dawn Dragon. Yet, he felt a weird feeling in the pit of his stomach. Kiragi's words still haunted his mind. There was something he was missing. Chrom was sure of that.

"You want me to continue or did I blow your mind?"

"Huh?" Chrom then nodded. "No, please continue."

"Last in the line was Princess Sakura. Real cute one, she was. Very shy, not very confident, but had a heart as forgiving as the Exalt's. She was a healer, not a fighter, and it—"

"Gaius? Can I ask you something?"

"One thing. If you want more, you gotta—"

"Pay up, I know," Chrom sighed. "But…how did Prince Takumi die?"

"I don't know the specifics. All I know was that Corrin was the one who caused it."

"By his own sister…" Chrom felt sick. "I can't believe it."

"History ain't all sunshine and daises, Blue. You should've been prepared for it."

"Still…"

"We done here? I got a date with some lollipops and jawbreakers tonight and I don't wanna be late."

"Yeah, I guess so," Chrom replied as the thief snuck off into the darkness, shuriken and confections in hand.

A dead prince from era's past? The notion was ludicrous. But, somehow, a small portion of his soul had its doubts. It all seemed WAY too coincidental. Gaius had a point when he said that the Hoshidan siblings lived in a time before the Hero-King and Altea even existed. Yet, his encounter with Lucina and Kiragi forced him to question everything he thought he knew for a fact. Time travel could go both ways, couldn't it? It was a possibility. Chrom let out a sigh, his temples beginning to throb from all the thinking he was doing. The best thing he could do to confirm his suspicions would be to find Lucina and ask her if time travel was possible in those ancient times.

And even if his "theory" wasn't true, it did not change the fact that Takumi did have some connection with Hoshido. Kiragi was right in that respect. Did that mean that there was some area of the world that still upheld the traditions and customs of Hoshido? The thought excited Chrom. There was only so much he could get from Gaius and only so far Chrom was willing to fall for the thief and his candy.

He finally had a lead and he wasn't going to lose it.

For the sake of this story and for Chrom's brain, the Before Awakening DLC never happened. So Chrom never met Corrin and Jakob before they found Robin. This is so Chrom doesn't discover our dear Takumi's secret too soon. That and once the truth IS finally revealed, the resulting meeting between Chrom and Corrin will be…interesting, to say the least.

Hope you enjoyed this chapter, even though it is mostly filler. I'm trying to find the right moments where we can see some Takumi/Robin bonding that lead up to the eventual S-Rank we're all waiting for. I just felt like the Emmeryn rescue would've made this chapter way too long. So I'm dedicating the next chapter entirely to it. Will the Exalt live or die? Stay tuned to find out!