And we're back!

Lucina: You came back much sooner this time 7. Did you finish everything?

7: Yep! Now I don't have to leave everyone alone for more than a week!

Severa: And not have us subsist on scrounging either.

7: That was both your AND Gaius' fault! Don't even try to play cute with me!

Severa: Hmph, it's not my fault Cynthia and Kjelle wanted the best stuff they had. Besides, Inigo was treating every girl in town to dinner so he's at fault too.

7: Well no more! From now on, I give NO money to you guys if we update within six days, but I'll give a similar amount to Robin and Cordelia should we go for longer!

Lucina: Wonderful idea 7! Uncle Rob and Aunt Cordy are very frugal, so we should be fine!

7: In any case I think it's time to start the story! Severa, while I'm going through this chapter can you get Welkin for me?

Severa: Sure, go ahead, I'll get him *Leaves*

Edit: Thank you SO much vaguekiwi! I didn't expect to get this back so soon! You're amazing!

P.S Have Surinukeru Kokoro from Nagi no Asukara ready. Play at "…Very well then"

Emmeryn

Robin woke on a familiar expanse of canvas.

Ah… I'm in the med tent again. Heh, they may as well reserve a cot for me.

He hissed when his arm jostled, his eyes focusing on the expanse of gauze wrapped around his shoulder. That's right, he'd taken a bolt of lightning for Cordelia after she'd gone down.

Cordelia!

Pain lanced through his arm again and he groaned. Apparently, that got someone's attention.

"Robin! Maribelle, hold her down!"

That was Lissa's voice. Now that his senses were coming back, he could hear a lot of voices shouting at each other and what sounded like a thrashing body.

Lissa's face appeared, her eyes tired and panicked. "Thank Naga you're up! I know it'll hurt to move, but you need to come with me."

Robin didn't have much choice as she looped her arm under his uninjured shoulder and hauled him out of the cot. His shoulder screamed in protest, but he bit his lip hard and limped along toward the shouting voices.

When he got there, his words failed him. Maribelle, Vaike, and Sully were holding down a thrashing and screaming Cordelia, a river of blood running from her arm. Bloody shears lay abandoned on the ground, the source of her wound obvious.

Lissa shook her head. "She's been screaming for a while. We brought you and her here after the fight, we're at the oasis by the way, but she woke up in a trance. I was working on you with Maribelle, so we didn't notice, but she grabbed the shears and…"

Robin could guess. "Has she been screaming and struggling ever since?"

Lissa nodded. "She has. It's just noise now, but when she started she was screaming about 'honor' and 'cutting out the failure'. Frankly, she's worse off than I thought if this could send her so far down."

Robin nodded and walked to the side of the cot that Lissa had abandoned. He knew he couldn't touch her, not as she was, but he could try to calm her. "Cordelia, it's me. Please, calm down, I'm right here, I'm ok."

He highly doubted she heard him, but it looked like his voice soothed her. She slowed her thrashing so the others could pin her limbs completely. Robin was free to touch her now and he put his uninjured arm on her shoulder. "Cordelia, it's ok. Come on, Cordy, you're fine, we're fine, there's no need to be afraid now."

He saw green healing magic shine over his shoulder and the blood flowing down her arm stopped. Her face was still scrunched and her voice was a whimper, but she'd gone limp. Robin moved his hand off her shoulder and grabbed her hand, her fingers wrapping around his and gripping like a vice.

Finally, her face became peaceful and the others stepped away. Maribelle huffed. "Vaike, Sully, thank you for your assistance. You can return to your preparations."

Vaike and Sully nodded, each giving Cordelia well wishes before leaving. Robin kept his grip on Cordelia's hand, ignoring the insidious itching that invaded his shoulder as Lissa put her staff back to work.

Lissa sighed. "Thank Naga that's over. She's been screaming for hours, not even Sumia could get her to calm down. We had to gag her for a time since the Plegian Guard came looking for us before Chrom and the others drove them out."

Robin nodded slowly, sighing when the magic faded from his skin. "I'll stay with her… she needs me to be here until she wakes and can tell us what happened."

Lissa nodded. "Oh, we found this on her. I think you'll like it."

She reached into her robes and produced Robin's gift, the stone shining in the low light. Robin took the clips with a melancholy gaze. "She kept them? I thought she didn't like them since I didn't seem them on her or hear her mention it."

Lissa shook her head. "Sumia told me about that. See, her original clips were from her mother. They were a gift for making it into the Pegasus Knights."

Robin frowned. "Were?"

Lissa pointed to the bedside table, a wooden bowl with what looked like black twigs was sitting on it. "The lightning scorched the clips, no saving them. We had to cut them out of her hair since the metal had melted into it."

Robin nodded slowly, his hand closing over the clips. "Alright… I'll be fine here, Lissa, you go help the others."

Lissa looked to protest, but the look Robin sent her made a groan come out instead. "Fine, but I'll be coming back in twenty minutes. I still need to do more work on that wound of yours before you're anywhere near combat ready."

She left without another word, leaving Robin to stare at both the clips and hand he held. He sighed, reaching over and placing the clips next to Cordelia's hair, just looking at them.

I was right, these look beautiful against your hair. You'd be an angel incarnate if you wore these, but I can't force this on you. You think you've failed me, even though it was my choice, and I know you'll blame yourself for getting your mother's gift destroyed.

He closed his hand again, brushing his knuckles against Cordelia's cheek. "Please, Cordy, wake up. I still have so much to talk to you about, so much to apologize for. We need everyone for what's coming, we need you. …I need you, damn it. You're my closest friend, closer than anyone, and it would destroy me to lose you like this. Please… come back to me."

She didn't stir.

Robin sighed and clutched her hand to his forehead, holding it there in a vague prayer. A moment later, he lowered it and followed his body's instructions.

He leaned forward and placed a light peck on her forehead.

That seemed to do the trick, Cordelia's hand gripped his tightly and her eyes scrunched. Robin retreated just before her eyes blearily opened. The red orbs turned to him, a haze dulling their shine. "…R…Robin?"

Robin smiled and stroked her cheek with his knuckles. "Hey…"

He wasn't expecting her to nearly leap from the cot and hug him, tears running from her eyes, but she did. "You're alive! You're-you're ok! I… I… I'm so sorry!"

She buried her head into his, thankfully uninjured, shoulder and sobbed. "I-I thought you were dead! And then, you rose out of the bed and started talking to me and I saw the shears and, and-"

Robin put a finger to her mouth. "It's fine, Cordy. I'm fine, you're fine, we're all fine. There's nothing to be afraid of, you didn't fail anyone, everything is just fine."

Cordelia's sobs slowed as she calmed down, though she didn't lessen her grip. "Everything's… fine?"

Robin nodded. "Yes, it is. Well, most everything. We couldn't save your hair clips."

He pointed to the bowl at the bedside and Cordelia slowly turned to stare at the ruined pieces, she picked them up tenderly. "These… they were my mother's gift. I… I destroyed them."

Robin shook his head and took the bowl from her. "No, you didn't. The madman you fought was the one to destroy them, not you. You need to understand that Cordelia, not everything that goes wrong is your fault."

Cordelia obviously didn't believe him. "It was my fault! I charged into battle out of some… asinine desire for vengeance, something so petty I'd be booted from the Knights! I let my head get away from me and now something dear to me is ruined and I damn near lost something even more precious! This is my fault, there's no other way around it!"

Robin was at his wit's end. Ever since she'd joined them at the pass, all she'd done was criticize herself and punish every minor mistake. He didn't want her to destroy herself over this guilt, especially when she had such a bright future before her.

"Cordelia, listen to me."

She turned to him, blinking when she saw the stone hair clips in his hands. "Where'd you find those?"

He sighed. "Lissa gave them to me. She said they'd found them on you, after the battle, and I wanted to… give them properly this time."

Cordelia slapped them away, the clips tinkling on the ground. "Don't… just, get them away from me. I don't deserve them. I don't deserve anything."

Robin would have slapped her, but he just picked up the clips. "Cordelia… talk to me damn it! Where does this… guilt come from? It's eating you alive and you won't tell me. It… It breaks my heart that you don't trust me enough to help you. And don't give me the 'I don't need help' excuse, do so and you'll be little more than a narcissist."

Cordelia glared at him, but her eyes slowly lost their fire. "You… you wouldn't understand. Sometimes, I wish I had your amnesia, it'd save me so much grief."

This time Robin did slap her. "You don't know what it's like to remember nothing. All but the most basic of things were lost to me and even now I still wonder what may have been. You know you have a family, you know you have friends and a home to return to. You know who you are. I have none of that, so hearing you say that sounds only selfish and childish."

Cordelia nursed her red cheek. "Ignorance can be bliss, especially when you're held to the standards of gods."

Robin sighed. "That's never made you depressed like this, if anything you didn't even notice people were giving you standards. What's the real issue?"

Cordelia didn't look at him. "I… It happened when I was at Fort Firald. My captain had just explained a tradition of the knights to me and I was steamed to just be learning about it. But, when I forgave her, she… called me the future of the Knights."

Robin pinched his nose. "So, that's the heart of the matter. She inadvertently placed a burden on you by giving you a compliment, but you took it as an expectation you had to meet. That's why you've worked yourself to the bone and let every failure, no matter your involvement, affect you personally."

He leaned forward, staring her in the eye. "That the gist of it?"

Cordelia nodded, eyes wide in surprise. Did he really know her that well?

Robin sighed. "Do you really think that's what she wants you to do? She already saw you as the future, but you're trying to be the future now. That's not possible, Cordelia, and you'll only destroy yourself if you keep going like this."

Cordelia wanted to snap at him, but her reason destroyed the irrational anger at last. That anger had done nothing but cause her more heartache and she wasn't about to let it win again. "I…I know, but… I don't know why I'm doing this anymore. I guess… I guess I just wanted to be punished. Ever since I fled the fort, I've felt like nothing more than a coward. I wanted someone, or something, to clean that stain away."

Robin nodded. "Your honor would allow no less. Cordelia… this is why I said duty isn't everything. I understand that it's a large part of who you are, but you can't obsess over it like you've been doing. All that leads to is sadness and pain, not just for you, but for those who care for you."

He reached out, presenting the clips once more. "Please, take these. Don't think of them as something you are not worthy to hold. Think of them as a promise."

Cordelia took them slowly, a childish wonder in her eyes. "A… promise?"

Robin nodded. "Yes, a promise that we'll be honest with each other. That we'll be there for each other through thick and thin. That we'll do everything we can to support each other. Sound good?"

Cordelia smiled, but didn't answer right away. Instead, she placed the slightly dusty clips in her hair and fixed the mess a bit. "…How do I look?"

Robin smiled, cupping her still red cheek on reflex. "Beautiful."

Cordelia leaned into the touch, their bodies slowly inching closer until their foreheads met. They both closed their eyes, enjoying the moment.

"The answer is yes." Cordelia whispered. "I promise that I will support you, and that I will gladly have you support me. I'm sorry for everything that's happened, my stubborn refusal to see your gestures for what they were only made this worse."

"It's alright." Robin whispered back. "I have you back now, that's all that matters."

Their lips were separated by bare inches, each willing to take that next step but wanting to let the other take the lead. The hesitation cost them.

A crash rang through the air, making them jump away from each other. A pile of green metal and a familiar cowlick greeted them, followed shortly by a familiar voice.

"Stahl, you idiot! They were there, the bet was won! And you had to go and crane your neck, ruining everything!"

Stahl scrambled to his feet and beat a hasty retreat, Lissa hot on his heels. Maribelle walked in right after they left, her manner far too dignified for someone caught eavesdropping. "Alright, that's enough for today. Robin, go back to your cot, Lissa will doubtlessly join us shortly. Cordelia, I'm banning you from all sharp objects until further notice. You may have worked out some issues, but I'm not taking chances."

Robin stood reluctantly, but retreated from Maribelle's glare. Cordelia instinctively reached for him, but pulled back her arm as Maribelle walked up to her. After a quick onceover, Maribelle sent a burst of magic into Cordelia's body. "That should fix most everything. You'll have to deal with a new scar on your arm, but you're physically fit for duty."

Cordelia nodded. "Very well then. I assume you wish for me to stay, but cannot order it?"

"Well of course." Maribelle huffed. "Were it up to me, you'd be back in Ferox with three therapists, but circumstances. You're free to go, just report to Lord Chrom and Sir Frederick before returning to your tent."

Cordelia nodded and finally got out of the cot, pins and needles spreading up her legs as she stood. She looked around, confused. "Um, where's my armor, if I may ask?"

Maribelle pointed in a vague direction. "Supply wagon, same with Gungnir. Oh, and we've removed all sharp objects minus weapons from your things."

Cordelia nodded before wandering into the camp, the sandy earth shifting under her feet. No one spoke to her, doubtlessly worried, but she felt… almost at peace. She chuckled under her breath, wondering at why she'd been so stubborn when just getting the problem into the air made her feel so much better.

Her hand stroked her new clips. They were lovely, just like she thought they were, and now she had something physical to grasp and hold onto should the nightmares return. He'd given them as his promise after all and she never broke a promise.

Ever.

-Robin-

Robin sighed as Lissa finally declared him able to leave. His shoulder was sore, but the pain did little to him, even as he retrieved his armor and weapons. As he'd found out, they were camped next to the oasis that Cherche had spotted, the Plegian Guard stationed there making up little more than a token garrison.

He'd grimaced at that news. It meant that much of the Plegian forces had retreated to their big cities, particularly the capital.

Even in the face of this news, there was reason to be optimistic. A message from Flavia showed that the Feroxi forces were making better time than expected and the Shepherds had used the time to recuperate and start formulating a more specific plan.

That's how he found himself standing in an abandoned home with Chrom, Frederick, and Nowi.

…Nowi was there because she was latched onto Frederick's back and refused to be pried off.

Anyway, they were staring at a map of Plegia with another map detailing the capital and its surrounding areas placed beside it. As Robin thought, it would be suicidal to try and charge the capital, Xaldornos, head on. The city had multiple levels built into it, the base supposed bones of Grima himself, and trying to fight would require scaling to those levels against who knew how many archers.

Skill only did so much in the face of black rain.

Chrom slammed the table. "Is there nothing we can do? Emmeryn is in that city, I know she is!"

Frederick shifted, Nowi's older form keeping her grip steady. "Milord, there's no way we can find Her Grace before the time of execution. Such high-value prisoners would be held somewhere only the king would know and even our best infiltrator wouldn't be able to do a thorough search in the time we have."

Robin nodded. "That's right, which is why we have to snatch her off the cliff."

Every eye flew to him, disbelief clear. "You want us to what?!"

Robin stared at Chrom. "There's no other way. We can't find her before it happens and she'll be under heavy guard until the moment she's forced out onto the cliff. At that point, it's her and the executioner. Kill the executioner and we can swoop in, grab her, and get the hell out of the city."

A booming laugh met them. "Well, that's a bold plan boy! I'd claim it myself, but how would this lot get out of the city?"

Basilio strode into the room, pausing when he spotted Nowi latched onto Frederick. "So… who's the pretty one hanging onto our favorite knight?"

"Oaf, can you focus for one thrice damned minute?" Flavia scolded as she walked in, barely sparing a glance to Nowi. "I have little doubt there's a story there, but we need an entry and exit strategy ASAP."

Basilio grunted. "Leave the exit to me. I can have Olivia and her troupe keep a route clear with some wagons, the Plegians won't suspect them of anything. That way, we get the hell out with as little trouble as possible."

Robin snorted. "We'll have Plegians on us like demons at all times, those wagons better be damn fast."

Flavia laughed. "Ah, no need to overthink things. My forces can launch an 'assault' on the walls while you lot sneak in. I'll come with, I want to be the one to save the little lady from her executioner."

Robin hummed. "That's… not a bad idea. Tell me, do you think you can put a throwing axe into the executioner from the ground? If you can, that can be the signal for your forces to attack. While that's happening, the Shepherds can storm the execution grounds and grab Emmeryn."

Flavia smirked. "Don't doubt me, Mr. Tactician, I've planted an axe from much further. The question is, who's going to get the little lady?"

Chrom snapped his fingers. "Sumia, she's our best flier. She's got more experience flying with people so she'll know what to do."

Frederick shook his head. "A solitary Pegasus Knight, no matter the skill, is still vulnerable. All it would take is a single lucky arrow."

Nowi spoke for the first time. "I can help!"

Flavia and Basilio gave her incredulous looks, leaving Robin to explain. "Khan Flavia, Basilio, meet Nowi, a new addition. She's a manakete."

Basilio and Flavia continued to stare before they burst into laughter, making jokes at the ever-stoic Frederick's expense. One of the more colorful ones had to do with how the knight needed to slay the dragon, not something else.

Chrom got them back on track before turning to Nowi. "How can you help? Have you ever had to transport someone as a dragon?"

Nowi smiled. "Oh no, my claws will crush them alive. I was thinking as an escort and living shield. I don't like to boast much, but I'm good against arrows."

Chrom shared a glance with Robin before nodding. "That sounds good. Alright, looks like we have a plan. Robin, would you do the honors?"

Robin nodded and started making marks on the map. "Ok, here's what we'll do. The Shepherds will remain in front of the Feroxi forces, acting as a scouting force while we march. Once the Shepherds reach Xaldornos, we'll await the Feroxi forces. Then, when the Feroxi are half a day away, the Shepherds and Flavia will infiltrate the walls and make our way to the execution grounds."

He checked to make sure everyone was still with him before pointing to the map of the capital. "Once we're there, we'll wait for the execution to begin. Emmeryn will be here, on this crag, with only a single executioner. Flavia will kill the executioner while the Shepherds storm the grounds. After that, we'll clear the area around Emmeryn at which point Nowi and Sumia will fly up and retrieve her. Finally, we'll flee the city using the escape route that Basilio and the Feroxi create."

He looked around one more time. "If you find any other Ylissean prisoners, free them. It will do us wonders to find anyone, but special priority will go to Phila. Even then, if she's not found, we must leave her. The Exalt's priority here, not her."

It was cold, he knew, but they couldn't scour the city for Phila. It'd be a miracle to escape with Emmeryn as was, let alone allowing enough time to find Phila.

Chrom sighed. "Much as it pains me, he's right. Spread the plan to the others, we march in three hours."

Frederick nodded and marched from the building, Nowi's feet dragging on the ground as she continued to hold on. Flavia and Basilio shared a chuckle at the knight's expense before leaving as well. Robin turned to leave, the maps in hand, when Chrom stopped him. "Robin, wait."

Robin turned to him and sighed at the sight. "What is it, Chrom? If you're going to ask about what happened with the Grimlea-"

Chrom grunted. "Not that. I want you to answer one question, that's it."

Robin stared, oddly calm in the face of Chrom's gaze. "Alright, go on."

Chrom walked up to him. "Robin… I want you to be honest with me. If… if I offered my blessing… would you marry Emmeryn?"

Robin recoiled, eyes stinging with surprise. "W-what?"

Chrom smirked. "I thought not. My actual question is… do you love her?"

Robin's gaze turned defensive. "Who do you mean by 'her'?"

Chrom's eyes narrowed. "You know who I mean. Do you love Cordelia? To the point that even the offer of becoming royalty makes you ill?"

Robin's eyes remained hard. "Of course. Without question, I love her more than my own life. But, I refuse to go any faster than she wishes and so for now, we remain friends. I truly think that Emmeryn is a great person and a wonderful friend, but I do not feel that way for her."

Chrom stared at his friend for a long time before laughing. "That's what I thought. Sorry for the out of nowhere question, I just wanted to make sure. You know… Cordelia had a crush on me for the longest time, but I never noticed. It took Lissa shouting at me for hours to get it through my skull."

His eyes grew hazed with nostalgia, Robin not sure how to take this. "But, I still only thought of her as a friend. I was worried that she'd waste her life pining after me, but then you came."

He grinned at Robin. "After you told me about how you seemed to know her, I thought there was a chance for her happiness. Heh, you can imagine my delight when I found out you were meeting regularly."

Robin was getting frustrated. "Get to the point."

Chrom rolled his eyes, grin still in place. "I'm getting there. Anyway, after that, I was concerned that you two had fought, but seeing how tender you were with her and how happy she was around you, I wanted to make sure that you loved her. I care for everyone in this company, you two included, and I didn't want this to come to an end before everything was resolved."

Robin finally understood. "So… you wanted to see that we were happy, is that it?"

Chrom clapped him on the shoulder. "Of course, that's what I want for everyone. You two have been through a lot, especially since I basically conscripted you into the Shepherds. Hopefully, there's something magical on the other side of all this."

Robin smirked. "Are you still talking about me, or you and Sumia?"

Chrom smacked him. "Let's think on this further when Emmeryn is safe and the war over. You still have much courting to do before anything happens."

Robin snorted. "And you could propose this moment and no one would bat an eyelash."

Chrom smacked him again and they laughed, walking back to the Shepherds and getting ready for the most important operation of their lives.

-Xaldornos, Day of Execution-

It was almost insulting how poorly the trap was disguised.

Robin waved Gaius and Panne over, pointing to the soldiers hidden in the crowd. "Take them out immediately, they have arrows."

Gaius spotted his target. "Man, they're not subtle, are they?"

Robin shook his head. "No, they're not. But if they'll let us in, let's not turn down the hospitality."

Panne snorted. "They're little more than cubs. I'll clear them out the moment the signal's given."

Robin nodded. "Good, just don't hit civilians. Emmeryn wouldn't forgive us otherwise."

Panne and Gaius dispersed, taking up their spots. Robin looked to the right and spotted Virion and Flavia. He'd had to repair the Khan's shattered pride after assigning Virion as a possible second signal, telling her repeatedly he trusted her skill but wanted to be sure.

That had taken longer than he thought it would, but now they were ready.

As he sat waiting for Gangrel to show his mad visage, his mind turned to a story that Chrom had shared with him about Emmeryn. It made Gangrel's zeal seem almost appropriate.

-Ylisstol, 15 years ago-

The coronation passed without incident. Emmeryn, the nine-year-old daughter of a zealot, was now Exalt.

She sat in her new room now, her siblings joining her, and her gaze turned outside the window. A large crowd was gathered outside the outer gates, the sturdy oak shifting against the pressure of the angry mob. She could see knights barring the gate and the mob dispersed after another failed attempt to break through.

Sighing, Emmeryn looked down at her younger sister, an innocent toddler with not a care. The young child was asleep now that they were alone, not a single crease on her peaceful face. Her younger brother though, was aware of everything.

"Are we going to die Emm?" He asked blankly, emotion absent.

Shocked from her daze, Emmeryn looked at her brother in equal parts amazement and horror. He was such a bright child, the question did not fit his voice

"No, we won't die little hero." Emmeryn answered softly, his face scrunching at the nickname. "Everyone's hurting, not just us."

She stood slowly, careful of Lissa, and gave Chrom a warm hug.

"But, the hurt will go away, we will heal." She began slowly. "It will take time, as everything does, but it will happen." She gave him a soft kiss on the forehead, bringing a teary smile to his face.

"And, before anything, you and Lissa are my life. I will go and build a world for you both, one that you can know and love with all the life I know it holds."

Her hug and whispered reassurance allowed him to sleep, feeling at peace for the first time in days. She would live up to them through the following years. When the people attacked her in both word and deed, she smiled and healed them. When parley with the former Plegian king looked to end in bloodshed, she made cooler heads prevail and peace be given. When assassins amongst her own people tried to kill her siblings, she stopped and forgave them without once spilling blood.

She was the picture of serenity and peace, even during the nights when the pressure sought to break her.

She, above all others, held the title Exalt to its highest peak.

Robin's recollection came to an end when he heard Gangrel's voice, the Mad King listing Emmeryn's supposed crimes with incomparable venom.

Robin ignored him and kept his eyes on the Exalt, licking his lips as the executioner pushed her forward. As they expected, she looked immaculate, now it was just her and the executioner.

Gangrel called for the executioner to do his work at the same moment Robin called to Flavia. "Now!"

Flavia reared back and threw her axe, the blade whirring through the air until it met the head of the executioner with a wet crunch. A javelin sized arrow impaled the man a moment later and the executioner fell to the earth.

The civilians in the crowd dispersed with frightening efficiency, making Robin wonder how often something like this happened. A moment later, the first axe of many met his blade. Panne and Gaius pounced on their designated targets, the hidden archers bleeding into the sand moments after the battle started.

Unfortunately, the Shepherds had to work their way around a wall to reach the execution ground. The lightly armored members could cross the sand with little difficulty, but the horses and heavily armored members were left with no choice but to form a rearguard.

Robin lopped off a man's arm and fired a wolf shaped bolt into another before he heard fighting further down the wall.

No one should be there yet. Did some prisoners escape?

He shook his head and took off for the for the sounds of fighting, soon being passed by Cherche with Vaike and Chrom flying with her. He cursed, begging his feet to move faster, when he felt himself yanked into the air and deposited in a saddle. The scent of cinnamon eased his pulse. "Warn me next time!"

Cordelia almost laughed, striking a Plegian away. "Then learn how to run! Come on, let's leave our potential allies to Lord Chrom, we need to get to the square."

Robin nodded and, when they'd escaped the sand, jumped from his perch. Lightning gathered in his hands and he blasted the closest Plegians away, a blast of purple miasma and another axe slaying the ones trying to attack from behind.

He glanced over to see a new pair fighting the Plegians. One was a beautiful woman with blond hair. To Robin's confusion, she wore priest robes. The second woman was sensuous, with pale skin and dark hair. She wore sheer silk under a voluminous robe.

He turned his eyes away just soon enough to avoid becoming a quiver. Arrows from behind him slew the archers and he saluted both Virion and Gaius for their help. Now, they just had a pair of makeshift bastions and the Plegians there blocking them.

Robin noticed Miriel and Gregor working their way to him, the mercenary slicing through two Plegians before they could move. "Miriel, blow that bastion to shrapnel!"

Miriel heard him and a blast turned one of the bastions to a smoking ruin.

Next, Robin saw Ricken. "Ricken, blow that other bastion away, scatter them!"

A tunnel of roaring wind birthed in the sand, the force and ripping dust scouring the bastion and Plegians.

Robin nodded, glad to see everything going well. "Alright, get rid of the leader and the plaza is ours! Vaike, smash him aside! If he can't do that, I want you to crush him Kellam! Failing that, rain every bit of hell you have on him!"

Vaike screamed his reply, charging the heavily armored General with all his bloodlust fueled speed. The General, an older man, seemed to laugh before sending a spear at Vaike. Vaike rolled away from the attack, but failed to notice a chain on the spear. The General yanked the spear back and its blade carved a deep furrow through Vaike's back and shoulder, sending him to the ground.

"Vaike!" Robin roared. "Lissa, get on him! Kellam, take that guy out!"

Lissa finished lobotomizing another mage before rushing to Vaike's side, cries of panic soon rising from her as blood continued to flow. Kellam stomped his way to the front and glared at the general. "Your weapon's cursed."

The General laughed. "Of course! In this world, you take every advantage you can get. I will not move from this spot. Your Witch Queen dies today!"

Kellam frowned. "Yeah… not happening."

The twin mountains of metal charged at each other, their steps shaking the earth. Kellam lowered his shoulder and crashed into the other man, using his superior strength to force him back. The General used the proximity to jab his cursed spear at Kellam, the purple miasma surrounding it growing with every strike.

Kellam finally got his leverage and threw the general to the ground, his own lance sinking into the General's vulnerable arm. Kellam panted and yanked his axe out and kicked the General's helmet off.

"Any last words?"

The General spat at him, smirking when his blurry vison focused in on a tuft of red coming towards them. "I may die, but I'll take two with me!"

Kellam grunted as the spear found a hole in his armor, the cursed blade sinking into Kellam's side. And, right before Kellam split the general's head with his axe, the cursed spear flew and Kellam heard his worst nightmare.

Sully screaming.

He spun on his heels and tried to run, stumbling when his knees became weak. Robin, seeing that both had been hit, screamed for Maribelle and the priest to help them. Staffs came out and healing magic flowed, but neither stopped bleeding.

Robin spat a foul curse. "Sumia, Nowi, get the Exalt and let's get out of here!"

Wings interrupted him, a trio of Pegasus Knights appearing right as Nowi and Sumia took to the air. One of them had a head of light blue hair that Robin would recognize anywhere. "Phila, you beautiful bitch!"

Phila apparently heard him and flashed a rude salute before racing for Emmeryn. Robin, slowly, felt his guard fall. They'd done it, all that was left was to get out of here.

"Ugh, you do not play fair."

Gangrel's voice rose over the din, making Robin turn his eyes to the Mad King. The king smirked. "But, my own tactician doesn't play fair either."

A purple mist oozed from Gangrel's perch, the miasma invading the bodies of every dead archer on the field. Too late, Robin realized the trap as the archers rose from the dead.

"Everyone, get down!"

Sumia and Nowi barely escaped, the other knights and Phila too far up to do anything. The Shepherds and Emmeryn could only watch in horror as the knights were riddled with arrows, their souls fleeing before they'd even hit the ground.

Gangrel laughed long and loud. "Ah, priceless! Exuent, three Pegasus Knight, stage left! We'll be asking the Exalt to exit stage right in a moment!"

"Gangrel!" Robin heard Chrom roar. "You'll pay for this, I swear it!"

Gangrel sniffed. "Sure, sure. Archers! If any of them so much as moves, make Her Grace the world's largest quiver!"

Robin gulped, mind casting about for ideas as Gangrel made his demands. The Fire Emblem for Emmeryn. Chrom looked to honestly consider it before Robin growled at him. "You cannot listen, Chrom! He will kill Emmeryn either way and we don't have the Emblem!"

Chrom grimaced. "But we could save her while he's distracted! Gah, what do we do? My duty says no, but my heart bleeds to give it to him!"

Robin could see the internal war driving his friend mad, but he could do nothing. Gangrel, growing impatient, delivered his ultimatum. "Give me the Emblem, now! If it's not in my hands by the time I count to three, the Exalt dies! One… Two…Th-"

Chrom roared back. "Enough, Gangrel! We… we'll give you the Emblem, just let Emmeryn go."

Emmeryn's voice echoed for the first time. "Chrom! You cannot give that which our people have protected for centuries in exchange for one life!"

Chrom looked to her, voice and eyes sad. "I know of the great enemy you've seen in the prophecies, Emm. The Emblem may help then, but your people need you now! We need you now!"

"…Very well, Chrom." Emmeryn answered, oddly serene. "King Gangrel… is there no chance you'll hear me out?"

"No! And if I don't have the Fire Emblem now, you'll die with a thwack and a thud, Witch!" the King answered.

Emmeryn seemed to come to a conclusion. "I understand. …Plegians, hear me out! War has done nothing but give us pain and sadness, and I have worked all my life to try and rebuild what was lost. Even now, I still believe that peace is possible between not just our peoples, but all people. And on this day, I will show you… I will show you how a single, selfless act… can change the world."

She was met with silence, her gaze found only dumbstruck faces.

No reaction… was I wrong then? Will this do nothing, even though I give up the chance to meet my nieces?

She smiled as Lucina's face passed in front of her. "So be it. If it means I give them peace.

She hardened her face and walked to the edge of the cliff, her arms spread wide when she could see the entire city.

"No… Emmeryn!" Chrom shouted, bolting towards her with all the speed he could muster. The archers immediately fired, making Chrom swerve and dodge under the hail.

Seeing him run, Emmeryn felt the blue jewel she'd kept hidden glow against her breast. Then… she fell.

Chrom… Lissa… I pass on a great burden to you. But, I know you'll be able to live up to the challenge and bring the peace that I could not.

Lissa ripped Forseti out of Ricken's hands, Robin doing the same with Maribelle's Excalibur. Somewhere in their minds, they knew this wouldn't work, but they summoned the twisters all the same. Their desperation drowned their reason, screaming that the force of the wind would slow her down so she could live.

Instead, they missed.

As the twin tornados sprung to life, tearing the ground asunder and destroying the archers, Emmeryn fell onwards towards the ground, barely slowing as Naga greeted her. There was a brief flash of light and the tornados fell away, revealing a crumpled pile of robes.

Chrom stared at the pile, watchin a blue gem roll from the body and bounce against his feet. He picked the jewel up robotically, mind frozen even as Lissa wailed and screamed her pain to the world.

Robin was no better, barely noticing as the Shepherds bid a hasty retreat. Somehow, Emmeryn's body was retrieved and placed into one of the escape wagons before they fled the Plegian forces into a place called the Midmire.

Morale fell further when the news came. The wounds on their companions would not heal, no matter what magic was used. The curse was too strong and it would take more than what they had to cure them.

As if the fates weren't done with them, a Plegian force surrounded them. Robin didn't really remember what happened at first, his only clear recollection occurring after its leader mentioned Emmeryn.

Chrom dashed forward and slew the first Plegian there, eyes cold with rage. He ran into the mud and killed every Plegian he found, using Falchion or Gradivus to kill them as brutally as possible. Robin remembered seeing the other Shepherds stare after him in equal parts fear and satisfaction, though that satisfaction came to an end when the Plegians failed to resist.

Then, sickness took hold and many turned away.

Only Sumia was willing to fly through the carnage, she found Chrom disarming the Plegian leader. She grew close enough to hear the man beg for the life of his troops before Chrom cast aside his weapons and started punching him.

He punched after the man's face was a pulp. He punched after the man stopped moving. He punched even when the skull gave way.

He kept punching until he was punched in turn, sending him into the mud.

He leapt to his feet, snarling until he saw Sumia with her arm outstretched and hair plastered to her head. It was too much of a downpour to tell, but she looked like she was crying.

The sight made Chrom's rage calm, his mind finally realizing what he'd just done. In his quest to avenge the death of his sister, he'd done the one thing he'd swore would never happen.

He'd slaughtered the unwilling.

He'd become his father.

He stared at his hand, horror shining in his eyes. Even the arrival of the others didn't register until he saw fear, honest fear, in Lissa's face. His stomach rolled and he vomited.

Everything in his gut was a poison, the anger and grief fleeing his body in squelches and heaves. He continued until he had nothing left to give and even then, needed Sumia to pull him up and guide him to the wagons that would take them away.

-Ferox, Castle Flavia Infirmary- Three days later-

Cherche sat beside Vaike, watching the rise and fall of his chest. She'd been on another side of the battlefield when Vaike had been injured, helping the dark mage Tharja with some Plegians. It wasn't until after the fall of Emmeryn she'd heard the news.

It had taken the intervention of Tharja and the war monk Libra to break the curse and save his life.

Across from her were two cots holding Sully and Kellam. They'd bled along with Vaike almost the entire way, nearly dying before the wounds had been closed. Their only visitors were Frederick and Nowi, making sure they were ok.

Frederick sighed. "Nowi, let's go. They'll be fine for now, we just have to wait."

Nowi nodded slowly. "I… I know we should. But… can we just keep an eye on them tonight?"

Frederick sighed, but nodded. Sully had saved Nowi early in the battle by noticing and killing a Plegian with a wyrmslayer. If she hadn't, Nowi would have taken serious injuries from the rare weapon.

Nowi settled into her seat and leaned into Frederick, smiling at Cherche when their eyes met. "How's he doing?"

Cherche smiled back. "He's stable. It'll just take time for his blood to come back."

Nowi nodded and resumed her vigil, Frederick still as stone.

Cherche almost laughed. Nowi had liked to run around the camp as a child, but she always stayed in her older form whenever Frederick was around. She wasn't sure how perceptive Sir Frederick was, but it was obvious the manakete fancied him.

She sighed and turned her gaze back to Vaike, stroking his cheek tenderly. She wasn't sure why, but Vaike made her feel safe. Maybe it was his constant attempts to please her, or the way he always at least tried to follow through on his words, but he'd charmed her silly. She didn't know if he was just a fool or someone desperate to impress, but she liked him.

Minerva would say more than liked, but that was some ways into the future.

Cherche chuckled as sleep slowly claimed her, her head coming to rest on Vaike's heart. The steady beat lulled her to sleep, even as Frederick and Nowi gazed at her in amusement.

"To think, that Vaike would win a heart like hers." Frederick muttered, turning to Nowi when there was no response. He smiled when he saw the manakete asleep as well, her breath soft and deep.

He almost laughed.

Well, I'm not going anywhere anytime soon

Castle Flavia-Third Floor

Robin sat in the frigid hallway, wondering at how it all went wrong. He didn't care about the icy wind, even as it dug needles into his flesh. All he wanted was to be left alone.

A single lantern lit the hallway, its light coming closer and closer until the wind changed and Robin smelled her. Cordelia sat next to him in silence, neither speaking as the wind whistled through the hall.

They didn't need to say anything. Cordelia was willing to be there for Robin as he sorted himself out and Robin took strength from her presence. Eventually, he turned to her and pulled her into an embrace. She returned it and chuckled when she felt him fall asleep, even as his grip refused to let up. She rolled her eyes and worked his cloak around until it covered them both.

Eventually, his warmth lulled her to sleep as well, her ear seeking his heartbeat before she stilled. As the moonlight swept over them, Cordelia's clips shone to their true brilliance, forming a halo over her head and suffusing her in the warm glow. The light caught the gold in Robin's cloak and wings of light bloomed behind her, an angel to save the man from the darkness he held.

-Chrom-

He stared at the blue jewel, wondering why Emmeryn would hold something like it so close to her. He'd found a similar stone in the shield he held, but he could only guess at its significance.

He sighed and placed the jewel on a table next to his shield, almost leaving before noticing the gem shine in the low light.

"What?"

His voice seemed to do something, the jewel shining brighter until he had to look away. Finally, when the glow vanished, Chrom looked back and stared.

"It… it can't be."

Emmeryn smiled back at him, arms and legs crossed over her naked form with her eyes shining merrily. "Hello, Chrom. Can you help me find my clothes, I feel terribly exposed?"

Ch 17 End

Tada!

Severa & Lucina: …

7: Oh! Right! Hey Welkin I need the Edelweiss!

Welkin: Huh? Why?

7: One of the reviewers challenged Chrom to a duel, but he didn't say what weapons he wanted so…

Welkin: *sigh* Alright fine, just don't damage it too much.

Chrom: Thank you sir.

Now then onto the duel with…. Goodralisk!

Goodralisk: Hey! Where's the old man!

7: Hold on, let me start the match. Begin!

*Goodralsik stands there, looking around suspiciously*

Goodralisk: I don't like this…

*Chrom bursts into the area while riding the Edelweiss, flattening Goodralisk before blowing him into the distance*

Goodralisk: I'll be baaaaaaack! *twinkle*

Well now that that's done and Chrom has defended Lucinas' honor we move to review responses!

Goodralsik: Actually if you look up Berserkers on google they were Celtic warriors that used hallucinogens to induce a feeling of invincibility. In fact many fought naked! Now I couldn't do that with Teach, though I'm sure Cherche would have appreciated the view, so I made pain his rage switch. Also, sorry for being the first casualty, but Chrom wouldn't be denied.

Sugouxxx: That's right! And she's all the more mischievous for it.

Yugiohfangirl: Well I hope this lives up to expectations!

Strider Shade: Thanks for all the praise! I personally LOVE fluff so it's fun to write. Also Lucina can't talk right now, but she's met everyone in Project X Zone 2 so she knows them. Lastly, SHOWOFF! I can't teleport onto a mechanical panther! I don't even have two pennies to rub together (But seriously that's cool!)

Alright we'll see you all next time!

Severa: Wait a minute!

7: Yes?

Severa: What the hell is with that asspull!

7: Huh?

Lucina: Why is Aunty alive?

7: Oh, that. That is all you, Lucina. You made Emmeryn get clever, that's all I'll say. Anyway, bye everybody!

Squad 7 Dismissed! *Runs away from pissed co-hosts*