Author's Note: Just to make a note here, yes, I do realize the entire cast of this story is holding a giant red Idiot Ball in terms of what Marth's true identity is. I'm kind of just sticking to canon as this point, as much as it pains me to do it. If anything, I think Gaius probably would have figured it out if he knew Marth was from the future, but he doesn't have a Raven to bounce ideas from right now.

Writing a battle scene that I didn't expect to write and putting on an extended version of the Pokemon Gold champion theme really helps. Okay, could be silver or crystal, but I grew up with Gold, so… that's what I'm calling it.

I remembered to put in a line break! Finally.

Chapter 24
Fates

I awoke groggily to what looked like a wooden cage on wheels, attached to two horses. This is the second time in recent memory that I've been knocked out against my will for some period of time.

… but at least I trusted Marth. This group? I have no idea who they are or what they're all about. I closed my eyes to try and remember one of the last things I saw before being put to sleep. I smiled slightly to myself as I watched Elise and Cordelia and Gaius and all of them fleeing from the group on the other side of the ravine. At least they were safe. At least they were sound. I can rest a bit easier knowing they probably made it back to Ylisstol safely.

I opened my eyes to see Leila staring into the cage at me.

"Am I some kind of pet? What do you want?" I asked.

"Our leader wishes to have a word with you when you awakened," she replied.

"Can you put me back to sleep, then? I have no real interest in talking to him," I said.

"Her," she replied.

"Her?" I asked.

"Our leader is a her, not a him," she clarified.

"Huh, I'll keep that in mind," I replied sarcastically.

"Are you going to come peacefully or do I have to tie you up again?" she asked. I smirked at her.

"I wouldn't mind you tying me up again," I commented. She shuddered slightly.

"There's nobody around. You don't have to act anymore," she replied with a frown. I shrugged to myself.

"Fine, fine. I assume there's guards all over, so no point in running," I said.

"Assuming you even got past me, then yes, that would be true," she replied.

"We proved… uh… wait, how long was I out?" I asked.

"A few hours," she replied.

"Oh, I see. We proved a few hours ago that I could easily get past you if I wanted," I replied.

"What an odd time to be telling jokes," Leila replied with a laugh.

"That wasn't a joke," I replied frowning.

"Wait, oh, you actually believe what you said? Oh, how precious! Almost as precious as one of my cuties. But if you're looking for a cup of tea by talking a big game, I'm afraid you're not quite what I have in mind for company."

"You and Sophia really are two quirky peas in a pod," I remarked.

"… how is she doing?" Leila asked, her face and tone turning serious. She walked up to the cage and began to undo the locks holding me in.

"She's doing well. Almost no thanks to you," I commented.

"Look, I didn't know at first. I'm behind quota on new recruits and our leader does not take kindly to slackers and failures. For what it's worth, I'm sorry. Any friend of Sophia's would be a friend of mine in any other circumstance. Our fathers trusted each other through many battles and I'd like to think we do as well."

"I trust you, Leila. I wouldn't have gone along with your act if I didn't trust you. But, Sophia's doing just fine. A little mysterious and a little quirky, but in some ways, we all are," I replied.

"I just can't believe she got separated from Callie, myself, and the others," she said.

"Callie?" I asked.

"A Pegasus knight we both know. There were a few others, but we have no idea what happened to them…" Leila said with a sigh. I looked at her carefully.

"Is everything okay?" I asked.

"You don't have to pretend to care, you know," she said.

"I'm not pretending," I replied.

"Right. You're showing concern for the person who's responsible for your capture and the reason you will probably be stuck with this group for the rest of your life. If I was in your position, I would hate what happened to me to no end… and would personally spite the person who was responsible," she said.

"Well, the thing is, I'm not you and you're not me. I suppose I do understand what you mean, though… but the truth is, life is never truly black and white. You're not a bad person. I don't think you are, at least. I'm willing to give you a chance to prove to me why Sophia trusts you," I said. Leila shrugged as she undid the last lock.

"A leader showing that kind of trust is what got a wyvern knight we once knew killed," Leila replied. "You can be kind and caring without being naïve to the world and being overly trusting. You would be better off not trusting me."

"Hm… I… suppose," I said. "You might have to teach me that lesson down the road."

She merely shrugged in response and led me to one of the tent in front of the caravan. The guard bandit in front of the tent nodded to Leila and walked into the tent. We stood there for a few minutes before the guard came back out.

"The prisoner may enter and he may enter alone," he said. Leila bit her lip and looked at me. I shrugged my shoulders in response. I walked into the tent to see a table in the middle of it with a few maps sitting on it. A cloaked and hooded figure was sitting at the table with their back to me.

"Come in. Have a seat," a distinctly female voice said. I looked around the room and saw the only other seat was a seat on the other side of the table. I quickly looked around the room and saw my lance was leaning against the wall of the tent. Not just any lance. I knew it was my lance, because of the distinct markings that I put on it after purchasing it to signify it was my lance.

I slowly and carefully walked past the mysterious figure at the table and sat down in the chair opposite of her at the table. I tried to look her in the face, but her face above her mouth was covered in what looked like a mask designed to emulate a bird.

"Tell me something. You see this battlefield in front of you. You are flanked to the east and west by a well-balanced assortment of swordsmen, heavily armored knights, and archers. You are equal in force to them in terms of numbers and skill. You are in the middle of a plain. How do you fight while minimizing casualties?"

"… is there a reason you are asking me this?" I asked.

"Ah, a skeptical one. I simply wanted to assess your tactical and technical ability before talking to you," she replied. "Nothing more, nothing less."

"Hm, assuming the forces are equal, I would have my own armored knights form a V-shape and retreat either north or south. By removing our forces from the pincer, we take away the advantage that such a situation would have afforded the opponents. They would be forced to converge in front of us and fight normally," I replied.

"Would they not also simply need to move north with you as well, parallel to your direction, in order to maintain the pincer?" she asked.

"Hm, perhaps. It depends on the terrain. If it is a wide open battlefield, they can. However, if there are any terrain advantages that prevents one of the two pincering sides from moving parallel to us, it could be a valid strategy," I replied.

"What if you don't know the terrain?" she asked.

"… a proper tactician would not be caught in such a battle so woefully ill-prepared," I countered. She chuckled slightly to herself.

"A bold statement. That will be all," she said.

"Did I pass?" I asked.

"Similar to the hypothetical battle I posed before you, the answer is right in front of you if you look hard enough," she said. "However, let us move on to why you are here."

"If you are going to ask me for information on the group I was a part of, I will not divulge," I said firmly.

"I know. I have no intention of asking you any questions, save for one and any potential follow-up questions," she said.

"What is it?" I asked.

"Are you the only one in your group with an outfit like yours that wield a lance?" she asked.

"I… am," I replied.

"… then you were someone who was part of the group that defeated King Gangrel of Plegia?" she continued.

"Yes," I replied.

"… and you are the formidable lance wielder that my scouting report had given me in your battle on the way back from Plegia?" she asked.

"Yes," I replied again.

"Marvelous. Looks like you will have a chance to fight for your right to live after all," she said with a smile.

"What do you mean, er… miss… um… I have no idea what to call you," I said.

"Ah, trying to ascertain some form of identity in your own bid for information gathering… not bad. Raven, correct?" she asked.

"Yes, I'm Raven… and no, I wasn't really information gathering. I was more just inherently curious," I said. She stared at me for a second before smiling again.

"You are a most curious one. I would normally disbelieve such an answer, but your upfront sincerity in your tone and body language dispels any doubts I harbored," she replied.

"Then… what should I refer to you as?" I asked.

"You may refer to me as the Aviary."

I groaned to myself.

"Mm, more bird-related themes in my life," I remarked.

"Ah, you speak to me so casually," she said, frowning at me. "Do you presume us friends or acquaintances?"

"The way I see it… my life is solely in your hands. If I am deemed unworthy by you, there is very little I can do to change that fate. If you gave me the fate of execution, I could yell curses at you or sing praises of your beauty and it would make no difference. I am completely and utterly powerless to control my fate. All I can control is my attitude heading toward it. Why spend what could be my last moments of life in fear when I can go out on my terms living my life in a way that I am comfortable with?" I asked. She stared at me for an uncomfortable period of time.

"You are a rather fascinating individual. I hope you survive, because I am quite interested to seeing you grow," she said.

"What is the point of joining you? I am a warrior for Ylisse. What makes you believe I would be fighting for you?" I asked.

"A valid ponderism and one that someone in your position would pose. Tell me something, Raven, who are you loyal to? The people of Ylisse or the prince of Ylisse?" Raven asked.

"What kind of question is that?" I asked, confused.

"Are you loyal to the nation or to the royalty?" she asked.

"Are they not the same?" I asked. She laughed at my question, but I failed to see the humor of the situation.

"Oh, how rich it must be to live in Ylisstol, fight alongside the prince of the nation, and not realize the plight of the people at the far edges. Those who grow fat in the riches and bounty while those who live on the borders fight for crumbs," she commented.

"… but… Chrom. He used to go around with the Shepherds and patrol the edges to protect the people from bandits," I said.

"Chrom is a unique exception to the rule," the Aviary replied. "But, most of the Ylissean royalty only cared what was in their immediate vicinity. The further from the capital someone was, the less the rulers cared."

"Tell me more," I said.

"Ah, at first I had curiosity, but now it appears I have your attention. I have heard reports that your group headed to the port town on the southernmost tip of the nation, is that correct?"

"Yes, that is," I replied.

"What was the state of the place? Tell me, did you see the crime riddling the streets? Did you notice the Royal Guard as they did nothing to protect the citizens, but still collected their fees of protection? The royal bloodline sends out guards to the outermost villages, but these soldiers do nothing but extort the people and do nothing against the bandits. Those who don't have regular guards due to low populations have to overpay mercenary companies to protect them. Yet nobody comes to help them from the exploitations of these mercenary companies," she said.

"That's… that's impossible! Why has no one reported this? If this truly was happening, why does no one in Ylisstol know?" I asked.

"Fear. Fear is a powerful weapon, Raven. Yet, oddly enough, you displayed none when you arrived here. You have been without fear this whole time. Either that is bravery and courage or that is foolishness," she said.

"Courage is not the absence of fear, but the ability to overcome it to do what is necessary," I quipped.

"Hm, so perhaps not foolishness. Still, you doubt it when you were at the port town yourself?" the Aviary asked.

"I did not go out much. I went to a tavern for food and then slept in the inn. I had… to plan for our mission," I said.

"Your mission? Sailing a ship to the island southward? What were you doing out there?" she asked.

"… that is confidential," I replied. She shrugged.

"All truths come to light eventually. Alyssa did tell me you returned from the island with an extra person," she said.

"Alyssa?" I asked.

"Ah, you never learned her name? I assumed you spent time with her. I asked her to request for you with her connection. I was inherently curious to learn about the lance wielder who could move like a sword wielder," she said.

"Whose name? I met nobody while I was there," I said. She frowned at me.

"… so things didn't go exactly according to plan. I will await her report, then, for a clearer picture. You never met a red-headed young woman while in the port town? She said she pushed for the idea with one of the people in your group she was connected to," she asked.

"No! I mean, one of my teammates offered, but I turned down his offer. Wait, so, she… works for you? The whole story of her being a single mother was a lie?" I asked.

"No. She is a single mother working to provide for her children. She also is my connection to knowing of the squalor and filth that happens in that town. When I feel my resolve waver, I think of the stories she tells me about the conditions down there. She tells me what the royal guard really does in that town. Her stories aren't the only one I know about, though," she said.

I thought to myself about Gaius and how he was so eager to get me to meet this red-head. Who would have thought that was actually a trap set specifically for me?

"So, what would be my role here if I was to make it in and willingly join?" I asked.

"The same as everyone else's. You go around the countryside in groups and protect the citizens from the royal guards' apathy and the mercenaries' exploitation. If you can capture a few for us to… audition… then that goes on your record. We will spread our wings across this nation and force the royal family to pay attention," she said.

"Heh, bird references…"

"You seem amused by them," she said.

"… there were a few individuals in the Shepherds who would make bird-related jokes at me because of my name," I said.

"I… can understand that," she replied after a brief pause.

"Doesn't help that one of the people that joined alongside me was named Robin," I commented. She flinched slightly and started staring at me with what I felt was absolute intensity.

"You have someone named Robin in your group? How… has this not been reported to me?" she asked.

"Him and I… we're pretty quiet. I'm surprised you heard of me as well," I said. "Elise, too. But one of us calls her Parrot to complete the nickname 'The Bird Gang'. It's a nickname I both find annoying and endearing, to be honest."

I paused. Did she just manage to get information out of me by acting familiar with me? Damn it! Wait, I looked at her to see she seemed visibly confused and frustrated. That was just a slip on my part.

"I, um, are you okay? I didn't say anything wrong, did I? I… um… am I going to die now?" I asked cautiously.

"Your fear is finally showing. So, it does exist," she replied pensively. "I am fine."

"If your goal is the people of Ylisse, why did you ask me if I'm loyal to Chrom or the nation? You yourself said you knew he was different from everyone else," I asked.

"Absolute power absolutely corrupts, Raven. He might be a paragon of justice now, but he is also next in line to be ruler of Ylisse. How long before that power he wields corrupts him?" she asked.

"You're judging him before even knowing if he will be successful or not!" I said emphatically.

"Did you not have pre-conceived notions about me when you thought I was the leader of these bandits?" she asked. I bit my lip. She wasn't wrong.

"Yes. Yes, I did," I said.

"At least you were honest," she replied.

"But in our conversation, I have heard what you have to say and have seen your desire to follow what you said and felt the honesty coming from you. I could still lump you in as a bandit leader like the others who raid the countryside for easy living, but… I choose to give you a chance," I said.

"Give me a chance? I am the one who is holding your life in my hands," she replied.

"Yes, but if I had passed all your tests and you offered me to help you, had I thought lesser of you, I would have outright refused. I would rather die with integrity than live with disgrace. Your honesty and your intentions give me pause to simply dismissing you," I said. She started laughing at me.

"I think I like you. I can see what the great Prince Chrom saw in you when he kept you around. Serve me as well as you served him and perhaps together we can make a difference in this countryside," she said.

"… together? I presume I will be starting off a some simple, faceless grunt in the rank and file of your shockingly organized force here," I said.

"Everything is merit based here. You work hard and you show aptitude and intelligence and you will climb the ranks," she replied. "You already have distinguished yourself in this interview."

"I… am honored? I think?" I said tentatively.

"Now comes the other part of the interview," she said as she got up from the table and began clearing stuff off the floor by pushing it all to the edges of the tent.

"What else do you need of me?" I asked. She pulled a sword quick as a flash and dashed at me. I quickly rolled to the side off the chair. I dashed as fast as I could toward my lance leaning on the wall of the tent. That's why that was there! I turned to see she was already pressing right up to me to negate the length advantage of the spear. She swung again and I blocked with the lance. A thunderbolt flew from the tip of the blade and struck me in the side.

"King Gangrel's own Levin Sword. Quite handy plundering that from the battlefield after mine was beginning to weaken with use," she said. I grunted and dashed away from her and ran out of the tent. Such a confined space would be detrimental to trying to space her properly with my lance. I emerged to see a whole horde of bandits gathered nearby. They quickly formed a circle around me, giving me nowhere to run.

I noticed a space open in the circle and saw the Aviary walking toward me with purposeful strides.

"Going outside to maximize the strengths of your lance? Smart," she replied. I stared at her, not willing to engage in banter. Her movements were fast. This was not your average fighter. This was not your average bandit. This was their leader… and being the leader of a merit-based society meant you fought your way to the top and fought off anyone who challenged you for it.

"In-ter-view! In-ter-view! In-ter-view!" the crowd chanted around us. What a really weird chant.

… what a horrible chant to die to if I failed in this battle. I saw Leila in the front of the crowd with a worried look on her face. What the hell have you gotten me involved with?

She dashed toward me with her sword, ready to initiate. I countered by executing a quick series of thrusts to keep her spaced away from me. She responded by dodging my thrusts and closing the distance between us. I had to use the shaft of my lance to block her rapid blows. A sword fighter with a similar speed that I possess. Still no match for Marth or Leila's strength, though. I parried a blow and thrust the butt of my lance into her chest, knocking her back and eliciting a coughing fit from her.

"Very… good," she wheezed out.

"There's no need to pay me compliments when you haven't even begun to take this fight seriously yet," I said with a frown.

"You can tell I was holding back?" she asked.

"Your footwork is too polished and shows much battle experience. Such a rookie mistake such as over-committing against a lance user without an out is hardly befitting a warrior of your experience," I replied. She smiled at me.

"Oh yes, you will do just fine here," she said. This time she dashed forward with a speed I was barely able to track. Her acceleration from standing to this speed was incredible to behold, despite being her opponent. I thrust my lance forward at her, but she dug a foot in the ground and changed direction with an agility that would make even the most seasoned of fighters proud. Who is this woman?

She slashed at me and the blow connected cleanly on my chest before I had a chance to react. The blow hit my breastplate as electricity discharged from the blade, sending me stumbling backward while the feeling of millions of pins and needles poking my body in every place possible caused me to cry out.

"Your skill with a lance is impressive and your movements are textbook, but your battle sense is lacking," she stated as she backed away from me.

"If you knew my history, you would know why," I replied.

"Really, then? I look forward to that conversation," she said. I paused for a second.

"… does this mean this is over?" I asked.

"I look forward to that conversation with the assumption you make it in," she replied. "Come."

I nodded and dashed forward before executing a series of thrusts with my lance. She deftly dodged all my attacks with surprising nimbleness. She really wasn't the head for nothing. Probably could have given Gangrel a run for his money. I wonder why she didn't try to get him if she's so concerned with Ylisseans living on the outer edges.

I watched her movements and how she was dodging my attacks when I felt a familiar intuition in the back of my head. Oh, hey, haven't felt you around in a while, old buddy. Ready to teach me something new? I hope you are! I relaxed and let the intuition take over. Immediately I felt a drain in my body similar to if I had shifted and I watched myself slash my lance, except this time it was on fire. A trail of flames and sparks blazed through the air as the Aviary quickly dropped to the ground with a gasp of surprise. I felt my reflex quickly follow up with a diagonal slash at her crouched form with another trail of flames blazing, forcing her to roll to the side. Using the momentum of my slash, I twirled my lance before thrusting at her rolling form.

The blow struck her in the shoulder and she yelled out in frustration in pain. The chanting around us of "in-ter-view" immediately stopped as a collective gasp rang out. After the gasp was complete silence as the Aviary got off the ground, silently glaring at me and holding the slightly bleeding wound on her shoulder. It probably would have been bleeding a lot worse, but the flames from my lance seems to have mostly cauterized the wound. I saw a bandit cleric run forward with a staff, but the Aviary held up a hand.

"Not yet," she ordered.

"But, boss," the cleric said.

"Not. Yet," she repeated firmly. She grabbed her sword from the ground and got into a stance. Did… did I mess up?

"Come," she said.

"You're injured," I replied.

"I relish this opportunity and this fight. Come!" she commanded me. I nodded and dashed forward as I did before. However, this time, I noticed her movements were a lot more confident and erratic. It was almost as if… she was making herself unpredictable. Just when I thought I had her movements figured out, she changed her movement patterns. I was unable to land a blow on her as she dodged every thrust, swing, and slash I executed.

"You were still holding back!" I yelled in surprise. She smiled at me in response.

"I underestimated you a second time. This is the first time I've had a fight like this in a while. Please, do not disappoint me," she said. She dashed at me and, instead of countering the dash with an attack, I dashed forward as well. She stopped her forward momentum and got into a defensive stance as I thrust my lance at her. She sidestepped the attack and fired a thunderbolt from her Levin sword, striking me on the side. I flinched at the pain, but redirected and continued my pursuit of her. I was not going to give her the luxury of having any space to work with.

She continued trying to back up to get out of range of my lance, but I was not going to let her get what she wanted. The entire time this fight, she has been dictating my pace, whether it is dictating when I get to attack or when I get to defend. Not this time. I was pushing forward harder and harder, striking quickly but carefully as to not give her an opportunity to counterattack and head off the momentum.

I saw her back further and further as the circle moved with us, trying to keep us in the middle. Cheers and whoops came from the crowd as they were treated to a spectacle. No way was I letting this girl get the better of me. I want out. If I win, I want out!

I saw her looking for any opportunity to stop this ever flowing string of attacks. I purposefully overstepped on one of my thrusts, hoping she would take the bait. She did! She parried the blow and swung at me as hard as she could to counter. Before the blow landed, I flicked out of sight and appeared behind her and jabbed the butt of my lance as hard as I could into her back between the shoulder blades.

"Oooh."

I looked over to see Leila wince in pain, realizing that was the same thing I did to her. The Aviary jerked forward from the blow and her hood fell off her head. I saw a head of long white hair before she quickly recovered from the blow and pulled her hood back over her head.

"Impressive. You baited me. I yield," she said. I frowned at her.

"Does this mean I have emerged victorious from this spar?" I asked.

"Yes, you may join the group."

"If I am truly victorious, I would like to leave. I want to go back to my friends."

"I'm afraid I cannot let you do that," she said.

"If you yielded…"

"I yielded because I did not want to go all out on you. You've satisfied my curiosity enough."

"Then fight me with everything you have," I said. "Let me fight for my freedom."

"That was a spar to test you, not kill you. I have no intention of taking the life of someone of your skill," she said.

"Show me," I said firmly. She nodded and all of a sudden I felt a magical aura around her. I looked around the crowd to see almost nobody could feel what I was feeling. I could feel just some kind of oppressive atmosphere around me, as if feeling the true depths of what she had within her. I took an unconscious step backward.

"How… how come nobody else noticed that?" I asked.

"… the more you learn about fighting, the more you realize how little you know and how weak you are compared to some others. The more you battle, the more your senses are attuned to what will help you live and keep you from dying," she replied. "There are people who dwarf me where I have the same reaction that you did. You are perceptive enough and have enough battle experience to understand the depth of my ability. Now, I ask you one last time. Do you choose to join or do you choose death?"

I bit my lip. They were bandits that terrorized the countryside according to the very few rumors I heard, but they seemed… better than the average bandit and this leader seemed well-intentioned, if not quite extreme. If I could stay alive long enough, perhaps I could find a way to escape. I had to study them. I had to make sure I knew every facet and aspect of this group. I had to seem like one of them for as long as I can.

I only had one shot at escape. If I was caught, I was dead. I need to take my time. I need to do this right.

"I choose to live," I said.

"Wise choice. Perhaps in time, you may even grow to enjoy your time here," the Aviary said.

… it may be a while, but you may one day come to regret letting me join. Whether it takes a week, a month, or even a year, I promise you… I will find a way to escape.


One year had passed since I joined the Flying Bandits. One long year of training with this quirky, oddball group. I had been given lance training by a former lance-wielding mercenary that seemed to share sentiments with the Aviary. When I explained my situation to him about my amnesia, he gave me a pensive look and asked me what I did know.

As for that one lance technique where I swung the lance to a blazing trail of fire and sparks, I have never been able to replicate that technique. I don't know where it came from or why it drained me inside like my flicking technique, but I can only guess that means I have some marginal penchant for magic, as limited as my magic pool seems to be, and that my flicking movement was tied to magic somehow.

I had only one odd dream in my entire year of captivity. I saw myself as a younger warrior, wearing the same outfit I was wearing now, but I was also wearing the Aviary's green cape. I saw myself standing on a battlefield against what looked like hordes of soldiers in golden armor coming at us. I saw myself directing and giving orders, as if I was the leader of this group of fighters that were holding very well against the forces raging against us. I saw Elise again, with longer hair, holding a staff and healing the front line as best she could.

That was all I remember. I wrote it in my journal. That journal… the only thing that was a reminder of my time with the Shepherds. One year had passed. My hair had grown down to almost my shoulders. My body, through constant training with my coach, was becoming ever more strengthened by the rigorous life. However, my trainer warned me against building too much muscle. My speed was still my calling card and he told me it was better I kept my speed, even if it meant preventing myself from becoming too much stronger.

"Endurance is as powerful of a tool as strength. A thousand small cuts is just as effective as one big one," he would say to me. We got to work on my flicking technique, trying to hone it and master it and increase the number of times I could use it.

I was moving up through the ranks rapidly, thanks to a combination of my fighting technique, technical prowess, strategic planning before battle, and improvisational skills after battle started. I read my keys, analyzed how things would go pre-battle and if things didn't go as planned, I was always able to move around and adjust plans to have the least amount of casualties.

Our ranks swelled with my efforts to recruit mercenaries, and the more time I spent, the more I understood the Aviary's frustration. The more I fought with them, the more I saw how truly useless the Royal Guard was. The more missions I embarked upon, the more I realized how greedy mercenaries exploited the fear-stricken populace. Those damn mercenaries would charge outrageous prices to protect those villages from other bandits pillaging them. It makes me sick to think that these people were victimized like this… and nobody in the royal family knew! I know Ylisse's resources had been depleted thanks to the exalt before Emmeryn, but… I didn't realize it was this bad.

I worked hard and I worked fast in an effort to bring our name and cause out there. Chrom, you need to know what's going on. These soldiers aren't the embodiment of your will as a prince or as a Shepherd! Don't let this be a stain on your legacy, because you're a good person! I know you are…

Leila, in an effort not to be outdone by the mere recruit that she brought in, redoubled her efforts in a bid to always stay at least one level above me. We sparred a lot in our spare time and those in camp who watched our spars would marvel at the criminally powerful blows she executed. We hardly talked about personal stuff with each other, though, and the only thing I knew about her was that her mother was a powerful axe wielder who passed onto her the enormous strength and shimmering blonde hair. I also learned her father was a dancer and a graceful sword wielder.

That and after most missions, she oftentimes would get mobbed by all the females in the villages we'd save. There had been more than occasion where I had to pick up her unconscious body and bring her away. For all her insistences she wanted to always have a cup of tea with the beautiful girls out there, she seemed strangely afraid of females. We grew to be close partners in combat and closer friends, but our backstories were still relatively a mystery to each other.

Leila and I were sitting with our group that we were leading. We were on a mission to confront a particular mercenary company about their somewhat regular extortion of the citizens here. I adjusted the butterfly shaped mask that I had on my face. I felt oddly nostalgic being near this very town.

"Why do you wear that mask? It's not like anyone really cares what we look like," Leila said.

"… it reminds me of someone I once knew," I replied.

"A butterfly mask reminds you of someone? Heh, it sounds like your mind's beginning to crack a little," she said with a small smirk. I ignored her verbal jab.

"You know, Leila, it was this port town that I departed from a few days before you nabbed me," I said. She sighed to herself.

"You still think about that?" she asked.

"Not really, but being here does bring back some memories of that time," I said in reply. We were silent for a while as an awkwardness crept between us.

"Are you sure your reports are accurate?" she asked me, turning our attention back to the business at hand.

"Alyssa said the mercenary company would be coming down this trail to the town to try to strong-arm a few of the townsfolk into paying them yet another protection fee," I said somewhat absentmindedly.

"You know, whenever you mention Alyssa's name, you always sigh afterward. Does that red-headed cutie give you the blues? I'm sure if you were more confident in yourself, she would probably have a thing for you by now. For a guy, you aren't that hard on the eyes and your personality is actually tolerable. Who knows! Perhaps if you get my level of confidence, I might see you as a rival for the ladies," she said with a smirk.

"No, no, it's just… she reminds me of someone I once knew," I said.

"Knew and loved, didn't you?" she asked. I twitched slightly.

"I didn't say that," I said to her.

"Your body did," she replied. "Your eyes sang and betrayed any protests you might've had."

"Focus, Leila," I said firmly.

"Hey, look here, you can't just command me to do something. I'm the leader here," she said.

"… and I'm your right hand on this mission. We've been doing this for the past six months, leading missions together. You already know that I'm here to rein you in when necessary," I said.

"Perhaps," she said pensively. "Okay, okay, I'll focus."

"Good," I replied. I saw a group of fighters start to make their way toward the town along the trail.

"What do you think? Shall we head them off before they go in and do their damage or shall we teach them a lesson after they've done their business and cannot deny us?" Leila asked.

"Spare the citizens of torment. We are not using them as bait," I replied.

"Heh, I like it when we both think the same way," Leila replied. Her and I gave hand signals to the others nearby and we all laid in wait to ambush the troop coming in. I saw their leader, a burly looking axe wielder. He was flanked by a few others, including a mysterious cloaked figure with a butterfly mask styled similarly to mine.

A cloaked figure with a mask… somewhat reminds me of the Aviary. We waited for them to get far enough into the trap before Leila let out a piercing whistle. Immediately the mercenaries got into battle stance in reaction. We all jumped down on them, ready to confront them for their crimes against the civilians of this port town.

The cloaked figure ran off as fast as they could. I looked at Leila, who was battling the leader.

"You go after that one. I'll take care of the leader!" she said. I nodded and chased after the cloaked figure. I chased them down the trail before they took a turn into a field. I followed them into the field and chased them clear to the other side.

"Halt, filthy mercenary! In the name of the Flying Bandits, I am willing to make you an offer," I said. The person stopped and turned to me.

"You said the Flying Bandits?" the person asked in clearly a female voice.

"Y-yes, I did. You heard of us?" I asked. Good! If our name was getting out there, then so too was our cause… I hope.

"You captured one of my friends," she said with malice and anger. "You captured someone that had no right to be captured. You took someone who had no right to be taken. If he's not dead already, his mind is probably long since gone. I have been searching this whole time for your group. Now… tell me where the rest of you are."

"I am afraid I cannot do that. You have two choices at this point in time. You can either try to join us or you can die," I said as I pulled out my lance.

"I will do neither. I will have you show me where you are currently encamped so I may learn of my friend's fate. The fate of you and your allies will be determined by the answer I get. You can either chose to willingly help me or we settle this by combat," she said.

"Combat it is," I said as I got into a battle stance. I saw her pull out a sword and I gasped in surprise. There's no possible way…

"Marth?" I asked. She gave a startled reaction and pulled her mask off. I pulled mine off as well.

"Raven?" she asked. "Why are you wearing my mask? No, more importantly, why are you fighting for them!"

"I… wanted to wear a mask to help conceal my identity. I chose yours as… a way of remembering my past," I said. "I'm fighting for them because I believe in their cause."

"I… this changes everything we believed," she mused to herself.

"Why?" I asked.

"We thought you died! We thought you had been executed. There have been stories of those who were captured only to be executed by the leader himself," Marth said.

"Actually, the leader is female, and no… I passed their trials and battled her personally. I'm one of them. Our cause isn't bad, Marth. But… between you and I, I'm still biding my time, trying to find a way to escape," I said. "Their setup and the way everything is structured… it's very unforgiving to anyone who dares desert. I have one shot. If I fail, I'm dead."

"I just… I can't… I can't believe you're still alive," she said in a relieved voice.

"Tell me, Marth, why were you hanging around those scummy mercenaries? They are the reason we're here. We heard stories of exploitation of the citizenry of the port town and came to… execute our brand of vigilante justice," I said.

"That's the same reason I'm here. I… after we returned to Ylisstol from the Outrealm gate, I stayed for a short time, but then I embarked upon a personal mission. It was during this time that I saw just the condition of things in the countryside. I have been feeding Chrom steady reports of the state of affairs out here, but we are too short on forces to be able to really send help out here," she said.

"So you were with them, because… why?" I asked.

"I joined them to see if the stories of their exploitation were true. I was going to report to Chrom everything I had witnessed," she said.

"… speaking of Chrom, how is he? How is everyone?" I asked. Marth bit her lip.

"I didn't keep up too much after leaving, but… Chrom became the leader of Ylisse. He foreswore the title of exalt, believing that he would never bring the title justice the way his sister did. Also, he and Cordelia got married, as you probably have already guessed. They just recently had their first child, named Severa," Marth said.

"Ah, so that's Selena's real name?" I asked.

"… I'm surprised you remember that. It's been over a year," she said.

"I remember a lot of things, Marth," I said.

"Um… well, Cordelia is pregnant with her second child. Lissa also got married to Robin and—"

"What?" I said in confusion.

"… she got married to Robin. Those two became close to each other after you rejected her marriage proposal. Their first child, Owain, was born. Heh… Owain," she said before chuckling to herself.

"I assume you know Owain from the future?" I asked. She looked back at me and smiled slightly.

"He's… quite the character. Always naming his attacks and yelling at the top of his lungs," Marth replied.

"Somewhat like Sophia," I said.

"Yes, precisely. Actually, when Sophia first joined, I could have sworn she was a female Owain, although I can definitely see a difference between the two," Marth said. "Many of the Shepherds ended up marrying each other. After everything that happened, the uplifting mood of everything being reconstructed brought about the perfect atmosphere for everyone to get married."

"Elise?" I asked carefully. Marth sighed to herself.

"Elise… hasn't been the same since you were captured. She's… different. She's grown distant and quiet and really doesn't talk to the others. Between her revelation that she's some connection to royalty, combined with your disappearance… I think the poor girl has broken. Perhaps news of you still being alive would help with that, but I fear telling her you are still alive would prompt her to march straight out here looking for you in the first place," she said.

"Hmm… how's Gaius?" I asked.

"Married to Sumia and they have their first child on the way," Marth replied.

"How about Donnel?" I asked.

"Well, he got married to Miriel… much to Maribelle's distress. She ended up marrying Vaike."

"Huh, that's… that's good. Donnel and Miriel, eh? The two of them seemed to work well together," I said. "How about you, Marth?"

"I've been spending my time on a personal quest, looking for clues for something," she said.

"You've been trailing the Flying Bandits, haven't you?" I asked. She jumped slightly.

"N-no," she said.

"Marth. You're a terrible liar. You always have been," I said to her. She sighed audibly at my accusation.

"Fine. Yes, I have. I've been trying to find them so I could… find out your fate. But this? This! This was not what I expected. You're co-leading a group of them?" she said.

"We go on missions to keep this countryside safe," I said. "We're doing what you're sending notes to Chrom to do."

"Yes, but there is a right way and a wrong way to do things and this is most certainly the wrong way!" she said emphatically.

"How is it the wrong way when we're protecting the citizens of this nation? I swore to protect the people when I joined the Shepherds. I might not be there now, but I am still upholding that oath!" I said.

"I… I just… you should be back with us," she said.

"I can't do that," I said. "I can't run away. They watch us constantly. If I ran now, they would know. They would know where I was going. They would hunt me down and kill me long before I ever reached Ylisstol. There are scouts right now watching us a distance away. They probably think I'm trying to convince you to join us."

"We're being watched?" Marth asked.

"Yes, we are. So, when this conversation ends, I need you to fight me and I need you to hurt me. It's your only chance at escape," I said.

"I… I can't hurt you. I promised you all that time ago. We made a promise to trust each other. We promised each other. I promised I would help you toward a better future," she said.

"You can do that by ensuring you get out of here safely. Do not get captured, Marth… I beg of you. You're a good friend and I don't want to see you end up in this group," I said.

"Raven, I… I swear, one day, we will get you out of there. I promise," she said. I paused and looked up.

"The sounds of commotion have stopped," I said.

"Then… that means it's time for me to go. Raven, I'm sorry. I wish I could talk to you more," she said. I nodded and put my lance in a defensive position.

"Make it convincing," I said. I charged at her and she slashed her sword, leaving a really nasty slice on my lance arm. I fell to the ground and cried out in pain. That hurt! I quickly grabbed the wound with my free hand and tried to stem the bleeding.

"I'm sorry, Raven… I'm so, so sorry," she said before turning to flee. She didn't get very far as a blonde haired sword fighter stepped in front of Marth.

"Raven! No!" I heard Leila's voice cry out.

"Leila, you're… here faster than I thought you would be," I said.

"You didn't return, so I started worrying. I can't have my second in command dying on me," she said. She looked to Marth.

"You did this to him!" she said emphatically. She charged at Marth and swung her sword. Marth blocked the blow and a loud, resonating clang echoed across the field. I saw Marth's eyes widen in surprise as she stumbled back a few steps from the sheer power of the blow. Two titans of the sword, power fighters whose advantage was strength, were going at it with each other.

"Who are you?" Marth asked.

"I am the leader of this group and the one who will capture you," Leila said.

"Leila, stop," I said firmly.

"Raven, she did this to you. She would be a powerful ally in our camp," she replied.

"I let her do this to me. I was trying to let her escape. This is… a close acquaintance of Sophia's," I said. Her eyes widened.

"O-oh, I see. You're… a Shepherd," Leila said. Marth nodded.

"To a degree, I am," she replied.

"I was going to let her go to go back, but… this complicates things," I said.

"The spotters," Leila added. "Look, just fight me, I'll let you land a good blow, and you can flee. When you get back… tell Sophia that I miss her. I miss her a lot."

Marth nodded and the two resumed their duel and I could see the two were relatively evenly matched. However, at the right moment, Marth disappeared and appeared behind Leila and smacked her on the back of the head with the butt of Falchion. Leila fell to the ground, dazed but still conscious.

"Oh, goodness, that… hurts…" Leila mumbled as she got into a sitting position. "You can move like that, too?"

"Stealing my movements still?" I asked. Marth frowned at me.

"I have been incorporating your movements and my memory of them into my fighting style," Marth replied. "Goodbye, Raven. I promise you this will not be the last time we see each other. I hope…"

"Until next time… please… stay safe," I said. She turned and fled from the scene.

"Oh gods, my head is spinning," Leila said.

"Here, give me a sec," I said as I moved over and sat by her.

"Raven?" she asked.

"Look, I know you'd prefer if one of your cuties were doing this after a cup of tea with them, but just sit still for a second, okay?" I said.

"Mm… okay, fine," she replied hesitantly. I gently put my non-bloody hand on her head and began rubbing it gently. I was still holding my wound with the other hand, trying to stem the bleeding.

"Oh, that's… actually helping," she mused to herself. "… but it would feel a lot better if it wasn't a guy doing it."

"Close your eyes," I said. She closed them. I cleared my throat.

"Oh, Leila… your hair is so thick and luscious. I'm so jealous," I said in a high pitched voice. She shuddered under my hand.

"You… ahhhh!"

"You're such an amazingly strong warrior! I would love to have a cup of tea with someone as beautiful and courageous as you," I continued.

"Th-there it is… that tingly feeling. Oh, Raven, you make a convincing village girl," she said with a small laugh. I frowned slightly.

"I don't know if I should take that as a compliment," I replied in my normal voice. She sighed as she opened her eyes and smiled at me slightly.

"Thank you for trying to help, though. That counts for a lot," she said.

"You feel any better?" I asked. She nodded.

"The headache's mostly gone away. Who was that?" she asked.

"An old acquaintance of mine. Fearsome fighter in her own regard," I said.

"You're telling me. I've never been matched in strength before," she commented.

"Yeah, she's really one of a kind. Been through so much and yet she still tries to make the world right, one step at a time," I added with a small smile.

"She would've been perfect with us," Leila commented.

"Perhaps. But… she's off doing her own thing. I trust her," I said.

"Just as I am trusting Sophia to do her own thing right now," Leila added.

"Heh, yeah. Honestly, I'm glad she held back on us," I said.

"That's holding back?" Leila asked incredulously.

"You couldn't tell?" I asked.

"No! I was too busy trying to figure out how to not be overpowered," she replied with a frown.

"She once whacked me on the head with a wooden practice sword and knocked me out for three days," I said.

"Wow, that's… incredible to think about."

"Maybe one day, I could introduce you to her. You two can have a cup of tea together," I said with a smirk.

"You mean it?" she asked.

"Of course I do," I said, before wincing in pain.

"That wound looks pretty bad," she said.

"I told her to make it look convincing," I said.

"For the scouts, yes, I know," she replied.

"We must look pretty pathetic to them right now, both of us taken out by one person."

"Just keep smiling. No matter what happens, just put on a happy face. At some point in time, it no longer is an act, but an honest, genuine smile."

"You don't need to force a smile right now."

"I'm not, Raven. I… actually am enjoying this moment right now."

"Really? Why?"

"… because it's one of the only times I've ever had since I got here to just sit down and talk to someone," she said before sighing.

"You know, Leila… you can talk to me," I said. She leaned herself against me and I tentatively put my arm around her. "I'm not going to betray you. You and I have looked out for each other in this past year. It's going to take more than some stupid story for me to suddenly stop trusting you."

"Yeah, but…"

"I know, I'm not a cute girl… and that's not something I can fix easily," I said. She laughed a little at that comment.

"Don't take it personally. That's not so much of a problem. I like men just fine. It's just too many of them act in a way that just clashes horribly with my personality. I could probably be close friends with one for real if I knew him well enough."

"Well, how about you start with this one?" I suggested. She looked at me and looked around before giving me a frown.

"Cheeky thing to say when I'm leaned up against you with your arm wrapped around me," she said. "It's almost as if you planned this."

"Trust me, I am not that clever or smart. If I was, I'd have passed you already in ranks. I'm just speaking honestly," I replied.

"Oh, you're good with the flattery thing. Surprised you haven't tried it on me before," she said. I shrugged slightly before wincing in pain.

"Heaping false flattery on you would be a waste of my breath. We both know you're the master of that. You would see right through any lie I told you. Besides, we normally never talk about anything too in-depth. For all the time we've worked together and trusted each other, you're still quite a mystery," I replied. "Then again, neither did Sophia, now that I think about it."

"Perhaps," she replied.

"I was kidding with the whole 'you can start with this one' comment, you know. You can get to know whoever you want," I said quietly. She relaxed a bit more as leaned back against me. I winced as it put pressure on my shoulder wound.

"Sorry about that. Anyway… you misunderstand me. Whoever said that, assuming I even chose you in the first place, it was because you suggested it to me? I have my own free will, you know," she said. "Now, with my back turned to you, if you keep your mouth shut, I would appreciate it if you rubbed my head a bit more. I can try to imagine you as a female. Don't even have to change your name, even."

"… thanks," I replied sarcastically. "At least it wasn't a bird joke."

"… and really, thank you for this. We'll be back to work soon as soon as we're healed up and probably reprimanded for botching capturing her," Leila said. "I'm… trusting you. The way you trusted me when you first were captured."

"Mm," I replied with a nod. She sighed contentedly as I continued rubbing her head. A short time later, I saw a few of the bandits appear before us.

"Raven. Leila. Are you two okay?" one asked. I made a shushing sound.

"She was hit hard on the head by the mercenary that escaped and has a terribly bad headache. As for me… well, you can see what she did to me," I said quietly.

"The spotters told us both of you got injured by one of them. Shall we pursue?" he asked.

"No. I will not sacrifice any of your lives to try to recruit more. You are not numbers in our forces, but people who joined us somewhat willingly," I said. "I intend to honor that decision by not treating you like expendable resources."

"Understood. We will grab the clerics," the bandit said. They all departed to grab the clerics to heal us. Really? What if we got attacked while you guys were gone? Didn't even bother leaving someone behind to defend us. As we sat there, waiting for the clerics, streams of thoughts began flowing through my head.

Life went on without me back at Ylisstol. Yes, I'm now gone and probably not forgotten yet, but… life still goes on. What will things be like when I return? How will life function if I return? How will I adapt to the changes that occurred while I was gone? I've spent more of my new, post-amnesia life with this bandit group than I have with the Shepherds. What will life be like if I return?

… will I even be able to adapt?