Robin and Chrom sprinted across the Plegian sands. So far, the battle seemed to be going their way. The Ferox army was doing well against the Plegians, despite the Wyvern reinforcements. Also, judging by the fact that the pair has yet to run into a single Plegian, Robin knew the smaller groups were also successful.

"It appears the odds are in our favor," Chrom said while they ran.

"Y-Yeah," Robin breathed.

The pair slowed to a halt to check for the all clear. Robin took this as an opportunity to catch his breath.

"You good there, Robin?" Chrom asked as he gave Robin a concerned look.

Robin waved the question away. "I'm fine. I'm fine. Seriously. This is nothing compared to what Frederick has me do."

Chrom chuckled. "Heh, that I can agree on."

Then something caught his attention.

"Robin, what's that?"

"Huh?"

Chrom pointed off into the distance. "Over there. It looks like a person. Are they one of us?"

Robin squinted. He could faintly make out a lone, human figure making their way across the sand. The person looked to be on neither side of the battle as they just walked aimlessly around in the sand.

Robin shook his head. "Not sure."

"Should we go check it out?"

"Why? They aren't doing any harm. We don't need to waste our time."

"Maybe…that's what they want us to think! Maybe they're pretending, and they want us to leave…so they'll attack us from behind!" Chrom said confidently.

Robin shook his head. "I think you're overthinking this, Chrom…but I guess it won't hurt to check." He looked back to where they came from. "I don't see any sign of Frederick or Lon'qu…so I guess we have a few minutes to kill."

Chrom nodded, and the pair cautiously approached the loner. As they came closer, it became quite clear that this person was not with Ferox or Ylisse. The person, a woman, was dressed in what looked like a Plegian Mage's attire. She had long black hair and a slim figure. She stopped pacing as she noticed Chrom and Robin approach, however, she didn't attack.

She just watched them curiously

Chrom and Robin stopped just far enough away so the woman could hear them.

"You there! Are you with Plegia? Why are you hesitant to fight?" Chrom asked.

The woman crossed her arms. "I wouldn't say I'm 'hesitant' to, I just don't feel like it."

"And why's that?" Robin asked.

The woman looked at Robin. She studied him for a few minutes, long enough to make him uncomfortable. He cleared his throat. "Miss?"

The woman smiled pleasantly at him. "Please, call me Tharja."

"Er okay…Tharja, why is it you refuse to fight?" Robin asked.

Tharja put a hand on her hip. "It's pointless really. I mean, all of us will die eventually, so why invite it early? Especially towards something I don't believe in."

"...So, you're not with Plegia, then?" Chrom asked.

Tharja's smile faded as she glanced at Chrom. "Yes and no."

Chrom sighed. "Well, this is getting nowhere.''

"Um, Tharja…if the cause you're fighting for isn't something you believe in, would you rather join us? A cause that's worth fighting for?" Robin asked hesitantly.

Tharja put a finger to her chin and smiled. "Oh? Would you really trust me?"

Robin hesitated. "I want to trust you. We could use anyone we can get, and judging by your outfit, you wield magic?"

"Yes, dark magic. Anyways, if I were to join you, what's stopping me from plunging a dagger in your back while you sleep?"

Robin blinked…twice. He glanced at Chrom and gave him the "You're the leader, you decide" kind of look.

Chrom frowned. "My sister would be willing to give you a chance, and I'm trying to learn from her. So, yeah, I'm willing to take that chance."

Tharja chuckled. "Ah, noble are we? Careful, that could get you killed. However, suppose I'll join your cause…for now."

Robin shuddered. "W-Welcome to the team then…Tharja. I guess you can just follow us for now."

"As you wish," Tharja said, and eagerly followed the pair through the sands.

"Alright, I see Frederick and Lon'qu. You ready to save Emm?" Robin asked to Chrom as he readied his tome.

"Do I even need to answer that? It's time to save Emm from those Plegian dogs…no offense," Chrom added, glancing at their newest recruit.

She glared at him. "None taken," She replied darkly.

"Milord, I'm glad to see you safe," Frederick said as he and Lon'qu ran up to the pair. He gave Tharja a curious look before looking back at Chrom.

"Isn't she-"

"She decided to help us out. She's an ally," Chrom interrupted.

"For now," Tharja muttered.

Lon'qu cleared his throat.

Robin nodded. "Right, we're running out of time. Our top priority is to rescue Emm. You know the plan, yes?" Everyone nodded, except for Tharja, so Robin added, "Just stick by me. I'll need your help with stopping any Plegians who get in our way. We need to make sure the area is one hundred percent clear so our Pegasus Knights have a clear shot at her."

Tharja beamed. "As you say."

"Okay, everyone just follow me."

Then the group took off towards the ruined courtyard.

"Gwahaha! Looks like the battle's goin' our way!" Basilio cheered as he ripped his axe out of a lifeless Plegian corpse.

Flavia grinned. "Yeah. At this rate, Emmeryn will be back safe and sound in time for dinner."

Flavia and Basilio watched as the Plegian numbers dwindled within the Ferox ranks.

Flavia hefted her sword on her shoulder. "Odd. You'd at least think they'd have some reinforcements."

Basilio laughed. "Naw, they're all cowards and probably runnin' home by now!"

As if on cue, a Feroxi soldier ran up to the two Khans. "Milady, sir, scouts have reported Wyvern reinforcements coming in from the east!"

Flavia cursed under her breath. "Dang, I spoke too soon…Alright then. C'mon Oaf! Looks like they haven't given up just yet!"

Basilio beamed. "Ha! Damn right, woman! Let's give them Plegians a taste of their own medicine!"

Flavia nodded. "Sully! You and Stahl are now in charge of this squadron, ya hear? Don't let any of them break through the lines or else the prince will be in trouble!"

Sully rode up to Flavia. "Just leave it to us!"

Flavia and Basilio followed the soldiers to the backlines to prepare for reinforcements, leaving Sully and Stahl in charge of a squadron. About fifteen Feroxi soldiers stared at the pair, awaiting orders.

Sully grinned, and Stahl looked very uncomfortable.

"Y'all heard your previous captain! Don't let them get past these lines!" Sully shouted.

The Feroxi then proceeded to get in position as they waited for Plegians.

Sully was beaming. "Man, that felt good!"

Stahl suppressed a grin. "Something tells me you've been waiting for something like this for a while now."

She laughed. "Heh, I guess you could say that."

Stahl smiled, but his smile faded when he noticed a lone figure, off in the distance, being attacked by three other figures. He pointed his finger at the scene.

"Sully…"

She looked to where he was pointing. She scowled and readied her lance. "Looks like those Plegians are attacking an innocent."

Stahl nodded. "Does indeed." And he too readied his lance.

The pair rode off towards the three Plegians as they simultaneously attacked an innocent bystander.

The bystander, a woman with long blond hair, seemed to be doing well against her three foes. She swung a very large axe at her opponents while managing to also dodge their attacks. She noticed Sully and Stahl riding towards her, as did the Plegians.

She took this as an opportunity to swiftly swing her axe at the nearest Plegian who was distracted, cutting him down almost immediately Meanwhile, Sully and Stahl both thrust their lances at the other two Plegains, killing them both on the spot.

The woman breathed a sigh of relief. "I presume you are with Ylisse?"

Stahl nodded. "Yeah. Are you okay?"

The woman smiled sheepishly. "Yes, I am fine. Just a bit tired, but nothing I cannot handle. Naga's grace flows within me, giving me strength."

"Riiiiiight, so anyways, what is a woman like you doing out here all alone?" Sully asked.

The woman pursed her lips. "My apologies if I deceived you…but I'm a man."

Sully and Stahl couldn't hide their shock. Both of them glanced awkwardly at the other.

Sully grit her teeth. "S-Sorry, I didn't mean-"

The man smiled. "Please, it's quite alright. I get that a lot. I'm not sure why though…"

"Maybe it's your feminine figure-" Sully started, but was smacked on the shoulder by Stahl, cutting her off.

Stahl forced a smile. "I apologize for my friend milad-sir. I think um…the sun may have made you appear…different. Anyways, what are you doing here in the middle of Plegian territory all by yourself?"

The man smiled sadly. "Alas, I wasn't here all by myself. When we heard what was to happen to Her Grace, I came here with my brothers in faith. However, the Plegians got the best of them…so it's just me now."

"Oh! I-I'm so sorry! We're kinda in the middle of something right now, but after we rescue the Exalt, if there's anything you need, just let us know!" Stahl said.

The man smiled. "Thank you, but that won't be necessary. If you will allow it, I wish to fight alongside you."

Stahl glanced at Sully.

Sully shrugged. "So, Mr. Axe Woman-Man wants to join us? I say sure."

"Sully, don't call him that, and yeah, it doesn't hurt I guess." Stahl said.

He turned to the man. "Alright then. Welcome to the Ylissean ranks."

The man breathed a sigh of relief. "Ah, thank you so much. My name is Libra, by the way."

Sully shook her head. "Man, even his name sounds feminine…"

Phila paced back and forth restlessly while she waited for the next signal. She anxiously gazed at the horizon before continuing to pace back and forth.

"Oh stop that, dear. You're going to exhaust yourself," Maribelle said as Phila continued to pace.

Phila shook her head. "You know I can't do that. While Her Grace is up there," She pointed to where Emmeryn is to be executed, "I can't just stand here idlily."

Phila had been ruined when news got out about Emmeryn's capture. She and her knight squadron were out aiding the Ylissean guards as they fought off Plegians that infiltrated the city. They left a few Knights with Emmeryn, including Phila herself, however, they underestimated Plegia. There were too many Plegians that got into Ylisse, and they weren't able to hold them out of the castle. They left Phila alive for some reason, probably to "send a message," which made her feel even more dishonorable.

Lissa frowned. "Phila, please. Watching you like that is starting to make me worried…more worried! Look! You're making your horse worried, too!"

Phila stopped. "My apologies, Milady." She stroked her mount's hair, trying to put it at some state of ease.

Phila sighed as she looked at the horizon again. They, along with the rest of the Pegasus knights, were on top of a cliff that overlooked the Plegian castle. She looked out at the horizon, waiting for the bright sparks of a thunder spell to signal for them to depart. After every passing second, she grew even more uneasy.

Plegia was putting up a fight…but they could do better. She knew they could do better.

Something felt off.

"Captain, are you alright?" One of Phila's subordinates asked.

Phila snapped her attention back to reality. "Hm? Oh, yes, I'm fine. Please, don't mind me. I'm just eager to rescue Her Grace."

"...Okay."

Phila turned her attention back to the horizon, however, this time she was focused. She was going to Emmeryn back.

She was sure of it.

Robin's predictions were correct: Marth and Heather were able to successfully clear this area. They had stumbled across four bodies of deceased Plegians. However, something felt weird about it all…

"I will admit, I had my doubts about Heather, but it appears that both of them were able to handle their own." Chrom said as he stared at the scene.

Robin heaved a heavy sigh of relief. "I'm just glad they both seem okay."

"I wouldn't be so sure about that," Lon'qu said from afar.

Robin whipped around. "What is it?"

Lon'qu pointed to a spot on the ground. "There's a lot of blood here…and there," he said as he pointed to a spot on one of the ruined walls.

Robin's head began to pound as the thought of one-or both-of the girls getting hurt. Badly.

"It could mean nothing. It could be from one of those Plegians.' Robin thought, trying to reason with himself.

"Knowing Marth, they're probably fine," Chrom said as he walked next to Robin. Robin nodded, deciding that there was no time to worry.

Not when there was already enough at stake.

"Hmm."

Robin turned around to face Tharja. She was crouched down, doing something in the sand. She wore a frown as she gingerly picked some of it up and let it fall precariously from her fingers.

Robin looked curiously at her. "Tharja, what exactly are you doing?"

Tharja narrowed her eyes at the sand. "Do one of your companions wield magic?"

Robin hesitated. "Yeah, Heather knows lightning magic. Why?"

Tharja shook her head. "No, no amount of simple lighting magic could cause this."

She stood up and pointed to a pile of rubble. "That used to be a wall. I know that because I was here yesterday." She dusted her hands off and walked towards Robin. "That wall was still standing and-" She paused a few feet in front of him, staring him dead in the eye. Despite the hot sun, the atmosphere around them got ice cold, sending a chill down Robin's spine. Her demeanor shifted instantly as she looked Robin directly in the eyes. Robin wasn't sure what was harder to look at: The blazing sun or her piercing gaze. "-I did not sense the immense power that I'm feeling right now."

Robin shuddered again, but not from the cold. This woman was not like the other woman he's met so far. She seemed…dangerous.

Very dangerous.

Almost as quickly as it started, her dark demeanor changed back to her creepy-cheerful demeanor.

She smiled and shrugged. "It's probably nothing though. C'mon, let's get back to saving your Exalt, Robin!"

Robin gave Chrom a worried glance, and Chrom looked just as concerned as Robin did. In fact, even the calm and collected Frederick and Lon'qu seemed unsettled by Tharja.

"Er, r-right, yeah, we better get moving," Robin said hesitantly.

Chrom looked at Tharja with uncertainty. "R-Right."

"Captain! We're here!" A voice chirped.

Chrom turned around to see Sumia and Cordelia descending from the sky.

Robin looked at them confused as the girls landed. "Sumia? What are you doing here? We're supposed to meet up at the spot directly where Emmeryn is."

Cordelia shook her head. "Our apologies sir, but when we saw that giant explosion, we had to make sure everyone was okay." She smiled. "I will say, it is a relief to see you safe."

Robin's eyes widened. "E-Explosion? What explosion?"

Frederick cleared his throat. "We can discuss that later. We are running out of time, Robin."

Tharja glared at the girls. "Who are they?"

Sumia looked at Tharja. "W-Who's she?"

"Focus Sumia. We'll discuss all of this later," Chrom said.

"Right! Sorry, Captain!"

"How are the skies looking?" Robin asked.

Cordelia eyed Tharja wearily, then looked back at Robin. "We were able to dispatch all the Wyvern riders, so the skies are clear."

Robin smiled. "Great. What about their general?"

"Nowi, Gregor, and some uh…invisible force-I think Kellam, were able to take him out as well."

Robin beamed. "Alright then! Chrom, should I give the signal?"

Chrom glanced at the girls. "Sumia, Cordelia, can you take off from here?"

Both girls nodded.

Chrom readied his sword and gave Robin a small nod. Robin then shot a second bolt of electricity into the air, just high enough for Phila and her knights to see from where they stood. Not long after, Robin could make out organized figures in the sky, coming their direction. Sumia and Cordelia took off as well.

All that was left to do now was wait.

"C'mon, let's get closer to Emm," Chrom said as he briskly made his way in the same direction as the Pegasus Knights.

Robin followed him, but quickly added, "Alright, but we can't get too close. We don't want to mess anything up. Besides, Emmeryn is in good hands now."

Chrom sighed as he watched the knights successfully make it to the vicinity of Emmeryn. "Robin…does anything seem weird to you?"

Robin surveyed his surroundings. Everything seemed fine. Based on reports, the Feroxi army was able to better the Plegian army, and the reports from the smaller Shepherd units were positive as well. Even now, Phila and her units were able to easily make their way to Emmeryn.

Much too easy.

The Shepherds were good, sure, but he had anticipated a bit more of a fight.

Robin's eyes widened as he realized his mistake. "Crap."

He sprinted in the direction of the Knights, Chrom ran after him. "Robin, what is it?"

"Phila! Pull back! Pull back now!" Robin yelled desperately.

She was much too far away to hear him, much less see him. Cordelia caught a glimpse of him, and she and Sumia turned around to meet him.

'Why didn't I see this coming?! How didn't I see this coming?!'

"Gods, Robin, you're gonna blow our cover. What is it?" Cordelia asked as she and Sumia lowered down in front of him.

Robin's head swam with endless amounts of thoughts. It took him a minute to regain his composure before he shouted "It's a trap!"

Aversa smiled gleefully as she watched the Pegasus Knights desperately make their way over to where Emmeryn stood. She placed her hands on the balcony ledge that overlooked the entire battle.

Gangrel was standing next to her, watching the battle unfold. However, he was scowling at the group of approaching Pegasus Knights. "Ugh, why must Ylisse always be so resourceful? Can't they just be unprepared for once?"

"Well, who says that we can't be resourceful, hm?" Aversa asked. "How about we make this game a bit more even?"

Gangrel gave her a curious look as she pulled out a very eerie looking tome. She stroked the dark, leathery, purple cover before slowly opening the book. The atmosphere on the balcony dropped to a chilling temperature as she traced her fingers along the inscriptions in the book.

"I don't know what that is, but I like it," Gangrel said as he looked at the book.

"Hush, you'll mess me up," Aversa muttered.

She began to mutter some sort of chant, and Gangrel had to refrain from commenting, even after her body was engulfed in what looked like purple flames.

That's when he heard the shouting.

Gangrel peeled his eyes off Aversa and onto the Plegian sands. A ways away, he could hear somebody shouting something. He squinted, and was able to make out two figures running towards the group of pegasi. He recognized them both as the Ylissean prince and tactician.

"Well, well, now you decide to show yourself," He mused. A third figure trailed them from behind, and he immediately recognized them as one of his own. "Tharja?...What is she doing?"

The tactician was waving his arms frantically in the air, then was intercepted by two female Pegasus Knights. Meanwhile, a female Pegasus knight had flown up to where Emmeryn was. In only a minute, Emmeryn would be free, and they would lose all their leverage…

"Aversa! Do something!" Gangrel shouted.

"I already have, sir," Aversa said pleasantly. "Look down there."

Gangrel's eyes drifted back to the sands. They widened as he stared upon about fifteen archers that just appeared there.

Risen.

All the Risen immediately got to work. They swiftly drew their bows and started firing effortlessly at the Pegasus Knights. One by one, arrows would hit their marks. The Pegasus Knights tried to dodge the arrows with little success. One by one, they fell from the sky and onto the Plegian sands.

After about a minute, the once respected Ylissean group of Pegasus Knights was decimated, and there were none left alive.

Aversa chuckled. "Well, now we're a bit more even, wouldn't you say?"

Gangrel wasn't sure what happened, but he loved it nonetheless. "Ha! I knew you were good for something! Well done, Aversa, well done!"

Aversa flexed her fingers and closed her book. The chilling atmosphere was immediately replaced with the normal Plegian heat.

More shouts rang from below.

Gangrel grinned as he looked down at Chrom. He glanced back at Emmeryn, who was clutching her hands close to her chest, eyes wide with horror.

He chuckled. "Well then, I think it's finally time for the grande finale."

"Go! Go! GO!" Robin shouted.

Cordelia immediately took off, just barely missing a flurry of arrows. Robin sat behind Codelia on her pegasus, likewise with Chrom and Sumia. Robin didn't even notice until now but it appeared Tharja had followed them, and she managed to slip behind Robin on Cordelia's mount.

"What do you think I'm doing?!" Cordelia shouted over her shoulder.

They landed a safe distance away from the line of fire. They were now much further away from Emmeryn, but closer to the Plegian castle. Robin was now able to see that both Gangrel and Aversa were up on a balcony, looking upon the sight with bright smiles plastered on each of their faces.

Chrom immediately jumped off Sumia's horse and practically ripped his own hair out as he looked upon the scene. He shook with rage as he looked between Gangrel and the fallen Pegasus Knights.

Sumia was sobbing and Cordelia looked close to tears. Tharja stood quietly behind Robin, and he paled as he looked at the sight. "I…I don't understand…how did they…"

"Damn you, Gangrel!" Chrom shouted.

Gangrel cackled. "Oh? Did you enjoy that little show? Don't worry, what I have planned next will be your favorite part, I'm sure of it!"

Robin stared blankly at Gangrel. So many thoughts were running through his head. It was getting difficult to focus. "Did we just…"

Cordelia gripped her lance. "I'm gonna kill him," She hissed.

"Cordelia no! He'll kill you, too!" Sumia begged. Tears were streaming down her face like a waterfall. "Captain wouldn't have wanted that."

Cordelia cursed under her breath, and lowered her lance.

"You…you just murdered innocent people, Gangrel! I'll kill you for that myself!" Chrom shouted.

"I'd like to see you try, little prince," Gangrel said between laughs.

Robin finally was able to put his thoughts into words. "No Chrom...we…we just…lost."

Cordelia stared incredulously at Robin. "Don't say that?! We've still got a fight left in us! Phila WILL NOT have died in vain!"

Robin slowly shook his head. "No…no, w-we've lost. We-"

"Now, I'm going to give you just one chance, little prince. If you get on your knees and beg…maybe I'll consider making your death a bit less painful than your friends over there! But then again, I do want to see you suffer! Ha ha!" Gangrel cackled.

Chrom balled his fists as he stared helplessly up at Gangrel. "I'd rather die than plead for my life from scum like you!"

Gangrel dramatically wiped his eyes as he was crying. "Disappointing…but not surprising to say the least. However, have you forgotten about your sister?" He grinned when Chrom tensed up, so he added, "All I have to do is raise a fist and she'll be dead on the ground before you could even say her name!"

Gangrel paused as he watched Chrom portray about thirty different emotions all at once. He smirked. "Now, because I'm nice, I've decided that this can go one of two ways. Number one: You continue to fight and everyone here, including your sister, dies. Or! You can lay down your weapon and give me the Fire Emblem…then, everyone lives! Now, I call that a win-win, don't ya think?"

"This is so messed up," Sumia said between sobs.

Tharja scoffed. "To think this is the man I was serving."

Cordelia glared murderously at Gangrel. "Captain, please, there's no bargaining with people like him. There's still a fight left in us. We can take them, even against an army of the dead."

Chrom silently stared at the sand beneath him, deep in thought.

"Chrom?" Robin said hesitantly.

"...I…I don't know…" Chrom muttered lifelessly.

"Hey! Snap out of it! You can't trust him" Robin said, shaking his shoulder.

Chrom broke out of his thoughts and stared at Robin. "Of COURSE I can't trust him! But if I refuse, he'll kill my sister!"

"But what happens if he gets the Fire Emblem? What then?" Robin pressed.

"Are you saying we just let him kill my sister?" Chrom asked angrily.

Robin's eyes widened. "What?! No! Of course not! I'm saying that we need to think this through rationally!"

"We don't have time for that! I'm giving him the Fire Emblem!"

"What?!" Sumia cried out.

A look of betrayal flashed across Cordelia's face. "...Captain…please…"

Robin shook his head. "Chrom, you can't…"

Chrom turned to where Emmeryn was. She was up high compared to where they were, but not high enough for her to not hear them. "Emm, I know you may not approve of this. But right now, Ylisse needs YOU. They need their leader. They need their Exalt. Yeah, maybe there will come a day where we need the Fire Emblem, but until then, we need you, Emm. As a leader and as a sister."

Emmeryn gave Chrom a sad smile. She glanced back at her fallen comrades. Phila, one of her closest friends, lay in the sandy ground. She glanced back towards where Frederick was, who was standing a ways away from the group, but she could tell he was staring directly at her, causing her heart to ache. She closed her eyes for only a moment, and thought about her brother's words. But he was wrong.

Her people don't need her. They would be completely fine if someone else simply filled the role of Exalt. Her people need a leader. A strong one. Someone willing to take risks. Risks that she herself wasn't brave enough to take. Risks that could've stopped this mess a long, long time ago.

She's made her decision.

"Chrom I…thank you. Truly, your words mean everything to me…but I know what I must do."