Author's note: Yay! Another chapter. I had some trouble finishing this one up; still I think it came out all right. I got a bit excited and wanted to move faster so we could finally go into some game territory. I've also been taking advantage of every single free period I could get, which because of exam season have been rather scarce. However, writing this seems to calm me down so it's something that I look forward to. By the way does anybody have Fire Emblem Fates? And if you do, which version? I'm right now finishing Conquest and I can just say that I love it. Oh and by the way, I just changed the last chapter (10) there was something about the ending that just didn't sit right with me. So I hope you like the reviewed chapter.

Disclaimer: I own nothing from Fire Emblem Awakening, all that is owned by Nintendo and Intelligent System, whom I thank for making an amazing game.

Chapter 11: I need to protect you

Gaius bolted out of his small shared room; his hands were wrapped tightly around a piece of parchment. There was a word bouncing around in his head.

Relocation

He needed to find Robin and tell her what happened. Maybe she could fix this, maybe he wouldn't have to leave and this order was just a lie. He was running so fast he almost didn't notice Henry in a similar predicament. They both looked at each other in silent understanding and went around the castle looking for her. Gaius went to her room only to find it empty, and Henry had similar results over at the library. Tharja probably knew where she was but they were sort of unwilling to find her.

"Any sign of her, Junior?"

"Where did the name come from? And to answer your question, no."

"I think we have no other choice than to find Sunshine."

"Oh you mean Tharja? Nyahaha that nickname actually fits her nicely."

"Well there's no need to stall it any longer, we need to find her." After mumbling that he started looking around them, as creepy as she was, they could always count on her to be reliable enough to know where Robin was.

Finding Tharja was easier said than done, however after an hour they finally stumbled upon her looking distraught in a corner of a castle. From the look in her face they both knew she didn't know either. So they decided to group up to make a plan.

"Just to make sure, why are you of all people are looking for her? I know why I want to find her, if anything we were meant to be together, however I won't accept your help until I know what you're planning."

"Ha! You're certainly not pulling any punches, are you, Sunshine?"

"What did you call me?"

Gaius knew that this conversation would not lead to anything productive, so he had to steer the conversation, and fast.

"Never mind that, we need to find Robin. If you want my reason it's in this letter. Apparently I am to be relocated by tomorrow morning."

"Uuuuh isn't that a coincidence, nyahaha. That seems to be my exact same scenario, are you by any chance copying me? Nyahaha, that's new!"

"..."

"Well ignoring that, we still need to find where Robin is."

The three of them were huddled together, absorbed in their different plans and scenarios on what they could do to find her. They were so absorbed in their planning that they didn't notice the growing shadow of Mustafa behind them. Gaius, Tharja and Henry finally turned around, with perplexed expressions. It dawned on Gaius that Mustafa could probably know something, about Robin or of the relocation; although he did look surprisingly stiff.

"Mustafa! Do you know anything about-"

"You have been called over by Lord Julius, he said he's expecting you over by the library, I trust you know where he means."

"Wait! Mustafa!"

"I must leave...I'm sorry boys..."

As they watched his back grow smaller in the distance Henry spoke up, "He seems solemn...I wonder what happened." his mumble was only loud enough for Gaius and Tharja to hear, but part of him wanted to reach Mustafa.

Tharja turned around and faced the other two boys, "Well we can't dwell on that now, Lord Julius probably know where Robin is." She slowly turned and walked towards the library, and although she was trying her best to hide it, she felt dread piling up in her stomach.

"They probably feel the same too..."

She released a breath she didn't know that she was holding, and looking ahead of her she thought, "We all feel the same. We're all doing this for her."

Her light jogging turned into a brisk walk, Henry and Gaius quickly caught up with her, and looking at each other to confirm their resolve, they walked towards the library.

(⊃◜⌓◝⊂)

Lord Julius was looking down. He knew how this would go, they would fight back, to try something, they wouldn't just comply obediently, however he hoped that they would understand his reasoning. Julius eyed their files; Gaius, age 17, spy-in-training with surprising amount of skill in thievery; Henry, age 16, dark mage, with an incredible magic prowess; and finally, Tharja, age 18, dark mage, with a powerful dark magic lineage. Tharja's lineage was tricky to go around without getting attention, so he only managed to make her a foot soldier for Gangrel; the other two were easier to relocate. One being sent to Ylisse as a spy/thief and the other to Carrion Isle for research in black magic. This was the easiest way to help Robin and keep her friends generally "intact".

A distinct knock came at his door and after a firm "Come in" did three figures appear in the room.

"Good evening, have a seat." Henry and Tharja sat down, although a bit reluctantly.

"Cut the chase old man, just tell us what you want form us." Gaius was standing up, and started taking a lollipop out of his wrapper. He was trying his best to sound composed and cool, although inside he was trembling, he just hoped it didn't show as much. He wanted to keep talking but a hard look from Lord Julius was enough to freeze him on the spot.

"Gaius, I take it, and you two must be Henry and Tharja. Well if you so desire to know I'll tell you. I've relocated all of you for reasons concerning Robin's safety," at this Henry paled, feeling a sudden murderous aura surround him, whatever threat to Robin he would kill it, blood would spurt everywhere, and they would suffer for it.

"You present a great threat towards her freedom and safety, therefore you shall all be relocated."

As he finished the room suddenly grew deathly quiet. Their mouths hanged open in utter surprise. It suddenly dawned on Tharja what was going to happen to her, she was the first one to speak.

"What do you mean "threat" if anything Robin would be better protected with me- I mean with us at her side. You have no right to call it so!" Tharja was terrified, not being next to her Robin was more than she could bear. She would not leave Robin behind, but for her safety? Was she really a threat?

"I have no desire to continue further this futile conversation. You are to leave Castle Grima by tomorrow morning, you are excused, children." His voice resonated throughout the room. Usually Gaius would object, or even Henry, asking the typical 'what if I don't do it?' however the way he said it, the way he looked, left no room for discussion. There was no other thing but to do it, at least in their minds.

They left the room with their tail between their legs. Tharja crumpled as if a bag of rocks were thrown upon her; tears slowly started spilling down her cheeks, pooling on her knees.

"Is there really no other way?"

Nobody wanted to answer that question, they knew no other way to answer it. Gaius left her to cry to her hearts content. As soon as she stopped Henry left them, saying he wanted to go to his room to pack everything. Gaius accompanied Tharja to her room and left slowly, almost as if he were ambling through the castle. It was just overwhelming, leaving her behind...he didn't want to do that...but what else could he do. He wasn't strong enough to protect her, he wasn't skilled enough. He would need to learn, he still needed to grow at least so that he could protect her. But leaving her didn't feel good, even if it was to learn how to protect her. He was only good in being a spy-in-training. He wasn't even close to being an assassin; Gaius couldn't protect her even if he tried his best at it. But he must follow what Lord Julius said; he was strong, wasn't he? He was wise, wasn't he? He could protect Robin...he hoped. He didn't like leaving her in the hands of someone that wasn't him, but he felt so small when Lord Julius talked, so completely pitiful. It didn't matter that he was getting better in being a spy, if he could do nothing for Robin, if he was a threat to Robin, what good would any skill do him. He felt anger boiling up in his stomach; a complete sense of despair surrounded him. His hand crashed against a wall, as if trying to dispel his despair. He could see that a bruise started forming in his knuckles. He knew he wouldn't be able to sleep tonight.

(ﾉಥ益ಥ）ﾉ ┻━┻

The next morning they left without much fuss, they hadn't seen Robin and could not find her; yet part of them didn't want to find her, they didn't want to say goodbye, it would be as if finally accepting that they had to leave. They looked at each other as they parted with their respective platoons; Henry had a disturbingly stiff smile, Tharja looked sullen, and Gaius looked empty, with no emotion on his face. They didn't want to look back. They needed to protect her, and they could only trust Julius with the things they didn't know.

(-'.'-)

Robin didn't know how to take the news. She wanted to feel anger, to explode and demand their return, however she felt nothing. As if there were a void where her feelings had been. She slowly ambled away, but her knees slowly turned to rubber and she crumbled in a sobbing rage. She didn't care who saw it, clearly they wouldn't do anything, nobody would really care. To them she was just an instrument, another puppet in their twisted plan. They wouldn't mind hurting her or hurting those near to her. She was so useless she couldn't even keep them all together, she was weak; part of her knew she would never see them again. Her sobs increased to howls, with nobody stopping for anything more than a quiet look.

After a couple more minutes passed she felt a soft, almost hesitant hand placed on her shoulder. She looked up to find her mother. Her sobs quietly became whimpers as she took her mothers hand in hers. It was still so small compared to hers; her mother's hand engulfed hers completely. She slowly stood up and followed her mother.