Author's Note: Hello, once again! Thank you to all who fav'ed, followed, or reviewed! I know there wasn't much to go by since the first chapter was just the Premonition, but this is where everything truly begins! This chapter already includes clues for some of the changes that I'm implementing in this semi-AU, and I'm actually quite happy with how it turned out, so I hope you guys can enjoy it.
As usual, discussions, thoughts, feedback, and questions can be sent to me through reviews or PMs; rest assured I don't bite, and I definitely will take the time to answer each and every one of you.
I won't bore you all to tears, so let's get on with it: the prologue - the real start of Fire Emblem Awakening: Lights Within Shadows!
Disclaimer: I do not own Fire Emblem: Awakening, or any associated characters, weapons, concepts, etc. that are found therein.
Prologue – On The Verge of History
Location: Southern Ylisse
"We have to do SOMETHING."
'Oh, gods damn it. Did you have to raise your voice? Urgh, my head…'
"What do you propose we do, then?" came the reply.
'Huh… now that voice sounds awfully familiar…'
"I… I dunno… but we can't just leave him here!"
'Heavens above, if you don't lower your voice, gods help me I am going to make you shut up so I can go back to sleep!'
Groaning in frustration, a young man with brilliant white hair forced his eyelids open, shutting them tight as the glaring light of the sun nearly blinded him – not to mention aggravated the headache he was currently experiencing after having been roused in such an unpleasant manner. Opening them a little slower this time to reveal a pair of gentle hazel irises, he found himself lying beneath a tree, with two strangers – eerily familiar strangers, at that – looking over him. The first and older of the two was a young blue-haired and blue-eyed man, well-built yet possessing youthful features that suggested he was barely into his twenties. The second and younger was a blonde girl with hair styled into a pair of wild ponytails. She was definitely in her mid to late teens at most, possessing active gray-green eyes that had now widened in some slight surprise upon locking gazes with his own bleary one.
"Oh, he's awake!" she chirped. "Hey there! How are you feeling?"
'With how loud you two were talking, I doubt anyone could stay sleeping, really,' he thought as the girl leaned in just that little bit closer to inspect the young man, making him recoil just that tiny bit to keep some space between them.
The blue-haired man smiled in what was clearly meant to be a placating manner. "There are better places to take a nap than on the ground, you know," he said in an all-too-familiar way as he offered his hand. "Can you stand? Here, give me your hand."
Deciding that neither of them wished him any harm or ill will, the white-haired man took the proffered hand, allowing himself to be gently but firmly pulled to his feet. He quickly noticed the strange, six-eyed symbol on the back of his right hand, frowning in thought at what it might mean before filing it away for later. What it was and why he had it weren't pressing concerns at the moment, especially considering how he hadn't even the slightest idea of where he was.
"You all right?" the blue-haired man asked, jolting the white-haired man out of his thoughts.
He nodded. "Yeah… thanks, Chrom," he replied automatically, before his eyes widened in realization. 'Wait a minute… Chrom? He was the man in my dream!'
Chrom raised an eyebrow, the hints of a smile pulling at the corners of his lips. "Ah. So you know who I am, then?" he asked.
'I… wait, what?'
"… No, actually… I… It's strange… your name… it just sort of came to me…" the white-haired man murmured, confused and uncertain.
Chrom's brows furrowed, a hand cupping his chin in thought. "… Hmm, how curious," he said. "Well, let's start with something else, then. Tell me, what's your name? What brings you all the way out here? It's a strange place to pass out, after all."
"My name? It's… It's…" the white-haired man trailed off, eyes widening.
'What…? Why… why am I… drawing a blank…?'
"I… I don't know…" he whispered, surprising Chrom, who took a step back in surprise.
"… You… You don't know your own name…?" he asked, disbelief clearly evident in his features.
The white-haired man swallowed nervously as his mind raced, pain shooting through his head as he drew blanks every which way his thoughts went. Images rapidly filled his mind – images of dark places, groups of people, faces he didn't recognize, corpses covered in blood… all he saw were scenes that filled him with a sense of dread, and only gave him more questions and no real answers to any of them.
'Ugh… why am I seeing these things?!'
Gripping his head as the pain grew in intensity, the white-haired man wobbled unsteadily before Chrom's strong grip steadied him.
"Woah, easy there," Chrom said. "Are you sure you're fine?"
It took him a few moments before he could muster a reply. "Y-yeah…" he said, shaking his head to try and calm his racing nerves and erase the images and pain from his mind. "I… I'll be fine. I'm not sure if… wait, where am I, exactly?"
If Chrom wasn't in disbelief then, he certainly was now. His companion, however, only seemed to perk up at the situation.
"Hey, I've heard of this!" she said excitedly. "It's called amnesia!"
A scoff from behind Chrom alerted the white-haired man to a third person. Looking over Chrom's shoulder, he spotted a much larger brunet man in heavy blue and white armor. He was clearly a knight, and a high-ranking one at that, if the ornate designs present on his breast and shoulder plates were anything to go by.
"It's called a load of pegasus dung," the knight said as he approached to stand at Chrom's shoulder, hands clasped imperiously behind his back as he gazed down at the white-haired man with a severe expression. "We're to believe you remember milord's name, but not your own?"
The white-haired man frowned, unimpressed by the knight's attitude. "But it's the truth!" he shot back.
Chrom held up his hands to placate the white-haired man. "What if it is true, Frederick?" he said, addressing the knight behind him. "We can't just leave him here, alone and confused. What sort of Shepherds would we be then?
The blonde girl was nodding at Chrom's every point, her enthusiasm for the situation undiminished – on the contrary, Frederick's words and suspicions only seem to have egged on her eagerness. The white-haired man decided he much preferred her and Chrom over the judgemental Frederick any day of the week.
Frederick looked ready to object once more, but he instead held his tongue, simply choosing to sigh and stiffly nod his assent, almost as if knowing that nothing would dissuade Chrom from a course of action once the man got an idea into his head. Of course, his apparent assent did not stop the knight from shooting the white-haired man a glare that – if looks could kill – would have definitely struck him dead right then and there.
"Very well. Just the same, milord, I must emphasize caution," the grumpy knight said with great reluctance. "… 'Twould not do to let a wolf into the midst of our flock… especially not one who for some reason wears a robe with Grimleal markings."
Offering one last warning glance at the white-haired man, Frederick turned and walked back to an armored war horse that had been grazing a short distance away.
'Grimleal markings…?' he thought, gazing down at himself.
The white-haired man found that he was clad in a beige-colored shirt and pants, a purple hip cloak, and a pair of belts, leg guards, and boots all made of leather. His entire outfit was topped off by a dark cloak, a trio of eyes similar to those on the back of his right hand embroidered in bright purple on either sleeve.
His head pulsed with some odd feeling at the sight of the markings, and he wondered for a moment just what it was the markings meant before filing it away for future thought, deciding it wasn't worth thinking about right now when there were more important things to figure out.
Interestingly, the white-haired amnesiac also noted that almost every part of his outfit was lined with gold trim, giving him the impression that he just might have been someone important in his life pre-amnesia.
'Was I, though…'
"Right then!" Chrom said, Frederick's readily apparent displeasure either flying over his head or noticed but ignored. "We'll take him back to town and sort things out there. Surely we'll be able to figure something out."
The blonde girl was pretty much bouncing on her feet in excitement at Chrom's proclamation, while Frederick simply mounted his horse.
The white-haired man blinked, his thoughts failing him for a second before panic nearly overtook him. "… Wait, hold on. Wait just one moment! Don't I get any say in this?!"
"Nope!" came the cheerful reply from the blonde girl, who offered him a smile that was just a little too bright and innocent.
Chrom clapped him on the shoulder. "Peace, friend! Don't worry!" he laughed as he began to steer the white-haired man along. "I promise we'll hear all you have to say back in town. You can share your story with us there."
'There's not much of a story to tell, Chrom.'
The white-haired amnesiac offered up a slight shrug, resisting the urge to groan at Chrom's friendly insistence. 'Still, guess I've got no choice, huh? It might not be so bad, though, going along with Chrom and… uh…'
He sighed to himself. 'Yeah, way to go, genius. That's an impressive amount of forgetfulness, even for someone with amnesia,' he thought, mentally berating himself for forgetting to ask the blonde girl for her name.
The white-haired man walked along a few steps behind Chrom and the blonde girl – who Chrom had referred to as 'Lissa' quite a few times already so far – simply taking in all the sights and sounds as if it were his first time seeing it all again.
He chuckled quietly to himself. 'Of course it's my first time seeing it all again,' he said. 'It might as well be, since I don't remember anything.'
It was all so very interesting, and certainly much more productive than trying to remember anything. All the attempts at trying to force a memory up had just led to a headache, or, in other cases, some of the same dreadful images he'd seen earlier on and certainly wished to forget about.
Sighing ever so lightly, the amnesiac simply reveled in his surroundings, deciding that he could sort everything out later. The countryside was… well, it possessed a serene beauty, he had to conclude. The wind gently rippled across the sea of grass that grew on either side of the beaten path, rustling the leaves of the occasional tree that dotted the dips and crests of the natural landscape.
Looking at the two in front of him, he decided that Chrom and Lissa certainly helped. In spite of the presence of an amnesiac stranger and what surely had to be surroundings they didn't exactly live in every day, they seemed perfectly at ease, engaging in conversation and banter that wouldn't have been out of place in a household.
… Of course, their liveliness was a sharp contrast to Frederick behind him, whose glare probably hadn't left the back of his head since they'd started walking. 'He's probably just waiting for an excuse to gut me, I can feel it…' Then again, the sword strapped across the back of his waist might have also had something to do with that.
That thought did bring up the question of what exactly Chrom intended to do with him.
"So… what will you do with me? Am I to be your prisoner now?" he ventured carefully, prompting Chrom and Lissa to stop and turn towards him.
Whatever reaction he'd expected, it certainly wasn't Chrom bursting out into laughter. "Hah! Not even in the slightest," he said. "You'll be free to go as soon as we establish that you're no enemy of Ylisse."
The amnesiac raised an eyebrow. "Ylisse? Is that where we are?"
Frederick scoffed from behind him. "You've never heard of the halidom?" he asked incredulously, before shaking his head in a mixture of mirth and astonishment. "Someone pay this actor. He plays quite the fool! The furrowed brow is especially convincing…"
The white-haired man's eye twitched – the sarcastic knight was really starting to get on his nerves. 'If you weren't in armor and carrying a lance right now, gods help me I'd…'
Chrom rolled his eyes and sighed. "Frederick, please, that's quite enough of that," he said in exasperation. "If you didn't speak to anyone you didn't trust, you'd not talk to anyone outside of the Shepherds." Chrom then turned to their white-haired companion. "This land is known as the Halidom of Ylisse," he explained. "Our ruler, Emmeryn, is known as the Exalt."
"… Actually, now that I think about it, I suppose proper introductions are in order. My name is Chrom – but then you already knew that." With a grin, Chrom jerked a thumb at Lissa next to him. "The delicate one here is my little sister, Lissa."
Lissa stuck her tongue out at Chrom. "I am NOT delicate! Hmph!" she protested, turning her head away from her brother before offering the white-haired man a cheerful smile. "Ignore my brother, please. He can be a bit thick sometimes. But, you should count yourself lucky that the Shepherds found you! Brigands would have definitely been a rude awakening!"
'I'd like to ask how waking up in the middle of three strangers without a clue of who I am or what's going on isn't a rude awakening… then again, brigands probably wouldn't be the most pleasant company, either. Yeah, I think I'll count my lucky stars for now.'
Still, there was something that tugged at his curiosity. "I keep hearing you mention 'Shepherds'," he said. "So… you guys tend sheep… in full armor… and weapons like those? Is there something about the local carnivorous wildlife I should know about?"
Frederick aside, even Chrom and Lissa looked to be decently armed and armored. In addition to his plated boots and the leather armor he wore beneath his clothes, Chrom carried a sheathed sword strapped to his left hip, while a gleaming pauldron was strapped to his left shoulder over what Robin now realized was quite a well-worn cape that seemed to have seen plenty of action in the past. Lissa, young as she was, also wore light leather armor over a simple yet elegant yellow and white dress, a sort of crinoline sitting beneath her dress' skirt either as protective wear or to ensure ease of movement. In addition, she also carried an staff with an ornate head, a blue gem nestled between its prongs.
'Ah, a healing staff. She must be a cleric,' he thought to himself, suddenly wondering where that had come from. 'Great… yet another question to add to what already has to be an annoyingly long list.'
Still, the point had been made by his observations. Whatever sheep they were tending to, these 'Shepherds' weren't your average, run-of-the-mill poor farmers.
Chrom chuckled at the amnesiac's questions. "Well, it's a dangerous job, admittedly. Just ask Frederick the Wary here."
Frederick rolled his eyes. "It is a title I shall wear with pride," he replied, straight-faced as ever. "Naga forbid one of us keeps a modicum of caution. I have every wish to trust you, stranger, but my station mandates I maintain a level of care to ensure that no threat befalls milord."
The amnesiac's lips curled ever so slightly. "It's actually pretty understandable, Sir Knight. I wouldn't do any less, myself," he replied. "Looking out for your charges isn't exactly the easiest thing, but it must be pretty rewarding at the end of the day."
Before another word could be uttered, he suddenly stopped, overcome as something finally came to him.
"… My name is Robin," he said, startling Chrom and Lissa.
The two looked at him with curious expressions.
"Strange… I just remembered that out of nowhere," he murmured to himself, holding a hand to his head.
"I'm sure you did," came the instant reply from Frederick, the man's eyes narrowed once again at the now-identified amnesiac.
Robin sighed irritably, choosing to ignore Frederick. "Odd that it came to me just now," he said. "… Well, at least that's one mystery solved and out of the way."
Chrom nodded. "Robin, eh? Is that foreign?" he asked, genuine curiosity plastered across his features. "Ah, well. We can discuss it at length later. We're almost at town, anyway. Once we–"
He was cut off by a gasp from Lissa. "Chrom, look! The town!"
The party of four turned in the direction Lissa was pointing at, suddenly finding several pillars of smoke emanating from the town just down the road.
It was your average town: small and medium-sized buildings serving as residences for the townsfolk, with larger structures housing the town's main sources of income and commerce: a blacksmith, a couple of inns, some food establishments, and a grocer that spilled over into the town square with numerous smaller stalls. Just across a canal stood a fairly large church that overlooked the rest of the town around it, the stained glass window over its main entrance lighting up like a beacon beneath the midday sun. At this time of the day, it normally would have been bustling with activity.
Well, it was right now, but bandits setting buildings on fire and looting whatever they could definitely wasn't the sort of activity that you would want or expect to see.
"Damn it! The town is ablaze! Those blasted brigands we've been hearing about, no doubt…" Chrom growled out, beginning to take strides towards the scene. "Frederick, Lissa! Quickly!"
Frederick frowned, throwing a glance Robin's way. "What about him?" he asked.
"Unless he's on fire, he can wait!" Chrom snapped impatiently.
Frederick nodded gravely. "Aptly put, my lord," he said, mounting his steed and arming himself with both lance and shield that had until that point been hooked to the horse's saddle.
"Come on, let's go already!" Lissa said as she and Chrom began running towards the chaotic scene, Frederick's steed galloping in their wake.
Robin raised a hand. "Wait! What about–?!" he started to say, but the trio had already gone, leaving him alone in the clearing.
"Damn it," Robin cursed. He was now at a crossroads. He could attempt to run away, but without any memories and any idea of where to go, that was a quick and easy way to get killed. Waiting here would potentially be safe, but… well, who's to say there weren't more bandits waiting around the area? He'd be easy pickings if he was caught out here alone. The third option was to follow Chrom, Lissa, and Frederick into town… but he'd be useless in a fight and would probably force Chrom or Frederick to watch over him, something which could get them all killed.
"So, what to – hm?" he said, having crossed his arms across his chest in thought, but the feeling of something solid against his chest had surprised him. Reaching into a pouch within his cloak, he pulled out a book, its leather cover worn but undeniably well cared for.
Robin frowned, wondering what the book might be before it suddenly pulsed, sending a strangely familiar tingling sensation through his fingertips. Feeling a strange excitement bubbling within him at the thought that his first clue had actually been much closer than he thought, Robin flipped it open, finding the pages filled with complex symbols and incantations in an ancient language that he somehow was able to make sense of.
'What am I doing with a tome? Was I some sort of mage before I lost my memories?' he asked himself, the feeling spreading from his fingertips, up his arm, and into the rest of his body. Apparently, cracking the tome open had reawakened something within him, probably his own dormant mana reserves that he'd likely tapped into time and again before he'd lost his memories.
Raising his right hand and aiming his open palm at a small rock lying by the wayside, Robin read the tome's incantations and released a small pulse of mana. A magic circle formed around him, the same ancient language in the tome's pages circling around him as a small bolt of golden lightning shot out and impacted against the rock, scorching it and leaving a very visible burn mark.
He almost laughed at his success. "Okay… so scratch 'defenseless' from reasons not to go," he said, clapping the tome closed and quickly following the path Chrom and the others had taken.
'This certainly isn't a bright idea, but I'm definitely not sitting around and waiting!'
Location: Southtown
Robin raced through the dirt roads, following the smoke columns and the sounds of fighting towards the central square of the town. His was not just a blind advance – he found himself instinctively looking through smaller alleyways with quick and sharp glances as he ran, ensuring that there were no surprises or stray bandits waiting to ruin his first day.
The white-haired amnesiac barrelled right into a fairly chaotic scuffle happening in the square, slowing slightly as he took note of the whole situation. Chrom faced off against two bandits, managing to keep both at bay with a gleaming, gold and silver sword that had a strange teardrop-shaped hole at the base of the blade. Crouched behind a stall was Lissa, watching and waiting with her staff clutched tightly in both hands. Frederick was nowhere to be seen, although the galloping of his steed and the sounds of clashing metal from a couple of streets away let Robin know the general area of where the knight was fighting.
Chrom ducked underneath the bandit fighter's wild axe swing and charged forward, shoulder-tackling the larger man and sending him sprawling. Before he could finish his opponent off, the blue-haired man twisted, bringing his own weapon up and into the path of the second bandit's sword. The two pushed against each other in a deadlock, struggling to overcome their opposition. So focused was Chrom on the test of strength that he hadn't noticed the first bandit get back up and raise his axe.
"Chrom!" "Brother, look out!"
Simultaneous cries came from Lissa, who'd leaped up from her hiding place, and Robin, tome now opened and glowing with mana. The amnesiac man raised his left hand, electricity crackling in his palm and across his fingertips, and stretched it out at the bandit fighter.
"Thunder!" he called out, the runes of a magic circle forming around him as he fired out a golden bolt of lightning. The bolt struck the man, sending him to the ground. Lightning crackled and arced over the bandit's form, the man twitching only for a few moments before he stopped moving.
"Robin, behind you!"
Acting on instinct, Robin quickly ducked, feeling the disturbance in the air as a blade flashed right through the space his neck had been occupying just a moment before. Without any wasted motion, the white-haired man pivoted on his left foot and rose, the pages of his tome flipping on their own as he slammed a glowing palm against his aggressor's chest and fired a bolt at point-blank range, the force of impact throwing the bandit back a few paces and leaving a smoking crater in his chest.
Having been distracted by his companions' demise, the myrmidon's push against Chrom lost just a little bit of force, allowing him the opportunity to break the deadlock and push the bandit's blade aside and strike him down.
The blue-haired man turned to Robin, surprise evident on his features as the white-haired amnesiac walked up to him, shaking off the leftover electric currents still dancing across his fingertips.
"Robin! What in the name of Naga are you doing here?!" he asked incredulously. "Why'd you follow us?"
For his part, Robin shrugged. "Yeah, I know it's not the best idea, but…" he said. "Well, as you can see I'm armed, and I'm pretty sure I know my way around a fight. My body, at least, seems to be familiar with this sort of situation, so if you'll have me…"
Chrom chuckled in response as Frederick reappeared from one of the other streets, his armor and that of his warhorse still pristine in spite of the fact that his ornate silver lance's head was coated with a splatter of blood.
"Of course," he said, smiling gratefully. "As they say, there's strength in numbers. Just stay close by."
Frederick cleared his throat. "Milord," the knight spoke up. "There are more bandits milling about the opposite end of the market, and their leader is supposedly holed up just in front of the church."
Chrom nodded. "I see, thank you, Frederick," he said, before turning to Robin. "Remember, Robin. We face practiced thieves and murderers. They will grant us no quarter – it's kill or be killed!"
The other man didn't react. "Robin?" Chrom questioned, giving the man a slightly concerned look. Frederick wore an obvious look of suspicion, but the white-haired man seemed to simply be ignoring it.
… In fact, he simply seemed to be ignoring all outside stimuli as he gazed off into the distance, towards the church where the remaining bandits were milling about.
"Robin, are you still with us?" Chrom asked again, laying a hand on Robin's shoulder and snapping the man out of his trance.
The white-haired man blinked. "Oh, sorry, Chrom," he replied. "Yeah, I am. It's just… well, it's strange. Now that I'm here on the battlefield, I can… well, I can 'see' things."
It was Chrom's turn to blink. "See things? Like what?" he asked, suddenly worried that Robin's amnesia was the least of the man's mental problems.
Seeing the look on Chrom's face, Robin couldn't help but let out a bark of laughter. "No, nothing of the sort you might be thinking of, Chrom," he said, smiling lightly before turning thoughtful. "I can… see things like the enemy's strengths and weaknesses as individual soldiers and as a whole unit… and, somehow, the flow of battle just comes to me. It's like I step on the battlefield and now I'm suddenly aware of where everything is and how everyone is moving around me, even while I was focusing on fighting. I… probably must have studied this somewhere before."
Chrom raised an eyebrow. "So you're saying you can size up the enemy collectively and individually at a glance, and maintain focus on combat even while assessing everything going on around you?"
Robin nodded. "That, and maybe even more if I applied myself and used that information…" he said, trailing off thoughtfully.
"Those sound like the qualities of a tactician," Chrom remarked. "There are very few people able to dedicate themselves to such a profession, and even fewer still who do so and take to the field as you do."
Chrom took a moment to think, nodding to himself before he turned to the white-haired man. "Robin, take charge," he said. "Feel free to direct us as you see fit."
Robin took a step back. "D-direct you?" he asked.
"Yeah! Then we can see who's the delicate one here," Lissa said, grinning. "I may not be able to attack like Chrom, but when you get injured? I'll be the one stitching you back together care of my trusty staff, so you just tell me where to go, Robin!"
Frederick sighed and nodded, knowing anything he said would likely fly right over Chrom's head.
"Chrom…" Robin said, amazed by the faith being shown by the other man. "Alright… I'll do it."
A grin lit up Chrom's face. "Excellent," he said. "So, what are your orders?"
Robin frowned as he assessed the situation. There were seven bandits across the bridge, one of whom was seated upon the steps of the church as he barked and pointed at the others.
'He's probably the leader…'
Two robed figures – mages, Robin figured – stood around, watching opposite sides of the area around the church. The other four bandits brandished swords and axes, guarding the bridge that separated the town square from the church.
"… They're not going to be coming to us any time soon, I think," he finally said. "They outnumber us, and they're also in quite the advantageous position, especially if those two robed men are actually mages. They'll definitely be trouble if they spot our approach before we can take care of all the swordsmen and fighters…"
The white-haired man nodded to himself. "I'll try and work my way around," he said to the group. "Just hold position at our end of the bridge and don't engage them until I can take at least one mage out to make things a little easier." With that said, the amnesiac turned to get moving, but a hand on his shoulder stopped him in his tracks before he'd even taken two steps.
Robin looked back to find it was Chrom, a look of concern on his features. "Are you sure about this, Robin?" he asked. "I don't want you to rush into danger for our sakes."
The white-haired man nodded. "I'm sure," he replied. "Don't worry about me."
"I see…" Chrom said, a slight smile crossing his lips. "You've decided to lend us your strength, and that makes you a friend. Having an ally such as you by my side gives me courage."
Robin chuckled. "Thank you. I'll be fine, though. Just wait for the signal."
With that said, the white-haired man gave the three Shepherds a nod before taking off, cloak fluttering in the wind as his boots clattered on the cobblestone surfaces and dirt paths that marked the town's streets. He ducked through side streets and slipped through alleyways, finding no other bandits in his way as he circled around the area.
It took only a few minutes before he was in position, the bandits arrayed in front of him but now focused on Chrom, Frederick, and Lissa across the bridge.
"Here, sheepy sheepy!" Robin could hear the leader, calling and taunting Chrom. "Come to the slaughter!"
'Good… they don't know I'm here…' he thought, his tome open once more as he assessed the threat levels of each enemy. The leader hadn't moved yet, but the two robed men had brought out tomes, confirming his earlier suspicions. 'I guess I'd better start with the mages first… armor won't do much to stop magical attacks, not to mention Chrom and Frederick will have their hands full with the front-liners.'
Robin held his breath for a moment as his hand crackled with power. "Thunder!" he called out, magic runes forming around him as he fired a bolt of lightning at the first mage. The enemy mage had barely even turned before the bolt struck him down, alerting the bandits to the presence of another enemy. The opening was all the opportunity Chrom and Frederick needed, the two charging into the fray and engaging the sword and axe-wielding bandits.
The white-haired man ignored the rest for the time being, trusting Chrom and Frederick to keep things under control. Instead, he focused on the second mage, who was now looking at him intently as he charged up his own spells. Robin narrowed his eyes as a green glow formed in the bandit's hands. 'A wind spell… better be careful…'
A glowing blade of wind lashed out at Robin, the amnesiac barely managing to dive out of the way but still receiving a sizeable gash along his left bicep. Biting back a curse, he brought up his right hand, once more aglow with power, and fired. His bolt failed to score a direct hit, the bandit having dodged out of the way, but Robin was already a step ahead, striking the enemy mage down mid-dodge with a second bolt of lightning even as another blade of wind carved an angry wound along his right leg.
Pain flashed across Robin's senses as he dropped to one knee, a wince crossing his features before a scream from behind caused him to turn around. He saw Chrom locked in combat with the bandit leader, trading heavy blows with the much larger man. One of the bandits lay a few feet away from the dueling pair, blood pooling around him. Frederick was a few meters away, engaged with two bandits and holding his own in spite of the numbers disadvantage. That left…
'Lissa!' he thought in alarm, spotting the girl holding her staff up protectively in front of her as one of the other bandits had managed to break away from the main area of engagement. The large man now cornered her, his axe held loosely in one hand as he chuckled.
Robin raised his right hand, already running through another incantation for his Thunder spell. However, the spell died before it even had a chance to form in his palm, lightning crackling uncontrollably across his fingertips as both his head and his right arm throbbed. He tried again, but to no avail, only coming away with another shock of pain to his head and arm.
'Damn it, of all the blasted times…!' he thought, taking off into a sprint towards Lissa. His right hand unconsciously went to the sword strapped to the back of his waist, gripping the hilt and effortlessly sliding the weapon out of its sheath. As the bandit extended a hand towards Lissa, Robin willed his body to go even faster, adrenaline pumping through his veins. He heard Chrom yell something, as did Frederick, but it wasn't important to the flow of battle at the moment, so he simply filed it away.
The white-haired amnesiac launched himself forward, twirling his sword and swinging at the ruffian. The man had already turned, however, allowing him to react to Robin's attack and sidestep clumsily out of the way. Robin's blade nicked the bandit fighter in the shoulder, drawing blood but not doing any significant damage. The ruffian raised his axe and swung in a wild two-handed counterattack, but Robin had already turned and used his sword to redirect the swing upwards, the axe's dull edge scraping across the flat of his sword. Giving it a slight push, Robin forced the axe out of line before attacking, cutting deep into the man's chest. The bandit dropped to the ground, a wet gurgle the last sound he made before he lay still.
"R-Robin!" Lissa called out worriedly as Robin collapsed to a knee, adrenaline wearing off slightly as the pain started to catch up to him.
"I… I'm fine…" he replied as he looked up just in time to see Chrom strike down the bandit leader, his blade piercing the rough man's chest with practiced ease. Focused as he was on the man in front of him, however, Chrom failed to notice one of the other bandits he'd been fighting get up shakily using a sword as a support.
Before he knew what he was doing, Robin was already running, brandishing his blade in one hand. Chrom turned to him, surprise evident on his features as Robin raised his sword in both hands…
However, the white-haired man bodily pushed Chrom out of the way, bringing his blade up and into the path of the wounded ruffian's own, deflecting the strike before using his momentum to cut the myrmidon down with a powerful two-handed blow.
Silence reigned for a few moments, the only sounds to be heard being the heavy breathing from Robin as he looked down at the corpse of the man he'd just killed. For some reason… he seemed alright with it, almost as if he was somehow used to the thought of killing people.
He shook his head and sighed, deciding it was something for him to ponder another time. Turning, he found Chrom looking at him quite curiously as Lissa approached the pair.
"Well…" he said lightly, smiling sheepishly. "That's the end of that, I guess."
Lissa nodded. "The town was lucky that we were so close by," she thought, before grinning at the white-haired man. "But holy wow, Robin, you were incredible! Swords, sorcery, and tactics?! Is there anything you can't do?!"
Robin had the good grace to flush lightly in embarrassment. "Well, I… don't really know?" Robin didn't need to mention that even he had been surprised. Everything just came so naturally, from his spell-casting to his swordplay… and even his situational awareness and decision-making. He truly wondered just what he'd been before today… and whether he actually wanted to know. His grip on his sword tightened for a moment, but Robin forced himself to loosen up as he sheathed it.
Chrom chuckled. "What we do know is that you're certainly no helpless victim, that much is for sure," he remarked.
"Indeed," Frederick said as he came up to the trio, leading his horse by the reigns. Robin was just the tiniest bit annoyed to note that Frederick's armor was still pristine and spotless. "Perhaps you might even be capable of an explanation for how you came here?"
Robin shook his head. "I understand your skepticism, Sir Frederick," he said. "I can't explain why only some of my knowledge has returned to me… but, please, believe me. I've shared all that I know."
Chrom put a hand on Robin's shoulder. "You fought to save Ylissean lives, Robin," he said. "My heart says that's enough."
Frederick's expression was one of exasperation. "And your mind, milord?" he asked. "Will you not heed its counsel, as well?"
"My mind's counsel is simple, Frederick. The fact of the matter is this: the Shepherds could use someone with Robin's talents," Chrom replied, frowning. "We've brigands and unruly neighbors, all looking to bloody our soil. Would you really have us lose such an able tactician?"
'Tactician…? Is… is that what I am… what I was?' Robin thought, frowning as strange emotions began bubbling up within him at the thought of that word.
"… Besides, I believe Robin's story, odd as it might be."
Those words shocked Robin out of his thoughts. "Wait… Y-you do?" he asked, visibly surprised.
"Yes," came the straight reply with no hesitation.
The white-haired man's shock faded away to be replaced with gratitude. "Chrom, I… Th-thank you."
Chrom shook his head. "No, thank you, Robin. You helped us save this town, and you backed us up when we needed help," he replied. "So… how about it? Will you join us, Robin? Will you join the Shepherds?" Chrom raised a gloved hand, extending it to the amnesiac man before him.
Robin was moved by the gesture. Not even a day, and here Chrom was already offering him a home and a life. Blinking away tears, the white-haired amnesiac took the offered hand.
"I… I would be honored, Chrom," he said sincerely. "Thank you. I won't let you down."
The town was now bustling with activity again, the villagers having emerged from their hiding places once Frederick spread the word that the threat had been eliminated. Robin watched with satisfaction as people moved about, the injured were tended to by those with knowledge in first-aid and medicine while the others helped wherever they were able.
Robin had already had his wounds treated by Lissa; thankfully, he'd been the only one to come away from the battle with any real injuries. 'If my plan had led to someone else getting injured… Well, I doubt I'd ever be able to forgive myself for it.'
"Did you notice, milord?" Frederick said, bringing Robin out of his thoughts and back to the present. "The brigands spoke with a Plegian accent."
The amnesiac man frowned. "Plegian? What's that?" he asked, drawing Chrom and Frederick's attention. "I take it they're some rival nation or something?"
Chrom chuckled. "Plegia is Ylisse's westerly neighbour," he explained. "They like to send in small raiding parties every now and then, hoping to provoke Ylisse and start a war. There's a lot of history between our two nations, most of which can be attributed to the bad blood that exists between our respective ruling classes. It's not something to be proud of, for sure."
Lissa gestured at the damage that the bandits had brought upon the village, a sombre expression on her features.
"And it's the poor townsfolk who suffer for it!" she remarked sadly, sighing. "Totally innocent, and totally helpless…"
Frederick smiled reassuringly. "They do have us, milady," he said gently. "Shepherds to protect the sheep. Do not be swept up in your anger or sorrow, for it will cloud your judgement when our minds are in need of clarity."
"I know, I know…" Lissa said, sighing again before forcing a cheerful smile for everyone's sake. "Thanks, Frederick, but you don't need to worry. I'll get used to all this."
Robin raised an eyebrow. That was new. He didn't expect Frederick to have any other kind of behavior that wasn't fanatical devotion or aggravating suspicion. He threw a look at Chrom, who simply shrugged and offered up an easy, helpless smile.
'Well, thanks for no help, Chrom.'
"Milord!" one of the villagers – the village chief, Robin remembered from the introductions a few minutes ago – shouted as he ran up to their small group. "Milord, please! You must stay the night! We are simple folk of simple means, but we would gladly host you for the evening! Please, just give us a few hours to get everything in order, and we would gladly toast your valor and bravery with a feast!"
Frederick gave a small shake of the head. "A most generous offer, sir, and no doubt your hospitality would be grand and very much appreciated…" he said politely. "However, I'm afraid we must hurry back to Ylisstol and deliver a report to the Exalt about what has happened here today."
Lissa, on the other hand, was pretty much in seventh heaven just thinking about the feast that awaited.
"Dark meat only for me, medium well, and no salt in the soup – wait, what?! We're not staying?!" Lissa's expression quickly morphed from crestfallen to disbelieving. "But, Frederick, it's nearly dark!"
Frederick merely grinned. "When night falls, we'll camp," he replied matter-of-factly. "Eat of the land, make our bed of twigs and the like… I believe you just mentioned earlier that you would be… ah, 'getting used to this'? Milady did insist on joining milord and I on this short trip."
Lissa shot the knight her best glare. "Frederick? Sometimes I hate you. Like right now. I hate you so much right now."
Robin and Chrom burst out laughing at the exchange. "You've… quite… quite the stern… lieutenant there," the white-haired man said in between laughs, trying to get himself under control.
Lissa pouted. "Yeah? Well, 'stern' is one name for it," she replied. "I can think of a few others, quite a few of which aren't good for pleasant company!" That elicited another round of laughter.
"Frederick only smiles when he's about to bring down the axe," Chrom said, obviously enjoying himself, though judging from Lissa's expression she thought he was enjoying himself perhaps a little too much.
Robin grinned. "Duly noted."
Frederick cleared his throat. "You do realize I am still present, yes?" he asked, a displeased frown crossing his features.
"Oh, we realize," Chrom replied, he and Robin still grinning. It took only a moment before the two burst out laughing again.
Frederick sighed, waiting for their laughter to cease. "Milord remains as amusing as ever," he said once they had calmed down enough to listen. "Now then, shall we be going?"
"Alright, alright," Chrom said, still grinning madly. Turning to Robin, he slung an arm over the other man's shoulders. "Ready to go, Robin? The capital isn't far."
Robin nodded. "Yeah, I'm ready," he replied. "Lead the way, Chrom."
Location: West of Ylisstol
"I told you, it's getting dark already!" Lissa moaned as the group continued to walk.
Robin gazed around, noting that it really had gotten dark relatively quickly. The sun was only peeking now over the distant mountains, bathing them in the beautiful orange glow of twilight.
Lissa had been about to continue her tirade, only being cut off by a buzzing sensation barely missing her lips. "… Ech! And now the bugs are out! Noisy, disgusting bugs that buzz around and crawl all over and bite you when –! Agh! Won goph in mah mouph! Blech! Ptooey!" the poor girl spluttered, quickly reaching for her waterskin to rinse her mouth.
Chrom snickered. "Aw, come on now, Lissa! Hardship builds character!" he said, not exactly doing the best job of concealing his amusement. "Want to help me gather firewood?"
"Tpht! Tpht! Yeeeeeuck!" Lissa spat out the water in her mouth, doing as thorough a job of erasing the fact the bug had ever been in her mouth as anyone could have done. Robin gave the poor girl a pat on the back out of sympathy for her plight – he wouldn't want to know what it felt like to have a live bug in his mouth any time soon.
"I think I swallowed it..." she said, grimacing. "I'll pass on finding firewood, thanks. I think I've built quite enough character for one day!"
Robin let out a bark of laughter. "I think we should also probably think about some food," he said, chuckling even more as Lissa's mood perked up at the prospect of something to eat. "I don't know about you, but I'm starving."
'Yeah… thanks to you, Frederick. Thanks a lot,' he thought, shooting Frederick a dirty look.
Said knight didn't notice Robin's look, busy as he was with unsaddling his horse for the evening. "Yes, I should think a little hunting and gathering is in order," he said. "Now, who wants to clear a campsite?"
Lissa looked at the meat sitting on her plate, then at Chrom, then back to the meat again.
"Bear, Chrom? Really?" she said, utter dejection lacing her tone.
The blue-haired man didn't seem to have heard her complaints, focused as he was on his own meal. "Mmm…! It's been too long since I last had bear meat! Delicious!" Chrom's cheer vanished as he looked at Lissa's untouched plate. "What's wrong, Lissa? Dig in!"
"Pass!" came the instant reply, the girl's eyes closed. "Gods, couldn't you spear us an animal normal people eat for once? I mean, come on! Who eats bear?! You're meddling with the food chain. Right, Robin?"
The lack of reply from the white-haired man made Lissa open her eyes and glance his way. "Uh, Robin?"
Robin looked up from his meal, cheeks puffed out from how much meat he'd crammed into his mouth, managing a muffled sound of inquiry through the piece that was still hanging from his lips.
Lissa sighed. "I suppose a person would enjoy just about anything after not eating for days…" she muttered to herself.
"Just eat it, Lissa," Chrom replied. "There's nothing wrong with bear. Meat is meat."
Lissa groaned. "Since when does meat taste and smell like old boots?!" she borderline shrieked. "Actually, wait, I take that back! Old boots probably taste better!"
Next to Lissa, Frederick chuckled. "Every experience makes us stronger, milady," he said. "Even the ones we don't enjoy. It's actually not that bad."
"Really now?" Lissa asked, grinning devilishly. "Then why don't I see you eating any, Frederick?"
Frederick coughed into his hand. "Me? Oh, uh, well… I'm… actually not that hungry. I… I had a large lunch! Yes, quite!" he spluttered, trying to escape Lissa's questions.
Lissa snorted. "Yeah right, Frederick!" she said, completely unconvinced by the lame excuse.
Chrom, Robin, and even Frederick, joined in, and laughter rang throughout their campsite.
'If this is to be the first memory of my new life, then at least it's a good one,' Robin thought, looking at his three new companions as they laughed – and ate, in Chrom's case. 'I wonder what else is in store for me…? Whatever it is, I'll certainly face it with my best foot forward.'